Xenosaga Fan Fiction ❯ 30 Kisses ❯ Rainbow ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Niu Shiy-Ue 
#11 Gardenias
Non Anime: Xenosaga Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.03.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.2K | Visits: 400 | Status: Work In Progress
#11 Gardenias
Non Anime: Xenosaga Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.03.2005 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.2K | Visits: 400 | Status: Work In Progress
1. Yellow
It wasn't really a place. It wasn't a storeroom or an office or even a training ground. Just unused space in the Institute, an area that had never been paved over, where sunlight could filter down, bordered on all sides by more important things. If it had any purpose at all, it was a playroom/study for the variants, a place they could get away from their collective other to be by themselves. But really, Nigredo was the only one to ever use it; his siblings had other ways of getting away from everything. Citrine didn't need it, she was one of those people who could ignore everything around her at will. Rubedo didn't want it, if he needed to forget what he was he would go to the Encephalon and Sakura to do so. Albedo just didn't care, he never wanted to be separated from Rubedo, he feared solitude; when Rubedo would abandon him for Sakura, he would wait outside the Encephalon for his other half, never straying.
So in this not-place he would curl up beneath a sunbeam, on the single bench with a book and wish he wasn't so alone.
2. Indigo
"Hello Nigredo."
Nigredo looked up, green eyes wide. Rubedo was standing in front of him, smiling. Like a pale shadow, Albedo sulked behind him. Citrine was there too, slightly farther off, examining the walls with a frown. Nigredo blushed and ducked behind his book. His siblings had never sought him out before and now all three of them were here. He had never felt so awkward or ashamed before. "H-h-hello Rubedo."
"Can I ask you something?" The younger boy nodded, too embarrassed to risk speaking again. "I saw you reading a book on Victorian customs a few days ago." Another nod. "Do you know what a bouquet of chrysanthemums and roses means?"
"What c-color were the roses?"
"Dark pink."
Nigredo thought back for a bit. "'Thank you for being a good friend.'"
Citrine's voice held contempt. "I can't believe you dragged us out here for that."
"No one asked you to come!" Albedo shot back immediately.
Rubedo kept smiling, although some of the light had gone out of his blue eyes. "Thank you Nigredo. You've been helpful." With that, he collected his two bickering siblings and left.
The youngest variant settled back on the solitary bench. He was alone again, perhaps even more so. Peridot eyes examined the scenery around him. He stood up.
It shouldn't be too hard to charm some supplies out of the Realian technicians.
3. Orange
He finished Citrine's first, in the farthest corner of the not-place. White candytuft edged the oval reflecting pool and on the far side was a sweep of evening primroses. Purple carnations were scattered through the rest of the plot and the entire thing was bordered by yellow oleander bushes.
About the time it was finished, Dr. Yuriev finally noticed what his youngest clone was doing. After inspecting Nigredo's efforts, he gave his permission for the URTV to continue his project. Citrine's area became his favorite.
Nigredo took to avoiding it as much as possible. He didn't want to see his sister that often either.
4. Green
It was while he was planting dahlias around the bench in the southwest corner that he found the kitten. Uncertain what to do with it, he showed it to his other siblings.
"Give it to Father," said Citrine with a shrug.
"What good is it?" asked Albedo, curling closer to his twin.
"Here," Rubedo held out his hand. "I'll take care of it."
By the time they had all agreed on the name 'Gaignun', Nigredo had already filled in the rest of the plot with begonias, purple heather and snapdragons.
5. Violet
He worked on Albedo's between training sessions.The first thing he did was train a small wisteria tree into an arbor over the entrance. The day Albedo shot himself in the head Nigredo transplanted oak saplings into the garden. He scattered primroses over the grave the albino URTV had dug. For a border he transplanted white rose bushes. Nigredo was unsurprised that they bloomed yellow.
6. Red
He saved the sunniest spot, the northeast corner, for Rubedo's section.
It took him a long time to figure out what he wanted to plant there. He didn't know Rubedo, not the way he knew himself. Rubedo didn't wear his heart on his sleeve the way Albedo did. And unlike Citrine, Nigredo actually wanted a connection to his red-haired brother.
Rubedo had been the only one to ever notice him. To ever actually see or care about what he was doing. Watching the elder play with Gaignun, Nigredo realized that Rubedo was the only one who had ever even smiled at him.
Nigredo filled the northeast corner with white gardenias, red camellias, yellow tulips and mistletoe. Unfortunately, Rubedo never saw the completed work. The day after Nigredo finished the garden was the day that Militia fell.
7. Blue
Ten years later Gaignun watched his older/younger brother celebrate the launch of the Durandal with Mary and Shelley. It was a transitional project, the last created with military funding, but also supplemented with money from their growing business interests. The next project, a space colony for the Kukai Foundation, would be entirely supported by commercial investment.
The black-haired man fiddled with the blueprints of the Durandal. He'd never really created anything before; Jr. had been the one to design the Durandal. The closest he had come was the garden back on Militia and that had been years ago. Looking down he realized he had accidentally sketched something on the blueprints. An aster with a needle through it. The station, with the Durandal docked in its center.
He raised his eyes to see the others frolic about, relieving the stress and tension from the preceding months of construction. Rubedo smiled at the two girls, blue eyes flashing with mirth.
A broken heart pierced by a sword. A fitting symbol for the last two URTVs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: That took forever! Here's a list of all the flowers used and their meanings.
Aster: "A symbol of love"
Begonias: "Beware"
Camellias (red): "You are a flame in my heart"
Candytuft: "Indifference"
Carnations (purple): "Capriciousness"
Chrysanthemums: "You're a good friend"
Dahlias: "Death"
Gardenias: "Secret love"
Heather (purple): "Solitude"
Misletoe: "Kiss me"
Oak/Acorns: "Immortality"
Oleander: "Caution"
Primrose: "I can't live without you"
Primrose (evening): "Inconstancy"
Roses (dark pink): "Thankfulness"
Roses (white): "I am worthy of you"
Roses (yellow): "Jealousy"
Snapdragons: "Deception"
Tulips (yellow): "Sunshine in your smile"
Wisteria: "I cling to you"
It wasn't really a place. It wasn't a storeroom or an office or even a training ground. Just unused space in the Institute, an area that had never been paved over, where sunlight could filter down, bordered on all sides by more important things. If it had any purpose at all, it was a playroom/study for the variants, a place they could get away from their collective other to be by themselves. But really, Nigredo was the only one to ever use it; his siblings had other ways of getting away from everything. Citrine didn't need it, she was one of those people who could ignore everything around her at will. Rubedo didn't want it, if he needed to forget what he was he would go to the Encephalon and Sakura to do so. Albedo just didn't care, he never wanted to be separated from Rubedo, he feared solitude; when Rubedo would abandon him for Sakura, he would wait outside the Encephalon for his other half, never straying.
So in this not-place he would curl up beneath a sunbeam, on the single bench with a book and wish he wasn't so alone.
2. Indigo
"Hello Nigredo."
Nigredo looked up, green eyes wide. Rubedo was standing in front of him, smiling. Like a pale shadow, Albedo sulked behind him. Citrine was there too, slightly farther off, examining the walls with a frown. Nigredo blushed and ducked behind his book. His siblings had never sought him out before and now all three of them were here. He had never felt so awkward or ashamed before. "H-h-hello Rubedo."
"Can I ask you something?" The younger boy nodded, too embarrassed to risk speaking again. "I saw you reading a book on Victorian customs a few days ago." Another nod. "Do you know what a bouquet of chrysanthemums and roses means?"
"What c-color were the roses?"
"Dark pink."
Nigredo thought back for a bit. "'Thank you for being a good friend.'"
Citrine's voice held contempt. "I can't believe you dragged us out here for that."
"No one asked you to come!" Albedo shot back immediately.
Rubedo kept smiling, although some of the light had gone out of his blue eyes. "Thank you Nigredo. You've been helpful." With that, he collected his two bickering siblings and left.
The youngest variant settled back on the solitary bench. He was alone again, perhaps even more so. Peridot eyes examined the scenery around him. He stood up.
It shouldn't be too hard to charm some supplies out of the Realian technicians.
3. Orange
He finished Citrine's first, in the farthest corner of the not-place. White candytuft edged the oval reflecting pool and on the far side was a sweep of evening primroses. Purple carnations were scattered through the rest of the plot and the entire thing was bordered by yellow oleander bushes.
About the time it was finished, Dr. Yuriev finally noticed what his youngest clone was doing. After inspecting Nigredo's efforts, he gave his permission for the URTV to continue his project. Citrine's area became his favorite.
Nigredo took to avoiding it as much as possible. He didn't want to see his sister that often either.
4. Green
It was while he was planting dahlias around the bench in the southwest corner that he found the kitten. Uncertain what to do with it, he showed it to his other siblings.
"Give it to Father," said Citrine with a shrug.
"What good is it?" asked Albedo, curling closer to his twin.
"Here," Rubedo held out his hand. "I'll take care of it."
By the time they had all agreed on the name 'Gaignun', Nigredo had already filled in the rest of the plot with begonias, purple heather and snapdragons.
5. Violet
He worked on Albedo's between training sessions.The first thing he did was train a small wisteria tree into an arbor over the entrance. The day Albedo shot himself in the head Nigredo transplanted oak saplings into the garden. He scattered primroses over the grave the albino URTV had dug. For a border he transplanted white rose bushes. Nigredo was unsurprised that they bloomed yellow.
6. Red
He saved the sunniest spot, the northeast corner, for Rubedo's section.
It took him a long time to figure out what he wanted to plant there. He didn't know Rubedo, not the way he knew himself. Rubedo didn't wear his heart on his sleeve the way Albedo did. And unlike Citrine, Nigredo actually wanted a connection to his red-haired brother.
Rubedo had been the only one to ever notice him. To ever actually see or care about what he was doing. Watching the elder play with Gaignun, Nigredo realized that Rubedo was the only one who had ever even smiled at him.
Nigredo filled the northeast corner with white gardenias, red camellias, yellow tulips and mistletoe. Unfortunately, Rubedo never saw the completed work. The day after Nigredo finished the garden was the day that Militia fell.
7. Blue
Ten years later Gaignun watched his older/younger brother celebrate the launch of the Durandal with Mary and Shelley. It was a transitional project, the last created with military funding, but also supplemented with money from their growing business interests. The next project, a space colony for the Kukai Foundation, would be entirely supported by commercial investment.
The black-haired man fiddled with the blueprints of the Durandal. He'd never really created anything before; Jr. had been the one to design the Durandal. The closest he had come was the garden back on Militia and that had been years ago. Looking down he realized he had accidentally sketched something on the blueprints. An aster with a needle through it. The station, with the Durandal docked in its center.
He raised his eyes to see the others frolic about, relieving the stress and tension from the preceding months of construction. Rubedo smiled at the two girls, blue eyes flashing with mirth.
A broken heart pierced by a sword. A fitting symbol for the last two URTVs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: That took forever! Here's a list of all the flowers used and their meanings.
Aster: "A symbol of love"
Begonias: "Beware"
Camellias (red): "You are a flame in my heart"
Candytuft: "Indifference"
Carnations (purple): "Capriciousness"
Chrysanthemums: "You're a good friend"
Dahlias: "Death"
Gardenias: "Secret love"
Heather (purple): "Solitude"
Misletoe: "Kiss me"
Oak/Acorns: "Immortality"
Oleander: "Caution"
Primrose: "I can't live without you"
Primrose (evening): "Inconstancy"
Roses (dark pink): "Thankfulness"
Roses (white): "I am worthy of you"
Roses (yellow): "Jealousy"
Snapdragons: "Deception"
Tulips (yellow): "Sunshine in your smile"
Wisteria: "I cling to you"