Disclaimer: I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean is me.
* * * Chapter XXV: Motoko's First Date * * *
Wednesday, 10/10 3:21 PM
Sean walked back to his room after completing his chores for the day, the last of which being cleaning the floors. On the way, he happened upon Suu as she made her way energetically in the other direction.
"Hey, Sean!" she said cheerfully as she went by. Sean didn't respond; he barely made a glance at her and continued on his way.
After what had happened two days before, he had a gut feeling that he might never look at Suu or Mutsumi the same way ever again. It was bad enough when he had to go through Kitsune's torture, but having to deal with it in stereo for as long as he did that night was much worse…
--- (Flashback) Monday, 10/8 7:03 PM
About as soon as Suu and Mutsumi dragged Sean into his room and locked the door, they began removing what little clothing they had left. Sean allowed himself a glance at the table and saw that there were only three bottles of Instant Arousal left. Alarms went off in his head and he backed away when they approached him, eager to repeat what they had already done just minutes before; he had escaped them once before, and they didn't intend to let it happen again.
Mutsumi noticed Sean's terrified expression. "What's wrong, Sean?" He was beyond rational thought, so he wasn't able to respond. Mutsumi was about to ask again when Suu took the initiative, leaping at Sean before he could get away, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and planting a kiss on his lips.
Upon seeing this, Mutsumi decided to let her hormones influence her actions as well. She walked up to the two and tapped Suu on the shoulder.
"Yes?" Suu asked when she released a shell-shocked Sean from her lip lock.
"Think you can make some room for me?"
Suu thought it over a bit, nodded and climbed higher up Sean's body until she reached the top, putting the much more pressure on his back and shoulders. After draping her legs down Sean's back, she pushed his face into her crotch, but due to his prolonged brain-dead state, he didn't so much as flinch; that is until Mutsumi acted.
When Sean felt a hand start to pull his pants off, he suddenly regained conscious thought. "What are you doing?!" he asked. His voice was muffled a bit by… you know, it doesn't need to be said.
"What?" Mutsumi asked innocently. "You can't say you don't want to do this."
"No, I can't, but not like this! Besides, you know damn well I plan to save myself for Shinobu!"
"Lucky girl," Mustumi said. "But still, I want you so much right now."
"It's your own fault for drinking that stuff."
"Sean, please," Suu said, almost pleading. "I want you too, and I don't think I can wait any longer!"
Sean was suddenly aware of what he was looking at, and also just how aroused she was. He couldn't help but wonder just how much she drank, but something in the back of his mind told him he didn't want to know. Eventually, Suu's smell started overpowering his senses, making him more and more turned on, which didn't go unnoticed by Mutsumi.
Before Sean could do anything to stop her, Mutsumi removed his pants and underwear, exposing his member. After a few moments, ideas appeared in her mind, which she quickly, but quietly, relayed to Suu. After hearing what Mutsumi had to say, giggles could be heard from the foreigner, which only made Sean more concerned…
--- (End Flashback)
It took all of his effort just to keep both of them from going too far with him. If he had faltered even for a minute, they would have made a very difficult situation down the road; not only between Sean and the two involved, but also between himself and Shinobu, who would have been heartbroken knowing that she would not be his first.
"The only good thing about that whole thing is that they used up the last of that damn Instant Arousal," he thought with a sigh. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that stuff anymore--I hope." He shook his head as he opened the door to his room, hoping he could put that experience behind him forever. As he entered, he was surprised to find Motoko there, waiting for him. "Oh, hi, Motoko," he said. He tried to sound friendly, but anyone could tell it was forced. "What's up?"
"I think I should ask you the same thing," Motoko said, seeing through his charade.
"I'm just thinking about a memory I wish I didn't have."
"Monday?" Sean nodded. "Were Suu and Mutsumi really that rough on you?"
"Let's just say that being double-teamed isn't a good thing, no matter the circumstances. Can we please just leave it at that?"
"Sure," Motoko said, trying to remember why she went to his room in the first place. Suddenly, it came back to her. "Uh, Sean, there's something I need to ask of you."
"What's that?"
"Well," Motoko began, her face turning red. "It's just that Keitaro finally asked me out a little while ago."
"So I heard. Kitsune won't shut up about it."
Motoko's blush grew brighter. "Um, I was just wondering if you could--"
"--Help you with your wardrobe, right?" Sean was amused by Motoko's shocked expression. "Didn't think I'd remember that, did you?"
Motoko had completely forgotten that she already made the same request in advance back on Monday. "Uh, no, I didn't. So, will you help me?"
"Of course. Like I said before, I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," Motoko said. "What do you have in mind?"
"Come with me," Sean said, leaving the room.
"Wait, where are you going?" Motoko said, following him out to find him at Alicia's door. "Why are we going in there?"
"You'll see," Sean said, opening the door and motioning for her to enter.
"You're not going to force me to do something I don't want to do, are you?" Motoko asked as she stepped in.
"Now you know me better than that," he said.
"Sorry, just instinct is all." Motoko felt a slight twitch in the back of her mind. She turned around to see Alicia where Sean had been.
"What's wrong, Motoko?" Alicia asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Motoko cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "You're getting better at that. I barely felt the energy you gave off."
"Well, that's how I go with my spells. It goes from creation, to fine tuning, to streamlining, so I won't need as much energy to do the same spell each time I cast it."
"You keep improving your skills; kind of like me and my swordsmanship."
"Yep."
"Just curious, but why did you change into Alicia?"
"I figured you would be more comfortable about this if I did. This will involve you changing clothes, which I assume you wouldn't want to do in front of a guy, right?"
"Uh, right."
"That's what I thought. Now have a seat and we'll get started," Alicia said, gesturing towards the futon.
"If I may ask again," Motoko said, sitting down, "why are we in here, anyway?"
"When I first decided to change into what you see before you," Alicia said as she made her way across the room. "I knew I would need to get used to the clothes along with the body, therefore…" She opened her closet and Motoko was stunned at the wide variety of styles it contained. "I made it a point to try out many different kinds of outfits. I'm sure there's something in here that will work for your date with Keitaro."
"But I don't think your clothes will fit me."
"Don't you worry about that. With magic at my disposal, I'm better than a tailor. Now, let me think," Alicia put a hand to her chin. "You probably want something that's really middle of the road."
Motoko was confused by that rather ambiguous statement. "What?"
"I mean you probably want something that is a bit formal, but still on the casual side. Also, you might want something that shows off your figure a bit, but not too revealing. You don't want to give him the wrong impression, right?"
"That sounds reasonable. I certainly wouldn't want him to think I don't care that I'm going out with him, but I don't want to look like I'm too eager, either. That would no doubt upset Naru, to say the least."
"Exactly. Now, let's see here…" Alicia began searching through her closet, looking for the perfect outfit for Motoko. "Hmm, too skimpy… too plain… geez, what was I on when I picked this out?!… ah, here we go. I'll have to make some alterations and maybe change the colors a bit, but I think it's just the thing." Alicia showed the outfit to Motoko. "What to you think?"
Motoko looked it over a bit. "That should work just fine."
"Cool," Alicia suddenly became very nervous. "I'm probably going to regret asking this. Um, I'm going to have to get a better look at you so I can make the necessary changes, so if you could just…" Alicia paused, half-expecting Motoko to unsheathe her sword. Much to her relief, Motoko stood up and began removing her kendo outfit. "Thank you. I know you're not exactly comfortable with this, so I'm glad you're cooperating."
"You did say it would come to this," Motoko said.
"Yeah, I did," Alicia said as Motoko finished disrobing, revealing what she had on underneath. "Um, just curious, but do you plan on having those chest wrappings on for this?"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Not really, I just wanted to know."
"Well, I'd probably feel more comfortable about this whole thing if I did."
"No problem. I doubt it would make that big of a difference, considering the date shouldn't go that far anyway." Alicia held the outfit up against Motoko and began making the changes.
"Um, could I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why do you think Keitaro waited this long to ask me out?"
Alicia raised her gaze to meet Motoko's. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, he could have asked me yesterday, or even the day before, but he didn't; why is that?"
"Well, there are a couple things that led to that. First, there's the schoolwork both of you must get each day, so that might not leave too much free time for either of you. Second, I heard Keitaro musing yesterday while I was…" Alicia's face turned red. "…recovering from Monday night… and he seemed to have quite a bit of trouble deciding where to take you. Probably the reason why he asked you today is that either he finally thought of something, or he just gave up trying to plan it out and figured he'd just go with the flow and see what happens. Did you have anything planned?"
"No. I've never been on a date before, so I wouldn't know where I would like to go, exactly."
"Then I suppose it will a very interesting day for you, huh? Well, I think I'm done with the alterations, so try it on and see how it feels."
Motoko put on the newly resized outfit and stood in front of the mirror. "It actually feels pretty good. Not too tight, not too loose. I just don't think the colors are right for me."
"Well, I wanted to make sure that it fit right first. Now, as for the color, I think it should be something that makes it noticeable, but not too much. We don't want you to be outshined by your outfit. How this?" Alicia magically shifted the colors before Motoko's eyes.
"Does It have be so light?"
"Well, I don't want it to contrast too much with your skin. I guess I could darken it just a bit." The colors gradually began to do just that until Motoko stopped her.
"Wait, that's good," she said.
"Alright." Alicia went back into her closet. "Now, let's look at some shoes…"
--- 3:49 PM
Keitaro, along with everyone else, waited patiently in the living room for Sean and Motoko to arrive. Somehow, they had caught wind of Motoko's new fashion consultant, and they were eager to see how it turned out. Sean was the first one to appear at the bottom of the stairs.
"Wow," he said when he noticed the crowd that had gathered. "I wasn't expecting quite a turnout."
"What's going on?" Motoko said from halfway up the stairs, out of view of everyone but Sean.
"Well, it seems Keitaro isn't the only one waiting for you."
"What?! How did they find out?"
"Like I said, Kitsune wouldn't shut up about your date, but about me helping you, I don't know."
"I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this," Motoko said, nervousness becoming apparent in her voice.
"Come on, Motoko!" Naru yelled. "We all want to see your new look! Don't we, guys?" Everyone else cheered in agreement.
"I'm not so sure about this," Motoko said, her voice beginning to fade away.
"Motoko, you came to me for my help and I'm not about to let you back away now. It could be worse, you know; I could have had you wear high heels."
There was a long pause before Motoko spoke again. "…Alright," she said reluctantly. Seconds later, she appeared beside him, a blush on her face, which anyone could tell wasn't makeup. In fact, if anyone who knew her were to be asked about it, they would say that Motoko had never worn any of the stuff a day in her life; nor has she ever needed it.
"Wow," Shinobu said at the first sight of the new Motoko. She was wearing a slightly pale blue skirt that ended just above the knee and an equally light pink short-sleeved shirt that, at that moment, matched her face. "You look… different."
"Is that a good thing?" Motoko asked.
All the girls gathered around Motoko to get a better look at her. "Are you kidding?!" Kitsune said. "You look great!"
"Yeah," Naru added. "I'm not used to you looking so… feminine."
"Well, that's kinda what I was going for," Sean said.
"Hmm," Kitsune said, rubbing her chin. "If she continues to dress like this, then your competition just got that much tougher, Naru."
"Yeah, I know," Naru said before turning her attention to Sean. "Just curious, but how did you get that outfit?"
"You'd be surprised by how much stuff I have in Alicia's closet."
"You think we could have a look in there sometime?" Shinobu asked.
"Of course."
Motoko saw her chance and decided to take it. Escaping the crowd around her, she rushed over to Keitaro, who hadn't joined the group, and grabbed him by the arm. "Let's go, while they're distracted."
"Sure," Keitaro said as the two ran out the door.
After they dashed out, closing the door behind him, they paused a bit to catch their breath before walking down the steps.
"I just want to say," Motoko said, "thank you for not making a big deal out of my clothes like the others did."
"No problem," Keitaro said. "I know how nervous you are about this."
"How do you know?"
"While Sean was bedridden yesterday, he heard me talking to myself about where I'd take you and all that. He mentioned that you're about as nervous about this as I am."
"He was in bed all day?" Motoko asked, surprised. "So that's why I never saw him. Was that whole thing Monday night that bad for him?"
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'd want to stay in bed too if I had three cracked ribs, a badly sprained back, a dislocated shoulder, whiplash and pulled muscles in both legs like he did. It took the combined magical efforts of both him and Shinobu just to get him in good enough condition to continue his duties today. He's probably still in a bit of pain even now."
Motoko was shocked by this. "He was so injured that he could barely move," she thought. "Yet he still helps me when I ask him to."
Keitaro could almost swear that he saw tears appear in Motoko's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I'm beginning to think we ask too much of him."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he goes through so much, yet he only does anything about it in extreme instances, and he hardly ever denies a request made by one of us. I think we may be taking him for granted."
"You may have a point there, but I think you should save that for when we get back, so you can tell everyone that."
Motoko sighed a bit. "You're right. I need to concentrate on the here and now. Where did you plan on taking me?"
"Well, since you're so uncomfortable about this, I figured we'd just go for a walk through the park and talk or something, and we'll go from there. What do you think?"
"That sounds… nice. I guess a peaceful walk is just the thing I need right now." Keitaro then led Motoko to the park. Neither of them made that much conversation, but rather opted to just enjoy each other's company.
--- 5:13 PM
"Thank you, Keitaro," Motoko said as they approached the front steps, "for a wonderful date. At first, I was so worried about what might happen; not having my sword with me didn't help any, either."
"No problem," Keitaro said. While his kept a cool composure, his mind was going a mile a minute. "Man," he thought, "ever since she confessed her feelings for me, her personality has taken a drastic change. I hope there's nothing wrong with her." "Uh, Motoko?" he said out loud.
"Yeah?"
"I know it was hard telling me about how you like me and all, but--"
"What?" Motoko started to get worried.
Keitaro grabbed her shoulders lightly and forced her to look him straight in the eye. "Well, I just don't want you changing your entire lifestyle just to suit me. Don't think I haven't noticed how you've acted the last few days. Sure, being new to the dating scene can be difficult; I'm going through the same thing right now."
"But Naru--"
"You are not Naru! Just because I happen to like her doesn't mean you have to act like her! You are Motoko Aoyama, and don't try to be anything else! If that means being a tomboy and swinging a sword around, then so be it!"
"Do you really mean that?"
"Of course. I've gotten used to you being a strong, confident person, and I like that about you, even when you've attacked me. Seeing you like this just doesn't seem right. Next time we go out, we'll do anything you want to do."
"Even if it involves 'swinging a sword around'?"
"Sure."
That rose Motoko's spirits. "Okay, then. I'll start making plans, then. I'll let you know when they're ready. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go change out of this stuff; it doesn't suit me." Motoko ran up the steps toward the dorm.
"Now that's the Motoko I know," Keitaro muttered to himself.
---
Motoko opened the door to find Kitsune and Naru there, awaiting her return.
"Well, how did it go?" Kitsune asked.
"It went just fine," Motoko answered.
"So I guess you'll be dressing like that all the time then, huh?" Naru asked.
"Hell no!" Motoko said as she walked by them on the way to her room.
"What was that all about?" Kitsune wondered, raising an eyebrow. As soon as those words left her lips, Keitaro appeared in the doorway. "Okay, what just happened between you two?"
"What do you mean?"
"She just walked by us saying she wasn't going to wear that kind of stuff again," Naru said. "Did you make some smart remark about her clothes while you were out, cuz if you did--"
"Hey, I did no such thing! All I did was tell her she should just be herself. She doesn't need to act like you all the time."
"Are you saying there's something wrong with the way I act?"
"No! I mean seeing Motoko act like that doesn't seem right to me for some reason. I'm used to you being feminine, not her."
"I guess I'll let it slide this time." Naru went over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "And maybe later I'll show you just how feminine I can be." Naru walked out of the room, leaving a bewildered Keitaro in her wake.
"Um, I…" Keitaro started to say.
"Same old Keitaro," Kitsune thought, barely able to stifle a laugh. "The battle for his heart just gets more and more interesting."
* * * End of Chapter XXV * * *
What did you think of that one? Let me know. See you next time! Please R&R!
* * * Chapter XXV: Motoko's First Date * * *
Wednesday, 10/10 3:21 PM
Sean walked back to his room after completing his chores for the day, the last of which being cleaning the floors. On the way, he happened upon Suu as she made her way energetically in the other direction.
"Hey, Sean!" she said cheerfully as she went by. Sean didn't respond; he barely made a glance at her and continued on his way.
After what had happened two days before, he had a gut feeling that he might never look at Suu or Mutsumi the same way ever again. It was bad enough when he had to go through Kitsune's torture, but having to deal with it in stereo for as long as he did that night was much worse…
--- (Flashback) Monday, 10/8 7:03 PM
About as soon as Suu and Mutsumi dragged Sean into his room and locked the door, they began removing what little clothing they had left. Sean allowed himself a glance at the table and saw that there were only three bottles of Instant Arousal left. Alarms went off in his head and he backed away when they approached him, eager to repeat what they had already done just minutes before; he had escaped them once before, and they didn't intend to let it happen again.
Mutsumi noticed Sean's terrified expression. "What's wrong, Sean?" He was beyond rational thought, so he wasn't able to respond. Mutsumi was about to ask again when Suu took the initiative, leaping at Sean before he could get away, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and planting a kiss on his lips.
Upon seeing this, Mutsumi decided to let her hormones influence her actions as well. She walked up to the two and tapped Suu on the shoulder.
"Yes?" Suu asked when she released a shell-shocked Sean from her lip lock.
"Think you can make some room for me?"
Suu thought it over a bit, nodded and climbed higher up Sean's body until she reached the top, putting the much more pressure on his back and shoulders. After draping her legs down Sean's back, she pushed his face into her crotch, but due to his prolonged brain-dead state, he didn't so much as flinch; that is until Mutsumi acted.
When Sean felt a hand start to pull his pants off, he suddenly regained conscious thought. "What are you doing?!" he asked. His voice was muffled a bit by… you know, it doesn't need to be said.
"What?" Mutsumi asked innocently. "You can't say you don't want to do this."
"No, I can't, but not like this! Besides, you know damn well I plan to save myself for Shinobu!"
"Lucky girl," Mustumi said. "But still, I want you so much right now."
"It's your own fault for drinking that stuff."
"Sean, please," Suu said, almost pleading. "I want you too, and I don't think I can wait any longer!"
Sean was suddenly aware of what he was looking at, and also just how aroused she was. He couldn't help but wonder just how much she drank, but something in the back of his mind told him he didn't want to know. Eventually, Suu's smell started overpowering his senses, making him more and more turned on, which didn't go unnoticed by Mutsumi.
Before Sean could do anything to stop her, Mutsumi removed his pants and underwear, exposing his member. After a few moments, ideas appeared in her mind, which she quickly, but quietly, relayed to Suu. After hearing what Mutsumi had to say, giggles could be heard from the foreigner, which only made Sean more concerned…
--- (End Flashback)
It took all of his effort just to keep both of them from going too far with him. If he had faltered even for a minute, they would have made a very difficult situation down the road; not only between Sean and the two involved, but also between himself and Shinobu, who would have been heartbroken knowing that she would not be his first.
"The only good thing about that whole thing is that they used up the last of that damn Instant Arousal," he thought with a sigh. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that stuff anymore--I hope." He shook his head as he opened the door to his room, hoping he could put that experience behind him forever. As he entered, he was surprised to find Motoko there, waiting for him. "Oh, hi, Motoko," he said. He tried to sound friendly, but anyone could tell it was forced. "What's up?"
"I think I should ask you the same thing," Motoko said, seeing through his charade.
"I'm just thinking about a memory I wish I didn't have."
"Monday?" Sean nodded. "Were Suu and Mutsumi really that rough on you?"
"Let's just say that being double-teamed isn't a good thing, no matter the circumstances. Can we please just leave it at that?"
"Sure," Motoko said, trying to remember why she went to his room in the first place. Suddenly, it came back to her. "Uh, Sean, there's something I need to ask of you."
"What's that?"
"Well," Motoko began, her face turning red. "It's just that Keitaro finally asked me out a little while ago."
"So I heard. Kitsune won't shut up about it."
Motoko's blush grew brighter. "Um, I was just wondering if you could--"
"--Help you with your wardrobe, right?" Sean was amused by Motoko's shocked expression. "Didn't think I'd remember that, did you?"
Motoko had completely forgotten that she already made the same request in advance back on Monday. "Uh, no, I didn't. So, will you help me?"
"Of course. Like I said before, I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," Motoko said. "What do you have in mind?"
"Come with me," Sean said, leaving the room.
"Wait, where are you going?" Motoko said, following him out to find him at Alicia's door. "Why are we going in there?"
"You'll see," Sean said, opening the door and motioning for her to enter.
"You're not going to force me to do something I don't want to do, are you?" Motoko asked as she stepped in.
"Now you know me better than that," he said.
"Sorry, just instinct is all." Motoko felt a slight twitch in the back of her mind. She turned around to see Alicia where Sean had been.
"What's wrong, Motoko?" Alicia asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Motoko cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "You're getting better at that. I barely felt the energy you gave off."
"Well, that's how I go with my spells. It goes from creation, to fine tuning, to streamlining, so I won't need as much energy to do the same spell each time I cast it."
"You keep improving your skills; kind of like me and my swordsmanship."
"Yep."
"Just curious, but why did you change into Alicia?"
"I figured you would be more comfortable about this if I did. This will involve you changing clothes, which I assume you wouldn't want to do in front of a guy, right?"
"Uh, right."
"That's what I thought. Now have a seat and we'll get started," Alicia said, gesturing towards the futon.
"If I may ask again," Motoko said, sitting down, "why are we in here, anyway?"
"When I first decided to change into what you see before you," Alicia said as she made her way across the room. "I knew I would need to get used to the clothes along with the body, therefore…" She opened her closet and Motoko was stunned at the wide variety of styles it contained. "I made it a point to try out many different kinds of outfits. I'm sure there's something in here that will work for your date with Keitaro."
"But I don't think your clothes will fit me."
"Don't you worry about that. With magic at my disposal, I'm better than a tailor. Now, let me think," Alicia put a hand to her chin. "You probably want something that's really middle of the road."
Motoko was confused by that rather ambiguous statement. "What?"
"I mean you probably want something that is a bit formal, but still on the casual side. Also, you might want something that shows off your figure a bit, but not too revealing. You don't want to give him the wrong impression, right?"
"That sounds reasonable. I certainly wouldn't want him to think I don't care that I'm going out with him, but I don't want to look like I'm too eager, either. That would no doubt upset Naru, to say the least."
"Exactly. Now, let's see here…" Alicia began searching through her closet, looking for the perfect outfit for Motoko. "Hmm, too skimpy… too plain… geez, what was I on when I picked this out?!… ah, here we go. I'll have to make some alterations and maybe change the colors a bit, but I think it's just the thing." Alicia showed the outfit to Motoko. "What to you think?"
Motoko looked it over a bit. "That should work just fine."
"Cool," Alicia suddenly became very nervous. "I'm probably going to regret asking this. Um, I'm going to have to get a better look at you so I can make the necessary changes, so if you could just…" Alicia paused, half-expecting Motoko to unsheathe her sword. Much to her relief, Motoko stood up and began removing her kendo outfit. "Thank you. I know you're not exactly comfortable with this, so I'm glad you're cooperating."
"You did say it would come to this," Motoko said.
"Yeah, I did," Alicia said as Motoko finished disrobing, revealing what she had on underneath. "Um, just curious, but do you plan on having those chest wrappings on for this?"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Not really, I just wanted to know."
"Well, I'd probably feel more comfortable about this whole thing if I did."
"No problem. I doubt it would make that big of a difference, considering the date shouldn't go that far anyway." Alicia held the outfit up against Motoko and began making the changes.
"Um, could I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why do you think Keitaro waited this long to ask me out?"
Alicia raised her gaze to meet Motoko's. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, he could have asked me yesterday, or even the day before, but he didn't; why is that?"
"Well, there are a couple things that led to that. First, there's the schoolwork both of you must get each day, so that might not leave too much free time for either of you. Second, I heard Keitaro musing yesterday while I was…" Alicia's face turned red. "…recovering from Monday night… and he seemed to have quite a bit of trouble deciding where to take you. Probably the reason why he asked you today is that either he finally thought of something, or he just gave up trying to plan it out and figured he'd just go with the flow and see what happens. Did you have anything planned?"
"No. I've never been on a date before, so I wouldn't know where I would like to go, exactly."
"Then I suppose it will a very interesting day for you, huh? Well, I think I'm done with the alterations, so try it on and see how it feels."
Motoko put on the newly resized outfit and stood in front of the mirror. "It actually feels pretty good. Not too tight, not too loose. I just don't think the colors are right for me."
"Well, I wanted to make sure that it fit right first. Now, as for the color, I think it should be something that makes it noticeable, but not too much. We don't want you to be outshined by your outfit. How this?" Alicia magically shifted the colors before Motoko's eyes.
"Does It have be so light?"
"Well, I don't want it to contrast too much with your skin. I guess I could darken it just a bit." The colors gradually began to do just that until Motoko stopped her.
"Wait, that's good," she said.
"Alright." Alicia went back into her closet. "Now, let's look at some shoes…"
--- 3:49 PM
Keitaro, along with everyone else, waited patiently in the living room for Sean and Motoko to arrive. Somehow, they had caught wind of Motoko's new fashion consultant, and they were eager to see how it turned out. Sean was the first one to appear at the bottom of the stairs.
"Wow," he said when he noticed the crowd that had gathered. "I wasn't expecting quite a turnout."
"What's going on?" Motoko said from halfway up the stairs, out of view of everyone but Sean.
"Well, it seems Keitaro isn't the only one waiting for you."
"What?! How did they find out?"
"Like I said, Kitsune wouldn't shut up about your date, but about me helping you, I don't know."
"I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this," Motoko said, nervousness becoming apparent in her voice.
"Come on, Motoko!" Naru yelled. "We all want to see your new look! Don't we, guys?" Everyone else cheered in agreement.
"I'm not so sure about this," Motoko said, her voice beginning to fade away.
"Motoko, you came to me for my help and I'm not about to let you back away now. It could be worse, you know; I could have had you wear high heels."
There was a long pause before Motoko spoke again. "…Alright," she said reluctantly. Seconds later, she appeared beside him, a blush on her face, which anyone could tell wasn't makeup. In fact, if anyone who knew her were to be asked about it, they would say that Motoko had never worn any of the stuff a day in her life; nor has she ever needed it.
"Wow," Shinobu said at the first sight of the new Motoko. She was wearing a slightly pale blue skirt that ended just above the knee and an equally light pink short-sleeved shirt that, at that moment, matched her face. "You look… different."
"Is that a good thing?" Motoko asked.
All the girls gathered around Motoko to get a better look at her. "Are you kidding?!" Kitsune said. "You look great!"
"Yeah," Naru added. "I'm not used to you looking so… feminine."
"Well, that's kinda what I was going for," Sean said.
"Hmm," Kitsune said, rubbing her chin. "If she continues to dress like this, then your competition just got that much tougher, Naru."
"Yeah, I know," Naru said before turning her attention to Sean. "Just curious, but how did you get that outfit?"
"You'd be surprised by how much stuff I have in Alicia's closet."
"You think we could have a look in there sometime?" Shinobu asked.
"Of course."
Motoko saw her chance and decided to take it. Escaping the crowd around her, she rushed over to Keitaro, who hadn't joined the group, and grabbed him by the arm. "Let's go, while they're distracted."
"Sure," Keitaro said as the two ran out the door.
After they dashed out, closing the door behind him, they paused a bit to catch their breath before walking down the steps.
"I just want to say," Motoko said, "thank you for not making a big deal out of my clothes like the others did."
"No problem," Keitaro said. "I know how nervous you are about this."
"How do you know?"
"While Sean was bedridden yesterday, he heard me talking to myself about where I'd take you and all that. He mentioned that you're about as nervous about this as I am."
"He was in bed all day?" Motoko asked, surprised. "So that's why I never saw him. Was that whole thing Monday night that bad for him?"
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'd want to stay in bed too if I had three cracked ribs, a badly sprained back, a dislocated shoulder, whiplash and pulled muscles in both legs like he did. It took the combined magical efforts of both him and Shinobu just to get him in good enough condition to continue his duties today. He's probably still in a bit of pain even now."
Motoko was shocked by this. "He was so injured that he could barely move," she thought. "Yet he still helps me when I ask him to."
Keitaro could almost swear that he saw tears appear in Motoko's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I'm beginning to think we ask too much of him."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he goes through so much, yet he only does anything about it in extreme instances, and he hardly ever denies a request made by one of us. I think we may be taking him for granted."
"You may have a point there, but I think you should save that for when we get back, so you can tell everyone that."
Motoko sighed a bit. "You're right. I need to concentrate on the here and now. Where did you plan on taking me?"
"Well, since you're so uncomfortable about this, I figured we'd just go for a walk through the park and talk or something, and we'll go from there. What do you think?"
"That sounds… nice. I guess a peaceful walk is just the thing I need right now." Keitaro then led Motoko to the park. Neither of them made that much conversation, but rather opted to just enjoy each other's company.
--- 5:13 PM
"Thank you, Keitaro," Motoko said as they approached the front steps, "for a wonderful date. At first, I was so worried about what might happen; not having my sword with me didn't help any, either."
"No problem," Keitaro said. While his kept a cool composure, his mind was going a mile a minute. "Man," he thought, "ever since she confessed her feelings for me, her personality has taken a drastic change. I hope there's nothing wrong with her." "Uh, Motoko?" he said out loud.
"Yeah?"
"I know it was hard telling me about how you like me and all, but--"
"What?" Motoko started to get worried.
Keitaro grabbed her shoulders lightly and forced her to look him straight in the eye. "Well, I just don't want you changing your entire lifestyle just to suit me. Don't think I haven't noticed how you've acted the last few days. Sure, being new to the dating scene can be difficult; I'm going through the same thing right now."
"But Naru--"
"You are not Naru! Just because I happen to like her doesn't mean you have to act like her! You are Motoko Aoyama, and don't try to be anything else! If that means being a tomboy and swinging a sword around, then so be it!"
"Do you really mean that?"
"Of course. I've gotten used to you being a strong, confident person, and I like that about you, even when you've attacked me. Seeing you like this just doesn't seem right. Next time we go out, we'll do anything you want to do."
"Even if it involves 'swinging a sword around'?"
"Sure."
That rose Motoko's spirits. "Okay, then. I'll start making plans, then. I'll let you know when they're ready. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go change out of this stuff; it doesn't suit me." Motoko ran up the steps toward the dorm.
"Now that's the Motoko I know," Keitaro muttered to himself.
---
Motoko opened the door to find Kitsune and Naru there, awaiting her return.
"Well, how did it go?" Kitsune asked.
"It went just fine," Motoko answered.
"So I guess you'll be dressing like that all the time then, huh?" Naru asked.
"Hell no!" Motoko said as she walked by them on the way to her room.
"What was that all about?" Kitsune wondered, raising an eyebrow. As soon as those words left her lips, Keitaro appeared in the doorway. "Okay, what just happened between you two?"
"What do you mean?"
"She just walked by us saying she wasn't going to wear that kind of stuff again," Naru said. "Did you make some smart remark about her clothes while you were out, cuz if you did--"
"Hey, I did no such thing! All I did was tell her she should just be herself. She doesn't need to act like you all the time."
"Are you saying there's something wrong with the way I act?"
"No! I mean seeing Motoko act like that doesn't seem right to me for some reason. I'm used to you being feminine, not her."
"I guess I'll let it slide this time." Naru went over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "And maybe later I'll show you just how feminine I can be." Naru walked out of the room, leaving a bewildered Keitaro in her wake.
"Um, I…" Keitaro started to say.
"Same old Keitaro," Kitsune thought, barely able to stifle a laugh. "The battle for his heart just gets more and more interesting."
* * * End of Chapter XXV * * *
What did you think of that one? Let me know. See you next time! Please R&R!