Ghede: Guerrier Extraordinaire #1: Pages 21-22

Page 21, 6 Panels- Bar of the Faux Pub Panel 1: Same setting as the last panel of the previous page. The layout widens a little bit though in order to take in the male customer, looking on with a great deal of shock at what had just happened to him. On the far left side of the panel view, we see Kiwiko taking notice of Ghede as her arm retracts back to its normal position. Panel 2: Slight close-up a few seconds later toward Kiwiko and Ghede on opposite sides. Kiwiko slides a little closer to the position of the Voodoo specter, who's taking the first sips of Foster's and is playing coy, not paying attention to the beautiful woman she knows is looking at her. KIWIKO: I love...your dress. Panel 3: Cut to a proper close-up shot of Kiwiko a second later after she sits back down on the stool. A little glint of flirtiness can be seen in her eyes as the conversation starts in earnest. KIWIKO: Where did you...buy it...from? GHEDE [Off-Panel, chuckling]: Buy it? Panel 4: Back to Ghede as she continues chuckling, paying attention to Kiwiko for the first time since she set foot in the pub. She looks over at the young woman with her silver eyes, showing a sense of pleasantness that masks a deep-seated annoyance in terms of the frequency said question has been dealt in her direction. GHEDE [Cont., proud]: My dear, what you see before you is an extension of my very skin, strong and pure! Panel 5: Back to Kiwiko a moment later. The woman is slightly taken aback by our Haitian heroine's boastfulness, and also considerably more intrigued by her. She looks back down to her drink, raising it up in a motion as if she's about to take a swig of it while still looking at Ghede from her periphery. KIWIKO [flirtatious. reaching over to Ghede]: Do not forget beautiful, Miss... GHEDE [Off-Panel]: Ghede. Panel 6: Back to Ghede a moment later. Her glass of beer resting on the bar top a small distance away from the edge. You can see her body is now turned toward Kiwiko and her arm casually resting on the gap of wood behind the glass of Foster's which is seen only sparingly to the right of the panel view. GHEDE [Cont., translated from Japanese]: And I was actually about to say the same thing of you, Miss... KIWIKO [Off-Panel]: Kiwiko… Page 22, 6 Panels- Bar, Faux Pub

Panel 1: Cut to Kiwiko at that same moment. The background of the page follows the same type of color scheme that we saw in the previous page. Her attitude shifting between playful and hard to get at that particular moment. You can see the tips of the fingers to her left hand gently slide across the top of the hardwood next to her glass as she speaks. KIWIKO [translated from Japanese]: And you are the first person I’ve met who’s tried to hit on me in my native tongue. Panel 2: Back to Ghede a split second later. Her arm lifts up slightly from the top of the bar counter, and her hand slides up to the waiting three-quarters filled glass of Foster’s. At this point, the seductive back and forth has well and truly begun between the two of them. GHEDE [playful; translated from Japanese]: What makes you think I was hitting on you? Panel 3: Back to Kiwiko a second later after she’s taken a sip of her drink. Her hand over the top half of the glass, descending it back down to the countertop below. As for her focus, it is squarely on the Voodoo specter sitting alongside her. KIWIKO [equally playful grin]: What makes you think I’m even interested? GHEDE [Off-Panel]: Call it a hunch… Panel 4: Back to Ghede in an action shot a second later. You can see her arm reaching over to the unseen woman, ready to touch her on some unseen point on her body. The fluidity of her movement denotes something that she has done countless times to countless others in the past. GHEDE: …With help from a little trick of mine! Panel 5: We move to a slight side shot of Kiwiko as this move goes on. We see at this point where on the young woman’s body Ghede was planning to touch, her right shoulder. Kiwiko flinches, hesitant for the first time as to what our heroine was going to do. GHEDE [Cont.]: Are you uncomfortable, Miss Kiwiko? Panel 6: Back to Ghede with a touch of empathy in her silvery eyes. Her arm, reaching out past the foreground of the panel, is still erect in a frozen motion as she waits for the note of consent from the beautiful woman. GHEDE: I am perfectly fine explaining to you what makes me…unique. KIWIKO [Off-Panel]: A little bit, yes.