Thanks again for your reviews. I'm really enjoying writing this story so it's great to know you lot are enjoying reading it. I forgot to add to my earlier chapters,
Disclaimer: Tekken and all the Tekken characters are the property of Namco.
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The Champagne ReceptionJulia stared at her own reflection – it seemed so unreal, a side of her she'd never seen before. The dress she wore was sapphire blue, shimmering like a river to the floor. The neckline folded across her, creating a beautiful swooping frame for the blue beaded pendant she wore around her neck. All Xiaoyu's plaiting, which had seemed so aimless at the time, now paid off as her hair tumbled in chestnut waves across her bare shoulders and back.
'Now,' said Christie, her eyes glittering wildly, 'it's time for a little make-up.' She swept brushes here and put cream there and by the end of it, Julia, who had never worn more than the most basic makeup, was startled to see the difference. Her cheeks seemed more defined, her skin clearer, her lips fuller, and her eyes, shadowed with blue as brilliant as her dress, seemed to sparkle.
'Super beautiful!' gasped Xiaoyu, admiring Julia. She herself looked wonderful in a traditional pink Chinese dress, with flowers falling across her frame, landing in little silk ripples at the hem. It had taken a while, but eventually the other girls had managed to convince Xioayu to take her hair out of pigtails; they had then straightened it, leaving her looked for the first time, not a girl but a woman. She twirled in the mirror, giggling to Asuka,
'I know Jin will rike it.'
Asuka wore an elaborate black and white gown with a pink sash criss-crossing the corset around her middle and falling haphazardly to the floor. Her hair she piled loosely on top of her head. The result was accidental elegance.
Christie, meanwhile, didn't do elegance, or subtlety. Her dress was leaf green, and connected by a brooch at her midriff; the material, which was sheer, sliced across her chest and legs, revealing acres of beautiful tanned skin.
They arrived at the ballroom around 8, when tongues had already been loosened by drink and a buzz of conversation filled the air. This, however, ceased as soon as Julia, Xiaoyu, Asuka and Christie entered. It was not that they were the only beautiful women in the room – Nina looked deadly in a short black dress and Anna switched her hips seductively around all the men in her red gown and fishnets; but grouped together, filled with youth and laughter, the four of them seemed to shine like candles, illuminating all those around them. The men too, proved themselves to be quite an attractive bunch, once cleaned up. Some wore suits, others had opted for the traditional dress of their countries; even Paul had managed to tie his hair into a discreet ponytail for the evening. The elegance of the event coupled with the soothing music being played by the band seemed to quell the aggressive spirits of the guests and now they were talking, laughing and enjoying themselves.
Being young and uneducated in etiquette, the girls grabbed some champagne and huddled around a table, giggling and chattering. They were flushed with excitement and, along with everyone else, felt a sense of expectation – they had been called here for some purpose; the Mishima Zaibatsu, or at least the one they knew, was not the type of organisation to hold an event without some motive other than providing people with entertainment, but as the porter had told Julia, things were changing, and no one in that ballroom knew what was going to happen. She scanned the hall in search of a host or company executive, but there was no one. Nonetheless, the guests appeared to be keeping in relative order and the mood seemed strangely regulated – it was as if the reception was being controlled by an invisible source, a puppeteer obscured by the darkness into which the strings disappeared.
After about an hour, with alcohol now coursing through their veins, the guests were growing restless. Conversations were nearing their natural conclusions and there was an almost tangible energy building up in the room. They wanted to see the thing they had all come here for, they wanted to see the new owner of Mishima Zaibatsu. This idea hung in the air, no one speaking of it, but all silently sharing in it and recognising it in one another. Just as it seemed this idea might take form and break out, the band struck up a swing number and the floor was soon filled with dancing couples, while the singletons exchanged nervous glances, half wishing for and half dreading the prospect of dancing with a stranger.
The four girls were immediately surrounded by men and soon Asuka, Xiaoyu and Christie were twirling and laughing their way from partner to partner. Julia, doubting her dance skills and still feeling that sense of unfulfilled anticipation, politely turned down the string of men who requested a dance and elected instead to guard the others' bags and glasses.
The evening wore on and Julia, an inexperienced drinker, emptied glass after glass of champagne until she was well and truly hammered. The figures before her swirled in and out of focus and the floor beneath her feet stretched into the distance and slipped in her vision. Feeling bolder, she thought she would quite like to dance. Occasionally one of the other girls would return to the table out of guilt, taking a swig of champagne and asking Julia if she was sure she didn't want to dance. Not wanting to ruin their fun, she would shake her head and say no she'd much rather stay here thank you, then they would turn back to the dance floor in relief.
Julia glanced at her watch – so much for this not taking that long, it was nearing 11.30 and she had to get up at 5 the next morning to prepare for her first match. She considered turning in, and at the very moment that she glanced towards the door, a figure entered. Julia's heart skipped a beat as she recognised Jin Kazama. He seemed uncaring, as if he had drifted into the ballroom by chance. He wore suit trousers and an untucked shirt, the top button undone and his tie loose. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbow and a cigarette hung from his lips. He surveyed the room briefly before plucking a glass of champagne from one of the waiters circulating the room and moving to a table in the corner. Julia watched him, wondering where he had been and why he had decided to show up now. There was so much she didn't know about him. She continued to observe him for the next hour or so, looking at him through the base of a champagne glass, letting her eyes flick towards him in brief glances. Xiaoyu, who had been happily dancing with the rather lovely Hwoarang for the past hour, seemed not to have noticed the brooding figure in the darkness. Julia felt a chill growing in her, something unnatural and sinister – she assumed it was Jin's presence, which always unnerved her, combined with the copious amounts of alcohol she had consumed which created this effect, but it was unlike the usual feeling she got from him; she had felt something like it before, during the last tournament, but not as intensely as she did now. The music had shifted from lively Latin and jazz to slower, but still upbeat songs, allowing the fighters to continue dancing without loosing their breath, and hinting at still more intimate music to come, giving them a motive to stay on the floor and hold on tight to their favourite partner.
The tune was suddenly interrupted, and a Japanese executive who had apparently asked the band to pause their playing, stepped forward and announced,
'Ladies and Gentlemen, Honoured Competitors, we are pleased to introduce to you, the new owner of Mishima Zaibatsu, Jinpachi Mishima!' All the blood seemed to drain out of Julia's body, she thought she might faint, or vomit. She gripped the sides of her chair, struggling for breath. It felt as if someone had reached between her ribs and was wrenching at her heart. The other guests too were exchanging nervous murmurs, their eyes shifting to the door on which a spotlight had fallen. It opened and a wave seemed to pass through the crowd as a massive figure stepped into the ballroom. Jinpachi was large and frightening. His eyes bulged out of his head, yellow as sulphur. His skin looked like that of a Rhino –scarred and impenetrable with veins raised from the surface, running across every gnarled muscle. A cold energy seemed to surround him, like sparks of electricity zapping across his body. With steps which produced ripples in the delicate champagne glasses, he moved to the centre of the room. The crowds parted before him, with even the bravest of warriors shrinking in the presence of this giant. When he spoke, his voice was deep and loud, like a lion's roar.
'Let the tournament commence!' there was a brief moment of silence before someone regained themself and began clapping; soon everyone followed suit and Jinpachi stood like a titan, laughing. 'Now!' he continued, 'You may resume your merriment. Which lovely lady will grant me their partnership for my first dance of the evening?' Every muscle in Julia's body tensed. If only she'd left when she had the chance, if only she had accepted one of the men. She felt every eye turn towards her, sitting so obvious in Jinpachi's line of sight, the only female not on her feet. She trembled, cold and sickened, as Jinpachi moved, in slow motion it seemed, towards her. The collective gaze of the room followed him, fearful but thankful, as if watching a sacrifice. Julia searched amongst the sea of eyes for her friends. They were watching her, helplessly. Jinpachi extended his hand to her and it took all her courage to place her own trembling palm in his. It seemed to be swallowed up in his huge club-like fist as he guided her to the centre of the floor. This emotion, this primal repulsion, was so strange and inexplicable but so crushingly undeniable the Julia could only tremble in wonder, baffled by the irrationality of her feelings.
'What is your name, my dear?' there was something in those words, something pitiless and empty, void of all human feeling, so much so that Julia felt a cold flush run through her; she struggled to reply,
'J-Julia Chang.' A spark of recognition, or something similar, entered Jinpachi's eye for a moment, but only for a moment, and then it was gone.
The band, on the executive's command, resumed their song, but it seemed to take on a new sinister note now, like a death march. Julia could hardly keep on her feet, and felt like a rag doll as Jinpachi almost carried her around the dance floor. So repulsed was she by him, she found it physically difficult to be so near to him, as if there was some sort of magnetic field surrounding him. Every nerve in her body told her to run, run as far and as fast as she could, but she forced herself to continue. Had she tried to run, she was sure she would have been unable to, so crushingly strong was Jinpachi's grip. She felt detached, like it was not her here in his embrace, and was barely conscious of the couples moving fearfully around her, keeping their distance. So caught up was she in her own revulsion, she did not notice that Jinpachi had his focus steadily fixed on one point in the room, a sinister challenge glinting in his eye. Nor did she see the object of his attention move suddenly out of the ballroom. When the song ended, after what seemed an eternity, Julia wanted to flee the ballroom immediately and sob out all her disgust, but Jinpachi held on to her for another terrifying minute, gazing at her with his wet, bulbous eyes. He lifted one mighty hand to her neck and she felt sure he would strangle her right there on the dance floor, but instead he stroked her cheek. His touch was rough and made her want to scream and hide, but she kept her gaze fixed on him, trying with all her might to prove to him that she was not afraid, though every fibre in her body told her the contrary.
'How very lovely.' he growled, 'It's a pity such a beautiful creature should go to waste.' He let his hand rest on her jaw for a moment, making Julia aware of his overwhelming power, and how easily he could place her skull between his palms and crush it like an egg, before releasing her.
She stumbled shaking back to her table and Asuka, Christie and Xiaoyu immediately flocked to comfort her. She was too drunk and terrified to understand their questions and simply fell into a chair, trying with all her might not to break down in tears.
She looked past the concerned faces of her friends to the far corner, but Jin was nowhere to be seen.
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Next instalment, The First Fight: Julia faces her first opponent, but things take a dramatic turn as she suffers the effects of an unknown ailment.
