This one is after Acheron and Itisha have met. A good bit after the fact given Itisha generally tends to keep to herself. And yes, she for reals tells people to call her Mushu. It makes me happy and giggly at the dragon lady demanding to be called that.
Hand to hand combat, Mushu was generally good with. Swords, staves, punching, she was more than happy to make use of. Of course, the other side didn't always play fair. Mind you, guns tended to very loudly attract attention. Of course in some areas, some people couldn't tell the difference between the sound of a gun going off or fireworks. Sometimes you couldn't just carry a weapon with you everywhere. People started asking questions and got frantic around guns. Especially if you looked like you were a leather-clad villain from older hokey-films.
By movie logic: Leather bad. Hiss. Cotton good.
Tonight Mushu had been in the area of New Orleans again. Part of her was unsure of how much of it was just because of her wanting to be here or because of the other folk that hung around. It just seemed to feel right to be here tonight. Someone was watching the kids while she worked and took a breather.
It was a quiet night. At least she had been temporarily fooled to have thought so. The first thing that caught her attention was the scent of blood coming downwind of her. A frown as she shifted towards where the wind was carrying the scent from. Fingers played at the chain 'belt' on her hips as she sighed. Souls cried out with a tremor. Pain and fear thick in the air. It hurt her heart to feel that even from a distance.
Sometimes being an empath was a truly awful experience. Yet, she knew it meant that she could help people in a way that others could not. She took off at a run, steps silent as she kicked off her shoes and hooked her fingers through the straps as she turned down an alley where a group were surrounding several bodies on the ground.
Dammit.
"Oh look, it's dessert." One of the tall males flashed bright blue eyes at her as he looked her over.
"Oh look, Arian Race rejects." Mushu spat back. A frown before she slid her coat off and dropped it off to the side. It showed off her pale arms in the night with a sleeveless fishnet top over a solid gold and red striped tank. Feet shifted as she got herself into a balanced stance. When one daimon came at her Mushu slipped a knife out from her pocket and flicked it open just in time to drive the blade into his chest. The explosion of gold glitter made her snort, "A bit late in the year for fireworks."
Given it was a narrow alley, it was hard for any of them to actually flank her. Instead they all tried to rush her at once to drive her out into the street where there was more light and space. She could hear feet behind her, but wasn't dare going to look away from her current enemy. Her knife was shoved into the chest of the next daimon as she dug bared feet into the asphalt to keep from getting bowled over.
"Ooh, Akri! Can Simi eat them!?" A familiar voice rung out. One that filled Mushu with a certain relief.
That was a voice Mushu was familiar with and she spun her body as she pressed herself against the wall and watched one stumble while another came at her. A snarl and she kicked him in the groin and shoved him out towards the others. Eyes flicking up to the end of the alley where she saw two familiar faces and a woman she didn't know. Silver eyes met hers and she gave a small salute and then grinned a bit at the demon who looked all too human at the moment save for her little horns.
"Hey Sim! Wanna charbroil them?" Mushu called out.
"Yes!" She didn't hesitate much past that as she set them all on fire. Her own hair crinkled on the ends and her clothes got slightly melted as the fire just brushed past her in the heat. Mushu carefully used her abilities to get a buffer of a shield between her and the flames before Simi melted her clothes to her flesh. After the fire vanished, Itisha looked them over as she watched them twitch and die with a burst of gold glitter. Flicking her knife closed, she waved. A languid walk made while collecting her coat.
"Hey Simi, long time no see." She told the taller woman with a smile and looked over to the other two, "Hot Topic. And mysterious other lady." A small nod and a smile.
"Mushu!" Simi bounced and hugged the shorter woman and then made a gasp, "Oh no! I burnt your pretty shiny hair!"
"It's alright, Simi. Really. Nothing I don't already do myself."
"Mushu?" The unknown woman asked. Her brow quirked up in emphasis of her question, "Like the lizard from the Mulan movie?"
"Dragon, Tabby! Mushu doesn't do the tongue thing!" Simi proclaimed loudly, still hugging Mushu, "Akri! Can you fix Mushu's hair? Pleaaaaseeeee?"
There was just a long stare at the pair of women from under his sunglasses. Ash didn't even have an answer for Tabitha as to what exactly was going on, "Yes, Simi. I can do that." The hair was back to normal as was the rest of her clothing, "So, how do you know Mushu?"
"Queen Goddess!" Simi announced and before she babbled more, Mushu gently put her fingers on Simi's lip's. A blink at Mushu and she stepped back and bounded over to Ash and hugged him, "See, Mushu! Akri is the best! Just like akra said!"
Mushu laughed softly and then held her hand out to 'Tabby', "I see that, Simi. Pleasure to meet you, Tabby. I am going to take a guess that you all were coming to my aid. I appreciate the unexpected help. As for the name, just a nickname my kids gave me to use. They like when I quote him."
There was a laugh and Tabitha held her hand out as well and shook the one offered, "Tabitha, but you can call me Tabby. Small world, huh? Everyone knows someone else."
"Oh trust me. You live for a while and you start becoming surprised you haven't met everyone. Given you aren't screaming bloody murder, I am going to guess you are used to this sort of thing."
"She is one of the humans that help out the dark hunters. Not as a squire though." Ash finally said. A look over to Tabitha and Simi before adding, "We are going to be late."
"Oh, right!" Tabitha blinked and looked at the two of them and then to Mushu, "Do you think she could come with? I mean, if no one minds."
"I want Mushu to come with! Can she, Akri? Please?" Simi asked, about bouncing up and down in her high-heeled boots and her black hair swinging about wildly. It was enough to cause Mushu to chuckle.
"Where are you all headed, if I may ask?" Mushu mused, watching Simi nearly try to dislocate her akri's arm with her bouncing like an excited child.
"The movie theater. I guess I don't mind too much. I think Simi would be disappointed if you didn't come with us." Acheron had a good-natured smile as he patted the bouncing demon's arm and she squealed in her delight and about tackled Mushu in a hug before trying to haul her out of the alley by her hand. It was a good thing she wasn't human, else he imagined that Simi would have dislocated her arm.
Mushu started laughing as she hung her dark red coat over her shoulder as she was hauled along into the street lights, "I would love to join. I was just taking a stroll anyway. Slow down, Simi. You're going to leave them behind."
"Oh! You're right! But they know the way, Mushu! Can't we just run ahead?"
"I doubt your akri would like that very much, Simi. He barely knows me." She pointed out to the demon.
That stopped Simi in her tracks as she tried to consider it, allowing Acheron and Tabitha to catch up to them. Then she frowned, "But I know you are a good people."
Tabitha raised a brow at Ash who shook his head. He really had no idea. He couldn't see anything about the woman and it was odd. He had only met her once.
"She's right, Simi. I can't make sure you are okay if you run so far ahead of me."
The little demon pouted, but kept holding onto Mushu's hand as they all started walking together. It was like a little kid with her friend, "Well, then you need to get to know her, akri! Then you will be okay if I run off with her! She can make sure I behave! She has a lot of little simis! I mean, not clones of me, but she calls them her little demons! I haven't met them yet though. We should meet them sometime! There are a hundred of them!"
"Twelve, dear, twelve." Mushu muses as they near the theater and she digs in her coat pocket. Blinking as Simi bolts away from her to get to the box office line. A blink as Simi very loudly proclaimed her need for four tickets, "I guess she so wasn't giving me a choice on that."
"Ash buys the snacks. Simi likes getting the tickets. It lets her use her 'plastic'. I think they sent her a new one now that sparkles." Tabitha mused as Simi bounced back and held the ticket stubs out to them all like they were prizes.
"Thank you, Simi." Ash smiles as he takes his. Watching the young demon woman bounce about and claim Mushu's hand again.
"I'm going to take Mushu to find a seat! I want a big popcorn, Akri! And a big soda too! Ooh ooh and ice cream and and… Mushu what do you want? Will you give me it if you don't eat it all?"
"I'm good, Simi. Thank you. If I get hungry, I can get something later." A gentle assurance to the all too excited woman bouncing like she was in Disneyland. Then she is dragged away into the theater and an abrupt turn down the hall to the screening room they were supposed to be in.
"Well, that was interesting." Tabitha laughed, "If she really has twelve kids, she looks really good. Almost jealous." A shake of her head as she walks to wait in the concession line with Ash. Had to help hold everything after all.
Ash shakes his head, "Might be the only reason she isn't cringing away from Simi's hyper. Brave woman really." He then blinks as he hears his nickname being yelled from a distance and suddenly he is being jumped in front of again, "Hello, Simi. What's wrong?"
"Can we get something for Mushu? Pleaaaase? She never lets me buy her stuff and I want to get her food! Her food isn't like your food. She needs popcorn and hot dogs and-"
"Alright, Simi." Ash laughs and hugs her, "I doubt she eats that much."
"Sure she does! She eats like a dragon! Omnomnom! Not people though. She says they are chewy and give her indigestion!"
That made Ash pause and blink before shaking his head. Dragon. What the heck was a dragon doing here? "I'll make sure she gets plenty to eat then, Simi. Go back and keep her company."
"YAY! Thank you, Akri!" A tight hug and a kiss on his cheek and Simi bolted off again.
Tabitha blinked and stared, "You have some weird friends, Ash."
"That one is Simi's. I don't claim that one at all." Yet. He seemed to have gained a following of people who trusted him. Simi generally didn't hold a high opinion of very many people. He had to trust that Simi really did think she was a 'good people'. If he couldn't see her… well then she was somehow involved in his life in some way.
The fates could have at least given him a choice on that one. He ended up holding an arm full of popcorn buckets and a bucket full of wrapped candies and ice cream while Tabitha had the drinks as they marched with their too-much-food to the theater. He could hear Simi before he saw her as she yelled down at them from the very back of the theater in the middle.
A glance up and he could see Simi bouncing up and down while Mushu was leaning against her armrest with an amused smile. Chin in her hand and white hair spilling off to the side. There weren't many people who gave Simi that parenting look, and part of him really hoped that this person really was good. For Simi's sake, and his own.
Tabitha laughed as she went up the stairs, "You really must be a mom. My mom still looks like that at us all of the time, and we're all adults now. Alright, Simi. How do you want to sit?"
That suddenly caused a conflict and Simi froze and stared and looked at Mushu, then Tabitha, and then Acheron. A flail as she tried to figure it out before an idea dawned, "I can sit between you and Mushu, and Akri can sit beside Mushu and get to know her and I can share food with you and Mushu!" She proclaimed.
Tabitha laughed a bit as she was pointed to where she was supposed to sit. Simi sat down between the two women as Ash hesitated a moment and finally sat down beside Mushu. He handed over the popcorn and candy down, watching Mushu try to hand it over to Simi. She seemed distraught when Simi shook her head at her.
"Nope, Akri got it for you. You need food too. Oh and here, pick a candy!" Simi said in a loud harsh whisper as she held the bucket of snacks out to her. Insistent that Mushu pick something.
Ash laughed quietly, he couldn't help himself, "It's safer to not tell her no. She'll get upset."
"Ah, I am aware. I still attempt anyway. Have to say no sometimes." Mushu answered and yet despite herself she carefully picked out a wrapped ice cream sandwich and tried to balance it and the bucket as she was suddenly handed a large soda as well. A feeling of overwhelming gratitude and adoration for Simi as she wasn't entirely sure what to say, "Ah… thank you." She didn't make it a habit to eat in public. People eyeballing her generally made her uncomfortable when the tiny lady ate like a horse, "Want any?" She looked over at Ash. Looking almost like she was about to drown with just the simple large bucket of popcorn, ice cream, and a soda.
"No thank you. I ate before I got here." A small fib, though Ash almost felt bad. The woman looked uncomfortable and unsure what to do with it all. A consideration and he finally spoke up again, leaning down with a soft voice, "Don't worry about how much food there is. Between Tabitha and Simi, they could cause a famine. You're good."
There was a blink and Mushu looked at him and then the food and laughed quietly, "I hate eating in public. I hate people staring at me and feelingwhat they feel about me. I am just glad it will be dark in here." Sitting between a guy she barely knew and a little demon that she knew incredibly well. Hell, she only knew Ash through the bits and pieces Simi and Polly gushed about him or complained about. This made her feel out of place. As though she were intruding on some sacred ritual.
"Well, good thing about a movie is that everyone will be looking at the screen, Mushu." Ash assured. The movie trailers started rolling and he settled back. He studied Mushu out of the corner of his eye as she carefully unwrapped her ice cream sandwich and took a tiny nibble of it. Never knew dragons to be self-conscious.
Mushu looked at her sandwich that stuck to its wrapper and then looked over to Ash and smiled a little, "Thank you for the food, Hot Topic." A move and she gave a peck of a kiss on his cheek that was cool from the ice cream as she settles back and nibbles slowly on the ice cream. Leaving him to stare at her a little stunned. It felt like someone sent a small shock through him, and if it weren't for Simi and Tabby, he nearly would have demanded what that was.
"No problem." He managed quietly. Perhaps it was due to that rare feeling of two empaths meeting. Especially as she seemed to also be as much of a broadcast empath as she was the perceptive kind.