Zodiac Notes

Pronounciation: There are four tones in Chinese, and I have sought to represent them using punctuation.
"-" > The first tone is an even high note, like singing "la-"
"?" > The second tone is a sharp rise, like asking a question, or "huh?"
"..=.." > The third tone is a dip and a rise, like agreeing to someone with a "mm-hmm"
"!" > The fourth tone is a sharp drop, like "hey! You!"

May

First Appearance: 1_2

Major Appearances:

Beginning of Chapter 1, hanging out with Tony in Chinatown.

Middle of Chapter 6 trying to cheer Mao up.

Character:

Small and cute little kid, cheerful and extremely genki. A dose of innocence, shall we say?

Tony

First Appearance: 1_2

Major Appearances:

Every Chapter. He's the main character, for heaven's sake.

Character:

24-year-old reporter who just got dumped by his girlfriend, Faye. An all-around good guy who finds himself caught up in "godly conspiracies", and inexplicably protective of a mischievious Mao-cat.

Nice, charming, and handling this whole twist in his life extremely well. And don't forget the foofy hair! Bishie-ness: *****

Jeff

First Appearance: 1_4

Major Appearances:

Beginning of Chapter 1, teasing Tony.

Middle of Chapter 5, finds Tony at ShenJu

from Chapter 6 to beginning of Chapter 7, helping Tony research.

Prologue of Chapter 7, younger but still teasing Tony

Character:

Older-brother type, who likes to tease Tony, but helps when Tony needs it. Maybe he's doing it just for fun, but still helpful.

One of the older men, very caring of May, his younger sister, and an accomplished writer. Bishie-ness: ***

Mao

pronounciation: "mao-"

Chinese Character: "Cat"

Animal: The cat chases the rat for the reason given in the prologue. So there. Chinese cats aren't as emphasized for sensuality or nine lives as Western cats do. (That's more of the fox/vixen's role). They are mostly seen as something to stop the dratted rats.

Mao-cat leaping out the door. Smaller and more portable than Mao. Plus cuter.

First Appearance: 1_4

Major Appearances:

The other main character, who is in every chapter. Woo.

Character:

Definitely angsty past, that is somehow tied to Kuang Hu (her brother) leaving her behind, a love/hate relationship with Meishuu, and a curse that prevents her from doing anything about it. She helps Tony, but Kuang Hu hinted at some ulterior motive. This idea is further emphasized by the enigmatic prologue to Chapter 7, where a young Mao arranges a meeting with a young Tony. This cat has many secrets.