Disclaimer: I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean is me and Jimmy is a friend of mine and also one of my biggest fans.
Chapter XLV: Small World
Wednesday, 6/4 4:24 AM
When Alicia woke up, it was still dark outside. As much as she wanted to fall back asleep, she remembered her appointment with her friend, Jimmy. This forced her to look at the clock to see just how early it was. "Figures," she thought, also remembering the wake up call set up for 4:30. "There's no point in me going back to sleep, but that doesn't mean I have to wake anyone else up yet." She got out of bed as slowly and as silently as she could, so she wouldn't disturb either Kitsune or Shinobu and made her way to the bathroom. However, unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes were following her every move the entire time.
When Alicia got into the bathroom, she stripped off her nightgown and turned on the shower. Waiting for the water to heat up gave her a bit of time for her mind to wander to a variety of topics, not the least of which being what Jimmy has been up to while she was in Japan. After a minute, she got in and started shampooing her hair and soaping up the rest of her body. "Having the others show up like they did really shook things up. With all of them around, this vacation just got more interesting."
"You don't know the half of it," a voice said from the other side of the curtain. Said curtain was suddenly thrown open, revealing a certain woman who looked ready for a shower herself.
"Kitsune?!" Alicia said, covering herself up. "What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep!"
Kitsune chuckled a bit. "By now, you should know better than to try to be sneaky around me, no matter the reason."
"You still haven't answered my question."
"What? It's not like we haven't bathed together in the past, right?" She snatched the washcloth out of Alicia's hand. "Here, let me wash your back for you."
"Thanks," Alicia said, calming down.
"You know what? I realized another reason why you should be glad we found you."
"And what's that?"
"Because you have needs, just like the rest of us, and without me or Motoko or any of others around, who can you turn to? I know how much you hate being horny all by yourself."
"You've made your point, but I'm not exactly in that kind of mood right now," Alicia said. "Or at least I wasn't until you came in here and brought it up," she thought.
Kitsune wrapped her arms around Alicia's waist from behind and started whispering in her ear. "Maybe, but a girl can never be too careful can she? Sometimes, the best way to deal with sexual frustration is to stop it before it starts." She started moving her hands up Alicia's body. "Or in other words, nip it--" she pinched Alicia's nipples. "--in the bud."
"Well, since you put it that way," Alicia said, enjoying the moment. "Go ahead and nip all you want."
"I intend to."
---
Shinobu woke up to the sound of a ringing phone. After sitting up and rubbing the sleepers from her eyes, she noticed that she was the only one in the room, so she saw fit to answer it. "Hello?" It was someone from the hotel making the arranged wake-up call. "Alright, thank you." She hung up the phone. "Why would--oh yeah, that's right. We're meeting Sean's friend this morning. Speaking of which, where is Sean? And Kitsune's missing too. They must already be awake."
As she got out of bed, she was suddenly aware of the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, and it confirmed her suspicions. "So that's where they're at." It didn't take long for Shinobu to figure out what they were doing--the faint moaning was a dead giveaway. "Sounds like they're enjoying themselves." Figuring they might be a little while, she decided to go ahead pick out her clothes for the day. "It's almost like we never left."
A few minutes later, the two lovers emerged from the bathroom, towels wrapped around their bodies. "I tell you what," Alicia said. "I'd like to see someone try to think of a better way to relieve stress."
"You two have fun?" Shinobu asked.
"You got that right," Kitsune said.
"For a second, I thought you might never get out of there," Shinobu said as she went to take her turn in the shower.
"You know," Kitsune said, a mischievous grin on her face. "If you wanted to, you could have joined us."
Shinobu started to blush. "Um, well…"
"Kitsune, I'm sure she'll come over to the dark side when the time is right." Alicia turned to Shinobu. "Apparently, now wasn't the time; am I right?"
"Right," Shinobu said as she closed the bathroom door.
"I really don't appreciate you trying to corrupt my girlfriend, Kitsune."
"Oh, please," Kitsune said. "Considering how long she's been living with all of us, you'd think that her being 'corrupted' should be the least of your worries."
"She doesn't seem that affected to me, other than her not being freaked out by it or anything." Alicia was barely able to keep a straight face. Out of everyone at Hinata-Sou, she was the only one that knew just how innocent Shinobu really was.
"So," Kitsune said as she and Alicia got dressed, with Alicia turning into Sean in the process. "How far does this friend of yours… what was his name?"
"Jimmy."
"Right. How far away is his place?"
"Not far; just a ways up the road. We can walk there, no problem."
"Tell me, is he hot?"
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"I'm serious. Is he a good looking man?"
"I've never looked at him that way; and I hope I never will. Besides, isn't that sort of thing just a matter of opinion?"
"If you won't give me any info, I'll just have to see for myself when we get there."
"I guess you will, and I seriously doubt you'll be the only one."
--- 4:56 AM
After a quick breakfast, the whole group set out to find Jimmy's house, but not all were glad to be doing so. "Remind me again why we're out here at this time in the morning?" Naru asked.
"This is when Jimmy told me to meet him," Sean said.
"Good thing we went to bed so early, huh?" Keitaro said. Him, Shinobu and Naru were the only ones still a bit tired that morning. Motoko was always an early riser, Suu was as energetic as ever, and Sean and Kitsune were wide awake for obvious reasons.
"You didn't have to come along if you didn't want to," Sean said.
"We know," Naru said. "But I think it'd be nice to see who you hung out with before you met us."
"Yeah," Kitsune said. "Besides, it's not like we know where anything is around here, anyway."
"I'm still hungry," Suu whined.
"What else is new?" Sean said, looking at the paper with Jimmy's address on it. "Well, this is the place."
"Nice place," Kitsune said, gazing at the condo. "But it's no Hinata House."
"Here's a news flash, Kitsune," Naru said. "Not everyone can live like we do."
"Yeah," Sean said. "Some people actually want to own the place they call home; something none of us can say right now." It was at that instant that Sean realized that Suu had quieted down significantly in the last few moments. "Hey, Suu, you alright?" No response. "Uh, Suu?"
"Look," Suu simply said, pointing to a vehicle in the driveway. It was a dark-colored truck with flames on the sides and a neon green biohazard symbol on the hood. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Is she for real?" Naru thought as she saw Suu's eyes twinkling; she was almost in tears. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I must take a closer look at this work of art," Suu said, slowly walking closer to the truck.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Motoko said.
"Aw, what's the harm in taking a look?" Suu edged closer. "It's so beautiful. Just like the car I'd like to have some day." Without warning, a pulsing green glow appeared underneath the vehicle.
"What did you do?!" Keitaro asked.
"Nothing! I didn't even touch it, I swear!"
"Oh, man," Kitsune said. "This isn't good." Everyone started to panic… well, almost everyone.
Shinobu turned to Sean, surprised that her boyfriend was laughing at a time like this. "What's so funny?" she asked.
"Yeah," Motoko added. "What's the deal?"
"You should have seen the looks on your faces," Sean said, barely able to stifle his laughter. "It's priceless."
"Hey, wait a second," Kitsune said. "You knew about this, didn't you?"
"Kinda. Jimmy's had that truck for a while now, and the light show can only mean one thing…" Sean looked around, until his eyes locked on something--or rather, someone. "There he is. Hey, Jimmy!"
"Hey, Sean," Jimmy said, approaching the group. "Friends of yours?"
"Yeah."
"Were you the one that caused the truck to glow?" Naru asked.
"Yep." Jimmy said.
"Allow me to introduce you to my friends and roommates: Keitaro…"
"Pleased to meet you."
"Naru…"
"Hmph."
"Suu…"
"I love your truck!"
"Shinobu…"
"It's good to finally meet one of Sean's friends."
"Kitsune…"
"He is a hottie," she thought.
"And last, but certainly not least, Motoko."
Motoko felt her heart start pounding in her chest. "No way," she thought. "There's just no way…"
"Motoko?" Naru asked. Despite her glowing red face, Motoko looked like she had seen a ghost. "Is something wrong?"
"Girls, can I talk to you? Now?" She led the girls to the other side of the truck.
"What's that all about?" Jimmy asked.
"Who knows?" Sean said.
"So, what have you been up to since you've been gone?"
"Oh, this and that."
"Things must be going pretty well at that hotel you're working at."
"Actually, it turned out to be more of a girls' apartment complex than anything else. I found that out the hard way; the painful way."
"Ouch."
"Thankfully, I gained their trust over time."
"I should hope so."
"HE'S WHAT?!!" Kitsune yelled. Shushing sounds quickly followed.
"Al…righty then," Sean said, curious as to what was being said. Listening closely, he realized that they had started talking in Japanese, though he couldn't make out what they were saying. "Hmm," he thought. "Whatever they're saying, they don't want Jimmy to find out. I wonder…"
"With such beautiful tenants," Jimmy said, "the temptation must be pretty strong."
"That's putting it lightly."
"So, tell me: have you hooked up with one of them?"
"In a way, yes."
"Care to elaborate?"
"I have been with some of them, just not the way you think."
"Say what?"
"Are you familiar with the spell Alter Self, from D&D?"
"Of course. We've played the game long enough."
"Watch." Sean turned into Alicia, then back again a few seconds later.
"How did you do that?"
"By this point, you might consider me a pretty good level sorc."
"Wow, how did the girls found out about that?"
"Better than I expected, considering the circumstances. I've actually taught them the basics, but only one of them has pursued it further since then; she ended up becoming my girlfriend."
"And which one is it?"
"Shinobu."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Just how old is she?"
"13."
"You know that you won't be able to do certain things with her while you're here, right?"
"We haven't been back home."
"Never mind, then."
"That's what Kitsune's for, but we've only had girl-girl relations."
"I see. Hey, Keitaro," Jimmy said, getting him involved in the conversation. "You have a girlfriend?"
"Naru," Keitaro said, nodding.
"Nice." All three guys heard the volume slightly rise in the girls' voices. "Hey, you want to hear a secret?" Jimmy whispered something into ears of the other two, causing them to start laughing hysterically.
--- (Meanwhile…)
"Motoko, what is it you want to talk about," Naru asked, as she and the other girls were almost dragged to the side by the swordswoman.
"You see that guy over there?" Motoko said after a while, her face still a bright shade of red.
"Yeah," Kitsune said.
"Well, you see…" Motoko felt the words get caught in her throat for a moment. "That man… was the cop from yesterday."
"HE'S WHAT?!" Kitsune yelled.
"Shut up!" Motoko quickly said. "I don't want him to find out yet!"
"But he's right over there," Shinobu said. "What can we do to keep him from listening in on us?"
"Start talking in Japanese, that's what."
"So," Kitsune said, stroking her chin. "He's the one you had a crush on this whole time, huh?"
"Yes." Motoko said, seemingly humiliated.
"Why don't you go and tell him about it?" Naru asked.
"You know I've had a couple false starts in the past. I just want to make sure that these feelings I'm having are for real this time."
"Motoko," Shinobu said. "You'll never get anywhere by just hiding out whenever you're attracted to a guy."
"I'm well aware of that, it's just that…"
"It's just what?"
"It's just that I can't let myself run the risk of some guy having his way with my emotions… among other things." She paused a bit before continuing. "But you're right. By not saying anything, I'd only be torturing myself. Besides, if a guy does happen to cross the line, he'll face my wrath."
"Now that's the Motoko we all know," Naru said.
"Yep," Kitsune added. "Being cowardly certainly doesn't--" She was interrupted by the sound of Sean and Keitaro laughing hysterically.
"What's so funny?" Shinobu asked, poking her head around the truck.
"Oh nothing," Sean said, grinning like an idiot.
"C'mon, Sean," Kitsune said. "Tell us."
"Alright, but I think Jimmy should say it."
Jimmy just grinned. "Are you girls trying to hide something from me?" Sean and Keitaro struggled to keep from busting out laughing again.
Meanwhile, the girls were in shock. It wasn't so much because of what Jimmy said, but how he said it; he spoke fluent Japanese. "How did he…?" Naru thought.
"How could you do such a thing?!" Shinobu asked.
"How could I what?" Sean asked back.
"You used your magic to teach him Japanese so he could listen in on our conversation, didn't you?"
"I did no such thing!"
"He's right," Jimmy said. "I actually took the time and the effort to learn it on my own."
"That's why it was so funny," Keitaro said.
"Hey, Motoko," Jimmy said. "Do you really have a crush on me?"
Once again, Motoko's face was glowing red. "Um, I…" She would faint before she could finish a thought, much less a sentence.
"Wow," Sean said as Naru caught Motoko. "That's a first."
"The shock must have been too much for her," Keitaro said.
"Here," Jimmy said. "Let's get her inside."
---
"Ugh," Motoko muttered as she came to. "What happened?"
"You blacked out," Naru said.
"Where am I?" Motoko asked, as she sat up on the couch she was placed on.
"In Jimmy's living room," Sean answered.
"Where is he?!" Motoko asked, getting up onto her feet.
"He's out on the beach practicing."
"Practicing what?"
"Go out and see for yourself. Call it a surprise."
"I think I've had enough surprises for one day."
"I'm sure you can handle one more."
Her curiosity taking over, Motoko went out the back door and found Jimmy on the beach, practicing with a sword. "So he is into martial arts," she thought. "Can this get any better?"
Jimmy turned around to find Motoko standing near the door. "Oh, you finally woke up. That's good. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Now that things have calmed down some, could you answer my question?"
"Hmm? Oh, that's right. Yes, it is true; I have found myself unable to keep you out of my thoughts ever since you found us yesterday morning."
"To be honest, I haven't been able to either. I guess love at first sight does exist."
Motoko giggled a bit. "I suppose it does." She started walking towards him. "How long have you been using a sword?"
"A few years now."
"I've been traveling the way of the sword for the last ten years."
"Have you now?"
"Yeah," Sean said. "And she's damn good at what she does, too. Keitaro and I have experienced that first hand."
"I see. Would you like to join me, Motoko?"
"I'd be glad to."
"I think we'll just let you two get better acquainted," Sean said. "See you later!"
"Where do you want me to take her when she's ready to go?" Jimmy asked.
"Our hotel's just a ways up the road. We all walked to get here."
"Alright, then." As an afterthought, he added, "Hey, if need to get anywhere, you can use my truck. How does that sound?"
"Take the truck!!" Suu screamed from the background.
"We'll… think it over," Sean said.
"I'll see you all later!" Motoko said.
"I have a couple extra swords," Jimmy said. "I'll go get one for you."
Jimmy started towards the door, with Motoko following close behind until she caught a glimpse of the ring on her finger and remembered it's significance. "Actually," she said. "I just remembered that I brought my own with me."
"Really?" Jimmy watch with astonishment as Motoko unsheathed a sword out of mid air, much to his surprise. "How did you do that?"
"It's the ring. Sean made it for me as a Christmas present."
"Some present. Shall we get started, then?"
"Let's," Motoko said as the two walked back out onto the beach. "If I may ask, what style of swordsmanship do you practice…?"
---
The whole group, minus Motoko, walked back to the hotel.
"It seems those two have hit it off," Kitsune said.
"No doubt," Sean said.
"Where should we go today?" Shinobu asked.
"I don't know," Sean said. "We have so many options at our disposal… we could go to a water park."
"Sounds like fun," Naru said.
"Shouldn't we tell Motoko where we're going?" Keitaro asked.
"Yeah," Sean said. "I have Jimmy's phone number, so we can call them before we head out." Suddenly, something popped into his head. "Hey, that gives me an idea."
"What are you thinking about?" Shinobu asked, recognizing the look on Sean's face.
"An idea for a spell. I'll meet you back in our room."
"Where are you going?"
"Just to get something real quick." In a flash, Sean was gone.
"Oh, man," Shinobu said. "Here we go again. Why does he always get like this when he comes up with a new spell?"
--- Local time, 8:14 PM
"Where is everyone?" Haruka asked herself as she traversed the halls of Hinata-Sou. Suddenly, she saw a flash of light coming from Sean's room. Quickly, she made her way to his door, but when she got there, there was another flash and when she opened it, she found the room to be empty. "What the hell is going on around here?!" she yelled.
---
Shinobu entered her hotel room to find Sean already there, scribbling something on a sheet of paper. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Sure did," Sean said, barely looking up from his work.
"What are you working on?"
"A way that I can communicate with someone, no matter how far away I am."
"How long is this going to take?"
"It should only take a few more minutes. This isn't one that will take all day."
"Thank goodness. I wouldn't want you to be doing things like this too often on your vacation."
"Me either, knowing how you feel about it, but I think this one will come in handy." Shinobu watched intently as Sean continued to write in the binder that he had gotten from his room a little while ago. "Alright," he said after a while. "Let's see if it works." Sean held his left fist with his right hand.
"What are you doing?" Shinobu asked.
"For all intents and purposes, turning my hand into a phone."
"You're what?!"
"You'll see. Ah, that should do it. Here we go." He extended his thumb and pinky out and suddenly heard a peculiar sound. "Well, we have dial tone. That's a start."
Shinobu watched curiously as it looked like Sean was trying to dial on his knuckles. "Um, who are you calling?"
"Haruka. I'm going to check up on how things are going back home."
"Oh, that's right, we never told her we were leaving."
Sean looked at Shinobu, a blank look on his face. "…What?"
---
"So you haven't seen them either?" Sarah asked.
"No. I'm starting to get worried. They've been gone for a couple days now." Haruka heard the phone ringing. "What is it?"
"Hey, Haruka. Um, how's everything on your end?"
"Sean, where the hell are you?!"
"The girls, Keitaro and I are out on vacation. Don't worry; we'll be back eventually. Could you make sure nothing happens to the place before we get back?"
Haruka calmed down some. "Alright, now that I know you're all okay, could you give me a location?"
"I'm afraid not. I don't want any more… unexpected guests. We'll see you in about a month or so."
"Okay, then."
"Where are they?" Sarah asked as Haruka hung up the phone.
"On vacation somewhere. He refused to say where."
"Maybe he's afraid I'd try to find him."
"And why's that?"
"Well, it's like this…"
---
"Well, that was relatively painless," Sean muttered as he hung up his hand. He looked around and found Shinobu out on the balcony. "What are you looking at?"
"Look down there," Shinobu said. "A crowd of people is forming over there."
"Hey, that's where Motoko and Jimmy are, isn't it?"
"I think so."
"Let's see just what's going on over there." Sean's eyes started glowing green. "Ah, no wonder there's a crowd. They're sparring. Dang, he better than I remember."
"You think they'll have a relationship like we do?"
"Only time will tell." Sean started giggling.
"What's so funny?"
"I just thought of a real mean thing to do to him."
"And what's that?"
Sean started dialing on his knuckles again. "Let's find out if he keeps his cell phone with him at all times, shall we?"
Moments later, Jimmy screamed as the ringing phone in his pocket took his attention away from his opponent for a brief moment; one that lead to him losing a few strands of hair.
End of Chapter XLV
How many of you saw Motoko's revelation coming? See you next time around! Please R&R!
Chapter XLV: Small World
Wednesday, 6/4 4:24 AM
When Alicia woke up, it was still dark outside. As much as she wanted to fall back asleep, she remembered her appointment with her friend, Jimmy. This forced her to look at the clock to see just how early it was. "Figures," she thought, also remembering the wake up call set up for 4:30. "There's no point in me going back to sleep, but that doesn't mean I have to wake anyone else up yet." She got out of bed as slowly and as silently as she could, so she wouldn't disturb either Kitsune or Shinobu and made her way to the bathroom. However, unbeknownst to her, a pair of eyes were following her every move the entire time.
When Alicia got into the bathroom, she stripped off her nightgown and turned on the shower. Waiting for the water to heat up gave her a bit of time for her mind to wander to a variety of topics, not the least of which being what Jimmy has been up to while she was in Japan. After a minute, she got in and started shampooing her hair and soaping up the rest of her body. "Having the others show up like they did really shook things up. With all of them around, this vacation just got more interesting."
"You don't know the half of it," a voice said from the other side of the curtain. Said curtain was suddenly thrown open, revealing a certain woman who looked ready for a shower herself.
"Kitsune?!" Alicia said, covering herself up. "What are you doing here? I thought you were asleep!"
Kitsune chuckled a bit. "By now, you should know better than to try to be sneaky around me, no matter the reason."
"You still haven't answered my question."
"What? It's not like we haven't bathed together in the past, right?" She snatched the washcloth out of Alicia's hand. "Here, let me wash your back for you."
"Thanks," Alicia said, calming down.
"You know what? I realized another reason why you should be glad we found you."
"And what's that?"
"Because you have needs, just like the rest of us, and without me or Motoko or any of others around, who can you turn to? I know how much you hate being horny all by yourself."
"You've made your point, but I'm not exactly in that kind of mood right now," Alicia said. "Or at least I wasn't until you came in here and brought it up," she thought.
Kitsune wrapped her arms around Alicia's waist from behind and started whispering in her ear. "Maybe, but a girl can never be too careful can she? Sometimes, the best way to deal with sexual frustration is to stop it before it starts." She started moving her hands up Alicia's body. "Or in other words, nip it--" she pinched Alicia's nipples. "--in the bud."
"Well, since you put it that way," Alicia said, enjoying the moment. "Go ahead and nip all you want."
"I intend to."
---
Shinobu woke up to the sound of a ringing phone. After sitting up and rubbing the sleepers from her eyes, she noticed that she was the only one in the room, so she saw fit to answer it. "Hello?" It was someone from the hotel making the arranged wake-up call. "Alright, thank you." She hung up the phone. "Why would--oh yeah, that's right. We're meeting Sean's friend this morning. Speaking of which, where is Sean? And Kitsune's missing too. They must already be awake."
As she got out of bed, she was suddenly aware of the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, and it confirmed her suspicions. "So that's where they're at." It didn't take long for Shinobu to figure out what they were doing--the faint moaning was a dead giveaway. "Sounds like they're enjoying themselves." Figuring they might be a little while, she decided to go ahead pick out her clothes for the day. "It's almost like we never left."
A few minutes later, the two lovers emerged from the bathroom, towels wrapped around their bodies. "I tell you what," Alicia said. "I'd like to see someone try to think of a better way to relieve stress."
"You two have fun?" Shinobu asked.
"You got that right," Kitsune said.
"For a second, I thought you might never get out of there," Shinobu said as she went to take her turn in the shower.
"You know," Kitsune said, a mischievous grin on her face. "If you wanted to, you could have joined us."
Shinobu started to blush. "Um, well…"
"Kitsune, I'm sure she'll come over to the dark side when the time is right." Alicia turned to Shinobu. "Apparently, now wasn't the time; am I right?"
"Right," Shinobu said as she closed the bathroom door.
"I really don't appreciate you trying to corrupt my girlfriend, Kitsune."
"Oh, please," Kitsune said. "Considering how long she's been living with all of us, you'd think that her being 'corrupted' should be the least of your worries."
"She doesn't seem that affected to me, other than her not being freaked out by it or anything." Alicia was barely able to keep a straight face. Out of everyone at Hinata-Sou, she was the only one that knew just how innocent Shinobu really was.
"So," Kitsune said as she and Alicia got dressed, with Alicia turning into Sean in the process. "How far does this friend of yours… what was his name?"
"Jimmy."
"Right. How far away is his place?"
"Not far; just a ways up the road. We can walk there, no problem."
"Tell me, is he hot?"
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"I'm serious. Is he a good looking man?"
"I've never looked at him that way; and I hope I never will. Besides, isn't that sort of thing just a matter of opinion?"
"If you won't give me any info, I'll just have to see for myself when we get there."
"I guess you will, and I seriously doubt you'll be the only one."
--- 4:56 AM
After a quick breakfast, the whole group set out to find Jimmy's house, but not all were glad to be doing so. "Remind me again why we're out here at this time in the morning?" Naru asked.
"This is when Jimmy told me to meet him," Sean said.
"Good thing we went to bed so early, huh?" Keitaro said. Him, Shinobu and Naru were the only ones still a bit tired that morning. Motoko was always an early riser, Suu was as energetic as ever, and Sean and Kitsune were wide awake for obvious reasons.
"You didn't have to come along if you didn't want to," Sean said.
"We know," Naru said. "But I think it'd be nice to see who you hung out with before you met us."
"Yeah," Kitsune said. "Besides, it's not like we know where anything is around here, anyway."
"I'm still hungry," Suu whined.
"What else is new?" Sean said, looking at the paper with Jimmy's address on it. "Well, this is the place."
"Nice place," Kitsune said, gazing at the condo. "But it's no Hinata House."
"Here's a news flash, Kitsune," Naru said. "Not everyone can live like we do."
"Yeah," Sean said. "Some people actually want to own the place they call home; something none of us can say right now." It was at that instant that Sean realized that Suu had quieted down significantly in the last few moments. "Hey, Suu, you alright?" No response. "Uh, Suu?"
"Look," Suu simply said, pointing to a vehicle in the driveway. It was a dark-colored truck with flames on the sides and a neon green biohazard symbol on the hood. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Is she for real?" Naru thought as she saw Suu's eyes twinkling; she was almost in tears. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I must take a closer look at this work of art," Suu said, slowly walking closer to the truck.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Motoko said.
"Aw, what's the harm in taking a look?" Suu edged closer. "It's so beautiful. Just like the car I'd like to have some day." Without warning, a pulsing green glow appeared underneath the vehicle.
"What did you do?!" Keitaro asked.
"Nothing! I didn't even touch it, I swear!"
"Oh, man," Kitsune said. "This isn't good." Everyone started to panic… well, almost everyone.
Shinobu turned to Sean, surprised that her boyfriend was laughing at a time like this. "What's so funny?" she asked.
"Yeah," Motoko added. "What's the deal?"
"You should have seen the looks on your faces," Sean said, barely able to stifle his laughter. "It's priceless."
"Hey, wait a second," Kitsune said. "You knew about this, didn't you?"
"Kinda. Jimmy's had that truck for a while now, and the light show can only mean one thing…" Sean looked around, until his eyes locked on something--or rather, someone. "There he is. Hey, Jimmy!"
"Hey, Sean," Jimmy said, approaching the group. "Friends of yours?"
"Yeah."
"Were you the one that caused the truck to glow?" Naru asked.
"Yep." Jimmy said.
"Allow me to introduce you to my friends and roommates: Keitaro…"
"Pleased to meet you."
"Naru…"
"Hmph."
"Suu…"
"I love your truck!"
"Shinobu…"
"It's good to finally meet one of Sean's friends."
"Kitsune…"
"He is a hottie," she thought.
"And last, but certainly not least, Motoko."
Motoko felt her heart start pounding in her chest. "No way," she thought. "There's just no way…"
"Motoko?" Naru asked. Despite her glowing red face, Motoko looked like she had seen a ghost. "Is something wrong?"
"Girls, can I talk to you? Now?" She led the girls to the other side of the truck.
"What's that all about?" Jimmy asked.
"Who knows?" Sean said.
"So, what have you been up to since you've been gone?"
"Oh, this and that."
"Things must be going pretty well at that hotel you're working at."
"Actually, it turned out to be more of a girls' apartment complex than anything else. I found that out the hard way; the painful way."
"Ouch."
"Thankfully, I gained their trust over time."
"I should hope so."
"HE'S WHAT?!!" Kitsune yelled. Shushing sounds quickly followed.
"Al…righty then," Sean said, curious as to what was being said. Listening closely, he realized that they had started talking in Japanese, though he couldn't make out what they were saying. "Hmm," he thought. "Whatever they're saying, they don't want Jimmy to find out. I wonder…"
"With such beautiful tenants," Jimmy said, "the temptation must be pretty strong."
"That's putting it lightly."
"So, tell me: have you hooked up with one of them?"
"In a way, yes."
"Care to elaborate?"
"I have been with some of them, just not the way you think."
"Say what?"
"Are you familiar with the spell Alter Self, from D&D?"
"Of course. We've played the game long enough."
"Watch." Sean turned into Alicia, then back again a few seconds later.
"How did you do that?"
"By this point, you might consider me a pretty good level sorc."
"Wow, how did the girls found out about that?"
"Better than I expected, considering the circumstances. I've actually taught them the basics, but only one of them has pursued it further since then; she ended up becoming my girlfriend."
"And which one is it?"
"Shinobu."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow. "Just how old is she?"
"13."
"You know that you won't be able to do certain things with her while you're here, right?"
"We haven't been back home."
"Never mind, then."
"That's what Kitsune's for, but we've only had girl-girl relations."
"I see. Hey, Keitaro," Jimmy said, getting him involved in the conversation. "You have a girlfriend?"
"Naru," Keitaro said, nodding.
"Nice." All three guys heard the volume slightly rise in the girls' voices. "Hey, you want to hear a secret?" Jimmy whispered something into ears of the other two, causing them to start laughing hysterically.
--- (Meanwhile…)
"Motoko, what is it you want to talk about," Naru asked, as she and the other girls were almost dragged to the side by the swordswoman.
"You see that guy over there?" Motoko said after a while, her face still a bright shade of red.
"Yeah," Kitsune said.
"Well, you see…" Motoko felt the words get caught in her throat for a moment. "That man… was the cop from yesterday."
"HE'S WHAT?!" Kitsune yelled.
"Shut up!" Motoko quickly said. "I don't want him to find out yet!"
"But he's right over there," Shinobu said. "What can we do to keep him from listening in on us?"
"Start talking in Japanese, that's what."
"So," Kitsune said, stroking her chin. "He's the one you had a crush on this whole time, huh?"
"Yes." Motoko said, seemingly humiliated.
"Why don't you go and tell him about it?" Naru asked.
"You know I've had a couple false starts in the past. I just want to make sure that these feelings I'm having are for real this time."
"Motoko," Shinobu said. "You'll never get anywhere by just hiding out whenever you're attracted to a guy."
"I'm well aware of that, it's just that…"
"It's just what?"
"It's just that I can't let myself run the risk of some guy having his way with my emotions… among other things." She paused a bit before continuing. "But you're right. By not saying anything, I'd only be torturing myself. Besides, if a guy does happen to cross the line, he'll face my wrath."
"Now that's the Motoko we all know," Naru said.
"Yep," Kitsune added. "Being cowardly certainly doesn't--" She was interrupted by the sound of Sean and Keitaro laughing hysterically.
"What's so funny?" Shinobu asked, poking her head around the truck.
"Oh nothing," Sean said, grinning like an idiot.
"C'mon, Sean," Kitsune said. "Tell us."
"Alright, but I think Jimmy should say it."
Jimmy just grinned. "Are you girls trying to hide something from me?" Sean and Keitaro struggled to keep from busting out laughing again.
Meanwhile, the girls were in shock. It wasn't so much because of what Jimmy said, but how he said it; he spoke fluent Japanese. "How did he…?" Naru thought.
"How could you do such a thing?!" Shinobu asked.
"How could I what?" Sean asked back.
"You used your magic to teach him Japanese so he could listen in on our conversation, didn't you?"
"I did no such thing!"
"He's right," Jimmy said. "I actually took the time and the effort to learn it on my own."
"That's why it was so funny," Keitaro said.
"Hey, Motoko," Jimmy said. "Do you really have a crush on me?"
Once again, Motoko's face was glowing red. "Um, I…" She would faint before she could finish a thought, much less a sentence.
"Wow," Sean said as Naru caught Motoko. "That's a first."
"The shock must have been too much for her," Keitaro said.
"Here," Jimmy said. "Let's get her inside."
---
"Ugh," Motoko muttered as she came to. "What happened?"
"You blacked out," Naru said.
"Where am I?" Motoko asked, as she sat up on the couch she was placed on.
"In Jimmy's living room," Sean answered.
"Where is he?!" Motoko asked, getting up onto her feet.
"He's out on the beach practicing."
"Practicing what?"
"Go out and see for yourself. Call it a surprise."
"I think I've had enough surprises for one day."
"I'm sure you can handle one more."
Her curiosity taking over, Motoko went out the back door and found Jimmy on the beach, practicing with a sword. "So he is into martial arts," she thought. "Can this get any better?"
Jimmy turned around to find Motoko standing near the door. "Oh, you finally woke up. That's good. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Now that things have calmed down some, could you answer my question?"
"Hmm? Oh, that's right. Yes, it is true; I have found myself unable to keep you out of my thoughts ever since you found us yesterday morning."
"To be honest, I haven't been able to either. I guess love at first sight does exist."
Motoko giggled a bit. "I suppose it does." She started walking towards him. "How long have you been using a sword?"
"A few years now."
"I've been traveling the way of the sword for the last ten years."
"Have you now?"
"Yeah," Sean said. "And she's damn good at what she does, too. Keitaro and I have experienced that first hand."
"I see. Would you like to join me, Motoko?"
"I'd be glad to."
"I think we'll just let you two get better acquainted," Sean said. "See you later!"
"Where do you want me to take her when she's ready to go?" Jimmy asked.
"Our hotel's just a ways up the road. We all walked to get here."
"Alright, then." As an afterthought, he added, "Hey, if need to get anywhere, you can use my truck. How does that sound?"
"Take the truck!!" Suu screamed from the background.
"We'll… think it over," Sean said.
"I'll see you all later!" Motoko said.
"I have a couple extra swords," Jimmy said. "I'll go get one for you."
Jimmy started towards the door, with Motoko following close behind until she caught a glimpse of the ring on her finger and remembered it's significance. "Actually," she said. "I just remembered that I brought my own with me."
"Really?" Jimmy watch with astonishment as Motoko unsheathed a sword out of mid air, much to his surprise. "How did you do that?"
"It's the ring. Sean made it for me as a Christmas present."
"Some present. Shall we get started, then?"
"Let's," Motoko said as the two walked back out onto the beach. "If I may ask, what style of swordsmanship do you practice…?"
---
The whole group, minus Motoko, walked back to the hotel.
"It seems those two have hit it off," Kitsune said.
"No doubt," Sean said.
"Where should we go today?" Shinobu asked.
"I don't know," Sean said. "We have so many options at our disposal… we could go to a water park."
"Sounds like fun," Naru said.
"Shouldn't we tell Motoko where we're going?" Keitaro asked.
"Yeah," Sean said. "I have Jimmy's phone number, so we can call them before we head out." Suddenly, something popped into his head. "Hey, that gives me an idea."
"What are you thinking about?" Shinobu asked, recognizing the look on Sean's face.
"An idea for a spell. I'll meet you back in our room."
"Where are you going?"
"Just to get something real quick." In a flash, Sean was gone.
"Oh, man," Shinobu said. "Here we go again. Why does he always get like this when he comes up with a new spell?"
--- Local time, 8:14 PM
"Where is everyone?" Haruka asked herself as she traversed the halls of Hinata-Sou. Suddenly, she saw a flash of light coming from Sean's room. Quickly, she made her way to his door, but when she got there, there was another flash and when she opened it, she found the room to be empty. "What the hell is going on around here?!" she yelled.
---
Shinobu entered her hotel room to find Sean already there, scribbling something on a sheet of paper. "Did you get what you needed?"
"Sure did," Sean said, barely looking up from his work.
"What are you working on?"
"A way that I can communicate with someone, no matter how far away I am."
"How long is this going to take?"
"It should only take a few more minutes. This isn't one that will take all day."
"Thank goodness. I wouldn't want you to be doing things like this too often on your vacation."
"Me either, knowing how you feel about it, but I think this one will come in handy." Shinobu watched intently as Sean continued to write in the binder that he had gotten from his room a little while ago. "Alright," he said after a while. "Let's see if it works." Sean held his left fist with his right hand.
"What are you doing?" Shinobu asked.
"For all intents and purposes, turning my hand into a phone."
"You're what?!"
"You'll see. Ah, that should do it. Here we go." He extended his thumb and pinky out and suddenly heard a peculiar sound. "Well, we have dial tone. That's a start."
Shinobu watched curiously as it looked like Sean was trying to dial on his knuckles. "Um, who are you calling?"
"Haruka. I'm going to check up on how things are going back home."
"Oh, that's right, we never told her we were leaving."
Sean looked at Shinobu, a blank look on his face. "…What?"
---
"So you haven't seen them either?" Sarah asked.
"No. I'm starting to get worried. They've been gone for a couple days now." Haruka heard the phone ringing. "What is it?"
"Hey, Haruka. Um, how's everything on your end?"
"Sean, where the hell are you?!"
"The girls, Keitaro and I are out on vacation. Don't worry; we'll be back eventually. Could you make sure nothing happens to the place before we get back?"
Haruka calmed down some. "Alright, now that I know you're all okay, could you give me a location?"
"I'm afraid not. I don't want any more… unexpected guests. We'll see you in about a month or so."
"Okay, then."
"Where are they?" Sarah asked as Haruka hung up the phone.
"On vacation somewhere. He refused to say where."
"Maybe he's afraid I'd try to find him."
"And why's that?"
"Well, it's like this…"
---
"Well, that was relatively painless," Sean muttered as he hung up his hand. He looked around and found Shinobu out on the balcony. "What are you looking at?"
"Look down there," Shinobu said. "A crowd of people is forming over there."
"Hey, that's where Motoko and Jimmy are, isn't it?"
"I think so."
"Let's see just what's going on over there." Sean's eyes started glowing green. "Ah, no wonder there's a crowd. They're sparring. Dang, he better than I remember."
"You think they'll have a relationship like we do?"
"Only time will tell." Sean started giggling.
"What's so funny?"
"I just thought of a real mean thing to do to him."
"And what's that?"
Sean started dialing on his knuckles again. "Let's find out if he keeps his cell phone with him at all times, shall we?"
Moments later, Jimmy screamed as the ringing phone in his pocket took his attention away from his opponent for a brief moment; one that lead to him losing a few strands of hair.
End of Chapter XLV
How many of you saw Motoko's revelation coming? See you next time around! Please R&R!