He stopped in the middle of his actions, and just laid there, befuddled,
letting Shampoo's words sink in. A million questions arose in his mind, but he
did not know which one would be most appropriate to ask. When he finally
glanced down and gazed deeply into Shampoo's eyes, he could see expectancy, even
fear. He hugged her close then, and felt her nestle her face against his neck,
seeking comfort.
"So where do we go from here?" he asked, one hand gently petting her
luxurious, long purple hair.
"I... I don't know," Shampoo suddenly pulled away from him, and kept her
gaze turned down, away from his. Was she afraid to match his stare?
Mousse sat up and placed his hand on her petite shoulder. "Shampoo,
what's wrong? Do you already have a place in mind?"
"Actually, yes, I do... but..." Shampoo began to shiver, and Mousse
wondered how much was from the cold, how much from pure anxiety. "Would you
hate me for this?"
He stretched the blanket over her shoulders and hugged her tight from
behind, rocking with her to a gentle rhythm. Though it wavered a bit, his voice
was clear, strong, and convincing. "Shampoo, you know that I love you more than
anything. I want to be with you no matter where you go or what happens."
Shampoo smiled and turned her head to the side and stretched up an arm to
pull Mousse's head down to hers, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
She was startled when Mousse suddenly pulled back away from her. "This
isn't right," he said nervously, with a slight stutter. "In your... ah...
condition... uh... let's just cuddle, okay?" The last few words came out in a
rush.
"We can do a *little* more than that," Shampoo said with an impish smile,
leaning forward to press her lips against his again.
Descendants
(a sequel to Here Comes Neko!)
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction
by Luna Hinomura
Chapter 2: The House of Chen Fang
Striding through the courtyard, Jie hardly noticed the intricacies of the
garden surrounding him. Plants, in sienna-colored clay pots now turning gray,
lined the dirt path from the street to the main house. The path had been
traveled so often that the dirt had been packed down hard, and scarcely any dust
rose up from each step he took, though he was enraged to the point where his
feet were fairly pounding into the ground. No servants escorted him from the
gate to the main house, nor did Jie choose to call or wait for any to come.
Instead, he marched through the rooms and hallways and ignored the worried cries
of the various residents until he came to his final destination, the sitting
room of Chen Fang.
Jie knocked, and then simply barged in, awaiting no reply. Chen Fang was
sitting at a table with a lengthy document in hand, reading some material that
had been given to her. A teacup rested on the table next to her, producing
minute vapors of steam. Apparently, she had just settled herself down.
"What is this about?" Chen Fang asked, her tone indicating no alarm or
annoyance at being unexpectedly disturbed. Her voice was rich and full, perhaps
a bit deep for a woman's voice, but that only added to her mysterious and
somewhat sexy charm. She turned to adjust the position that had been sitting
in, in order to better face Jie, and a cascade of long red hair fell down over
her shoulder. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers through it, straightening out
the tangles. Unlike most women of the village, she rarely styled her hair, but
only let it down, growing it out long, and had a fancy for wearing expensive
clothing. Today, she was wearing a modern qipao, indicating that meeting some
important people had been on her agenda. Jie did not care to make such events
known to him, but knew Chen Fang wouldn't have worn that only for him. She
hadn't expected him back so early, either.
Seeing Chen Fang carrying herself in such a composed manner caused Jie
some embarrassment. Refusing to feel regretful over his actions, he only
cleared his throat and saluted, pressing his right fist against his left palm.
"Chen Gu'niang, I bring you news from the Matriarch's household."
In hearing this, Chen Fang sat up straight in surprise. It pleased Jie
greatly to know that she was interested in what he had to say. Jie held Chen
Fang in the greatest admiration, and always did his best to prove it to her
whenever possible. He hoped she would not be disappointed from what information
he had gained earlier that morning.
"Sit down, Jie," Chen Fang offered, gesturing vaguely towards a seat near
hers. He saluted once more, and as he sat down, adjusted the chair to the best
position for their mutual conversation. Absentmindedly, Chen Fang rolled the
document back into a tube, tying it with a thin ribbon of red silk. When Jie
was finally settled, the lady Chen took another sip of her fragrant tea, and
peered at him, eyes full of curiosity. "Now, tell me, what is so important?
Has she any news of the tournament, or her preparations?"
"Neither, Chen Gu'niang," Jie replied. "On the other hand, I found no
indication that she had done anything to prepare for the upcoming tournament.
Instead, she was writing a letter in Japanese-- and the only person I know she
would write to is that good-for-nothing Saotome Hideo!"
Chen Fang took a moment to consider his words, unmoved by his emotional
outcry. "I see. Then, had you any indication this was true?"
The tone of his voice in Jie's reply still matched his annoyance, and
anger. "She did not deny it when I accused her. In fact, it almost seemed as
if she wished to protect him!" Little white lies, but Jie didn't care-- the
lady Chen did not need to know that Lan actually hadn't had any time to deny his
accusations or explain herself because he hadn't allowed her to.
"Jie, you know we cannot always be guessing at half-truths," Chen Fang
admonished severely, her voice stern though it did not rise in volume. "It does
not suit our purpose, nor fit our goal. Control your temper, and do not forget
what we must do to prove to the High Council that YiLan is unfit to rule as a
Matriarch. It is absolutely necessary to break away of those silly traditions,
for our village's future!"
[The traditions aren't silly; it's the usage that I don't agree with,] Jie
thought, not daring to voice his contradiction aloud. Instead, he turned his
head and glared at nothing, too proud and a bit embarrassed to even look at Chen
Fang and acknowledge her words.
Having become acclimated to his personality over the years, Chen Fang
simply took another sip of tea, sighed, and sat back in her chair. "Do not
forget that while you are still in my home, you cannot always do as you please;
you must still answer to me. Only *I* witnessed your childhood, your growth.
Your uncle did nothing, but sat in his house and raised a daughter; that cousin
of yours, whom hardly even treats you like family."
"...but she once did," Jie admitted in a soft mumble, his voice filled
with hurt.
* * * * *
Lan-Lan could always run fast, and was already far ahead. Jie knew he
could catch up because pace was faster than hers, and his legs were a little
longer. Being a boy, he was also stronger. On the other hand, Lan-Lan was
better at starting off with a quick pace. So now she was in front of him,
holding the hand of their new friend, Hideo.
Jie noticed that Hideo was laughing, but the Japanese boy looked kind of
nervous, too. Although Jie and Lan-Lan could speak Putong Hua(1) to each other,
neither one of them could speak Hideo's native language. Regardless, Jie
laughed too, happy for a new playmate. He wondered what Hideo was thinking, and
if his thoughts also existed in this different language that Uncle Mousse had
called... Ni Hong Gou? Jie couldn't pronounce the word very well.
(1) Mandarin Chinese*
As Jie caught up to Lan-Lan, he swerved out to the side, out of their
view, to pass them both on Hideo's side. Then, he circled around and feigned an
attempt to tackle Lan-Lan, growling menacingly. She squealed happily and
dropped Hideo's hand, dashing off in a different direction. Thus began a game
of tag, a game in which the language barrier became nearly nonexistent.
* * * * *
"Enough," Chen Gu'niang commanded, setting her now empty teacup down onto
the table with a clatter. "Thank you for your report, Jie. I shall consider
what you have told me, and let you know our next course of action."
Feeling proud, as if he were Chen Fang's knight or even general, Jie stood
and saluted her once more, bowing deeply. "No, it is my honor to assist someone
in your esteem," he replied, more from polite tradition than true feelings.
"Before you leave, I have another assignment for you," said Chen Fang,
standing up to see him out. "Though the tournament may be more than a month
away, and men are not permitted to participate, I require of you to practice
your wu gong(2) more often every day. I know that you enjoy the Art and often
train on your own several occasions a day, but you must prepare."
(2) Skill in the martial arts
"How, prepare?" Jie asked, perplexed. He felt somewhat annoyed as well,
as if Chen Gu'niang were implying his skills were still not worthy enough. "Did
you not just say men are not permitted to participate in the annual tournament?"
"All shall be explained in due time; you need not concern yourself with my
matters. If you follow what I tell you, and listen to me when I advise you, you
shall not go wrong." She raised her chin up as she spoke, as if attempting to
look down at Jie. Chen Fang might have been tall for a female, but Jie stood
slightly taller.
On occasion, her sweet and honeyed words often annoyed him to the point of
argument, but this time he felt it wasn't worth it. He sighed, exhaling audibly
through his nose, and left the room, turning his back on Chen Gu'niang.
Before heading to his usual training ground-- a piece of land on Chen
Fang's property-- he shouted for her servants to bring him his weapons. Though
slightly knowledgeable in the Art, such servants had little money and a poor
background to train well. Only those in the village with sufficient funds, the
right bloodline, good connections, and an appealing appearance ever made it
through their system to become famous. Hence, it was the case more often than
not that only an heir would eventually reach the status his or her parents once
held. Chen Fang was one of the honored exceptions; she came from a similar
neighboring village, but eventually obtained a high social status and solid
occupation within the village's political system. Being sponsored by Chen Fang
was a great asset, not to mention his family ties to the highest house of the
village.
[And,] Jie thought smugly, [I'm quite devilishly handsome, if I do say so
myself.]
The only drawback to his family ties was his mother. He knew little of
her, save her name and reputation. Occasionally, he wished he might meet her,
to ask her if she knew what she had done, why she had done it... and if she
ever considered the consequences. No one in the village spoke highly of her,
and even hearing her name mentioned was painful for his uncle, Mousse. His
cousin YiLan seemed to be the only one who took pity on her story.
If only he had been born a female, if only his mother had left him with a
more pleasant past, if only... Instead, he was nearly an orphan, abandoned to
Joketsuzoku and partially raised by an uncle, partially raised by Chen Fang. It
wasn't fair, but their village's traditions seemed set in stone. To Jie, the
village elders could be likened to ostriches, sinking their heads into the sand
and pretending they didn't see the things around them. He hated the fact that
though he was the older cousin, all preference was given to Lan because of her
heritage. She seemingly knew nothing about the political system; she did
nothing more than let herself be pampered, and practiced the Art because it was
necessary, not out of any passion for it.
Jie selected his first weapon from the stack the servants had brought him,
and began the first form. In the late afternoon sun, his broadsword flashed and
shined like lightning. Even when he struck nothing but air with the sword, the
noise could be heard from even the most distant locations in Chen Fang's
property. Finished, he threw the sword down and chose another weapon. This
would continue until he had finished every form he knew. Then, he planned on
practicing his sparring with wooden dummies. The servants had already long ago
decided it was too dangerous to spar with him. Jie could control his strength
and power, but he had injured them more than once in the heat of the moment.
"I'll show you, Lan," he muttered when changing weapons again. "I'll
prove my worth to this whole damn village!"
End of Chapter 2
Author's note:
* It's called "Guo Yu" (Country's Language) in Taiwan. Unfortunately, Japanese
also call their language this (but pronounce the hanzi to kanji as "Kokugo")
which can become quite confusing.
letting Shampoo's words sink in. A million questions arose in his mind, but he
did not know which one would be most appropriate to ask. When he finally
glanced down and gazed deeply into Shampoo's eyes, he could see expectancy, even
fear. He hugged her close then, and felt her nestle her face against his neck,
seeking comfort.
"So where do we go from here?" he asked, one hand gently petting her
luxurious, long purple hair.
"I... I don't know," Shampoo suddenly pulled away from him, and kept her
gaze turned down, away from his. Was she afraid to match his stare?
Mousse sat up and placed his hand on her petite shoulder. "Shampoo,
what's wrong? Do you already have a place in mind?"
"Actually, yes, I do... but..." Shampoo began to shiver, and Mousse
wondered how much was from the cold, how much from pure anxiety. "Would you
hate me for this?"
He stretched the blanket over her shoulders and hugged her tight from
behind, rocking with her to a gentle rhythm. Though it wavered a bit, his voice
was clear, strong, and convincing. "Shampoo, you know that I love you more than
anything. I want to be with you no matter where you go or what happens."
Shampoo smiled and turned her head to the side and stretched up an arm to
pull Mousse's head down to hers, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
She was startled when Mousse suddenly pulled back away from her. "This
isn't right," he said nervously, with a slight stutter. "In your... ah...
condition... uh... let's just cuddle, okay?" The last few words came out in a
rush.
"We can do a *little* more than that," Shampoo said with an impish smile,
leaning forward to press her lips against his again.
Descendants
(a sequel to Here Comes Neko!)
A Ranma Nibunnoichi fan fiction
by Luna Hinomura
Chapter 2: The House of Chen Fang
Striding through the courtyard, Jie hardly noticed the intricacies of the
garden surrounding him. Plants, in sienna-colored clay pots now turning gray,
lined the dirt path from the street to the main house. The path had been
traveled so often that the dirt had been packed down hard, and scarcely any dust
rose up from each step he took, though he was enraged to the point where his
feet were fairly pounding into the ground. No servants escorted him from the
gate to the main house, nor did Jie choose to call or wait for any to come.
Instead, he marched through the rooms and hallways and ignored the worried cries
of the various residents until he came to his final destination, the sitting
room of Chen Fang.
Jie knocked, and then simply barged in, awaiting no reply. Chen Fang was
sitting at a table with a lengthy document in hand, reading some material that
had been given to her. A teacup rested on the table next to her, producing
minute vapors of steam. Apparently, she had just settled herself down.
"What is this about?" Chen Fang asked, her tone indicating no alarm or
annoyance at being unexpectedly disturbed. Her voice was rich and full, perhaps
a bit deep for a woman's voice, but that only added to her mysterious and
somewhat sexy charm. She turned to adjust the position that had been sitting
in, in order to better face Jie, and a cascade of long red hair fell down over
her shoulder. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers through it, straightening out
the tangles. Unlike most women of the village, she rarely styled her hair, but
only let it down, growing it out long, and had a fancy for wearing expensive
clothing. Today, she was wearing a modern qipao, indicating that meeting some
important people had been on her agenda. Jie did not care to make such events
known to him, but knew Chen Fang wouldn't have worn that only for him. She
hadn't expected him back so early, either.
Seeing Chen Fang carrying herself in such a composed manner caused Jie
some embarrassment. Refusing to feel regretful over his actions, he only
cleared his throat and saluted, pressing his right fist against his left palm.
"Chen Gu'niang, I bring you news from the Matriarch's household."
In hearing this, Chen Fang sat up straight in surprise. It pleased Jie
greatly to know that she was interested in what he had to say. Jie held Chen
Fang in the greatest admiration, and always did his best to prove it to her
whenever possible. He hoped she would not be disappointed from what information
he had gained earlier that morning.
"Sit down, Jie," Chen Fang offered, gesturing vaguely towards a seat near
hers. He saluted once more, and as he sat down, adjusted the chair to the best
position for their mutual conversation. Absentmindedly, Chen Fang rolled the
document back into a tube, tying it with a thin ribbon of red silk. When Jie
was finally settled, the lady Chen took another sip of her fragrant tea, and
peered at him, eyes full of curiosity. "Now, tell me, what is so important?
Has she any news of the tournament, or her preparations?"
"Neither, Chen Gu'niang," Jie replied. "On the other hand, I found no
indication that she had done anything to prepare for the upcoming tournament.
Instead, she was writing a letter in Japanese-- and the only person I know she
would write to is that good-for-nothing Saotome Hideo!"
Chen Fang took a moment to consider his words, unmoved by his emotional
outcry. "I see. Then, had you any indication this was true?"
The tone of his voice in Jie's reply still matched his annoyance, and
anger. "She did not deny it when I accused her. In fact, it almost seemed as
if she wished to protect him!" Little white lies, but Jie didn't care-- the
lady Chen did not need to know that Lan actually hadn't had any time to deny his
accusations or explain herself because he hadn't allowed her to.
"Jie, you know we cannot always be guessing at half-truths," Chen Fang
admonished severely, her voice stern though it did not rise in volume. "It does
not suit our purpose, nor fit our goal. Control your temper, and do not forget
what we must do to prove to the High Council that YiLan is unfit to rule as a
Matriarch. It is absolutely necessary to break away of those silly traditions,
for our village's future!"
[The traditions aren't silly; it's the usage that I don't agree with,] Jie
thought, not daring to voice his contradiction aloud. Instead, he turned his
head and glared at nothing, too proud and a bit embarrassed to even look at Chen
Fang and acknowledge her words.
Having become acclimated to his personality over the years, Chen Fang
simply took another sip of tea, sighed, and sat back in her chair. "Do not
forget that while you are still in my home, you cannot always do as you please;
you must still answer to me. Only *I* witnessed your childhood, your growth.
Your uncle did nothing, but sat in his house and raised a daughter; that cousin
of yours, whom hardly even treats you like family."
"...but she once did," Jie admitted in a soft mumble, his voice filled
with hurt.
* * * * *
Lan-Lan could always run fast, and was already far ahead. Jie knew he
could catch up because pace was faster than hers, and his legs were a little
longer. Being a boy, he was also stronger. On the other hand, Lan-Lan was
better at starting off with a quick pace. So now she was in front of him,
holding the hand of their new friend, Hideo.
Jie noticed that Hideo was laughing, but the Japanese boy looked kind of
nervous, too. Although Jie and Lan-Lan could speak Putong Hua(1) to each other,
neither one of them could speak Hideo's native language. Regardless, Jie
laughed too, happy for a new playmate. He wondered what Hideo was thinking, and
if his thoughts also existed in this different language that Uncle Mousse had
called... Ni Hong Gou? Jie couldn't pronounce the word very well.
(1) Mandarin Chinese*
As Jie caught up to Lan-Lan, he swerved out to the side, out of their
view, to pass them both on Hideo's side. Then, he circled around and feigned an
attempt to tackle Lan-Lan, growling menacingly. She squealed happily and
dropped Hideo's hand, dashing off in a different direction. Thus began a game
of tag, a game in which the language barrier became nearly nonexistent.
* * * * *
"Enough," Chen Gu'niang commanded, setting her now empty teacup down onto
the table with a clatter. "Thank you for your report, Jie. I shall consider
what you have told me, and let you know our next course of action."
Feeling proud, as if he were Chen Fang's knight or even general, Jie stood
and saluted her once more, bowing deeply. "No, it is my honor to assist someone
in your esteem," he replied, more from polite tradition than true feelings.
"Before you leave, I have another assignment for you," said Chen Fang,
standing up to see him out. "Though the tournament may be more than a month
away, and men are not permitted to participate, I require of you to practice
your wu gong(2) more often every day. I know that you enjoy the Art and often
train on your own several occasions a day, but you must prepare."
(2) Skill in the martial arts
"How, prepare?" Jie asked, perplexed. He felt somewhat annoyed as well,
as if Chen Gu'niang were implying his skills were still not worthy enough. "Did
you not just say men are not permitted to participate in the annual tournament?"
"All shall be explained in due time; you need not concern yourself with my
matters. If you follow what I tell you, and listen to me when I advise you, you
shall not go wrong." She raised her chin up as she spoke, as if attempting to
look down at Jie. Chen Fang might have been tall for a female, but Jie stood
slightly taller.
On occasion, her sweet and honeyed words often annoyed him to the point of
argument, but this time he felt it wasn't worth it. He sighed, exhaling audibly
through his nose, and left the room, turning his back on Chen Gu'niang.
Before heading to his usual training ground-- a piece of land on Chen
Fang's property-- he shouted for her servants to bring him his weapons. Though
slightly knowledgeable in the Art, such servants had little money and a poor
background to train well. Only those in the village with sufficient funds, the
right bloodline, good connections, and an appealing appearance ever made it
through their system to become famous. Hence, it was the case more often than
not that only an heir would eventually reach the status his or her parents once
held. Chen Fang was one of the honored exceptions; she came from a similar
neighboring village, but eventually obtained a high social status and solid
occupation within the village's political system. Being sponsored by Chen Fang
was a great asset, not to mention his family ties to the highest house of the
village.
[And,] Jie thought smugly, [I'm quite devilishly handsome, if I do say so
myself.]
The only drawback to his family ties was his mother. He knew little of
her, save her name and reputation. Occasionally, he wished he might meet her,
to ask her if she knew what she had done, why she had done it... and if she
ever considered the consequences. No one in the village spoke highly of her,
and even hearing her name mentioned was painful for his uncle, Mousse. His
cousin YiLan seemed to be the only one who took pity on her story.
If only he had been born a female, if only his mother had left him with a
more pleasant past, if only... Instead, he was nearly an orphan, abandoned to
Joketsuzoku and partially raised by an uncle, partially raised by Chen Fang. It
wasn't fair, but their village's traditions seemed set in stone. To Jie, the
village elders could be likened to ostriches, sinking their heads into the sand
and pretending they didn't see the things around them. He hated the fact that
though he was the older cousin, all preference was given to Lan because of her
heritage. She seemingly knew nothing about the political system; she did
nothing more than let herself be pampered, and practiced the Art because it was
necessary, not out of any passion for it.
Jie selected his first weapon from the stack the servants had brought him,
and began the first form. In the late afternoon sun, his broadsword flashed and
shined like lightning. Even when he struck nothing but air with the sword, the
noise could be heard from even the most distant locations in Chen Fang's
property. Finished, he threw the sword down and chose another weapon. This
would continue until he had finished every form he knew. Then, he planned on
practicing his sparring with wooden dummies. The servants had already long ago
decided it was too dangerous to spar with him. Jie could control his strength
and power, but he had injured them more than once in the heat of the moment.
"I'll show you, Lan," he muttered when changing weapons again. "I'll
prove my worth to this whole damn village!"
End of Chapter 2
Author's note:
* It's called "Guo Yu" (Country's Language) in Taiwan. Unfortunately, Japanese
also call their language this (but pronounce the hanzi to kanji as "Kokugo")
which can become quite confusing.
