Title Broken China
Author Kyrie Sanctus
Rating PG-13 for Shounen-ai situations.
Begun September 27, 2003
Finished ???
Chapters 5/??
Synopsis Unfortunately for Ren, Jun has invited Horohoro to accompany them to China. But perhaps, Ren's disgust at this situation is just a cover up for the feelings he hasn't realized he could have for the shaman of ice? A bit plotless, just a device for fluff. HoroRen.
Comments Well, the title does NOT refer to the many plates I've broken in trying to come up with an idea for a HoroRen story good enough to post on FF.net. Instead, it's about China. You know, the country? Broken. Not literally broken, but rather.. .. It's symbolism! Ren's feelings about Horohoro going to China with them are like.. Mixed, you know? The inspiration for this came from me buying a Chinese dictionary and looking up the word 'peach.' Yep. That's how it all got started.
Dedications this goes out to Tanjo, for being the one who made me interested in the Chinese language in the first place. Katie, for no darn reason. Krissy, for always being the little inspiration in my life, and whoever else writes HoroRen fanfics. Because I didn't want you to be alone anymore!
Disclaimer I own no rights to Shaman King, it's plots, or it's characters. Those are all belong to the masterful Hiroyuki Takei. However, I do own the Chinese dictionary used in making all of these pretty Chinese words possible!
Broken China
Dance Four: Arriving Chinese
Needless to say, the trip to Ren and Jun's all but humble abode was an uncomfortable one. Spending most of their time cramped together in one seat on the back of a heater-less bus wasn't exactly the most luxurious way to travel. Horohoro just thanked his lucky stars that the proximity of the two Chinese shamans surrounding him from both sides was enough to keep him from shivering. Who knew it got so cold in China in the winter?
However, in Ren's seat of the bus, things had been looking up. The previous night, having spent it with Horohoro being less annoying than usual, left him refreshed and ready to return to his home. Also, the prospect of having an extra punching bag (one that said "Ow!" and meant it) was one that he looked forward to very much. Oh yeah, and he supposed it would be fun to show Horohoro around. Educate him a bit. Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted to make a fool of the boy. It was, of course, one of his finest pleasures.
Save the fact, that the light in Horohoro's face as they passed certain spots of beauty in his own native land almost made him want to smile. Chuckle. But he was frozen to the spot for the moment, as Jun, instead, explained to the Ainu what he'd seen.
Damnit, Ren spat inwardly to himself as he crossed his arms. What do I care, anyway? His feelings of contempt were resurfacing. Well, just a little. Considering that adorable look on Horohoro's face as he tried to grasp the concept of the difference in the spoken Chinese styles was oh-so cute…
"Kisama!" Ren kicked the side of the bus. Smoke was pouring out into the open, silent air around them. Obviously, the bus had broken down, leaving many of it's rider's stranded. And to our traveling trio (and of course Li Bailong and Bason), this second procrastination of their homecoming was much unwelcome. Unfortunately for them, as well, there were no other occupants of the bus than the driver. And we all know, bus drivers, much like Captains, go down with their vessel. In this case, the bus driver was draped over the steering wheel, bawling.
Jun sighed. She was seated under the token tree of the desolate land which their bus had chosen to stop in. She rubbed her hands over her bare arms, rubbing. Even though the sun was brightly shining down upon them, it was freezing.
Horohoro, on the other hand, was standing out in the open. The glare of the sun obviously didn't bother him any, because he was staring at the sky with a blank expression. Like he'd never seen it before.
Ren approached him, hands shoved in his pockets and his face buried deep into his muffler to conceal his pinking cheeks, not knowing himself whether he was blushing or if he was just tingeing from the cold. He stopped a foot short of Horohoro and looked up with him. "What the hell are you looking at?"
"The sky. It's pretty in China."
"The sky is pretty everywhere."
"Not like it is here!"
Closing his eyes, the Chinese shaman decided not to argue about where the sky was prettier. But what made Horohoro's logic believe that this sky was more beautiful than any other? The thought was stolen from him as Horohoro plopped down onto the ground. He stretched his legs out and leaned his head back.
Ren, complying with his legs which were begging him to find resolve on the ground, sat beside him, crossing his arms almost in his lap. "Some luck we have, huh?" Horohoro started the conversation this time. "I mean, first your Father couldn't come pick us up, and then we had to share a room with only one bed because Jun refuses to sleep with another man. Now, the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere. Next thing you know it'll snow and we'll get snowed in in a cabin."
"Don't jinx us, you moron."
"Eh, sorry."
They both stared at the sky for a moment, each enjoying the peace beyond the fact that they were freezing what existed of their miniscule thirteen year-old rears off and that they were stuck in the middle of nowhere with Ren's sister and main spirit, a broken bus, and a driver who was now holding a formal funeral procession with his keys.
And this thought caused Ren, that's right, Tao Ren, to erupt into a giggle fit.
Horohoro's eyes widened immediately and he stared over at his once-leader, who had now clutched at his stomach because he had evolved said giggles into a roar of laughter. He narrowed his eyebrows at him. "What's so funny?"
"This!"
"What 'this?'"
"Our situation."
"Eh?"
"Isn't it just peculiar," Ren stopped himself from laughing for a moment for the spoken clarity he was so well known for. "That this entire trip has been nothing but a big screw up? It's like some bad omen. You must not be meant to be in China!" He couldn't help but laugh again.
"That's not funny!" Horohoro retorted half-heartedly angry. It was, in actuality, pretty funny.
Ren forced himself to calm down, so he took a big breath. They both sat for a moment or two, enjoying each other's company for the first time in.. never. It was nice and comforting, relaxed, but at the same time it made both of their stomachs churn.
Either that, or they were really hungry.
Both boys, in their minds, chose the latter.
"But it's been fun," Ren added about 3 minutes after he'd thought out loud about this big disaster of a trip. "I haven't been bored a single moment since you told me that you'd be coming with us. It's been just one big.. .. Vacation, I guess."
"Vacation from what?"
"I don't know. From normal life?"
"So this is paranormal?"
"No, baka," Ren's insult held no venom. "I mean that normally I wouldn't smile this much. Normally, on my way home, I'd be dreading every moment of it, almost shaking in my boots because of it."
"But we got rid of that problem!" Horohoro added happily. "We defeated your Dad, and he understands the power of our friendships with each other.. And everyone."
Ren shook his head. "That's not just it." He commented slowly. "It's just that.. Being at home, usually, a person feels at ease with themselves.. But when I come home, I feel like I'm being pressured to be perfect.. To be something I'm not."
"What are you not?"
You, Ren thought to himself. I'm not you, and I'm not expressionistic, and I'm not so many things that you are that I wish I was. "Perfect."
"Oh."
"What did you think I was going to say."
"I dunno. Male?"
"Kisama! I am male."
"I know, I know! Geez, you didn't have to get all upset I was just joking.
Retract that those above thoughts. I'm glad I'm not Horohoro. I wouldn't be able to put up with myself.
"It'll all work out in the end."
"Stealing lines from Yoh…"
"Yeah, whatever. It still means the same thing, not matter whose mouth it was born from."
"You're right."
"I know."
"Baka."
Author's Comments :: Continuously banging head against tree. :: I'M--SO--SORRY--FOR--NOT--UPDATING--SOONER--BUT--MY--BRAIN--FARTED. Well, it did!! Actually, I had a lot going on. First of all, I had Driver's Ed, my PSATs, I had to make Halloween costumes, study for random tests, read the Scarlet Letter and, duh, have some time for myself as well.
Anywhere, here's your chapter, all pretty and shiny and brand-spanking new, too, since more than half of what I had was cut out. I believe what I had before was a) stinking up the story and b) moving the plot along way too fast, little doggies.
But since I don't like to leave any stone unturned, here is the excerpt:
Ren had time to think about it, and had done so from the moment they got off the bus to the moment they reached their household. Perhaps he just held Horohoro as a memoir of the time he'd spent in Tokyo? Yes, that most certainly had to be it. After all, the only other choice was…
No, no, no and no. He would refuse to believe that, even if it was, in a sense, true. There was no way in hell that he could be in love with Horohoro! He'd decided early in his life that his mission was not to love, but instead, to become Shaman King, and fulfill his wish and the hopes of the Tao Dynasty. And he absolutely, absolutely refused to consider that his heart had acted of it's own volition.
No, no, no and no!
Reproaching the matter at hand here, Ren shook out of his thoughts of love and, quite disgusted with himself, looked around the main lobby of which was his home. Jun was leading Horohoro into the main room, where, once before, he had defended his new friend, Ren, against the controlling power which was his father.
Horohoro remembered it like it was yesterday. Seeing things from this boy's eyes… It was hell in a hand basket, and it was no wonder that he decided to help out. Maybe it wasn't just because Yoh was going. In one night, he'd seen enough of Ren to know that he needed saving from something.. It only took one night to realize that he was going to have a friend. It only took one night to realize that he would have a leader and a teammate. It only took one night to realize that he was going to fall in…
Love?
Ren questioned himself. How can I think it so lightly? He looked around as Jun raised her hand to knock on the door. Didn't I just tell myself it would be impossible to fall in love with Horohoro? Her hand graced the wood and a tripled pang of knuckles against solidity resounded.
As the doors opened, and Ren stepped through, looking in on the room he hadn't seen since he'd held so much hatred in his heart, he felt a slight ease from his chest. Before him appeared his and Jun's father and mother, two people whom he hadn't seen in tenderness since the age of 2.
"Welcome home, darlings!" the mistress beckoned them in further, into the light. They took their steps forward, the expression on Ren's face, though once had been twitching, returned to it's normal state. Jun walked over to her mother and greeted her with a hug, while Ren set his singular bag on the ground.
He knelt forward on his knee, before his father. There was a moment, filled with silence between men but many a chatter between women, while Lee Bailong looked on at his master.
While the greetings were short and simple between Ren and his father, Ren's mother made quite a procession of greeting Horohoro into their home for the second time. She'd had food prepared soon before their arrival,
I might grab something for later use, but for now.. You have what I deleted. See how nice I am to you guys! I let you know my turmoil. I'm not perfect. @_@ And I hope no one else is, otherwise I made a complete full out of myself.
As for a status on 'The Bet'… I haven't written a single word since my preview. Don't kill me. Statuses on other stories.. Well, seeing as I'm focusing mainly on this one, it may take a while longer. I think 'Palmreading' has officially been nixed.. But I HAVE to do a Mantoh one day.. 'Holy Crap, I'm Gay Too,' is being edited, because I've only watched 2 episodes of Beyblade and really don't know the characters too well.. Dancing Around the Subject is so nice, but it's not coming to me, just like everything else, and Battle Cries is being restarted. Basically, I haven't done jack.
But now you have a chapter, and I hope to update soon. I'll make it before two weeks is up!! X_X;