Slumber Party (3)

New Friends

A week passes by and all you can think about is how Shorter is doing. These kinds of times worry you, but you always distract yourself with productive activities such as visiting Chang Dai to pass the time. By the time you come home you try not to watch the news just so you don't hear any bad news when he hasn't been around. The sun is setting on New York yet again. You start to make a little something for dinner until you hear knocking on the door.

"Lotus, baby, open up!"

Your heart starts to jump with glee as you clearly recognize the familiar voice. You quickly turn off the stove top, head for the door, and open it to get the jump on Shorter. You give him small kisses all around his face, and he giggles at your excitement. You feel an awkward presence near you so you look past Shorter's shoulders and notice two other teens avoiding eye contact until they're spoken to. One teen looked Asian with a tourist feel as he had a camera strapped to his side. The other teen was much taller; definitely American that upheld the New York swagger, and was very beautiful as he had bleach blonde hair and piercing green eyes that could take anyone's breath away.

Shorter puts you down to introduce his friends to you. "Baby, I'd like you meet my friends, Ash Lynx, another gang boss in New York, and his pal, Eiji, who came here from Japan. Ash, Eiji, this is my girl."

Eiji looks at you and comes closer to shake your hand and bows in Japanese fashion. "It's nice to meet you." You catch him off guard as you know a tiny bit of Japanese yourself and reply, "Hajimemashite!"

"You speak Japanese?!"

"I dabble."

"You speak it very well. Sugoiidesune!"

"Arigatou, Eiji!" You can tell that Eiji is feeling more comfortable now from the introduction.

Ash looks at you with a half smile on his face, and combs his hair back with his hand as he gives a handshake with the other. "Ash Lynx."

"Nice to meet you, Ash, I hear a lot about you from Shorter."

"Hopefully, they're good things. He says a lot of good stuff about you."

You instantly blush since you had no idea that Shorter was even talking about you to anyone. You snap out of your nervousness, "Please come inside! I can make some dinner while you guys watch TV, play games, chill, or whatever." You all go inside the apartment and the boys make themselves at home without skipping a beat. You go into the kitchen and start to make dinner again; Shorter passes around drinks, and turns on the TV to see what's on. Eiji looks through your game library and is excited to see that you have Street Fighter 2 and wanted to play it with Shorter. Ash just looks around your house for a bit and eventually sits down with Shorter and Eiji to spectate. Ash watches the two in character select mode and says, "Let me guess, Eiji, you're going to play E. Honda because he's your favorite." Eiji responds, "No, he's not my favorite."

"Then who's your favorite?"

"Guile."

"...The American." Ash says out of confusion.

"Of course! 'Go home and be a family man!'" Then, Eiji pretends to comb his hair like Guile. Shorter and Ash share a laugh. Eiji continues the conversation, "Who is your favorite, Ash?"

"I don't really play all that much to have a favorite, but I fuckin' hate Blanka with a passion."

"Why?"

"His name is stupid."

Eiji chuckles, "Just his name? I hope Papa Dino doesn't hire anyone named Blanka. They'd be your first target."