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tampered2007-07-20 12:10 am
holymadonna.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-07-20 12:10 am
Log; Complete
When; Friday.
Rating; PG.
Characters; Knives (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sharpest_knife), Tessla (un_deserved) & Lilith (holymadonna).
Summary; After four days, Lilith awakes to meet her hosts and saviors: Knives and Tessla.
Log;
Four days ago, she and her brother had found a body while walking through Xanadu, head severed and still bleeding. It wasn’t exactly the ideal way to spend a day in the park, but she had felt better after convincing Knives-nii to take the poor woman back to their home. They couldn’t just leave her there, after all!
She’d spent the next few days attempting to watch the body for any sign of change. The City was supposed to bring people back from the dead, after all, but it looked like something else was taking care of that. The others mentioned something about her body repairing itself on its own, but that didn’t make sense. Bodies didn’t do that.
By Friday, she had managed to sneak inside without alerting the others to watch over the mysterious woman with the strange wings. After a little effort, she’d managed to push a chair nearby the shiny metal table the woman was resting on, her eyes wide at the sight that greeted her. Her head was attached!
While her body breathed life again, Lilith Sahl experienced the consequence of being dead for days, great portion of her brain had yet still to recover. Those were her memories were, not her knowledge. She saw faces, heard their voices in a parade of fragments that flooded her mind.
A white room filled with glass containers. A desert with red sky and red hills. A blue and green world torn in a battle. And three people beside her: a smiling blond with a gentle voice, a chipper and childish black haired girl and an angry silver haired man with a face identical to the first one.
“Minus Element.”
“04…”
“Black Madonna.”
“Lilith!”
Lilith awoke, snapping her hazel eyes open and staring at the ceiling above her head. The structure of this room, the smell of it was so familiar to something inside her head. She took a long breath and looked down - at her hands. Her unnatural silver long nails retracting and acquiring human shape, tracing the black butterfly tattoo on her right palm. Her blue wings had vanished completely like her bruises and wounds. Her features and limbs were clean from any hint of prior death or battle. She was so immersed in her recovery that the red headed woman hadn’t noticed she had company yet.
Bright blue eyes stared at the woman lying before her, tiny fists gripping the edge of her seat as she watched in a mixture of horror and awe. Her body was changing to something more human, and less… well, whatever she was. And her eyes were open. Now was the time for panic mode.
Tessla gave a terrified squeaked and hopped down from her chair, taking off from the infirmary as fast as her legs would allow. She had to find Knives, he would know what to do! And as she scampered through the Ark II to where she heard the familiar, mournful tones of an organ, she wondered just what exactly would he do.
“Nii-chan, nii-chan!” She called as she approached the door and pushed inside, nervous and trembling slightly. “Th-the l-lady! H-her head is b-back on and sh-she’s… She’s a-awake!”
Knives was practicing again, as he always did during this time of the day. This was a slower song, to accompany his present struggle of coping with that last curse. He'd really died? For Vash, and the human race? Ridiculous.
The melody took a sharp, violent turn before settling back into its regular melancholy.
And then there was the rush of hasty footsteps and the yawn of an opening door, and his sister burst into the room, shouting. Knives stopped playing and looked over, brow furrowing at her words. The strange woman was awake? He was wondering when—and if—she'd regain consciousness. And what fast regeneration.
Knives stood, pulling the piano's hood over its keys, and made his way towards Tessla. "Let's greet her properly, then."
She had noticed too late Tessla’s presence; the girl had fled her room without giving her a chance to explain what was wrong. Had she been a monstrous sight? Shaking her head in sadness, Lilith tried to stand from the bed, as weakened as she was there was still strength to move.
Do not take any more unnecessary damage -- a deep voice warned inside her. Lilith nodded wordlessly at the sinister warning. She would listen to 04, this time. The Nanomachines rarely spoke to her unless they were hungry, were destructive or was indeed important.
To live, to walk barefoot in this strange room did not jog her memory further. There were no windows or exits except the one the girl used. Lilith sighed, sitting on the mattress again, giving her back to the only door, closing her eyes to force reminiscent.
I should be dead.
She didn’t know why she thought that, but the realization dawned on her. She had to die, to sacrifice herself for someone important, yet she could not recall who or what was exactly.
It was a short walk to the infirmary. Knives pushed open the door and found himself staring at the woman his sister had found dead earlier that week, except now, she was very much alive. Or animate, at least; she might still be dead.
"I was wondering when you'd revive," he said boldly, taking a few more steps into the room. "Especially since your body started to heal itself."
He glanced down at Tessla clinging to his leg and patted the top of her head, not to assure her that the strange woman was not a threat, but instead to assure her that in case of a dangerous situation, he was still there to protect her.
Then he returned his gaze to his guest, waiting for her response.
Lilith turned her head to glance at the man who was speaking but she shortly noticed at the girl who had fled a few moments ago. She smiled warmly at her and nodded before answering.
“I thank you for giving me shelter,” she said, standing and turning to face them. “I am Lilith, pleased to meet you,” she introduced herself softly, bowing to them. “Are we… in space?” she asked, uncertain, holding her head to remember. The design of interior brought her similarities to the vessels of the colonies. She approached the pair, kneeling down to face the girl. “Don’t be scared. I wouldn’t hurt you.”
Tessla held fast to her brother’s leg, reassured that she would at least be safe as long as he was here and she stayed close. The woman didn’t seem human, she wasn’t sure yet if that was a good or bad thing, but her appearance had changed so quickly… Maybe she was like Knives and Vash, or herself? She’d only seen her siblings change a few times before and she always thought it was scary, until they were back to normal. And when she had nearly lost control herself, she had been…terrified.
Baby blues eyes watched Lilith from behind Knives as she introduced herself and bowed. Well, she seemed nice… Or polite, at least. She hesitated for a moment then stepped out from behind her brother just a little to wave one of her tiny hands, the other still resting on Knives’ leg.
It was when she got closer that she became nervous once again, and scooted back. She reminded her a little of Rem, but… Vash had warned her about trusting people too easily. “Um, pr-promise?” Promises were important. And if she promised, then she must be telling the truth.
Knives tensed as Lilith approached, but he waited. She wasn't moving to attack—yet, at least, but he kept up his guard.
"We're not in space," he replied, even as she knelt down to speak with Tessla. "We're in an alternate dimension known as 'the City.' From the looks of things, you died in your world and were brought here by the deities' whims. My sister found your body in the garden, and we brought you here, to the Ark Two. I am Knives; this is Tessla." He patted the female plant's head again.
He steeled himself for a barrage of questions expected to come out of a newcomer's mouth. ...This is why he disliked greeting recent arrivals. Too repetitive.
Lilith smiled fondly at Tessla, finding her dear already. She nodded in response and held her right hand up. “You have my word.” She hated to fight, more than anything, but sometimes she had no choice. To live as a leader in a dangerous war, didn’t let her time to indulge her own preferences. “Thank you for assist me, Tessla. I must have shocked you, but I am alright now.” She was confused briefly. She shouldn’t be, not after she decided to--
Arc? Did he say…?
Her eyes widened, cutting her former speech and standing to face Knives with shock. “The Arc…? But this isn’t…” What about the Arc, she wished she could recall all the details. “Another one was built?” The questions of the City would wait, what worried her the most is the existence of two alien vessels.
A tiny smile formed on her lips at Lilith’s words, obviously pleased that she had agreed. So she was like Rem, after all. Tessla glanced at Knives, wondering if he noticed at all. She hoped not. Knives and Rem didn’t get along and if he didn’t like Lilith because she reminded him of Rem… It might be bad. “Um, y-you’re welcome Miss L-Lilith.” She said quietly, shy under the presence of a stranger. “I-I’m glad y-you’re okay.”
Her reaction to hearing she was on the Ark puzzled her slightly. Did that mean she was from their world…? “Um, nii-chan had an Ark b-back home, b-but then h-he came here and Elie-chan m-made him a new one.” She said, trying to be helpful.
Knives had also noticed the consternation in Lilith's tone and face when he'd mentioned the Ark. He highly doubted she was from Gunsmoke, because you just don't see people like her. Theirs was a rough world, one vast desert that required heavy clothes for protection against the sun and the heat. What Lilith had been wearing when Knives and Tessla had found her was not common apparel for a desert planet.
"Whatever you're thinking of, this is not it," he said in addition to his sister's offered bits of information. "My first ship, the first Ark, was used to kill all the humans on my planet." His gaze flickered briefly to see Tessla's reaction. He hoped she knew enough already that she wouldn't shy away from him. "This second one is simply our home."
Kill humans, Lilith’s opened her mouth in shock, staring at Knives intensely for a few minutes. That sounded so familiar, so disturbingly close to her that stunned her. She muttered two names under her breath.
“Cain… Abel…”
The two men with identical faces - Brothers. Twins. Clones - appeared in her mind and the memories came back yet faded. She felt disoriented at the recognition.
She lowered her eyes, saddened to hear that Knives had done something as terrible. He didn’t seem like a bad person, no one who was evil would help someone in need. “This isn’t the Arc I know. It doesn’t recognize me nor I recognize it,” she answered quietly. “You said we were in a place called, the City? And in another dimension away from Earth or Mars….”
Tessla said nothing to Knives’ explanation, her eyes downcast. She was upset that he had attempted to do such a thing, but… She couldn’t hate him for it. Much less work up the courage to be angry. He was still her nii-chan, no matter what he did. Her arms circled around his calf again, her head touching his knee as she stared up at Lilith. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too upset by her brother’s blunt demeanor.
“Y-yes. Um, l-lots of people fr-from other w-worlds l-live here. M-Maybe p-people y-you know, too.” She said with a small smile, then looked thoughtful. She had said Cain and Abel, right? “Vash-nii knows p-people b-by th-those names.”
That's right. Vash knew people named Cain and Abel. Perhaps they were the same people this woman knew. Knives felt better about that. It meant she would leave his ship soon and he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore.
"Vash is my twin brother," he supplied. "If he knows those people, he will help you. Until I receive word from him, you may stay here. I'll send Elendira down to give you a temporary quarters, food, and adequate clothes. For now..." Gently, he pried Tessla's arms from his leg and moved towards the counter where a laptop had been sitting for nearly a week. He opened it and turned it on.
Turning to Lilith, he continued, "This is yours. Every person in the City has one for communication on the public network. If you read enough, you might find the people you're looking for."
Cain and Abel were in this place? Lilith’s face reflected a mix of concern and relief. She knew she loved them, but also she was wary of their presences. “I see,” she said with downcast eyes. “I don’t remember quite well in which terms I parted from them. We were in the Arc…” she trailed off, shaking her head, having troubles to remember.
Nodding at Knives, Lilith’s troubled features changed into a soft smile. “I can’t thank you enough for what you and young Tessla have done, Knives. Nor I wish to impose my presence if it means to be a burden.” She bowed to him again. “If there is anything I can do to return it, please ask. I was in charge of Health Care and Medicine during… during the mission.” She mused, finding impersonal memories easier to recall. How strange.
“This is a computer,” the red head woman examined the laptop, almost surprised to see the survival of an ancient model. “Does it have access to network and internet? If I recall the humans that created me allowed me to briefly see how that worked in Earth.” That network was lost after the Armageddon, as were millions lives and many treasures.
Tessla frowned a bit as Knives pried her loose to show Miss Lilith her computer, torn between following after him and staying where she was, by the door. Her thoughts went to perhaps that she had made a mistake awhile hugging him in front of a stranger. Brothers could be so silly sometimes. Both of them.
“Um… W-were they y-your family?” It was curiosity that drove her to ask. She almost hoped she’d say yes. It would be reassuring to know she wasn’t the only one who had family feuds here. “I-if they are, th-then it sh-shouldn’t m-matter i-if y-you didn’t g-get along th-the last t-time you s-saw them. F-family is still family.” No matter what anyone says.
As the two adults carried on their conversation, the young girl’s thoughts turned inward. What would Miss Lilith do if those weren’t her friends? She’d go live by herself, right? Tessla seemed to be bothered by that idea, but didn’t voice her thoughts out loud. Being alone in this City wasn’t a good idea. At least, that was the general consensus she got from all the adults she talked to. Maybe she could go visit and keep her—Wait, did she just say she was created by humans?
Snapped out of her thoughts for the moment, she looked up at Lilith, surprised. “Y-you w-were m-made b-by humans, t-too?”
Knives offered Lilith a shrug and tilted his head at the girl by the door. "Thank Tessla. You have no reason to thank me." And this was true. He would've left Lilith in the gardens if his sister hadn't persisted.
He'd also picked up on the woman's mention of creation. That told him two things: She wasn't human, and she was the kind of inhuman that was his family. Or similar, in any case. But first he answered his question.
"It has network access, yes, but only within the City limits." Then his brow furrowed. Internet? ...She meant the World Wide Web that humans on Earth used, right? "Internet, however... I don't think so. Communication with outside worlds is almost impossible, from what I've seen."
Family? How she could explain what she didn’t remember quite well. “Ah. In a way, we are. In many ways, we aren’t, young Tessla,” Lilith replied as well as she could. “The ties between us are… complicated, at best.”
“Yes. I was the first of them…You as well?” Lilith mused, thoughtfully. The air of familiarity increased even. Two brothers, a little girl? Was there an older female of their species? “That’s a strange coincidence. Or is it fate?”
She turned to Knives, her genuine gratitude prevailing at his indifference. “Even if she insisted, you had a choice to listen to her or not. That doesn’t make your help any less welcome than hers.”
No internet, no communication. “There are no means to leave this City?” she asked, concerned. “I… I can’t leave my world just like it is. There was…” She had to die, she had to make a sacrifice and end it. “There was something important I had to do.”
“Oh. I s-see.” She said softly, apparently a little put out by that explanation. She couldn’t imagine not having a family. Not anymore, at least. Before, the Crew had been there for her, but after what she had found out… She didn’t want to go back there again.
“Um, I’m n-not the first, b-but… I w-was the first t-to b-be born l-like this.” Tessla wasn’t sure whether she should explain further, or not. Most people in the City hadn’t thought much about Plants, but the few who had interest in them weren’t very good people. As for if it was fate… She’d like to think so.
There was a slight pause on Tessla’s part before she piqued up again. “Y-you can leave. I-it’s j-just… V-very hard. And i-it’s b-better h-here, anyway.”
"Most people have given up on finding a way out," Knives added to Tessla's information. "When an exit presents itself to you, it may be when you least expect it."
He was glad, for once, that the conversation had turned to information about the City. If Tessla continued talking about plants, that would only catch Lilith's interest, and Knives didn't know enough about her yet. After Aizen's and the Major's interest in his species, that was information best kept secret.
"You come to accept that you failed in your world, especially after you die. The dead cannot go back." He should know. He'd freely given up the chance to return and finish his holocaust. Perhaps it was better this way.
“So you are the older sister, Tessla?” Lilith asked at Tessla with a warm smile tugging on her lips; she was most uncaring about details regarding species, that would pique Seth’s scientific curiosity but the so called Black Madonna saw everyone as human beings, regardless of their source. “You must keep your younger brothers from doing anything foolish, like I did with mine.” She glanced at Knives, hoping he wouldn’t take offense from her remark. But she truly wanted the young girl be at ease around her.
Exits were hard to find. At least Cain was wounded and perhaps Abel and Seth would stop him on her behalf if they noticed his plans of total destruction.
Dead? Was she dead? Lilith grimaced slightly and pressed her hand to her beating heart, focused and felt 04 still lurking in her system. “I am not…dead, Knives. How long was I in stasis?” It usually took at most two days and… she wouldn’t feel so lost.
“Y-yes, b-by a year.” The answer was followed by a shy smile. “Um, th-they k-keep m-me safe… And I m-make sure th-they d-don’t do anything t-too silly.” She said with a nervous glance at Knives before looking back to Lilith.
“Um, f-four days, I th-think. I’m n-not sure h-how long y-you were in the p-park. B-but, um… H-how are y-you still alive?"
Lilith was glad to hear at least she could count with the protection of her brothers. The rest of her kind… weren’t dedicated to the protection of any, unfortunately. She forgot “Of course they do. Your brothers must be really strong and brave,” she commented, pressing her index finger to her smiling lips. “I was the oldest by three years. Then came… Seth, thirteen years after me. They named us after biblical figures.” She had trouble to recall details about her relationship with her, but the time and date from birth were clear as most of the data.
“Four days… That’s longer than the usual…How… Well I…” Lilith paused, casting down her gaze. She couldn’t explain about the Nanomachines. That may frighten her; it was disturbing. God forgave them…
God. She looked down, noticing her rosary was missing.
“Ah. Forgive me but wasn’t I wearing a rosary?” Perhaps she lost it along with her head.
Strong and brave? Knives felt like scoffing, but did. They were too cliché, those words. Powerful and bold, maybe. Reckless, maybe.
He wanted to leave. The conversation was not something of interest to him, and he did say he was going to fetch the Crimsonnail in order for Lilith to receive proper food and clothes. He should, now, especially since Tessla was taking control of the conversation, but then Lilith asked another question.
Knives shook his head. "There was no rosary around your body when we found you. There was nothing but blood. And now..." He knelt down so he was eye-level with his sister. "Keep the guest entertained, would you? I'm going to let the others know she's awake."
Standing, he ruffled her hair again and started out of the room.
“R-really? Nii-chan s-said it h-had o-only been a y-year after I w-was born, a-and then they w-were t-too.” She said, slightly surprised. Miss Lilith must be very different from Plants, then. But that could be a good thing, too. Maybe if there were more people similar to them in the City, it would convince some of the others to leave Plants alone.
The fact that they were named after people in the bible struck her as a bit surprising. She’d never actually read it herself, Wolfwood-san had one though and explained it to her, once. It was a book filled with stories about God and people who were important. She didn’t know why, but apparently they were. And now she was a bit curious about what had brought on her and her siblings’ names.
Tessla blinked at her brother before nodding quickly, a small smile on her lips as he patted her head. She watched him leave for a moment before turning to look at Lilith. “Um, l-let’s f-find you s-something else t-to wear, o-okay? Elie-chan m-might have s-something y-you can wear.”
“I see,” Lilith placed a hand on her torso and bowed her head again. “Thank you for your assistance again, Knives.” She watched the man walk away before turning her attention to Tessla. He behaved with hard edges that made her wonder if he had a harsh life. But there was still hope, she liked to believe all creatures could be saved, even those who had sought to hurt others.
Her eyes widened. Only a year? Tessla looked older than that. “You must be a precocious child, Tessla. The smartest one year old girl I have met,” the Crusnik commented softly. Sparing at the parting glance at the computer, Lilith offered her hand at the young girl, hoping she would trust her enough to take it.
“Alright, alright. Guide me to your friend, Tessla.” She would repay the kindness, somehow, Lilith would not let their cares go without reward. This wasn’t in her name, but in name of the world she knew was counting with her safe return.
Rating; PG.
Characters; Knives (
sharpest_knife), Tessla (un_deserved) & Lilith (holymadonna).Summary; After four days, Lilith awakes to meet her hosts and saviors: Knives and Tessla.
Log;
Four days ago, she and her brother had found a body while walking through Xanadu, head severed and still bleeding. It wasn’t exactly the ideal way to spend a day in the park, but she had felt better after convincing Knives-nii to take the poor woman back to their home. They couldn’t just leave her there, after all!
She’d spent the next few days attempting to watch the body for any sign of change. The City was supposed to bring people back from the dead, after all, but it looked like something else was taking care of that. The others mentioned something about her body repairing itself on its own, but that didn’t make sense. Bodies didn’t do that.
By Friday, she had managed to sneak inside without alerting the others to watch over the mysterious woman with the strange wings. After a little effort, she’d managed to push a chair nearby the shiny metal table the woman was resting on, her eyes wide at the sight that greeted her. Her head was attached!
While her body breathed life again, Lilith Sahl experienced the consequence of being dead for days, great portion of her brain had yet still to recover. Those were her memories were, not her knowledge. She saw faces, heard their voices in a parade of fragments that flooded her mind.
A white room filled with glass containers. A desert with red sky and red hills. A blue and green world torn in a battle. And three people beside her: a smiling blond with a gentle voice, a chipper and childish black haired girl and an angry silver haired man with a face identical to the first one.
“Minus Element.”
“04…”
“Black Madonna.”
“Lilith!”
Lilith awoke, snapping her hazel eyes open and staring at the ceiling above her head. The structure of this room, the smell of it was so familiar to something inside her head. She took a long breath and looked down - at her hands. Her unnatural silver long nails retracting and acquiring human shape, tracing the black butterfly tattoo on her right palm. Her blue wings had vanished completely like her bruises and wounds. Her features and limbs were clean from any hint of prior death or battle. She was so immersed in her recovery that the red headed woman hadn’t noticed she had company yet.
Bright blue eyes stared at the woman lying before her, tiny fists gripping the edge of her seat as she watched in a mixture of horror and awe. Her body was changing to something more human, and less… well, whatever she was. And her eyes were open. Now was the time for panic mode.
Tessla gave a terrified squeaked and hopped down from her chair, taking off from the infirmary as fast as her legs would allow. She had to find Knives, he would know what to do! And as she scampered through the Ark II to where she heard the familiar, mournful tones of an organ, she wondered just what exactly would he do.
“Nii-chan, nii-chan!” She called as she approached the door and pushed inside, nervous and trembling slightly. “Th-the l-lady! H-her head is b-back on and sh-she’s… She’s a-awake!”
Knives was practicing again, as he always did during this time of the day. This was a slower song, to accompany his present struggle of coping with that last curse. He'd really died? For Vash, and the human race? Ridiculous.
The melody took a sharp, violent turn before settling back into its regular melancholy.
And then there was the rush of hasty footsteps and the yawn of an opening door, and his sister burst into the room, shouting. Knives stopped playing and looked over, brow furrowing at her words. The strange woman was awake? He was wondering when—and if—she'd regain consciousness. And what fast regeneration.
Knives stood, pulling the piano's hood over its keys, and made his way towards Tessla. "Let's greet her properly, then."
She had noticed too late Tessla’s presence; the girl had fled her room without giving her a chance to explain what was wrong. Had she been a monstrous sight? Shaking her head in sadness, Lilith tried to stand from the bed, as weakened as she was there was still strength to move.
Do not take any more unnecessary damage -- a deep voice warned inside her. Lilith nodded wordlessly at the sinister warning. She would listen to 04, this time. The Nanomachines rarely spoke to her unless they were hungry, were destructive or was indeed important.
To live, to walk barefoot in this strange room did not jog her memory further. There were no windows or exits except the one the girl used. Lilith sighed, sitting on the mattress again, giving her back to the only door, closing her eyes to force reminiscent.
I should be dead.
She didn’t know why she thought that, but the realization dawned on her. She had to die, to sacrifice herself for someone important, yet she could not recall who or what was exactly.
It was a short walk to the infirmary. Knives pushed open the door and found himself staring at the woman his sister had found dead earlier that week, except now, she was very much alive. Or animate, at least; she might still be dead.
"I was wondering when you'd revive," he said boldly, taking a few more steps into the room. "Especially since your body started to heal itself."
He glanced down at Tessla clinging to his leg and patted the top of her head, not to assure her that the strange woman was not a threat, but instead to assure her that in case of a dangerous situation, he was still there to protect her.
Then he returned his gaze to his guest, waiting for her response.
Lilith turned her head to glance at the man who was speaking but she shortly noticed at the girl who had fled a few moments ago. She smiled warmly at her and nodded before answering.
“I thank you for giving me shelter,” she said, standing and turning to face them. “I am Lilith, pleased to meet you,” she introduced herself softly, bowing to them. “Are we… in space?” she asked, uncertain, holding her head to remember. The design of interior brought her similarities to the vessels of the colonies. She approached the pair, kneeling down to face the girl. “Don’t be scared. I wouldn’t hurt you.”
Tessla held fast to her brother’s leg, reassured that she would at least be safe as long as he was here and she stayed close. The woman didn’t seem human, she wasn’t sure yet if that was a good or bad thing, but her appearance had changed so quickly… Maybe she was like Knives and Vash, or herself? She’d only seen her siblings change a few times before and she always thought it was scary, until they were back to normal. And when she had nearly lost control herself, she had been…terrified.
Baby blues eyes watched Lilith from behind Knives as she introduced herself and bowed. Well, she seemed nice… Or polite, at least. She hesitated for a moment then stepped out from behind her brother just a little to wave one of her tiny hands, the other still resting on Knives’ leg.
It was when she got closer that she became nervous once again, and scooted back. She reminded her a little of Rem, but… Vash had warned her about trusting people too easily. “Um, pr-promise?” Promises were important. And if she promised, then she must be telling the truth.
Knives tensed as Lilith approached, but he waited. She wasn't moving to attack—yet, at least, but he kept up his guard.
"We're not in space," he replied, even as she knelt down to speak with Tessla. "We're in an alternate dimension known as 'the City.' From the looks of things, you died in your world and were brought here by the deities' whims. My sister found your body in the garden, and we brought you here, to the Ark Two. I am Knives; this is Tessla." He patted the female plant's head again.
He steeled himself for a barrage of questions expected to come out of a newcomer's mouth. ...This is why he disliked greeting recent arrivals. Too repetitive.
Lilith smiled fondly at Tessla, finding her dear already. She nodded in response and held her right hand up. “You have my word.” She hated to fight, more than anything, but sometimes she had no choice. To live as a leader in a dangerous war, didn’t let her time to indulge her own preferences. “Thank you for assist me, Tessla. I must have shocked you, but I am alright now.” She was confused briefly. She shouldn’t be, not after she decided to--
Arc? Did he say…?
Her eyes widened, cutting her former speech and standing to face Knives with shock. “The Arc…? But this isn’t…” What about the Arc, she wished she could recall all the details. “Another one was built?” The questions of the City would wait, what worried her the most is the existence of two alien vessels.
A tiny smile formed on her lips at Lilith’s words, obviously pleased that she had agreed. So she was like Rem, after all. Tessla glanced at Knives, wondering if he noticed at all. She hoped not. Knives and Rem didn’t get along and if he didn’t like Lilith because she reminded him of Rem… It might be bad. “Um, y-you’re welcome Miss L-Lilith.” She said quietly, shy under the presence of a stranger. “I-I’m glad y-you’re okay.”
Her reaction to hearing she was on the Ark puzzled her slightly. Did that mean she was from their world…? “Um, nii-chan had an Ark b-back home, b-but then h-he came here and Elie-chan m-made him a new one.” She said, trying to be helpful.
Knives had also noticed the consternation in Lilith's tone and face when he'd mentioned the Ark. He highly doubted she was from Gunsmoke, because you just don't see people like her. Theirs was a rough world, one vast desert that required heavy clothes for protection against the sun and the heat. What Lilith had been wearing when Knives and Tessla had found her was not common apparel for a desert planet.
"Whatever you're thinking of, this is not it," he said in addition to his sister's offered bits of information. "My first ship, the first Ark, was used to kill all the humans on my planet." His gaze flickered briefly to see Tessla's reaction. He hoped she knew enough already that she wouldn't shy away from him. "This second one is simply our home."
Kill humans, Lilith’s opened her mouth in shock, staring at Knives intensely for a few minutes. That sounded so familiar, so disturbingly close to her that stunned her. She muttered two names under her breath.
“Cain… Abel…”
The two men with identical faces - Brothers. Twins. Clones - appeared in her mind and the memories came back yet faded. She felt disoriented at the recognition.
She lowered her eyes, saddened to hear that Knives had done something as terrible. He didn’t seem like a bad person, no one who was evil would help someone in need. “This isn’t the Arc I know. It doesn’t recognize me nor I recognize it,” she answered quietly. “You said we were in a place called, the City? And in another dimension away from Earth or Mars….”
Tessla said nothing to Knives’ explanation, her eyes downcast. She was upset that he had attempted to do such a thing, but… She couldn’t hate him for it. Much less work up the courage to be angry. He was still her nii-chan, no matter what he did. Her arms circled around his calf again, her head touching his knee as she stared up at Lilith. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too upset by her brother’s blunt demeanor.
“Y-yes. Um, l-lots of people fr-from other w-worlds l-live here. M-Maybe p-people y-you know, too.” She said with a small smile, then looked thoughtful. She had said Cain and Abel, right? “Vash-nii knows p-people b-by th-those names.”
That's right. Vash knew people named Cain and Abel. Perhaps they were the same people this woman knew. Knives felt better about that. It meant she would leave his ship soon and he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore.
"Vash is my twin brother," he supplied. "If he knows those people, he will help you. Until I receive word from him, you may stay here. I'll send Elendira down to give you a temporary quarters, food, and adequate clothes. For now..." Gently, he pried Tessla's arms from his leg and moved towards the counter where a laptop had been sitting for nearly a week. He opened it and turned it on.
Turning to Lilith, he continued, "This is yours. Every person in the City has one for communication on the public network. If you read enough, you might find the people you're looking for."
Cain and Abel were in this place? Lilith’s face reflected a mix of concern and relief. She knew she loved them, but also she was wary of their presences. “I see,” she said with downcast eyes. “I don’t remember quite well in which terms I parted from them. We were in the Arc…” she trailed off, shaking her head, having troubles to remember.
Nodding at Knives, Lilith’s troubled features changed into a soft smile. “I can’t thank you enough for what you and young Tessla have done, Knives. Nor I wish to impose my presence if it means to be a burden.” She bowed to him again. “If there is anything I can do to return it, please ask. I was in charge of Health Care and Medicine during… during the mission.” She mused, finding impersonal memories easier to recall. How strange.
“This is a computer,” the red head woman examined the laptop, almost surprised to see the survival of an ancient model. “Does it have access to network and internet? If I recall the humans that created me allowed me to briefly see how that worked in Earth.” That network was lost after the Armageddon, as were millions lives and many treasures.
Tessla frowned a bit as Knives pried her loose to show Miss Lilith her computer, torn between following after him and staying where she was, by the door. Her thoughts went to perhaps that she had made a mistake awhile hugging him in front of a stranger. Brothers could be so silly sometimes. Both of them.
“Um… W-were they y-your family?” It was curiosity that drove her to ask. She almost hoped she’d say yes. It would be reassuring to know she wasn’t the only one who had family feuds here. “I-if they are, th-then it sh-shouldn’t m-matter i-if y-you didn’t g-get along th-the last t-time you s-saw them. F-family is still family.” No matter what anyone says.
As the two adults carried on their conversation, the young girl’s thoughts turned inward. What would Miss Lilith do if those weren’t her friends? She’d go live by herself, right? Tessla seemed to be bothered by that idea, but didn’t voice her thoughts out loud. Being alone in this City wasn’t a good idea. At least, that was the general consensus she got from all the adults she talked to. Maybe she could go visit and keep her—Wait, did she just say she was created by humans?
Snapped out of her thoughts for the moment, she looked up at Lilith, surprised. “Y-you w-were m-made b-by humans, t-too?”
Knives offered Lilith a shrug and tilted his head at the girl by the door. "Thank Tessla. You have no reason to thank me." And this was true. He would've left Lilith in the gardens if his sister hadn't persisted.
He'd also picked up on the woman's mention of creation. That told him two things: She wasn't human, and she was the kind of inhuman that was his family. Or similar, in any case. But first he answered his question.
"It has network access, yes, but only within the City limits." Then his brow furrowed. Internet? ...She meant the World Wide Web that humans on Earth used, right? "Internet, however... I don't think so. Communication with outside worlds is almost impossible, from what I've seen."
Family? How she could explain what she didn’t remember quite well. “Ah. In a way, we are. In many ways, we aren’t, young Tessla,” Lilith replied as well as she could. “The ties between us are… complicated, at best.”
“Yes. I was the first of them…You as well?” Lilith mused, thoughtfully. The air of familiarity increased even. Two brothers, a little girl? Was there an older female of their species? “That’s a strange coincidence. Or is it fate?”
She turned to Knives, her genuine gratitude prevailing at his indifference. “Even if she insisted, you had a choice to listen to her or not. That doesn’t make your help any less welcome than hers.”
No internet, no communication. “There are no means to leave this City?” she asked, concerned. “I… I can’t leave my world just like it is. There was…” She had to die, she had to make a sacrifice and end it. “There was something important I had to do.”
“Oh. I s-see.” She said softly, apparently a little put out by that explanation. She couldn’t imagine not having a family. Not anymore, at least. Before, the Crew had been there for her, but after what she had found out… She didn’t want to go back there again.
“Um, I’m n-not the first, b-but… I w-was the first t-to b-be born l-like this.” Tessla wasn’t sure whether she should explain further, or not. Most people in the City hadn’t thought much about Plants, but the few who had interest in them weren’t very good people. As for if it was fate… She’d like to think so.
There was a slight pause on Tessla’s part before she piqued up again. “Y-you can leave. I-it’s j-just… V-very hard. And i-it’s b-better h-here, anyway.”
"Most people have given up on finding a way out," Knives added to Tessla's information. "When an exit presents itself to you, it may be when you least expect it."
He was glad, for once, that the conversation had turned to information about the City. If Tessla continued talking about plants, that would only catch Lilith's interest, and Knives didn't know enough about her yet. After Aizen's and the Major's interest in his species, that was information best kept secret.
"You come to accept that you failed in your world, especially after you die. The dead cannot go back." He should know. He'd freely given up the chance to return and finish his holocaust. Perhaps it was better this way.
“So you are the older sister, Tessla?” Lilith asked at Tessla with a warm smile tugging on her lips; she was most uncaring about details regarding species, that would pique Seth’s scientific curiosity but the so called Black Madonna saw everyone as human beings, regardless of their source. “You must keep your younger brothers from doing anything foolish, like I did with mine.” She glanced at Knives, hoping he wouldn’t take offense from her remark. But she truly wanted the young girl be at ease around her.
Exits were hard to find. At least Cain was wounded and perhaps Abel and Seth would stop him on her behalf if they noticed his plans of total destruction.
Dead? Was she dead? Lilith grimaced slightly and pressed her hand to her beating heart, focused and felt 04 still lurking in her system. “I am not…dead, Knives. How long was I in stasis?” It usually took at most two days and… she wouldn’t feel so lost.
“Y-yes, b-by a year.” The answer was followed by a shy smile. “Um, th-they k-keep m-me safe… And I m-make sure th-they d-don’t do anything t-too silly.” She said with a nervous glance at Knives before looking back to Lilith.
“Um, f-four days, I th-think. I’m n-not sure h-how long y-you were in the p-park. B-but, um… H-how are y-you still alive?"
Lilith was glad to hear at least she could count with the protection of her brothers. The rest of her kind… weren’t dedicated to the protection of any, unfortunately. She forgot “Of course they do. Your brothers must be really strong and brave,” she commented, pressing her index finger to her smiling lips. “I was the oldest by three years. Then came… Seth, thirteen years after me. They named us after biblical figures.” She had trouble to recall details about her relationship with her, but the time and date from birth were clear as most of the data.
“Four days… That’s longer than the usual…How… Well I…” Lilith paused, casting down her gaze. She couldn’t explain about the Nanomachines. That may frighten her; it was disturbing. God forgave them…
God. She looked down, noticing her rosary was missing.
“Ah. Forgive me but wasn’t I wearing a rosary?” Perhaps she lost it along with her head.
Strong and brave? Knives felt like scoffing, but did. They were too cliché, those words. Powerful and bold, maybe. Reckless, maybe.
He wanted to leave. The conversation was not something of interest to him, and he did say he was going to fetch the Crimsonnail in order for Lilith to receive proper food and clothes. He should, now, especially since Tessla was taking control of the conversation, but then Lilith asked another question.
Knives shook his head. "There was no rosary around your body when we found you. There was nothing but blood. And now..." He knelt down so he was eye-level with his sister. "Keep the guest entertained, would you? I'm going to let the others know she's awake."
Standing, he ruffled her hair again and started out of the room.
“R-really? Nii-chan s-said it h-had o-only been a y-year after I w-was born, a-and then they w-were t-too.” She said, slightly surprised. Miss Lilith must be very different from Plants, then. But that could be a good thing, too. Maybe if there were more people similar to them in the City, it would convince some of the others to leave Plants alone.
The fact that they were named after people in the bible struck her as a bit surprising. She’d never actually read it herself, Wolfwood-san had one though and explained it to her, once. It was a book filled with stories about God and people who were important. She didn’t know why, but apparently they were. And now she was a bit curious about what had brought on her and her siblings’ names.
Tessla blinked at her brother before nodding quickly, a small smile on her lips as he patted her head. She watched him leave for a moment before turning to look at Lilith. “Um, l-let’s f-find you s-something else t-to wear, o-okay? Elie-chan m-might have s-something y-you can wear.”
“I see,” Lilith placed a hand on her torso and bowed her head again. “Thank you for your assistance again, Knives.” She watched the man walk away before turning her attention to Tessla. He behaved with hard edges that made her wonder if he had a harsh life. But there was still hope, she liked to believe all creatures could be saved, even those who had sought to hurt others.
Her eyes widened. Only a year? Tessla looked older than that. “You must be a precocious child, Tessla. The smartest one year old girl I have met,” the Crusnik commented softly. Sparing at the parting glance at the computer, Lilith offered her hand at the young girl, hoping she would trust her enough to take it.
“Alright, alright. Guide me to your friend, Tessla.” She would repay the kindness, somehow, Lilith would not let their cares go without reward. This wasn’t in her name, but in name of the world she knew was counting with her safe return.