Excerpt from Ki-Chan: Book #2: Sakura Conflict
(NOTE: At this point in the story, this is the day after their first day in college. The day previous, Mindy came onto Ti-Chan and wouldn't take "no" for an answer, prompting Ki-Chan to lose control of her anger and her latent rage power. Ki-Chan finds herself struggling to control her hidden power and her emotions, while Ti-Chan is trying to think of a constructive way to tell her he has a new power himself, the power to slip into her dreams. The two started the morning in a training session, which messed up the landscape Lily was working on. So Violet tosses the duo a satchel of yen, telling them to go pick up gardening supplies, but also telling them they need to go work things out by themselves. This excerpt picks up just as they are leaving the backyard. Fair warning, language!)
Ti-Chan: Hello nice neighbors whipping out their holo phones! Promise you don’t post that anywhere, okay? We don’t have enough room for the police to park.
A few neighbors nod their heads and withdraw the electronic devices. Ki-Chan can’t bring herself to make eye contact. Ti-Chan looks to her, dropping his eyebrows.
Ti-Chan: Pixie… I wish you would think more of me.
Ki-Chan: Hah?
Ti-Chan: You keep thinking I’m going to cheat on you.
She stops walking. He turns around to face her after walking ahead a bit. She lifts up her brim.
Ki-Chan: … Where’d ya get DAT ‘pression?
Ti-Chan: This whole thing with Mindy. I don’t even like her.
Ki-Chan: I know. Ya tol’ her t’ back off. I heard ya.
Ti-Chan: But in your dreams, you always see me with other women, like I’m going to leave or something.
Ki-Chan gets a defensive look on her face.
Ki-Chan: …. HOW..didja know dat?
Ti-Chan: Ah… you talk in your sleep. What’s going on with you? Don’t you trust me, Ki-Chan?
Ki-Chan: Ti-Chan… dis isn’t ‘bout trust. Ya got dis all wrong!
Ti-Chan: Do I? Then what is this about?
Ki-Chan: Ti-Chan… I already lost one family ta demons… I don’ wanna lose anothur.
Ti-Chan’s eyes soften. His shoulders drop.
Ti-Chan: Oh Pixie...
Ki-Chan: Der’s all kinds o’ demons in th’ world. Cecil an’ Lily were tellin’ me. An’ Kameko tol’ me dat females can b’ dangerous ‘cause dey can look innocent an’ dey can still take a man. All a female gots ta do ‘s look cute an’ dey can have anythin’ dey want she said. An’ den Cecil said dat ‘s der’s an ol’ folk tale, dat der were sirens an’ harpies an’ such dat can lure a man t’ his doom. Dey wouldn’t’ve tol’ me ‘f I didn’ have ta answer mythology questions on m’ test ta get into school.
Ti-Chan: Now that you mention it… yeah, there were a few questions on the entrance exam about harpies, but I didn’t put it together. Really odd that they were so specific on it. We read about that long before we knew about the Starwalkers, right?
Ki-Chan: Right! An dat’s prob’ly why I keep seein’ harpies an’ sirens in m’ nightmares. S’ ‘cause o’ what we learned. An’ Mindy? She’s awful. She may not b’ a demon, bu’ she sure acts like one. In m’ head, I keep seein’ her turn crazy an’ possess ya, like sumpthin’ from a manga. It ain’t right ta think dat, bu’ I can’t make th’ thoughts go away, m’ head jus’ never works right.
Ti-Chan walks close to her again, placing his hands on her shoulders and gazing into her eyes.
Ti-Chan: Pixie.. I’m not going to leave you.
Ki-Chan: Sugar, lemme b’ clear. Lookit me. I know yer not ever gonna cheat on me. I can read yer thoughts. Yer a good guy an’ ya got honor. I wouldn’t let ya dis close t’ m’ ‘f ya didn’t.
Ti-Chan: I… I have honor, Pixie?
Ki-Chan: Yeah, Sugar, ya do. B’sides, I know yer not suicidal! S’ ya’d never do nothin’ ta hurt me unless we were trainin’ or ya got possessed, or I went mad an’ it was me or th’ world. Yer good!
Ti-Chan: Ah. Good to know.
Ki-Chan: I love ya, Sugar. S’ don’ worry ‘bout trust no more.
They kiss, just as a slow breeze of cherry blossoms blows past. Quietly at the top of the hill, Kameko takes a picture with her holophone. Cecil and Ruey have combined their ice and fire wind powers to create a subtle breeze, circling the hill with blossoms. Lily taps the screen of Kameko’s phone as Kameko shoots a few more pictures. Violet smiles, shaking her head.
Violet: You guys are hopeless romantics.
Ruey: I’m just surprised this idea actually worked!
Cecil: Well we both have a little wind power, so by mixing fire and ice, we can make a little steam power, just light enough so we don’t destroy the blossoms.
Lily: The zoom on this camera is terrific!
Kameko: Thanks! I got this with my severance pay from the Restoran. Ooooooooooh this last one is perfect!
Lily: Oh drats, they moved. Ah well, we should print this one up on a canvas, it would go great in the living room.
Cecil: Can I see?
Ruey: HEY WAIT!! Cecil I need you to cool my fl-WHOOPS!
Suddenly, a “whoosh” sound is heard as a real wind blows between Ruey and Cecil. Ruey’s fire power ignites, setting off a breeze of flaming cherry blossoms towards the bottom of the hill. Everyone looks down in horror.
Ruey: AIIIEEE!! It’s like little drops of FIRE AND DEATH from the sky!! LILY QUICK!! They’re gonna hit the neighbors!!
Lily: SHIT!! I can’t reach them in time, Kameko!!… KAMEKO?? KAMEKO ARE YOU SERIOUS??
Kameko: Just a second…. THERE!! Oh that is so pretty. If I twist them on my new paint program, I can say they’re fairies.
Lily: CAMERA! DOWN!! SUPER SPEED! USE IT!!
Kameko: Huh? Oh yeah! TAURUS SPEED!!
Kameko grabs Lily’s hand as her body turns pink. She dashes up and down the hill while Lily extinguishes the little fire blossoms. Ruey picks up the holophone from the ground and swipes through the pictures with Cecil.
Ruey: You know… these little death blossoms do look pretty.
Cecil: It would kind of be a poetic way to die, you know? Surrounded by a sudden gust of flaming flower petals, I’m sure some woman out there would think this was the way to go out.
Lily: EEK!! They got on the neighbor’s cat!!
Kameko: SHIT!! He just got into the other guy’s farm. AW FUCK he’s lighting the yard up, LILY DO SOMETHING!!
Ruey: I can totally see that. Hey, this one does look like a fairy!
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