Friday Pt 7 Dinner Date

"Mmmmm... that's so good!"

Walt smiled watching Blake eat her sushi. The food really was good... but the company was even better!

"I'm so glad you like it!" He lifted another piece with his chopsticks and held it out for her. She had blushed the first time but now she just laughed and readily opened up wide to let him feed her.

"Oh!" She made a cute sound as she ate the salmon roe he just fed her.

Walt smiled and finished his sake. He set the cup down and she smiled and held up the bottle, "another?"

He smiled too. "Yes, please. Thank you, Blake."

"You're welcome, Walt," she told him refilling his cup.

He smiled. This was nice. Just being with the ladies was so much better than his previously lonely life. Each of them was different and unique. Blake was a very quiet and reserved person usually but when she let her gaurd down she had a cuteness and sweetness to her that was refreshing. She was well read, a thinker with a playful side and above all had a kind heart.

Walt fed her the last piece, Tuna, and asked, "More?"

Blake shook here head no and opened up her mouth taking the last piece. She chewed happily.

The waiter came by and Walt asked to see the dessert menu. When he turned back Blake was waiting her turn and held out a piece of the steak for him. He smiled and them happily complied opening his mouth.

Blake giggled and fed Walt. She hadn't been certain what to expect but this surf and turf restaurant really was great! Now she understood why Sienna had raved about it so.

Feeding each other was embarrassing... but pretty fun! There was also the benefit that Walt wasn't wearing any of his food... and she was surprised by how intimate and yet natural that little act was.

She thought about that. *I suppose from the time we're children we require someone to feed us, in times of illness or other weakness... Feeding someone, and accepting being fed, could be considered a sign of devotion and care on the one side and trust and acceptance on the other.* She blushed as Walt opened his mouth again and she picked up another piece and fed it to him. *It's a kind of love.*

She watched him enjoying his food. *Maybe that's why Walt, Mom, Senko, Penny with her cookies and the others cook like they do and enjoy doing it. It's not just cooking for them. Each time they're saying, "I love you."* She smiled as she realized this. *That's surprisingly sweet... and so obvious I'm surprised that I couldn't see it before! I guess I really am "growing up".*

The waiter brought over the dessert menu and they started looking it over. "By the way," Walt said. "Your instructors are very proud of you all and are suggesting that we make the next levels of training available for some of you all. Im proud as well. What do you think, Blake?"

Blake smiled. "That's really good to hear. I'm glad you all are proud." She thought. "What about the newer ladies?"

Walt nodded. "Some will require catching up but are making good progress with the basic instruction. Mission and Curie passed marksmanship and Mission passed driving while Curie passed basic medical instruction with ease as I knew she would. Nora is not surprisingly good at marksmanship and self defense but she needs work on her driving and Dr Crusher tells me her bedside manner "needs work"."

Blake chuckled remembering the other day when Nora was practicing bandaging. It had looked like she was trying to strangle the dummy with the bandages. "It would feel strange leaving them behind..."

Walt smiled. "It makes me happy to hear you say that. For the most part you've all developed excellent bonds with each other. Helped each other to grow and excel. That's what makes me most proud." Walt nodded and set the menu down. "But now that there's a majority of you ready for the next levels soon I can assure you that you'll have roughly the same instructors. They're rated right through the master levels of training beyond. I thought about that while picking them. I'm thinking of keeping all of you together that way. I'm thinking of leaving it up to you all whether to progress, stay with the others or third option take some additional training courses."

Blake blinks thinking about that as she sets her dessert menu down and the waiter comes over. Blake orders an greentea ice cream and Walt ordered the same.

Blake smiles that they ordered the same thing. "What do you mean additional training courses?"

Walt nods. "You can train and study anything you want to at 3S. A lot of your skills and personal style is like that of a ninja Blake. You can learn under Instructors Snake Eyes and Scarlett or perhaps a different instructor. Hanzo or Goemon or someone else. Or perhaps you want to learn something new? Work towards a piloting license or study quantum physics or take up painting or how to make sushi... there's almost no limits to the areas of instruction available to you all."

That made Blake pause. It was a lot to take in. She and the others through Walt and 3S could train, practice and learn anything they wanted to pursue. It didn't ensure that they'd be "good" at it, but it was better than knowledge at their fingertips. It was experience that went with it. She could attempt to learn anything! Become a chess master! How to captain a starship! How to wrestle bears! Embroidery. Bird calls. Construction. Demolitions. Flower arrangements. Wilderness survival. A new language. Wood carving. Sailing. Model building... the list was potentially limitless. And Walt was leaving the choices up to them. It was two amazing gifts as one.

She looked at him as he looked around the room and realized. They weren't gifts. He wanted them to have access but he wasn't giving it to them. He was sharing it with them. Because they were friends and family. It was as simple as that.

Blake nodded. "It's a awful lot to think about... honestly I think I know who I am and would like to learn and practice talents and skills like you initially suggested but I admit the idea of learning something new is exciting!"

Walt smiled at her excitement. "Well take your time to consider it... or don't and just pick something you've always wanted to do and dive in. Either way the option is you-"

"Do you hear... singing?" Blake asked her ears twitching.

Walt nodded and looked around then made a face. "Karaoke night at the bar area. Apparently there's a challenge of some sort and if you score high enough you win a prize. Nothing to do wi-"

"We should do that!" Bkake states. "You're an excellent singer and I can sing as well. We'll get that free prize!"

Walt stares at her incredulously. "Are you drunk?" He grabs her glass and starts sniffing it.

Blake crossed her arms. "I'll have you know I haven't had any alcohol, thank you very much."

Walt nodded and handed her glass back. "Sorry. That was a bit of a surprising suggestion though. "

Blake nodded and blushed. "I'm not a spontaneous person but I do like spontaneous things. That's the best part about my friends. When you suggested to just "jump in and try something", I..."

Walt nodded. "Well alright then! Let's kill it! But after dessert." He winked. "If my voice causes irreparable damage I want to make a fast getaway."

Blake laughed and nodded and as if on cue dessert arrived.

"I only lost the one cookie today. Interesting."

Neo chuckled as she and a few others helped her bag and tin the cookies she and Soma had made earlier. Raven looked up from where she was using her telekinesis to help questioningly and Manami said, "poor Sasha."

Raven understood now and chuckled and everyone else is surprised as Penny sighs and nods in agreement. "Yes... Roberta really did a number on her foot during dance practice. Curie said it's not broken though and should be good as new, so that's a relief."

Everyone chuckles as Penny blinks in confusion. "Did I say something funny?"

Everyone shakes their head. Penny's inability to recognize Sasha as the culprit was a crucial part of the on going entertainment and no one wanted to ruin that.

Everyone except Neo who held up one of the cookies texting [Sasha] with a smile.

The others frozen. What was Neo doing? Trying to ruin her own fun? That wasn't like her. But Neo grinned and winked as Penny thought about her meaning and then smiled. "That's a wonderful idea, Neo! I'll bring Sasha one of each of the cookies to cheer her up since so few went missing today! Mustard, Horseradish, Dijon, Wasabi..."

Everyone grinned. At least Sasha was already in the infirmary.

Raven smiled. "It's nice. I know that the odds are its some other Starfire but she's a sweet person. It makes me happy knowing that there's a version of my friend out there somewhere that's happy. It makes me happy too."

Penny nodded and grinned hugging her. "That's the same way I feel when I meet other Ruby's! Seeing them happy makes me happy too!"

Ilulu walks over. "And it's nice to make new friends happy too!"

Senko happily wags her tail. "I completely agree with that!"

Raven looked at Ilulu in her new T-shirt. "I can't you're wearing that."

"Huh?" Ilulu looks down at her T-shirt that proclaims [Mega Milk]. "The others were nice enough to get them for me while they were there. I think I'll wear the "Sugoi Dekai" one tomorrow or maybe the "My Owner Went to RealDreams and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt" shirt."

Some of the others laughed and Neo glanced Manami's way. She gave Neo a thumbs-up letting her know she got the shot which Neo returned.

But she turned away... Neo was still thinking about what Penny said. Ruby Rose. Her Ruby was still out there. She was Neo's Ruby too... and she still wanted to make her pay! Despite her friendship with Penny, the things Walt had said, she wanted her revenge when they found her!

In her head she could hear the other Villain-anon members. Asking her if that's worth sacrificing her happiness now for. Telling her that it wouldn't bring Roman back to her. They'd be like Walt... supportive of her doing what made her happy but they were doubtful that it would. Revenge had kept her going when she had nothing... she wasn't certain it was something that she could give up on.

She stared at her reflection in the window and she shrugged. One thing was certain... she'd find out one day.

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Nora Valkyrie Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM and KL-E-O

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