//------------------------------// // Wings Descending // Story: Three More Things! // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// When Viper learned that Jade had a date for the school dance, she immediately threw herself into helping her get ready, springing for a full dance outfit out of her own pocket. She had been confused when Jade had insisted on green, but had to admit that the young girl pulled the color off well. She'd been even more confused that Jade's date was apparently meeting Jade at the dance rather than at the shop to pick her up. Jade's explanation that he was skipping being grilled by the 'parents' as he'd already been grilled by the 'siblings', however, gave Viper a good laugh of understanding and led her to accepting the suggestion. As such, Jade now stood nervously in the school gym where the dance was being held, waiting for Seymour to show up. She wore a green, Chinese-style dress that hung snugly over her body, leaving her legs free for dancing. There was a black and white Yin-Yang inscribed over her chest, matching the pendant she still wore. Her only makeup was a green lip gloss that almost seemed to glow faintly in certain lights. She hadn't bothered to do anything with her hair, deciding to keep it to her usual style. She was unsurprised that Drew of all people came up to her. Disappointed, but unsurprised. "So where's your date, Jade?" he asked teasingly. He made a show of looking around. "Or is the 'ninja' invisible?" He - and a few kids nearby - laughed. "Buzz off, Drew," Jade growled irritably, not willing to engage with him here. "What'sa matter, Jade?" Drew taunted. "Can't admit-" His voice cut off as something pressed against his throat, something that felt sharp and glittered in the darkness. "Is this one causing you trouble, Ojou-sama?" a cruel voice asked softly. Jade smirked as Drew managed to wiggle out of the grip and run for it, plainly heading for a teacher. Seymour, meanwhile, pulled off his ninja mask and dropped the 'blade' into a nearby punch bowl, where it fell apart into oddly shaped ice cubes. "Nice one, Seymour!" Jade praised with a grin. "And no evidence left, like a true ninja," 'Seymour' agreed playfully. He tucked the mask into his belt, the rest of his ninja outfit still enough for a school dance. He then offered his hand. "Shall we dance, my lady?" he asked warmly. With a wide smile, Jade accepted the offered hand. Hsi Wu could tell that Jade enjoyed the dance immensely. When the first song with the right beat for it began to play, he'd led her into the waltz that Bai Tza had told him was most appropriate for ballroom dancing at 'their' age group. When the songs turned less traditional, the dancing became more along the lines of 'club dancing', though without the more adult moves that older teenagers would utilize as part of modern 'courtship'. Hsi Wu was able to keep up, but Jade was far more natural on the floor. If not for the switch to a slow song, she'd have easily danced him under the table...but she was happy to put her arms around him to sway back and forth to the slow dance. After that, Hsi had noticed that Jade's interest in dancing - and the dance in general - had started to wane, so he took action to help her enjoy it further. A few harmless pranks that got a few people excited filled Jade with giggles, and slight escalation turned it to wicked laughter. After making certain her shoes lacked heels - and thus could comfortably be run in - he'd capped off the evening by making a tiered cake - part of the refreshments - explode all over Drew and the teachers he was trying to convince that he'd been attacked with a knife that apparently no longer existed. Hsi and Jade had run out of the gym and off school grounds laughing gaily together. As they approached the shop, Hsi knew the night was at an end. Though he heard flute music coming from an upper window as they approached, he pushed past it to end the night on a high note...until Jade stopped him at the door. "Wait here," she whispered softly. "I have something for you." With that, she ducked into the shop, carefully evading the attention of the adults present. Hsi waited calmly, wondering what Jade could have planned. He idly considered several possibilities...all of them flying right out the window as Jade came back out clutching his wriggling tail. "Here you go, Hsi," she spoke softly. "No spells on it, as promised." Hsi stared, completely dumbfounded as he took his tail. It wriggled around a bit before reabsorbing into his body, attaching itself in the right place on his true form when he eventually resumed it. "You...knew?" he asked, stunned. "I guessed," Jade responded. "While my cousins certainly would have gone with the 'intimidate the new friend' route - heck, they pulled it on me when we first met - the only way they'd bring in Audrey is if they thought Dark Magic was involved. The way you carefully avoided touching them or Audrey every time you were over - and always waited patiently to be invited in - told me you were probably a demon. After that, I confronted the girls about it, and they told me the whole story." Hsi blinked slowly, trying to parse through what she was saying. "You're...not mad?" "With them? Nah!" Jade waved her hand dismissively. "They were just trying to do something nice for me. And why would I be mad with you? Sure, you didn't use your real name or face...but the friendship, and the things it was based on? That was all genuine." Hsi smiled softly. "Indeed it was," he agreed softly. "Though...I guess that might make things awkward here?" "Only if I decide to make up a story involving Shakespearean references and whatever might have happened to tell Uncle Jackie," Jade countered teasingly. "This was just an outing between friends." Hsi chuckled quietly. "If we'd met seven years from now, the story might not have been made up," he offered gently. "I like you, Jade. It's been a long time since I met anyone like you, and I look forward to further interactions...especially after our conflict is resolved." "Conflict?" Jade asked in surprise. "You made me give up a piece of my tail, and you're aligned against the Demon Brotherhood," Hsi Wu explained. "I'm honor bound to do all in my power to lay waste to your works, drag you to your lowest, and either destroy you or compel you to bind yourself in magical servitude to me, you and all you care for and who cares for you." He smiled disarmingly. "But since we're friends, I'll wait till sunrise before I start...and I'll be sure to treat you well when I succeed." Jade burst into laughter at just how absurd his statement sounded. "And what if I win?" she asked teasingly. "Does that mean you'll bind yourself in magical servitude to me and those I care for?" Hsi Wu scratched his chin thoughtfully. "...yes, I will," he promised. "Either way, we'll have a long time to enjoy a fulfilling friendship. You'll either be my servant, or I'll be your familiar." "Good." With that said, Jade stepped up to Hsi Wu, lifted herself up on her toes as she cupped his cheeks in her hands, and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. He found his cheeks flushing as the spot tingled oddly, an effect he cursed as his human form starting to assault him with hormones. "I suppose whatever I say next will be the last thing I say to you before you start hunting me." Hsi Wu nodded slowly. "I hate long, mushy goodbyes, though...so how about keeping it to 20 words or less?" They both giggled, enjoying the reference to the show the group had enjoyed watching the most. "Well here's the thing, Hsi Wu," Jade spoke up, her voice getting softer as she leaned towards him, until her lips were right by his ear. He shivered as he felt her breath on his skin. "I never promised to wait until morning." His eyes widened in shock as she spoke again, the flute music suddenly shifting to match the cadence of her words. "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao." As the flute continued the rhythm of the words, Hsi felt the spot on his forehead suddenly flare with the burning of good chi. He clutched at the door frame as his human form was stripped away, sucked back towards his portal as the spell - now completed - dragged at him. His eyes fell on Jade's traitorous lips, the green glowing faintly. "Your lip gloss...you put the banishment spell in your lip gloss!" he cried out in shock. Smirking, Jade waved silently to Hsi Wu, as she'd already used up all 20 words. Hsi Wu began to laugh as his grip on the door, his toe claws digging slightly into the pavement. Deciding to graciously admit defeat, he released the door frame and brought his hands together to slowly applaud as the spell pulled him away and back towards his portal. He was beaten, and most cleverly. He looked forward to seeing what manner of spell Jade and her friends would come up with to pluck him from the Nether Realm and bind him in servitude as her familiar. One thing is certain, he thought silently as the portal closed around him. It's going to be fun!