"I'd rather not cause the Library any more trouble. Harboring a fugitive wouldn't look well and I don't want to cause my father anymore trouble by staying in the Valley of Peace. I'll give you all one last lesson however. The defense of one's home, family and friends is in fact the defense of the self. I always discouraged you from acting on it because the city was peaceful, and you were not trained to be warriors. In those circumstances, there was no true threat. But things have changed, and now you will have to brave a new world. For the first time in generations, you all will be reunited with the rest of China. It's all up to you to find your own place in this new world just as I found my own in yours. Of that I have faith each and everyone of you will make me proud." You say as you stand up and your students do likewise.

"I guess there's no convincing you. Right?"

"I'm afraid not. I only hope my stubbornness hasn't rubbed off on all of you."

"Well then I guess that's that." Rabten says as he turns to face the school. "Everyone...for the last time." He orders. All of your students bow and genuflect in unison.

"Thank you for teaching us! Sir!" They say as one before Rabten turns and does the same.

>What do you do?
>Ask for a place to rest. You want to get a good night's sleep before you attempt or plan anything.
>Ask for someone specific. See if anyone else you know has survived.
>Ask for a bit of privacy so you can discuss something with Xin and Tigress. (What do you talk about?)
>Write in.

>>5660193
>Ask who of the senior students is alive and the nature of their injuries

>Ask where Ming is.

I caught that they said the EXARCH set the spells this morning. And who do we know who practices witchcraft?
Right, a bit of a plan, a scheme if you will.

Find from our students a successor, one of the advanced boys who can hack it, and we'll continue the training at a breakneck pace as we move the group.
Write up the curriculum in a scroll and we can offer it to them. The school can live on through them, but we will have no association with it, to protect them from our name and all that it brings with it.

>>5660192
Wonder what wiped all the quests off the board the other day.

>>5660257
Could always give the school to Tigress. Better her name than ours.

>>5660257
Support
>>5660257
>>5660566
There was the old master too. If he survived, he could become their teacher
>>5660193
>Ask for someone specific. See if anyone else you know has survived.
The old master that I forgot the name

>>5660257
>>5660566
>>5660594
Sorry lads, I'm skimming the half dozen or so threads we spent in the library to get names and such. I'll let you discuss what you want to do with the school for now, we'll ask for Ming and the old master. Anyone else you want to ask for while I am refreshing my memory?

>>5661745
No issue on that point Bossman.
I honestly don't remember any of our students names, just general characteristics, so I sorta expected to just have a few names spat out with brief "memory clips" of em.

Anyway, We're not giving our school to tigress. No.
She's gonna refuse on the grounds that she isn't a teacher, she will refuse because it is us asking and something we made as well as an active reminder that we aren't a bad guy.

the other old master. . ehh, maybe he could take over the school. I don't think he should, but it'd be nice to have him as an advisor.

I truly think it must come from the libraries citizenry.

>>5661745
Oh, is the bunny ok?

>>5661973
Could ask her to assess them as Xin and Tai are biased as their teachers.

>>5662193
Not really? We can see what people are doing wrong, the only bias is that our way is the better way.

Another option could be to tell them to continue training on their own, and keep the teachings alive. After the threat is over, they could go to Mongolia to continue studying under us.
But only do it if they really would rather abandon a land of plenty like the Valley of Peace to harsh desert, steppe and tundras of the north, expanded their training beyond what we taught them and would be ready to face a long journey.
Or maybe join up if Ming, Xin and Renshu or a mysterious snow leopard that looks oddly familiar but could not be Tai Lung since he is in exile ever visit the Jade Palace.

>>5662270
Possible, possible.
I don't think I like the idea of them joining us in Mongolia.

It's a cool martial art story, don't get me wrong. Like. . damn that's cool.
But the school's purpose was discipline, self reliance and self defence. This is more in line with die hard elite schools.

>>5662296
That's true.
If I remember right, we had already taught them everything we could that was simple self-defense, and that was the reason we were getting the old master involved.
So we could mention that the offer is only for those that would be willing to fully become martial artists.
And to be fair, I think it's something for the far future, probably the quest's epilogue, because by the time we actually settle down in a school in Mongolia, we would have finished everything.
if I remember right, the plot threats we have so far is finding the other pool, defeat the evil clan, make peace with the tribes, stop the desecration of the spirits and learn about the fate of the snow leopards. And four of those we know are in the north, so we could solve them all at once.

Although the old master or one of the students taking over can also deal with it, since we were planning on something like that anyway, and were teaching our older students on how to teach others too.

>>5662334
I kind of like the idea of continuing/starting the school in Mongolia, it sounds neat.

Looks like we're asking for Ming, our most veteran students and the old man who liked to join us every so often, correct? As for the school, that's still a pretty cool discussion going on so I'll leave it be. Such a decision won't be necessary until Tai Lung parts ways with the refugees.

>>5662584
Aye that's correct. Sorry chief, thought the question was retorical.

>>5662584
>>5661745
The only other people I can remember are the monks, I think there was the duck that gave us advice, the dog that read our chi treatises, and the the crocodile twins. there was the sheep and the librarian, but we didn't interact with them much

There was the mayor and the guard captain, although I think we saw his corpse being puppeted, didn't we?

The kid that we went into a coma to save, it would be sad if he died even after everything.

The tailor too, he was cool.

Oh, and our guard friend and his family. His sister worked on Renshu's restaurant, and one of his young siblings was our student.

>>5663271
the guard was Tenzin.

>>5663293
Thanks, I'm bad with names.

>>5663260
It's fine. You guys seemed interested in the fate of the school so I posed it as a question. I don't mind leaving it as an epilogue kind of thing. Just something fun to discuss beyond our main goal.

Your students all step forward one by one to shake your hand or at least personally thank you for teaching them. While you felt like such a thing was unneeded as all you really did was give them basic self defense training, you nonetheless oblige them. Despite it all, they were indeed your students and you hope that some of your lessons at least helped them survive the insanity of attempting to fight off a fully fledged army. As the last of your students come to thank you and begin to disperse you find Rabten talking to a few others. "I need help finding Ming." You say bluntly. "I wanna know if she's ok."

"Ah, well the thing is that she's not here at the moment." Rabten says anxiously.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Xin Lan shouts as they leap from the cart all the way on to your back. "What happened to her? I left her with your guys!" The fox raises his hands in a placating gesture.

"She does this often!" He says quickly. "She's the only one who can find us food." He motions to the encampment. "We've basically run out of food months ago and despite our best efforts, none of us can seem to find anything to eat here. Ming seems to be the only one the spirits feel safe enough to follow and guide her to food. On top of that, she somehow knows how to spread out what little she can find to feed everyone and keep us going. She's a miracle worker. I've never seen anything like it. A handful of old roots and maybe a lucky vegetable and some herbs and soon there's a stew hearty enough to keep even the oldest of us going and still taste like actually food despite it nearly being plain old water. If it wasn't for her...this camp probably wouldn't even exist."

"How long has she been gone?" You ask and look at your compass. The needle refused to stay still. It would point in a single direction and hang there before spinning around a few times and slowly coming to a halt in another direction. Eventually it would shutter and begin the process anew.

"It's been a day or so. She's normally gone for a few so I suspect she'll be back soon enough."

"And you let her go alone?!" Xin Lan asks incredulously.

"We'd all slow her down. She's too fast and not to mention she just...appears out of nowhere. IT took us all a while to get used to just seeing her be behind you...or even just vanishing when you turned away for a moment. Anyone else with her would probably attract too much attention and with whatever is out there, it's probably best she's not busy worrying about whoever is with her. If we could only go with her then maybe we might be able to bring back more food..." You and Xin Lan look at each other.

"Don't look at me. You're the one who runs with her. I didn't teach her anything you already weren't. She's not even that fast." They say. You give them a doubtful look.

"Was she ok when she left? Anything strange at all?" You ask.

"No. She was fine when she left. Just like she always was. I know it's hard but you have to trust that she'll be back. She knows what she's doing." Rabten says. You nod.

"Well...I suppose there's nothing we can do about that. If we run off after her we'd probably just end up going in circles. Especially at this time of night. How many people are there here?" You ask.

"Several thousand I would think." Rabten says quietly. "Anyone who wasn't military or government basically was evacuated. Some of us volunteered to stay behind...we haven't seen them since. We've stuck together ever since...we don't have anything else left but each other. Some of us didn't have the chance to take anything they weren't already carrying on hand when we evacuated. From the richest to the poorest of us...we have nothing."

"What about guards? Did no one come along to escort you?" You ask.

"Not really. They all stayed behind I think...probably to hold back what they could so everyone else could leave. A lot of families were broken up and only know have we started to try and tally up who is missing and who came with us. We can't really do much else."

"There was a guard...his name was Tenzin. I know his sister worked at Renshu's diner. Did he...did he make it?" You ask as you feel a weight begin to form at the bottom of your stomach.

"I'm not sure. I could ask around. Maybe someone knows. If he was a guard though..." Rabten lets the words go unspoken. "Sorry..."

"It's...fine." You lie. "And the Brotherhood? Any kind of leader? I'd like to at least talk to them about the situation."

"Some of them made it. I think others stayed. One of them is in the temple. Small dog, goes by Mida. Everyone still calls him Brother Mida but he always forgets to remind us. Guess it doesn't really matter now. If you go through the front entrance and take a right then follow the main hallway you'll come across a room that basically got filled in with tree roots. Across it on the opposite end is the room we set up as a sick bay. He tends to hang around there and help the injured and ill. He's probably the easiest to talk to right now. The others might be asleep or somewhere in camp. I'll have the guys spread word you're alive. I'm sure eventually people will start come looking for you."

>What do you do?
>Ask for some one else. Xin's infatuated suitor, the tailor, the old master, someone else?
>Go look for Mida. He's at least some kind of leader around here.
>Search for Tenzin's family. You don't think you can stay still without knowing if anything happened to them
>Sit and wait for Ming. You just need to see her before you can properly think about anything else.
>Write in.

>>5664338
>Search for Tenzin;s family

We can't do much here. So I wanna find em. Good on Mida though.

>>5664338
>Search for Tenzin's family. You don't think you can stay still without knowing if anything happened to them

>>5664338
>Ask for some one else. Xin's infatuated suitor, the tailor, the old master, someone else?
Those three, and then
>Search for Tenzin's family. You don't think you can stay still without knowing if anything happened to them

>>5664338
>>5664606
Supporting.

>>5664355
>>5664426
>>5664606
>>5664671
Asking for the others then searching. Writing.

"Hey, there's a few more people I'd like to get a hold of." You say. "Could you help spread the word I'm looking for them too?"

"Sure. I'm also sure there would be plenty of people looking for you too." Rabten says with a nod.

"Thanks. Do you know if Chen made it out? He was the old man who watched a lot during our classes." You ask. "Plus there was a small brown rabbit. The one who was always staring at Xin and then there was a tailor. I was talking to him about making me some travel clothing. Now I'm just wondering if he made it out safely."

"I can send out word for them though I haven't seen the old man since out last class a few days before the invasion started. I don't think I've seen him around though and the class has met up a few times already. As for the other two..." The fox scratches their head. "I think I've seen the guy you're talking about but I can't be sure. Maybe some of the other guys might have. Kind of always just blended in with the others. Tailor though, not sure if I can help. Tons of them were in the city but if they were making something for you it might help narrow it down. For now, I think you guys should just take it easy and rest a bit. It'll take some time to spread the word."

"Right. Thanks." You say and with another genuflection, Rabten limps away to join the crowd. You stand there for a few moments noticing everyone watching you before turning to face Tigress who was standing trying to hide how conflicted and confused she was. "We can't just stand here. There's a family I want to try and find. They were the first to accept me and invite me in their home. One of their younger ones was a student of mine. I need to know that they're ok."

"How are we gonna find them?" Xin Lan asks. "Not like we have the guard or Tenzin to show us anymore. I think we should wait for Ming to come back. She'd probably know the layout of the place better than anyone."

"You know I won't be able to sit still until I know."

"I know...well, I guess we can split up but not-Stripes is going with you. She can cramp your style all she likes. Some of us actually like being able to do things correctly." They say. Tigress's expression changes back to it's usual surly look and you realize that perhaps you might not be equipped to settle the two down. Perhaps Renshu or Ming might be more skilled in that department or at the very least, they'd have an easier time than you. In anycase, any attempts you'd want to make to get the two to cooperate or at least be amicable to one another would have to wait. As was your life before and after the library, there always seemed something more important to do.

>What do you do?
>Split up. You'll cover more ground that way and, at least for now, you're sure you're all safe to wander.
>Stick together. You're not sure but you feel more comfortable with the others being with you. Even if you're in a safe environment.
>Head to the sick area. Mida is there but more importantly, there might be some kind of record of the injured treated. Maybe someone there might tell you who made it and who didn't.
>Write in.

>>5666187
>Split up. You'll cover more ground that way and, at least for now, you're sure you're all safe to wander.

>>5666187
>Head to the sick area. Mida is there but more importantly, there might be some kind of record of the injured treated. Maybe someone there might tell you who made it and who didn't.

>>5666187
>Head to the sick area

>>5666187
>Split up.

Settle down you two or I'm sending you to help the sick Xin.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5666204
>>5666298
>>5666609
>>5666612
Alright, 1 we split or 2 we head to the sick area. Rolling for tomorrow.

"You're right, we'll cover more ground if we split up." You say as you pull the small rabbit off of your shoulders. "Also settle down Xin or I'll have you help with the sick then who knows if I'll remember to bring Ming to see you once she arrives." You add. Xin Lan stretches out and squeezes your cheeks with their feet.

"You'd never do that. You love me too much." They tease.

"I'm starting to wonder if I should just leave you here so the library can keep an eye on you. I'll let your brother know you send you love once we meet up with him again." You retort.

"Oooh, you're gonna deliver it personally? Are you gonna add some of your own love too? Should I tell Ming to give you two some space and a room? Maybe get some earplugs in case the two of you get loud?" They counter while playing with your cheeks. "Your cheeks are getting warm. Someone is having dirty thoughts."

"A-alright, get searching!" You stammer as you set the bunny down and bump the back of their head. You rub your face as if that would help get rid of the burning sensation on your face. Instead it simply causes your fur to look scruffier so you simply stop and avoid Tigress's gaze. "We should get going..." You mutter and begin to walk in the opposite direction. It seems like nearly half a year without interacting with Xin Lan had left you even more vulnerable to their teasing. You should have known better. A skill left without practice is a skill discarded as your father often told you.

Tigress follows you quietly but there is a certain air of smugness coming from her. It seems like seeing you uncomfortable amused her and thus another person was added to the list of people who derived pleasure from seeing your flustered. Should all 5 come together and focus their efforts in teasing you...you shudder visibly at the thought. You don't think your composure would ever recover from such an assault. You'd much rather stand alone against and army.

---

You and Tigress wander aimlessly around the surprisingly large camp. Be it luck or fate, you were glad Ming had found a temple and it's grounds large enough to house everyone. You see looks of recognition in people's eyes as you walk by but it was nothing more than a passing glance. A look of someone that remembers you being around but never talked to you. Even with your heightened perception and near perfect memory, you have some trouble processing everyone individually to see if you remember them. Certainly some faces trigger a blip of recognition but nothing more than a passerby you once saw on the street. You're about an hour into your search when you hear a familiar laughter coming from a group of women who were kneeling next to a small river. Visions of a brutal battlefield over a small mahjong table come to mind as you recall who they were.

"Oh this reminds me of that one day. Do you remember girls? The night after the wedding?" One woman asks. The other women let out sighs of nostalgia.

"Oh yes...there was so much clothing to wash after that party. I'm surprised we managed to buy so much alcohol. Word has it that nearly two whole eateries had sold out for that wedding." Another adds before whispering, "Word has it that even the Exarch had snuck out of that library of his and joined in on the party. Disguised of course but he was there none the less."

"I doubt he did but I certainly saw a few of the Brotherhood at the time. Quite a lot of their eyes were on me of course. Why, I almost looked as good as the bride. Of course, I made sure to wear something a bit more humble but theres only so much one can do to hide their natural beauty." The third woman says. The two other women laugh at her little joke.

"What was the bride's name again? I can't quite remember..." The three continue to chat while working away. You note that they're washing what looks like to be old clothing though none of them seem to be their size. You also note that there is another basket full of rags, each one torn into strips perfect for use as bandages. You recall that the trio of women were quite sympathetic to you and Renshu perhaps you could ask them if they have seen Tenzin's family.

You quickly approach the trio and clear your throat politely. "Just put whatever you have to spare in the basket dearie. We'll get to them when we can." One of the old women says without looking up. Another turns to face you and squints for a moment.

"As I live and breathe..." She whispers in shock before excitedly adding. "Girls look who the Gods have bless us with." The two other women turn around and similarly take a moment to recognize you before returning to work with an bit more enthusiasm.

"It's you! That sweet gentleman who took some time out of his busy day to play with us. Oh that was so long ago...I was just telling Ceba here that I had put some extra prayers for your safety yesterday before bed." The second says happily.

"Oh we were so worried that you might not have made it. We hadn't seen you in ages! Oh do come take a seat here. We simply must know what you've been up to. It's still plenty easy to get lost among the crowd even here in this place." Ceba says.

"Now now. He probably doesn't want to relive that dreadful business. Oh sweetie, I do hope you and that girlfriend of yours have been ok. I know times can be difficult right now but if either of you two need something. Don't be afraid to ask. All three of us have our time. It's up to us to help you younger folk." The first woman, the one who recognized you first, says.

"Speak for yourself. I'm still in the prime of my life." The second huffs before looking behind you. "Dearie, is this her? The lady you mentioned?" She asks while squinting at Tigress. "Oh yes, she looks like she has a good head on her shoulders. Might be a bit to wound up though. So stern..."

"It'll keep him in line it will. A strong household starts with a strong woman. Someone to keep the men and children in check!" Ceba says solemnly. "I always made sure my husband came home on time and did his duties, Gods rest his soul."

"Oh stop it you two. They're both probably stressed with all this nonsense going around. Come here you two. I think a nice break from all this would do you two some good. No need to be shy. Now...we might not have out tiles with us but lets see...ah yes!" The woman rummages around her pockets and draws out an incredibility beat up deck of cards. You were quite surprised they were still holding together. "Ladies, why don't we take a quick break and help these two take their minds off of things." The two other women nod in agreement and put away their washing things.

>What do you say?
>Politely decline playing cards. You really just want to find Tenzin's family. Asking them won't hurt though.
>Drag Tigress into this and play some cards. Mostly to see her become even more confused over people's reactions to you. Perhaps some gossiping might come with more information. Ask them about something while playing.
>Decline cards but sit down for a moment and talk.
>Write in

>>5669621
>Drag tigress into playing
This is called, Information gathering.

>Ask about Tenzins family.

Also yay! it's the return of the battle axes. A more deadly foe to Xin is unknown in this world.

>>5669711
Support

>>5669711
Or at least training in how to get information. Learn to control your emotions and get people talking.

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>>5670315
>>5669770
>>5669711
Oh my dear dear anons, what wonderful and dangerous knowledge you have just discovered. Tigress is just as easily flustered if, not more, as Tai Lung. Guess it runs in the family.

I'll get to writing.

>>5670896
>Guess it runs in the family.
I'm worried for Shifu when they reach the Valley of Peace

>>5670899
That certainly will be interesting. As far as I remember, Tai Lung has not put two and two together and realized that Tigress is his little sister. Which basically makes like what, the fourth girl he's basically adopted into his family? Ming, Xin, An bo, Bao... yeah fifth basically. Unless TL has become so mighty that even the empress is his little sister too.

Captcha: VOIPN. Yes I'd definitely would love to see the who cast on discord talking among themselves.

File: double-happiness.jpg (124 KB, 940x418)

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"They're right dear we should do something to take our minds off of the situation." You say and without a second thought you sit down besides the trio. Much to your delight, you see Tigress shift her ears back and look at you in disbelief and her face going red from being flustered. You feel one of the women's small hands pat your knee gently.

"Oh my, she's a shy one isn't she?" She says with a gentle smile. "Don't worry dear. Your boyfriend was such wonderful company. A real gentleman."

"Of course he was! If he wasn't then he'd never have been able to catch someone as pretty as her." Ceba adds with a smile.

"I-...I don't...not..." Tigress stammers, completely at a loss at what to do or say and face practically glowing in the dark. Nonetheless, she seems to find herself walking towards the group and sitting down. She looks down at the ground and doing her best to avoid everyone's gaze. For the first time, you think you see a part of the real Tigress. It was a welcome change to her usual surly look.

"Don't let them fool you. At the table, they're the most dangerous group you've ever met. I'm surprised they spared me given the battlefield the table became. Thought it was mahjong, I have no doubt they're just a formidable at cards." You tease as you reach over to move a nearby lantern closer to illuminate the space between all of you. The women erupt into giggles and motion at you in polite bashfulness.

"Oh you flatterer you. I'm so glad you're doing ok." The nearest woman says. "But don't think we won't go easy on you. You had a few tricks up your sleeve when we first played."

"That's right. Flattery won't help you today. Although, you are right. Why I remember back when I was around your age the city had it's own mahjong circuit. I almost became a professional player myself had it not been for my mother forbidding me from joining." The other woman says. "I could have been making a lot of money..." She says ominously. Ceba lets out a cackle.

"With the hands you draw, you'd be lucky to even make enough for lunch." She jokes as she takes the card and begins to shuffle them. The cards in her hands become blurs and seem to bend and slide among themselves in ways you'd didn't think were possible. "You'd be known as the unluckiest gambler in the city!" Ceba dishes out the cards to everyone and sets the deck between you all. The dim light of the lantern casts dangerous shadows upon the faces of the three women and soon you find the same feeling of bloodlust emanating from them. "Now no cheating you two. Love has no place in this game. No helping one another." She adds sweetly though even you can see the veiled danger behind those words. Clearly cheating had no place here. Though it did not help that the women were doing their best to push both you and Tigress together. You weren't sure Tigress's skill at cards but you doubt it would even matter give that she was using her hand as shield to hide her face from the rest of the group instead of really looking at them.

You roll your neck and straighten your shoulders. These women were going to give Xin Lan a run for their money. If you wanted to survive you were going to have to play at your best.

>What do you do?
>Play the game straight. You think you'll have more fun that way. Besides, it'll keep your mind free to try and dig for info.
>Cheat. You can move your hand faster than most people can see. You're sure you can swap cards around even if these women are looking though you're not sure if you can fool Tigress's eyes.
>Play using your secret technique. Pure dumb luck. Simply play cards without looking at them. Your opponents won't be able to get a read on you. Maybe it'll even impress the ladies.
>Forget about the card game. Do everything in your power to tease Tigress. It could be a bit petty and mean but for once in your life you were in Xin Lan and Ming's position. You might never have another chance to tease someone like you get teased again.
>Write in.

>>5670934
>Play using your secret technique. Pure dumb luck. Simply play cards without looking at them. Your opponents won't be able to get a read on you. Maybe it'll even impress the ladies.
>"I hope you don't see the way I play as insulting, but the Tai Lung Wildcard Style has worked very well in the past."

>>5670934
>Play using your secret technique. Pure dumb luck. Simply play cards without looking at them. Your opponents won't be able to get a read on you. Maybe it'll even impress the ladies.

>I'll have you ladies know I've never lost a (card) game

>>5670934
>Play dumb luck

You see ladies, if I have no idea what I'm doing, what hope do you have?

"I hope you don't mind but my style is a bit unorthodox." You say as you take your cards and simply set them face down in front of you. "But I assure you that I'm undefeated in cards. It'll be a bit difficult deduce my plan if even I don't know my own cards." The women around you all break into chuckles.

"Dearie, sheer luck won't help you in this game." One of the women says boldly as she takes adjusts her hand to her liking. "You need guile, wit, and strategy if you want to win!" She announces as she plays a card. The other women settle in for the game and begin their own strategy. Tigress for her part seemed content to hide behind her cards until prompted to put one down which she seemed to do at random before drawing a new card as fast as she could.

Seeing as you were allowing luck to take over, you had plenty of open memory to chat. Drawing a card, you casually say, "So what have you all been up to? Doing some community service?" You ask as you glance at the clothing by the stream.

"Oh we're just doing what we can to help around." A woman says. "Lots of people here only managed to leave with what they had on them at the time. So a few people who managed to bring some things with them so they've donated what clothes they have for those who don't have any to spare. It's not much and we have a few people helping to resize them."

"We also have a quite a few clothing that isn't really worth salvaging so we're cleaning those up and turning them into bandages. There's quite a few people doing their best to treat the injured, bless them, so helping alleviate their worries." The other says.

"Well that's really kind of you all. We could all use more people like that in the world." You say as you play another card without looking. "Sometimes all it takes is to be able to show others that there is someone who wants them to do good."

"Oh it's nothing. Just a bit of cleaning here and there. I'm afraid we can't do as much as we could when we were younger."

"Even the greatest of forests begin as the smallest of seeds. That's what my mentor would always say. All it takes is one small gesture and it can lead to something bigger." You insist. "Maybe none of us will see it but I'm sure there could be youngsters who will remember it and want to do something similar. If we can't do much then the least we can do is set an example for those who can."

"He's right you know. We aren't doing this for show after all. We just want to show everyone that there is still some good left after all we've been through." Ceba says and the two other women nod in agreement. All 5 of you continue to play cards for a while longer in peaceful quiet. You could ask for information but you decided to let everyone relax a bit before going back into something that could potentially be a heavy topic. After a few more games, in which Tigress somehow manages to do worse than who despite knowing her cards, you speak up.

>What do you ask about?
>Ask about Tenzin's family. The sooner you can locate them the better. If they know about them, you can leave right after.
>Ask about the Tailor. Surely they would know about him.
>Ask for someone else. (Who do you ask about?)
>Write in.

>>5672321
>>Ask about the Tailor. Surely they would know about him.

>>5672321
>Ask about the taylor

>>5672320
>Ask about the Tailor. Surely they would know about him.
All this talk about clothes may be a sign.

>>5672443
>>5672414
>>5672330
asking for the tailor coming up after a long sleep.

"If someone is adjusting clothing then perhaps they're a tailor?" You ask as you lose another game though much like mahjong it seems like your luck was pulling through. You had roughly just as many wins as you did losses. "It just so happens I was looking for a tailor. I haven't seen him since all this occurred and I'm wondering if he's ok."

"Well if you give us his name sweetie then we can have a look for you."

"We know quite a few people around the city. I'm sure we can find him."

"Thank you but unfortunately I never got his name. Though I'm sure if you mention mine, then he'll know who I am. Let him know Tai Lung is looking for him." You say. The women look at you for a moment before recognition comes to them.

"I think I've heard a few people around hear say that name..."

"Of course you have! He's the man who helped organize those boys assist the guards during the attack."

"Poor boys. Some of them are still recovering from their injuries and still trying to help around. It's a shame they had to grow up to see something like this happen..."

"Yeah..." You say quietly as you thumb some of your cards. "I never intended them to see any real fighting. I just wanted to teach them how to protect themselves. Just in case they ran across someone who had too much to drink or maybe when an argument got too heated. Simple stuff young people get into, not to throw them into an actual war."

"Well none of us knew about what happens in the future, honey. What we should be thankful is that what you taught them helped them help others. They did a good deed and you should be proud of that."

"I suppose you're right. There is someone else I'm looking for. There was a guard named Tenzin. He was one of the first people who welcomed me not only into the city, but to his home. He had a large family as well. I want to know if they're ok too. Maybe you know of them? His younger sister Amala worked in that little diner I told you about. The one that got attacked and I was looking into?" You ask. Immediately the women nod.

"I know her! She's often helping serve food. She's such a kind girl. I hadn't known her brother was a guard. Poor dear, I hope she's managing ok. She often has a few pups hanging around her. I just thought they were lost children." One of the women says as she sets her cards to the side, the game now discarded.

"Where do people eat at?" You ask suddenly. "Do you know if her brother is ok? Have you seen him?"

"Behind the temple dear. It's the only clearing large enough for people to gather for food. You said her older brother was a guard? I haven't seen anyone like that around her. I'm sorry...he might have stayed behind with the rest." Another of the women says. She takes your hand into her smaller ones. You can see that they fur is worn down and you see red skin that you assume is from washing so many rags and clothes. She squeezes your thumb. "But she seems to be doing fine. If that man did stay behind I think he would be glad that she's safe. I think maybe she'd be happy to see you too, eh?" The other two women nod in agreement.

"Right now we should be grateful for what we have and not focus on what was lost. The Gods blessed us with a chance to continue, we should make the most of it." Ceba says.

"And I'm sure you're tired of hanging out with us old timers anyways. Why don't you and your girlfriend run along and go find your friends. If your friends are anything like you then they must also be worried sick. Best not to keep them waiting."

>What do you do?
>Thank the women and go find Amala and her family. She'd be the final say if Tenzin made it out alive. At least you now have confirmation that they're alright.
>Go get Xin and wait for ming. You want everyone together before you go see Tenzin's family. It was only right.
>Go search for some of the others a bit more. You want to see if you can find the rest of your friends form the city. (Who do you go searching for?)
>Write in.

>>5674402
>Go and gather Xin and wait for Ming.
>While we wait, ask Xin if they would mind helping us with a project.

I assume that Ming is gonna be a day or more to get back. We can use this downtime and keep our minds clear of. . well, what this all means.
I'd like to start assembling our way of peace style. We may need it at the end.

>>5674402
>Thank the women and go find Amala and her family. She'd be the final say if Tenzin made it out alive. At least you now have confirmation that they're alright.

>>5674402
>Thank the women and go find Amala and her family. She'd be the final say if Tenzin made it out alive. At least you now have confirmation that they're alright.

"You're right. Thank you." You say you stand up. The three women give you polite smiles and urge you on. You quickly make your way towards the temple itself so preoccupied with this new information that you forget to wait for Tigress to catch up though it doesn't take long for her to do so. You fail to consciously register the glare of embarrassed fury she was directing towards you while you focus on moving through the growing crowds of people. It seemed like many of the citizens of the Library seemed to prefer being nearer to the building if not outright inside it. It was understandable, given the circumstances, that they would seek the only thing that resembled shelter and their old home. You momentarily debate going through the inside of the temple in the hopes of running into someone else you used to spend time with but decide against it. It would only slow you down and you think it would be best if you met other people once your mind was clear.

Making the last turn around the temple, you see the large open are that was used as an eating area. The layout was simple enough with one end of the clearing being used as a cooking area and the other section being filled with various pieces of rubble and stones placed there to act as makeshift tables. The cooking area itself was placed on a large patch of dirt with it's freshness indicating that it was dug up recently or at least it was made by the current residents as the edges were still overgrown with wild grass. Rather than one large fire, you see over a dozen cooking fires lined up side by side. A strange canopy was made overhead of them though it's purpose seemed to be a type of filter that dispersed the smoke over a wider area. If true, that would make it harder for the grounds to be found by the very method you had used. The smoke would be thinner and harder to spot over the tree line than if one giant bonfire was made. As of now, the eating area was rather empty with the handful of people merely hanging out and talking rather than eating. Even the flames were slowly dying away under the pots and cauldrons that hung above them. Among the idling citizens are several people serving as kitchen staff. They go from table to table picking up empty bowls from the recently finished meal and taking them inside. Soft thanks are given by the remaining patrons as the staff pass by to clean up the table.

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You look around but don't seem to see any sign Amala anywhere and you wonder if she's inside the temple. You approach one of the staff to ask for her whereabouts but before you can ask anything the young man speaks up. "Hey, I haven't seen you eat yet. It's alright. We still have some leftovers being warmed by the embers. Take a seat." He says gently, his tone one of understanding and patience. You try to protest and explain that you're not hungry but he was already in the back and rummaging around the pots. Awkwardly, you take the nearest rock to sit on and wait while Tigress does the same though her eyes were looking past you and at the people quietly chatting behind you. You're not sure what she was gauging but you decide to leave her be after the teasing. The young man returns with two bowls and places them before the two of you. "Here you go. Managed to scrape up some for you two." He say and when you hesitate to eat he adds, "Go on. There's no shame in asking for food. I've seen it a ton of times. Some people feel ashamed that they can't fend for themselves. Think that they're failures for not being able to provide for their loved ones. I was the same before I nearly died of starvation." He places a hand on your shoulder. "We'll make it through. Just a day at a time. Maybe you'll find a way to help in your own way but right now, we just need to survive. For everyone's sake."

You nod but speak up, "I'm looking for a family. Someone I knew in the city. Her name was Amala and she had several brothers and sisters. I haven't seen her since..." The young man nods and gives you a reassuring smile.

"It looks like the Gods are smiling upon you today, my friend. Amala just got off her shift. She's probably giving the kids their food. I'll let her know you're asking for her." He says giving you a polite bow and heading into the temple itself. You look down at the bowl placed before you. Contained within it is a very thin soup. A merge amount of vegetables float within it only masked by the fact it was all diced and mashed so thinly that it gave the broth a thick pasty look when allowed to float to the top. Your time on the road and decades in prison drove away an sense of pickiness you had. Food was food and you were grateful for whatever you managed to eat but even this made you briefly wish for the thin gruel they served you while you were in jail.

>What do you do?
>Eat the food. It was given to you in good faith and you don't want it to go to waste. You're not even sure if it'd be healthy to pour it back.
>Take the bowls and pour them back into the pots. The people around here need the food more than you. You ate earlier today anyways.
>Strike up a conversation. You're finally alone with Tigress. Take the time to try and speak with her in private.
>Write in

>>5676980
>Put them back in the pots, they need the food more than we do.

>Have a chat with Tigress
>"These are good people, even the ladies,if you're currently suffering from the mistaken impression they are sadists. I wish you could have seen the city in it's full bustle."

Lets give her a chance to open, she's been given enough to formulate questions.

>>5676980
>Take the bowls and pour them back into the pots. The people around here need the food more than you. You ate earlier today anyways.
>Strike up a conversation. You're finally alone with Tigress. Take the time to try and speak with her in private.

You look at the meager meal for a moment before looking up. "Are you going to eat that?" You ask and Tigress gives you a quizzical look. "I think we should put it back." You explain. "We've eaten already today and you, me, and Xin can go for days without food. These people need it more than us. Best if we eat only when we have to." Tigress nods and pushes her bowl towards you.

"Probably the sanest thing you've ever said." She says quietly before looking away. You grab both bowls and surreptitiously go to the back area to pour the soup back into the bowls. You bring them empty bowls to the table lest you cause suspicion though you doubt anyone would have noticed. Among civilians, you could effortlessly evade attention. You take your "seat" once more and wait. The smooth stone reminded you of your destination, The Valley of Peace. You would often spend days just sitting on one of the more even cliffs near the Jade Palace watching the people of the valley go about their daily lives. This line of thought slowly makes it's way towards life in the Library. It wasn't so different and perhaps the secluded nature of the Valley would help the refugees acclimate to their new home easier. Part of you wishes you could simply settle down with the two bunnies and perhaps open a shop. The idea of having Ming visit from the big city every so often was a nice one though you were petty sure she would simply settle down with you rather than go back to a city weeks away.

"I wish you could have seen the Library. An entire city on a mountain with it's own laws and traditions. It was hard not to get swept up in the urge to learn a new skill or to simply meditate in a quiet corner of the library. Even the publicly open areas of it was packed to the brim with scrolls and books. These are good people. Maybe they could let their emotions get the better of them but that's not unlike other cities. They didn't deserve what was done to them." You find yourself saying as you start watching people as well. "They didn't just lose their homes or even centuries worth of ancient knowledge...they lost their way of life. Everything they thought they knew is gone."

"Yeah...they have." Tigress murmurs quietly, recognition in her voice. She still avoids your gaze as she continues to look around her though you're not sure what You sit there for a bit longer wondering if Tigress was going to speak up but she doesn't. Part of you wonders if you were every this hard to talk to before and another part of you doesn't really want to think about it. You simply take solace that you can open up to your friends about anything. Once again, your thoughts lead you to a new direction. If you were that hard to talk to before, perhaps taking a page from the other's books would help. Ming and Xin Lan would never stop pestering you with small talk. Eventually, barring the several near death experiences, you were basically forced to learn how to speak with them. Maybe you could do that same.

>What do you do?
>Talk to Tigress about the food at the Library. You think you remember a few interesting tidbits about it. Maybe she might know something about cooking.
>Bring up some of the people you met. You certainly met some interesting characters there. She could have met someone strange in her travels as well. (Who do you talk about?)
>Talk about something more esoteric. Maybe something you or the others learned during your stay there. (What lessons do you want to speak about?)
>Ask Tigress directly about something about herself. If you can't be subtle about it, might as well be direct. (What do you want to know about her?)
>Write in.

>>5678200
I wanna talk about cooking, but bringing up our food, even as a joke, is an extinction level threat. Tai Lung, creator of biological warfare in ancient china.

>Bring up some of the people you met [Old chen the goat with his peculiarly distinct two styles/ The mayor of the great libarary and he fair application of the law/The mayor of Xiqi and how he absolutely wasn't a fair application of the law/The captain of Xiqi/Gang and An bo with their buissness]

Sorry if it's a bit to write Luo, but I've got a kunnin' plan. See by linking a familiar aspect to tigress, martial art styles, we can daisy chain connected topics to the governor of the libarary to reach the governor of Xiqi and from Xiqi to the captain's millitary past.

And through any of these connections, try and prompt or nudge "hey, you met anyone as interesting/similar/reminds you of anyone?" type questions, providing an easy way to smooth over silences by continuing the conversation.

When faced with a boulder, the river wears it away with constant pressure.
I'm also just going to freely indulge the one very distinct character trait we gave TL. He talks way too much.

>>5678271
I'm an idiot, it's Taishi, not Xiqi. Xiqi was burned down by the raiders.

>>5678200
>Talk to Tigress about the food at the Library. You think you remember a few interesting tidbits about it. Maybe she might know something about cooking.

>Reshu actually started a restaurant while we were their.

>>5678200
>Ask Tigress directly about something about herself. If you can't be subtle about it, might as well be direct.
>How did she come to train under father?
Is it finally time for the big dummy to learn he is an older brother?

>>5678271
Since I cannot abide a deadlock, I will change to support >>5679030

>>5679040
We could always try to do all of them, for the true Tai Lung talks too much experience.

>>5679030
>>5679040
Is Tai Lung really ready for know he's an actual legal older brother? I'm not sure he could handle another little sister in his life.

You consider the many things that you could speak about. The people you met, the places you've been and things you have done. None of those seem like they would interest someone like Tigress who was already curt and short with you. You doubt she'd entertain the notion of speaking about trivial matters with you given that she only seemed to speak up when it was necessary. Not to mention the small incident that you had a hand in a short while ago. If you were to speak to the past you then the only way you'd get any semblance of conversation was to speak plainly rather than dance around the subject. You tap the table a few times before you ask about something that you faintly remember perplexing you a long time ago. "Who is your father? I remember you mentioning him long ago." You ask. Tigress visibly stiffens and she sits up straight. Seems like you got her attention at least, for good or ill.

"That is not of your concern." She says just as stiffly and actively avoiding your gaze now. You frown slightly.

"We'll be together for a quite a while. I'd at least like to know more about the person I'm traveling with. You were pretty upset at the time, more so than you usually are with me." You reply. "I know I may not be able to make up for what I may have done but if there's anything-"

"Listen to me Tai Lung." Tigress says whirling around to face you, fury in her eyes. "We.are.not.friends. We will never be. You may have fooled the whole world into thinking that you have changed but a handful of years wandering around and turning your fury towards bandits and criminals does not absolve you what you've done. Everyone else might be willing to turn a blind eye to what you have done but I never will. You're a monster Tai Lung. No matter how hard you try to run away from it and you only attract more of your kind to you. I know about your so called family and it's only the mercy of the gods that that poor girl is still alive. She might be fooled into following you thinking that she's seen some good in you but all she sees is your blood lust being sated against criminals. She's never truly seen you for who you are, but she's made her choice. We are only together because the Empress wills it and see can see some use for you at the moment. Don't confuse my loyalty to my country for forgiveness. Now unless you have something of actual merit to speak about, like how we can actually save these people, cease your prattling."

A lesser man might have been cowed by this hushed but sudden outburst however, you were far too stubborn than the be deterred by this. If anything, you had been expecting something like this for a while. Instead, you slowly relax a bit more and simply say, "No."

"What?!"

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"No. I won't stop talking. I know how angry you are. I've always known. I can feel it, like a fire blazing out of control within you. You and everyone else in this world has every right to hate me. To fear me. But other people have chosen to move past their own hate and fear. I'm not saying this for my benefit but for your own. Your anger might be what drives you but it will burn you. Someday, you or someone else will be hurt because of it and the pain of that failure will haunt you forever. I don't need your absolution. I am ok with who I was and who I am and ultimately that's all that matters. My family loves me, my friends know to rely on me, but all I see inside you is pain. Pain...and myself." You say sternly.

"Don't you dare-" Tigress hisses but you cut her off.

"I do dare. I can see the same anger building up inside of you. The toxic hatred that built up over 20 long years in prison is within you. If it wasn't me asking about your father then what would have set you off? You're at a precipice of change right now Tigress. You've run off, away from your friends and family to try and figure who you are but you're still struggling. I can see it and I'm offering to help you so that it doesn't end up being a tragedy that forces you to see the path you wrought behind you. Like I nearly caused with my father. This may not be the Library it once was but perhaps it might be enough. Go and cool off. Think about it. While you still can in peace." Tigress's golden eyes, mirrors of your own, grow wide and her pupils become faint slits. She stands, her hands gripping the edge of the table to hard that the stone corner snaps clean off. She raises it ready to strike you across the head before suddenly lowering and crushing the rock to dust then hurrying off.

You sit there silently as everyone around you looks at you nervously. You sigh, you expected it there would be some awkwardness between you but you hadn't realized that Tigress hadn't moved on since your last fight. It seems like she had simply buried her feelings under her sense of duty. Part of you hated that you hadn't seen it before. After all, you had done the same hadn't you?

You don't have much time to ponder what to do as another voice grabs your attention.

"Mr. Tai Lung?"

You turn around and are face to face with a young wolf girl. Amala.

>What do you do?
>Write in

>>5681373
Puffed up Kitty. I honestly expected her to have mellowed even slightly in her reflections, but the way things are going she won't ever be able to return home.
She's stagnating, not healing.

>Give the wolf girl a comforting smile, it might disarm any lingering tension in the air from the previous encounter.
>"Hello Amala. I'm glad to see you safe and sound."

Then we can lead into asking her about how the camp is, the kids and. . well, Tenzin.

>>5681288
Well, there is the psudo-mother figure in Bao, the stressed "older" little sister in Ming who tries to make sure everyone remembers their packed lunches, The incredibly devious littlest sister in Xin Lan, pulling pranks and being a cheeky rabbit.
So Tigress would probabaly fulfill the spiteful half-sister, for completely justifiable reasons.

>>5681373
Well, seems that big bro will have to hell his little sis to not repeat his mistakes
>Yes, it's me. I've arrived in the camp today, and I've been looking for you.

>>5681398
>support

Quick question, after the conversation with Amala, is there anything else you'd like to do before I time skip to Ming's arrival?

>>5682798
Not really. Find xin and give them cuddles.

>>5682798
I guess we could go see Mida, he is the only other survivor we know the status of.

>>5681398
You have a lot of work with her. She might not be broken like your buns but she's angry. Her whole world view has basically be ripped from her and she doesn't know what to do. The person everyone says was irredeemable and had to face justice not only escaped and is getting away with it but everyone seems to like him and treats him like a hero.

He's loved, has friends, and people who care about him. Ontop of that, he no longer even has a reason to fight and has said he doesn't want any absolution from anyone. He's ok with himself and just wants whats best for you. Even worse it's not because he wants you to forgive him or to assuage his conscience but because he's worried about you.

Tigress doesn't really have a choice but to lash out because it's the only thing that keeps her old world view intact. Otherwise, what else can it mean? That her whole life had been a waste? That there is no justice in the world and that evil people can just do what they want?

It's not right that someone like Tai Lung basically gets everything he ever wanted after what he did. It simply isn't fair. Tigress left the group and wandered China for about a year or so but that pales in comparison to Tai Lung's multi decade, if not century, self reflection he had in the spirit realm. That and dying kind of puts things into perspective too.

Anons have their work cut out for them if they want to max social links with anger kitty. Might even require the whole gang.

>>5683000
anon that's lewd! Next you'll be wanting to hold hands or rub noses together!

"Hey. I've been looking all over for you. Are you ok?" You ask gently. Amala nods quietly. She looked exhausted and her clothes looked more worn than you remembered it to be. "It's ok. Everything going to be alright. Ming, Xin and I are going to make sure you all get to somewhere safe. We're gonna take you to the Valley of Peace where you can find a home to live. You know, I grew up there. It's a beautiful place. In the spring, the blossoms fill the air so much that the sky turns pink. It's secluded so no one can bother you. Not to mention the food. There was this noodle place my father and I would go to on our days off. I think the Dragon Warrior's father owns the place. How about I take you all there once we arrive? Though I don't think it'll ever compare to Renshu's food." You muse.

"Where is Mr. Renshu?" Amala asks. "We thought you died." She whimpers.

"I...we were split up after what happened." You say as you choose your words carefully seeing as she was close to tears. "I went to the capital. Even managed to talk to the Empress herself and tell her what happened. Xin went to go find the Furious Five so that they can protect everyone. Ming's been here after all doing her best to keep everyone together and Ren...he's up north." You move closer to Amala and look her right in the eyes. "We're going to the north. Me, Ming and Xin. We're going to stop who ever did this and make sure they never hurt anyone again. It'll be alright." Amala nods quietly before throwing herself at you. You quickly catch her and hold her tight as she tightens her thin arms around you and cries.

You gently pat Amala on the head. You were never really sure how to handle these kinds of situations so you just wait for her to take her time. A mixture of emotions flare up within you. It was one thing to hear about what everyone was going through but another to see it and comfort someone over it. Part of you worries that you might have over promised with what you said but you know you couldn't settle for anything less. You just had to try, you owed it to them. You had failed them once before and you wouldn't leave them alone again.

You half expected people to glance over to you but people seemed to not notice or just ignored you. Perhaps everyone knew that everyone else needed a way to vent and let it all out. After what had occurred, you don't think anyone was really in a position to speak about crying. You hold Amala for a little while longer but eventually, you had to pull her away and let her compose herself. Even so, you still wanted to talk.

>What do you ask Amala about first?
>Write in.

>>5683577
>How are the pups?
>Is tenzin with you?
>How is everybody holding up?

>>5683492
Just because I understand them, doesn't mean I can't find their slow nature to change inconvenient.

but hey, Stubborn people are slow to change from any path, that means they are hard to sway from the right path.

>>5683634
Support.

>>5683492
As another point, Handholding is for Renshu, and eskimo kisses are cute!

Xin is our safety bun. We need cuddles.

Horrible last 3 days. Let's go to something escapist.

>>5683881
Xin can't be your safety bun! You're their safety snow leopard. It'll cause a feedback loop of safety. Besides, we learned from a certain mother than species can't intermix. It's not wholesome.

>>5687045
A feedback safety loop is infinitely safe!
FOR SAFETYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Amusingly enough, it reminds me of a DnD game I had, the two tieflings in a crapsack setting always got weird looks from everyone who wasn't the party and the party only somewhat protected em from anything that wasn't direct and blatent pogrom bait.

So they ended up as mutually renforcing emotional/physical support. It was very cute and I've yet to recreate that experience.

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"How are the pups?" You ask as Amala rubs her eyes with the bottom of her palms. She sniffles a bit.

"They're inside eating." She says before taking your hand. Her fingers barely manage to wrap around two of yours as she pulls you along towards the temple. You stand up and walk along with her, slightly hunched over as to not pull your hand away from her. Her grip was strong, the kind of strong that came from someone who was afraid and looking for comfort. The same kind of grip you've felt from Ming, Xin Lan, and Renshu when they looked to you for an answer or direction. It seemed to you like these situations were coming up more and more often.

The inside of the temple was brightly illuminated with various candles and torches. Surprisingly, the sconces that hung from the wall were quite well preserved and thus were being used as well. Miraculously, the soft light gave the inside a homely and comforting feeling. To further alleviate your anxiety, you sense dozens of fire sprites hanging around the flames. You quickly cast your attention to them and see that they are scurrying around, doing their best to keep the flames alive and welcoming. It was as if they were doing all they could to banish any sense of gloom that one could find in an abandoned building. Part of you wishes you could speak with them but merely knowing that there were sprites here was enough to ease your heart.

As you continue deeper into the temple, the density of people increases and you can see the various large rooms and halls filled to the brim. Various makeshift chairs and tables were laid out much like the eating area to give some kind of decorum to the place. All the people were mingling among themselves, despite their attire representing their past affluence. Once rich or poor, you see them all living with one another. Your mind wanders to the mother who had brought you to court. Was she still the same? Would she even want to see you? More importantly, was her son ok?

Amala makes a turn and leads you into a room filled with children. They all stop playing with their toys which simply amounted to bits of cloth sown together, sticks, and shiny stones. There were far too many kids here to simply be Amala's siblings but you're not sure if you want to ask who they belonged to. "Hello everyone." Amala says sweetly, suppressing all the sadness she had shown you moments before. "This is my friend, Mr. Tai Lung. He's here to help around so everyone be nice ok?" You expected a chorus of responses but before anyone could respond you hear someone else speak up. "Tai Lung?" The voice is a mixture of excitement and worry. Moments later a figure hurries over from the other side of the room. Covered in various stains of food and dirt, you come face to face with who you assume is helping Amala take care of the children. A familiar brown bunny with floppy ears. "Is that really you?"

>What do you say?
>Write in.

Can't remember if I named the brown bun. Well back to trawling the archives.

>>5687091
I guess I'll add that to Xin's ever growing list of why they're the perfect husbun/wife.

>>5687132
You did, it was Gyaltso

>"Gyaltso Dorji. My dad is the biggest merchant in town."
thread 16.

>>5687130
>"In the flesh Gyaltso. Though it looks like you're keeping hard at work fending off these brave devils."

Return of awkward, part 2. Because Xin is not going to let this sort of thing get on again.

>>5687130
>Yes, it's me. I have been looking for you, you weren't with the other students when I arrived.
>Pat his head
It's him! Smol brown bun!

Also, seeing the sprites made me happy, knowing that mess that the cultists did on the library.
Makes me think a few of them escaped on the citizen's torches and survived.

>>5687621
Much appreciated! Kind of hard getting all these names wrangled together.

"Yes, it's me Gyaltso. I didn't see you with the other students when I arrived. I guess you were too busy keeping all these little warriors yourself." You say reaching down and patting the small rabbit on the head. You resist the urge to pick him up and carry him around. Such a thing should probably reserved for the rabbit siblings. Soon enough you have to struggle to keep your heart rate in check as you imagine carrying the elder of the two rabbits in your arms. Centering yourself you say, "It's good to see you again. I was worried that something had happened to you when I didn't see you."

"Oh, I've been pretty busy ever since we've left the city. Between watching the kids and running supplies between places I don't really have much time to snoop around. " He says. The brown rabbit pauses for a moment before tugging at one of their ears while contemplating something. He averts his eyes for a moment before whispering. "Is she here? Is she ok?" You give the young man a grin.

"Yes, your snow princess is here and they're fine. Still the same grumpy bun they always are." You say. "Maybe a bit grumpier if you can believe it." Gyaltso lets out a happy sigh and his tail wiggles eagerly. You're not sure if you have the heart to tell him that Xin Lan was a boy at the moment. Although given the poor bunny's infatuation, you're not even sure if he would care. Instead you say, "It's good to see you keeping busy though. Helps keep the mind off of things though I doubt many people are in the mood to do much than try and make sense of what's going on at the moment." The brown bunny fidgets.

"Well there really isn't much to do. I'm not really good at cooking or making stuff so all I can really do is just watch stuff or carry things around. Most of us just hope that things will change soon and we can move on but it doesn't seem like that will happen. We're all trapped here. Maybe forever." You ruffle his ears again.

"All it takes is one small thing to set the wheels of change in motion." You say. "Xin and I will see what we can do about what's going on. Once Ming gets back, we can try and figure out how to get out of this mess. Wouldn't be the first time we had finesse something with very little to go on. Reminds me of this one time Xin and I were stranded at sea on a ruined ship. We had to create a makeshift cooking fire and fishing rods to make food. If it wasn't for Ming, we'd probably have died out other. All we had was hope to keep us going." You rub the back of your head. "What I'm trying to say is that don't lose hope."

Gyaltso's eyes grow wide. "She did that? No wonder she's so confident. You can see it in her stride...the way she glides across the ground. Her beautiful figure cutting through the crowd." He breathes in awe.


"Yeah...something like that." You say.

"Can I see her?" He blurts out. "Please? Even if it's just to see those beautiful scarlet eyes glare at me." You stare at him for a moment. It was clear that time nor tragedy had dulled his infatuation. Part of you wanted to say yes if only to try and play a light hearted prank on Xin Lan. You knew they were in dire need of something to pull them out of the pit of despair they had dug themselves in. The other part of you reminded you Xin Lan slept with you which gave them very easy access to your vital organs, many if not all of them you'd like to keep inside of you.

>What do you say?
>Tell Gyaltso no. Let him know that Xin isn't really in the right headspace at the moment and it would be best if they were left alone.
>Say you'll think about it. Maybe some familiar faces would be good for Xin but it'd be best if you ran it by them first. You don't think anyone is in the mood for surprises at the moment.
>Say you'll take him to her after you're done speaking with Amala. Despite it all, you know Xin Lan cares about the people of the city. Maybe a living example of the results of their actions would show them that they could still do good in the world.
>Write in.

>>5688949
>We'll think about it.

Now isn't really the time for surprises of this nature. Xin is fragile at the minute, not sure if this would let them take the burden off her shoulders or just add too it.

>>5688949
>Say you'll take him to her after you're done speaking with Amala. Despite it all, you know Xin Lan cares about the people of the city. Maybe a living example of the results of their actions would show them that they could still do good in the world.

>>5688949
>Say you'll think about it. Maybe some familiar faces would be good for Xin but it'd be best if you ran it by them first. You don't think anyone is in the mood for surprises at the moment.
I'll be honest i'm only voting for it because people won't say no

>>5689282
Mhmm. I'm not sure how much clearer Xin can be that she doesn't like him.
That doesn't mean I'm gonna stop allowing it to happen. because again, it might lift their bad mood at the minute or go badly.

I just can't figure out what's more likely

"Not right now. But I'll think about it. Right now Xin and I need to gather some information so we can't spend too much time socializing. Once things have settled down we can figure something out." You half lie. The brown bunny's ears seem to droop even more than usual. "Don't worry. I'll make sure they'll stay their unhappy selves until we get to safety." You quickly add. Turning to Amala you change the topic before Gyaltso can start begging, "Where are the pups?" You ask. Amala takes your hand and pulls you deeper into the room leaving Gyaltso to sigh melodramatically and return to their duties.

You find the rest of the children eating quietly in the corner of the room. Mercifully they seem physically unharmed though the stress and emotional toll of the events is clearly evident. All the liveliness, that spark of happiness you saw in them as they ran around the house causing trouble, was gone. Instead they simply seem to be...existing as if all ambition and curiosity was sucked out. The lone exception seemed to be the eldest out of all of them. The young boy who you remember being told off for playing with his eldest brother's sword and was part of you classes. He was sulking and leaning against the wall, keeping a wary eye over the whole room but you could see something else in them as well. Anger, resentment. Much like your younger sibling, you could see the desire for revenge burning inside him. The urge to hurt back those that hurt him and the worst part is that you were unsure if you could get him to let go either.

You hold back a sigh, even though you had told yourself that you were prepared for the fall out of war. That you were ready to do what it took to save everyone. You weren't ready to see that some people were already irreparably hurt by what had happened. It was the reminder that your immense strength and talent meant nothing here and you were helpless to do anything to ease their pain. The kids look up as you approach and recognition comes over their eyes. "Hey everyone." Amala says doing her best to push away the pain in her voice. "Look who I found. It's Mr. Tai Lung."


"Teach. It's you." The eldest says curtly and gets off the wall.

"Yeah. It's me." You say quietly. "Have you guys been ok? Do you need some more food?" The kids shake their heads. You start wondering what you're doing here. Though you hadn't expected to Amala to pull you here, you're not sure what you can do. Promise them that everything would be ok? Apologize for not being there when they needed you the most? The last thing you wanted to do was upset them even more. Scanning the room, it finally dawns on you that Tenzin is not here. Yet another question you're unsure you should bring up. The children's lingering gaze begins to weigh heavy on you and it didn't help that you think you see something in them. Perhaps the faint glimmer of hope?

>What do you say?
>Tell the kids that everything will be ok. Promise that you'll get them out of here.
>Apologize and tell them the truth. That you had failed them. Though it was not your intention and you had no idea that such a thing would happen, the fact was that you were not there.
>Ask where Tenzin is. You're not sure if platitudes or promises will make them feel better so you might as well be honest as to why you're here.
>Write in.

>>5691994
>We were coming to check on them and make sure they were all right.
>Feed their hope by telling them about the valley of peace, and the various local landmarks they can explore WHEN they get there.

We've got nothing if we don't have Hope.

>>5692015
Support.
Be sure to mention that it's whete our father and the five lives.

>>5691994
>Apologize and tell them the truth. That you had failed them. Though it was not your intention and you had no idea that such a thing would happen, the fact was that you were not there.

>>5692181
>>5692015
Gotta try to fill the little ones with hope. Question is, are they too far gone?

"Hey...We're gonna get through this. It'll be alright." You say in the gentlest tone you can muster. You kneel down to get closer to them. "Have you guys ever been to a palace before?" You ask. The kids shake their heads. "Do you guys wanna go see one? You know I was raised in a palace." The kids' eyes grow wide in awe.

"Like the Empress? Are you a prince mister?" One of them asks. You chuckle.

"No, not exactly. I was raised in a temple called the Jade Palace where my father taught me how to use Kung Fu. It's where all of China's greatest heroes were trained at one point or another and it's where the current best live. The Furious Five. It lies high atop the mountains of the Valley of Peace and it overlooks the village at the bottom of Ten Thousand Steps of Contemplation. Legend has it that it was built for me and my father's master, Master Oogway, out of gratitude for inventing Kung Fu to protect the weak and innocent. And the Valley of Peace is where we want to take everyone to find a new home. Would you guys like to go and see it? They say that if you make it to the top and manage to stay absolutely quiet, you can hear the mountains speak to you. There's also a very secret spot I would always go to find the sweetest peaches." You didn't think it possible but the kids' eyes grow wider and they begin to hop around and tug at your clothing excitedly. You do your best to try and calm them down to no avail. "Alright, alright. I think I get the message. I did promise to take your sister to the best noodle place in the valley, so how about after that we can go. If you can make it up all the steps I bet Ming will give you a prize."

This somehow manages to further excite the kids, all except one. The eldest, your student, seems unconvinced though a flicker of doubt flashes in his eyes. Whether this doubt was directed towards your words or to his anger, you cannot say but like many problems you come across you can't very well leave it alone. "Well then it's a promise isn't it?" You tell the children. "But right now, I need to talk to your older brother outside. We'll be back soon." You motion for the young boy to follow you. He hesitates for a moment but follows you quickly enough. You lead the young man back to the eating area and take a seat at an empty table.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asks a bit blunt. His tone wasn't rude but it was clear he wasn't sure what he was doing with you. He seemed lost.

>What do you tell him?
>Be straight forward. Say you know he's angry. You've seen it too many times already and you know you'll be seeing it even more from now on. Tell him it'll only end up with him hurting the very people he wants to protect. He'll end up no different than those he hates.
>Tell him the story of how you ended up in prison and how you nearly murdered the man who raised you, twice. Let him know he has a choice right now. A big one.
>Say you know he's going through some complex emotions right now. The Library was your home as well but you can't help him with them. However, there are two people you think can help him learn how process those feelings. Po and your father. Your father can teach him discipline and restraint but Po can also show him how to be true to himself. In their own ways, it was them who showed you what true balance meant.
>Write in.

>>5693563
>"I want to talk about you Tseten. Given what's happened, a lot of people are hurt in a lot of ways. Your hurt isn't on the body, it's in there."
Gesture to heart/chest area
>"What troubles you? We'll try and solve it, together okay?"

If he is bottling stuff up, then we can let it out.
If he does need direction, we can put him towards the palace.

>>5693630
Gonna talk to the kid. At least he'll listen to us. I'll get to writing in the morning.

"I want to talk about you, Tseten. After all that's happened, not a lot of people want to talk about it. Just because you're not hurt on the outside, doesn't mean you're not hurting on the inside." You say as you tap right over your heart. "You don't have to hide it. We can talk about it and try to solve this together."

"I'm fine." The young boy responds though their demeanor clearly shows quite the opposite.

"You're fine?" You repeat with a raised brow. "You certainly don't look ok to me."

"I'm fine!" Tseten shouts. They catch themselves and fidget. "I'm fine." They repeat quietly and avoid your gaze. You nod and pretend to enjoy the surroundings for a moment.

"You know...I'm sure your older siblings taught you that lying is wrong." You say after a minute or so. "But not many people know that lying to yourself is worse." The boy fidgets some more but says nothing. "When you lie to someone, the way to fix it is easy. You tell the truth. Those that hurt you will forgive you and you can work together to become better and happier people. When you lie to yourself, the only one who can forgive you is yourself but if that was easy then why would you be lying? It's hard to tell the truth, it's harder to tell it when no one is listening. Your sister is doing her best to take care of you but I bet she doesn't have a lot of time to spend with you." Once again the boy remains quiet. "Sometimes, when we try to help or protect the people we love, we end up hurting them in the end. I assume that's why you don't want to talk to her about it.

You tap idly on the table allowing the boy to digest your words. "You know...the stories they say about me are mostly true. I did hurt a lot of people when I was younger. Killed a lot of innocents too. I was angry. I was talented and when I didn't get my way I took it out on the people who were closest to me. I nearly killed my father, twice. It took me a long time, too long, to realize that in the end the only one to blame was me. It all started with a small lie. Other kids avoided me, people saw me as a stranger. I could have made an effort to try and get to know them or to figure out why things were the way they were but instead I told myself it was because they were jealous and that my training was more important. Neither was true of course, there is no point in strength if there is no one to protect with it. However, soon I began to believe my own words and the lie grew. These people were beneath me, I was destined to become the greatest Kung Fu master in the world, everything I wanted I deserved. After all, I was the strongest and why shouldn't the strongest get what they want?"

File: fce6b952e5049ad0a57cf068b(...).jpg (43 KB, 748x427)

43 KB JPG

You stop once again. One could be mistaken that you were thinking about what to say next, or perhaps you were checking to see if Tseten was listening but in reality you were contemplating the past once more. "But just like a raging fire, the more you feed it the more out of control it becomes, and then came the day it decided to engulf everything around it. Everyone knows the story, what I did and how I was captured. The irony was, in the end, I got exactly what I wanted. I was known as the greatest Kung Fu master in the world and one of the worst criminals in the history of China..." You place a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder and look him in the eye. "I'm telling you this because I know how you're feeling and I know that you're trying to figure what to do. I'm here to listen and to help. So, what's bothering you?"

As you speak the boy's uneasiness only increases. They swing their legs and shift in their seat, all signs of someone who was caught in the act. Eventually the tears begin to roll down their face and they sniff to try and hold back mucus. "B-big brother is gone...I looked everywhere for him. People say he stayed behind on the mountain." He says clenching his teeth. "He's gone and the house is gone and, and, and I couldn't do anything!" The small wolf rubs their eyes in shame as he heaves. "Everyone else got to fight and be brave but they wouldn't let me do stuff to help! They made me go away and leave with everyone else! I learned stuff too like them! Why didn't they let me help? And now we're here and I can't help. I'm useless! Big sis has to work all day and she's tired and everyone else is tired! I-I hate those guys! We didn't do anything! I hate them!"

>What do you do?
>Tell Tseten you know someone who felt the same way as him. Ming. If anyone knows how to help him, it'd be her.
>Say that he's just a child and shouldn't have to take responsibility for any of this. He should take this as a chance to do better and become better. If not for him then for his family.
>Say that right now there's nothing he can do about this. But perhaps in the future he might find his calling. He's still a child and being forced to be an adult isn't right.
>Write in.

>>5695611
>They didn't made you go away because you can't help, but because you have a long future ahead of you. Because you still have a lot to live and experience.
>You learned, and learned well, but your body is still young. Over time you will grow, become stronger, and learn even more. And there will be a day that you will help others.
>I know someone that once also felt that they couldn't help: Ming. Even though she is the smartest person I know, and a fully grow adult, she never trained, so she could not fight. But she dedicated herself and became what she is today. No one starts on top, it takes time. In her case it was training, but in yours is age.
>But it's not enough to just become strong. Study, learn, so your mind is sharp. Make friends, care for you family, find love, so your heart and soul is caring and compassionate.
>This is what your brother fought for, what your feloow students told you to hang back so you could experience, what I entered a coma to let the child that was trapped in cave experience, and what one day you too you help others that will be younger then you, either by defending or teaching them.
>Maybe you should speak Ming? I'm sure that she would be better with words then me.
It's me back again, saying the same things as the options, except longer and more autistic.

>>5695611
>"They stayed behind because you are the future Tseten. Your big brother and his comrades stood against the Mongols because you and the others were important enough to risk everything for.
>We'll find a way for you to help with them migration, and when we get to the valley, your family will rely on you. Not just to help them in the day to day, but to grow strong and live happily, despite all the grim things that have happened. Because that's what Tenzin fought for."

Give that pupper a hug, so many people need hugs here.

You gently pat the boy on the back. "They stayed behind because they wanted to fight for you. Like the people before them, who would fight for them. You are the future and your life is important enough for them to fight. You and everyone else that's here. Not because you're useless, not because you couldn't do anything. They made the biggest sacrifice so that you wouldn't have to. To live with the guilt of taking a life, with the pain and fear of having to put yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to do that...that's not anything any person should live with." You squeeze Tseten's should and gently raise his face to meet yours. "Now, you have a choice little one. To remain as you are, angry and devoid of hope. To turn your back on what you truly and let these emotions fester or to face forward and to honor what your brother and neighbors gave everything up for. You don't need to be a warrior. Strength isn't simply how much you can carry or how powerful you've become. You can study and learn. Write and entertain. Maybe you'll become a cook or perhaps a smith. Their sacrifice wasn't so you can avenge them, far from it. Your brother stayed behind so you can live your life to the fullest...the way you want to. No matter the path of life you wish to take, do so in earnest and to the fullest. Do that and none of this will have been in vain." Pulling the child close you give him a tight hug.

"But first, grieve little one. There's always time to grieve. And when you're done, remember to tell your family how much they mean to you. They need you now more than ever just as you need them right now. Only then, once all this is done and over with will we begin to figure out what exactly it is you want to search for. When she comes back, we can speak with Ming. She too felt the same way as you once. Lost and wondering her place in the world in the face of danger. Maybe she can help you find your place in the world." You say gently. Once you again you find yourself consoling someone burying their feelings into your chest. Where once you would find yourself at odds with what to do, you find both peace and sadness in how comfortable you were with the situation. You shouldn't have to know how to do this, in a perfect world no one should, and yet you are glad that you have evolved into a man people can trust with doing so. After a while, you lead the young boy back to his family. You wish you could console and comfort him with promises just was easily as you could with his younger siblings but sadly, Tseten had been forced to grow up and such things would do little to make him feel better.

You bid your goodbyes and make your way back to the cart at the edge of the camp. The night was starting to die and maybe people had retreated to their favorite sleeping spots both within and outside the old temple. Perhaps it was the last few hours, but the weight of everyone's worries seemed to rest heavy on your shoulders. It bore down upon you heavier than any chains or boulders and every step seemed to stretch for a mile longer. By the time you reach the cart itself, you find yourself to be mentally exhausted. Despite all your talk and all your promises, you couldn't help it. As you turned a weary gaze across the last surviving residents of the Sacred Library, all you could see was your biggest failure and the realization was crushing. You rub your temples to try and ease the rising tension there before ultimately crossing your legs and trying to meditate. A realization dawns on you that perhaps this is the exact same thing your father goes through in the Valley. Watching over it's residents, you wonder if all he can see the flames of that night so long ago...

You're pulled from your thoughts as you feel something heavy drop on your lap. Taking a peek, you see a scruffy tail wiggling around as a white bunny stretches from ears to toes before getting comfortable and going completely still. You reach down to scratch them between the ears and feel some of the tension leave your head. Your father might have to protect an entire valley but he didn't have to protect the country from a certain mischievous bunny. The thought alone tugged at the corners of your mouth.

>What do you do for the next few days as you wait for Ming?
>Write in.

>>5698741
Interesting questions. . first and foremost is
>Tell Xin that brown bun survived. She should be unseen or go say hi as she wishes.

then once that madness is over with
>Spend a day or so kicking down trees outside the ruins to create a buffer zone between the temple and the forest, while providing firewood and craft wood to the camp.

We may also want to produce a few torches to last, using sap but my naturecraft may be off a bit.

and lastly, I want to keep pushing for our apex style of forgivness. So
>Spend the rest of our time with Xin, asking them to teach uu/letting us study their tranquil state.

because they can slip in and out of it now.