Musings and an Odd Blurb
Dec. 19th, 2006 06:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladybug_archiveWe were supposed to be going Christmas shopping today, but I don't know what'll happen now. Dad's been really sick with a bad cold/the flu, but he's been trying to fix the car. He got a new starter in, and we thought it was finally done, and now it needs a new thermostat! Honestly.
Yesterday morning, and this evening, I randomly wrote a profile for Vodka in my stories. I seem to have described Vodka through specific experiences of his, unlike what I did with Gin's. XD;
Vodka is Gin's longtime partner in the Organization, and though neither will admit it, also his best (and only living) friend. He is a follower, content to let Gin lead on their assignments, and will rarely talk back to the blonde. The only times he has protested Gin's actions are when he believes that something Gin is doing will end up harming him (or both of them). Since Gin is normally a very rational person, Vodka has hardly ever had to worry about this.
He is very quiet and shy around most people, and as a child he was never well-liked and was often picked on by others, especially Brandy. Vodka is physically strong, and is definitely useful in a fight, but he never was quite sure how to fight against Brandy and his clique. Hence, he ended up locked in a closet on one occasion when he was five, and overpowered and nearly drowned on another, when he was seven.
During the latter event, he was saved by Gin, who stumbled across the scene and routed Brandy and the others away before throwing a life-preserver to Vodka. Gin was not very social, even then, and when Vodka tried to be friendly for once and to come out of his shell, he was more or less brushed off. He and Gin never saw each other again until they were partnered up eleven years later.
Vodka has a history of being somewhat careless, though when he puts his mind to something he can usually succeed at it. Because of the near-constant bullying, however, his self-confidence was diminished extremely by the time he turned eighteen, and it was not helped when he was assigned to the arrogant and snobbish Jenever.
As his partner, Vodka was always being ridiculed and criticized; nothing he did was good enough for Jenever. If he did not take charge, he was too meek. If he did take charge, he was too bold and arrogant. Jenever would complain that Vodka did not have to tell him things when Vodka would try to give the details of an assignment. Then he would complain that Vodka was being secretive if Vodka said nothing. Sometimes he would tell Vodka that he could smoke, and then immediately say that he had not allowed it if Vodka did try to do so. He also did not allow Vodka to wear his sunglasses, as Jenever insisted on being able to see the other's eyes, "to know whether he was being plotted against." Eventually he wrote a formal complaint, asking for the termination of their partnership and blaming everything on Vodka.
Vodka was then assigned to Gin, and while he initially found the blonde to be easier to get along with than Jenever, the two soon found that they did not see eye to eye. Vodka's self-confidence had been completely shattered by Jenever's cruelty, and Gin was frustrated by this. And his intimidating personality did nothing to ease Vodka's mind. For two months, they struggled along, trying to make the partnership work. Vodka became discouraged, however, and was convinced that Gin would soon end things, as Jenever had in the past.
Vodka was forced to rediscover some of his self-confidence, however, during an occasion where he and Gin were tracking a traitor who was determined to blow up one of the Black Organization's bases. Various serious damage was sustained as two or three of the bombs went off before they could be found, and Gin was incapacitated by another that caused his left arm to be pinned down by debris. When confronted by the bomber, Vodka was able to shoot him dead before he could kill Gin, and then had to dismantle a fourth bomb while Gin struggled to free himself. Gin gained respect for his partner, and Vodka was able to get over some of his uneasiness concerning Gin.
Even now, Vodka's confidence has not been completely restored. Though he knows Gin cares about him, he still worries at times that the blonde will be furious with and unforgiving towards him over various things. When he was healing Gin's mind after the other's rescue from over two months in captivity due to Dr. Portman, he and Gin ended up in many arguments and Vodka was forced to stand up to him several times. Though Gin was initially angry, when he calmed down he respected Vodka all the more for it.
On another occasion, Vodka was attacked by a target and shot him in self-defense. The bullet ended up going through him and into Gin's side, seriously wounding him. Vodka felt extremely guilty and could not be consoled, and in addition to worrying over Gin's fate, he worried that he would be rejected and possibly killed by his partner. But Gin understood that it could not have been prevented, and told Vodka to "stop thinking he's [Vodka's] so worthless."
Vodka is a mystery, perhaps more of one than Gin. He is close to his longtime partner, and has never liked Gin's love, Sherry, believing that she will be the death of Gin one way or another. He is able to handle business angles well, but becomes completely lost when trying to informally socialize. Though he is quiet and shy, he does enjoy looking at beautiful women from a safe distance. Once they try to talk to him (or heaven forbid, tease him), the poor man becomes completely flustered. Vermouth takes great delight in this.
Though he does not realize it, his presence has been a good thing for Gin, and the fact that he has more visible humanity complements Gin's normally ruthless behavior. He has learned self-confidence and leadership skills from his partner, though he does not desire to ever take on a high position such as Gin has.
Earlier we watched a favorite movie, and while we did, I ended up getting a strange, strange, and very dark blurb idea. XD; So ... I had to sit down and write it.
These are the second to last and last scenes of the story, and the only ones that are really clear in my mind. I had to think a bit to figure out how to write a genuinely insane Gin, and then I wanted to counterbalance that with the last scene.
Vodka stared, dumbfounded, at the man in front of him---if, indeed, he could be called a man. The other was dressed as Vodka always remembered, in the black coat and hat, and the blue sweater, but his long hair was tangled and unkempt as it hung over the back of the wheelchair. As he raised his green-eyed gaze to meet his partner's, it was without recognition, let alone mercy or even sanity. He looked at least twenty years older than he actually was. His lips parted in a twisted smirk as he started to reach inside his coat.
"Vodka?" he snorted, and the shorter man was chilled by the tone of voice. "There has never been an agent codenamed Vodka." He started a chuckle deep in his throat, a sadistic, maniacal chuckle, and he brought out his gun with a shaking hand. "You must be out of your mind. That's a pity. But I could cure you of that . . . permanently."
Vodka's mouth dropped open, and his thoughts tumbled madly over each other. Part of him wanted to run forward, grabbing the blonde by the shoulders and pleading to be known and remembered. The other part was too horrified to even move. "Bro . . ." he finally managed to choke out. "Bro, what happened to you?" His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. He had seen so many things, so many bewildering, alarming things over the past length of time, but this was the worst. This was what pierced his heart and soul.
"What happened to me?" Gin repeated, and his smirk only widened. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You address me so familiarly . . . you must be insane." He toyed with the gun, as if pondering whether to raise it now or later.
Vodka could not stand it. In an instant he had reached the miserable man and was gripping his shoulders, staring into the startled and crazed eyes. "I'm your partner, bro!" he cried desperately. "I'm your partner, for almost eight years now! Why don't you remember?" He did not realize it, but he was shaking the other man. "Why don't you remember?" he screamed again, his voice trailing off as he felt the gun being poked into his abdomen. Gin was going to kill him.
"I've never even had a partner. I've always worked alone. Eliminating you would be a mercy killing," Gin mused, and the gun clicked. "But I'm not in the mood to do you any favors. I'd rather have some fun with you first. No one ever comes to see me. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that I kill anyone who dares to enter." He grinned again, mocking and taunting Vodka, and the poor man slumped back, sickened.
"Why?" was all that he could manage to get out.
"After Shiho left, he became very bitter," Akemi said softly and not unkindly from behind Vodka. "And eventually, he had that problem of being caught by Dr. Portman, but this time, he never recovered from what she did to him. You weren't there to heal his mind." She paused as she took in Vodka's haunted expression, then carefully continued. "Aoshi took care of him, and when one of his men started beating Gin, he retaliated and ended up getting shot in both of his legs. He's crippled." She could see that Vodka had stiffened again, and not from the feel of the gun.
Vodka's soul was quickly being shredded at Akemi's words. His partner, the man Vodka respected and looked up to, and the only person whom Vodka could say he honestly cared about in this world, had lost his mind. And it was because of Vodka. . . . "But what about your sister?" he cried finally. "What about Sherry? Didn't she come back?" He did not notice Gin's eyes widen in shock and then narrow in hatred from this question.
Immediately the blonde reached out, grabbing a handful of Vodka's shirt and dragging him down to Gin's eye level. "What about Sherry?" he demanded. "How do you know her?" His voice was cold, deadly, the voice that had struck fear into Vodka's heart many a time. Only now it was far worse than anything before.
Now Vodka's emotions simply spilled over. "I lived with you and her for years!" he screamed. "When she left, I was always with you on the chase to find her! But you got back with her! You're married to her, Gin! You're married to her, and all of us have been living together again!" His eyes trailed to Gin's left hand, which was still clutching the gun---and of course, was bare.
Gin's expression twisted further, and his eyes gleamed. "Ah, Sherry," he purred, ignoring the details of what Vodka had said. "She was the first one I killed after I returned from Portman's laboratory. And I enjoyed every minute of it. She deserved to suffer and die, after what she did to me." His voice lowered as he began to describe in gory details exactly what he had done, and how. And even knowing the way Gin had claimed to feel towards Sherry in the past, what he was saying now was not like him.
It suddenly and painfully hit Vodka that this was not the Gin he knew. This was a complete monster. Vodka could see blood splattered on all the walls and the floor. Gin had not been lying when he had said that he had killed anyone who had came there. Vodka wondered if he would be next. But could he even die, when he did not exist? He had not believed Akemi when she had told him that he had never been born. Now he did.
Desperately he struggled to pry Gin's hand away from him. "Let me go!" he cried, his sickened feelings only increasing with what he was being told. "Stop it, Gin! Stop it!"
Gin only gripped tighter. "I'll do worse to you," he threatened, and the sick amusement remained on his features. "If you were really my partner, as you claim, then you should have been here! Where were you when that woman was killing me a little bit each day?" He started to raise his left hand again. "You were never here, because you never existed. Maybe you're not here at all, and it's only in my imagination. I wonder what will happen when I try to harm you? Do you even feel at all? Can you die? Let's find out, shall we?"
Vodka clenched his fingers tightly around Gin's wrist in response, twisting and breaking it in one swift motion as the blonde gasped in pain. Then Vodka thrust the appendage from him, drawing his own gun and pointing it at the creature in front of him. "I was here!" he screamed. "I was here, and you weren't like this! You weren't insane! You wouldn't want to live like this, Gin! You'd never want to live like this. . . ." He gripped the gun tightly, but his hand still shook. Could he bring himself to shoot? If Gin really realized what he had become, he would want Vodka to pull the trigger---but could he?
The gunfire erupted like thunder. Gasping, Vodka fell back, dropping his gun as he clutched his now torn stomach. Gin grinned madly, firing again and again as he hit Vodka in both of his legs. The shorter man stumbled, his legs instantly crumpling under him as he slammed to the floor. Dazedly he watched his blood start to spread across the tiles, and he was aware of Gin's insane laughing as he was shot once more, in the back. He gasped, the blood rushing to his mouth as he coughed it up.
This isn't the way it should be, he thought desperately as his vision clouded over. I don't want this! I don't want this! I want to live. . . . I want to go back. . . . I want Gin to be himself again! Whatever happens to me . . . I want to see him sane.
Everything went black.
****
"Vodka?" A low curse. "Wake up, Vodka."
He tensed at the sound of the voice. Gin . . . it was Gin. . . . No, he could not bear to see Gin out of his mind any longer. But . . . why was he not dead? Gin had already fatally wounded him. There was no way he could have survived. No way . . . unless. . . . Could he be home?
He struggled with his stubborn eyelids, forcing them open. As the scene slowly came into view, he focused on Gin's weary form sitting in a chair next to what seemed to be a bed. His long hair, freshly washed and smooth, fell over his shoulders. His face was scratched, and there was a pad of gauze against his left temple, peeking through the long bangs. His left arm was in a sling, though not a cast. The overhead lights caught the gleam of the band on the third finger.
Relief, awe, and indescribable emotions swept over Vodka as he saw this. This was the Gin he had always known, the Gin he was loyal to, the Gin whom he looked up to and respected, and cared about. Gin was sane, and he seemed to be physically alright as well.
"Bro . . ." Vodka choked out, and then did not know how to proceed. How could he ever express his feelings? How could he possibly ever begin to tell Gin of what he had seen, and felt, and experienced? He knew that he could never make it clear to Gin how he felt to be able to see the other safe and well. But he struggled to form words of some kind. "What . . . what happened?" If he had not been wounded by bullets, he could not figure out what he was doing laying in this bed. He supposed he should remember, but he did not.
Gin grunted. "You went out wandering around, distraught. Sherry went after you, but by the time she found you, you'd been hit by a car. Apparently you weren't watching at all where you were going." His eyes narrowed. "You could have been killed."
Vodka tried to digest what he was being told. Had it all been a dream? Had Akemi not actually come to him? Had he not actually gone through what he had? It had all seemed so real. . . . Had it been a hallucination of his tortured mind? That did not seem possible. And yet, what other explanation was there?
His gaze drifted back to Gin's injuries, and he winced as he remembered again how they had come about. "Bro . . . I'm sorry," he said then, and he wondered exactly what he was apologizing for---that Gin was hurt, that he himself had almost gotten killed, or something else entirely.
"Don't apologize to me," Gin grumbled, and his eyes told Vodka all that he needed to know.
The heavyset man slumped back into the pillows. He could not speak anymore. But he did not have to.
No, I don't know why Vodka apparently wished that he had never existed, or what happened to Gin in the real world. XD; But since this is a random blurb and not a full story, it doesn't matter right now. I have definitely been thinking about it, though!
It worries me that I was able to churn out this in a couple of hours, while I'm having trouble getting out a few sentences on the gift fics. o.o But I have started yours, Lisa! ^^
Yesterday morning, and this evening, I randomly wrote a profile for Vodka in my stories. I seem to have described Vodka through specific experiences of his, unlike what I did with Gin's. XD;
Vodka is Gin's longtime partner in the Organization, and though neither will admit it, also his best (and only living) friend. He is a follower, content to let Gin lead on their assignments, and will rarely talk back to the blonde. The only times he has protested Gin's actions are when he believes that something Gin is doing will end up harming him (or both of them). Since Gin is normally a very rational person, Vodka has hardly ever had to worry about this.
He is very quiet and shy around most people, and as a child he was never well-liked and was often picked on by others, especially Brandy. Vodka is physically strong, and is definitely useful in a fight, but he never was quite sure how to fight against Brandy and his clique. Hence, he ended up locked in a closet on one occasion when he was five, and overpowered and nearly drowned on another, when he was seven.
During the latter event, he was saved by Gin, who stumbled across the scene and routed Brandy and the others away before throwing a life-preserver to Vodka. Gin was not very social, even then, and when Vodka tried to be friendly for once and to come out of his shell, he was more or less brushed off. He and Gin never saw each other again until they were partnered up eleven years later.
Vodka has a history of being somewhat careless, though when he puts his mind to something he can usually succeed at it. Because of the near-constant bullying, however, his self-confidence was diminished extremely by the time he turned eighteen, and it was not helped when he was assigned to the arrogant and snobbish Jenever.
As his partner, Vodka was always being ridiculed and criticized; nothing he did was good enough for Jenever. If he did not take charge, he was too meek. If he did take charge, he was too bold and arrogant. Jenever would complain that Vodka did not have to tell him things when Vodka would try to give the details of an assignment. Then he would complain that Vodka was being secretive if Vodka said nothing. Sometimes he would tell Vodka that he could smoke, and then immediately say that he had not allowed it if Vodka did try to do so. He also did not allow Vodka to wear his sunglasses, as Jenever insisted on being able to see the other's eyes, "to know whether he was being plotted against." Eventually he wrote a formal complaint, asking for the termination of their partnership and blaming everything on Vodka.
Vodka was then assigned to Gin, and while he initially found the blonde to be easier to get along with than Jenever, the two soon found that they did not see eye to eye. Vodka's self-confidence had been completely shattered by Jenever's cruelty, and Gin was frustrated by this. And his intimidating personality did nothing to ease Vodka's mind. For two months, they struggled along, trying to make the partnership work. Vodka became discouraged, however, and was convinced that Gin would soon end things, as Jenever had in the past.
Vodka was forced to rediscover some of his self-confidence, however, during an occasion where he and Gin were tracking a traitor who was determined to blow up one of the Black Organization's bases. Various serious damage was sustained as two or three of the bombs went off before they could be found, and Gin was incapacitated by another that caused his left arm to be pinned down by debris. When confronted by the bomber, Vodka was able to shoot him dead before he could kill Gin, and then had to dismantle a fourth bomb while Gin struggled to free himself. Gin gained respect for his partner, and Vodka was able to get over some of his uneasiness concerning Gin.
Even now, Vodka's confidence has not been completely restored. Though he knows Gin cares about him, he still worries at times that the blonde will be furious with and unforgiving towards him over various things. When he was healing Gin's mind after the other's rescue from over two months in captivity due to Dr. Portman, he and Gin ended up in many arguments and Vodka was forced to stand up to him several times. Though Gin was initially angry, when he calmed down he respected Vodka all the more for it.
On another occasion, Vodka was attacked by a target and shot him in self-defense. The bullet ended up going through him and into Gin's side, seriously wounding him. Vodka felt extremely guilty and could not be consoled, and in addition to worrying over Gin's fate, he worried that he would be rejected and possibly killed by his partner. But Gin understood that it could not have been prevented, and told Vodka to "stop thinking he's [Vodka's] so worthless."
Vodka is a mystery, perhaps more of one than Gin. He is close to his longtime partner, and has never liked Gin's love, Sherry, believing that she will be the death of Gin one way or another. He is able to handle business angles well, but becomes completely lost when trying to informally socialize. Though he is quiet and shy, he does enjoy looking at beautiful women from a safe distance. Once they try to talk to him (or heaven forbid, tease him), the poor man becomes completely flustered. Vermouth takes great delight in this.
Though he does not realize it, his presence has been a good thing for Gin, and the fact that he has more visible humanity complements Gin's normally ruthless behavior. He has learned self-confidence and leadership skills from his partner, though he does not desire to ever take on a high position such as Gin has.
Earlier we watched a favorite movie, and while we did, I ended up getting a strange, strange, and very dark blurb idea. XD; So ... I had to sit down and write it.
These are the second to last and last scenes of the story, and the only ones that are really clear in my mind. I had to think a bit to figure out how to write a genuinely insane Gin, and then I wanted to counterbalance that with the last scene.
Vodka stared, dumbfounded, at the man in front of him---if, indeed, he could be called a man. The other was dressed as Vodka always remembered, in the black coat and hat, and the blue sweater, but his long hair was tangled and unkempt as it hung over the back of the wheelchair. As he raised his green-eyed gaze to meet his partner's, it was without recognition, let alone mercy or even sanity. He looked at least twenty years older than he actually was. His lips parted in a twisted smirk as he started to reach inside his coat.
"Vodka?" he snorted, and the shorter man was chilled by the tone of voice. "There has never been an agent codenamed Vodka." He started a chuckle deep in his throat, a sadistic, maniacal chuckle, and he brought out his gun with a shaking hand. "You must be out of your mind. That's a pity. But I could cure you of that . . . permanently."
Vodka's mouth dropped open, and his thoughts tumbled madly over each other. Part of him wanted to run forward, grabbing the blonde by the shoulders and pleading to be known and remembered. The other part was too horrified to even move. "Bro . . ." he finally managed to choke out. "Bro, what happened to you?" His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. He had seen so many things, so many bewildering, alarming things over the past length of time, but this was the worst. This was what pierced his heart and soul.
"What happened to me?" Gin repeated, and his smirk only widened. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You address me so familiarly . . . you must be insane." He toyed with the gun, as if pondering whether to raise it now or later.
Vodka could not stand it. In an instant he had reached the miserable man and was gripping his shoulders, staring into the startled and crazed eyes. "I'm your partner, bro!" he cried desperately. "I'm your partner, for almost eight years now! Why don't you remember?" He did not realize it, but he was shaking the other man. "Why don't you remember?" he screamed again, his voice trailing off as he felt the gun being poked into his abdomen. Gin was going to kill him.
"I've never even had a partner. I've always worked alone. Eliminating you would be a mercy killing," Gin mused, and the gun clicked. "But I'm not in the mood to do you any favors. I'd rather have some fun with you first. No one ever comes to see me. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that I kill anyone who dares to enter." He grinned again, mocking and taunting Vodka, and the poor man slumped back, sickened.
"Why?" was all that he could manage to get out.
"After Shiho left, he became very bitter," Akemi said softly and not unkindly from behind Vodka. "And eventually, he had that problem of being caught by Dr. Portman, but this time, he never recovered from what she did to him. You weren't there to heal his mind." She paused as she took in Vodka's haunted expression, then carefully continued. "Aoshi took care of him, and when one of his men started beating Gin, he retaliated and ended up getting shot in both of his legs. He's crippled." She could see that Vodka had stiffened again, and not from the feel of the gun.
Vodka's soul was quickly being shredded at Akemi's words. His partner, the man Vodka respected and looked up to, and the only person whom Vodka could say he honestly cared about in this world, had lost his mind. And it was because of Vodka. . . . "But what about your sister?" he cried finally. "What about Sherry? Didn't she come back?" He did not notice Gin's eyes widen in shock and then narrow in hatred from this question.
Immediately the blonde reached out, grabbing a handful of Vodka's shirt and dragging him down to Gin's eye level. "What about Sherry?" he demanded. "How do you know her?" His voice was cold, deadly, the voice that had struck fear into Vodka's heart many a time. Only now it was far worse than anything before.
Now Vodka's emotions simply spilled over. "I lived with you and her for years!" he screamed. "When she left, I was always with you on the chase to find her! But you got back with her! You're married to her, Gin! You're married to her, and all of us have been living together again!" His eyes trailed to Gin's left hand, which was still clutching the gun---and of course, was bare.
Gin's expression twisted further, and his eyes gleamed. "Ah, Sherry," he purred, ignoring the details of what Vodka had said. "She was the first one I killed after I returned from Portman's laboratory. And I enjoyed every minute of it. She deserved to suffer and die, after what she did to me." His voice lowered as he began to describe in gory details exactly what he had done, and how. And even knowing the way Gin had claimed to feel towards Sherry in the past, what he was saying now was not like him.
It suddenly and painfully hit Vodka that this was not the Gin he knew. This was a complete monster. Vodka could see blood splattered on all the walls and the floor. Gin had not been lying when he had said that he had killed anyone who had came there. Vodka wondered if he would be next. But could he even die, when he did not exist? He had not believed Akemi when she had told him that he had never been born. Now he did.
Desperately he struggled to pry Gin's hand away from him. "Let me go!" he cried, his sickened feelings only increasing with what he was being told. "Stop it, Gin! Stop it!"
Gin only gripped tighter. "I'll do worse to you," he threatened, and the sick amusement remained on his features. "If you were really my partner, as you claim, then you should have been here! Where were you when that woman was killing me a little bit each day?" He started to raise his left hand again. "You were never here, because you never existed. Maybe you're not here at all, and it's only in my imagination. I wonder what will happen when I try to harm you? Do you even feel at all? Can you die? Let's find out, shall we?"
Vodka clenched his fingers tightly around Gin's wrist in response, twisting and breaking it in one swift motion as the blonde gasped in pain. Then Vodka thrust the appendage from him, drawing his own gun and pointing it at the creature in front of him. "I was here!" he screamed. "I was here, and you weren't like this! You weren't insane! You wouldn't want to live like this, Gin! You'd never want to live like this. . . ." He gripped the gun tightly, but his hand still shook. Could he bring himself to shoot? If Gin really realized what he had become, he would want Vodka to pull the trigger---but could he?
The gunfire erupted like thunder. Gasping, Vodka fell back, dropping his gun as he clutched his now torn stomach. Gin grinned madly, firing again and again as he hit Vodka in both of his legs. The shorter man stumbled, his legs instantly crumpling under him as he slammed to the floor. Dazedly he watched his blood start to spread across the tiles, and he was aware of Gin's insane laughing as he was shot once more, in the back. He gasped, the blood rushing to his mouth as he coughed it up.
This isn't the way it should be, he thought desperately as his vision clouded over. I don't want this! I don't want this! I want to live. . . . I want to go back. . . . I want Gin to be himself again! Whatever happens to me . . . I want to see him sane.
Everything went black.
****
"Vodka?" A low curse. "Wake up, Vodka."
He tensed at the sound of the voice. Gin . . . it was Gin. . . . No, he could not bear to see Gin out of his mind any longer. But . . . why was he not dead? Gin had already fatally wounded him. There was no way he could have survived. No way . . . unless. . . . Could he be home?
He struggled with his stubborn eyelids, forcing them open. As the scene slowly came into view, he focused on Gin's weary form sitting in a chair next to what seemed to be a bed. His long hair, freshly washed and smooth, fell over his shoulders. His face was scratched, and there was a pad of gauze against his left temple, peeking through the long bangs. His left arm was in a sling, though not a cast. The overhead lights caught the gleam of the band on the third finger.
Relief, awe, and indescribable emotions swept over Vodka as he saw this. This was the Gin he had always known, the Gin he was loyal to, the Gin whom he looked up to and respected, and cared about. Gin was sane, and he seemed to be physically alright as well.
"Bro . . ." Vodka choked out, and then did not know how to proceed. How could he ever express his feelings? How could he possibly ever begin to tell Gin of what he had seen, and felt, and experienced? He knew that he could never make it clear to Gin how he felt to be able to see the other safe and well. But he struggled to form words of some kind. "What . . . what happened?" If he had not been wounded by bullets, he could not figure out what he was doing laying in this bed. He supposed he should remember, but he did not.
Gin grunted. "You went out wandering around, distraught. Sherry went after you, but by the time she found you, you'd been hit by a car. Apparently you weren't watching at all where you were going." His eyes narrowed. "You could have been killed."
Vodka tried to digest what he was being told. Had it all been a dream? Had Akemi not actually come to him? Had he not actually gone through what he had? It had all seemed so real. . . . Had it been a hallucination of his tortured mind? That did not seem possible. And yet, what other explanation was there?
His gaze drifted back to Gin's injuries, and he winced as he remembered again how they had come about. "Bro . . . I'm sorry," he said then, and he wondered exactly what he was apologizing for---that Gin was hurt, that he himself had almost gotten killed, or something else entirely.
"Don't apologize to me," Gin grumbled, and his eyes told Vodka all that he needed to know.
The heavyset man slumped back into the pillows. He could not speak anymore. But he did not have to.
No, I don't know why Vodka apparently wished that he had never existed, or what happened to Gin in the real world. XD; But since this is a random blurb and not a full story, it doesn't matter right now. I have definitely been thinking about it, though!
It worries me that I was able to churn out this in a couple of hours, while I'm having trouble getting out a few sentences on the gift fics. o.o But I have started yours, Lisa! ^^
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The blurbs
Date: 2006-12-19 02:03 pm (UTC)My stepfather and Mom are also battling colds, while I seem to have avoided it all along. Whee! Though I do feel bad for them!!
Re: The blurbs
Date: 2006-12-19 02:11 pm (UTC)As for you not getting the cold yet ... don't forget that you might be speaking too soon.
Re: The blurbs
Date: 2006-12-19 07:50 pm (UTC)And you're right. Cross your fingers for me! ^^
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-20 12:46 am (UTC)And yes, definitely a crazy, crazy blurb! I like it, though. ...Was it inspired by It's a Wonderful Life? XD I finally got around to watching that, actually; we watched the first hour or so last night and hopefully we'll get to finish it tonight. ^_^ It's really heartstring-tugging so far (if that makes sense. o.O) And the durn Tifa-plotbunny is sooo in my face. XD Zack has firmly stuck himself in the role of Clarence. *pokes at Zack* He's such a stubborn muse. o.O
Aw man, I know what you mean about having something you're supposed to be writing but you keep getting plunnies for other things. XD Good luck with the car and the writing!
no subject
Date: 2006-12-20 01:27 am (UTC)Clarence-Zack! W00t! That would be awesome. I do hope you will tackle this Tifa plotbunny!
Yep, this weird blurb was indeed inspired by It's a Wonderful Life! I'm glad you're enjoying the film so far! It gets even more heartstring-tugging later on. X3