Tel Me More

I probably did overdo the non-Saiyuki, I won't argue against that, but it's kind of important to bounce between the two. It'll stay with Saiyuki for good soon. Thanks to the reviewer. Hope this makes up for it. As I continue writing, I'm beginning to find that my main character annoys me. I still don't own anything, and I've cleverly disguised my disclaimer within my author's notes. Any idea on who the figure is?

I'm hoping that no one is too OoC, but I haven't read my manga for a while, and I've never seen any of the anime…

Okay. This won't happen again. I will not imagine that I'm in a Buddhist temple somewhere in a crazy country, where women are still required to wear skirts, and—I'm not wearing this stupid wig anymore. Reaching up, I pulled it off, freeing long, brightly dyed hair. Savannah hated it, so whenever we did something outside of school I wore a Morticia-Addams-style black wig so she wouldn't complain too much. Of course, the piercings still pissed her off…she was a bit of a mother.

Mother was probably my favourite swear…you're a mom…my mom…my mother…you mother! Easily changed into an AA rating, if the situation calls for it. Sighing, I looked at the ouzo Chen had given me hanging from my review mirror. At times like this…maybe they might help…'this won't happen again.'

I reached to turn the key, pushing my face into the steering wheel. Why did my imagination have to do this to me?

-

I pull my face back, rubbing my now-sore nose. Bad idea to use a steering wheel as a pillow.

"Here."

I look up at an old fashioned dressed woman. "Quo?"

She sighs, dropping the mug onto the table I was sitting at. She leaves without another word. I sit there for a moment in silence. Um, kay, it happened again. Damn. Or as I would say, damn. I reach for the mug, pull it closer, and look at its contents. The dark amber liquid swirled enticingly, so I lift it to drink.

Just before I do, the table snaps in half, probably because of the guy thrown across it. He doesn't get up, and the man I assume that placed him there was snarling near an overturned card table. I calmly take a cautious sip. It's beer, and not the good kind either. Many of the occupants of the bar stare in my direction. Becoming self-conscious and quite disgusted at the taste of the beer, I dump the still full glass over the fallen one beside me.

He sits up, shaking beer out of long red hair. As he glares up at me, I decide to toss the mug at him as well. A noise from his opponent draws his attention from me to the dark-haired body builder still standing amongst the ruins of a poker game, chips strewn about the floor.

"You cheated!" Black says, shaking his fist at the redhead.

"I did not!" Red protests as he stands up. "Can I help it if I'm lucky?"

"Luck doesn't suddenly give you cards that I just laid down." Black steps forward, threatening again with his fist. Suddenly, there's a hand on his fist, holding it still. Black looks to the newcomer, who simply smiles. "There's no need to get violent. Call things even."

Black wrenches his hand away from Smiles and snarls. "He cheated! I won't forgive a cheater!"

Smiles tries to calm Black down again. I think this is my cue to exit. I stand, and begin moving around the crowd to the open door. I trip over someone slumped on the floor, and end up standing in the space cleared for the fight. Black is on one side, and Red is on the other. Smiling nervously, I decide to go through to the door.

Most of the attention shifts to me. Red takes that chance to appear on Black's other side. I assume he and Smiles are in league with each other, as it looks like they are planning a sneak attack. No one else is paying attention to them, it feels like all eyes are on me.

"Demon!" The serving woman shrieks, pointing vaguely in our direction. I notice how the other two look at each other, saying something without words. She says it again, this time pointing at me. "A youkai!"

I shake my head, trying to look innocent. "Oh, me? No, you must be mistaken." Despite my denial, the bar occupants begin moving closer, rather menacingly, in my opinion. I back up slowly, towards the open door. Both of the other two, Red and Smiles, back up with me. I'm right in front of the door when a man holding a bottle in one hand and a gun in the other aims in my direction.

Ignoring the little voice that yells coward! I fly out the door. I don't feel my feet hit the ground outside at all, but I notice that Red and Smiles have joined my escape. People pour out of the door, yelling "Youkai! Demon!" all the while. Great. Now they think I'm a demon, assuming that youkai means the same thing. Sure, I had a safety pin in my ear, but that's only because I broke the hoop that I usually wore in that hole this morning.

As I look over my shoulder, my feet don't remember what to do, and they stumble, causing me to fall to the ground. Smiles grabs my arm and pulls me up, and we continue running. I don't know why he did that, but I was grateful. I'd rather not be trampled by illiterate drunken townspeople.

Although, if I'm imagining this, I'd be fine. I'd be invincible. I wouldn't die, now would I? Still, I keep running, until I pass the other two, who stop at a vehicle. Lucky buggers, I'd have to go until the angry villagers decided their twisted version of that scene Beauty and the Beast when they're after the Beast would have to stop. Breathing heavily now, I curse the fact my coat is so heavy.

I hear the sound of a car behind me. Damnit, I think, now they've brought out the big guns…I'm going to hurt something…probably myself. The car is now beside me, the occupants yelling something. A jeep…

One of them, the redhead from the bar, leans over the side, holding out an arm. Glancing backwards at the crowd that is gaining, I don't hesitate. Grabbing onto it with both hands, I run a bit farther to gain momentum, jump, and hope to land on—

-

I found myself back behind the steering wheel, car running, radio playing Cake. I shook my head. This was really starting to creep me out. Grabbing the steel pot helmet from the back seat since there would probably still be someone running around with a gun, I fumbled with the door latch before getting out. Leaving the door open and the keys in, I ran for the temple. Maybe Chen would know—

-

I push the helmet back from my eyes, instantly recognizing the terrain.

 "Tuercas. Maldición. Pipi là-dessus. Merde. My mother." I swore in Spanish and French. Luckily this time there were no Buddhists. They were like… were like… everywhere. Probably responsible for my hallucinations.

Something was different this time, though, more so than just the fact that I hadn't been around anything Buddhist. I look down and notice with surprise that I am floating about three feet off the ground.

This reminds me of a badly dubbed martial arts movie I watched on cable. I spin around, then do a somersault in mid air. I strike a pose like Jet Li. "Judo chop!"

I hear a noise behind me; I spin around again, liking the feeling. Of course, there is a lot to be said for using feet. Looking down, I see a girl of about ten crouching on the ground.

"P-p-please don't h-hurt me," she whimpers, using her shawl as a shield, hiding her face. "I-I-I didn't meant to…"

I jump from my airborne position to the ground, she cries out in fear. Why? I reach out to reassure her. Shrinking away from my hand, she covers her entire head in the shawl.

"Listen," I begin, sitting back, "I'm not going to hurt you. Why would you think that?"

"B-b-because," she kept herself hidden, "that's wh-wh-what d-demons do."

Right, okay, the demon thing again. I set the helmet back further. "Hate to disappoint you, but I'm not a demon. Or a youkai, for that matter."

"Y-y-you're not?" Success! An eye peeks out.

I shake my head. "Nope."

"Then why were you f-floating?" I don't think she's as scared; she's losing her stutter.

"Low center of gravity." I smirk, spreading my hands wide. She flinches, and recovers her head. I sigh. "Listen, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Still no reaction. "I promise, I won't hurt you."

"D-d-do you swear?" Her eye reappears. She sticks out one hand, pinkie extended. I smile. Some things are the same here…wait. When did I decide this wasn't my imagination? Probably when it happened mid-run. And when I realized that no time was passing.

I grasp her pinkie with mine, and we shake firmly. "I swear, upon my honour as a member of—"

I stop. Standing quickly, I push her behind me. Some protection I'd be, being unarmed and with no protection beyond a pot helmet on my head, looking like the time when Thad's GI Joe met my Barbie, but still…

A figure stepped out of the bushes. I frowned.

This…

…can't be good.