Wine and Dine. It was a term Sousuke heard of. He had never experienced it before, but he was going to very shortly. Takahashi Sousuke: inventor, engineer, think tank, book keeper, Steward-Kazekage was now going to have to deal with overbloated nobles at the finale dinner for the charity ball for Omni Prime Medical center.
How he despised it. He was expected to deal with nobles like the snotty Lady Haku Tomoko II and Lord Akamichi Nobu. More importantly most of the Steward's peers were unavailable to go with him. Harupia was doing clan work. Uri was building something. Yume was on duty. Shiori? Well ... she was investigating new ways to break Shade, either that or she was on some wild crazy adventure in mix-matched clothes. There was the possibility of Mittsuami, but the swash buckler ... well, while she was certainly contracted to aid him, the Steward was hesitant to trust his new employee.
"Lord Sousuke, this way please." A gentle feminine voice called out to him. The Steward was being attended to by a personal assistant. She was slender in form with fine nails. "We can't have you looking like that for the ball. We have to get you dressed." Seikon Sakura. His momentary assistant. The Steward dreaded this further because Sakura seemed to know quite a lot about him, but he didn't know much about her. What was odd was that her file said that she was his age, but he didn't recall her from school. People don't appear in sand, and nor do they really move out. What further surprised Sousuke was the amount of dog hair she had around her calf areas. Not that it was a huge amount, just enough to catch the eyes of the Steward.
The Steward was fitted and tailored for the ball. He was to wear a full formal three peice suit, and tie. Sakura wanted him to wear a neck time, but the Steward insisted on a bow tie. He like dressing himself up, but this was going a bit far. If anything he was going to be adamant about the tie. Lo, and behold though Sousuke cleaned up. His skin was washed thoroughly, any traces of ink in his fingers was eradicated. As the Steward was continued to prepare himself he was thinking more and more of his new assistant. Usually people of a formal house show some form of their attribute. Sakura did no such thing. She was quick to be sure, but she did not seem to break the normal rules that most Seikon did. Why Sousuke was toying with this riddle in his mind, he was also toying with some concerns he was presented with by the court of nobles that the charity fund was going to be stolen. Sousuke's mind worked double time to put an end to both concerns he had.
***
"Oh is that Sousuke? He looks dashing. Did you know he solved a mystery for me? Such an adorable child in that bow tie." Lady Haku Tomoko praised. "I heard the most awful rumor about the boy. He's single! Hohoho."
"Pay them no mind sir." Sakura would say as she marched with Sousuke to the bar. "Sir I didn't know you drank."
"I enjoy one once in a while. Vodka Martini please."<i></i> Sousuke would inquire of the bar man. "Sakura why don't you go freshen up a bit?"<i></i> Sousuke would suggest. His assistant nodded, and off she went. Again the Steward noticed the dog hair except this time it was on the back of her shoes. The Steward turned to the barman, taking an envelope out of his pocket. "Do me a favour? Take that and head to the kitchens. There should be a chef with a red hat, give him the envelope."<i></i> The barman complied and went off.
Soon enough Sakura returned. "How do I look?" She smiled as Sousuke drank slowly from his drink. He looked her up and down. "Care to dance?"
The Steward's eyes shifted. "No I'm going to enjoy this drink. Oh. Sakura tell me about your familiar?"<i></i> Sousuke inquired.
"My what?" Sakura fired back. Her eyes narrowing.
"Familiar. You know. Inuzuka companion. Did his paw heal yet Shizune?"<i></i> The Steward asked more directly. He leaned back against the wall and continued drinking. "I'm surprised you broke out. You really ought to go about hiding the dog hair much better. Your transformation is slightly off. You always did seem to have problems with the technique."<i></i> Sousuke paused again. "You were hoping not to make a scene, and walk out with the charity earnings. I don't think this room has enough space for the two of us to fight properly."<i></i>
Shizune still maintaining her disguised smiled. "So the SPED Kid catches on quickly. You're right, I don't want to make a scene, and I really don't want to fight you. My legs are still a mess from what you did last time." By this time the barman returned. "I'll have a red ale please." The barman complied and the convicted felon began drinking too. "I was one day off."
"Three."<i></i> Sousuke corrected her. "This is what is going to happen. You're going to leave and Seikon Sakura is going to not have happened. You're going back to jail, and if necessary I will attend to you if I have to."<i></i>
"Mother visited me in jail. Telling me how disappointed she was in me, and how ashamed Dad would be. Said that I should turn over a new leaf." Shizune began but she paused. "The night is still young, did you want to dance?"
"No."<i></i> Sousuke finished his drink. "You've already asked me, and the answer will still be no. If my cousin hears of this, you'll probably be hunted down and dealt with more severely. She'd a med nin, and her knowledge sometimes scares me."<i></i>
How he despised it. He was expected to deal with nobles like the snotty Lady Haku Tomoko II and Lord Akamichi Nobu. More importantly most of the Steward's peers were unavailable to go with him. Harupia was doing clan work. Uri was building something. Yume was on duty. Shiori? Well ... she was investigating new ways to break Shade, either that or she was on some wild crazy adventure in mix-matched clothes. There was the possibility of Mittsuami, but the swash buckler ... well, while she was certainly contracted to aid him, the Steward was hesitant to trust his new employee.
"Lord Sousuke, this way please." A gentle feminine voice called out to him. The Steward was being attended to by a personal assistant. She was slender in form with fine nails. "We can't have you looking like that for the ball. We have to get you dressed." Seikon Sakura. His momentary assistant. The Steward dreaded this further because Sakura seemed to know quite a lot about him, but he didn't know much about her. What was odd was that her file said that she was his age, but he didn't recall her from school. People don't appear in sand, and nor do they really move out. What further surprised Sousuke was the amount of dog hair she had around her calf areas. Not that it was a huge amount, just enough to catch the eyes of the Steward.
The Steward was fitted and tailored for the ball. He was to wear a full formal three peice suit, and tie. Sakura wanted him to wear a neck time, but the Steward insisted on a bow tie. He like dressing himself up, but this was going a bit far. If anything he was going to be adamant about the tie. Lo, and behold though Sousuke cleaned up. His skin was washed thoroughly, any traces of ink in his fingers was eradicated. As the Steward was continued to prepare himself he was thinking more and more of his new assistant. Usually people of a formal house show some form of their attribute. Sakura did no such thing. She was quick to be sure, but she did not seem to break the normal rules that most Seikon did. Why Sousuke was toying with this riddle in his mind, he was also toying with some concerns he was presented with by the court of nobles that the charity fund was going to be stolen. Sousuke's mind worked double time to put an end to both concerns he had.
***
"Oh is that Sousuke? He looks dashing. Did you know he solved a mystery for me? Such an adorable child in that bow tie." Lady Haku Tomoko praised. "I heard the most awful rumor about the boy. He's single! Hohoho."
"Pay them no mind sir." Sakura would say as she marched with Sousuke to the bar. "Sir I didn't know you drank."
"I enjoy one once in a while. Vodka Martini please."<i></i> Sousuke would inquire of the bar man. "Sakura why don't you go freshen up a bit?"<i></i> Sousuke would suggest. His assistant nodded, and off she went. Again the Steward noticed the dog hair except this time it was on the back of her shoes. The Steward turned to the barman, taking an envelope out of his pocket. "Do me a favour? Take that and head to the kitchens. There should be a chef with a red hat, give him the envelope."<i></i> The barman complied and went off.
Soon enough Sakura returned. "How do I look?" She smiled as Sousuke drank slowly from his drink. He looked her up and down. "Care to dance?"
The Steward's eyes shifted. "No I'm going to enjoy this drink. Oh. Sakura tell me about your familiar?"<i></i> Sousuke inquired.
"My what?" Sakura fired back. Her eyes narrowing.
"Familiar. You know. Inuzuka companion. Did his paw heal yet Shizune?"<i></i> The Steward asked more directly. He leaned back against the wall and continued drinking. "I'm surprised you broke out. You really ought to go about hiding the dog hair much better. Your transformation is slightly off. You always did seem to have problems with the technique."<i></i> Sousuke paused again. "You were hoping not to make a scene, and walk out with the charity earnings. I don't think this room has enough space for the two of us to fight properly."<i></i>
Shizune still maintaining her disguised smiled. "So the SPED Kid catches on quickly. You're right, I don't want to make a scene, and I really don't want to fight you. My legs are still a mess from what you did last time." By this time the barman returned. "I'll have a red ale please." The barman complied and the convicted felon began drinking too. "I was one day off."
"Three."<i></i> Sousuke corrected her. "This is what is going to happen. You're going to leave and Seikon Sakura is going to not have happened. You're going back to jail, and if necessary I will attend to you if I have to."<i></i>
"Mother visited me in jail. Telling me how disappointed she was in me, and how ashamed Dad would be. Said that I should turn over a new leaf." Shizune began but she paused. "The night is still young, did you want to dance?"
"No."<i></i> Sousuke finished his drink. "You've already asked me, and the answer will still be no. If my cousin hears of this, you'll probably be hunted down and dealt with more severely. She'd a med nin, and her knowledge sometimes scares me."<i></i>