Mulan moved quickly through the mess room, avoiding the looks some soldiers
shot at her. At that point she didn't care, it had been a long day and
something still plagued her mind. Irritating as it was she couldn't quite
put her finger on it.
First Lang and then Cho dished food onto her plate. She'd nearly forgotten she'd placed them on kitchen duty, nearly.
"Thanks," she said, before turning to find a table.
Yin caught her attention, waving her over to the table he sat at and making room for her next to him. Ling and Yao were already there, but Chien Po was still retrieving his dinner, not to mention tricking his way into getting more than his fair rations.
"Hi," she slumped into the offered seat, finally off her weary legs.
"Long day?" Yin asked.
"I survived," she replied, "but I am STARVING!"
"Join the club," Ling replied, mouth full.
"Yeah," Yao agreed. "Pass the salt."
Ling sent it down the table.
"So, Captain Fa, already got a few greenies on kitchen duty, eh?" Yao asked.
Mulan shrugged, "It's not the worse punishment that's going to be given out by the time we're done here."
"You're tellin' me," Yao replied.
He and Ling chorused together in an imitation of Shang's voice "you'll spend tonight picking up every single grain of rice."
Mulan laughed, "Ugh, don't remind me! I - " She cut herself short as Shang appeared behind her two friends. "Captain," she said quickly, cutting off any more remarks that might have gotten Yao or Ling in trouble. "Sit down."
She had a feeling Shang knew exactly what had been said because she could see him trying to disguise his amusement as he sat. "Captain Fa, Yin Po," he said, apparently there was still business that needed to be dealt with. "I'd like to meet with you both after dinner."
Mulan and Yin exchanged a quick glance. "Yes sir," they chimed.
"Mulan, you're the same rank as me," Shang hissed in an undertone, a cheerful, teasing glimmer noticeable in the corner of his eyes he met hers.
She looked startled for a moment, tearing her eyes hastily away from his. "Oh -yeah," she laughed a little. "I have to start remembering that."
"Eh," Ling chuckled, "You're just tired, first day of training and all."
"Ha! I think you can account that to unruly soldiers," Mulan retorted, "if anything."
"Unruly soldiers?" Shang raised his eyebrows at her.
"They've been dealt with," Mulan replied, gesturing back at the kitchen with her head.
"Chien Po!" Yao exclaimed, "Finally! You think you got enough food there?"
Mulan shifted over making room for him in between herself and Yin. He sat down cheerfully, placing his heavily laden food tray before him carefully.
"You gonna eat that or climb it?" Ling asked, eyeing all of Chien Po's food.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mulan was still laughing at something Ling had done as they exited the tent. She waved to her friends as they drifted off towards their tents.
She was about to start heading for her own when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Yin Po, Captain Fa," Shang said formally, gesturing towards a different tent.
"Oh yeah," she murmured under her breath, following them behind the flap.
"You really are tired," Mushu laughed at her.
"Sh," she hissed.
"What?" Shang asked.
"Uh," she gave him her best innocent look, "Nothing. . . ?" She made a mental note that she and Mushu really had to work something out. If people kept catching her talking to herself they really were going to start thinking she was a lunatic, female soldier or not.
"First things first," Shang sat down, "Yin, I have spoken to Chi Fu and -"
Chi Fu swished promptly though the doors.
'Speak of the devil,' Mulan thought.
"Captain! You did not intend to hold this meeting without me?" he was aghast. "I will have you know that I am your superior and as such I am entitled to - "
As Chi Fu lectured on Mulan watched Shang's face with amusement. Chi Fu was, in fact, all of their superiors, so there wasn't much any of them could do to cut him short, at least not without getting into some sort of trouble. Shang looked somewhere in between the honorable Captain he strived to be and the, currently irritated and resentful, young adult that balanced him out.
Finally Chi Fu had finished and was waiting impatiently for his apology.
Through clenched teeth and with narrowed eyes Shang managed to say, "I apologize, Chi Fu, it won't happen again."
"Indeed," he replied dryly, looking down his nose at everyone else. "Well, get on with it, you've wasted enough time already."
"I'VE wasted - " Shang caught himself and turned abruptly back to Yin. "Yin Po, - "
"While your presence here and in the assistance of retrieving Captain Fa has been appreciated," Chi Fu cut across him, "Through my DIRECT correspondence with the Emperor it has been decided that it is time for you to return to your station among the Emperors guards as soon as possible."
Yin nodded obediently, although his glance wandered briefly between Chi Fu and the two Captains. "I'll move out in the morning."
"Very good," Chi Fu replied, bestowing a creepy turn of the lips that might have been a smile upon him, as though for a favorite pupil that seemed to be slipping gradually from his grasp. His face fell slightly, back to normal anyway, as the smile wasn't returned, "You're dismissed," he held the tent door open for him.
Yin bowed before turning and leaving through the exit Chi Fu had created for him.
"Well," Chi Fu said darkly as soon as Yin was out of earshot. "I think I handled that well. You're welcome Captain," he said pompously before whirling on his toes and exiting the tent with his nose as high in the air as it could get without sending him toppling over backwards.
"Uh, was that what you wanted me for?" Mulan asked after a quiet pause.
"What? Oh. No, sorry," Shang replied, "That's not it."
"OK," Mulan sat down across from him, not quite sure what to say, or what was coming next. "What's up?"
First Lang and then Cho dished food onto her plate. She'd nearly forgotten she'd placed them on kitchen duty, nearly.
"Thanks," she said, before turning to find a table.
Yin caught her attention, waving her over to the table he sat at and making room for her next to him. Ling and Yao were already there, but Chien Po was still retrieving his dinner, not to mention tricking his way into getting more than his fair rations.
"Hi," she slumped into the offered seat, finally off her weary legs.
"Long day?" Yin asked.
"I survived," she replied, "but I am STARVING!"
"Join the club," Ling replied, mouth full.
"Yeah," Yao agreed. "Pass the salt."
Ling sent it down the table.
"So, Captain Fa, already got a few greenies on kitchen duty, eh?" Yao asked.
Mulan shrugged, "It's not the worse punishment that's going to be given out by the time we're done here."
"You're tellin' me," Yao replied.
He and Ling chorused together in an imitation of Shang's voice "you'll spend tonight picking up every single grain of rice."
Mulan laughed, "Ugh, don't remind me! I - " She cut herself short as Shang appeared behind her two friends. "Captain," she said quickly, cutting off any more remarks that might have gotten Yao or Ling in trouble. "Sit down."
She had a feeling Shang knew exactly what had been said because she could see him trying to disguise his amusement as he sat. "Captain Fa, Yin Po," he said, apparently there was still business that needed to be dealt with. "I'd like to meet with you both after dinner."
Mulan and Yin exchanged a quick glance. "Yes sir," they chimed.
"Mulan, you're the same rank as me," Shang hissed in an undertone, a cheerful, teasing glimmer noticeable in the corner of his eyes he met hers.
She looked startled for a moment, tearing her eyes hastily away from his. "Oh -yeah," she laughed a little. "I have to start remembering that."
"Eh," Ling chuckled, "You're just tired, first day of training and all."
"Ha! I think you can account that to unruly soldiers," Mulan retorted, "if anything."
"Unruly soldiers?" Shang raised his eyebrows at her.
"They've been dealt with," Mulan replied, gesturing back at the kitchen with her head.
"Chien Po!" Yao exclaimed, "Finally! You think you got enough food there?"
Mulan shifted over making room for him in between herself and Yin. He sat down cheerfully, placing his heavily laden food tray before him carefully.
"You gonna eat that or climb it?" Ling asked, eyeing all of Chien Po's food.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mulan was still laughing at something Ling had done as they exited the tent. She waved to her friends as they drifted off towards their tents.
She was about to start heading for her own when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Yin Po, Captain Fa," Shang said formally, gesturing towards a different tent.
"Oh yeah," she murmured under her breath, following them behind the flap.
"You really are tired," Mushu laughed at her.
"Sh," she hissed.
"What?" Shang asked.
"Uh," she gave him her best innocent look, "Nothing. . . ?" She made a mental note that she and Mushu really had to work something out. If people kept catching her talking to herself they really were going to start thinking she was a lunatic, female soldier or not.
"First things first," Shang sat down, "Yin, I have spoken to Chi Fu and -"
Chi Fu swished promptly though the doors.
'Speak of the devil,' Mulan thought.
"Captain! You did not intend to hold this meeting without me?" he was aghast. "I will have you know that I am your superior and as such I am entitled to - "
As Chi Fu lectured on Mulan watched Shang's face with amusement. Chi Fu was, in fact, all of their superiors, so there wasn't much any of them could do to cut him short, at least not without getting into some sort of trouble. Shang looked somewhere in between the honorable Captain he strived to be and the, currently irritated and resentful, young adult that balanced him out.
Finally Chi Fu had finished and was waiting impatiently for his apology.
Through clenched teeth and with narrowed eyes Shang managed to say, "I apologize, Chi Fu, it won't happen again."
"Indeed," he replied dryly, looking down his nose at everyone else. "Well, get on with it, you've wasted enough time already."
"I'VE wasted - " Shang caught himself and turned abruptly back to Yin. "Yin Po, - "
"While your presence here and in the assistance of retrieving Captain Fa has been appreciated," Chi Fu cut across him, "Through my DIRECT correspondence with the Emperor it has been decided that it is time for you to return to your station among the Emperors guards as soon as possible."
Yin nodded obediently, although his glance wandered briefly between Chi Fu and the two Captains. "I'll move out in the morning."
"Very good," Chi Fu replied, bestowing a creepy turn of the lips that might have been a smile upon him, as though for a favorite pupil that seemed to be slipping gradually from his grasp. His face fell slightly, back to normal anyway, as the smile wasn't returned, "You're dismissed," he held the tent door open for him.
Yin bowed before turning and leaving through the exit Chi Fu had created for him.
"Well," Chi Fu said darkly as soon as Yin was out of earshot. "I think I handled that well. You're welcome Captain," he said pompously before whirling on his toes and exiting the tent with his nose as high in the air as it could get without sending him toppling over backwards.
"Uh, was that what you wanted me for?" Mulan asked after a quiet pause.
"What? Oh. No, sorry," Shang replied, "That's not it."
"OK," Mulan sat down across from him, not quite sure what to say, or what was coming next. "What's up?"
