"Unwrapping the Zephyr"
By: Seinasu
Disclaimer: Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers is copyright (C) Sunrise.
If it was one thing Date Seiji didn't do, it was dance. He couldn't believe he allowed his companion, Nasutei Yagyuu, to talk him into going to a rave near the Red Light District in Shinjuku!
He leaned against the end of the bar and through the thick crowd of rave-goers wearing bright, neon jewelry and blaring hardcore techno beats from all sides the building, he watched Nasutei Yagyuu dance.
It was a side of her he rarely, ever saw. He was pretty sure nobody else saw this side of her. She was ethereal among the sea of faceless individuals. Her movements were fluid, her body flexible, long auburn hair wild and free, turquoise eyes smoldering, and her smile simply contagious. Her skin sparkled with a blend of sweat and body glitter.
All the while, she was dancing with a female colleague from work; Seiji recognized her from the university, so he wasn't worried. However, the woman's outfit was rather interesting: tight black leather, fishnet stockings, spikes and buckles were worn around her wrists and waist. It was difficult to imagine this same person was also a university professor! It certainly contrasted from Nasutei's outfit of choice: a black spaghetti strap shirt and baggy beige pants.
Seiji was quite comfortable in his simple short sleeved shirt and loose pants. He hadn't danced at all but the vast amount of people who gathered inside the building mixed with their intense sweat and heavy breathing (not to mention the possible drug usage) made the atmosphere humid and intense.
The beats came to a slow crawl and eventually quieted down. Nasutei bid farewell to her dance partner and joined Seiji at the bar.
"Now... how about giving it a try?" Nasutei asked as she sat on an empty stool next to her blonde companion and tried to catch her breath.
Seiji smirked. "Ever since I've known you, I haven't seen you sweat this much."
Nasutei wrinkled her nose and let out a small laugh. She lifted her hands and pulled back her long hair away from her face. "Not even the youja could make me breath so heavily," she remarked jokingly. "I guess I can build up a sweat when I really want to."
Seiji turned around and ordered a couple of drinks from the bartender. Nasutei also turned around and placed her arms on top of the cool, glossy tabletop. She lowered her head and rested the side of her face against her bare arms. Seiji glanced down at her and noticed how cute she looked right there and then.
Nasutei's eyes sparkled as she lifted her head and asked, "Dance?"
He tossed his hair aside his often hidden, lavender eye and shook his head. "I don't dance," he stated.
"Oh, come on," Nasutei said as she sat upright as the drinks arrived. She reached into her pockets to produce some currency for the bartender, but Seiji placed a hand over her wrist and held her still. He paid for the drinks and turned his attention back to his date, releasing his hold on her.
She offered him a "thank you" and took a sip of her drink. She sighed as the cold, liquid relief trickled down her throat. "Don't tell me you wouldn't dance if Ryo and the others were here?" she asked after she sat her glass down.
"Of course not," the blonde replied simply. "This isn't their idea of a hang out."
"What if all four of them asked you to dance with them just for the sake of acting stupid? Wouldn't you dance then?"
Seiji chuckled. "They would more than likely have to drag me to the dance floor."
She cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Really."
"Are you lying to me, Date Seiji?"
"You know I don't lie."
Seiji finally took his seat next to her and sipped on his cold beverage.
Nasutei rested her chin in the palm of her hand and said, "You're also very unashamed of how you say things."
"Excuse me?" Now it was his turn to cock an eyebrow.
"Well, remember when we were first searching for Shuu in the mountains? The jeep got stuck and the only way through was to hike the rest of the way. Meanwhile, you went on ahead and stated that it would be faster to search without having ME around."
"Nasutei, must we bring that up again?" He wouldn't admit it, but it irritated him whenever she brought up the past. He was embarrassed about how brash and immature he acted during his early years as a Samurai Trooper.
Nasutei sat upright and held up her hands as if admitting defeat. "All right, I won't press the matter anymore," she said as she lowered her hands as she finished the last of her drink. "Mmm, I love this beverage! How did you know?"
"I didn't," Seiji remarked as he took another sip of his drink.
Just then a pair of bright, neon dressed females flocked around Seiji, almost knocking Nasutei out of her seat.
"Wanna dance, stranger?" a girl with bright red hair and lime green eye-shadow asked.
The girl next to her, who had pink ponytails and a bright blue choker around her neck, pushed her aside and batted her eyelashes innocently at Seiji.
"He's gonna dance with me next! I know it 'cause our eyes locked across the room!"
Seiji blinked. "We... did...?"
Suddenly, Nasutei retaliated: she grabbed a hold of Seiji's wrist, drew him close to her, gave him a sensual kiss on the lips, and then pulled the two of them away from the bar. In mere seconds, Seiji and Nasutei plunged head first into an ocean of dancers, as the DJ started another fast paced, techno tune. Meanwhile the two girls were squawking about losing a cute guy, but then immediately focused their attentions on another nearby handsome male.
Meanwhile Seiji was dumbfounded over Nasutei's actions. He was well aware of how she got jealous (quietly so) whenever females tried to throw themselves at him. But he'd never seen her react like the way she did. The way she pulled him close, like an overprotective mother, but then kissed him like a long lost lover, then fled into the night with him being snatched up in the process!
Nasutei Yagyuu was truly unpredictable. It was no wonder the enemies often tried to take her away from him and the Troopers. She could be as wily as a fox... if and when she wanted to act upon it.
"Ready to dance now?" Nasutei asked with a touch of laughter in her voice. There were people bumping into them from every side and Seiji felt himself being swayed to and fro to the beat of the music.
Nasutei spun around in place and clapped her hands. She was suddenly so alive with energy again, despite all that dancing she did with her friend.
"I'm ready to dance with my date," she announced as she closed her eyes and started to become one with the music.
Seiji felt extremely awkward in this situation. The gods knew he couldn't even do the hokey pokey if his life depended on it. Being known as the "Warrior of Grace" was one thing, but dancing for fun was just another matter all together! And yet, he loved to watch Nasutei dance. He enjoyed seeing her so blissful and liberated.
Nasutei always seemed so confined to her work or to whatever cause was going on with the Samurai Troopers. Very rarely was she able to act her age. After all, she was only three years their senior. Even when she hung out with him, Ryo, Touma, Shin, and Shu she seemed a bit detached; as if she had to be the responsible, mature one of the group. Tonight was proof that she was able to act free and be herself in front of him.
Tonight, he would spend this time with her and give her that freedom.
But their next date would definitely be somewhere less wild and more quiet!
THE END
END NOTES: This was a very interesting and a bit of a difficult story to write. It's hard to see Seiji and Nasutei in such an environment because canon-wise, we don't see either of them showing an interest in raves or dances. For this particular piece, I had to write a story that involved this couple in a rave or dance. Writing particular themes help me think more creatively about a certain person or groups of people.