Scalding Hot Coffee

"Fear is an irrational thing. People enter the world without fear. As they grow up, people create fears for themselves. All you need to rely on is your instincts if you want to live, and talents if you want to succeed." Succeed at what, she did not say.

It was easy to assume that she had no fear because of her own powers set her up as sort of an apex predator that pierced through anything that stood in her way. But even without her powers, would she have been different?

No, she would still be an even match for Félix's grandfather as a new, interesting and lovely 'young friend for Félix', even without her powers. The two would happily have tea, coffee or even slimy poutine together in Quebec, even without Konishi's deadly, manifested edge. Her mind was still more dangerous.

"Sure. We'll do it now. I'll go first." She smiled sweetly. Her fingers reached out and gently touched his hand. The touch made her tone seem even more charged.

"If I win the bet, you'll sign a contract with me. You'll grant my every wish and desire, within the realms of your ability, of course. You'll be bound to me."

"As long as I please." She answered curtly. "What will the wishes be? Something entertaining, without stripping too much of your dignity, I suppose." Once that was settled, she was ready to start this bet. She nodded once, curtly, without smiling when the same bet was set for her. Glorious. It was a battle to own one over the other. Dominance, even. Her face remained motionless, like a Noh mask. She would really have to prove to him that monsters didn't exist, without revealing her true colours.

Konishi didn't look down when the tentacle curled around her hand. While Felix's face was warm and so was the pulse of her wrist, the tentacle felt cold. It was a shadow overtaking her. Nothing more.

Konishi never liked music. Music was too emotional. Music was a waste of time for her. Music moved people to tears in six minutes, as compared to two hour long movies. She wished she had as much power over people as music did. Most importantly, for herself she would never understand the power of music.

In the same vein, she did not understand Felix's voice. While each word should have been charged and loaded... Death, destruction, murder and kill were simply words to her. They would never give her a sense of fear by just listening, even with Falque's skill.

Her face remained still and motionless, rarely blinking when she listened to Felix. She almost thought for a moment, she lost herself, but after understanding where she was and who she was with, it registered to her that Felix's story was over. He was trying to prove the existence of his own monstrous existence through that. It had finished. He tried to scare her with a simple horror story that was spoken very well.

At the most, it gave her a bit of a rush to find out that Felix was a killer of his very own blood. Since his powers manifested the strongest, he picked off the extra. The spare. His own younger brother.

Slowly, Konishi's mouth moved into a slow and careful smile, the corners of her mouth just in shadow. She started clapping. She was applauding for his performance. Her claps were loud and they seem to ring in the acoustics of the Cafeteria. Nearby students looked at them, their faces surprised and confused. "That was a good..."

"try." She whispered. Her hands were together, now silent.

"I win." she said softly. Those two words were more sudden and final than he would ever expect.

"I'd like you to tell me about what you were trying to do earlier. I didn't quite understand it, if you thought you'd scare me with a story than a live demonstration."

Once he gave her a satisfactory answer, she stood up from the cafeteria table to look at him. Was this the face of defeat? He looked deep in thought more than in despair.

Without further word, she brushed away the white hair from his face, and pressed her lips against his forehead, in a sort of holy kiss. She moved down to his cheek and kissed him again. Her hands cupped his fine jawline as she did so. She did not reach his mouth, but he would feel her hot breath touch the sensitive skin of the lips. Every touch and gesture she made felt almost terribly charged with religious undertones.

"From now on, you belong to me. Your power will be in service of me. I pray you shall continue to perform my will, now until the hour of my death."

She did not kiss him on the lips. She stood up to full height, and smiled triumphantly at her victory.

"Your trials are not over yet, Félix." He would be baptised into a bloodbath, sooner or later.