I Still Say Goodnight (Trigun: Vash × OC)

Prologue

Chapter 0:

Are You A Dreamer?

They say that when you graduate from high school you'll know exactly what you'd want in life for a career. Or rather, apply for a University or Community College and hope for the best in the first year of your General Educational studies. For her, she was still wondering of what she desired to have as a career, or what her mother calls it, "The job that'll fetch you good money for a good life until you croak!"

To this day, she can still hear her mother chastising her for the little things a mother should remind you of, and how bad the habits of sleeping in all day would affect her social life. The small things in life, as her mother told her whilst growing up, would keep her going. However, her mother would only grow disappointed in her daughter, for she never went to college until she turned 20. 

Scarlett decided to take a gap year, her mother willing to appease to that compromise with the idea that she attend college in the upcoming spring. Well, things didn't go to plan as she took another year off and finally submitted the long awaited application to Kingsville University whom accepted her in slow approval.

During the hiatus, she managed to move away from her hometown and now resides in Kingsville in a tall apartment complex that hung over South Main Street. It was a cozy, humbling spot to stay in considering she was fending for herself in The Big City of Dreams. Her day job consisted of going to the normal 9-5 as a full-timer at a small retail store, now full-time student since she went to her classes during the day. Her mother promised to help pay for her rent and food since she was finally back in school. Scarlett didn't complain one bit in the idea to just appease her mother, letting the woman do as she pleased so she wouldn't be kicked out of her humble rental. 

Fast forward two years and now she's going to be a Junior at the University. Her major would be steered toward Biology, possibly something medical related since her mother drooled of someone in the family being a nurse or doctor. The thought made Scarlett chuckle quietly to herself as she sat on her small sofa that peered right over South Main, the laptop burning hotly against her skin as she typed madly on the keyboard.

"I've made the right choice." She told herself that everyday while she lived alone to motivate her college ridden days. They were yet to be over, and she wished the day of graduation would come sooner than anticipated. Another two years of Hell would be life reducing, but for the degree her mother wanted? All worth it, she reminded herself on the daily.

But on this day, which happened to be a Thursday evening in the loud city of dreamers, came a knock on the door. 

Scarlett looked up from the blue screen at the sudden noise, wondering if that was just a stupid bird hitting the windows again or a human at the door. She sighed, closing her laptop shut and moved it to the side so she could stand up. Her bones cracked at the lack of movement and her stiff limbs awkwardly placed herself at the door, peering through the eye hole to see it was someone at the door. 

She wasn't very fond of people at times, especially when she was working on an essay due at midnight, but she conformed to the usual knock and answer shtick that everyone's taught at a young age. Well, after you're sure it's not a serial killer. 

'If only.' Scarlett humored herself for a moment, her hand twisting the handle to open the door. 

From there, her view of the person was immediately at chest sight. She fought the urge to frown and forced her strained eyes to peer up at the tall stranger, now registering it to be a man who seemed a little too carefree. Definitely serial killer vibes, she noted privately. 

"Hi there! I'm new in town, and I'll be living right next door to you! The name's Vincent Percy Saverem, but you can call me Vash!" He introduced himself in a chirpy manner, all smiles and cheery as he practically radiated the sun rays on the small girl. 

Her vision was currently blurred, only able to see that the new neighbor was indeed very tall and blonde, wearing an odd looking red trench coat in the cloudy summer weather. The yellowy orange tinged shades hiding his eyes would throw the clouds into a blush if they saw that he wore it without the sun's approval, though she couldn't tell if they were purely for aesthetic or practical use. Scarlett took all the information in with a simple blink of her eyes, pulling her glasses that resided on the crown of her hair to the bridge of her nose. 

She blinked once more to calibrate the change of vision and nodded up at the new neighbor who called himself Vash. 'What an odd nickname.'

"Nice to meet you, Vash. Are you perhaps a dreamer?" She asked suddenly, wanting to do nothing but type away at her laptop to be done with her homework. Scarlett had her arms crossed at this point, head tilted up to see him in a better angle and to refuse a potential handshake. Very lanky, skinny kinda guy, she noted once more. Looked to be around the same age group if she were to place bets on age and the odd haircut he had was very unique. 'Ah yes, college students love spiking their hair for raves. Is he a party guy?'

Her thoughts digressed and she focused on the random question that usually threw people off, but this guy didn't seem too fazed by it and swiftly answered back with, "Isn't everyone technically a dreamer? We usually dream at night when we sleep!" 

She held in a snort for the answers of the public were for her own amusement, "Alright, alright. You've got a point there... Uh, welcome to Kingsville, The Big City of Dreams where we call the citizens Dreamers." She said politely now, cutting the joking aside to get straight to her point. "The name's Scarlett Lee, and I need to finish an essay so please excuse my rushed formality, goodbye now!" 

She proceeded to shut the door in his face and returned to the coziness of her sofa where the world of College Hell cornered her into getting that essay done by 11:59 tonight. 

She didn't think much about the new neighbor after that. She had rarely interacted with the neighbors in the building or the ones who moved in across from her in the past couple years. Scarlett didn't give a shit, to put it simply. She had better things to do at the moment, and the essay about world pollution was on the top of her list.