Disclaimer- same as earlier chapter so I'm not going to repeat myself.
AN: hey I got this chap up in under a week. I'm very proud for myself, I'm normally a very lazy typist. Anyway everything from earlier still applies. My spelling and grammar is just sad so if you find a mistake please tell me.
Oh, and to whoever brought it up I'm not sure if it's spelled Motoko or Matoko. I'm gonna spell it your way simply because it looks closer.
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BLADE
CH2
WORLDS
Blade leaned on the deck banister looking out toward the sea. A breeze came in off of the ocean blowing his opened button down shirt behind him like a cape. Filling his nostrils with the salt smell. Blade exhaled heavily as he watched the sun set over the water and listened to the seagulls squabble over food. The scene was definitely helping his mood, however he was still pretty sour though.
"That was, the stupidest thing I have ever done, … right after trying to fast rope in sandals. I still have scars from that particular adventure." he thought to himself. His mind then went over his most recent encounter with Shinobu in his head.
"What the hell did I say wrong?" he asked the setting sun.
"Probably nothing at all." said a male voice behind him. Blade yelled in frustration and slammed his fist down on the railing, dislodging an entire four foot section from the deck which tumbled towards the ground. Blade took a step to the left to find some more railing to lean on, saying nothing more than
"oops."
Kotare walked up beside Blade leaning on the railing as well.
"Every body's out looking for you." he said "You really threw us for a loop doubling back like that." he said, laughing.
" I was trying to lose you." Blade responded halting Keitaro's laughter like a red light. There was a moment of silence before Keitaro worked up the courage to continue the conversation.
"Asked Shinobu out huh?" he asked rhetorically.
" You know? I thought that was my little secret." Blade answered as sarcastically as he could.
"Sounds like you got shot down." Keitaro said almost in a whisper.
"I wasn't shot down." Blade said angrily. " I was nuked in midair." Keitaro then snorted loudly trying desperately not to laugh.
" I know the feeling." Keitaro managed to get out.
"Yeah. no doubt there." Blade responded. "but I'll take nuked over atomic punched anytime." Keitaro nodded in agreement and looked out towards the setting sun.
" I have to admit," Keitaro spoke towards the sun. " I would never guess that would happen when you first got here."
"Neither did I." Blade said suddenly overcome with a fit of laughter. "Remember how I first meet Shinobu and Matoko?" he asked trying not to double over.
"Yes I do, not the best way to meet a pervert hunting fanatic." curling over with his own laughter.
FlashBack
" Keitaro I don't care if your fixing the hot spring." Matoko shouted angrily pushing Ketaro towards the hot spring door, dressed in the customary fluffy pink towel. " Shinobu and me have had a long day would like to use the hot spring."
In the hot spring, Shinobu sat resting against a at the edge of the pool, letting her tired muscles be massaged by the warm water. Her towel a good three feet away. As she sat there in the center of the hot spring, Blade's head emerged from under the water.
" hey Keitaro I found the…. Problem." Blade swiveled in the water searching of his apartment manager. " Ketaro?" as he turned around in the water, Blades eyes came to rest on Shinobu, sitting the hot springs, bare ass. Blade having spent most of his maturing years in a coed combat unit, didn't bat an eye. He regarded her for a moment and then went back to getting the hot springs fixed. As Blade returned to the depths of the hot springs, Shinobu got over the shock of having stranger suddenly appear in her bath water, and let out a banshee. Matoko heard this and ran out with her sword drawn with Ketaro in tow trying to get her to listen. Now Blade proved himself to have a grand sense of timing as he resurfaced with a pair of white, rust and grease stained panties in his right hand.
" Keitaro these were…." that was as far as Blade got because Matoko recognized the garment in question as her own and went into PAM (pervert assassination mode) and attacked. Matoko charged at Blade with her sword in mid swing. Blade leap out of the way clearing the water and planting his hands on a pool side rock completed a back flip with a half twist to land facing his opponent. Blade unshieved a 6 in combat knife from it's back holster. Matoko regarded her opponent more wirily after his maneuver. Matoko also thought it rather odd that although the boy had been submerged in the hot spring he still had his pants even if he was bare foot and without a shirt. With all of this happening Keitaro was desperately trying to stop the fight without getting himself killed. This behavior was typical of Matoko but Blade was an unknown factor, He was afeard that Blade would be harmed. He looked up and saw Matoko wind up for her well known air splitting sword technique. Matoko attack lending her attack toward Blade. "Got him." she though happily, till Blade sidestepped her attack. Blade then sensed his opponent was off-balance charged.
"SHIT!!" Matoko screamed bring her sword across horizontally to defend herself. Blade had expected this and seeing Matoko scrambled to bring her weapon to bear, Blade had expected this, he missed his next stride rolling with his momentum under Matoko's sword coming up behind her. Blade slashed Matoko's right shoulder causing her to drop her Kanata, followed by Blade kicking out Matoko's knees and finally bring his dagger to her thought.
" Do you yield?" her growled in her ear.
Matoko growled in defiance.
" You let her go right now!" Shinobu screamed, throwing a wooden wash pail at Blade. Now beyond the fact that this was massively out of character for Shinobu, this distracted Blade enough that Matoko attempted a swift kick to the groin. Fortunately Blade managed to block this with the inside of his knee, but he had to release Matoko to do it. Matoko picked up her Katana sprinted towards the wall about 20 feet away placed her feet on the wall and leap off flying at Blade like a kamikaze and releasing a second air splitting sword using her body's rotation to give it twice the force. As the ki energy bore down on Blade a series of a reflexes kicked in, he crossed his arms over his face braced his feet parallel to the incoming attack and limbered himself in preparation for the impact. The attack broke upon Blade like a tsunami over a beach. The dust cleared to show Blade somewhat battered but still standing. He swatted the still air born Matoko down with a quick left jab. Being fairly certain that the crazy-sword-woman would not be presenting any immediate threat Blade went back to business.
" where was I… a yes. That" he said pointing at the white panties now floating in the middle of the hot spring. " was clogging the intake valve, so the water wasn't draining, which is why it overflowed this morning." without a hint in his voice that he had just defeated a master swordswoman in about 45 seconds.
"Now if there is nothing else, I'll be going." Blade finished disappearing out the laundry room door. Keitaro stood fix in place looking at the spot Blade had just stood with one thought in his mind "Who the hell is this guy?!?"
end flashback
"That definitely counts as something that wasn't funny then but sure is now." Blade said finally standing up without any snorts or tremors.
"No argument here." Blade responded looking back out over the city, his smile slowly disappearing from his face.
The 2 young men listened to a group of birds chittering in a nearby tree. Blade turned around resting his elbows on the railing, staring at the red Hinata roof.
"So what's bothering you?" Keitaro asked noticing his friends disposition.
"What makes you think something's wrong, I mean besides this afternoon?" trying to sidestep the question.
"Because, everyone comes up here for different reasons," Keitaro countered. " Matoko to practice, Shinobu to reminisce, Naru and I for umm… personal reasons." Blade smirked at Ketaros minor embarrassment. "And you, you come up here to think."
"Reflect is a better chose of words." Blade contradicted. "But I get the sentiment."
" Fine reflect." Keitaro said slightly hurt. When Blade didn't respond Keitaro looked over at him. While Blade's face was permanently set in a perpetual frown, his eyes proved, if nothing else that the eyes are the windows into ones. Blades eyes showed all the emotions of a typical 16 years old crossed with that of Ketaro's grandfather, a world war two veteran. Right now Blade reminded Keitaro of a cross between His half drunk, overly depressed Grandfather and Naru immediately after that shower incident with Mutsumi.
"So you going to tell me what's wrong?" Keitaro asked trying to force an answer out of his tenet.
"Curiosity killed the cat you know." Blade reposed threateningly. Then he sighed in defeat a moment later.
"The grind of day to day life out here is just turning me into a fine powder I guess." Blade answered truthfully " I'm starting to wish I was still with the Reapers, because no matter how bad it got with them there was always a shoulder to lean on. Normally several."
"We're here." Keitaro said quickly trying to defend everyone.
"Don't get me wrong, you're all good friends." Blade said trying to calm his friend. "But compared to the Reapers you guys are about as steady as a gust of wind." He finished, carefully choosing his words.
"There for a moment and then gone." Keitaro muttered understanding what Blade was getting at.
" I don't mean to insult you but…" Blade was cut off buy from a returning Naru below.
" Hey! We've been all over town looking for you!" She yelled up at Blade angrily marching towards the door with the rest of the Hinata crew close behind, all of which looked beat. With the exceptions of Naru who was just pissed and Su who was jumping about like a nuclear powered bouncy ball. Keitaro watched Naru enter the house with a look of love and contentment on his face. Blade watch Ketaro's expression change and a smile spread across his normally sober face, as he thought of happy times.
" What?" Keitaro asked with a smile the surpassed each ear.
"Nothing." Blade responded. "You just remind me of something my mother used to say. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."
"Too true, but I've heard that war is a love affair with the Grim Reaper." Keitaro countered.
" Bullshit." Blade answered his chest rolling in laughter again. " I've been in combat for over 2 years and I only got laid once!" He finished on a high note.
Ketaros face showed a meteoric understanding as he slowly shook his head.
"Have faith Blade." Keitaro said after Blade recomposed himself "Your world will show it's self sooner of later."
"I already belong to one." Blade responded sinking into a deeper depression than he started with. " I belong to the valley of the shadow of death, where the Shepard does not walk." Blade thrust his hands into his pockets sighing heavily. "I belong to the dark shadows of humanity that you fear so much." He then walked down the stairs leading into the house without another word.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Keitaro said chasing after Blade, catching up to him in the main lobby as the other residents entered the inn.
"For a walk. The river side is beautiful this time of night…" With that he disappeared out the door into the fading light.
" Blade you get back here! I've got a bon…" Naru began but was cut off by Keitaro placing a hand on her shoulder.
"That's enough Naru." Keitaro said uncharacteristically blunt. "He doesn't need us adding anymore weight to his shoulders. The poor kid does even feel like he's human any more.
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That's it for now. Please review
And again thanks.