Which was why the pleasure was never sharp, never extreme, because there was not the opposite to contrast it with. Only those who had experienced life on earth felt unpleasant emotions. And only those who’d been in love knew its unfathomable depths and all its excesses.
Divina herself didn’t have a clue, nor had she ever desired to experience these extremes.
“You must have received the Jade Emperor’s summons,shi-mei,” Cloud said, his tone slightly chiding.
“I did,” she admitted, not the least conciliatory. “I was in the middle of grooming Chewie. Papa Jade can wait.”
Ere’s mouth dropped open at her reply.
“P-papa Jade?”
She looked at him.
“Yes, that’s what I call him.”
“The Jade Emperor is your fath—”
She chuckled and rolled her eyes.
“Of course not, silly. I just call him that, since he’s so sweet and fatherly.”
Now, Ere’s eyes bugged out, though he managed to close his mouth.
“Nevertheless,” Cloud inserted, “we should make haste. It would not do to keep him waiting.”
“Oh, but Papa Jade doesn’t wait for us or anyone,shi-ge,” Divina said. “It’s only Fufu we need to talk to.”
“F-f…” Ere couldn’t get out the rest of his words.
“You know,” Divina explained to him, helping him out, “Shifu. Papa Jade’s emissary. ButShifuis a mouthful, don’t you think? I just call him Fufu.”
Ere’s mouth dropped open again.
Really, the male needed to get his jaw checked. Perhaps there was something wrong with the masseter muscles.
Cloud exhaled deeply through his nose.
“Divina, I…implore you. The Universal Balance is at stake, else the Jade Emperor would not have issued the summons. You must accompany Ere and Sorin on a quest. It is of utmost—”
He stopped speaking abruptly when she moved next to him and smoothed a hand down his chest, patting the hard planes for good measure to soothe his mounting ire.
“Yes, yes,” she conceded. “Don’t get your knickers in a wad. Of course, I’m coming on the quest. I wouldn’t dream of letting Papa Jade down. But first thing’s first.”
She snapped her fingers at Chewie, calling her baby to her.
He bounded in a flurry of golden-brown fur to her side and sat obediently before her, his fluffy, curling tail wagging in the dirt.
“I must finish putting bows into Chewie’s hair. He needs to look presentable if he’s going on this trip.”
Cloud frowned despite her soothing hand on his chest.
“Your pet is not going.”
“Oh, yes he is,” she said calmly but firmly. She was not leaving her baby behind.
Ere cleared his throat as he and Sorin came closer, looking with fascination at Chewie beside her.
“Eh…what exactly is this creature?”