Dragon King of the Butterflies

A Lot of Fast Motions

Ryu's arm shot out and smashed his military-grade alarm clock. If it hadn't been as sturdy as it was, it would've been crushed like all its predecessors.

He sat up and pushed the dreams gaming device headband-thingy off his head. "Dammit, and I was just about to sell that potion too," he grumbled. "I have to level up faster and get a job."

As he staggered upright and dug through his closet, he was struck by a sudden thought. "Speaking of jobs... Shit! I start student-teachering today! Fuck!" He kicked the wall as lightly as he could manage and grabbed a towel, rushing into the bathroom and showering as quickly as possible. He didn't have time for luxuries if he was taking Koko to kindergarten and going to work.

He scrambled into Koko's room with nothing but a towel on and shook her awake. "Koko, time for school. I'll get breakfast ready if you get dressed." Thank goodness he had laid out her clothes the previous night. She nodded blearily and started to get up as he left.

Then he dashed into his own room and kicked the door shut behind him, hopping and wriggling into his clothes like a man possessed. When he was sure that his hair was acceptable enough not to need gel and his dress shirt wasn't too wrinkled, he skidded on sock feet into the kitchen and began frying eggs. Nothing like a traditional western breakfast to start off the day.

Koko emerged soon after and knelt at the coffee table, her sluggish motions very similar to her older brother's. Her clothes were twisted but that could be easily fixed.

Ryu neatly slid a plate and fork with an egg in front of her as she sat and she dug in, while he stuck his egg (which had broken in the pan and turned into something closer to scrambled eggs) on a folded piece of burnt toast and crunched it down in a solid minute. While Koko ate, he brushed his teeth and gathered everything he needed as well as organized her backpack and made sure her homework was in plain sight in the front of her bag. Then it was making sure she was brushing her teeth in the bathroom and packing their bento lunches rapid-fire with food he had made ready in case he forgot.

"Daddy, I'm done," Koko chimed, sitting at the front door and putting her shoes on the wrong feet.

Ryu stowed everything safely away and helped her into her backpack straps as he slipped on his own shoes. "Okay princess, I'll take you to the bus stop. Will you be alright from there?"

Koko held his hand, and even though her arm was stretched completely up he had to slouch to hold it properly. "Yes!"

He put his bag over his shoulder and lifted her onto his hip in an almost motherly way. "Daddy's going to run now. Hold on tight Koko."

She made fists in his shirt as he took off, grateful for the automatic locks on the doors and that he could straighten her clothes as he ran. He raced around street corners, occasionally knocking over passerby, and made it to the designated stop just as the bus pulled up. All the other mothers looked at him in disapproval as he ushered Koko onto the bus and patted her head. "Have fun at school, sweetie!"

"Bye-bye Daddy!"

The doors hissed shut and pulled away; her shoes were still on backwards. Ryu stayed at the stop waving until she wasn't watching; when he checked his watch, he uttered another curse and darted off in the opposite direction, all the way until the teleportation booth. Then, heaving a great breath, he stepped in and allowed himself to relax. He straightened his collar, smoothed out wrinkles in his pants, and tried to no avail to tame the white hair that had been blown askance as he ran.

The teleportation let him off two blocks from the school campus. He sprinted the entire way and through the buildings to his first room, and though he didn't sweat a drop, his face turned red from his nose to his ears to the back of his neck.