Memorial Day [The video camera flickers on, the viewfinder trained on Sashi, who sits at a picnic table.] Sashi:  Memorial Day is an American holiday that honors those who have died in military service to their country.  Most people visit the graves of their fallen loved ones, have a moment of silence, hang flags, and barbeque extensively.  Aki:  Hot dogs are done!  Hamburgers in five minutes!  [Sticks his head around the corner] What are you doing? Sashi: Just continuing on with explaining the major holidays to Kribensis. I’m taping it since he can’t be here. Aki: Where is he? Sashi: [shrugs] Wherever he goes when no one is supervising him… Aki: Oh. Sashi: … Aki: … Sashi and Aki: Fetish Club. Sashi: Although he could be off indulging in that weird Hello Kitty compulsion he has… Aki: So, the tape? Sashi: Yeah, I was about to tell him that we Selestarri have a tradition for remembering our dead too, except it’s celebrated at the beginning of autumn.  We spend three days thinking about those who are gone, and then the last night celebrating life. Aki: Seriously, we have the best holidays.    Sashi: [nods] Since death is such a recurring theme in Streifen, we have plenty of dead to honor.  Including Kribensis, now that I think of it. Aki: True, although I was seriously beginning to think he was immortal, what with all the “I’m dead, I’m alive, I’m dead, I’m alive, I’m dead” shit we had to live through. Sashi: Yeah, true, but so much of that would have been avoided if we could have just killed him ourselves.  If there is any lesson to be learned from Prelusion, Special Black, and Garnet, it’s that people are no Selestarri, even when gifted with magical weapons. Aki: Regardless of how it finally happens, Kribensis is the first Streifen character to die in the main story, a pretty prestigious thing considering the barrage of deaths that follow. Sashi: Chorianis, the twins, Zephyr, Kimi, Reisu, Kallixstus… Aki: Calexi, Ancelin, the Incendia Seeker, Ecanus, you— Sashi: What? Aki: Yeah, don’t you remember? Sashi: … … … …no. Aki: Hmmm, well, it’s right here. [Pulls out script for Sanguine and flips the pages before handing it to Sashi.] Sashi: [puts on his reading glasses and scans the page.]  Damn, I guess I do die. Aki: So we’ll honor you today then, too. Sashi:  [puts the script down and grins mischievously at Aki.]  If I were dead would you have sex with my corpse? Aki: What the hell kind of question is that?! Sashi: Would you? Aki: [blushes] Um, maybe, well, I mean, if you looked anything like you do when you sleep, I may not be able to resist… Sashi: First, don’t watch me when I’m sleeping, and second—that’s nasty! Aki: [face turns completely scarlet] Well you asked, and besides it’s not like our bodies last more than ten minutes before the magic destroys the corporeal form.  I couldn’t really do much. Stoer:  Then you aren’t very imaginative.  [Sits next to Sashi and snuggles close.]  For the record, I would totally fuck your corpse. Sashi: Um, thanks? Aki: I can’t believe we’re discussing this! Lochs: [drapes himself over the picnic table] At least your corpse is still in one piece.  [Glares over at the Rabbit, who’s playing badminton with Noah and Chorianis.] The Rabbit:  What now?!  [Rubs her forehead as the shuttlecock smacks her in the face and Chorianis laughs in the background.] Lochs: [snatches Zephyr’s wrist as he walks past] Now Zephyr here has a very fuckable corpse, just that one fatal wound marring all the beautiful skin. [His hand trails down the Selestarri’s cheek.] Sashi: That’s my little brother! [He half-stands before Stoer pulls him down.] Zephyr: [flips thick, purple bangs from his eyes and sighs.]  I doubt I want to be part of this conversation. Aki:  [pushes his apron and spatula into Zephyr’s hands] Here, go look after the grill and save yourself while you still can! [Wrenching his arm from Lochs’ grasp, he walks away, shaking his head in disgust.] Ikkairius: You four and a video camera bodes nothing good.  [The ancient Selestarri sets his huggie-encased, imported beer on the table and calmly pulls a wet wipe from the sleeve of his robe, opening the package before handing it to the young Kallixstus that clings to the hem of the silken garment.] Stoer: We were just discussing who has the most sexually appealing corpse. Ancelin: Grown-up talk!  [She instantly morphs into her adult self]  I really find that corpse-sex loses its fun quickly.  Seriously, rigor mortis puts such limitations on what you can do. Ikkairius: I think that’s all we need to know about that, Ancelin.  [He reaches into his other sleeve and produces a package of crackers.] Ancelin: [face lights up] Goldfish crackers!  [Snatching the cheesy fish from Ikkairius’ hand she reverts to toddler size and sits happily in the grass, munching away.] Ikkairius: So you really think this is what Kribensis needs to know about Memorial Day? Lochs: [shrugs] Well, the truth is much more boring.  Come on now, picnics?  Swimming pools?  Flowers?  Boring!  He’ll find this much more entertaining. Kallixstus: [pops up between Ikkairius and the picnic table, his eyes barely peering over the edge.]  Dead people are stupid.  Making people dead is much more fun! Ikkairius: Very insightful, Kallixstus.  I’m sure your brother will appreciate the advice.  [Flicks his wrist and a toddler-sized cup appears.  Unscrewing the top, he calmly fills it halfway with beer before replacing the lid and handing it to the half-Dark.]  Here. [Kallixstus takes the offered cup and sits beside his sister on the grass.] Sashi: Did you just fill his sippy cup with beer? Ikkairius: Trust me, it works much better than Ritalin.  Plus, he’s guaranteed to take a nap all afternoon.  [Picks up his drink and turns to the siblings.]  Lets go find the swings and then I’ll let you play with the water guns again.  Kallixstus: [stands up] Reisu’s face was so funny when I got her earlier!  [Rubs at the top of his head.]  It hurt when she whacked me with her pointy stick thingy, though. Ikkairius: [moves away from the picnic table, Ancelin and Kallixstus clinging to his robe] Well, what did I tell you about spraying people when they’re in the toilet? [Aki, Sashi, and the twins smile and shake their heads as Ikkairius and the half-Dark toddlers disappear around the corner.] Stoer: So, corpses? [A small explosion erupts from the grill area and a mushroom cloud of smoke fills the sky.] Aki: Dammit, what the hell is he doing?!  [Leaps off the table and sprints toward the grill.] Lochs: [grins at his brother] Speaking of corpses.  [The twins follow Aki.] Sashi: [turns toward the camera] So, if you take anything away from this video about Memorial Day, it should be this: having sex with corpses is not socially acceptable, nor does it have anything to do with this holiday.  So just eat a hot dog and be glad you don’t have to work. Zephyr: [streaks past, face and clothes blackened, the twins hot on his heels.]  Sashi, help!!! Sashi: [sighs and reaches for the camera.]  See you in July for Independence Day.  ~~**~~ [The video goes dark and Kribensis switches the TV off.] Kribensis: That was a little weird, even for me.  However, now I know why my sippy cups always taste strange…  [whirls around and glares at the nearest possessed human]  Hey!  Why do I not have any more Hello Kitty chocolate lollipops?!     ~ BACK~ All content contained on this site is (C) 2001-2008 by Bounce and Angsty-os (all rights reserved) Please do not take, steal, link or borrow anything on this site without written permission from Bounce (Bunny Writer - Resin Fox)