Chapter: Prequel - It's Not Easy Being Min
Min had a rough time. Then Rei came and made everything more complicated.
PANEL ONE:
Rei let's go of Min's hand, which Min keeps staring at.
Rei: Now, I still have to learn from your grandfather before I can be sure... but I think you might be right about this...
PANEL TWO:
Min begins to scowl.
Rei: You're definitely close to Xiu Mei's level. I think it's just like you said. Your family's style is so centered on offense that she can rely on her range advantage alone...
PANEL THREE:
Rei sits up leisurely as Min rises in a huff.
Rei: For now we'll just have to work on getting you stronger and faster than her.
Min: HA! Is THAT all?
PANEL FOUR:
Rei looks behind her as she confuses Min again.
Rei: Actually... are there any streams on this mountain?
PANEL ONE:
Rei helps Min to her feet.
Min: Huh? Actually, yeah there is.
Rei: Great! Let's go.
Min: What, what now?
PANEL TWO:
Rei takes a welcoming happy pose as Min tries to figure out Rei's motives.
Rei: You're gonna show me where the water is.
Min: We... do have running water back home.
Rei: It's not the same, c'mon.
PANEL THREE:
Rei pulls Min to her side, surprising her.
Rei: There's a huge difference between that well water you're used to and fresh mountain run-off. Oh! Tell me there's a waterfall. That would be perfect.
PANEL FOUR:
Rei and Min walk toward the still rising sun.
Min: Y-yeah...
Rei: All right! The fresher the better.
PANEL ONE:
A waterfall. There is water there. It is falling.
[SOON AFTER]
Rei: (off camera) Alright! This is perfect!
PANEL TWO:
Rei and Min, having walked the entire way as we left them on the last page, separate as Rei removes her shoes.
Rei: Gimme a sec to ditch the shoes.
Min: Right. Just check for snakes before... wait. What the heck?
PANEL THREE:
Rei drops the smile as Min pulls her hand away, finding blood on her hand which had rested on Rei's back.
Min: You're uhh... You're bleeding.
Rei: Oh. Yeah. That.
Min: It's... kinda bad.
Rei: It's alright. Really.
Min: When did this happen?
Rei: 'bout a month ago.
Min: And that's okay?
PANEL FOUR:
Rei drops into the stream, having already taken off her shorts to keep them from getting too wet. She hands them off to Min who has watched the entire time.
Rei: Yeah, I just need to clean it out. Could you gra- COLD! VERY VERY COLD! Ha. Ha ha. Could you... get the spare bandage roll out of my bag?
Min: Mhmm.
PANEL ONE:
Rei, now submerged in the stream up to her shoulders, is unwinding the wrappings around her chest. We can see a few puncture marks that are bleeding openly. Min Hua is trying to subtly watch while she roots around Rei's bag for the requested bandage roll.
Min Hua: So. For something that happened a month ago, that still looks pretty fresh to me.
PANEL TWO:
Rei has crossed her arms over a rock and has aligned herself so that the current is pushing against her back. She is also holding onto her old bandage to let it "rinse out". Min Hua nervously scratches at her leg with her foot as she continues to probe.
Min Hua: How do you even get marks like that? It looks kinda like someone...
PANEL THREE:
Rei looks up to Min Hua with an enthusiastic smile.
Rei: Like someone tried to rip out my spine right?
PANEL FOUR:
Min Hua's eyes go wide as her discomfort hits an all time high.
Rei: (off panel) 'cause that's how it happened. It's a pretty cool story.
PANEL ONE:
Min Hua, looking agitated, continues to root through Rei's bag.
Rei: (off panel) There was this guy my Dad knew. He was amazing! The guy was over 80 but he looked like he was in his 30's! Anyway, he tells us he'll only train me if I can survive for twenty sec-
Min Hua: I'm going to stop you right there.
PANEL TWO:
Min Hua, incredulous, stands up and shows Rei the lack of essential supplies in her bag.
Min Hua: You've been walking around and sparring with serious damage like that... and you aren't even carrying anything to sterilize it?
PANEL THREE:
Min Hua continues airing her concerns.
Min Hua: You're good. You're really good. But I think you might be just a little crazy. That's really dangerous and you just seem to be happy about it!
PANEL FOUR:
Min crouches closer to Rei to make sure she's driving the point home. Rei looks up, realizing she'd said the wrong thing.
Min Hua: If that's the kind of thing I can expect when training with you... well, I prefer my abuse to be non-lethal.
PANEL ONE:
Rei turns and pushes her hair out of her face.
Rei: What? Pfft. Not a chance. He was testing me, not training. I didn't even see his stance... let alone learn the technique. He was kinda behind me when he did it.
PANEL TWO:
Frustrated, Min Hua plops down and continues asking questions.
Min Hua: Some test. Does that kind of thing happen often with you?
Rei: Nope, that was a first.
Min Hua: It doesn't bother you?
Rei: Not so long as I don't think about it too much.
PANEL THREE:
Rei moves closer to Min, leaning against a rock next to the edge of the water. Min crosses her arms guardedly.
Rei: What about you? You've been kinda... touchy. I know we just met, but you can believe me when I say I'm not out to get you.
PANEL FOUR:
Min Hua grabs her shoulder and averts her eyes.
Min Hua: Yeah... force of habit.
Rei: Working with you will reinforce everything you grandfather teaches me.
Min Hua: That makes sense... but I still think you're a little crazy.
Rei: I get that a lot.
PANEL ONE:
Min Hua, reassured, reaches for the bandage roll.
Min Hua: How about you get out of the water. We'll go home and I'll patch you up before you train with Grandfather. If this is all you've been using, it's a miracle that you didn't get that infected.
PANEL TWO:
Min turns and gets an eye-full of Rei coming out of the water.
Min Hua: If you and your Dad need help with dinner after, I could... uhh... I could... help.
PANEL THREE:
Min holds up the bandage roll while trying not to look at Rei because she has started blushing. Rei obliviously grabs it and picks up her shoes.
Rei: That's nice of you, but don't worry about it. About dinner anyway. Some fresh bandages would be great.
PANEL FOUR:
Min stares at the clouds as Rei continues to collect her things off camera.
Rei: (off panel) Maybe if I'm lucky, your grandpa will go easy enough on me that it won't open again, eh? ... crud, I didn't bring a towel!
PANEL ONE:
Rei swipes Min's hairband on the way back down to the house. She comments that it looks better down than up. Min has trouble handling this.
PANEL TWO:
Rei winces as Min sterilizes the wounds on her back.
PANEL THREE:
Min pulls on a shirt and waves back as Rei leaves to train with Grandfather Lin.
PANEL FOUR:
Min flops down on the bed and tries to come to terms with some very strong feelings.
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Sare isn't the Not-Deer. Got it.
xD She's definitely not the Not-Deer
Love the blurring effect on the Beast-Thing BTW.
Holy Crud! Is that Sare as the Four-legged Beast-Thing?!? That would be one hell of a 'downside'!! Remind them about…