The Trash Can Sage, Jin Lajitzde, once said: "Even trash cans have their dignity."
Thinking about it, trash cans live hard lives. They dutifully contain the city's waste, never pocketing a single bag, delivering everything to the garbage station.
Morally upright. Truly role models.
Stelle Cat sighed.
Bang.
Crack.
Clang.
Left arm. Right leg. Left leg. Right leg.
As if responding to Stelle's respect, limbs burst forth from the shiny trash can. More accurately, they grew out of thin air.
The trash can, before Stelle's shocked (⊙_⊙) eyes, stood up.
Wow! I told you trash cans all have hidden power. March never believed me. Look, look, this trash can is super cool, meow!
Stelle stayed silent outwardly, but internally, her whole cat self was vibrating with excitement.
The trash can conjured a rose in its hand, and a spotlight from nowhere shone down on Stelle Cat.
"Oh, a cat. What a wondrous encounter. To meet a soul so clear and pure is my honor. Please allow me to sincerely praise you, beautiful being."
The trash can bowed like a gentleman and placed the rose before Stelle.
Stelle: (⊙▽⊙)
So cool. This trash can felt like a superhero straight out of an anime.
"Forgive my lack of introduction. I am the Pure Beauty Can, from the Kingdom of Trash Cans, guardian of Lord Tatalov. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"
"Meow meow meow."
I am the Galactic Baseball Cat. My hobby is flipping trash cans. You are the first trash can I have flipped that can talk. Do trash cans here become sentient?
Stelle meowed honestly.
"This…"
The trash can showed a troubled (O_o) expression. He was certain that this pure-looking, clear-souled cat had summoned him, but clearly, a trash can that spoke human language could not understand cat speech.
"Forgive my rudeness, honored cat. My learning is shallow, and I cannot yet understand the meaning of your meows. How about this: since you summoned me here, you must have a request."
He continued wisely. "I will guess your objective. If I am correct, meow once. If wrong, meow twice."
"Meow." Sounds fun.
"First, out of habit, I must ask: as a lifeform of the cosmos, do you know of the Goddess of Pure Beauty, Idrila?"
Stelle tried hard to recall. During Simulated Universe testing at Herta Space Station, Herta had mentioned her.
"Meow." I know, but Lady Herta said Idrila fell a long time ago.
"Ah. It seems the later Pure Beauty Knights did not disgrace her name. Now even a cat, a star that has not even sensed a Path, knows of Goddess Idrila. As their predecessor, I am deeply moved!"
The trash can lacked anything that could be called eyes, yet tears like noodles streamed down his face.
Stelle: (⊙_⊙)
Something felt off. The Aeon of Pure Beauty had fallen, right?
"Meow meow meow, meow meow meow!"
The three-day-old Stellaron baby clearly did not understand social nuance and tried to correct him honestly.
But to the Pure Beauty Can, this was obviously the Stellaron Cat passionately praising Goddess Idrila.
"This… this is too Pure Beauty!" he said, voice trembling through noodle tears. "I fully understand your meaning, honored cat."
"What did you even understand?" Stelle meowed internally. We are not on the same channel at all.
"I feel something strongly," the Pure Beauty Can continued solemnly. "When I witness certain things, I feel beauty from the depths of my being. It is vague, perceived only by instinct."
"What are you talking about?" Stelle thought.
"I have sensed it, honored cat. I have sensed the ugliness of deception and threat. My duty is to purge ugliness and protect the seeds of beauty. This must be why you summoned me to this world."
Stelle: (O_o)
I do not understand a single word, meow.
Are all trash cans like this? Living entirely in their own worldview. Very anime superhero-like, though.
"Very well. Honored cat, I swear: I, the Pure Beauty Can, will prepare thoroughly and strike down all ugliness, never betraying your trust, O pure cat of beauty!"
He thumped his chest loudly, leapt into the air, spun gracefully, and turned back into an ordinary trash can.
"Meow?" Are you still there?
Stelle tapped the can.
"Please be at ease. I bear the resolve of victory and honor. My body has been tempered through countless trials. Before my mission is complete, it will not break easily."
"Meow?"
She tapped again.
"Remaining in this form reduces the consumption of Trash Can Energy. I swear, I will not allow ugliness to touch the seeds of beauty."
"Meow?"
She tapped again.
"Ah, if only I had learned the language of cats. Then I could converse with you. Let me guess, you want me to say this: Goddess Idrila's beauty is unmatched in all the cosmos."
"Meow?"
Tap.
"This form is to conserve energy. To meet a cat who believes in Pure Beauty is already the greatest honor for this humble can. Rest assured, I will fulfill your commission."
Stelle: (O_o)
After a few more taps, the trash can only repeated the same line about it being an honor. It said nothing else.
Bored, Stelle left it alone. As she walked away, she suddenly felt dizzy, like when she was chased by Voidrangers for several systems in the Simulated Universe.
She recalled her owner's warning.
"Good night, Stelle. If you go out to play, do not sleep in trash cans. Come back to sleep."
As a Stellaron cub less than three days old, Stelle did plenty of weird things, but she was generally obedient. And sleeping in a pretty girl's arms was definitely better than sleeping in a trash can.
…
Excerpt from Jin Lajitzde's Memoir
The Pure Beauty Can.
A companion Tatalov and Jin Lajitzde met on a planet that worshiped Pure Beauty. He served as the train's guardian, protecting their lives and property.
Meticulous by nature, he joined Tatalov's Trash Kingdom to spread the name of Pure Beauty across the cosmos.
When Pure Beauty fell, irreversible crystallization appeared on his body. After spending several days writing the Code of the Pure Beauty Knights and the Virtues of the Pure Beauty Knights, he handed over the role of train guardian to the Can of Order and remained forever beneath the vast starry sky.
Memoirs of Jin Lajitzde
Cast list:
Akivili, as the Garbage King Tatarlov
Aha, as the Trash Can Sage Pure Jin Lajitzde
…
1 chapter per day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.
Let me know if I got a name wrong. I know basically nothing about MyGO.