Xiaoyu
A/N: I thought I'd get Xiao outta the way. Her chapter is kinda funny. I apologise in advance for her sickeningly excessive fangirlism.
Although her attitude suggested otherwise, Ling Xiaoyu had always been aware that she had far too many obsessions, not the least of which were theme parks, panda bears and Jin Kazama. All that aside, she also set aside a portion of time during which she could dwell on idols and the various colourful aspects of their lives, much to her own detriment. For although this seemed like a wholesome pursuit for a teenage girl, in Xiaoyu's case it only seemed to widen the chasm that already existed between her and her peers.
Those who chose to remain in Xiaoyu's camp still gave her obsessions as wide a berth as they could, but this was proving to be increasingly difficult, now that she had begun to adjust her style and sense of dress so that it painfully reflected her interests.
Despite all the resentment, Xiaoyu's feathers remained largely unruffled, barring a few pangs of annoyance she felt when Miharu had failed to recognise or express an interest in some idol she'd been raving to her about. But even if the whole world had turned against her, she would still have found contentment.
Because of him.
It was rather ironic, Xiaoyu knew, because as they were both quartered in the West Wing of Heihachi Mishima's mansion, Jin often bore the brunt of her fetishes. And yet, he seemed to treat them to the same degree of stoic tolerance he reserved for most other things, even as he repeatedly found Hanna Montana accessories scattered among his possessions( he would sigh and ask Xiaoyu to take better care of her things); was often badgered by Xiaoyu to adopt Zac Efron's coconut haircut, was frequently compared to Edward Cullen by her, and was always greeted by posters of Jesse McCartney, the Jonas Brothers and a host of other faces grinning sickeningly down at him, whenever he stepped into Xiaoyu's room( he would frown but maintain a respectful silence on all those occasions).
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" Eh? Who is he again?" Miharu's tone was a mixture of cluelessness and exasperation as she sat on Xiaoyu's bed, listening to her friend's impassioned expose on the life of a recently discovered heart-throb.
The current object of Xiaoyu's obsession happened to be Michael Scofield, Prison Break star and poster-boy, who was notoriously known among his fangrils(and boys), for his piercing steel-blue eyes, and the Origami cranes he used as his calling card.
"Michael Scofield, silly!" Xiaoyu gushed. " He's soo kawaii!" She clasped her hands together and declared dramatically, " His eyes make heart-shaped marks on my soul!" She giggled, as Miharu rolled her eyes, and continued, " I would sooo love to get an Origami crane from him!"
Miharu sighed, then hearing the light beat of footsteps in the corridor outside, she cocked her head to one side and glumly remarked, " I've honestly lost count of the number of idols and fictional characters you've traded poor Jin for."
"Huh?" Xiaoyu's face was a picture of confusion, as though the thought had never occurred to her before. " What's Jin got to do with anything?" Then the twinge of guilt finally set in and continued to linger over her sunny soul.
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"Say, Jin..." Xiaoyu began tentatively, standing awkwardly at Jin's door, having just escorted Miharu out of the house. " Is it... okay, I mean, is it.. healthy to like so many people all at once?"
Jin was stretched out on his bed, working on something. Xiaoyu could hear the slight rustle of paper, though Jin's broad shoulders obstructed her view of what he was doing.
"Well?" she pressed when he seemed to be taking his time.
" What do you want me to say, Xiao?" Jin finally offered, his words slow and deliberate, his tone strangely melancholy, still with his back to her. " Your heart may be smaller than the size of my fist, but just the fact that it can hold so much innocent affection, for so many people, whether they're real or fictional, is... well, it's a good sign. It makes you a good person. I used to know someone just like that, too...once, " he smiled ruefully." Pity they're no longer around."
And without further warning, he shot out of bed, covered the distance between it and the doorway in two quick strides, thrust something into Xiaoyu's hands and set off to yet another arduous sparring session with his grandfather.
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Xiaoyu sat on her bed, combatting the pink flush that had crept up her face, while her fingers nimbly examined the crisp, neatly folded form of the Origami crane Jin had given her. On one side of it, the words "M. Scofield" had been hastily scrawled. Xiaoyu smiled: The signature bore all the hallmarks of having been written in Jin's hand, no attempt at disguise made whatsoever. Everything signalled to the fact that he wanted to be given credit for his attempt to humour her. She stared for a moment at the framed photograph on her night stand, which showed her and Jin on their last visit to Disneyland Tokyo, the latter looking awkward and gangly beside her, as she tugged on his arm, laughing. Her face broke into another smile. She got up, reached for the first poster she could find( one showing a simpering Zac Efron), and ripped it clean off the wall, without the tiniest hint of hesitation. She set her sight on another and repeated the process.
Within minutes, her walls were entirely bare, stripped of all the hallmarks of idol worship.
Because-what do you know- reality could sometimes offer you triumphs which far surpassed those of fantasy and fiction in their sweetness.
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A/N: You know, I actually didn't feel so bad about writing Xiaoyu. Next, we have Julia. Then Asuka, Lily, Christie, Zafina and Leo, not necessarily in that order.