DISCLAIMER: Same as always, I don't own anything to do with Love Hina, except for this story.
Once again, sorry for the late up date, got things going on, people to see, just life in general.
Second I apologize in advance for this crappie chapter while at it. This is my third attempt at it and this is the best sounding so far. I figure it's time to cut my losses and move on to the next chapter.
Finally, same as all my other chapters spelling/grammar still sucks. Sorry working on it.
By: Bryant (Blade42)
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Shinobu was simply amazed at the building Blade was leading her towards. It was a high end 3 story, five star restaurant, the Ruby Pearl. It has been graced with visited by many a movie star, and is said to be a favorite of western diplomats in Tokyo. Shinobu would have wondered how they were going to get in if it wasn't for the sign over the entrance. TEEN'S NIGHT, PLEASE USE SIDE DOOR".
Shinobu was dressed in her best dress, a dark purple gown, with white lacing around the short sleeves. Blade was in a military parade uniform. It was a green/brown color, with a matching officers hat. His golden 2nd lieutenant pipes glinting a passerby's, and several medals hanging off his cheat, a combat infantry badge, a field promotion badge and single purple heart.
Blade had been relatively quiet the entire trip there. Only speaking at any length when Shinobu would start a conversation. He seemed preoccupied with appearance, constantly straightening his shirt, or twice Shinobu had caught Blade stealing a glance at her out of the corner of his eye.
So far all Shinobu knew was that, 1 she was being led towards the most posh restaurant for about 100 miles, 2 they weren't going to be back till late (Blade had asked Keitaro to leave the door unlocked when he turned in), 3 she was going to meet at least part of Blade's unit, the Reapers.
They rounded the corner of the building and were confronted by a sea a teenagers in expensive dresses and suits, milling about by the side door.
"I guess they haven't started letting people in yet." Shinobu spoke, stating the obvious as Blade spun in place, looking for people while she spoke.
" Looks like it, were is everybody?" Blade asked, continuing to look around. As if to answer his question there was a loud
"JAYJAY!"
Blade heard this, side-stepped with a half duck as a girl wearing a green dress flew by him. When she landed, Blade embraced her from behind in a bear hug. Blade released her saying,
"Hey Jenn. What's new?"
" Nothing." she replied " Your in uniform." Jenn said almost as a chrisom.
"What's wrong with the uniforms?" a new voice said from behind Blade. The young man who the voice belonged to stood up beside Blade and Shinobu did a double take. Except for his Blond hair and scar separating his eyebrow the guy looked nearly identical to Blade. He was wearing basically the same clothing too, minus any headwear.
"Although the hat maybe over doing it." The young man said.
"Now what the hell is wrong with my hat?" Blade said staring the new comer down, for several seconds before snorting in laughter allowing a crooked smile to show on his face.
"How have ya been Rossy?" Blade said recomposing himself.
"Like's getting better." Ross replied with a shrug. Blade was about to answer when Jenn cut him off.
" Where's Spook?"
"What do you mean where's Spook?" Blade answered a little too quickly.
"Exactly what I said Where's Spook?" at this information both Ross and Blade immediately went back to back scan their respective vision arcs hunting for the elusive Spook.
" Hey what's this about?" Jenn said placing her hands on her hips and glaring the two boys down.
"Don't get us wrong Jenn we're both proud to call your brother a friend," Rossy said Explaining for them.
" But" Blade interjected "That kid in this environment, as reasonably well lit as it is scares the shit out of me."
"Don't you me this kid?" and smooth voice said basically in their ears. Blade and Ross whipped around at the source of the voice, relaxing when their eyes fell pone it's source. The guy looked like a living Shadow. He was slender but well built, and held a darker aura about him than any of the other former warriors gathered around Shinobu. It was also blatantly obvious that her was related to Jenn, he had the same jet-black hair. Last his cloths although in the same design as Blade's/Ross's was the purest black Shinobu had ever seen.
"Don't do that!!" Blade and Rossy yelled in unison.
" Sorry" Spook said, " It's kind of a hobby." Blade just placed his hand over his face and shook his head.
" Who's your friend here?" Spook asked, turning his attention to the quiet Shinobu.
"Oh sorry, everyone this is Shinobu." Blade beginning the introduction, then turning to introduce his comrades. Their reactions were as broad as the human race, each one a reflection of their character. "This is Sean McDonald."
He nodded his head slightly saying "Just Spook."
"This is Christopher Ross."
"Hello Shinobu." Rossy said shaking her hand warmly.
" And this is Jennifer McDonald."
"HI-ya!" Jenn cried in her normal overly happy attitude. She then moved forward embracing Shinobu, drifting her hands down and firmly grabbing her butt. In typical fashion Shinobu yelped, broke Jenn's grip, and proceeded to blush a very deep crimson.
Expected or not all the males present locked their jaws and faced a different direction in a pitiful attempt to subdue their laughter. Fortunately a waiter stepping out side the door and calling prevented any further interaction.
" Reapers party of…….47?!?"
" That's us." Ross said neutrally as he turned to head for the door, with Spook and Jenn following him. Blade hung back to walk beside Shinobu.
"Sorry I should have warned you about that." Blade said, " Jenn swings very liberally." Blade finished with a swinging of his hand.
" It's all right, I guess." Shinobu answered. " Su would probably love her."
"That she would." Blade commented. "Anyway lets head inside."
The side door was just simply a stair well with access to every level of the building. The waiter led the first group up the stairs to the third story. As the people set foot on the floor, everybody to some degree or another gasped in awe of the elegance of the place. The floor was modeled in to a ballroom, with all the trimming, up to and including solid mahogany (I think that's spelled right) woodworks, and Persian carpets.
"Good thing the restaurant is writing our visit tonight as a tax deduction, or thing would be costing us a pretty penny." Blade said looking up at several crystal chandlers. The waiter directed the Reapers party towards a banquet-sized table. People took their seats. Shinobu sat next to Blade being he was the only person she knew to any realistic degree.
It wasn't long after everyone was settled that the typical dinner party conversation arose around that table. The merry mood was extremely infectious and even Shinobu, the outsider at the moment, had a smile a pone her face. Shinobu listened to the conversations around her; she didn't understand what most of them were about, (every one had at least some militarily relation or babble in it.) But she did understand the reason for such a grand this was the first time in a while the entirety Reaper had been together, they were all making use of it.
Menus were distributed, and people ordered and ate their meals. As good as the food was that wasn't why anyone had come tonight, they came to have a good time, and the DJ had finished setting up an hour ago.
And so the next several hours past, everybody even the shy Shinobu danced at least few times, thought it was all female Reapers bring her into their various dance circles. Trying to get to know this new comer.
But watching festivities like this can be a bit too much. Which is why, Shinobu was standing on the balcony by the dinning hall listening to the music. The nice thing about living near the ocean is that most people have an ocean view, and this building was no exception. The night held onto only a sliver of the moon, making the waves invisible except of a few hundred inky feet. As always, there was the slight breeze coming in off of the water, with the tide keeping the air cool. The overly comfortable surroundings gave Shinobu a sense of relaxed calm, and under it, Shinobu tuned out the world for a moment. Because of this she didn't hear Jenn come up behind her.
" Hey um, Shinobu was it?" Jenn asked Shinobu who jumped and quickly turned around to face this surprise speaker.
"Oh, hello Jenn." She replied keeping her back against the banister.
"Do you have a minute?" Jenn asked bluntly, uncharacteristically sober.
" I guess. What's up?" Shinobu replied, dropping all of her defenses at Jenn's new attitude.
" Well I just want to talk… mostly about your date." Jenn said closing to conversation range with Shinobu.
" I wouldn't really call it a date." Shinobu said trying to sidestep the implied idea.
" BS, how is introducing you to the most important people to you not? Jenn retorted. "Perhaps, he doesn't know how important."
"Jenn?" Shinobu's face soften in sympathy " Sorry"
"Don't be, you didn't cause this" Jenn answered
" Still I know how you feel." Shinobu explained.
" What happened?" Jenn asked almost pleading.
" He is engaged to one of my best friends." Shinobu answered truthfully.
"Ouch." a simple reply for a simple pain.
" Yeah, could kind of see it coming thought. I got over it… kind of," Shinobu said blushing mildly "Anyway back why this started."
" Yeah… I guess I just want to know what do have that I don't." Jenn responded with a shrug.
" Not a whole lot maybe… he's just blind." Shinobu offered.
As the girls had a heart to heart, Blade stood in the doorway watching the two young ladies, he had no clue what they were talking about but what ever it was, it was really getting to Jenn.
"Come on Ross, looks they could use a little cheering up, or at least a dance."
" Well I don't ... eeerrrrr. Can't you handle it?" Rossy stammered back.
"No, now come on." Blade said stepping out of the shadows.
" Good evening ladies." Blade said looking over his shoulder to find Ross still hiding by the door.
"Hey Blade. What's going on?" Shinobu asked him.
" Well the DJ has finally let up on the Techno and it would be rather rude of me not to offer a dance to milady." Blade said putting in a half bow with a rare smile on his face that had become uncomfortably common tonight.
" Quite the gentlemen." Shinobu commented, carefully eyeing Jenn.
" No I'm/he's just a halfway decent actor." Blade and Jenn said in unison using their respective pronoun. With must have been a normal occurrence because neither Blade nor Jenn missed a beat.
"Go on." Jenn said almost shoeing them away. The pair took their leave, exiting the balcony. As so as he was out of sight Blade stepped over to Ross who was hiding in the shadows.
" She's looking kind of lonely buddy." Blade said nudging his friend with his elbow.
" Well I don't know." Ross whined
" Coward, you've known her for over 2 years." Blade reprimanded, giving Ross a stern push, dispelling him from his hiding spot.
"Oh umm hi Jenn…."
"My work here is done." Blade said bushing off his hands
" You guys are a very odd group." Shinobu said letting Blade lead her towards the dance floor
"Not really." Blade said, continuing to speak despite reaching his destination, and slipping his hands around her waist, " You just got dropped of in the middle of act 3."
"Ok, but she does have a crush on you, you know that right?" Shinobu asked placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Yes, same here to a point I suppose, but sometimes you just have to know when to step aside, instead of indulging someone else's fantasy." Blade explained quietly
"So, you chose to remove yourself from the possibility instead of toying with her, and to give Ross a chance?" Shinobu inquired
"In a nutshell I guess, but your making this out to be far nobler than it really is." Blade disputed.
" Not by much." Shinobu countered, pulling close enough to Blade rest her head on his Shoulder, " There's more to you than meets the eye."
Blade opened his mouth to speak but closed it. The dance would be over in about a half an hour; he didn't see any need to speak until then. Why ruin a perfectly good silence?
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Sorry, I had to write it. Please review I know it isn't my best, but still it helps to know how I messed this one up. It just reads sloppy and don't have a clue why. Please help!!