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Fujisaki, JUMP Comics; Shueisha Inc., and TV Tokyo. Characters
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In other words - please don't sue me, I need my
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****************************************************************
Smiling Tears
Part II
By Shioru Sutherlands (aka. Kotoshin)
****************************************************************
What is love?
If love is defined, what would be that definition?
What lines can be drawn to decide where love begins and ends?
What rules can be set to predict the course love takes?
What laws can be used to calculate the width, the breadth, the
very depth of the emotion that is love?
What, is love?
If love is defined, is it defined by time?
Does the length of time I have known you affect my judgement,
distort what I see of the person before me?
If love is defined, is it defined by space?
Does the distance between us affect my longing for you,
increasing proportionally, as you come closer to me?
If love is defined, is it defined by the number of times I
think of you, speak of you by name?
If love is defined, is it defined by the number of times you
reach for me, call for me by name?
What, is love?
What is this feeling, this need?
What is this need - to have you hear only me?
What is this need - to have your eyes only on me?
What is this need - to have you speak only to me?
What is this need - to have you only with me?
And yet ...
It is not so simple, this need.
Possession of you is not what I need.
Love is not only this feeling, this need.
Love is free.
I cannot possess that which is free.
I cannot hold it captive, against its will.
I cannot trap it within my hands, cannot touch it with force.
What is love?
If I can define love, can I define what I feel for you?
- "Defining Equation: Love = ?"
-- Fuugen Shinjin
================================================================
PRESENT (before Taikoubou begun the Houshin Project)[1]
"Mokutaku, perfect timing." Smiling, Fuugen Shinjin pried
Taikoubou's pants from fingers loosened by surprise and
consternation. "You can help me get your Taikoubou-susuu into
the bath."
"... the bath?" Taikoubou repeated, dumbly.
"... the bath?" Mokutaku echoed.
"Yes, the bath." Fuugen answered both questions as he began
folding his 'prizes of war' away. "Bou-chan, you're dripping all
over my nice clean bedsheets -"
"Hai, shishou -" Mokutaku was about to assist his teacher when
a shout from Taikoubou stopped him.
"AND WHOSE BLOODY FAULT WAS THAT?"
"Now, now, Bou-chan," With his voice taking on a chiding tone as
he turned to Taikoubou, Fuugen pushed the disheveled doushi off
the bed. "I wouldn't have used ice to wake you up, if you would
wake up more promptly when I call you."
"Well, you should have tried harder!"
A wide-eyed Mokutaku watched the two friends spar verbally in
silence.
"But I did, Bou-chan." Tsking in disapproval as he examined the
sorry-looking sheets, Fuugen replied easily. "First, I dressed
you [2] as best as I could, considering how violently you lash
out whenever someone lays a finger on you in sleep. [3]"
Taikoubou opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought
better of it, and closed his mouth on whatever he was going to
say. One could practically see the steam fuming above the
doushi's head.
Smiling, Fuugen blithely continued his 'explanation,' as he
removed the sheets from the bed.
"Then I called and shook you several times, but you only mumbled
and rolled over. When I tried to physically remove you from
the bed, you refused to budge. In fact, you clung to the bed
like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood. I couldn't pry you
off. The ice was only the last resort when all else failed."
Taikoubou could only slump on the floor, clutch his head and
groan in defeat.
"... so /that's/ why ..." Used to his susuu overnighting at his
shishou's residence [4] (as well as their bickering habits and
various eccentricities), Mokutaku nodded.
Meanwhile, Fuugen had walked over to Taikoubou.
"What the-!?!" The doushi attempted to pull loose from the grip
the sennin had on his arms. "Fuugen, if you think I'm just going
to do what you order me to, you're dead wrong!"
"Mokutaku, if you will help, please?"
"Hai, shishou!"
"Mokutaku, don't listen to him!" Unfortunately, Mokutaku was
Fuugen's student, not his.
Carrying Taikoubou by arms and legs, Fuugen and Mokutaku somehow
managed to get the half-naked and wildly thrashing doushi into
the bathing chamber.
"$#%@$% %#%$#%@^$ YOU $!$%&^## FUUGEN!!!! I'll GET you for this
one, I SWEAR!!!"
Mokutaku's face turned beet red, but Fuugen only smiled at the
use of profane language.
*SPLASH*
Taikoubou looked like a landed fish as his eyes went round,
mouth flapping open and shut several times as he went under
the surface again.
"Bglubblublublub...!!!..."
"Thank you, Mokutaku, you may have the morning off." While the
doushi was busy spluttering water and unintelligible profanity,
Fuugen spoke. "I would suggest you to practice those sword
stroke counters I taught you yesterday, as I will be quizzing
you on practical defense in the afternoon."
"Hai, shishou," The obvious question could be seen clearly on
Mokutaku's face.
"Oh, I shall be busy here ..." A faint hint of malice crept into
Fuugen's voice. "... since Bou-chan /never/ washes behind his
ears."
In the background, unnoticed by Mokutaku, Taikoubou made gagging
noises.
"Hai, shishou!" Mokutaku left. [5]
================================================================
BATHING CHAMBER (30 minutes later) [6]
Nervously, Taikoubou waited alone in silence. After making him
surrender his last piece of clothing [7], Fuugen had left to 'do
laundry.'
/Where the bloody hell is that idiot?/ Taikoubou leaned back,
head resting against the edge of the bathing pool, listening to
the irregular sound of liquid dripping from the stalactites
overhead. Worn smooth by centuries of falling water, it fit
perfectly to his neck.
/Breathe in./ The doushi gritted his teeth and recalled what
he knew of meditation into service. /Breathe out. Stop. Don't
think of him. Think about something else. Anything else. You
know he's only doing this to annoy you. So, if you are annoyed,
you're playing right into his hands. Breathe in. Breathe out./
Eyes half-closed, Taikoubou began dozing in the warmth of the
heated pool.
/Breathe in. Breathe out. Don't think ... breathe in ....
breathe out .../
Gradually, the tension in his muscles dissipated away, and he
was set adrift in thought.
/I want my clothes back. DRY clothing, thank you very much,
Fuugen-I'm-Doing-This-For-Your-Own-Good. I want to get out of
here -/
His stomach grumbled.
/- and I want my breakfast, DAMMIT!/
As if on cue, the sound of footsteps broke the pitter-patter of
water droplets.
"Bou-chan, would you like to have some breakfast?" Still
smiling, from the sound of his voice. Doesn't that moron's face
ever get tired of doing that?
"YES." The scent of porridge reached his nostrils. "I'm
/starving/."
Even if Fuugen did get on his nerves, the sennin was one of the
best cooks he knew. Which was why, despite Fuugen's other
faults[8], he kept on coming back here for more. [9]
"It's Shinsen porridge[10], one of your favorites." Fuugen
chuckled at the plaintive tone. "And there's also peaches for
dessert."
/... maybe it's not so bad at all .../
"Feed me." Taikoubou's laziness bug kicked in.
".... it will be my pleasure, Bou-chan."
"Aaah." Someone never seems to learn from past mistakes ...
"Mmmmm."
Eyes closed, Taikoubou wondered why Fuugen hadn't put the spoon
to his open mouth yet.
"Aah...?!!"
Lips closed over his, deft tongue slipping between his teeth.
Familiar taste, sweetened by the added scent of water lilies.
Resisting the urge to bite down (because he knew that vengeance
would be swift and merciless), Taikoubou was mouth-fed by
Fuugen. [11]
He took a long time to swallow that first mouthful. [12]
================================================================
3 MINUTES & 48 SECONDS LATER ...
Gasping, Taikoubou glared at the ever-smiling Fuugen Shinjin
with sheer ... sheer ... sheer ... oh it! He didn't know
what noun to use for the emotion he felt, but it sure as hell
was more than mere indignation!
"More porridge?"
"Fuugen, gimme that bowl." Taikoubou didn't bother wasting time
arguing with the sennin. He grabbed both bowl and spoon from the
hands which held them loosely, as if expecting such a move.
And the Shinsen porridge quickly disappeared.
Wordlessly, Fuugen took away the spoon and the empty bowl,
setting them onto the tray he brought them in. Wordlessly,
Fuugen then passed Taikoubou the basket of peaches. Wordlessly,
Taikoubou took them one by one and ate in silence.
He began to worry after the fifth peach. Fuugen was too quiet.
Fuugen wasn't moving closer. Fuugen did not seem to have any
interest in what he was doing except to take each peach pit
away and to pass him another peach.
In other words, Fuugen wasn't happy with him.
And an unhappy Fuugen was definitely NOT a good thing.
Sneaking a look at his surroundings, Taikoubou caught sight of
the clean clothing Fuugen had brought along with his breakfast.
He started doing mental calculations of the amount of time
needed get to the pile, grab the clothing, and run out of the
bathing chamber before Fuugen could grab /him/.
/Yeah ... I think I can just make it .../
A soft rustling sound interrupted his thoughts, and Taikoubou
nearly choked on his eighth peach when he looked toward the
source of the sound.
Fuugen was disrobing.
"Fuugen, if you /dare/ come into the bath I'll ..."
"... you'll do what?" The sennin did not look at him, having
undressed down to pants only. "... try to drown me? I'm the
better swimmer of the two of us, Bou-chan."
"I'll - I'll jam this peach pit down your throat!"
"No need for violence, Bou-chan." Fuugen slid smoothly into the
water. "I don't intend to do anything to you."
"Don't come any closer!" Taikoubou moved away as fast as he
could, movement hindered by the water.
"Bou-chan..." Fuugen made no move to follow. "Do you hate the
thought of me touching you that much?"
Uncertainty cracked the sennin's usually confident voice.
"... well ...." Taikoubou tried glare back at Fuugen, expecting
a ruse. Only to find Fuugen with an expression he'd never have
thought to see on the sennin's face.
Fuugen did not look at him nor turn away, as the sennin often
did when maneuvering him into a position he did not particularly
care for. Instead, Fuugen Shinjin merely looked away to the
side, leaving the desolate longing naked on the handsome face.
/chained
I am chained
held down
bound and trapped and restrained
chained to this pain
this pain... /
Mechanically, he let the water fall from his hands...
/cannot break
these chains I wear
cannot ease
this pain I bear
cannot wash
the bloodstains clear -/
... before dipping them back into the water.
/can't forget
I swear .../
He repeated this action over ...
/it eats at me
even in sleep
it gnaws at me
the wounds bone deep
it tears at me
I cannot weep -/
...and over again ...
/in chains
in pain
in bloodstains
on my hands
blood ... stains .../
... knowing that the water could not take the blood away the
blood that only he could see on his hands the blood that he
could feel no matter what he did but could not help but try to -
/blood... stains...
wash away the
bloodstains .../
"... Fuugen?"
Startled out of his thoughts, he looked up.
"Yes, Bou-chan?" The smile had become a reflex, his automatic
defense.
"... nothing." Taikoubou knew that smile far too well. It was
the smile Fuugen used whenever he did not want to answer a
question. "I ... I wouldn't mind your hands on me so much...
touching me ... if they /don't/ lead to anything else."
"Oh?" The smile was genuine this time. "How would you like me
to touch you, then, Bou-chan?"
"ARRRRGGGGH." Taikoubou wondered why he bothered worrying about
this idiot at all.
"Just kidding, Bou-chan." Fuugen laughed. "You can set out the
rules while we're in here." [13]
"... no kidding?" At Fuugen's nod, Taikoubou breathed a sigh of
relief. "Okay, as far as /bathing/ goes, you're allowed to do my
back and wash my hair, but nothing else, got that?"
"Certainly, Bou-chan."
"Promise."
"I'll do your back, wash your hair - /and/ behind your ears -
and I won't touch you anywhere else. I promise."
"Alright." Pondering Fuugen's words, Taikoubou could not find
any loopholes which the smiling sennin could exploit. "Go on."
"Will you do my back for me, too, Bou-chan?" Fuugen asked as he
began soaping down Taikoubou's back.
"After you're done with me, yeah."
"You don't mind me talking while doing this, do you?"
"... you're asking a lot of questions today, Fuugen." Taikoubou
felt uneasy. "What's with you?"
"Perhaps I feel like taking your opinions into consideration
today, Bou-chan."
".... so, you do know that you've been /abusing/ me?!"
"Bou-chan ... I promise not to do anything you say 'no' to, and
I apologize for my behavior."
"... Fuugen?" The sennin's arms were about his neck, and he
could feel the weight of Fuugen's head resting against his own,
as well as warm breaths on his bared throat.
"I'm sorry .. Bou-chan."
"Fuugen, what are you talking about?" This was not usual. This
was not something Fuugen usually did. This ... wasn't like
Fuugen at all.
"For taking advantage of you so often these days." The sennin
sounded sincere - and for once, Taikoubou believed him.
Fuugen didn't even try to 'accidentally' brush against
Taikoubou... that was worrying, because the sennin usually
enjoyed getting a rise out of Taikoubou in any way he can.
/... what's going on?/
But still ...
"Does that mean you'll stop?" He couldn't help but ask in a
hopeful tone.
"No." Fuugen nuzzled his neck, half-sighing. "After all, you
asked me for it in the first place."
"... I thought I told you not to mention /that/ again."
Taikoubou was answered by a throaty chuckle.
"I /did/ have other suggestions, but you never bothered asking
for them ..."
It had been an ... interesting afternoon, thirty years ago.
================================================================
FLASHBACK TIME (about 30 years ago) [14]
Taikoubou was on his usual rock perch, deeply "meditating".
Sitting upright in the "lotus-seat" position, his eyes were
closed, his breathing was even, his expression utterly at peace
with the world.
Taikoubou was sound asleep.
"Bou-chan, you're slacking off again." A shadow fell across the
doushi's face as a hand took him by the shoulder, shaking him
awake. "Genshitenson-sama isn't very pleased with you."
"... *grumble* ... whatever, Fuugen." Taikoubou was as grouchy
as every time his 'beauty sleep' was interrupted.
"Bou-chan, why do you do this?" Fuugen sat down beside him.
Given a softer prospect than the outcrop of rock, Taikoubou
immediately used Fuugen's lap as a pillow.
"Because I'm bored." Opening his eyes to mere slits, the doushi
replied. "I mean, what's the point of learning all this stuff if
I'm not gonna actually use it?"
"... are you hoping to be exiled from the Senninkai, Bou-chan?"
"Nah." Taikoubou chewed on his lower lip. "I'm hoping that this
would make the old man give me something more interesting to
do. Something I actually care shit about instead of those stupid
rules and regulations we've had to memorize lately. Something
like actually helping the people down there. I mean, I've
learned a lot since I came here, grown stronger, but ..."
He couldn't quite put it into words, the restlessness he felt,
the need to be actually /doing/ something for the mortals in
Ningenkai, rather than devoting himself to his studies and
advance to the next level of immortality.
"... it's something you can't forget, what happened to bring
you here, isn't it?"
Taikoubou made a non-committal sound, which Fuugen interpreted
roughly to mean "isn't it the same for you, too?"
/I know, Bou-chan./
Fuugen could feel it, too, the restlessness. The feeling as if
there was something else that should be done, the feeling as if
he should do something ... the feeling of a dark and deadly
storm - a hurricane - hovering just out of sight at the horizon.
A building windstorm ready to loose all hell across the sky.
/I know ... /
Strange winds of fate which would change the very course of
history. Terrible winds of change which would blow away those
unprepared for its coming. Rising, winds of fury which would
break ... soon.
/I remember .../
He had became a pupil under Genshitenson-sama at the same time
as Taikoubou, for the same reason. The same reason that made
them both orphans.
/... the blood .../
There were Immortals in the world. Those who had reached a
certain degree of understanding of the universe and its
mysteries were the sennin. Those who were still learning the
mysteries were the doushi. Immortal, with abilities beyond that
of mere mortals.
/... the screams .../
Immortals, who can be either good or evil.
/... the pain .../
At the whim of an Immortal sennyo, many villages were razed to
the ground.
/... the loss./
Because of that whim, two children who would not have otherwise
met were brought together. Both children were the sole
survivors of the attack on their respective villages. Both
children were born with sennin bones, the potential to become
one of the sennin.
/I cannot forget .../
Both children were taken to Mount Koron by Genshitenson, the
leader of the many sennin residing there.
"... Fuugen."
Close in age and circumstance, the two had become friends.
Friends, and perhaps something more ...
"Yo, Fuugen!"
"... hm ...? Sorry, Bou-chan. I wasn't listening." Taikoubou
had sat up, and was glaring at him irritately under unruly brown
locks of hair.
"For the last time, you gonna help me do this or what?"
"You know what my answer is, Bou-chan." Fuugen smiled, and
ruffled those messy forelocks, exposing the green eyes.
"Great!"
"I have only one question."
"And that is ...?"
"What did you want me to help you with?" At that, Taikoubou
nearly fell off the rock.
Fortunately, Fuugen had expected that, and had caught ahold of
Bou-chan's hand before the doushi fell all the way to the
Ningenkai.
"Help me with my plan to get Genshitenson's sanction in acting
on the behalf of the people in Ningenkai, of course!"
/What happened to us should never happen again. NEVER./
"... how would you plan to do that?"
"Weren't you listening to me?" Taikoubou had a headache.
"Sorry, but I wasn't, Bou-chan." Fuugen smiled down at him
angelically. "That's why I'm asking."
"Okay. It's like this - I want to be a slacker."
"... that shouldn't be too hard for you."
"...#... shut up and listen to me. But I still want to keep up
with my studies, it's just that I don't want the old man to know
I am. That's where you come in."
"Gotcha. And?"
"And then, because I appear to be such a sorry credit to his
teaching methods, Genshi-ol'man would send me down to the Ninkai
with his blessings. He won't want to have me up here again."
"... sounds like it should work, but what does this part have
to do with me?"
"Fuugen, while I /like/ to sleep, it gets awfully boring after
twelve hours of 'meditation'." Taikoubou folded his arms under
the back of his head. "Since that's taken care of, I might as
well be doing something interesting at nights."
"... so, you're saying ..."
"BINGO." Taikoubou leaned in, grinning widely at Fuugen. "Think
you can manage with a little less sleep? This way, I wouldn't be
so bored when I'm faking it." [15]
"Bou-chan, you know I wouldn't mind at all." Fuugen had to make
an effort to keep his smile guileless. It wouldn't do at all to
let Bou-chan know that he'd been reading the Sujyokyo [16]
lately.
================================================================
PRESENT
"...#... if you had other suggestions, why didn't you tell me?"
Taikoubou was not happy, remembering how Fuugen had insisted on
doing things "by the book."
"I told you, Bou-chan." Fuugen smiled as Taikoubou took his
arms in hand, and turned to face him. "You didn't ask."
"... and I suppose you didn't feel like telling me because you
liked my suggestion better?"
"Bou-chan is so smart."
Just before Taikoubou gave in to the urge to sock Fuugen a good
one in the eye, two words stopped him.
"... Houshin Keikaku."
"... Hou-what?"
"Houshin Keikaku, the Houshin Project." Taikoubou could not read
the expression in blue-violet eyes. "We don't have much time
left ... together."
/I don't want to let go.
Don't want to let you go.
So I cling fast to you.
As often as I can.
So I hold fast to you.
As often as I am capable.
So I love you.
But ..../
"Fuugen, do you know something that I don't?" Arms retightening
about Taikoubou's neck, face delving into the hollow between
throat and collarbone.
/If you love something, let it go.
If it comes back to you, it is yours.
If it doesn't ... then it was never meant to be./ [17]
"Mmmhmm." He breathes in the scent of wind, the scent that was
uniquely Taikoubou's.
"Well, tell me!"
"The Houshin Project." Fuugen's voice was monotonous, as if
reciting directly from memory. "The Project proposed by the
Three Great Sennin to eliminate negative sendou [18] presence
from the Ningenkai sphere. Specifically, remove the influence
of one kosen[19], currently possessing the name and body of
one 'So Dakki.'"
/So... Dakki .../
Taikoubou's eyes narrowed at the mention of the kosen.
/... the vixen who ORDERED my people's deaths .../
"It's starting." Fuugen said calmly. "What you have been
waiting for."
"... Fuugen, you hacked into Genshitenson's terminal again,
didn't you?" Green eyes bright with anticipation, Taikoubou
said admiringly. "Tell me everything you know! Tell me now!"
"Bend your head over so I can wash your hair while I talk."
"... (mou~) ... fine. Watch it with the soapsuds."
"Under this identity, she has upsurped the place of the rightful
Empress Kyohi, of the Ningenkai Dynasty 'In'. Chou Ou, the
current Emperor, is nothing but her cat's-paw, speaking her
words. The high tax increase among the peasantry lately is also
her doing.She has gathered a lot of like-minded sendou
(numbering roughly 300~400, mostly comprised of youkai-sennin),
as her subordinates.
"Elimination of Dakki and her cohorts from Ninkai is the
objective. However, they are not to be permitted re-entry into
the Senninkai. Since it is against the Senninkai laws (section
128:2.7) to take the lives of other sendou, a safe and humane
disposal method must be taken into consideration.
"Therefore, a place of containment (codename: Shinkai) will be
arranged. Once construction of 'Houshin Dai,' a prison designed
to capture the souls of defeated sendou, is completed, Houshin
Kenkaku will be initiated with its activation.
"Current proposed 'Houshin Keikaku' executor: Taikoubou.
Current 'Houshin Keikaku' status: TBA tomorrow."
"That all you've got?" Taikoubou was mildly disappointed, "Hey,
not behind the ears! It itches!"
"I'm done." Fuugen rinsed the last bit of soap away. "I could
not penetrate the system further without alerting
Genshitenson-sama of what I was up to. He will most likely
summon you today ... to entrust you with the project.
"This information is current as of last night, after you fell
asleep."
"... this fast?"
"Yes. I knew you'll be leaving soon, so -" Fuugen held him,
reburying face into the junction between chin and chest. "I ...
I wanted to hold you while I still can."
"So that's what all the recent -" Taikoubou shut up. It really
would hurt his case (among other things) with Fuugen if he dared
accuse the sennin of nymphomanical activities.
"I'll make it up to you tonight," the voice beside his ear said.
"Bou-chan."
"Oh no you don't -"
"I'll let you do anything you want to me," the voice cajoled,
"And I won't deny you anything - just for tonight."
"What's the catch?" Taikoubou was still suspicious of Fuugen's
motives.
"Just ... let me rest like this, for a while ..." the voice,
Fuugen's voice, sounding ... tired? Nah, it couldn't be.
Could it?
"I /am/ tired, Bou-chan. I'm not as full of boundless energy as
you seem to think I am." Fuugen's chin was resting on his
shoulder, arms wound about his neck, body tucked snugly onto
his. "After ... you fell asleep, I couldn't. So I ran a check
on the status of the Houshin Project." [20]
"... Fuugen, thank you."
"Don't thank me." His eyes were growing heavy. "I would have
done it even if not for you, Bou-chan ... (yawn) ... but you're
welcome, nevertheless."
"Hey - wait a sec!" Taikoubou did not foresee this turn of
events. "Don't fall asleep on - oh, great."
Fuugen was fast asleep.
The sennin was breathing evenly against his shoulder, arms still
firmly wound about his neck.
/He looks like an angel .../ Sighing, Taikoubou ran his hands
through the tousled blue hair.
Still, being used as a body pillow in exchange to doing ANYTHING
he pleased to that wicked angel - even just for one night ...
Taikoubou began plotting his revenge. [21]
================================================================
~tbc~
================================================================
[1] Shi's decided. It is now the dawn of the first day in the
manga, chapter 1. ^_^
[2] Mystery solved. Fuugen dressed Taikoubou to get him up and
ready in time.
[3] Taikoubou: *sarcastically* Gee, I wonder why?
[4] Fuugen Shinjin's residence on Mount Konron is at Kukyusan's
Hakkushiru Dou. Roughly translating the place name into
English would be "Nine-Palace-Peak's White-Crane-Cave."
[5] And the poor lad /still/ has no inkling of Taikoubou-susuu
and Fuugen-shishou's true relationship ... *sweatdrop*
[6] Shi has set Fuugen's residence as a large natural cave
complex. Limestone caves often have natural springs,
given the limestone's permeability to water. The bathing
chamber is a part of this limestone cave complex. Rig
in a heating source and you've got hot water. (And the
water is quite rich in minerals, so it's healthy to
drink! It's also great for brewing Chinese tea. ^_^)
[7] Which would be the dark long-sleeved shirt Taikoubou has
under the robe with the Ying-Yang symbol. Fuugen had
acquired the jacket, the headscarf, the waist-sash, the
robe AND the gloves when Mukutaku walked in on them
fighting over the pants.
[8] Such as charging the 'fee' of staying the night ... ^_^;
[9] Fuugen: *sniffle* I'm hurt. So you're only here to freeload
the food?
[10] Shinsen porridge is basically white rice porridge made from
white-fruit and fuu-juh (another name for bean-curd.
it's very nutritious). When it just reaches the boiling
point, one'd put a freshly plucked water lily pad over
it and close the lid. Ten minutes later the porridge
turns a gorgeous emerald color (which happens to be
the shade of susuu's eyes ...) and fills one's mouth
with the scent of water lilies when eaten. Susuu likes
a little sugar w/ his, but shi prefers it the way it is.
MMMMmm-good. ^_^
[11] O.O Shi wanna too! Feed shi, Fuugen-sama!
[12] ... 3 minutes and 48 seconds, to be exact.
[13] Susuu, would you please note Fuugen's choice of words
carefully? Sheesh ... but ... FIC IDEA BORN! See
"senseless babble" below.
[14] This happens several months after Taikoubou 'accepts'
Fuugen. See "smiling tears, pt. i" for details. And YES,
there is room enough for the two of them on that rock
outcropping - it wasn't that /small/ (as seen in vol. 1
of the manga) until Genshitenson-sama blasted susuu for
being lazy, roughly 25 years before Houshin Keikaku.
[15] Susuu, you /REALLY/ asked for it. It really is his fault for
/asking/ Fuugen to keep him up at nights. Guess someone
thought he was going to be 'top' ... Credit for this
idea goes to Ruby-chan, who commented on the fact that
susuu started slacking off at about the same time he went
on that fishing trip with Fuugen.
[16] According to legend, Sujyokyo was a book written by Koutai
Nokien (one of the first emperors of China) and one of
his concubines. It's basically the Chinese equivalent of
the Kama Sutra.
[17] From a novel shi read. "Snowbird". Forgot who the author
was. Help, anyone?
[18] sendou = a collective term for Immortals, be they sennin or
be they doushi.
[19] kosen = fox sennin. A youkai-sennin who was originally a
fox.
[20] Poor Fuugen. He slept less than 3 hours last night.
[21] *snicker* Does anyone actually believe he'll succeed?
================================================================
Shin no Freetalk:
MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.
More evilness ensues. ^o^v
Ouji-sama? Oh, you mean what happened to his appearance?
*twiddles fingers* ... well ... see, it's like this ...
(a) once susuu got into hot water, he liked it too well to leave
(b) Fuugen was sent to get susuu out of hot water
(c) Fuugen /kept/ susuu there
(d) Shi ran out of room for ouji-sama
(e) ouji-sama starts BITCHING at shi for turning his poem into a
Fuugen POV one + changing his appearance to token cameo,
and later to none. -_-;
... so, this chapter took a while to do.
Urr ... no comment on the weird free style semi-non-rhyming poem
that appears at the beginning of this part.
And the first person who asks if a poem will always open off the
later part as a "formulae" gets a cyber smack in the face.
mail shi-chan at kichin@doushi.org with any comments! ^o^
================================================================
Sneak previews of what's going to happen next:
Fuugen Shinjin pays a fellow sennin a visit.
Ouji-sama appears ...
... and promptly gets into an argument with Fuugen.
Taikoubou's revenge.
================================================================
First Edition: September 15th, 2000 at 1:37 PM
Last Revised: September 17th, 2000 at 8:19 PM
================================================================
senseless babble:
once upon a time, while writing this part of the fic, shi got
into a talk via ICQ with one of the proof-readers, the lovely
ruby-chan ....
SHI
It has just occured to Shi that, together, Taikoubou and Fuugen
would make an invincible lawyer team. And if you add Youzen to
the equation ... ^_^; ... scary thought.
RUBY
HEHE lawyers....sheesh..........
they wouldn't have to worry about $$ for peaches or...err...
other stuff o.O;;;
SHI
*nodnod*
think about it. ^^;
It would be soooo easy for Fuugen to win sympathy from the
judges/jury members (& present cases logically/concisely),
Bou-chan's the strategist & brains of the team, and Youzen can
turn into ANY evidence they need ....
RUBY
*falls over* YES that's quite true ><
[as half of the jury (male and female) stares at the beautiful
man in the witness stand, the other half sheds tears at one of
the defense lawyers...while the other defense lawyer inputs
commands into their passive brains]
SHI
*nodnodnod*
I wonder why no one has thought of it yet ... (fic idea! ^^;;;;)
RUBY
oooooooh yes! wahahahahaha!!!!
SHI
You want shi to start? ^^; But then we'd need Hime-sama to do
the reporting to start it off, and to decide the persecutor's
side ... etc etc.
Would be fun if they're defending Dakki or sth. ^O^
Bunchuu as the persecutor and - and G-sama as the judge!
*mwahahahah*
RUBY
HAHA definately!!! hmmmmm....
SHI
Chou-oh-san can be the poor "victim" ... maybe Dakki set him up
for insurance money, attempted to kill him or sth. ^_^
RUBY
yeah that'll do...hehehe....
but what would susuu and team get outta defending Dakki???? o.O
SHI
.... urm, they get certain incriminating "tapes" back? ^^;
(envisions Dakki-sama as co-landlord of one of those high-class
condos w/ Shinkouhyou & set cameras into every nook & cranny~~~)
RUBY
*falls over*
goodness that's a good one (reminds me of the Utena movie...
"and then the ouji-sama JUMPED OFF THE BUILDING!!!!")
SHI
*mwahahahhahahahah*
^_^;
we're soooo evil it's fun. funny. whatever. ^^;;;;;
Oi. That means Outenkun would be sth like building security
manager ... *sweatdrop*
RUBY
wahahahahaha ><
.... thus a new fic idea was born.
================================================================
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