Today is a gift
Part two: Of roses and recipes
Sometime and a few more jokes later (and a subtle check-up to make sure their expensive dresses weren't stained), the two reached the end of the cliff's rocky steps.
"And so I told him: 'So Bai Fan, you may be the scariest bandit of the province, but you're a lousy tipper.'" Po said, glaring ahead of him with a sassy voice. "Did you really said that?" Tùzǐ asked, quite surprised and a bit scared.
"Yeah. In my mind." He replied, and the rabbit laughed, rolling her eyes good naturedly. Just then, rounding the main body of the temple, they spotted Li Shan, Po's (biological) father, in his usual green attire; the giant panda regarded them with a smile, stopping on his way to the inside. "Evening guys. How is going? Having fun?" The clan leader asked, both paws on his waist.
"Oh yes. I was just saying how badass I was even before becoming Dragon Warrior." Po boasted playfully, gazing at the rabbit with a lazy smile. Tùzǐ rolled her eyes and lightly shoved him , then returned her attention to the older panda and bowed. "Good evening Mr. Li," She greeted, feeling her cheeks heating up, "We're having a great time, thank you."
Po suddenly perked up as he recalled something and looked to his father. "Hey, dad. There were attacks while I was away that you know of?" The dragon warrior ought to ask, though he didn't hear any gong. Li waved a paw dismissively. "Nah, it was a quiet day. So, you're having dinner down in the village right?" The two nodded at that. "Go then; I think Mr. Hop will be here soon so people at the palace won't starve even if you two aren't here. Breakfast was amazing, by the way." He complimented.
Tùzǐ pouted at the thought, almost feeling jealous of her father for getting to cook such a huge dinner in her place. Then she turned to the panda master to her left, who was saying goodbye to his dad.
'Almost'. The bunny thought with a shy smile, the inside of her ears turning a rosy color, as she felt the happy feeling tingling in her stomach. Po and Tùzǐ waved off and proceeded down the thousand steps, falling into a companionable silence.
The bunny girl was undoubtedly having a good time. However that didn't mean she was over her doubts. Since the moment it was announced that she'd get a date with the 'dragon warrior' - aka Po- the bunny was a mess of nerves.
No, she's been from day one, with just a few pauses in between. She freaked out when her mark manifested... the blinding light, the quick-to-fade burning, the commotion that followed! The gossip about the dragon warrior's search for a wife had just reached her small town, and of course Wo Hop had to remind everyone how he earned the golden ladle, proudly placed against the wall. Tùzǐ didn't comment; it was good publicity to their shop and in fact it was quite loaded with all the customers wishing to watch the item and listening to how her father got it as they ate (the story changed each time but as said, she wasn't there to point those things out, just to cook).
And then it happened; for a moment it was silence, then the shop exploded (figuratively, this time). After calming down her and the family, everyone had a pretty clear idea about what the brand on her paw was; not even a day the rumor started to spread and it already threw her into this mess. At the notion that she was one of the chosen possible mates of the dragon warrior, her family had been overjoyed.
Her? Not so much.
Who would be okay with all this? She barely stopped Baba from yelling to EVERYONE that she was the future bride of the dragon warrior while her mother shook her, so excited one couldn't make her words, and that had been exhausting already. She was just a rabbit chef! Never in her life she'd think something like that could happen to her, it was too much out of the ordinary!
She couldn't bring herself to be excited at the idea of having to marry none-other-than the famed hero of China whom she had only heard of in hard-believable tales. In other words, a stranger. Had it not been for Wo, pushing her at every angle, she wouldn't even be here.
It was overwhelming, the whole situation was; but she was doing it for her father and her village. Still was that a good reason to go through with it? Not that she really expected to win, but was that a good enough reason for marriage, something she felt she wasn't, and probably never would, be ready?
Once arrived at the valley her father said to show confidence and politeness, though she couldn't help but voice some of her worries at the end; it had been really awkward, to find the dragon warrior's fathers (that was something she didn't expect at all) and being swarmed by so many people didn't help either. Almost everything had gone as she thought it would... until she met the reason she was there. She went to find the dragon warrior, and found …Po.
For a start, she discovered that he was as much reluctant as they (the blossoms) all were about the whole thing; it disappointed her a little... and at the same time, for strange reasons, she felt relieved. Well one of the reasons was because she firstly assumed he wasn't impressed with her, though that assumption soon faded away for the most part.
Po was... different. He wasn't the unapproachable guru of kung-fu and righteousness she imagined. In fact he was a simple, nice guy. Sensible enough to have doubts about this odd situation. He was funny and always managed to bring a smile to her face; meeting him hadn't been as bad as she thought it would. It was still hard and awkward imagining herself on the altar with him, but... soon she found herself bonding with him over similar experiences, and before she knew it... she was experiencing another kind of nervousness. She actually looked up about talking with him again. She even found herself to be jealous! Jealous! Her? And of whom? Po?!
Tùzǐ shook her head. These new feelings were so confusing; yet she spent her time learning about him. About his character, his life history (and some odd stories courtesy of one Mr. Ping… turns out he was talkative while cooking). Thinking of all the time they spent together, like whenever he volunteered to help her washing the dishes after dinner and ended talking about small things well late into the night; and lately she came to one conclusion.
Now many things had changed; thinking about becoming his b-bride... was seriously preposterous! But... she wouldn't be against it anymore.
She was suddenly aware that they had reached the bottom of the stairs. Now that was a long walk, Po had been right; in the meantime the sun was already over and the streets were lit by paper lamps. The people greeted them cheerfully (luckily respecting their privacy and space) and with the music in the air the atmosphere was a joyful one. The rabbit population looked especially delighted at seeing them, many of them trying to hold back a squeal.
Speaking of rabbits; they arrived at Mr. Ping's noodle shop just in time to see Wo Hop exiting it. "Evening Tùzǐ. Dragon warrior." The black clad bunny greeted, bowing, and the duo responded in kind. Wo stared at Po sternly, quite the change from his usual self; it reminded the panda of the time the male bunny came to him demanding to be killed for his honor, so it was a bit intimidating, if anything for how much unpredictable the animal could be.
"Dragon warrior, I expect my daughter's honor to be intact by the end of the date." He said with intent, making the two blush furiously.
"BABA!" Tùzǐ instantly shrieked, gripping her ears covering her red face, mortified by her father's words. Po stood frozen with surprise and embarrassment for a moment longer, but soon found his voice again and bowed at the waiting, and apparently dead serious rabbit. "I'll treat her with all the respect she deserves." He stated.
The bunny girl glanced sideways at him in wonder, while Wo nodded, satisfied with his response; he beamed like he'd been presented with a second golden ladle. "Good! Have a nice dinner you two!" The rabbit chef said waving goodbye; he practically bounced away, glad that his daughter had finally taken interest in a someone and now reassured by the trusted panda's words. The two young animals followed his form getting farther away for a bit more, debating if that really happened.
"Should we head in?" The panda asked to Tùzǐ, who was regaining her composure while still hiding her face by grabbing her equally red ears and nodded her assent. Said ears though shot up in astonishment as they entered inside, finding another surprise equally as big: the restaurant was empty! And not just because there wasn't anyone; all the tables had been moved to the walls, apart from one small table at the center. Paper lamps were hanged around the place giving a faint light which illuminated the space with a soft glow.
"Oh! You're here! Good, take a seat!" Exclaimed Mr. Ping dressed in his usual burgundy qipao, who just came out of the kitchen and went to greet them with a strange glint in his eyes, wide with that jubilant folly that sometimes showed itself, especially when he was excited about something.
"Dad... what-" Po started, but the goose interrupted him with a raised feather. "I booked the restaurant, like you told me." He stated, winking at his son while walking past him to the entrance. Po got closer and hunched to whisper so only the old cook could hear him. "Dad, I only reserved one table!"
"Nonsense. Now let me get to work." His father said, shrugging in an upbeat attitude as he adjusted the giant 'we're closed' sign to block the door and turned. A choral 'Owww' could be heard from the other side, making him pause, but he shrugged and moved back to the kitchen.
Po cringed and slowly turned to the golden brown bunny occupied with staring at the lone table with her paws brought close to her mouth. It held the right distance between the two seats and was covered by a bright red tablecloth and two golden colored table napkins were neatly folded at their place. But none of those things captured her attention like the lone, lovely rose standing into a long and tight dark brown vase placed at the center of the table. That at least had been his idea.
"It's... a bit much?" The panda wondered. Tùzǐ shook her head softly, but didn't trust her voice not to crack; feeling her eyes getting misty, she blinked them away and got close to her seat.
Po hurried to help her get seated -he almost forgot even though Li told him over a thousand times - and went to his chair. They picked up the menus without really reading them, Po glancing at the rabbit from above it; she looked distracted, looking at the words but not really seeing them.
The panda cleared his throat to get her attention. "Uh, Tùzǐ, is everything alright?" He asked, trying not to sound too worried, and she looked up at him still a bit lost. "What? Oh, of course. I was just… thinking about what to get." She answered, actually turning to the choices for the first time; she hadn't time to read them though, as the kitchen door opened to reveal Mr. Ping with a couple of plates. Both kept their eyes trained on the goose as he made his way to the table, before placing the treats in front of the two youngsters. "I brought you some refreshments. Now, are you two ready to order?" The goose questioned, wings on his waist, wearing a wide smirk.
"Oh! I…" Tùzǐ fretted over the menus, suddenly aware of a particular in them: among a couple of meals, there was a certain 'Secret Special Ingredient Noodle Soup' in bold characters.
Po had just seen it too, and hardly resisting a groan he shot a not so subtle look at his father which conveyed the message: 'Really dad? Rubbing your best dish in another chef's face?'; this time even Ping couldn't hold the look and avoided it while whistling, sauciness at full blast.Tùzǐ watched the brief, silent exchange attentively, glancing between the two; she wasn't offended, rather curious towards what such an admittedly renowned cook considered his piece de resistance, and of course amused by the scene. She had experience towards aggravating fathers and for a moment had to stifle a closed the paper and put it down, her decision made.
"I'll take the 'special ingredient soup', please." She stated with an easy smile. Both Po and his father turned with surprise to her, the former with a 'Oh please no' look, the latter with a pleased expression. Her smile only got wider with their reactions.
The grizzled cook smothered his apron and waited expectantly for his son's order, looking victoriously at the giant panda; said master put down his own menu and briefly sighed, not really willing to go through his adoptive father's plan which, most likely, included further embarrassing him. "I'll take the same." He said.
Feeling thoroughly satisfied with himself, the chef's grin got wider as he straightened. "Coming right up!" he said smugly, almost skipping towards the kitchen. Po and Tùzǐ looked down at the meal presented to them, consisting of jiaozi, shumai and zongzi, little appetizers to stimulate their stomach before the main course. They both took their sticks and began eating, chewing on it with pleasure: the little rabbit in particular was assaulted with a familiar flavor that instantly made her smile.
"These are my father's." She stated, as she took another one. "Indeed. He follows a strict recipe and the taste is quite peculiar, just like my dad." Po added, savoring taste and aftertaste thoroughly. "Just like us." She said knowingly, and Po chuckled. "True that. Sometimes it worries me…" At the rabbit's puzzled expression, he snickered again. "If we're so similar, does that mean we're going to grow that odd as well?" He wondered aloud, in a more joking way.
"We probably already are a bit strange. But I don't mind." Tùzǐ reasoned, laughing a bit, and Po found her good mood contagious. He leaned in, putting a paw close to his mouth. "You know, I also think they're up to something. Though I don't know what." He whispered conspiratorially with mirth. She leaned towards him as well, almost laughing at the silliness of their actions. "You don't look too fazed about it? And why are we whispering?" She questioned, covering her mouth as well.
"Because my dad is spying on us; I want him to go crazy thinking we're apparently saying something very secretive and he can't hear us." He said with a self-satisfied, sly grin. Tùzǐ gave a furtive glance and actually spotted Mr. Ping watching them, concealed behind the counter. It would have been much harder if his outrageously bizarre hat wasn't clearly visible above it. 'Stealth mode, uh.' She thought, turning back to the panda childishly enjoying messing with his dad.
"To answer your other question…" The panda began, only to sigh good naturedly and lean back against his chair. "All their plans involve trying to make us happier in some way. There really are just good intentions behind their oddness." He explained happily, thinking how all this situation stemmed from his fathers' completely arbitrary decision to ask Shifu about a way to get him married. And despite all that, he really couldn't fault them; first, because it was his own choice to go with it, and second, because ultimately they just wanted him to be happy.
And though there were many troubles and doubts along the way, he was beginning to wrap his mind around the fact that this was his reality now, and that many good, no, great things were coming out of it.
Tùzǐ, listening to his words, straightened in her chair, both paws on the table, as she turned a bit reminiscent and serious herself. She sighed softly, closing her eyes and leaning against her chair. "About that, Po, I'm sorry about my father's, er…"- she blushed- " …What he s-said earlier. It's not like he doesn't trust you, just... he's really apprehensive and.. this is all so new for him… for us…" The rabbit trailed off, thinking about her dad's bizarre behavior again. "This is so embarrassing!" She said halfway between a whisper and a cry, placing her face on her paws, ears falling over them and elbows placed on the table.
"No, no, it's understandable." Po reassured, waving his paws. He cleared his throat then, but stuttered his next words for the awkward subject. "Uh, oh, mh, just asking, you don't have to answer like, at all… when you say 'new', you mean…" He trailed off, not knowing how to end his sentence, but hoping she'd get his question anyway.
She did, and blushed more, as she slightly raised her face from her hands and glanced at him with the one blue orb not covered by her long ears. She smoothed them back to their upright positions, avoiding the panda's gaze, though she made herself smaller in her seat as she fought to keep her ears up . "Uuh, it means… that I've never dated anyone… before today…" Tùzǐ replied, averting her eyes and placing her paws back on the table. When she glanced at the panda, expecting to see him looking off-put, or even condescending.
She saw him instead really puzzled and surprised. He was looking at her like she sprouted another head, which admittedly wasn't much better. Po cleared his throat and tried to regain his composure, tapping his blunt claws on the table. "Uh… really? I thought you weren't serious this morning, and that this wasn't literally your first date… sorry, but I can't understand why is that."
"What can I say…" Tùzǐ shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about it, but still couldn't help but tug slightly at the tip of her ear, nor hold his gaze for long. "Maybe it was because I spent my teen years learning how to cook; I was so engrossed and enthusiast about it, I didn't focus on much else. I wasn't one for appearances or reputation like my peers and, oh my, especially during my first attempts, I often left a mess in the kitchen and came out consequently covered in flour and such. Not to mention my experiments… when you make your father's kitchen and restaurant almost blow up, you gain a reputation as the strange one… when I actually began wondering about love and such it was already done." The rabbit chef sighed. "And then, I began working at the shop, and learn how to take care of the restaurant for when Baba will feel it's time to pass it down to me. I just didn't had the time."
"And here I am, taking you to my father's noodle shop… must seem a little redundant, sorry." Po cringed.
Once again, the golden brown bunny shook her head with a bright smile. "Oh no! I've always been on the other side of the counter, watching from a distance how other people's love blossomed during their romantic dinners…" Tùzǐ explained as she beamed, looking at the counter and spotting Ping dotting over his beloved soup and surprisingly respecting their privacy. She turned to the master and spoke again. "To be on this side for once, it's very refreshing, no it feels wonderful. So thank you Po, for showing me. I never knew what I was missing, but then again, I never felt ready, or confident enough. It's not like I never had the desire to, but I couldn't see it work for me, nor the boys were ever really interested with me…" She finished with a dry laugh, her ears dropping a little.
Po fought not to have another outburst (he was doing that a lot today), unwilling to scare her, still he couldn't help feeling upset about what she said; not like he hadn't felt like that before, but he wouldn't let herself or anyone else put her down like that.
"Well if I can be frank? Those guys have their heads stuck deep in sand, if they couldn't see how amazing a person you are!" The panda stated, trying not to get too worked up. "I haven't known you for long but I can see you're incredible, even without your ability with kung fu! You're pretty, humble, talented, hard working and you've got such a good heart that it's impossible NOT to see how lovely a person you are. And if anyone can't tell, well, it's their loss!"
Tùzǐ looked at him totally speechless, but this time she couldn't help the happy tears to come. Po looked alarmed, convinced he had upset her. But before he could throw a tirade of apologies for making his date cry, she tried her best to swipe away the drops cascading from her eyes and looked at him with nothing but gratefulness, and something else he absolutely couldn't place. "Thank you. No one ever said… or did" The rabbit added, taking in the surroundings once again "…anything like this for me before today. Thank you."
Po smiled, offering her his napkin. "There's no need to thank me. You deserve this." She accepted it, and swiped away the last of her tears. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I'm sorry, I got a bit too emotional… again." She amended sheepishly, poking her fingers.
"Nah, it's alright. I totally understand where you're coming from. I…" He said awkwardly scratching the side of his face."I wasn't the most popular guy around until I became Dragon Warrior." Po conceded, causing a grimace on the tiny girl face as well as a bit of puzzlement. "I'm sorry to hear that. I think there is much more worth to you behind your title Po." Tùzǐ honestly replied, and the panda was grateful for the sentiment. As much as he was proud of being the hero of China, it wasn't often that people offered respect to him beyond that aspect. When it did happen, mostly from his tight-knit group of people he could call his friends or even family, he felt appreciated for who he was, not only what he did. And thought, Tùzǐ already was part of that team. At his happy expression, Tùzǐ momentarily shifted her gaze to the side with a content smile, before timidly turning to the panda, as the two shared a warm beam.
The bright glow on their palms was easily ignored by the two young mammals staring at each other. Even if the restaurant had been full, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference, so much they where captivated by each other right there and then.
They were forcibly pulled out from their little bubble though, by the sudden opening of the kitchen door, from where Mr. Ping came trotting out with a large tray which held the plates with the special noodles and the side dishes and servings. They averted their eyes from each other, embarrassed, before turning to the chef as he excitedly made his way to the table and placed everything in order in front of the two. "There you go! If you want seconds, just ask!" The goose exclaimed, walking away from them.
They stared at their plates, or to be more precise, Po looked at Tùzǐ waiting with trepidation for her to sample the shop's pride. He took the sticks and began twisting the tasty noodles, as if to prompt the rabbit to do the same. She did, curiosity all over her face, and slurped the treat eagerly; the flavor exploded in her mouth, and she had to restrain a moan, as her eyes widened. She expected it to be good, but this good! Though more than anything else, she was eager to separate the harmony of flavors to find out what this secret ingredient was; her expert sense of taste could pick on them all, but nothing could explain such deliciousness.
Tùzǐ swallowed, looking dumbfound at the plate; she twisted more noodles, determined to examine any particles of taste the meal had to offer. Once again, her palate was flooded with delightful flavors, but for the life of her she couldn't pick up what interested her more. The rabbit placed her sticks on the table, feeling like she failed herself. She looked up, and saw that Po had stopped eating at her action, noodles dangling from his sticks inches from his mouth, and the old cook, watching them from a corner, no doubt anxious about her response.
The giant panda sucked in the noodles and swallowed. "Don't you like it?" He questioned. It would be a first, but worry spoke louder than his better judgment. "I can't tell…" The female cook whispered at first, looking down to her own dish, then back at the warrior and to the latter's dad. "I can't tell what the special ingredient is at all." She said a bit louder, confusion and disbelief clear in her expression. Po's preoccupied look morphed into one of understanding, as he and Ping exchanged meaningful glances.
"I take it you like your meal." The latter stated approaching the table again, draping the cloth he had on a wing across his shoulder and placing his 'hands' on his waist. "Oh, yes is delicious, sorry." Answered Tùzǐ, feeling a bit self conscious about her reaction, ducking her head and offering an apologetic smile. The goose's smirk only got wider, and he looked really pleased with himself, something that made Po arc an eyebrow.
"It's quite alright dear. Though…" His face took on a sudden sad note that made the panda raise his other eyebrow. "I'm afraid I can't just tell you the secret ingredient of our restaurant special."
"Of course, I understand. I, uh, was just thinking out loud." Tùzǐ replied trying to smile reassuringly, although her grin looked a bit disappointed and a tad sad too. The old cook's look relaxed and he took on a reassuring, more chirp tone, practically shrugging her words. "Then agaaaiin…" He sing-songed, glancing at his son. "… It IS a family recipe; who knows, someday, maybe very soon, you could learn it." He finished, not even trying to mask his merriment looking at them.
Panda and rabbit blinked, wide-eyed as his words registered, before flushing in sync. They momentarily glanced at each other, but discovered they couldn't hold the look of embarrassment for long. "Dad!" Po whispered in disbelief at how the old cook managed to divert the conversation like that, although not him, nor Tùzǐ could help also feeling a pleasurable warmth as their hearts sped blue eyed doe beat him on the recovery, turning her attention back on the goose. "I think you're pushing big expectations on me, Mr. Ping."
"What are you saying dear, we were all there watching your performance. I may not be an expert, but holy noodles was I impressed. Isn't that true Po?" The chef replied without missing a beat, while bringing the warrior back into the talk nonchalantly. The panda blinked as the attention was shifted on him. "It was, uh, very awesome." Despite being taken off guard, and maybe because of it, he sounded completely honest, which made Tùzǐ blush even more, although it wasn't a secret he thought that by now.
"Your father also told me you never even had a fight, but honestly I find that hard to believe." Continued Ping. Once again, Tùzǐ ducked shyly, not used to such compliments. Nevertheless she decided to humor him. "Does some scuffles with my brother counts?" She asked them both with a nervous grin. "Not sure it does, no." Po chuckled, and his dad joined him. "I thought so!" She replied, lightly laughing herself.
"Here, If you need anything else, just call me. I'll be back there." The winged chef stated. "Thank you, but we're already quite stuffed from today's meal; this will be enough. Right?" Tùzǐ asked, looking at Po for confirmation, who nodded in agreement. "I will bring you tea then, it will help your digestion." Mr. Ping replied as he shrugged and with that, he was back to his kitchen.
"Parents." Po muttered, following him as he disappeared behind the door again, making Tùzǐ giggle softly as they continued their meal. "Can't live with them, can't live without them, right?"
"Wise words." The master replied, before focusing on her (and his meal) again.
"Wait, did you said 'brother' earlier?" Po perked shifting his interest. The bunny's grin widened, unfazed by the fact he had talked while still chewing, holding up four fingers on a paw and three on the other. "One twin and three little brothers, and three little sisters." She answered brimming with pride, and an extra lining of affection. Po had to cough, almost choking. "They're back home helping my mother with the restaurant while I and my father are here." Tùzǐ continued as Po regained his breath, then turned to her gawking.
"So many?!" He asked with no little surprise, having just recovered from his fit. "Yeah, and that's just us. Hop's family gatherings tend to get quite crowded. Looks like a village fair!" The two shared a small laugh at that. "What about you? Any siblings I should kn-" Tùzǐ stopped suddenly, eyes widening as she looked at the panda, having realized too late what she said. "Po, I-I'm so sorry, I said it without thinking…!" The bunny stuttered, regret written on her face. She looked genuinely mortified, she wanted to say how much but she found difficult to make any noise.
What she didn't expected was a chuckle from the warrior. Po looked at her and smiled reassuringly. "I'm not upset Tùzǐ. I just recently found my original village, and the people that inhabited it. I never had a sibling, but I do have some cousins, Dim and Sum. Then there's Lei Lei, grandma panda, Mei Mei, Hom Lee, Bao, Shuai, Meng Meng… really, the panda's village is like one big family. " He suddenly snapped his fingers. "I should introduce you to them, it will be so much fun!" Po offered excitedly. "Then I could meet your… family…" Po trailed off after realizing the impromptu proposal.
Obviously Tùzǐ noticed his lapse, and could feel her cheeks becoming rosy and her ears dropping in embarrassment, her paw moving to play with the tip of one. Normally wouldn't be such an issue but in their current not-quite-engaged-yet-but-eventually? situation, especially after Mr. Ping's previous entendre, they felt like the most casual phrase could potentially be intended in any wrong way. They fell in silence for several minutes as they ate, and surprisingly keeping up with the panda's pace. Eventually the bunny's blush subsided and she smiled up at him.
"I'd like to very much." Tùzǐ replied, happy that the panda wasn't mad at her about her own gaffe. Po cleared his throat and returned her smile, realizing himself it would be awkward only if they let it be so. Apparently she did too as her ears perked up happily. They finished the last of their dishes as they talked.
"It's a deal then: you will introduce me to your… village? And I will introduce you to my family!" Tùzǐ said. "I bet it will be a blast! All of my brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles…" She trailed off with a smirk, enjoying the wide eyed expression from the panda. "I just realized…" He half-whispered, dropping the sticks in his now empty bowl. "Having all those pandas and rabbits in one place…" He playfully shuddered, and Tùzǐ followed by sucking in a breath through her cute buck teeth. "Imagine the kerfuffle!" She exclaimed, laughing. "Ker-fluffle? What is that." Po asked tilting his head in puzzlement.
"A kerfuffle refers to a group of animals making a big fuss; it's not that bad, usually it's an amusing kind of commotion." Mr. Ping explained, suddenly appearing close to the two. Of course both rabbit and panda jumped in surprise, looking from the goose to each other. "Enjoy your tea." He saluted, leaving them alone once again.
"That was just weird." Po stated, his face one of disbelief. "See what I had to grow up with?" He added, turning to the bunny and shooting a thumb in the kitchen's direction. Tùzǐ nodded, chuckling, "I understand perfectly."
Po nodded himself, though seemingly thinking about something. If he understood what his dad meant with his invading explanation, he did a lot of this 'kerfuffle'. "So you meant, like when me and the guys fight over the almond cookies?" He asked, earning a laugh from Tùzǐ, who nodded profusely while covering her mouth, thinking about the masters' strange fixation with the treat. "Just, multiply that for a panda-rabbit family mix!" Tùzǐ added, faking dread but failing from holding a smile of amusement.
"Well sounds like a work for the Dragon warrior! No matter how dangerous, I will came out of it victorious!" He joked, raising his stick like a sword, and the bunny girl fell into a fit of light giggles again. "Then I'll be your loyal cohort; I'll try my best!" She added fist pumping. "Eh, you heard my dad- my panda dad. As long as you bring your delicacies with you, you're covered. And after meeting a certain goose, the rest will be a piece of cake!" Po said the last purposefully louder, directing it towards the kitchen.
"I heard that!" Shouted the spying dad.
"You were supposed to!" Po yelled back frustrated at his father antics. Tùzǐ used her paw to stifle a giggle at the son and father's antics. She raised her cup of tea. "To our rambunctious families then." She cheered, and the panda shook his head and smiled back, frustrated yet amused with his feathered parent's antics, and raised his own cup in kind.
.o.0.O.o.o.O.0.o.
"Mr. Ping really is a kind one." Tùzǐ added, as they walked away from the restaurant. After tea, they excused themselves, assured by the grizzled cook that he would wash everything in the morning –since cleaning dishes on their date wouldn't be a good way to end it.
"I'll admit, he has his moments. And he did raise me." Po replied, to which Tùzǐ nodded positively. "And did quite the good job too." She added; Po gave a lopsided grin at that, looking at the bunny striding beside him. He learned, especially during their walk today, that he had to stick to a certain pace for her to keep up –if they were to run, she wouldn't have any trouble, but they were just walking now, leisurely taking their time.
"Thanks." Replied Po. "But he can just as well be very hard to deal with. Sometimes, he's just plainly unreasonable, other times he's as wise as you can get without crossing Oogway's line." He lamented a little, frowning as he steered his gaze on the path. "Sometimes it seems like he's out to embarrass me on purpose." The panda almost groaned, remembering how the goose just saluted them ("Have fun! Just not too much fun!"). This caused her to giggle in response, a bit awkward but still amused.
"That's a parent's job for you." Tùzǐ stated, thinking about her own Baba. "I already told you this, but my father was the same. You don't know how many times he made me wish I could dig a burrow and hide inside it. But when it comes to advice and cooking, he's the best. He taught me most of what I know about being a chef." She recalled, firstly shaking her head, but then it gave way to a fond smile as she rubbed her eye with a paw.
"Most?" Po asked, not missing the small part, to which Tùzǐ paused, before nodding softly. "When he was too much occupied with the restaurant, my grandma took it upon herself to teach me." She explained, both her expression and tone becoming more neutral now.
"The one you told me? You wore her dress at the ceremony, right?" The rabbit nodded again at Po's question. "Can you tell me about her?" the master said.
"Well, she was…" Tùzǐ began in slow reminiscence, before giggling, as the picture of her grandma came to mind. "She was a crotchety, old rabbit, always prattling about how to behave like a proper lady, chef, or rabbit, and her stick was the bane of many Hop." She giggled a bit more heartily at the dumbfounded look Po was giving her. "Well, you saw how overzealous Baba can be towards certain things… he took it from her. But she was also very caring and sweet when she wanted too, and showered all her grandchildren with attentions." The tiny rabbit recalled fondly. The two of them were just crossing the bridge that led them on the road to the palace; the thousand steps were already in sight. The petite cook stopped, leaning against the railing to look at the reflection of the moon in the stream below.
" She passed the passion for the chef's job to my father; actually she did the same with me, showing me recipes and how to make them when I was still very young, when my parents were busy. We spent a lot of time together, I could just tell how much it meant to her to teach me about our family profession." Tùzǐ 's enthusiasm dimmed a bit as her smile turned bittersweet. "Granma passed away some time ago… it was peaceful, and she was surrounded by her family. And yet it didn't really felt easier to accept that…" A tear disrupted her reflection, and Tùzǐ trailed off as she felt her voice cracking, the doe closed her eyes and brought a paw to her mouth to stifle a sob.
Po immediately tried comforting the upset rabbit, placing his big paw on her back and rubbing it. The gesture was kind and comforting, and the rabbit raised her teary eyes to him to show an appreciative smile. The young doe took a deep breath, managing to calm down as she began walking again. "But-" She stopped to clear her voice. "-When I cook, I feel like grandma is still with me". She finished, damping her blue eyes again and actually looking better than she did a few moments ago.
They were just in front of the thousand steps when Tùzǐ stopped, before trying to stifle a yawn with her brown paw. "Are you tired?" Po asked, seeing her rubbing her eye again. "Mh, a little. It was a long day." She said, thinking back to all the things they managed to do and talk about in just one day. It seemed so much longer.
As a mean of reply, Po took her up, earning a surprised little squeak. She looked around, covering her mouth, to see if anyone saw them. No one was around, it seemed; everyone was either in the town centre, or in their own house. "Po, I can walk!" She protested weakly, but the panda gave her a knowing, soft look.
"A-ah, I made you walk enough today. Just these stairs, okay?" Po encouraged, giving her a knowing look. Tùzǐ shifted her eyes, fiddling with her ear, torn between accepting his offer or not; on one end while it wasn't uncomfortable, it still embarrassed her to be carried by her date (yes, she admitted that already, remember?) like that; on the other hand, she was tired, and finding herself in the panda's arms wasn't unpleasant at all. So she nodded, caving to his offer. He adjusted her, and felt a strange sort of amazement noticing how he could held her in one arm.
The bunny let Po carry her, while taking in the sights. The moon shone brightly and with the stars bathed the scenery in a silver glow. The village was nice, but the jade palace was a sight to behold, not to mention, it had been reconstructed almost completely in recent times. Yet one couldn't tell at all, as the people dedicated themselves so much to bring it back to the splendor it once held, that it practically looked as if such destruction had never fell upon this magical place. Tùzǐ couldn't believe that she could call this place home; even if it was for a short time. It was an honor, to be here, to be able to see this.
"It's a beautiful place." She said, where the vegetation began to be more dense around the stairs. Po wrote it off as a passing though, and hummed his agreement, because of course he thought so as well (and who wouldn't?). The rabbit girl took a deep intake of air and breathed out just as slow as she relaxed against him. She stared at the celestial bodies recalling back a story her mother told her, about their ancestors watching them from above there. "I wish grandmother was here to see all this." Tuzi said, her voice practically a whisper.
"Mh. I feel the same about my mom." He replied shortly, as if the word had been on his tongue already.
He felt his cheeks reddening, and hoped his fur would cover it as he glanced cautiously to the rabbit; she was looking at him half surprised, half pensive. "Sometimes I wonder… what would she say if she was here? Truth be told, I don't really remember much about her, but her face." He confessed. Strangely there wasn't much sadness in his tone; he looked more contemplative than anything.
"But I realized a long time ago; if that was the case, I wouldn't be where I am now. What happened to my mother, my village, when I was young… it was horrible. But I can't change anything about it. And… because that happened… I met my dad, I mean, my adoptive dad… I lived close enough to the jade palace that I came to love kung fu; and when the time came I was chosen as the dragon warrior. I am here now, because of everything and everyone that ever came into my life. It made me understand that… there are no 'ifs' in one's life." He reasoned, focusing on the path.
"Even bad things happen for a reason; and nothing happens by chance. This was the second lesson I learned here at the jade palace… as I said, I was really upset because I thought I wasn't good enough to be the dragon warrior and that I was condemned to a life as a waiter. It's not like I despised working with my father but... I loved Kung fu more… than anything and I knew it was what I wanted to dedicate my life... Give me a moment…" Po explained panting a little, just as he reached the top of the steps.
"Oh Po, I'm sorry, I made you talk while carrying me…" Tùzǐ apologized, sliding down from his arm as e placed both paws on his knees, trying to regain his breath through deep and deliberate breaths. "Don't worry, it's normal… it's just a bit panda asthma… I only need to …. Uuufff!"
Tùzǐ didn't know if feel amused, embarrassed, or worried. "Are you sure you're alright? I wasn't too heavy, was I?" She questioned preoccupied. He blinked at that as his pants slowly subsided. "Oh no, I carried heavier- I mean, you're a feather. It's just my personal battle with those." Po replied, pointing behind himself with a thumb. He took a final big intake of air as he straightened and released it in a long huff. He looked behind his shoulder towards the stairs. "I'll give you as many rematches you want, my nemesis!" He said as smugly as he was winded earlier. Regaining his breath he looked at Tùzǐ and cleared his throat. "Where was I? Oh right, the second lesson… I can tell you about it as I escort you back to your room." He said awkwardly.
The doe nodded with a shy smile, not quite ready to end the night yet; even if just this short walk, she wanted to stay with Po a little more and began walking ahead, followed closely by the panda, this time both pacing slowly. "Actually, I think it does apply to this situation a bit... and to you as well, from what you told me." The little rabbit girl looked at him curiously, her ears tilted in uncertainty and her baby blue eyes lit up with interest. She didn't spoke though, waiting for him to continue. "I didn't ask to be chosen as the dragon warrior, though I did want to be a kung fu master. But was I really meant to? Could I even? In that moment, when I was taken by doubts, master Shifu –the same master Shifu that gave me that warm welcome- approached me and said…"
"'There are no accidents in life'. It took me a while to really understand what he meant. Only when I found out where I came from I understood. Sure, sometimes I think how things would be if my village was never attacked, if my mom was still here... a part of me wishes I could have known her… it really is strange how much you can miss someone you never met." He said softly, a soft, melancholic smile playing on his muzzle. "But I'm also proud that, before I could even tell what it meant, she showed me more love than she could have in a lifetime." His smile broadened, remembering the only memory he had of her. "I will never forget that she gave her life for me; I think that act shaped my whole life. That's how I know for certain, that what master Shifu told me was true."
Tuzi put a soft paw on his arm, and they both stopped. The little rabbit doe was looking at him in awe and sympathy, her eyes even began tearing up a little. "Po, I know that somewhere, she's watching you; mom once told me that our beloved ones who passed away look at us from the stars. And I also know that she's proud of you, as much as me, your fathers, and everyone else, is. And if grandma was still here… she would have loved you." She stated softly looking him in straight in his jade eyes. He felt a slight pinch in the corner of said eye, and hurried to wipe it. He cleared his throat and looked back at her gently, rubbing his nape.
"Wow, Tùzǐ, I… thanks. It means a lot to me. I still have something I want to say though." He spoke softly, before taking a more contrite look. She nodded, giving him space to continue. "You know, I still have doubts about all this… the tournament. I thought I made my mind, and yet I still worry."
"Oh, I know." The rabbit chef stated, exhaling. She was wondering what the panda was about to say, so sheepish. "You do?" Po asked, blinking surprised. "Yes, well, we all do. The blossoms, I mean. It's… not exactly a secret." Tùzǐ confessed, ducking a little and scratching her furred cheek. Maybe she shouldn't have told that, but it was too late anyway.
"Oh… well I'm sorry." Said Po, a bit sullen. Certainly it couldn't have been easy for them, seeing his enthusiasm lacking. Tùzǐ shrugged, hoping to make him understand it wasn't a big deal for her… now.
"it's okay…" she said, and seeing his blank look, she added. "No, it really is! I mean, is normal having doubts about this situation, I know I'm not totally convinced, it really is a roundabout way to find a partner, but as strange a situation it is, well…" She stopped talking so fast, as if suddenly having an epiphany, her light blue eyes going wide and her ears perking up slowly. "… it brought up many things… unexpected, but not totally unpleasant, things. Like a piece of the world was missing." She turned to the panda, looking at her with a knowing, but soft, smile.
"As if a piece of me was missing… it led me to discover things about myself I wasn't aware of; and now I know myself better as well." Tùzǐ concluded. "Wow, you're good." She slowly smiled, actually impressed Po had guided her to that point. "I should be the one saying that; you did everything yourself, there, Tùzǐ. You certainly did so much faster than me." Po complimented sincerely.
"I thought about all this as well. I'm in, and I can't change that. But is that really bad? Maybe I should welcome these novelties, and could discover I like how things are turning and welcome my new life. These are times of changing… a little turbulence is normal. Once things are settled though, who knows? Come what may, right? No matter what, this is how things were supposed to be." Said the panda master, coming to a halt.
"'There are no accidents' ". The golden brown doe echoed him. "Exactly. You might believe you're nothing special, but there is a reason you were chosen, Tùzǐ Hop. You might not be like the others but that's the point." The dragon warrior said, blushing a bit and moving his paws behind his back.
"What is the 'point'?" She asked puzzled by both his words and his sudden change in behavior, causing him to chuckle.
"That's another lesson; one at a time. But if I can add something... I'm happy you won, Tùzi. It's sad that Lushi decided to leave; but I'm really, really glad that you're still here. Because you might not think yourself as such but you're quite special to me." Po confessed, revealing the rose he had stealthily picked from the their table at dinner.
The bunny took the red flower and blushed again, her now red ears flopping down to shield themselves from his gaze. She began fiddling with one as she muttered a 'thank you Po'. She breathed out shakily and pushed her ears back up to meet his gaze. "Thank you, really. I think I understand what you meant." The blue eyed bunny said, knowing full well that her blush must have surpassed his own by now.
She became aware of the fact that they had reached the door to her room. That was why Po had stopped; that meant their date… her first date was coming to an end. "I… I don't suppose you can tell me the third one right?" The little rabbit asked, wanting to delay the moment that was causing her to feel the butterflies in her stomach, as she fiddled with the rose between her fingers.
"Uh...sorry Tùzǐ ... but you see, that one... you kinda need to found out yourself. It was on the dragon scroll..." He said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. She grinned at his reply, expecting it already. "So it's like the secret ingredient thing, dragon warrior style?" She asked knowingly.
"Something like that, yeah." He replied, flashing his lopsided grin; they both chuckled at that. He too knew that they should say goodbye and turn in for the night. He just didn't want for this strange, almost magical atmosphere, which accompanied them for their walk under the moon, to finish. He wasn't looking, but he knew too well that their marks had been glowing the entire time.
On the other hand Tùzǐ knew, this was the moment. The one where she needed to do the thing she's been talking herself into from the moment they left the restaurant. Ignoring the warmth spreading up her face, she took one last breath and, after focusing her large ears to make sure no one was around, baby blue eyes met jade green and the doe held her breath. Po, seeing this, swallowed, unsure of her intention.
"Mh, then I have something to say as well…" Tùzǐ began, her voice soft, almost a whisper. "Here… Could you... ?" She silently asked, gesturing for him to come closer with her other paw, the one not occupied by holding the rose behind her back. It made for an adorable view, and the panda eagerly complied; leaning with his ear stuck, curious to hear what she had to say. Instead, Tùzǐ stood on her toes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. It was brief, chaste, and very sweet. Po's eyes widened and he slowly turned to the tiny girl.
Tùzǐ's gaze was lowered timidly, but her ears were back up again and her eyes lost in contemplation, as one of her paws went up to feel her hot face. "So that's how it feels..." she mumbled almost inaudible. Her eyes carefully went up to look shyly into the warrior's ones.
"I get it Po. I still don't know what it is that makes me special or if I am at all. But I will fight for you if that's what it takes. Because you're worth it." She stated between embarrassment and confidence, eyes briefly shifting to the flower, as she fought her blush back to tolerable level, then turned to him again. "Today was... blissful. T-thank you for making it so special to me. Po tried to get past the surprise. He opened his mouth a couple times before the words actually came out "You're... Welcome."
The hint of a smile appeared on her embarrassed face, as she bowed, before hastily retreating in her room, but before closing the door, she turned to the panda one last time and smiled. "Goodnight Po." She whispered and closed the door.
"Goodnight to you too." The panda replied, raising his paw. He turned, leading to the master's section; as his daze subsided, a large smile lighted his expression.
Behind the door, leaning against it, the young doe was staring wide eyed against the opposite wall, paws on her mouth. 'Oh my. How am I going to face him in the morning?! Maybe I'll let him have this round.' She thought, flushing further as her heart hammered against her ribcage like a woodpecker against a tree.
She took a few, deep breaths to regain her composure; she couldn't hear Po on the other side anymore, he probably already went back to his room. She made her way to her own bed, her blush renewing at the thought of her first kiss.
Tùzǐ stopped halfway though, and she went to her window, where a particular item had gained her attention. She fiddled with it, then pull back her paws to lean her chin on them, prodding her elbows on the windowsill; she stared dreamily at the two roses standing in the tiny, turquoise colored vase. She caressed the red petals with a finger; her fond gaze raised to the sky, to the tiny sparks spying back on her. She thanked those stars, for today, for Po, for this chance and the new bliss they had bestowed on her life.
Because as she realized… it was a gift.
.o.0.O.o.o.O.0.o.
A/N: Feewww! This took longer than I expected. As an apology, I made it longer. Sorry for the slight cliff at the end of the previous chapter; didn't mean to take so much time for the second part. I kept rewriting the end, it never quite satisfied me. This was the best I could came up with and I hope it did my work, and those characters, justice. Po is hard to get right, and Tùzǐ is a great character too. Tell me what you think, what I could have written better and of course, the mistakes I did. As I said I wish to get better and better. Thank you to all those who have/will read and review this little piece of mine. Until next time! Ciao!