It's a bang! [Ian and Kitty]

Summer was Kitty's favorite season despite the fact that her birthday was during Winter, or so she was told it was. Since the festival had started up on Waffle Island she was at first hesitant to go, but by the evening she showed up--just in time for the fireworks. It wasn't long until she got a popsickle and sat down on the sand. Naturally she distanced herself away from the chatter of groups and couples that were going to watch the fireworks together. She should have planned to get together with a friend or two prior so she wasn't alone, but that didn't mean she was leaving. The weather was nice and the sky was clear, plus there was always next year wasn't there?

The fireworks festivsal was all season, and Ian had been planning to go for a while now. Not so much to watch the fireworks, but to snap pictures he could use in his art. He also had brought his violin, in case he got board or needed some extra cash. Ian stalked his way around the beach, snapping picture of all kinda of things; people, the ocean, the sunet, and the fireworks shooting off into the sky as the last bit of twilight sunck over the hill. As Ian was about to snap another picture, his lens caught a familiar face.
An insant smile spread across is face. slowly and quietly, he approched the girl from behind and asked in his deepest, most gentlmanly voice, "Excuse me miss, mind if I snap a few shots?"

A smooth voice entered Kitty's ears and she flinched badly. She wasn't expecting anyone to come up and talk to her, not here and not now. Her head quickly turned around and she saw Ian. Oh, she couldn't forget him--especially since their encounter on the mountains. Surprisingly she found herself sighing with relief though as she collected herself. "Oh it's just you," she said looking at him. "Are you always up to taking or making a picture all the time I see you?"

"Hm, we do seem to make a bad habit of meeting like that." Ian laughed. Then, a slight frown crossed his face. "What, you're disapointed it's just me? Ah well, I'm sure you won't feel that way soon. Mind if I sit down?" Ian eyed a seat next to Kitty. Ian felt a slight atteaction to this girl.
Although this "attraction" was more like "artist's curiosty" than an actualy attraction. This person was definitly interesting. She couldn't remeber a thing from her past, she was such a mysterious person. This in fact ingruiged Ian, and drew him to her. He wanted to know more, but he knew better than to pry.

Ian laughed aloud at her remark, which caused Kitty to smile a bit. Then he sounded a bit disapointed about the 'just you' remark though. He didn't seem to mind that much and was only playing with her. Before she knew it he was sitting next to her though. "Don't act like a baby," she teased the artist with a sly smile. "What are you french or something?"

Ian make an expression of mock horror. "Are you insulting the french?" He asked putting his hand to his chest. "Why, Ms. Kitty, I'm suprised at you." Ian quickly scopped up his camra and took a snap shot of Kitty. Then, he got to his feet, cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled "I am sorry, french! I apologize on behalf of this lovley young lady!" Then, Ian started to wave his camra franticaly through the air. "I have taken a picture of her when she least expected it. Please, take this as payment! Just don't unleash yor wrath upon us!" What was he doing? Ian didn't know.

Ian compeletly overreacted to Kitty's remark and it was, well funny. She couldn't stop laughing at his foolish behavior. Unsuspectedly he took a picture of her with her camera while she was acting so carefree. She quickly jumped up and while laughing tried to take the camera away from him. "Come on," she exclaimed attempting to steal the camera from his hands. "It won't matter to them that much." Normally one would be mad when saying this, but she couldn't stop laughing.

Ian felt himself start to laugh, too. Although she was older, Ian still towered over her. He held his arm up high so she couldn't reach the camra. This was so strange for him. Ian normally didn't act this carefree, he was normally reserved and gentlemanly, but he felt like he could really cut loose around this girl. He didn't know why, either. Perhaps it was becuase she had no memory of her past, and becuase of that, he felt like he could completley forget about his past as well. It was stupid and confusing, but it was there.

Ian's thoughts then took a sharp turn. "Say, i'll give you the picture on one occation." Ian said. "You have to meet me here at least once a week until the fireworks festival ends." It was a weird request, and Ian normally wouldn't have said such a thing. He knew it. But if he could really cut loose in front of this girl, not put of that ridiculous facade and just be him-even if for a few hours-he would give up anything for that.

Kitty was tall for her age, but Ian was taller and that's all that was in her way of getting the camera. Despite her best attempts, she was unable to get her hands on the camera. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she laughing tried again and failed. She was ready to give up when Ian suggested that instead she had to come here once a week until summer ended. Tiredly she collapsed to the sand and say, "Okay, I give up. I'll come her at least once a week till the festival ends at the end of the summer in exchange that you won't let anyone but yourself see that picture."

She then layed down and looked up at the darkening sky. It wouldn't be long till the fireworks would light it up and she'd stare at them with wonder.

Ian collapsed next to kitty, also out of breath. He looked up at the stars and traced each pattern he could find. He fireworks were going to start soon, but he still had a little time left. He gentley nudged kitty. "Hey, how good are you at finding constilations?" He asked. He and his grandfather had looked up at them every night there was a clear sky, so he could identify them form just a glance. But he wondered if this girl could do it. Before she could awnser, Ian said, 'Let's play a game until the fireworks start. You have to pick out as many contisaltions as you can before the fireworks start. The person who picks out the most has to spend a day doing whatever the other person wants, like it or not. Oh, and you can make up shapes in the sky, too. But the have to be Lagitimate, got it?"

"Lagitimate shapes or constilations, huh?" Kitty said aloud thinking, her chocolate brown eyes now gazing upon the sky. She knew a couple of constilations in the sky, but she had a hunch Ian was purposling doing this to win. It didn't make sense to start a competition without the intention, but that didn't mean she'd just give up. Another possiblility was that he was testing her too.

She pointed her finger up to the nightime sky, first pointing to the north. "Ursa major and not far from it is the Ursa minor," she said while she pointed out the stars that made out the constilations. "Most people go by the big dipper and the little dipper, but personally I think that bears are cooler."

"Mmhm."Ian was only half-listening. He had already picked out 5 constilations and was now searching for more. This was fun, he was going to cream Kitty. "So what are you?" Ian asked. "Constilations, that is. I really don't believe in horoscopes or anything like that, but I still like constilations and the stories behind them."

"Sagitarrious," she said looking up at the nightime sky. It'd be great if she could point it out to him, but it was only there in winter. Since Ian wasn't saying the ones he found she started to keep note of them in her mind also. There was Libra and Cancer, as well as O'Ryan's Belt. Plus there was a serpant in the sky too, but she forgot it's name and only knew it by season and time. "What about you?"

"Gemini." Ian replied. "The Twins. I don't know much about them, but they must have been close." Ian took in a deep breath of air. Then before he had a chance to speak again, a firework shot up into the air and exploded into a firery red. Then another one shot up, this one exploded into a neon green. "Looks like it's started." Ian said smiling. "How many did you find? Constilations, I mean." Ian sat up and puffed out his chest in triumph. "I found 15." He said punding on a fist on his chest.

Something seemed different about Ian this time than the last. He seemed more casual than their last encounter. Maybe he was naturally shy or something like that and just got used to her. It confused her for a second as she listened to him talk about his horoscope. Then almost without notice a firework was launched into the sky and burst into a wonderful neon green light. Ian then boasted about his constilation findings and she couldn't help but giggle, "What are you? A gorrilla or some type of ape?"

She then quickly counted with her fingers how many she had thought of. "I got only fourteen," she admited. It was so close too. There goes going to the place she had picked if she won. Maybe she shouldn't had thought about it as much as she was finding shapes in the sky.

Ian whistled. "Phew, you got close, girl. Tell you what, since you worked so hard, I'll let you have this one." Ian then rolled on his stomic and watched the fireworks light up in the sky. "So then, where do you want to go?" Ian asked. "I'm up for anywhere. In truth, I didn't have anywhere I wanted to go in the first place." Ian grinned mischivously. "I Just wanted to beat you at something. I have quite the competeive streak."

Kitty's mouth opened in disbelief. She could've not tried at all and still would have gotten to pick a place. Then she nervously laughed off her shock from Ian and lightly punched him in the arm. "Why you little sneak, you tricked me," she said jokingly. "I want to go to Sunshine Island," she announced with a ring in her voice. What she wanted to do, now that she wanted to keep a surprise.

"Alright then, suprise me." Ian said smiling. He rolled back over on his back and gazed up at all the fireworks shooting upward. Ian recalled watching fireworks when he was little. He remebred just watching the fireworks shoot up into the air and see nothing but that. But this it was diffrent somehow. The fireworks somehow had more meaning, the shone brighter than they used to, they wern't just fireworks anymore. There was only one other time he had felt this way about something so trivial, and he had tried his best to forget. Ian glanced at the girl laying next to him and then back up at the sky. An artist's attraction, huh? Ian was going to find out more about this girl, but he wasn't going to fall in love. Not ever again. He would never love another person.

Ian agreed to Kitty's demand without hesitation. Then it was quiet for awhile except for the 'boom' the fireworks made when they burst in the sky. For some odd reason she felt happy that she did end up coming here, it turned out to be more fun than expected. Maybe she should hang out with Ian more. He wasn't that bad of a person and she wanted to get to know him more. Curious as a cat she was sometimes. "Purple fireworks are the best," she commented randomly. "You know it takes more energy to make a purple firework than it does for anyother color?"

Kitty's words inturrupted Ian's thoughts. "Hm? No, I didn't know that." He responded. "My favorite fireworks are the blue ones, I guess." Ian stunched his nose. 'I've never really thought about it." Once again, the fireworks intuppted Ian's line of speech. All at once, millions of fireworks shot into the sky now, all at once. "This must be the finally." Ian said smiling. "I've never seen this one so grand before though..."

Ian was about to say something after he said blue was his favorite color, but then multiple fireworks where launched into the sky and created a bunch of loud explosions. Kitty flinched at the sound at first, but then she got used to it. Finally she was able to hear Ian again. "Yeah," she agreed with in awe. The fireworks seemed to reflex in her eyes. "We should come some other time," she randomly added.

Ian sat up and studied Kitty's face. "You seem tierd." He said gentley. "The fireworks are just about over.....and we probably both need a lot of sleep...." Ian stopped himself before he could say any more. He remebered Kitty's reaction last time he had treated her like a kid. Thinking fast, he stood up, grabbed his violin, and positioned it between his chin and neck. "Um, would you like to hwar something i've been working on?" He asked.

Ian seemed to lecture Kitty on the fact that she seemed tired, but then he must have seen his error and offered to play his violin. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that he tried so hard to avoid her anger. Steadily she sat up and streached. "Okay," she said as she shook the bits of sand that stuck to her hair. "I'd like that quite a bit actually." Kitty had a soft spot for music, it must have been the effect of her friend Kazumi, because Kitty had no music memory herself, but it was always with Kazu.

Ian smiled foolishly. "Ok, but, it's not really finished yet, alright? So don't laugh...." Ian took in a deep breath of air, then slowly started to play the song. When writing it, Ian had remebred an old legend his grandfather had told him, about a sea dragon and a young girl. The sea dragon had fallen in love with the girl becuase of her kindness, and wished to be human so he could be with her. However, the dragon learned the girl was in love with someone else, and although this broke his heart, the dragon wanted the girl to be happy. So one day, the dragon approched the girl and told her she could be with the one she loved if she took one of his scales and brewed it with tea, then gave it to her lover. The girl happily thanked the dragon and ran off to do so. However, the dragon had broken a fatal rule; never help a human. Becuase he had helped her, the dragon turned into sea foam shortly after.

To Ian, the had always been a meaningless story. The ending was weird and there was no moral. On top of that, it didn't explain why this or that happpens like some greek legends do but it seemed right for a musical piece, so a piece it became.

Ian started to play and Kitty closed her eyes to listen. The tempo seemed slow, but it was a very interesting song. At first it sounded happy and cheerful, like a love song, but then it turned meacholy and depressing, like a break up. In a way the notes Ian played told a story to Kitty, about someone who fell in love and then some how lost that same love. The song was beautiful and so was the way Ian played it, it seemed so lively. For a second she peeked at Ian to see that he was concentrating hard on the song. At the end of the song Kitty clapped, "That was great Ian."