Kiki's next Adventure

Kiki

Kiki smiled widely at the little boy. The way he pronounces her name was adorable. “Nice to meet you Marcus.” She playfully gasped and pretended to be surprise. “You can do magic? That’s cool!”

He nodded proudly. “Very cool. See. Look.” He pointed his finger at the box that was out of his reach. A lamp floated out of the box.

“That is cool. You might want to be careful with that though.” She rose the box up just as Marcus lost his focus. Luckily the lamp didn’t have far to drop. She set them back down gently.

The boy turned to his dad. “What spell? Me help too.”

Howl smiled fondly at his son. "Yes Marcus I need your help with the spell as well, but it is a very special one and you have to do exactly what I say this time or it will not work. That means no moving or fidgeting like usual or trying to guess what to say, understand," he said looking seriously at his child.

Marcus looked at his dad and thought long and hard. "Okay, Marcus be good," he smiled.

Howl was glad his son was taking this spell seriously but he would still have to keep an eye on him. "Thanks for helping me with this Kiki and also for saving that lamp. If that had broken Sophie would have skinned me alive and hung it out to dry. Now let me just start on our lunch."

He looked into the pot on the stove and saw they were having chicken stew. Well then some crusty bread and a nice crispy salad should go well with it he thought. He pulled out one of the loaves Sophie had cooked that morning and sliced it into nice thick slices and placed it on the table along with some freshly churned butter he had stored in a magic box. Next he made a nice crisp salad and again placed it on the table and then got out four bowls and spoons and four side plates with knives.

"Well it looks like we are almost ready. I will just pop this lamp up to Sophie and then we can eat." He took the box and quickly disappeared upstairs.

Kiki & Sophie

OOC: From the post forward, this Non-Sexual RP is between Lotus_Maiden and Aussie_Wolf.

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Kiki smiled at Howl when he thanked her. He was such well-mannered man, charming too. His son, Marcus, was charming as well but didn’t have much self control. He climbed onto her laps and demanded, “Keekee, tell me a story.” She had wanted to help setting lunch; she was a guest after. However, Marcus begged with big ogle eyes stared up at her, “Please. Pretty, please. Please.”

She caved. “Alright. Long, long ago, lived an old, childless bamboo cutter called Taketori no Okina…” she began telling him the Tale of Princess Kaguya.

The child rested his head against her chest as he sat still and listened with great interest. Half way through the story, Howl set the table and announced lunch was already ready. Marcus waved, more like shooed, without looking at his father, “K. K. Get Mama. Keekee, more.”

“After I finish the story, I’ll get him wash up,” Kiki volunteered. She watched Howl turned and disappeared before she continued her story. With a happy child in her laps, she forgot about the purpose of her journey. As matter of fact, she felt content and belong somehow since she stepped into this household. There was so much love between husband and wife, parents and child; so much warmth, so much family----ness.

On the floor above them, Sophie set the box on the king size bed, pulled out the lamp and carried it into the bathroom. She set it on the fixture next to the floating mirror. While admiring the antique shade, she picked up a few things and tidied up the place. “Howl?” she called out when footsteps approached. Her head popped out form the bathroom door. Her eyes glanced around him, checking if he was alone, and then glared at him suspiciously. “What did you do now, mister? Who is she really? Besides a nice, lovely young lady.

Howl grimaced as Sophie's eyes bored into him. Even though he had already confessed his sin to her and done his best to make up for it, it was something else when that sin came walking in your front door for lunch.

Trying to get on her good side he handed her the other lamp before he began. He watched as she placed it on the other side of the floating mirror and even he saw the beauty in them. "Come and sit down my love, this is rather important," he told her.
"Ha I knew it," she said triumphantly, "She is not just some stray witch you found in town. Spill or so help me...I will thrash you good."
Howl smiled at his wife. He knew behind that bravado she was worried. "It is not as bad as you fear my dear. You know about my past indiscretions and what I did to make up for them. Well it seems that one of them failed to mention they had been pregnant and she is the result. Of course we do not know that for sure so I am doing a spell later to make sure and I will need Marcus's help with that."

He looked at his wife and saw her processing this. Finally she shrugged and a grin split her face. "I did always want a daughter, but she is grown up so maybe she might not want to be one to us, we will just have to see." Then she rounded on him and her face became deadly serious again. "You however you old womanizer, will do right by this girl. You will tell her the truth one way or the other and help her out, do you understand me Howl."
He knew better than to argue with her when she got like this, so he just nodded and then smiled. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her. "Do you know that I love you Sophie. I do believe I don't tell you that enough."
She smiled and hugged him back. "Idiot," she mumbled into his chest.

They stayed like that for a minute before Howl remembered. "Ah yes, lunch is ready. Come let us not keep the children waiting." Smiling he led her down to the kitchen.

Kiki & Sophie

Kiki managed to get Marcus to wash his hands and sit properly in his chair when Howl and Sophie rejoined them in the kitchen. “Thank you again for treating me lunch,” she thanked the married couple. “I don’t know how to repay you.”

“It’s more like we’re repaying you,” Sophie slipped but she quickly added, “for getting Marcus to behave to well.” She ruffled her son’s hair, bent down to give him a kiss before she went over to the stove to get the food. She served up the stew and placed large salad bowl and bread loafs in the center. “Eat. Before it gets cold,” she suggested and busied feeding her young son.

Kiki dug in. The first spoonful reminded how hungry she was. She looked at Howl across the table. “Do I need to prepare anything for that spell? How can help?”

Marcus was about to chime in, but his mother hushed him, “no speaking with a full mouth.”

"Actually Kiki you don't have to prepare anything, I have everything the spell needs, what I really lacked was power. I could do it alone but it would drain me severely so by having both you and Marcus help me it will go much smoother. We are going to be binding a demon to our household."

He saw her eyes fly open and he chuckled. "Oh yes I know what you are thinking but in this realm they are a little different. In fact this one volunteered as the more it helps the more it grows. It is a small fire demon that is taking the place of our last one Calcifer who has decided to go on an adventure of his own. It should be very simple but it is always best to be prepared."

What he did not tell her was that he was also adding in a part to compare his, her's and Marcus's bodies which would tell him if they were truly related. He would decide what to do once he knew the result. "Once we finish our lunch we can go down to my lab and start to prepare. I have already done most of it so it should only take about ten minutes to do the spell."

Kiki & Sophie

Kiki almost choked on a spoonful of stew when Howl explained the spell. “Really, you can bind a demon?” Her eyes widened with fear and excitement. “You had a fire demon? It didn’t...you know, burn the place down out of spite?”

Sophie chuckled and then defended the former house-fire, “Calcifer would never do that. He was a bitter at times and always sarcastic, but he took good care of us.”

Marcus clapped happily. “Yay, another Calsuufoor. I like fire.”

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” Kiki confessed. “I’ll do whatever you need!” Unknown to Howl’s alternative motive with the spell, she was eager to help conjuring and binding a demon. She ate more haste and gusto now, hoping the quicker she finishes the faster she’ll get to do the spell. As if Marcus could read the guest’s mind, he too chewed faster and swallowed without being told. He even grabbed the spoon from his mom and ate on his own.

Sophie leaned back and watched the two youngins. Their movements mirrored each other. She glanced over at her husband. Her eyes was both happy and remorseful. She was glad to have Kiki as a step-daughter, if that was indeed true. Then she was fill with guilt that Howl hadn’t been in his daughter’s life for all these years. She reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"DONE!" Kiki and Marcus announced at the same time with their hands in the air.

Howl laughed at them both looking down at his half eaten bowl of stew. "Hmm I think you two forgot something in your calculations. You may be ready but I still have plenty of food left."
He watched as their faces went from smiling to frowns in a second. Laughing again he pushed his bowl away. "Oh very well you two, we can do the spell now, but like I said you will both have to follow my orders precisely. I don't want to have to pull our butts out of the fire, and in this case it will be literally."

Once again their faces lit up and the similarities between them were striking. He almost didn't need to do the test but he needed to be a hundred percent sure and besides it didn't just check her family tree it also checked her magic potential. In a half an hour or so he would not only know if she was his daughter but just how strong she was and how strong she could become.

Kissing Sophie he led the children down into his cellar. His lab was neat and tidy and he led them to the area he had already prepared. Of course there were only two circles around the alter but he rectified that with a wave of his hand. As he strode over to his bench, several chalks rushed from it and began to draw out complex designs on the floor. He picked up several bundles of powder then as the chalks arranged themselves back on the bench he bent and examined the wards. With his experienced eyes he checked for faults but he found none and gestured for Kiki to step inside and handed her a pouch. "When I call forth and point to you I want you to cast a handful of the powder inside onto the pile of wood in front of you."

He guided Marcus to the other smaller circle and gave him the same instructions. "Remember Marcus I am counting on you today. I need you to do exactly what I say or we might not get another fire man like Calcifer."
Marcus nodded with such a serious look on his small face that howl knew he would not muck around.
"Marcus love Flame man. Want nother one, me not play up," he smiled at his dad.
Rubbing his hair Howl moved his way into the main circle and began the spell.

Kiki

While Howl led the children to his lab, Sophie stayed behind to clean the dishes. Kiki offered to help but she shooed the youngster away. Both of the younger witch and wizard wore a similar eager and exciting expression as they strode into the cellar.

Once they were in his lab, they stayed against a wall as they watched Howl draws some sort of complex designs with the chalk. Kiki had never seen any of the symbol before. She stiffened and stood as straight as she could when Howl gestured her into one of the circles. She hopped inside like a bunny, didn’t want to smear the chalk. She held the pouch with both hands and nodded at his instruction. “Douse the powder over the wood once you give the signal,” she repeated. “Right, got it.”

She watched him leading his son into another circle and giving him the same instruction. They exchanged a confident grin, telling and trusting that neither will mess this up. Their eyes simultaneously turned to Howl and watched him with awe. They waited patiently for his signal for their part of the spell.

Howl began talking in a strange language and soon a small flame appeared on the bundle of wood stacked inside the larger circle with the more complex runes surrounding it. As it grew he motioned for Kiki to throw some of her powder and as she did he continued the spell. The demon grew and started to take shape, and now he gestured to Marcus. He threw a nice handful right on target and Howl smiled even as he continued casting.

He got them to cast another two handfuls each before the spell was complete and the new demon was sealed to both the wood and the house. It burned brightly and happily on the wood and was about 30cm tall with a small bubble head made of flame. At the moment Howl knew it was sleeping worn out from the summoning and would probably sleep for the rest of the day. He would of course instal it in the hearth and from there it could feel it's way through the rest of the castle.

Now he continued to cast the next part and soon he saw a glow from both Marcus and Kiki and the information flooded into him. What he already knew was confirmed. She was his daughter without a doubt but what was really amazing was the level of her potential. The problem was a blockage she needed to overcome. If she just continued as she was now she would never become the witch she could be, she needed to be pushed. This needed careful thought.

He ended the spell and slumped from exhaustion. he looked at the two of them. "Well done you two you did well. Let's go upstairs for a bit before I get the demon."

Kiki

Kiki listened to the magician mumbling in a foreign language and watched the happenings change around them. She sprinkled the powder over the log when he motioned her to. Her eyes widened and stared at the small blob of fire taking shape and coming to life. As instructed, she doused the powder over it two more times. She leaned a little closer without leaving her circle. She swore the fire had three slits, like a pair for eyes and between them like a mouth. Also, it was … snoring?

She then felt the air tensed around them. Thought no visible to the naked eyes, she felt the stream of magic floating around her body. She felt its warmness rippling under her skin. “Wow,” she mouthed when her body glowed; so was Marcus. His brightness disappeared however after a second, while hers stayed ‘on’ for a good while. She was oblivious to the magician's intent. She thought it was part of summoning and bending the demon. She would had never guess it was to test her power and lineage to him.

“Oh, are you alright?” She ran over to the slumming Howl and held onto his arm just in case he doubles over. “Let me help you,” she offered. She pulled his weight onto her as they headed up the stairs.

Marcus was on the other side. He held onto his hand as if he was helping him walk as well. He looked up at the two tall adults and asked, “Name. He needs one. What should we call him? How about Fire, Red Dragon, Flamey, Calsey 2, Blob," he continued to rant of random names.

"Pyro?" she managed to get one idea when the boy had to stop for a breath.

Howl smiled as they exchanged ideas for names.Of course the Demon might already have a name (Well he did but it was not pronounceable by regular humans and did not translate well into the human tongue).

"You two do know that it may have picked out it's own name. After all it has been planning this trip for quite some time and knows all about our custom of naming ourselves. Don't be surprised if it calls itself Charles or Harry."

He laughed at their shocked looks and they finally made the kitchen and he was able to sit down while Sophie brought him over a hot cup of lemon tea with honey she had been keeping warm for him.

Kiki & Sophie

Both Kiki and Marcus mouth turned into a big “O.” It never occurred to them that the little fire-demon already has a name. “Churlie? Horry? Lame,” Marcus expressed his opinion out loud.

She deposited Howl on the chair once they made back into the kitchen.

Sophie stayed by his chair. She squeezed his shoulder as he enjoyed the hot tea. “So? How did it go?”

“Little fire is asleep. I helped, Mama. I made fire appear!”

She scooped her boy into her arms. “What a good boy. A dirty one too. Look at the soot on your face,” she tried to wipe the dirt off his face. “Let’s get you wash up.” She carried Marcus into the bathroom.

Kiki stayed behind with Howl. She waited for him to finish his cup before asked, “Now we’ve done the spell. Can you help me find my father now?”

He smiled at her and patted her hand. "Of course my dear of course. I will have to do a bit more magic so I hope you don't mind if I rest for a little bit, but it will only be a minor spell so I promise You will not have to wait long. I had a chat with Sophie and she vaguely remembers the chap I was talking about. She was going to search in a few old photo albums she told me and get back to me. Of course you must remember a lot of my old friends just happened to be magicians so it may be a little difficult finding them," he warned her.

He knew what he wanted to do now it was just a matter of what he should do and how. He needed to talk to Sophie first and work out the details. He could tell her the truth right now and then take her on the trip, or take her on the trip and lead her back here feigning ignorance until the end. He was now not so sure about the last option, it just might cause the girl to hate him and disappear from their lives forever. For some reason he did not want that to happen at all.

"Let me just check with her to see if she has found out anything."

Kiki & Sophie

Kiki hastily added, “Oh, right. Of course you should rest first. Take as long as you need.” She chewed herself up for being inconsiderate. The guy just performed a demon-binding spell, of course he needs to a breather before tends to the business of a stranger, like her. “That was one impressive spell you did down there. I’ve never witnessed, let alone partook in something like that! It’s was eye opening. Thank you.” Her head bowed, almost touching the table top.

She also added in awe, “Wow, you’re friend with other wizards and witches? I’m the only witch in Koriko, the port city I currently live in.” She nodded when he said he’ll check with Sophie first. “Okay, of course.”

In the back of the house, Marcus was standing on the sink’s counter while Sophie wiped his face with a wet cloth. The boy asked, “Mama, can we keep Keekee?”

“Haha. Kiki isn’t a pet dear. We can’t stop her if she wants to leave.”

“We should ask her to stay then,” he suggested like it was the most obvious thing to do.
Sophie smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “We’ll see.”

Howl took a drink of water and looked at his daughter. He invited her to sit and poured her a glass and himself another one as well. "So you are the only witch huh. That must get lonely. No one to discuss magic with, no one to learn new things from. I know I would go a bit balmy if I was in your situation. When I was a lad I had a good master who taught me a lot of things and then I traveled learning more from other wizards. I believe it is what made me the wizard I am today."

he took another long drink then looked at her with a questioning look. "What about you. If you had the chance would you like to do something like that? Travel around and train with new wizards and witches and learn new things."

Kiki

Kiki sat down and sipped on the water. “Quite lonely. I do talk about it with my fiancé, Tombo. He doesn’t know magic though. It must had been nice to be have a teacher.” She sighed and took another sip.

She nodded at his question. “Of course!” she blurted, almost spat her drink. “I definitely would love a chance to travel and train with other wizards and wtiches! That would be beyond awesome.” She sighed dreamily. “I plan to travel across the world and dimensions after I settle a few things with my father.

Howl nodded. Well that was one thing then. However without someone to guide her she could end up in many sticky situations. He had been a pretty competent magician when he had begun traveling and even then he had still got into his fair share of trouble. Kiki was but a novice compared to him. She might not survive the journey.

"So what sort of things do you wish to discuss with your father. I guess why he abandoned your mother and you will be high on your list of course, but is there anything else?"

Kiki

Kiki fell silence for a minute to think about what she wants to discuss if and when she reunites with her father. She nodded to Howl’s comment. “Yes, I like to know that. Since my mom isn’t a witch, so I assume he’s a wizard. I would like to know if... if he’ll teach me a few spell. My mom said he has a family now, so asking him to mentor and accompany on my travel are not possible,” she added weakly.

She drank some more. Her eyes casted down at the glass while she asked, “You would never leave your family, right? Why would someone do that? He just left my mom and I. We didn’t hear a single word from him for twenty plus years. I sometime wonder if we’re, no if I’m not good enough.” She held the glass tightly, filled with anger and doubt. "He told my mom that he was under a curse. Still, why he didn't explain before he mysteriously disappeared? Who does that?!"

Howl was going to discuss it with Sophie first but that note in her voice, the loneliness and ache it almost broke his newly mended heart. Luckily he looked up and saw Sophie in the doorway. She nodded at him and then took Marcus upstairs. He smiled his thanks at her and once again thanked whatever higher being had allowed them to come together.

"Kiki I have some news for you that might be a little hard for you to understand. That spell we just performed down there was not just to summon the demon but also to confirm something I suspected about you. You see years ago I was not like the man you see now. I was much more powerful but at the same time I was nowhere near as good. A demon had become lodged in my heart and so I felt nothing, neither good nor evil, to me everything just was what it was. If I was hungry I took what I wanted to eat even if it was not mine to take. After all I was hungry and that was all that mattered to me. It was the same with magic, I wished to learn something so you taught it to me, or I stole it or I watched until I figured it out, it all depended on how strong the person with the magic was."

He looked at her to see if she was following and saw that she kind of got it. Sighing he got to the bit really concerning her. "The other way was by seducing the female witches and wizards. I was good looking and well it was an easy way, and I even learned to do it when I just wanted pleasure. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it, after all I felt good and I was sure the woman did too."

He looked down ashamed. "It was not until Sophie drove the demon from my heart that I realized all the wrong I had done and I went back to try and make it up to those people. I thought I recognized this ring when you first showed me it. I gave it to your Mother when I visited her. She did not mention you though and refused to take anything from me but she did forgive me and told me she understood. The ring was so that if she ever needed me she could call me and I would come to her. The spell we did however confirms that you Kiki are my daughter and I am your father."

He looked at her and waited to see what the young girl would do.

Kiki

Kiki waved at Marcus before Sophie disappeared up stairs with him. She then listened attentively. At first, she wasn’t sure the point of his story or how it relates to her. Still, the magician’s life was fascinating. She nodded when he looked up at her before he continued. The second part melted his heart, especially how he talked about Sophie had saved his heart and ultimately changed him.
Her interest turned puzzling when he mentioned her mother and the ring. Thoughts floated around in her mind. She had a pretty guess where he was heading… however, his last statement still hit her like a brick. She stared at him with wide and stunned eyes. Her mind drew a blank as his confession kept repeated itself in her head.

After a minute, which seemed like a decade, of long awkward silence and staring, she stuttered in incomplete sentence, “You… father? The ring… Daughter … me?” So the man before her, the one she just met, one with impressive power, a husband to a sweet young lady, father to an adorable kid, was … her father…

A multitude of emotions washed over her. She was happy, then angry, but then in awe, and then relief. She stood up abruptly with her palms slammed onto the table. “You’re my father?!” she managed to blurt before paced the room. She muttered to herself, “My father is him. He’s my father. A magician is my father. I found him? I really did?” She stopped and looked at Howl. “I did!” She went over to him and hugged him. Tears brimmed over her eyes and she sobbed uncontrollably in the arms of her … father.

Howl had not been expecting this reaction. Anger yes, recrimination, questions, but hugging and sobbing no. Still he knew what to do with a hugging and sobbing child, Sophie and Marcus had taught him that. He wrapped his daughter in his arms and let her cry her heart out while making soothing noises.

"It's ok Kiki, I am not going anywhere anymore. There there, shhh,shhhh," he said. He just soothed her as best he could until his child was ready to talk again.

Suddenly he realized that not all the tears dripping down were hers. Tears were also flowing from his own eyes and he hadn't even noticed. Smiling he continued to hold her. His Daughter. A Daughter who had accepted him and had not yelled or threatened to kill him or run away, but who on hearing the news had embraced him. He hoped she would agree to his plan so they could travel and get to know each other, but first he wanted her to stay awhile here and get to know her other family and her little brother Marcus.

Kiki

Kiki wanted to say something and ask him questions but couldn’t. His soothing words fueled her cry, and she tightened her grip. The father and daughter embraced each other as they sobbed. It was such a rare moment for her. She wouldn’t mind time to stop and let this moment last forever.

After what seemed like eons, she was finally calmed a little to ask weakly, “Why? Why didn’t you come find us sooner? Why did you leave us?"

He reluctantly released her and they sat back in their chairs. He handed his daughter a large hanky from his pocket and then looked at her. How to explain it when he really found it hard to believe himself?

"It is easy to just say 'Because I was cursed' and leave it at that, but it is hard to explain just how I was back then. So let's start with the sooner part. It was only recently that the curse was lifted and it was soon after that I began to search out all the people I had wronged. Believe me Kiki that was actually a long list and I am not proud of it," he told her looking down. "However when I came to your mother and yes I remember her, I did from the moment I saw the ring, she forgave me. I offered to do anything in atonement as I had with everybody else but she refused so I gave her that ring as a sort of future favor. If she ever needed me she only had to call and I would come no matter what."

Howl looked up and looked Kiki right in the eyes. "She never, ever, mentioned anything about having a daughter Kiki I swear. I think she may have been afraid I would take you away. By the time I got to your mother I was married and had just had Marcus after all, but if I had known I would have visited I swear."

He sighed." The why in the first place is very hard to explain though. When I was young and I mean very young I found a fallen star, my friend Calcifer, and taking pity on it I gave it my heart so it could continue to live. Sounds good doesn't it. I get a fun new friend who is full of magic to help me and he has to stick around. Another fun thing I found out was that while he had my heart I couldn't die. The drawback was from that moment on I was literally heartless, and stuck with a child's ideals. Can you remember what you were like at ten? Now imagine a powerful wizard with the same type of thoughts." He grimaced. "Do you sort of understand a little now?"

Kiki

Kiki wiped her wet cheeks with Ho---her father’s hanky. She sat quietly once again while he explained. The way he looks down and at her were filled with remorse and sincere. She believed him, that he would have visit and spend time with her if he knows she exist.

She gave a weak nod and managed to add, “Mother said you have a family. She was afraid if I come into the picture, it will break your family.”

Her hand reached across the table to squeeze his. “Yes, I understand. Sort of. I think. I. I’m just glad that I found you. Finally. At last. Oooh, wait!” She retreated her hand and covered her mouth. “No, no, no. Does this mean... Sophie, Marcus. Is your family going to break up? Oh, god. No. I don’t want that. They’re such lovely people. Your family. You belong to them. Maybe I. I should go. Leave now before they find out about me.” Her rants continued on and on. She was so fluster, a ball of excitement and anxiety.