Before we start let’s get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I’d be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don’t sue me. I’m only doing this to appease my muse! *** Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup - A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide – Chapter 2: Through the Cracks It was 2am the next morning when Mihoshi heard the door to their flat open again. She had decided to wait up for her partner partly so she could help her to bed if she had had too much to drink, but mostly to see how her date had gone. After a couple of hours sleep yesterday afternoon she thought she could probably get up in time for work in the morning. she thought as she peeked round the kitchen door. As it turned out he was rather good looking, at least to her eyes. He was a little taller than Kiyone and looked to have a bit of western blood in him as well as Japanese, like that man who she had worked for at the off licence. His black hair was long enough to tie back and hung just above his shoulder blades with a few strands falling around his face. He had calming brown eyes, although they were a bit squinty. Given the way they were propping each other up she figured that was probably the alcohol and they were both rather damp thanks to the rain outside. “Hi Kiyone! Did you have fun?” she said, greeting them after they deposited keys, photos and various other bits and bobs onto the table. Kiyone looked up unsteadily. “Ah! Mihoshi. Mihoshi, this is Shoji. Shoji, this is Mihoshi.” Shoji looked up and pulled the stray wet hair out of his eyes with his free hand. “Ah ha! You must be the partner in crime Kiyone-san told me about.” Kiyone giggled at that. Mihoshi on the other hand didn’t get it. “Oh no, we’re the Galaxy Police. We catch the criminals.” The words had left her mouth before Kiyone could stop them. Mihoshi immediately realised what she had let slip and quickly covered her mouth. Kiyone, despite the haze created by a night of social drinking, knew what had just happened and vowed to kill her later. She looked up to see what Shoji’s reaction would be. Date or not this was big trouble. Shoji looked at Mihoshi for a second. Then he spied something on the table. “Hmmm,” he said looking down at Kiyone as lecherously as he could manage, “I guess that is what these are for, eh?” He held up a pair of handcuffs. “I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing Kiyone-san. Or should that be officer-chan?” Kiyone looked at him like he had grown a second head before bursting into laughter. “Gimme those!” She snatched back the handcuffs, “And don’t get perverted on me alright? They’re for self- defence.” Shoji let out an almost cackle-like laugh. “Right, right. God knows it there are some strange people out at night.” Kiyone smiled. she thought. “Anyway,” said Shoji turning towards Mihoshi, “yes I am Shoji Mugai, nice to meet you Mihoshi-san.” He took a formal bow, which ended up depriving Kiyone of vertical support, leaving her on her bottom on the floor shortly after a slight squeal from the aforementioned ‘detective who wasn’t’. Mihoshi smiled and bowed back. She hadn’t understood the meaning behind what they had said about the Galaxy Police but it seemed Kiyone had saved her. She probably should have read more about human culture, but there was too much to remember! “Mihoshi Kuramitsu,” she said introducing herself as she returned his bow. She and Shoji helped Kiyone to her feet, then, realising there was nowhere to take her, sat back down again. After a few minutes of exchanging pleasantries Shoji looked at his watch. “I suppose I had better be going,” he said as he got to his feet again. “We both have work in a few hours after all.” “Sure,” Kiyone replied. “Oh, wait, do you want me to call you a cab?” “No thanks, I didn’t drink as much as it looked like, and the rain doesn’t bother me.” He grabbed his keys off the table. “I’ll see you around I guess.” “Yeah,” replied Kiyone sleepily as she dried her hair and Mihoshi opened the door for him. “Nice to have met you Mihoshi-san,” he said as he left. “You too Shoji-san,” Mihoshi said before closing the door. She turned to see Kiyone working the cricks out of her neck. “No kiss goodbye?” she asked, a little confused. “I thought that was what usually happened on Earth dates. And he was kind of cute.” She sat down next to her partner. Kiyone smiled and chuckled a bit. “It was fun, but I think we both agreed we weren’t what the other was looking for. He’d be a good friend though I think.” “Oh, Kiyone I’m so sorry,” Mihoshi said with sympathy. “And you haven’t had a boyfriend in so long.” “Aaaargh. Well, that’s life. It was a decent way to spend an evening though. How about you?” She yawned. “Umm. Well, I finished writing that report on the smugglers we caught last week, and there was that funny program on TV I wanted to watch.” She got up and headed into the kitchen for a drink. “Oh, I got some more of that coffee too because we were nearly out and I know you like to drink that in the mornings. And there was that man who called about whether we wanted some books, but they were really dull so I said no, and then I went to tell the landlady about the bathroom sink not working, so she sent someone to fix that. And that’s about it! ... Kiyone?” She poked her head back round the door. “Kiyone?” Kiyone was asleep at the table. Mihoshi giggled, finished pouring her cup of hot chocolate, and walked quietly back into the main room. She set the cup to cool off then dragged the futons from out of the closet. She rummaged around to find Kiyone’s pyjamas, knowing how she hated to wear her regular clothes to bed, then dragged her over to her futon. She carefully removed Kiyone’s clothes which smelled faintly of smoke, then got her into the pyjamas. She giggled as she remembered doing the same thing after their graduation party at the academy. That had been a really fun party. So was the one when they had caught the head of Tyrillun gun runners and got promoted to First Class Detectives. As she got her into her futon she wondered why alcohol always made Kiyone fall asleep before she did. It was usually the other way around wasn’t it? After she had finished she went back to her hot chocolate and watched her partner sleep. It was so different looking at her like this than it usually was. She was so calm and peaceful now. Mihoshi wished she could be like this more often. Not asleep, she wouldn’t get any work done then! Just so that she wasn’t worrying about anything. Tenchi had let Kiyone know about the birthday plans before they had left yesterday, so they could both get presents and ask for the day off work. she remembered as she drank. She pondered on this for a while before deciding that she would ask Kiyone tomorrow. It was just as she was pulling off her socks that she remembered how Kiyone was trying to put hers on the previous morning. That was funny, even for her. she mused She set off to find the elusive timepiece and eventually discovered it hiding away beside the dresser, having fallen off a few days previously. Having set the device to get them up in time for them to get to work tomorrow, she sat back on her futon and came to one very clear and undeniable conclusion; It was cold crawling around in the middle of the night in nothing but a sock and a pair of panties. she told herself, before getting into her own bed clothes and crawling into the second futon. Had she got changed first she would have forgotten about the alarm clock, been late for work and subsequently been chewed out by their boss after their shift when they should have been catching a speeding shuttle passing though that sector of space. As a consequence the speeder would have made his delivery of explosives to his gang, who would have made a major strike on the Juraian embassy on Torg, leaving the both Jurai and Torg with a major terrorist hunt. It would eventually have left all the terrorists and 5 Special Forces people dead by the time it was over. Whatever it was that gave Mihoshi her incredible luck seemed to realise that foiling that was worth getting a cold bum for. *** “WAAAAAAHHHHH! *gasp* Ryoko!” Tenchi Masaki had woken. Once again the first thing he had seen was an in-depth close up of Ryoko’s bloodshot eyes. They weren’t the best things to see first thing in the morning. “Good morning Tenchi,” she said before floating down for a hug. As usual she missed him by a hair’s breadth as he escaped to the hallway. “Awww, come on Tenchi, just one little morning cuddle? Pleeeease?” He turned around to see her float through his bedroom door and gave her a half-lidded stare. “Ryoko, I’m going to the bathroom. You are going to go downstairs for breakfast. And please don’t hover over my bed like that at night. It’s kind of freaky.” “Oh, alright, but I like watching you sleep. I’ll go and see if her princess-ness is up.” “Umm... Ryoko-san?” She floated over to his side and slipped her arm around him, making him rather nervous. “Yes Tenchi?” “Err, its’ just... Kicking Ayeka awake might not be such a great idea.” He swallowed. “How did you know? It worked last time,” Ryoko replied mischievously. “It took 3 hours to clean up the room last time. You know what we’re doing, so try not to fight, okay? Please?” “You know I won’t spoil it Tenchi.” She gave him a pat on the backside before floating off to Ayeka’s room. Tenchi let out a breath then headed for the bathroom. he thought. Despite being fairly confident they could he was still waiting for the scream from Ayeka’s room. “AAAAAAIIIIIIII! *thump* RYOKO! HOW *DARE* YOU!” Tenchi sighed. *** After breakfast had been cleared away and Ayeka had been mollified came the task of disciplining Ryoko. This was the part of the damage control Tenchi hated the most, whichever side was the one to require it. His father and grandfather had made it quite clear that the extraterrestrial guests were his responsibility. This time though came an added problem, making sure Ayeka felt properly done by without her knowing anything. He’d decided that the shrine shed was as good a place as any, so when they had finished eating he had mentioned moving his farming tools into their new shed and made quite sure to bring Ryoko along. Ayeka had seemed to think that was appropriate enough and had graciously agreed to start her chores early. “Okay Ryoko, you didn’t give Ayeka a kick to get her up, but dropping her out of the window by her ankles is definitely not any better!” She wilted under his glare. “But Tenchiii,” she said trying to explain herself, “she would have gotten suspicious if I didn’t do *anything*.” Tenchi however stuck to his argument. “That’s not he point. It was stupid and dangerous Ryoko, she could have got hurt.” “But she didn’t,” Ryoko almost pleaded back, “I knew she could take it. It was only a joke! And you didn’t hear what she said to me yesterday in the fields. She...” Tenchi cut her off, “Ryoko when you had finished yesterday you were both getting along. You settled whatever it was right?” Ryoko lowered her eyes. “Well, she said she was sorry and I didn’t want to make you angry about the fields again so I said it was okay, but it was still really cruel and...” “But it was over.” Tenchi brought her head up to look him in the eyes. He found that appealing directly like that to Ryoko was the best way to get her to accept her mistakes. That way she couldn’t convince herself she wasn’t to blame without feeling guilty about it. “Ryoko when you settle something just let it go, and if you’re still angry about it then just tell whoever it is and talk about it, don’t drop them out of windows. It just got you fighting again.” “I... I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” He stepped forward and gave her a brief hug. “I’m glad. Do you want me to talk to Ayeka about yesterday?” She looked up at him again. She squashed that little voice in the back of her head. Regardless of that little part of her she *had* heard what he had said and he was right. She was just looking for excuses again. She looked down. “No,” she said in a quiet voice, “it’s nothing. We finished it.” Tenchi smiled. “Good. Now, you had better start moving this stuff.” He gestured to the gardening equipment. “You still have to serve your sentence!” “What about my chores?” “Them too.” Ryoko looked at him aghast. “What? That’s not fair!” “That’s why its called punishment Ryoko. It’s not meant to be pleasant.” Ryoko stuck her nose in the air and crossed her arms under her breasts, making sure Tenchi got a good view of her cleavage. “I won’t, and you can’t make me!” This brought Tenchi up short. She was right. “Umm... Well, I guess not, but... err...” Tenchi started to get nervous. Regardless of his telling her off he really didn’t want to get her mad at him. And she *had* been more amenable since her merging with Zero. Ryoko stalked slowly up to him, causing him to retreat slightly. When he backed up against the wall she stopped and flashed him a smile. “You know,” she said, “you’re really cute when you’re nervous!” She gave a quick giggle. Tenchi relaxed. “So, you’ll do it?” “I haven’t brushed my teeth,” she replied. “Huh?” “I haven’t brushed my teeth this morning.” “Well, brush your teeth, then move this stuff to the new shed, okay? Just make sure you’re done with you’re chores by lunchtime because we’ll be out this afternoon shopping for the party.” “Okay,” she said. She phased out and re-appeared in the bathroom. She picked out her toothbrush, loaded it with paste and stuck it in her mouth. she thought. *** “Umm... Ayeka-san? Can I ask you a favour?” Ayeka looked up from her book to see Tenchi standing there, and looking a little nervous. “Of course Tenchi-sama. What is it?” Tenchi sat down. “Well, you see, it looks like everyone else is going out this afternoon and I was hoping you could mind Mayuka.” Ayeka didn’t betray her disappointment as he finished his request. “I know it’s kind of short notice but you see I thought now we have that new shed I could get some more tools since I won’t have to carry them up there any more, and Sasami has convinced Tsunami that she should see what going shopping is like. So then Washu said she wanted to record it what with Tsunami being a goddess and everything. Grandpa said he was busy and Dad’s at work, and I figured we should take Ryoko along so we can keep her on a short leash after what she did this morning.” Despite her disappointment at being asked not to come along she couldn’t help but giggle at Tenchi’s little ramble. She could just imagine Ryoko being lead around the town on a collar and lead. “I suppose that would be alright if no-one else can, though I must say I’ve been hoping to go shopping myself some time soon. Could we not bring Mayuka along?” Tenchi thought fast. He hadn’t really put that question into his rehearsals for this chat. “Well, we might be gone a few hours. It... wouldn’t really be fair or pleasant to bring a screaming baby along with us.” Ayeka thought, “That is true,” she said, “I remember Mother trying to bring Sasami to a trade convention once. She bawled for hours. It was quite embarrassing.” Sasami suddenly stuck her head around the door to the garden from where she had been listening in. “I didn’t bawl!” she pouted. Ayeka laughed lightly into her hand. “Sasami you howled like the world was going to end. Father had to take you out of Mother Funaho’s speech so you wouldn’t cause a scene. It made the news the next day!” Sasami stormed up to her sister still in full pout mode. “I don’t howl.” “Sasami, you were only 4 years old. I’d be amazed if you can even remember it!” Sasami calmed down, realising she indeed could barely remember any incident like that. “I never howled,” her pout fading into a minor resigned sulk. “Even if I was a baby.” This managed to confuse Tenchi however. He turned to Ayeka, “Baby? I thought you said she was four years old.” “Tenchi-sama what do you... oh. I suppose Onii-sama never told you much about Juraians did he,” she realised. He shook his head. “No. I didn’t know about space or aliens or anything like that until Ryoko showed up.” Ayeka turned thoughtful. “Well as I understand it Juraians live a lot longer than Earth born humans and also have a slower development. I think years on Jurai are a different length from the ones here on Earth too. I’m not sure how you would calculate our ages compared to Earth human development but a Juraian at four years old is still very much an infant.” Tenchi and Sasami however had both realised that talking about age was not the best thing to do when trying to organise the surprise party. At the least it would make them seem heartless when they didn’t mention her birthday. Luckily Ayeka had brought up a convenient question for Tenchi to change subject with. “What do you mean by ‘Earth born humans’? Are there other types of human out there?” Ayeka was somewhat surprised at this. “Yes, of course there are Tenchi-sama. Earth was a lost Juraian colony after all, so you could say that you are technically Earth born Juraians! The passage of time has allowed your genes to change a little but we are still basically the same race. There are a great number of human races and races that originated from human ancestry. There are also mixed race people where we are able to interbreed. Us humans are positively everywhere!” They all gave a chuckle at that. “Mmmm. Nice to see you kids taking in interest in genetics. Once of my favourite subjects that is.” Washu walked into the room wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “I’d take the time to explain the differences between your peoples, but lunch is almost ready. Maybe once we get back hmmm?” She turned back to the kitchen to finish preparing her tempura. “Oh Sasami-chan, you’re not making lunch today?” Tenchi asked turning to her. Sasami gave a half-hearted smile. “I asked Washu if she would cook today. I’m not feeling too good.” Ayeka leaned in and put her hand on her sister’s forehead. “What’s wrong? Have you seen Washu about it?” she asked worriedly. Tenchi gave her a look of concern. “I’m fine Onee-sama. I’ll be okay soon. I just didn’t want to have to cook today, and it’s *Washu* doing the cooking.” “Well as long as you’re alright. Perhaps we should set the table,” Ayeka said. Tenchi nodded. “No need to worry about that Tenchi-chan!” Ryoko phased into the room with an armful of crockery. “And yes I *have* finished my chores. I just want to eat soon and her high and mightiness will take forever to lay this stuff out.” In less than ten seconds she was done. Tenchi beamed at her. “Wow Ryoko I’m impressed. You can really work fast when you put your mind to it.” Ayeka just stared at her with eyebrows raised, her eyes wide in astonishment. “Thank you Tenchi,” Ryoko said with a faint blush before floating back into the kitchen. {Thanks Washu,} she thought-cast to the chef, {it really worked! *sigh*} Washu gave her a smug grin. {Of course it did. Glad to be of help Ryoko-chan.} Ryoko didn’t even correct her on the –chan addition. Washu smiled to herself. Back at the table Ayeka sat in disbelief. “Ryoko finishes her chores and we haven’t even had lunch yet. Then she *volunteers* to do more! The sky will be falling next if we aren’t careful!” Sasami and Tenchi just laughed. Ayeka thought as she got up, She didn’t notice Sasami gently hold her stomach as she left. Two hours later she sat cradling Mayuka in her arms with a notebook and pencil left forgotten in her lap. *** Down in the town everybody else was busy looking for presents and buying supplies for the party the next day. Apparently Nobuyuki would buy his gift on the way home from work, and Katsuhito was as mysterious as ever when he admitted he had already anticipated the party. Mihoshi and Kiyone were still at work. Tsunami stood outside a shop window, her eyes passing over an exquisite formal gown. It was rather western in style and would fit close to Ayeka’s figure in all the right places. It was also off the left shoulder, just racy enough for her without being overt and almost the perfect red to complement her hair. Gold and black embroidery worked its way up the left side, around the back, and finishing across the breast. A dragon intertwined with a garland of roses. She called the others over for their opinions. It wouldn’t do if it were inappropriate for the occasion. After all, Ayeka was almost her sister thanks to Sasami, and as much as she hated to admit it she was not exactly adept yet at personal relationships and mortal-type thought. Tenchi and Ryoko were the first to come and he confirmed that it would be a superb gift. “Very swish,” Ryoko agreed. Then Sasami and Washu approached. Sasami stared wide eyed at the dress. “Oh my! It’s... It’s just like her Mori Tatakai outfit.” She gave a gleeful laugh. “Are you going to get it for her Tsunami?” she asked, already knowing the answer. Tsunami nodded. “Mori Tatakai?” Tenchi asked as he looked at the price label. “Tsunami, this dress is lovely but it’s very expensive. I’m not sure any of us could afford it.” “Don’t worry about that Tenchi-dono,” Washu chipped in. “Us foreign types have our own sources, right girls?” “Yep. That’s right Tenchi nii-chan,” said Sasami. She leaned in to whisper to him. “And I’m a princess too remember?” Tenchi nodded. “Yeah. I guess I forgot about that.” Tsunami turned and walked into the store followed by the others. “Good afternoon,” said the salesman who had been watching them through the window. “May I help you?” “Yes,” Tsunami said, “I would like to buy the red dress in the front window.” As she spoke those words she could literally see the joy radiating off the man, as well as a touch of greed. That dress was one of the top-end pieces in the store, and a sale like this would ensure a very healthy profit margin this month. “Of course miss. If you would follow me to the fitting room.” Tsunami smiled. “That will not be necessary. The dress in the window is perfect.” The salesman stopped and turned to her. “Er, please forgive me miss, but I believe that particular item may be a little, *ahem* small for you.” After all she was rather tall for a woman, a little taller than both the young man with her and himself, and her bust was somewhat larger than that particular size would comfortably accommodate. “We have several sizes available however that so if you would...” He stopped as Tsunami slowly shook her head, still smiling. “No, no, you misunderstand me. It is not for myself. I intend it as a gift. I believe it would fit her perfectly.” The salesman smiled in understanding. “I see, please forgive me. If you are certain then I shall package it for you.” “Thank you very much,” Tsunami replied. She removed a sheaf of 10,000 yen bills from the pouch at the side of her Juraian style kimono (she was the only one besides Ayeka who had not yet adopted Earth clothing when going out) and handed them over the counter. Five minutes later they were back in the main shopping street, Tsunami now carrying her new purchase. “See Tsunami,” Sasami said looking up, “it is fun.” Tsunami nodded. “There is a nice sense of satisfaction to this. And my curiosity is piqued about your choices.” “Well you know what I’m going to give her,” Sasami said. “You will still help me make it won’t you?” “Of course,” Tsunami replied. “Home made huh?” said Ryoko. “Well, I don’t really know about this stuff, but whatever I get is gonna be secret from you guys too.” “Hey Ryoko,” called Tenchi as she made to head off, “no floating around or anything, okay?” “Yeah I know,” she replied sneakily, “don’t spook the natives!” She stuck her hands in her jeans and walked off to the shopping centre up ahead. The remaining four continued to wander up the street browsing at the windows. “Sasami-chan,” Tenchi said, “what was that Mori Tatakai you mentioned?” “It’s a sports tournament,” she replied. “They have it every two years on Jurai. It’s really popular too. Everybody watches it and the really lucky ones can get tickets. It’s sort of on the same level as that football game here on earth, although I don’t know what is so great about lots of men kicking a ball around a field.” “I was never very good at it but football is a pretty good game,” Tenchi said. Sasami was dubious about that. “Well Mori Tatakai is more...” She didn’t get to finish as Washu called them over to look at her find. Inside the store Washu was carrying a set of books on plants and gardening. Usually she would just compose her own set of instructions and lessons but in this case she felt the thought was probably as important as the actual usefulness of the product. She would of course add her own notes! Tenchi looked rather surprised at her choice. “Well,” she explained, “Ayeka and Kiyone do put plenty of effort into that flower garden round the back of the house, and since they are all Earth plants I figured getting a bit of the local literature on the subject wouldn’t hurt.” “I must say I think it is a wonderful idea,” said Tsunami. “It is nice to see people nurturing the wildlife.” “Well,” Washu replied, “since you were a tree I suppose you would think that!” “She spends time with Ryu-oh too,” said Sasami. “I think she likes seeing things grow. She already said she wonders whether Mayuka-chan will look like she used to when she grows up.” “Looks like we left her in good hands then,” said Tenchi. Washu went over to pay for her gift while the others glanced over the other book titles in the store. “Well Tenchi nii- chan,” said Sasami, “just you left. What are you going to get Onee- sama?” Tenchi frowned. “I honestly don’t know. I suppose I’ll just try and find something that looks right. I mean, she can get pretty much anything she wants through Washu or your parents.” “Well, usually when we get each other gifts we find something that they like that they wouldn’t think of, or something decorative. It doesn’t have to be something she needs, just something she would love because you got it for her.” “I don’t really know much about her though. Before she came here I mean,” he said as they walked back out to the street. “That doesn’t matter,” Sasami replied. “Back home all our stuff was picked for us, and all we did was boring royal things and study.” “I guess you didn’t get to go out much,” he said. “Still, you had friends in the palace right?” She nodded. “Yes, and I had Tsunami with me too, so it wasn’t bad. My best friend was sick a lot though, so when we did stuff together we had to be careful. She could never play in the maze or go climbing, but we had the best fun together. Ayeka is writing her into the stories for me.” “Hey, Tenchi,” Washu called, “why don’t you get her some jewellery?” Tenchi walked over to the shop. “Well, I guess I could afford something like that if it wasn’t too expensive.” “Those are nice,” she commented pointing at one of the display cases. “Washu-chan,” Tenchi said doubtfully, “I don’t think a ring would be a very safe idea!” “Hmmmm. Maybe,” she said. “They are nice though.” After several minutes of browsing a bracelet caught his eye. It was a simple silver chain with three small silver plates between the links. Each had different kanji inscribed on it. One was Strength, one was Elegance, and one was Spirit. It wasn’t greatly original but for some reason it just felt... right. He called Sasami over. “Do you think she’d like that one?” He pointed at the bracelet in question. “Yeah,” she replied, “it’s all Onee-sama’s best features!” Tenchi smiled. After buying the bracelet they headed back towards the shopping centre Ryoko had gone to. She was waiting around outside, a bag hanging from her wrist. “Hi guys, you done?” she asked. “Yep,” replied Sasami. “May we enquire about your selection Ryoko-san?” asked Tsunami, although it wasn’t quite clear whether she was asking out of curiosity or amused politeness. “No you can’t,” Ryoko replied. “You see it when she does.” She beamed at them. “Ryoko, it’s not obscene is it?” Tenchi asked. “Of course not,” Ryoko said innocently. Too innocently. “Ryoko,” Tenchi started. Ryoko looked at him. “Tenchi, seriously I think she’ll actually like it. I said I was gonna try and do this right,” she said, with genuine sincerity this time. “Okay,” he conceded. “Does anyone need anything else while we’re here?” “I still need to get the wasabi for the sushi tomorrow,” Sasami said, “and we’re nearly out of Teriyaki sauce. I though I might try a special Teriyaki dish I saw on TV. I’ve got everything for the cake though.” “Cake?” Ryoko said. “Well let’s get that stuff then we can head back,” said Tenchi, and they headed for the food stores. *** Not too far away from where the shoppers had been Kiyone and Mihoshi sat on the front step of their apartment. “I can’t believe it!” Kiyone moaned into her hands. “Of all the things I could lose it would be the stupid door keys!” “It’s okay Kiyone,” Mihoshi said comfortingly, patting her partner on the back. “The landlady will be back soon and we can get the spare key off her. And that’s the fifth time you’ve said that.” Kiyone batted Mihoshi’s hand away. “Just shut up Mihoshi.” Mihoshi frowned. “Hey that’s not fair Kiyone. It wasn’t my fault this time *sniff* I was just...” Kiyone cut her off before she could start watering the step. “Hey, hey, ease up, I know. It’s my fault. It’s just... I don’t know. Do you know how lucky we were to bag that guy? That was a fast ship, and he could have done some serious damage with all the explosives he was carrying. A bust like this is going to look really good on our reports you know. And then I go and lose those stupid keys, it just really ticked me off.” Mihoshi looked down at her hands in her lap. “Mmm- hmm.” “You know,” Kiyone continued, “I really want to hit something right now.” Mihoshi looked up. “You’re not going to hit me are you?” she asked cautiously. Kiyone looked up and stifled a laugh. “What? No of course not. Why on earth would you think that?” “Well, stress and anger causes lack of judgement leading to panic...” “... and insecurity during which the subject it not in full control of their actions.” “Always make sure to exploit these factors in the field,” they both finished together before breaking down with laughter. “I always hated that book,” Kiyone said as she tried to control herself. “Me too,” Mihoshi said. “Mr. Kaahn made me learn the whole thing.” “Well isn’t this a sight.” The two looked over to see Shoji Mugai walking over. “Two beautiful women sitting outside their apartment and giggling like school girls on the step.” “Oh, hi Mugai-san,” said Mihoshi. He raised his hands. “Just ‘Shoji’ please.” Mihoshi nodded. “So,” said Kiyone standing up, “what brings you by?” Shoji looked sheepishly at her and stuck a hand in his pocket. “Well, I’m afraid I took these by accident last night.” He held up a set of keys. “I figured they must be yours.” Kiyone took them with a trembling hand. “Y... you mean I forgot to lock up this morning too?” She turned and slowly reached towards the door. She took the handle, and pushed it down, praying to every god she knew. The door slowly swung open as she let go. It was enough to make her cry. Mihoshi on the other hand was rolling around with laughter in the walkway. Shoji himself moderately sweat-dropped as he watched the escapade. “You thought you were locked out?” he asked. “How long have you been sitting there exactly?” “Ov... hee hee... Over an hour!” Mihoshi managed to say between fits of giggles. Shoji chuckled a bit himself. Kiyone just walked in and sat down at the table shaking her head. Mihoshi managed to collect herself and asked Shoji in. “I’m sorry about that,” he said as he sat down. “I would have come sooner but I only just got off work.” Kiyone looked up with a wry smile on her face. “That’s okay. It’s already been a weird day.” “Would you two like a drink?” Mihoshi asked after putting her shoes away. “Well tea would be great if that’s alright,” Shoji said. “Coffee for me,” answered Kiyone. “Okay.” She headed off into the kitchen. “So what *do* you do for a living Shoji-san? I never did ask,” Kiyone said. “I write for a couple of magazines,” he replied “I’m doing an special article on Japan’s lack of recreation space at the moment, so everybody thinks I’m a stalker hanging out at the parks all day.” “Must be nice to have steady income,” Kiyone said. “For some reason Mihoshi and I work all day and are still broke, if we can even hold down the job.” Shoji winced in sympathy. “Jeez, that’s rough. I guess I know the feeling though. I can’t wait for my next pay cheque. I’m getting sick of instant ramen.” “Yeah,” said Mihoshi as she came out with three mugs, “we try and eat with Sasami if that happens. She’s the world greatest cook.” “Mmm, that was quick. Thanks.” Shoji took his tea and sipped it. “I like cooking myself provided I have the money to make anything decent.” *** The man sat at his console. Beside him a faintly humanoid machine gave a status report. “And what of the new factors?” The machine gave off a ream of strange clicks and beeps. “I want all possible contingents covered. We have already made one alteration to the plan, and this will allow us greater flexibility.” The machine gave another stream of noise. “It is acceptable,” he replied. “The benefits outweigh the risk percentage.” The machine gave a chime of acknowledgement. “I want to see you in the laboratory in two hours.” He stroked the ‘head’ and ‘neck’ of the machine. “I’ll give you the additional touches you need.” The machine quivered slightly, though whether at his touch or his words was unclear. In either case, it was clear what the machine felt. Pleasure. *** The majority of the Masaki house had gathered round the table for Washu’s lecture this time. Only Tsunami and Katsuhito were absent, each for their own inscrutable reasons. “The obvious difference in genetics between Juraian and Earth human is the visual characteristics. For example Earth humans don’t naturally have blue hair.” Washu looked at Sasami for this example. Sasami grinned and ducked her head down a little now that all the attention was on her. “The pigmentation for the eyes and hair in Juraians is vastly more varied than that in Earth’s human population. My supposition is that the need for such coloration for ritual and sexual purposes wasn’t needed here, and as such adapted to allow for better survivability on the relatively primitive planet. Conversely, skin coloration among Juraians is fairly standard, whereas on this planet pigmentation has been used to adapt to different localities in order to cope with the varying solar radiation levels.” She produced a gene chart. Before she could start again Ryoko butted in. “Washu just skip this bit huh? There’s no way we’re gonna understand that,” she said pointing to the chart. Washu slapped the sheet down onto the table, catching Ryoko’s hand in the process. Ryoko winced, deciding that Washu-chan could be ‘little’ tonight if she wanted to be. Washu on the other hand looked around at the other faces. Each one nodded apologetically. She deflated and rolled the sheet back up. “You said that hair colour was, ummm, a sexual thing?” asked Tenchi, being somewhat brave considering where this could lead. As he expected Washu got that gleam in her eye. “Yep. Originally it was involved in mating rituals and such as an indicator of the genetic proficiencies the mate would bring to any children. Nowadays it is purely an aesthetic choice. Some people still believe hair colour can tell you what a person is like, but there is no real proof of that anymore. Ryoko for example would be an innocent introvert!” Everybody sniggered at that. “Hey!” Ryoko said in her defence. “Then again she isn’t Juraian. It is just a secondary sexual characteristic preference, like breast size or athletic build.” Washu continued. “Strangely though in solely Juraian ‘stock’ hair colours are neither dominant nor submissive, they are random based on the parents and ancestry, so it could be any colour that is relatively strong in the family or even a mixture of them. All other human races have dominant or submissive colours.” Sasami raised her hand. “I don’t understand Washu- sensei.” Washu nodded. “Okay. Basically in earth humans if your mother had blond hair and your father had black hair then you are more likely to have dark hair. That is the theory anyway. It doesn’t always work like that since grandparents and wild genes also factor into it, but that seems to be the pattern. The dark is more dominant that the fair. With skin colour it seems to become an approximation of the two.” “Right,” said Sasami, “I think I get it.” “Okay. Well, the other main difference between Juraians and Earth born humans is the life span.” Tenchi mentally groaned. He has asked Washu not to get into the subject of age considering their plans. As interested as he was he could only hope that this section would be a brief one. “The average Earth human lives for approximately 95 years barring illness or injury, give or take a decade or so.” This brought a small gasp from both of the Juraians present. “Oh Tsunami! Not even a century!” Ayeka couldn’t believe it. She sat staring at the table as her mind tried to work out the ramifications of such a short life to live. She found it impossible to comprehend. She looked over at Tenchi. Sasami had clamped herself onto his arm, her eyes shut. He nodded to answer Ayeka’s enquiring look. she thought, Ryoko just sat there waiting for the lecture to continue. She was already well aware of human mortality having observed the passing of Tenchi’s mother and grandmother. It was one of the reasons she would hover over his bed as he slept. He wouldn’t be there for very long. “So,” said Nobuyuki, “how long do Juraians live?” He was worried for his son. It was beginning to sound like if he made a life with any of them they would outlive him by quite a margin, and that would hang over them both. He couldn’t wish that on anyone, knowing what it was like to outlive the love of your life by more than is reasonable. he thought, Washu coughed slightly to get the attention of her audience again. “That is quite a difficult question actually. The average Juraian lives for approximately eight thousand years. A Juraian year is a little shorter than a human one but not by enough to make a significant difference. It equates as roughly seven thousand seven hundred and ninety human years.” Now it was Tenchi and Nobuyuki’s turn to be struck speechless. Tenchi thought. Nobuyuki didn’t want to think about it. Not given his previous thoughts. “This might be a silly question,” Tenchi said, “but don’t you get bored?” Washu couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Quite frequently Tenchi. Thankfully us rather long lived races have evolved some ways to combat that. I’m older than any Juraian, and I do okay. However, that is just an average Juraian. The offspring of Tsunami, the special trees Jurai has that go into their main ships, require a water rich area, hence the water channels around their planting stations. This water is infused with a level of power thanks to the tree and once bonded with a person the tree can siphon the water’s power to them, thus increasing their life span and making them more resistant to disease. With this a Juraian could potentially live up to eighteen thousand years, although the only person on record to do so was Jurai’s second emperor.” “A truly great man,” said Ayeka. “He was the one to unite the member worlds of the Juraian Empire.” “Wow.” Tenchi and Nobuyuki said in unison. Eighteen thousand years was just too much to wrap you mind around. “To compensate for this Juraians have a much longer development span that humans. The development of a ten-year-old human would take a Juraian approximately 50 years to achieve.” At this everybody started to look at each other. “Wow.” The simultaneous reaction gave Washu another chuckle. “A Juraian is considered an adult in both mind and body by the time they are about one hundred and forty, although for women it is closer to one fifty. Women start puberty earlier and end later than men. They also tend to be more emotionally stable during that time!” Ryoko, Ayeka and Sasami chuckled at that. “Naturally with such long life spans Juraians don’t reproduce quite as vigorously as you earth humans do. As to your question of boredom Tenchi-dono, unlike short lived human species the longer lived ones have certain periods of their lives during which they will go off on a tangent that can drastically alter their lives. The closest you have would be a ‘mid life crisis’. For them however it is a good thing, which is often celebrated by the family. The Juraians call them ‘Awakenings’. The first one occurs due to the start of puberty thanks to the hormonal imbalance. The second happens at around two hundred and fifty or three hundred years. The third is traditionally at their first thousand, although in truth it often happens a little after that.” “Sometimes people take bets on how close to one thousand a famous person or celebrity will have their third Awakening,” said Sasami. Washu continued. “The fourth will happen around three thousand five hundred. The fifth at about six thousand seven hundred. After that is becomes too varied to tell but it would be about every five thousand years, roughly. Most people don’t reach their sixth.” “So what actually happens during one of these ‘Awakenings’?” asked Tenchi, now utterly engrossed in the talk. “Hmmm. The best way to describe it would be an intense sense of restlessness. They would want to break out of their lives and try something totally foreign to them. Many long ruling emperors abdicate during an Awakening unless they are popular enough and get convinced to stay. As I said usually people respect the Awakening. It will often lead to a change in profession, lifestyle, and sometimes even personal taste. In the end it very much depends on the person. Of course this is just Juraians. Other long lived human races have different timings, tendencies and opinions.” “Wouldn’t that get awkward though?” asked Nobuyuki. “Just suddenly changing your life like that?” “Not really,” replied Ayeka. “It certainly helps Juraian business and employment, so people can move over and let younger workers in.” “It can be funny though,” said Sasami. “Sometimes people can decide to do something that seems really weird for them.” “Yeah,” said Ryoko, “and I heard they didn’t know Ayeka had had hers till she was finished. She never changed a bit... And ‘cos she had no breasts.” “Ryoko how dare you say that! It is simply not true. I was merely not as extravagant as other people.” Ayeka crossed her arms under her breasts bringing both males to realise she did indeed have a bust. She was quite indignant about the remark, the insinuation of dullness and mental deficiency clear to her ears. “You should have been at my third,” said Washu, “it was a blast.” “With you I would assume that is literally,” deadpanned Tenchi. “Yeah,” she replied, “we blew up the dean’s office at the science academy. Took out most of the south tower with that one!” She looked over to see Tenchi looking rather pained at the thought. “Don’t worry Tenchi-dono, no-one got hurt. It was a laugh!” “Wouldn’t it be great if you turned into a rock star for your second, eh Ayeka?” laughed Ryoko. “I’d love to see your dad’s face then.” Most of the others tried visualising it. Laughter soon followed, much to Ayeka’s chagrin. “Actually,” said Sasami as her giggles lightened, “When Mummy visited she said some people back on Jurai already think Onee-sama’s had her second. It caused a bit of a scandal.” “Sasami!” Ayeka said shocked. “Yeah, that’s right,” laughed Ryoko, “you’re a royal little hell-raiser now!” Ayeka fumed. “Ryoko will you shut *up*!” “Actually Onee-sama,” said Sasami, “we were in stasis for a very long time. And you weren’t that far off your second when we left. You can see why they would think that. I would if I didn’t know better.” “Well they should know better, shouldn’t they,” Ayeka said, practically steaming, “and at least I didn’t go and uproot myself in my damn forties!” The effect was instantaneous. It was as if the jovial atmosphere had been sucked right out of the room. Each of the aliens immediately fixed their shocked eyes on Ayeka. Tenchi and Nobuyuki didn’t know what she had said, but given the reaction they weren’t sure they wanted to. Sasami’s face went thick with grief, tears welling up almost instantly at her sister’s words. Ayeka’s look of angry defiance quickly gave way to horror at what she had said. Had she really said that? And to Sasami? Before any more could register Sasami let out a harsh sob and bolted for the stairs, the tears streaming down her face. “S-Sasami wait I...” But she was gone, leaving the sound of her crying to fill the house. Within seconds Ayeka felt herself being swung around, followed by a sharp crack to the side of her face. “How could you?” demanded Washu as she let the princess go. “B-but... I...” Ayeka floundered with her words. She just couldn’t think. Ryoko, now standing with her fists clenched, glared at her. “That was too fucking low Ayeka,” she snarled out. “Even for you.” The tone of that shocked Tenchi back to reality. However crude Ryoko could be that was harsh. Ayeka stammered with her words. “I... I d-didn’t... It wasn’t...” She was panicking now. She didn’t have the answer. She looked over to Tenchi with the eyes of a drowning woman, but he couldn’t help her. “Then why did you say it?” Washu said in a now emotionless voice. “I didn’t mean it,” Ayeka begged, “I wasn’t thinking...” “Damn right you weren’t!” said Ryoko. “It just happened! I... I... Sasami.” Ayeka turned and ran for the stairs. She had to find her sister. The rest stayed there in silence. Eventually Ryoko and Washu sat back down. “Tenchi,” Washu said, “you won’t want to hear this and I don’t mean to disparage Ayeka, even after what she just said, but it would probably be easier if you understood.” “Screw Ayeka,” raged Ryoko, “I can’t believe she just said that! Especially to Sasami!” “Neither can I,” replied Washu, “and that’s why I believe her. We riled her up and she defended herself, but with the wrong weapon against the wrong target, treating Sasami like she would treat someone like Seiryo. Or you.” “I can’t believe you’re standing up for her!” “Ryoko, I didn’t mean to blow up Georan 6. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” She turned to Tenchi. “The thing with Juraians and several other long lived human species is that genetic traits are very strong. Since they live so long with children being born less frequently evolution can’t work the same way it does with you. As such an adaptation a person makes to deal with their life is very easily passed on to their offspring. Children of manual labourers will have a tendency for strength and endurance. For a musician a good ear and artistic outlook.” She paused and looked Tenchi in the eyes. “For prostitutes it is an appealing body and unusually early first awakening. It lets them mature earlier and more ‘fully’. You can guess the rest.” “Oh god.” Tenchi looked down, then over to Ryoko who nodded sadly. “I have plenty of data on all of you so I know for a fact Sasami is 46 years old. She shouldn’t start her Awakening for another five or ten years.” Washu rested her chin on her knuckles. “Given that she did skip planet with Ayeka means the barb is even more damaging though. It’s ‘evidence’ if you know what I mean.” No-one said anything for a while. Nobuyuki broke the silence. “I guess we just wait and see what they do.” Washu nodded. “Yeah.” *** While the others talked Ayeka burst into the room she shared with Sasami. It was empty except for their belongings and futons. “Sasami.” She stopped and listened. The sobbing could still be heard. She followed it, ending up outside Tenchi’s room. She stood there for a moment, unsure if she could really face her sister. She knocked on the door. When she didn’t get an answer she opened it slightly and slipped inside. “Sasami?” she said quietly, looking at the bed. “May I come in?” Sasami lay curled up in the bed, holding the covers to her stomach and sobbing into the pillow. Ayeka hesitated. She really didn’t know what to do now. She tentatively walked over to her sister then gathered her up in her arms. “I’m sorry Imouto-chan. I’m so, so sorry.” Sasami struggled for a brief moment before returning the embrace and crying into Ayeka’s chest. Ayeka let her and thanked Tsunami she hadn’t run, her own tears now crawling down her face. “Please forgive me Imouto-chan. I never meant to say those things. I... I was just angry at everyone. You know I could never think that about you. Ever.” Sasami shrank into the embrace. “But... but it’s true,” she cried. “It’s all true. I am a sl-slut!” Ayeka pulled back in shock as her sister’s sobs grew again. She held her by her shoulders and looked at her sternly. “Don’t you dare think that Sasami! I never wanted to say what I did, and anyone who would think that of you is a monster.” Sasami looked up at her through her reddened eyes. She had to tell her. Only she didn’t want to lose her sister. She had almost lost her once when they had found out Tsunami ‘made’ her. But if they could love her like that... “I... I started my period.” “What?” This came as something of a shock for Ayeka. “I started my period a few days ago.” Ayeka looked at her. “A-already?” she asked in a small voice. Sasami saw the shock in Ayeka’s eyes as she nodded. The tears welled up again and she ran for the door, but before she got there Ayeka grabbed her arm and swung her back round into a hug. “It doesn’t mean anything,” she said has she held her. “I don’t care, we all love you no matter what anyone says.” Ayeka could feel the relief wash over her sister as they stood there. “You know,” she said as they broke apart, “Mother was a little early too.” “Only a few years,” Sasami sniffed. “It doesn’t matter however long it is.” They both sat down on Tenchi’s bed. “Are you going to tell the others?” Sasami said nervously. She didn’t want her only friends to hate her. “Of course,” said Ayeka cheerily, trying to calm her fears, “We have an Awakening party to have!” she thought. Sasami smiled but it didn’t last. she thought. “Onee-sama, would... would you mind if I slept here tonight?” Ayeka was shattered, but there was no way she could dismiss it after all this. “Of course not. After the way I have behaved I can understand.” “No, no,” said Sasami, “it’s not that. I just thought it would be fun for a change. And I know you haven’t written the next part of the story yet anyway.” That surprised Ayeka. “Oh?” “You left your note pad out this afternoon.” “You didn’t read it did you?” Ayeka asked with mock severity, trying to lighten the atmosphere again. Sasami shook her head. “No. I wanted you to read it to me.” They both smiled. At least some of the damage had been undone. *** Later that evening Tenchi sat with Mayuka sleeping in his lap. Mihoshi and Kiyone had arrived and been put in the study for the night, Ayeka and Sasami had made up and it looked like there would be a double celebration tomorrow. One thing was playing across his mind thanks to that incident though. Regrets. He was happy with his life for the most part, but he was a killer before the age of twenty. That was not normal by any standards and it was once again eating into his conscience. He was now in the habit of carrying the Tenchi-ken with him whenever he went out. Leaving it with his grandfather during the Yuzuha incident had almost got both Ryoko and himself killed, his control over the Light Hawk Wings was so poor. Kagato. He had intended to kill them for his own gain. A monster of a man with no sense of morality. But Tenchi still wished he hadn’t had to kill him. It had made him feel unclean. Made him a murderer. He hated that word. And then Yuzuha. She had been a dark goddess, using Mayuka as a tool to avenge herself on his grandfather through him. But she hadn’t been a monster, just a mind made angry at the world through no fault of her own. That had really caught him. “I know that look son.” He looked up to see his father standing over him. “It’s not healthy to dwell on those things Tenchi. You know there was nothing else you could have done, whichever one you’re thinking about.” “I know,” he replied, “this afternoon just stirred everything up again.” Nobuyuki sat down beside him just as Ayeka walked in. “Tenchi-sama, Nobuyuki-sama, I will be retiring for the night.” “Sure,” said Tenchi. “I’m glad you made up with Sasami.” Ayeka smiled a little. “As am I Tenchi-sama. Thank you for looking after her tonight.” “My pleasure,” he said. “Ayeka,” Washu said as she passed through, “you mentioned the term ‘uprooting’. It find that an interesting name for the Awakening.” Ayeka looked over sadly at her. “It is just a Juraian slang term Washu-chan. Nothing more.” “I see,” Washu replied. “Well, goodnight folks.” she though as she left. “Goodnight,” all three of them replied. “Goodnight Ayeka-san,” said Nobuyuki as she turned to leave. “Goodnight to you both,” she replied. She looked up at the ceiling. Ryoko was reclining on her usual beam. “Goodnight Ryoko- san.” “*Hmph*.” Ryoko just teleported out. To Ayeka that hurt more than she would have admitted. Ryoko was the only one who had not forgiven her horrendous outburst. She didn’t feel she deserved to be forgiven, but it hurt all the same. More so because it was her of all the other women she had hoped for forgiveness from, however wishful that thought was. She climbed the stairs stoically, forcing the emotion out of her face. Tenchi turned back to watching his daughter. “Hey Dad. I’ve kind of been thinking for a while. I don’t think I’m going to go back to school. With everything going on here, you know?” His father sighed. “To be honest I’d been expecting that. With everything that happens around here I doubt you could stay and get the grades without something changing with the girls.” He paused for a while. “Perhaps you could get Washu-chan to teach you. We have the universe’s greatest scientist here after all. I’m sure you could do anything you wanted with that! You’re not confined to this planet any more after all.” Tenchi chuckled dully at that. “Tenchi Masaki, space adventurer! Carrots a speciality!” They both sat for a while watching Mayuka sleep. As Tenchi’s face began to cloud over again his father spoke up. “Your grandfather would be able to help, give some advice. He was a warrior too apparently.” “I’m not a warrior,” Tenchi replied. Nobuyuki just looked at him. “Perhaps not by choice.” “I don’t need cryptic philosophy right now Dad. That’s Grandpa’s thing.” They lapsed into silence again. Nobuyuki thought, The peace was broken by a scream from upstairs. Both their heads shot towards the sound and Mayuka began to cry noisily at being woken. Tenchi looked back to her to see his father take her from him. “Go on, I’ll take care of this little one,” he said as he began rocking her. Tenchi nodded and dashed upstairs. As he got to his room he heard Sasami sobbing again. He went inside and crouched down next to her. She flung herself into his arms and buried her head in his chest. “Tenchi nii-chan!” “It’s okay Sasami-chan,” he said as he held her, “it’s okay. It’s just a dream. It was only a dream.” He prayed whatever it was would stay only a dream. *** In Ayeka’s room she lay curled up on her futon, tears staining her cheeks as she heard Tenchi comfort her sister. *** To Be Continued... --------------- *************** --------------- Please send any comments and criticisms to: nutzoide@hotmail.com Or leave them on the archive where you found this story. If it will help me improve, I want to hear it. Author’s Notes: Well, the last one took months, this took just over a week! Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it! If you feel any of the cast are getting out of character then please let me know. I don’t want to be butchering such a great group of characters and I am trying to keep the developments as in character as I can. Also, I’ve now put the translations in alphabetical order so it is easier to find a specific word when you want to. Many thanks to Benjamin Goldberg for putting me right on several point on Japanese language usage. Further thanks to everyone who has given me reviews or C&C. You guys and gals are great incentive when sitting down to write! *** Translation Notes: -chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is ‘little’ or ‘li’l’. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth. -dono: Translated as ‘Lord/Lady’ or as ‘Sir’ in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige. -ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the ‘Sword Tenchi’. (It can also mean ‘technique’ or ‘fist’ when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I probably won’t be using it that way in this fanfic though.) -sama: Formal honorific. Translated as ‘Lord’ or ‘Lady’. Very respectful. -san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names. -sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own. Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I’m using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is shrunken or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect. Imouto: Meaning ‘younger sister’ and often used with the ‘–chan’ suffix although other can be used. Kanji: The Japanese naming characters. Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an ‘Obi’. Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors. Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties. Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as ‘Forest Battle’. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related. Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning ‘elder sister’. The ‘-sama’ variation is respectful and the ‘-chan’ one is more affectionate. Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the ‘-chan’ variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends. (They can also be used without the ‘O’ at the beginning when placed after someone’s name, signifying that that person is their ‘brother’ or ‘sister’. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.) Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring. Ramen: A noodle broth. Sake: Japanese rice wine. Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish. Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables and wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet. Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck. Tempura: A form of deep fried food. Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades. Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi. *** Completed: February 8th – 2003 Posted: March 2nd - 2003