A Visit from the Neighborhood Association

Morning arrived with the sun shining brightly, birds chirping, and Fluffy snoring louder than a motorcycle engine in the corner. Son-Wu San sipped his tea as Li-Yan Mei stared at the long to-do list she had created to maintain some semblance of order in their chaotic household.

"We need to keep things low-key," she said, tapping her pen against the paper. "No more incidents like last night."

"I agree," Son-Wu San said, though he sounded far less confident.

Before they could discuss further, the doorbell rang, breaking the calm. Xian Long and Xian Xue ran to answer it, their little feet thundering down the hall.

"Wait! Don't—" Li-Yan Mei called, but it was too late.

The kids flung the door open to reveal a group of stiff-looking individuals standing on the porch. At the front was Mrs. Harrington, the self-appointed president of the neighborhood association. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, and she held a clipboard like it was a weapon.

"Good morning!" Xian Xue chirped, smiling innocently.

Mrs. Harrington's gaze swept over the kids, narrowing slightly. "Good morning. May we speak to your parents?"

"Sure!" Xian Long stepped aside, motioning them in. "Come on in!"

Li-Yan Mei appeared in the entryway, her polite smile hiding a mix of annoyance and dread. "Mrs. Harrington, what a surprise. Please, come in."

The group entered hesitantly, their eyes darting around the house. It looked ordinary enough, but there was an air of something... unusual. Fluffy peeked out from behind the couch, his glowing blue eyes making one of the visitors gasp.

"What is that?" a man in the back muttered.

"Our... dog," Son-Wu San said, appearing beside his wife. His calm tone only added to the unsettling aura he carried.

Mrs. Harrington cleared her throat. "We wanted to discuss some... recent events. There have been reports of unusual activity in the neighborhood."

"Unusual?" Li-Yan Mei asked, her tone perfectly innocent.

"Yes. For instance, the earthquake last week that seemed to be localized to this street. And the strange lights coming from your backyard two nights ago."

"Oh, that," Son-Wu San said, waving a hand dismissively. "It was just a barbecue. Things got a little... intense."

Mrs. Harrington didn't look convinced. "And last night, several neighbors reported seeing a large, glowing animal running through the streets."

"Fluffy likes his nighttime runs," Xian Xue said helpfully.

"...Right." Mrs. Harrington adjusted her glasses, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. "We're all for lively neighborhoods, but we must maintain a sense of normalcy."

"Of course," Li-Yan Mei said, nodding. "We'll make sure to keep things quieter."

As Mrs. Harrington launched into a lecture about community standards, Xian Long grew bored. He nudged his sister and whispered, "Let's go check on Fluffy."

The two of them slipped away unnoticed, finding Fluffy chewing on what appeared to be a glowing bone.

"Where did you get that?" Xian Xue asked, crouching beside him.

Fluffy wagged his tail, the bone disappearing into a puff of light.

"Cool," Xian Long said, grinning. "Do it again!"

Back in the living room, Mrs. Harrington continued her monologue. "...and we would appreciate it if you could refrain from causing any more disturbances. This is a respectable neighborhood."

"Of course," Son-Wu San said, his smile tight. "We'll do our best."

At that moment, a loud crash came from the backyard, followed by a burst of bright light that lit up the entire house.

"What was that?!" Mrs. Harrington exclaimed, dropping her clipboard.

Son-Wu San and Li-Yan Mei exchanged a look before rushing outside, Mrs. Harrington and her entourage reluctantly following.

In the backyard, Xian Long and Xian Xue stood in the middle of what could only be described as a miniature crater. Fluffy sat beside them, looking immensely pleased with himself.

"What happened?" Li-Yan Mei demanded, her voice sharp.

"We were playing fetch," Xian Xue said, holding up a glowing stick. "Fluffy got really excited."

"Excited? He just turned the lawn into a war zone!" Son-Wu San said, rubbing his temples.

Mrs. Harrington stared at the scene, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "I... I don't even know where to start."

"Please don't worry," Li-Yan Mei said smoothly. "We'll handle this immediately."

Before anyone could argue, she snapped her fingers. The crater repaired itself in an instant, the grass regrowing as if nothing had happened.

Mrs. Harrington blinked. "How did you—"

"Just a family gardening trick," Son-Wu San said quickly. "Nothing special."

Mrs. Harrington narrowed her eyes but didn't press further. "Well, I expect you to keep your... activities under control. Good day."

With that, she and her group hurried out of the yard, muttering among themselves.

As soon as they were gone, Li-Yan Mei turned to the kids. "What were you thinking?"

"We were just having fun," Xian Xue said, pouting.

"You can't let Fluffy destroy the yard every time he plays fetch!" Son-Wu San added.

Fluffy wagged his tail, entirely unbothered by the scolding.

The kids exchanged a glance before Xian Long said, "But it's so boring being normal."

Li-Yan Mei sighed, shaking her head. "Normal isn't boring. It's safe. And we need to stay safe."

Son-Wu San nodded. "No more glowing sticks, no more craters, and no more... whatever that was last night. Understood?"

"Yes, Dad," the kids said in unison, though their mischievous expressions suggested they weren't entirely convinced.

As the family returned inside, Fluffy trotted after them, already eyeing the kitchen counter for snacks.

Li-Yan Mei looked at her husband. "This isn't sustainable."

"I know," Son-Wu San said, glancing at the kids as they laughed and played with Fluffy. "But we'll figure it out. One disaster at a time."