Thanks everyone for the reviews. Sadistic Shadow thanks for reviewing every chapter. Lol. And are you gonna update your Jann Lee and Lei Fang fic? It's really cute. Anyways, here's Ch 10. I hope you guys like it. And does anyone know why italics on Microsoft word does not show up when I upload it into fanfiction.net? It just comes out as normal text.
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Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose? The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown - no finer place, for sure
Downtown - everything's waiting for you
-"Downtown" by Petula Clark
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"Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle bossa nova," Lei Fang sang while skipping happily on the sidewalk with Jann Lee by her side. "You'll be dancing with him too before the night is over." She suddenly twirled around to face Jann Lee. "Come on Jann! Sing along!" Jann Lee gave her a look that said what are you crazy? "Uh, no thanks." "Awww, you're no fun," she whined giving him her cutest pout. Jann Lee chuckled softly to himself.
He took in a deep breath of fresh air and took a moment to reflect on his surroundings. The sky was a beautiful bright blue, just fitting enough to belong on a canvas. The sun was shining gently upon them basking them in its warm golden rays. It was pretty noisy and hectic as people dashed from store to store, but Jann Lee didn't mind. To him everything was perfect.
And it made it even better that Lei Fang seemed to be in such a great mood. She was pretty much always cheerful but this morning she was especially so. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he observed her. She was flitting about, smiling from ear to ear like a happy hummingbird. To Jann Lee, she couldn't have looked more beautiful and radiant.
"Isn't downtown beautiful?" Lei Fang asked, cutting into his thoughts. "Yeah" Jann Lee replied. "Now, aren't you glad I dragged you down here?" Jann Lee brushed back his hair with his hand as the wind blew softly at them. "Yeah, I really am." Lei Fang beamed happily at him. "Oh I wanna go over there!" She suddenly cried out, tugging urgently at his sleeves.
"Wow, a Dead or Alive gift shop!" she exclaimed. The two made their way towards the entrance of the store. "DOA Merchandise. All posters on sale," Jann Lee read on its headboard. "Wow, I can't believe it. Tecmo sure is wringing profits out of these tournaments," Lei Fang commented. "Come on Jann, let's go in."
The store was brightly lit and extremely colorful. Posters of the competitors filled up the walls. "Oh my gosh!" Lei Fang exclaimed looking at a poster of herself posing seductively in a yellow bikini. "So that's what they did with those promotional pictures!" She blushed from embarrassment thinking about her poster on some stranger's room. Jann Lee was starring at her poster intently but flushed when he saw Lei Fang catching him in the act. "Jann Lee! Stop looking at my poster that way!" She shouted elbowing him in the ribs. "I was not," He objected. Still, he didn't like the fact that absolute strangers would be ogling over Lei Fang's pictures like that. He wondered if he brought enough money with him to buy all of the posters himself.
"I can't believe you posed for that picture," he said, looking at her in disapproval. "Well, all the girls had to," Lei Fang explained, still embarrassed. She gasped as her eyes fell upon the posters on the other side of the store. "Well, you shouldn't be talking!" She laughed and pointed at a poster of him standing rigidly wearing nothing but small spandex shorts with the doa logo imprinted on it.
"Gahh," Jann Lee stood there dumbfounded staring at his poster. He felt his face growing hot. "Hey, looking good," Lei Fang teased him walking over to his poster. She found the poster hilarious, especially since Jann Lee was wearing the most awkward expression on his face."Th- they said taking those stupid publicity shots were a requirement for entering the tournament," he explained. Lei Fang looked at him and laughed. It was funny seeing him so flustered.
"Oh my god, is that them?" someone behind them shouted. "Yeah! It's Jann Lee and Lei Fang!" All of a sudden they found themselves surrounded by fans asking for autographs. Lei Fang tried to be courteous and signed all of the requests, but Jann Lee was much less considerate. He refused to sign anything and just stood there looking gruff.
After posing for a couple of pictures with her fans, Lei Fang let out a relieved sigh. "Wow, I'm glad that's over with." She held up her limp wrist and groaned. "My hand is killing me." "You shouldn't have obliged with signing those autographs," Jann Lee said firmly. "You're only encouraging them."
"Hmph, well I didn't want to act all mean like you," Lei Fang protested. She looked around the crowded store in awe. "I still can't believe how much of a fan base we have here. Back where I'm from, people hardly know about the DOA tournaments."
"Well, it's broadcasted annually where I live." Jann Lee stopped and eyed an approaching fan sternly causing the fan to gulp and turn the other way. "The attention is really annoying. But it's fine now. Practically everyone in New York knows better now than to bother me."
"Well, doesn't it flatter you?" Lei Fang asked. "To have fans, I mean." "I didn't enter the tournament for fame," Jann Lee explained. "Or to have anyone admire me. I enter the tournament for the challenge." He turned and looked at Lei Fang seriously. "I don't have to prove anything to anyone but myself."
"Right." Lei Fang turned around to avoid looking at him. "Yeah...m, me too." She didn't want him to know that the sole reason she entered the tournament for the past three years was so that she could prove herself to him. To prove to him that she wasn't as weak as he thought. She didn't know why his opinion mattered so much to her, but it always did.
'Hey, let's take a look over there," Lei Fang said trying to change the subject. The two of them made their way to the middle of the store where DOA dolls and action figures were being displayed. "Aww, these are sooo cute!" Lei Fang gushed as she picked up a plush doll of herself and hugged it tightly to her chest. Looking at it closely, she grimaced a little. "Hey, my eyes aren't THAT chinky! They just gave me little slits for eyes!"
"Looks like a pretty accurate portrayal to me," Jann Lee said laughing. "Hmph!" Lei Fang made a face at him which caused him to laugh some more.
"Hey look! They have one of you too." Lei Fang picked up a Jann Lee plushie and cuddled it lovingly. "Aww, look at it. It's so adorable and squishy....just like the real thing."
Jann Lee looked at her quizzically. Well, that's the first time anyone has referred to me in that light, he thought. He didn't know if he liked being thought of in that way. Being adorable and squishy didn't sound too manly to him.
"I want one!" Lei Fang said squeezing the dolls to her chest. "I mean two! One of me and one of you." "Why would you want that?" Jann Lee asked her. Noticing her take on a blush he quickly added "You're too old to play with dolls anyways."
"Yeah...I guess you're right," Lei Fang said looking crest fallen. "Oh well..." Suddenly she perked up. "Hey, come on let's get some ice cream! I saw an ice cream shop next door." "What's with you and ice cream?" Jann Lee groaned, nevertheless he allowed himself to be dragged out of the store by Lei Fang.
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"That was so fun," Lei Fang said as she and Jann Lee walked back to the hotel after a long day of cruising downtown. Just over the treetops the sun was setting, illuminating the sky in a red and orange glow. It was the perfect backdrop to end a perfect day Lei Fang thought.
"Yeah, but did you have to buy so much stuff?" Jann Lee asked. He was struggling to hold five shopping bags at once and Lei Fang thought he looked slightly comical trying to do so. He kept on dropping one every so often.
"Hey, I'm entitled to it. I haven't gone shopping in forever. Besides I didn't see you complain when I was trying on the swimming suits." She looked over to see Jann Lee flushing and giggled.
They stopped when they reached the hotel entrance. Both of them looking at each other, seemingly unwilling to go in just yet. "We should do that more often," Lei Fang commented, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Jann Lee said nothing but looked at her and smiled. Lei Fang wanted so much to caress his face and kiss him, but she stopped herself.
All day, while they were walking around, she had wanted to hold hands with him but she had to keep reminding herself to take it slow. Of course holding hands wasn't really a big deal, but she knew it would be a great deal to Jann Lee. He would probably get embarrassed and freak out at any small act of public affection and she didn't want to scare him away. But it was driving her crazy. She hated not knowing where their relationship is going. Or non relationship more like she thought with a pout.
"What is it?" Jann Lee asked observing her closely.
"Oh, uh nothing," Lei Fang said. Looking at him in the soft glow of the evening sun, Lei Fang suddenly decided to just go for it. Without hesitation she leaned forward and kissed him warmly on the cheek.
Jann Lee startled and dropped the shopping bags on the floor. He blushed and placed a hand on his cheek rubbing it slightly.
Suddenly, as if on cue, Zack busted out of the hotel lobby. "Hey I was looking all over for you guys!" Stopping he looked from Jann Lee to Lei Fang, then back to Jann Lee again. "Uh, am I interrupting something?"
"No!" Lei Fang exclaimed waving her hands dismissingly. "Yeah, i-it's nothing," Jann Lee stammered.
"Okaay?" Zack looked at both of them again and shrugged. "Anyways Mr. Lionel wanted all of us to meet in the lobby. He's gonna go over the order of the fights for the tournament."
Lei Fang and Jann Lee followed Zack into the lobby where the rest of the gang were seated.
"Hey, where were you guys?" Tina asked. From the back Seph was staring at them, letting his glare fall harshly upon Jann Lee.
"Oh, we were just walking around downtown," Lei Fang explained.
"Well, it's about time you guys came back," Ayane said harshly with her hands crossed. "Do you know how long we had to wait for you guys?"
"Sorry." Lei Fang smiled apologetically.
"Ahem." Mr. Lionel coughed and stood up. "It's no problem. This meeting isn't that important, it's just that I wanted all of you here." He gestured at a piece of paper posted on the billboard of the lobby. "This is a list of the order for which your battles will take place. As you all know the tournament will begin tomorrow. All the battles will take place in the evening and will be broadcasted live as usual."
He nodded at Tina and Bass. "You two will be first. I hope you're prepared for tomorrow and I wish you both luck." He stood up slowly. "Well, I guess that's it. The rest of you should use the rest of the time you have left to prepare before it's your turn."
As soon as he left, everyone crowded around the list to see when they would be fighting. "
Isn't it ironic that we're first?" Tina asked Bass.
"Yeah I guess," Bass said scratching the back of his head. "Now, I don't want you to go easy on your old man now."
Tina grinned at him. "Don't worry, I won't. As long as you promise not to go easy on me."
"Heck no! I'd never go easy on you," Bass said laughing. "You're my daughter. You'd better be able to take anything I can throw at you."
"Don't worry dad. I was trained by the best." She laughed and slapped him on the back. "Good luck old man."
"You too, Tina."
Behind them Zack yelled out, "Let the Tournament begin!"
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[Author's Note] Okay, tell me what you guys thought about that chapter. It was longer than I expected but oh well. More Jann Lee and Lei Fang cuteness lol. And I'm gonna try to refrain from switching point of views suddenly during the middle of a scene. I keep doing that! Grrr. I'm also debating whether I should go into details about the fights between the characters or just keep it as a backdrop.