“Yes!” growled Victoria. “What about it, you stinkin’ pervert? What the hell are you doing in my room?” Vash blushed and handed her his room assignment. “This says that this is my room.”
“What the hell? This is MY room.” Victoria snatched the paper and looked at it. “Bunk B?”
Vicky looked at her own bunk. She hadn’t noticed it before but there was a stenciled label next to it. “Bunk A…”
She looked up about a foot, and right next to the other bunk was a label that said Bunk B.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she exclaimed.
Vash looked at the labels as well, and shrugged. “Well, looks like we’re roommates!”
“No,” hissed Victoria, poking Vash on the chest. “There is no way I’m sharing a room with a pervert like yourself!”
Vash winced and backed away. “I’m sorry about that. I was only fooling around. Will not happen again, okay Vicky?”
“It better not!” exclaimed the irate female Vampire. “And what is it with Americans and nicknames?”
Vash shrugged and smiled, exuding an aura of kindness and simple honesty. “It’s cute, that’s all… it suits you.”
Victoria blushed and with a small smile on her face, she stammered, “I ah... who the hell are you anyway.”
Vash’s smile grew with the glint of light reflecting from pearlescent teeth. Victoria swore she saw sparkles appear around him as he spoke. “I am but a simple lover of peace who chases the mayfly known as love…”
Victoria’s blushed brightened. If she still had a heartbeat, it would be quickening. This guy was nuts, but sweat. Maybe he wasn’t that bad.
“I am known to many as Vash the Stampede.”
Victoria’s train of thought skid to a full stop. This happy-go-lucky nutter was the infamous Gunman-Terrorist Vash the Stampede?
“You’re Vash?” she exclaimed.
“Yep!” he chirped with a very slight western accent.
“I’ve herd conflicting stories, but you’re not what I’d expect.”
“What did you expect?” asked Vash. He suddenly puffed himself up and began posing menacingly. “Were you expecting, the infamous gunman who has ground entire armies under his feet? The wicked and frightening Human Act of God that leaves entire cities in ruins? The frightening and terrible Humanoid Typhoon? The bane of the innocent, devil’s own helper who kills a thousand people each day before breakfast?!”
Victoria backed up a bit and began to chuckle to herself, wondering what drugs Vash was taking and what drugs he was neglecting to take. “Well, kinda...”
Vash’s aura of menace proofed out and he just waves his hand dismissingly. “Oh, that’s nothing but stories. I’m nothing like that! I have never killed anyone and I never plan on doing so.”
Victoria blinked. “You never killed a human?”
Vash shook his head. “All life is precious, life is something that can never be replaced and once it is gone it is gone forever.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you…”
Vash nodded. “I’m as harmless as a kitten!”
Victoria winced as memories of her only unit cam to mind. While she’d mostly come to grips with what she had become, like it or not, the memories of that night still haunted her. Her units transformation into ghouls and her own undeath was still a open wound on her spirit. Some times she doubted she would have said yes to Alucard if she was give the second choice.
“Are you alright?” asked Vash, his bright aquamarine eyes shining like two orbs of concern.
“I’m fine,” Victoria replied. Her eyes told a different story.
Vash’s face became slightly downcast and he sat on the bunk. “Come on. You’re not okay. You look sad.”
Victoria glared at him. “Why do you care?”
“You’re human,” he replied. “That’s reason enough.”
Victoria sighed. “I’m not human. I drink blood and I don’t even have a heart beat! I’m a vampire! A monster! I’m not even alive”
“You’re a vampire?” asked Vash
“Yes!”
Vash scratched his chin. “Is Mina one too?”
“Yes!”
Vash nodded. “That explains why she tried to eat me…”
“She what?” exclaimed Victoria. She hadn’t expected Miss Murray of all people to loose control.
“That doesn’t matter.” he said, “What does matter is that you’re alive.”
“I’m undead! How the hell am I alive?!” hissed Victoria. This man was starting to anger her. She was not human, she was not alive. She was a vampire, the undead. An inhuman freak and no matter how hard she tried, that would never change.
“There is more to being alive then just your body,” stated Vash in a even, kind tone, that was filled with concern. “You still have a life. Every day you live a bit more, learn more, andgrow more as a person. You are alive as long as you are willing to live.”
Victoria’s train of though paused. What he said made perfect sense. It was so perfectly simple and logical. “But, I’m still not human… even if I am alive, in a sense.”
Vash shook his head. “You’re human. As long as you want to be human, do the right thing, treat others with love and kindness, you’ll be human. If not in body then in spirit, and the spirit is what’s most important.”
“But… I drink blood to survive…”
“Does it hurt anyone?”
“No…”
Vash smiled and looked in the mini-fridge. “That’s a transfusion packet…” Vash lifted the packet, read the label, then placed it back in the fridge. “Hmm… American Red Cross. It’s donated blood. I can’t see anything wrong with you drinking that.”
“Why not?” she asked
“You need it to live, right?”
“Yes.”
Vash smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “Well, that blood was intended to preserve life, and that’s what it’s doing. It’s keeping you alive. Don’t be ashamed, there is nothing wrong if no one gets hurt.”
Victoria was stymied. What was his angle? What was he trying to get out of this? Why the hell did he care?!
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(Posted Sun, 20 Jul 2003 01:04)
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