SPOILER: Click to show

This is the mini-event that was supposed to be hosted by Sounga, however he is/has been too busy to be on and I know several people are holding off on RP because they are waiting for this party so I will be starting it. If Sounga returns at any time this thread is still going, he is free to take over. I will be using my character account to post so I wont be hopping back and forth.

Given the nature of the invitations, only Shinigami and/or noble families may join. I'm sorry to the mod-souls, but that's what the invitations were; you'll get something later.

This thread has a lax 24 hour rule. If you cannot post reliably every 24 hours or so, please do not join. I will allow one round if skipping before removal.

There is no max count on joining.

Registered NPCs may join.

The invitations had been sent out the day before by Komatsu Shiro. Some had been in the form of personal appearances by the young Shinigami while others had winged their way to the divisions through the inky messengers that were hell butterflies. Regardless of how the invitation was delivered, it carried the same message; a party was to be held by the Komatsu family's sidebranch in the first district of the southern Rukongai during the evening of the next day and all Shinigami were invited to take part in the festivities.

---

The night was young but the sun had set early in the sky over the winter whitewashed landscape and yet the Komatsu sidebranch's Rukongai estate was positively aglow. Colorful lanterns were strung throughout the otherwise bare trees across the courtyard so that they cast light and bright patterns all across the walkway behind the open gate which led to the front entrance of the manse giving the scene a warm cast despite the chill in the air and the snow on the untended ground outside the estate. Though the door to the abode was shut, one could hear music drifting outside from within. Two guards stood outside the doors, ready to open them for the guests who chose to attend. They wore fine furs over their otherwise plain uniforms modeled after the shinigami uniform which allowed for ease of movement; they were after all, guards and while they were there to open doors, it was only half of their job. Similar figures resided in the courtyard, watching over their various posts and watching for the arrival of guests.

It was not walking figures which they kept their eyes peeled for; oh no. The sidebranch had procured horses from the farms around the area and small carriages which they had painted sky blue so that they would compliment the snow on the ground. The horses ranged in colors from chestnut to black and everything in between except for white. The sides of the carriages had lanterns affixed to them similar to those in the trees back at the estate though smaller. These carriages awaited the guests just outside Seireitei's southern gates. Any who wanted to ride within the velvet covered interior could, though they were free to follow the trail the horses had carved out on foot if they so desired, but it was likely the frigid temperature would deter most from that option.

---

Natsume Mayumi had spent the previous day fretting over what she would send her brother to the party in rather than worrying about what she would wear. Eventually an outfit had been chosen for him and she had it sent to his room that night to allow him to get a feel for the garments. Nobility still carried a foreign nature to him in someways, or so the young woman thought. She could not baby him forever, but for now it was acceptable. No one had to know. Still, it left Mayumi very little time to prepare herself for during the day she would have to live out her life as Misaki, girl wonder. Perhaps not girl wonder, but she had her own life within the Kidou Corps that was time consuming. Thankfully, the girl had invested in a personal attendant who prepared her own outfit for her and when Misaki sneaked back to the Natsume Estate and shed off that persona, it was Hikaeme that helped her prepare to be Mayumi, noble extraordinaire. Or something.

The dust of the day was scrubbed away in rose scented water and a cream was applied to her figure, giving Mayumi a softness and glow that Misaki didn't have. Her hair was dried, the red inked in with black to match her normal locks, and donated locks weaved into her short mane to give Mayumi the long flowing tresses of her noble self which were promptly curled and pulled up into a loose updo that sent spirals cascading down across her shoulders in purposeful disarray. Powder was puffed onto her face, her eyes lined with coal and her lips stained soft red with the blood of berries to match her eyes. Then Hikaeme helped her bundle up into a light gold kimono of silk topped with fur cloak of orange hued fox fur to protect her assumed frail disposition from the cold and to complete the Natsume clan's colors. At last, Mayumi slid into geta made from cherry wood and carefully placed the ring bearing the Natsume crest onto the ring finger of her right hand.

Given the nature of Mayumi's transformation, she was running behind when she met with her brother at the front of their own estate with Hikaeme at her side as her personal attendant who also functioned as a reiatsu concealer, or in this case, their reiatsu read as one and the same; far more impressive than makeup. They would go together to the southern gate of Seireitei where the horse drawn carriages would be waiting for them. "Oh my," Mayumi breathed out loud, the warmth of her breath materializing in the cold air about her. She pulled the fur tighter about her frame reflexively and waited for her brother to act as was proper for their respective ranks within their family. He was heir to the head and she was his sister. She had to defer.

Dressing up, for Kusu, was still something of a chore; it helped greatly that Mayumi had sent clothing for him, of course, but putting the articles on his person without slumping in defeat at the pointlessness of it all was, to say the least, painful. Fortunately, there was assistance: as a fellow member of the Onmitsukido, Kerai was closer than a brother to Kusu, and so going over exactly why Kusu needed to look like a complete tool helped considerably.

Bedecked in robes emblazoned in rich golden hues, the lining of which as well as the just-visible kosode he wore beneath being a deep orange, Kusu made a distinguished figure at least as he trode easily above the snow in his several-inches-tall geta. The soles were thick, as opposed to the thin plank-like soles most geta were fashioned with, meaning it was not immediately clear that Kusu had increased his height from five-foot-eight to six-two with artificial means, and so besides his already-slightly-shorter retainer, Kusu was indeed the figure of noble standing.

In the cold, Kusu's training assisted him in maintaining his regal, almost cold bearing as he inclined his head in a bow to his sister before gingerly extending his right hand, placing it on her upper arm to guide her as they walked while, behind him, Kerai walked a respectful distance away, staying to Hikaeme's left and smiling sweetly, done up in clothing similar to Kusu's, albeit in much more muted fashion.

Once the quartet had approached the carriages, Kusu approached the nearest of the sky-blue carriages, nodding in thanks as the driver opened the door for them as he gingerly guided his 'sickly' sister into their transportation; he next assisted Hikaeme in, as it was the gentlemanly thing to do, before entering himself, Kerai quick on his tail. A few moments later, the sound of the horses being called into action would ring out, and Kusu smiled as the carriage lurched to life; they would surely be at the 'party' in short order.

Being the head of the Komastu family he was told of this meeting his side branch of his family had planned and prepped for, the fact was Suzaku wasn't truly sure who was going to come to this party. His eyes looked over at his workers in this estate, it may of been his side branch's house but he was welcome at this place at any time.

He was dressed in a long formal robe, the main color of this robe was a deep rich red. There were also detailed vines over the shoulders and arms begin in the color of sliver. He wore these colors very well and of course they were the Komatsu family house colors. His hair was tied back in a long pony tail, tied with a red ribbon but kept very plan and simple. on the right side of his head he wore a hair clip, the shape of a fox holding a sword of sorts.


His hands behind his back, he waited for the guests to appear, he had yet told Komastu Shiro he would attend. It would be a surprise to the young man he would of figured. His eyes would scan the room, it was nothing like his own house but the fact was, it fit the Komastu family. He would walk to sitting room of sorts and take a seat waiting to hear from the guards for the first guests.

SPOILER: Click to show

Edited do to the fact I made a small silly typo

It was a busy day at the Kido Corps, with no time for partying. A group of new recruits had arrived from the academy, and they were to be given the standard lectures and welcomes, then tested and divided up based on skills, assigned instructors, and a number of other tedious duties. Kazuo despised it. There were mountains of papers to be signed and approved, and the recruits were far too eager to dive in to things, ready to learn and experiment and wreak all kinds of havoc across his tower. Things were always very noisy the first few weeks after they started, and there were numerous trips to the medical division.

Kazuo generally oversaw the examinations to get a feel for his new recruit’s capabilities, and then provided demonstrations at the end. Sadly, it had become a bit of a tradition that he make a number of the cry by berating them during their demonstrations, and then usually injuring several people during his own demonstrations to the junior members. All in all, it was usually a chaotic couple of days. Today, however, the members of the Kido Corps hoped to change that tradition. Gone would be the injuries (some of them), the tears (some of them), the foul moods of their leader (some of them), and in place would be a blissfully organized and quiet integration procedure for the new members.

To this end, a number of higher ranking division members were coordinating, taking care of the paperwork ahead of time, and most importantly, trying to keep Kazuo as far from the new recruits as possible. He had already created one catastrophic explosion that morning while experimenting with a new incantation, and his mood was rapidly deteriorating. When he returned to his chambers for a change of clothes (his current ones were rather singed), already dreading the stack of paperwork that would be sitting on his desk, he discovered something he did not expect.

Several junior members were scurrying about his personal quarters, cleaning up clothing, carting away laundry, reorganizing books, and tidying up the rest of the top floor of his tower. Several more senior members were grouped about his desk, sorting through stacks of papers. His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to speak when a young woman nearly crashed in to him, running up to him so quickly she barely had time to stop.

“S-sir! You’re back!” She exclaimed. Kazuo stared at her blankly. Was it not obvious enough that he was back? Did he look lost, or confused enough that she had to remind him that he had returned to his own quarters, which had been taken over by these… People? Before he could respond, she grabbed his hands, hauling him towards his room. “You have to get changed quickly, sir. You’re going to be late.”

Before he could ask what exactly he was going to be late for, some clothes were thrust in to his hands. He frowned and looked them over. It was a dark blue kimono, with a pattern of silver vines and leaves across it. It looked very formal and expensive. Did he own such a thing? Where on earth had it come from? Likely it had been buried at the bottom of one of the wardrobes that were being upended and reorganized. He opened his mouth to reprimand the people who were doing the cleaning, but he was abruptly shoved away once more, dragged off to a bath where he could wash off the soot and char from his work. He was so stunned by how pushy everyone was being that he didn’t even argue. He did need a bath, he supposed.

So, bathing himself and brushing out his hair, he dressed, reluctantly, in the fine clothes that had been laid out for him. Once dried and dressed, he was determined to get some answers. Storming out of the bathrooms, he marched towards the desk, his desk, only to be intercepted again. His eyes narrowed and he looked around suspiciously as three members of his division converged on him from different directions, cutting off his escape. You didn’t find coordinated assaults like this even in the onmitsukido. They were all smiling pleasantly at him, and the young woman from before shoved an envelope at him.

“It’s an invitation!” She explained before he could ask what it was. Had they rehearsed this?, he wondered suspiciously. “It’s at the noble estates, sir. Your presence is expected. You’re going to be late if you don’t get going now!”

The two division members flanking him stepped forward and grabbed his arms gently, but firmly, marching him towards the door as he stared, bewildered, at the female who was now reading off directions, telling him who would be there, who was hosting the party, how he should behave… All of it went rather over his head, and a moment later, he found himself standing outside, in the cold, the door to his own tower slammed shut behind him. He could have sworn he heard a cheer rise from inside as soon as he was out. What in the hell had just happened?

Staring down at the invitation blankly, he glanced back up at the door to his tower. Had he just been evicted from his own home? He considered marching back in, but, they had appeared to have everything under control… But the new recruits would need to be supervised, and… And assessed, and have forms filled out, and… All of those papers. He shuddered slightly, glancing back down at the invitation. Well. Maybe a short walk, at least. Some fresh air.

And so, he soon found himself standing before the Komatsu estate, staring blankly at the front gates, a warm fur-lined white cloak draped about him against the winter chill, wondering what on earth he was doing there, and where exactly his division members had received the black-ops training that had allowed them to carry out their coup. A vast conspiracy that had resulted in him standing here, at the gates to a building he didn’t recognized, filled with people he didn’t know, for reasons he couldn’t guess at. But at least there would be food.

A party! Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day! The house was abuzz with activity as the lady of the house fused over what she was going to wear and bring to her most honored host. Oh it would have to be something good, she behaved so poorly the last time she saw her poor cousin Shiro. She did feel quite terrible over being such a pestering tease. She would have to refrain from doing just that, oh yes. She was the head of the household with Malik away and she had to act like it, and she would. She would make her husband proud.

"Try this one, Daidouji-Hime." She really did hate that nick name the staff started calling her. She was in charge of the security on the damned estate and she was getting called princess, it made her groan and her eyes roll back in her head every time she heard it. However, today she was in good high of spirits to belittle her maids and instead took hold of the gown they were proposing her to wear.

While she hated their nickname for her, she did have to admit she loved their taste. The kimono was a rich lavender printed with the flower of her house, the iris, in black and spun of the finest silk. The sash which would be tied around her waist was the exact opposite in colouring, being black with the purple iris printed throughout it. But something was missing. She knew it, but couldn't quite put her finger on what.

As she sat in the bath, her maids washing her hair and back whilst combing it she sat stewing on what could possibly be missing, all the while tapping her tip with a fingernail in thought. This continued as she was dried, her hair combed again and tied back and black powder was dabbed around her purple eyes, oh yes she was the walking embodiment of the house tonight. Next her fingernails were painted a slightly softer shade of lavender and a tiny black iris was painted upon each, all the while her lips were painted to match, minus the black iris of course.

That would be silly.

Once she was finished and a purple rose was put in her hair, she insisted upon it too many irises.. It finally occurred to her what was missing. "Pink!" She flailed wildly dashing toward a cabinet. "I must have pink!" Digging and tearing through her wardrobe she found just the thing, nay things, to go with her outfit. Of course, her handmaidens protested but she hissed and wrapped them around her form herself. Nearly see-through pink finger-less gloves and a long cloth of the same material which she simply draped over her shoulders and arms.

"Yes, this'll do just nicely. Fetch my carriage. " She turned sharply and eyed those around her. "We Daidoujis are never late."

SPOILER: Click to show

Noble thing is a little new to me. :O

Masato eventually returned to his division to once again situate himself upon the masses of paperwork upon his desk; now that Malik-Taichou was off into the human realm enduring that mysterious, albeit coincidental tournament. While that left an anxious, butterfly-burning sensation into the pit of his stomach, Masato still worked efficiently with the duties 'bestowed' upon him. Still, with the lack of his Captain's presence, and Makoto's impending insanity, current situation and absence of 'life' -- which, unbeknownst to he, she lost the will to overcome the hollow residing within her -- Masato was, sadly, having a difficult time. These obvious series of unfortunate events had an additional counterpart as the hell butterfly fluttered in, swirling and rotating around the idly sitting frame of Masato until displaying the message out to him.

A party?

Tilting his head to the side as he read the quick invitation, Masato cupped his chin within his large, masculine but tender hand; digits lightly stroking the scruff of the hairs coming in, as well as the skin of his face. More or less, the fukutaichou was heavily debating whether or not he should attend. His reasons were the following: to get away from duties, to inform Malik, a high noble himself, of what he missed, to become better acquainted with those within the higher noble status, so that he could boost his own household's appeal, and to keep his mind off the love he left within the hands of the transportation division. So, it seemed likely the odds were well within his favor of going. What was he going to wear? Luckily, he styled his hair fantastically -- or so he thought -- and the stubble on his face were refined and kept, to say at the least. Clothing was the only issue in this ordeal!

---

Luckily, he had clothes that looked somewhat appealing and fancy in his wardrobe! Clad in a myrtle shade formal, dress uniform, with emerald designs to accentuate the deep color of his irises, a golden insignia of his division and rank pinned at the front of his clothing, dress sandals, and the like -- a subtle emerald shitagi, myrtle kosode and hakama tinted with the emerald designs, followed by that same emerald coloration as the hakama-himo, tabi and waraji. Over this clothing, was the dark, dusky-black fur of the Asian Black bear variety, loosely around his frame like a cape-cloak, connected at the front by a golden chain; which brought the only white fur together at the collar of his chest and neck -- which signaled the fur of the moon or 'white-chested' bear. Overall, he felt like a king in his clothes, which wasn't his intention by far, but his father's clothing surely fitted the regal look. As he completed the preparations for getting ready, with the aid of his excited workers within the household, Masato sauntered out of the house and toward the direction of where the party was held; but not without millions of thanks uttered from his maw to the crew who had helped him look noble enough!

The frigid air immediately brought that long cape of fur around the front of his frame, Masato's arms crossing tightly against his chest so that the fur could shield as much as possible from the cold. However, he continued to press onward, coming into view of the carriages. The overall design, and sense of nobility had caused the realization to dawn upon him: that perhaps this fateful party could decide the fate of his aspirations to turn his household into a major noble house... and that thought brought a certain dread, for sure!

Although a little dismayed at Chiyoko, he wondered if she, too, would be present for this occasion. He glanced around as he approached one of the empty carriages, as if looking for her in the nearest vicinity.

Perhaps they could ride together!

If there was one person in Sereitei abusing their subordinates with their bad temper, there would surely be another. One that sported such a foul mood was none other than Jira. Today was the day of the party, the one she had been brooding over for some time. She had been personally invited by Komatsu Shiro, and the only reason she even considered the matter was that he was very attractive. She disliked nobles, they were prissy, pushy, pampered, and all together unbearable.

So she was torn, storming about the division for nearly a week while she debated on if she was to go or not. One day, she was set on going, then the next she would change her mind and absolutely be determined to decline such a lavish affair. Back and forth she went, never fully making a decision until the very last day.

It seemed as if work was going so smoothly that day, things falling into place and being finished early. She had no plausible excuse to stay, as her paper work and other tasks were completed in the very early part of the day. Go, she was told by her subordinates. Go and have fun, though what they were really trying to do was to get their very moody Taicho out of the building, lest someone faint again due to her angry rampages.

So Jira journeyed to the living space tucked in behind her office, drawing a hot bath to wash away the various smells accumulated from the medical division. Tipping a bit of her favorite bath salts into the hot water, she eased down into the tub to soak in the relaxing scent of vanilla. She washed her hair, scrubbed her nails, and soaked until her pale skin had gained a tinge of pink.

Now it was time to dress. Though Jira was not of a nobility, having been sired in a very poor and dirty district, she still made enough money to accumulate some lovely clothes. Being a painter, she had an eye for color, and she was fond of fine fabric. She never wore anything nice, just her regular uniform because she disliked wearing anything too cumbersome while doing her work. For this party, she would wear the only ornate kimono she owned. It was a shimmery cream silk, its hem adorned with a rich, vibrant orange that rivaled her hair's brilliance. The warm color swam up towards her thighs, its shade gradually becoming paler like a soft sunset as it took the shape of waves arching into a cream colored sky. The sash and obi were of the same, sunset orange, but with no pattern. All in all, it seemed fairly plain, considering the wild and bright kimonos she had seen, but it was elegant and tasteful, and it really complimented her hair. It was very traditional in length and style, no short skirts and lack of sleeves for this woman (much to her displeasure). The only thing one might consider racy about her garment was that the back of the kimono hung low to expose the soft nape of her neck. Though it was a simple frock, it was still very lovely. Anyone with an eye for fabric would note the garment was comprised of a rich, lovely silk, and worth quite a bit of money. This was quite possibly one of the only frivolous purchases Jira had ever made.

Taking pains to dry her hair so that it would lay straight for the most part, she let a few loose locks curl to frame her face. The rest hung smooth and straight, pulled up of her neck in a simple bun. She used a pin shaped like a white lotus to adorn her hair, and it was a small and made of ivory. Once she was dressed, she pulled on some furs to ward against the cold weather. They were white and soft, perhaps made of rabbit or a similar creature. With a huff, she strode out of her division, carefully as her shoes were chosen to not add to the already impressive height of the female. She ended up on a carriage, not keen to walk any further than she had too. Before long she ended up at her destination. Gliding up toward the gates, she noticed a familiar man standing before them.

Oh great..

"Are you coming or going, Dai Kidocho?" she called, her tone somewhat amused as she strode up to his side. She had heard a fair few things about the man after he had left his lackey at her division, his name and position included. Her breath fogged up around her face, which was slightly pink around her cheeks from the cold. She wasn't going to stand around long to chit-chat, as the winter's chill was cruel and penetrating, even with the furs wrapped around her body.

The interior of the estate in which the party was being hosted was not decorated head to toe though many servants of the sidebranch were hurrying back and forth between the entrance and the parlor which were both carefully designed for the evening's festivities. The entrance that the guests would step into from the cold was long and narrow. Both the walls and the floor were made of mahogany wood in a deep rich red hue. If it had not been for the silver lanterns which were strung about the walls casting a brilliant light upon the oiled surfaces the hall would have been dark and dreary, but it was not the case now. The hall glowed as the silver light reflected off the well shined wood. It was not warm and inviting, but sleek and classy; though the Komatsu boasted the opinions of philosophers, they did not differ in the polished affairs of nobles.

The hall led into a parlor room where even Komatsu Suzaku had been kept out of; no one was to enter but the servants and musicians lest something go amiss during preparations. However, the preparations were done now and the room which was floored and walled with the same mahogany and shone with the same lanterns was open, letting light and sound flood the nearby locations in the house and outside when the front door was opened. Though the center of the room was cleared for mingling and dancing, glistening ice sculptures of foxes were positioned by windows across from the front entrance that kept the air in the vicinity cool enough to prevent the frozen art from melting though they sat in a low trough to catch any droplets that was already filled with icy water, red stones in the bottom, and floating wild flowers which had been painted silver. It was petals of similar flowers which had been scattered all across the floor, filling the room with a sweet scent that mingled with that of the food set out upon a silk covered table on the wall to the left of the entrance. It boasted the finest cuisine all in finger food format; from savory, to sweet, to spicy, to sour, it was all there on the table as well as a meddle of beverages that servants stood by ready to pour fresh for those who wanted them.

The wall across from the food and to the right of the entrance was where the musicians had taken up their spots. Small drums, bamboo flutes, and various stringed instruments melded their tunes into an elegant harmony. Between the band there was a door which was opened though silver beads upon strings cascaded over the entrance to conceal the hall which led to other places within the estate, including the kitchen where the servants had been carting food out from, and the simple sitting room where Suzaku had taken up residence. It would not be guards that informed him that guests were starting to arrive as they were all located outside of mansion, but the chatter of the sidebranch's exclusive servants outside his door as they carried yet another platter of food to the heavily laden table in the parlor.

"I heard that there are captains coming," one plump woman said to her broomstick thin companion who shared the load of a dango filled platter. "That will be exciting," the other claimed with a less than exciting tone. Captains tended to have many traits in common with nobles, not that the servants were treated badly, but power and wealth oft drive others to envy. "Let's hurry up and get this to the table, people are starting to arrive at the gate. We don't want to be chastised for being in the room when they come in. We weren't selected for the inner staff." Her statement would be made clear if anyone compared their dress to those of the servants who stood at the ready in the parlor; the women had simple kimonos of rough fabric in muted earth tones while those in the parlor were dressed much like Suzaku had chosen too; showing off the Komatsu colors of red and silver, though the quality of the fabric was common place and lacked the embellishment of the head's.

These servants were to assist and serve the guests who were arriving in bulk outside the estate. The filtered in past Jira and the captain of the Kidou Corps and into the house; the guards on duty opening the sliding doors for the masses. The light from within melted into the colorful rays cast by the lanterns in the trees and the smell of food wafted out with it toward the two as if enticing them to enter on top of the cold which tried to bite at them through their furs. One of the carriages which passed them contained the Natsume pair and their attendants as it bore them toward the entrance. Because of Mayumi's assumed frail condition, direct delivery had been expected.

Meanwhile, Chiyoko would find herself waiting for quite some time before her carriage arrived. The servants hadn't questioned the woman as to what carriage she had meant as the special rides had been a last minute surprise for the guests that dared to venture out into the cold, but through the grapevine, they discovered what she had meant and one set out immediately for the Southern gate to request one be sent directly to the Daidouji main estate. It would take some time for the servant to arrive at the gate however; Seireitei was a large city. That would leave Masato alone before the carriages which awaited passengers. Entering would allow the fukutaicho to be quickly whisked away to the party location by the less than regal horses.

---

Mayumi accepted her adopted brother's assistance into the horse drawn carriage gratefully. Even though the young woman was not as frail as her condition was let on to be, it was cumbersome to move about in more than a walking fashion when wearing such clothing. Hikaeme had been dressed similarly in color and cut, but her ascent was easier for the fabrics of her clothing provided more mobility. The modsoul sat next to her mistress upon the velvet seating of the interior and kept her eyes cast downward. She was the black sheep among the group; not only was she not a noble, but she was not even a Shinigami or natural being of Soul Society. She was an artificial soul meant only to serve, though Mayumi treated her well and as close to an equal as she could given the circumstances. Still, her job was to protect and assist Mayumi in whatever way she could so she continued to veil Mayumi's reiatsu as the carriage carried them across the land all the way to the estate where the party was being held.

Mayumi was as quiet as Hikaeme for she knew that Kusu, while he could talk, would not go out of his way to do so and she found it odd to have his words coming from Kerai, despite the fact that Kusu obtaining a retainer had initially been Mayumi's own idea and partly why she had Hikaeme as her own attendant now. Still, Mayumi observed manners and would reply to anything that the blond said if it required response. Her gaze however was focused outside the viewing port. It was not the first time Mayumi had traveled by carriage, but it was always a stunning experience to watch the scenery go by so quickly while she rested in such comfort.

Soon enough they found themselves entering the open gate of the Komatsu's manor and it provided a sight that Mayumi had not been expecting. Kazuo. There was not a trace of worry in her visage though there was always such a thing in her mind. Still, Misaki was a masked grunt of the Kidou Corps. None there knew her face. As Mayumi, her face, though it was a mask unto itself, was quite visible and her hair far from the short red and black bob that her other half wore. Her geta also gave her added height and Hikaeme was their to veil her aura and yet, Mayumi felt the discomfort of her two worlds brushing against one another yet again. The first had been with Kusu and Mayumi was still dealing with how that had ended. Out of sight, out of mind however, and soon enough Mayumi found her carriage stopping at the entrance of the structure. She could hear the music filtering into the carriage along with the scent of food. Given how Kusu had acted upon assisting her into the carriage, she knew how her brother intended to play his cards so Mayumi stayed seated to await his aid in exiting the carriage and entering the building.

As their carriage carried them ever-nearer the Komatsu household, Kusu's thoughts wandered, which meant he was fortunate that no conversation was being carried on within the carriage. The Soshireikan was Komatsu, Kusu recalled, and wondered briefly if the man would be attending the party; it would be remiss, surely, if he weren't? It wouldn't matter, in the long run: Suzaku had no reason to know either Kusu or Kerai, both being among the 'faceless' in the Onmitsukido, which meant Kusu's thoughts turned to the Soshireikan for an wholly separate reason: his presence meant the estate would be well supervised, which in turn meant this could be one of the few times Kusu could let his guard down... in terms of being Onmitsukido, anyways. Being a noble, he was quickly coming to find, was a job full of jealously guarded actions.

Before long, the Natsume carriage was carried forth to the entrance of the branch home, to pander to Mayumi's act of frailty; personally, Kusu was thankful the little act, as it kept the lot of them out of the cold just that much longer. When the carriage door was opened for them, Kusu was the first to exit, turning in place and reaching up to gently guide Mayumi after him; they would step aside as Kerai came next, who in turn assisted Hikaeme from the carriage in as polite a manner as possible: just because his sister's retainer was a Mod-Soul, after all, did not mean they could not treat her as the female she took the form of.

As one the entourage turned and, taking easy, slow steps to add to the image of frailty for Mayumi, Kusu lead them through the doors of the home, nodding briefly in thanks to the doorman; as the retainer, it was Kerai's duty to more properly bow his head and thank the man, this Kusu had learned. The nod of the head, he had been taught, was a very gracious thing: it was a symbol to the man that he had done his duty well and proper, and it was given by the head of a highly Noble clan, which meant it was doubly rewarding. Kusu had, he was told, paid the man a very high honor by snubbing him.

Noble life was quite confusing.

Fully entering the room prepared for them, having gotten a glimpse of what was awaiting them from the hallway, Kusu almost paused in appreciation of the sight, smell and sound of it all: the entirety of the affair had been very well orchestrated. The ice sculptures across the door, the food on the far wall from the musicians... it was astounding, to say the least. However, Kusu knew better than to keep a doorway blocked, even if he was supposed to be some important type of person, and so he began to guide Mayumi to the side of the room removed from the musicians, in order to provide his sickly sister a refreshing snack and beverage. She must keep her health up!

Hearing the chatter of the servants, a slight smirk came to Suzaku's face what then faded away as fast as it came. He would get up slowly and begin to walk out of the room he was in, heading into the fine hallway. Even this was a treat to the eye. He would begin to walk to the entrance where Kusu and his sister had arrived at.

He then heard about the captains begin here. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out who perhaps could of came. Malik is gone, so is that other person who he forgot his name. So that leaves only 3. But then again they could be talking about the Kido captain. He figured perhaps Jira of the medical division may show, but then again he could be wrong.

He had yet fully got a report about that man. Interesting he thought. With that he would walk into the room, His eyes scanned the room quickly noticing the fox iced sculptures, the food and the musicians. His eyes would slightly narrow, he was hoping the side branch would pay for this. Or Shiro would be getting a talking to. His face turned back to glass if you may and nod slightly to Kusu and his sister.

He new Kusu was in his ranks and the fact he had a sister and they both where in a noble family. Yet he really never has had face time with the boy. Perhaps he would tonight, It truly didn't matter.

Kazuo wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been staring at the entrance when the orange haired woman from the Medical Division arrived. Some snow had built up around his feet, blown in by the wind, and he realized that he was rather cold. Shaking a bit from his shoulders, he considered her question. Was he coming or going? What did that mean? Was he coming to the party or going from the party? ‘Going from’ was a poor choice of words, so perhaps she meant “was he going to the party, or coming to the party”. That made little sense, but at least both verbs were applicable using the party itself as the subject. Of course, both questions implied future tense, but since the woman was already at the party, asking if he was going to it seemed nonsensical. It could have been left at “Are you coming”, or even “Are you going in” if she was set on using going as the verb of the day. Or perhaps his entire base assumptions were wrong, and the party was not the subject of her query.

By the time he realized he had been staring blankly at her for a while in the freezing wind while he considered her choice of words, he determined that the best answer was simply:

“Yes.” He informed her, then made his way inside.

He shook snow from his cloak as he looked about the grand hall, taking it from his shoulders, surprised as a servant scurried up to take it from him and store it somewhere. Or perhaps try and retrieve hair fibers from it for nefarious purposes. Perhaps the servant had murdered one of his noble masters, and was planning to leave Kazuo’s hair at the scene of the crime to implicate him in the death. He frowned at the thought, mentally preparing his defense for the court hearing, his lips moving silently for a moment as he zoned out once more. He returned to the present after a moment, satisfied that he would be able to defend himself should the need arise.

He saw several other Shinigami in rather fine clothes. At least, he assumed they were fine. He knew nothing about fabrics, and didn’t even recognize the clothes he had been given. Were they fine fabrics? Was he dressed suitably? What exactly determined a ‘fine’ fabric? Wool was certainly warmer, and it was winter, so did that mean wool was finer than silk in the winter? Or perhaps it was fashionable to wear silk and be cold. He gazed at several of the Shinigami present, not recognizing any of them save for the orange haired woman who he thought might have been in charge of Medical. She had repaired his arm once, hadn’t she? Maybe that had been a dream.

The music was pleasant enough, creating a pleasant harmony. The food smelled good, the decorations were elegant, and… Well, that was about it. He could only wonder ‘now what’ as he stared about the room. What did people do at parties? Why was he even here?

"What?" She exclaimed a bit bewildered. "Shiro-kun invites me to a party and then doesn't send a carriage for me? She questioned after a few minutes of waiting standing outside in the cold, albeit she was wrapped in her usual gaudily coloured pink furs.

"We (you) were expected to meet at a localized location, Daidouji-Hime and be taken from carriage from there." The maid gave her nose a scratch as Chiyoko muddled over what was said. After a moment of thought she frowned and started walking. "Daidouji-hime!"

"I'm not going to look the fool, I'm going to meet my escort!" Not that she knew where her escort was, nor did she know it was heading toward her location now. All she knew, was that she was now a walking...

In the cold.

And the wind was starting to mess up her hair. She cursed quite loudly.

Yet again, his response was so bland. Had Jira known the truth of it, she would have explained in a equally bland tone as to exactly what the phrase meant. Coming to the party or going home, it was fairly simple. Had she have known his thought process, she probably would not have even bothered to talk to Kazuo. She shook her head and dismissed him with a roll of her eyes as she stepped through the snow toward the door after him.

A small flake of snow landed on her lower lip, and out of habit she folded her lips in to savor to cool wetness. Yes it was cold and miserable outside, but she was very warm blooded and not quick to chill like others. Perhaps that was why she could pull off her usual attire all year long. As the doors were opened for the guests, she would step just inside the threshold. Did she really want to do this? The host had not seen her yet, so it wouldn't be rude to leave. When did she care about being rude anyway? She could go back to her division and sleep, or maybe paint something. Either way, she would be alone and not suffer the company of stuffy nobles. Just as she was on the precipice of her decision to take flight (i.e. bail) the warm smells of food wafted to her nose. Her stomach rumbled quietly. Betrayal! Maybe she would just stay long enough to eat something, and of course she would need a drink. Nobles were rich, and that meant expensive booze. Oh the poor woman's resolve was weakening...

With broken resolve, she made her way into the long hall, probably soon to be accosted by a servant to take her cloak.

SPOILER: Click to show

Posted ahead of you because of your post in the box. I'm gonna be gone this afternoon/evening, so I didnt want to hold anyone up when my turn came around lol

SPOILER: Click to show

Masato skipped as it's been well over the 24 hour posting period.

Suzaku, just a small issue that might come up in future RP with him, but Shiro is not hosting the party or responsible for the party. He's a part of the main branch, he only delivered invitations for the side branch.

As Suzaku drifted out from the sitting room he had taken up refuge in, a short figure with the same black hair and phosphorus yellow eyes that the head had bustled past him with a quick, "Suzaku-sama," before entering the parlor room ahead of him. The figure was also clad in red and silver robes. The material was a heavy velvet like the interior of the carriages had been and it added to the girth of the man wearing them. The main portion of the robes was deep red though the obi glistened in brilliant silver silk. On the back of the velvet kimono the Komatsu crest was imprinted in the same color and material of the obi so that it stood out rather well against the blood colored garment it adorned. Silver bracelets jingled on one fat wrist and on the right hand matching rings glimmered under the lantern light. Over the heavy kimono, a delicate silver chain hung, in the center of which was a diamond carving of the Komatsu crest.

The figure practically bounced to the center of the room as servants made their way to all of the incoming guests to take up cloaks and the like to hang up just inside the hall from which the rotund representative of the Komatsu's party had just come from. He clapped his pudgy hands together and exclaimed, "Welcome all and thank you for coming! Please, eat, drink, and be merry!" A wide grin stretched across his face, lifting his chubby and rosy cheeks up and rendering his gold eyes to slits casting an almost eerie expression across his face before he waddled over to the table laden with food. The guests all around broke out in loose chatter though most of the conversations seemed to migrate toward the food while the more silent pairs took hold of the center floor and began to dance as others mingled.

The conversations around the table were empty pleasantries for the most part. Greetings, inquires as to health and families, congratulations and condolences of those who already knew one another. Many people had gathered around the host who practically oozed charisma for the dried out wells of souls around him. He stood with a drink in one hand and a carefully wrapped onigiri in the other. Despite his hands being occupied, he made wide gestures as he talked. "Oh yes, we suffered a great loss when little Leiko was abducted, but we are a strong family! The Komatsu have continued to flourish though we haven't given up hope on finding Leiko. Dear, have you tried the pickled onions? They're simply devine! No, I don't think I knew your mother, did she run a shop in town? Huh? Come to think of it, I haven't seen young Shiro! Such a good boy to deliver the invitations even though he's part of the main branch. Truly a special soul among the Komatsu! Suzaku-sama? Yes, I do believe I saw him earlier. I'm quite surprised he came! Please dear, just call me Kenkou! No need for stuffy formalities among friends!""

Meanwhile, back inside the walls of Seireitei the Daidouji servant had finally arrived at the southern gate where the carriages had been stationed to wait for the guests of the party. Very few remained as most had been taken by those already at the party and the carriages had remained, ready to carry them back when they were ready to head home. A deal was struck and the carriage was signed into the city where it trotted along the streets in search of its promised passenger while leaving gifts behind. Those gifts would be cleaned up by the Daidouji or paid to be cleaned up by some else from the Daidouji assets as part of the deal for the carriage coming into the city.

---

Mayumi and Hikaeme graciously accepted the assistance from Kusu and his retainer as they exited the carriage. Though Mayumi was not truly ill, the sudden shock of cold from the warmth of the carriage produced by the close quarters of four beings among velvet was great. She took a sharp breath of frigid air into her lungs and a shiver ran through her delicate frame before Kusu escorted the group into the building. Much like her brother, Mayumi only gave the smallest of acknowledgements to those opening the door, though hers was in the form of a soft smile. Hikaeme followed Kerai's example in more properly administering thanks.

In their surroundings, Mayumi's eyes took on an even deeper shade of red as they surveyed the hall and then the room beyond. She thought it was all quite beautiful, but not to her taste. Coming from the Natsume, she had a deep seated love for a more natural display though the Natsume did do it in a grand style. Still, it was always nice to take in a different atmosphere and muse over the differences between family cultures. As her eyes scanned the area, she noticed a man nodding toward herself and Kusu. He had the traits of the Komatsu's side branch and Mayumi couldn't say that his appearance resonated with familiarity within her mind. Perhaps he knew Kusu, but if he did, that meant he was possibly from the Onmitsukido. Mayumi managed to repress a shudder. She didn't like that branch of Seireitei. They simply gave her the creeps. Even more so as Misaki, but she was neither here nor there at the moment, so Mayumi, as she had no more information than that to go on, offered the man a smile before her attention was pulled to the energetic but large man who appeared to be the host of the party.

She did not let her eyes linger overlong as that would be rude, but Mayumi was fascinated with his size, personality, and clothing, especially the bracelets as they jingled almost grotesquely around his large wrist. Still, the man seemed amiable, especially for a noble, so she did not mind that her brother led her to the table where the pudgy host had taken up residence. Hikaeme stayed directly behind her mistress as they came to the display of food though Mayumi's eyes had once more turned to the party-goers. Among the see of faces, she saw mostly people she did not recognize and felt a small bud of disappointment in her chest when she realized Shiro was not among those that she did recognize, which included the Kazou of course, but also Rokujo Jira, just within view of the entry hall from Mayumi's position, who had been responsible for healing Kusu's throat. "Nii-sama," Mayumi said from her position at her brother's elbow, unconcerned about partaking in the food herself. "Rokujo-taicho is here. Perhaps you should greet her?"

Turning to hand Mayumi her drink as poured by one of the servers - a fruity punch? Flavored water? He wasn't sure - Kusu saw and responded to Suzaku's nod with one of his own; a greeting, more or less, of equals... on this battlefield, anyways. Again he was distracted, however, by the unsightly giantoid meandering about, making conversation and generally being a gracious host, if he was indeed the host; his clothing certainly seemed to allude to the possibility, but to be honest, he seemed almost too dolled-up for what Kusu would call a 'side branch' member. Of course, there would always be those who accepted fate's call with open arms and took it to the logical conclusion; the same was here as in any given prison cell, he supposed.

Thankfully, Kusu was broken from his undesired reverie concerning the jolly round man by his dear sister, who pointed out to him the gradually-approaching Rokujo Jira. At the suggestion that it would perhaps be polite to greet the woman who saved his life, Kusu nodded before gently patting Mayumi on the elbow, a sign he would be gone but only a moment, before he began to step forward, intent on meeting Jira half-way, Kerai two steps behind him; on the path to meet the Taicho, both males were held up only momentarily by the serving staff who so graciously took their coats now, as Kusu had been in far too much a hurry to get Mayumi to the drinks to pause and relinquish them.

That out of the way, now relegated to his brightly-golden, orange-fringed clothing, Kusu adopted the least antagonizing smile he could manage as he came within several steps of Jira-Taicho, bowing his head before her whilst Kerai behind him fell into a much deeper bow.

"Rokujo-Taicho, a pleasure to see you again." Unfortunately, Kusu's voice was still rough to say the least; that was likely a quality he wouldn't be able to do away with, but it was still better in it's own way than the stifling muteness he had been bound to. Briefly he wondered if she would recognize him, if she even at all recalled how, honestly not that very long ago, she had saved a life with only the bare minimum of effort. To say the least, so far as Kusu was concerned, a miracle had been worked, and he would always be grateful for that at least, whether or not the woman who had done the saving could be bothered to recall.

Suzaku eyes followed Kenkou, as he spoke Suzaku let out a sigh when he heard his cousins name. He would turn his eyes to Kazou and Jira. He hadn't really been around them before. This could be a chance to get to know them a little better, But none the less he was really questioning why he even bothered of showing up.

Hearing Kenkou speak his name got Suzaku to turn and look at the man for a quick moment. He had a point he should be shocked why he did come. Suzaku didn't like begin around a huge crowd of people. In the shadows was better for Suzaku deep down. He could of course get the hell out of here. Though there was someone truly missing from this crowd. A Daidouji was missing, it was strange not having the oldest noble family not showing them self's. They where never late either, then again the head of the family was gone. And that woman was strange in Suzaku's eyes. Why on earth did Malik even marry a crazy lady like her.

Deep in thought Suzaku had missed a few chances of getting drinks or even food. He just some what was lost in random thoughts racing threw his mind. He would then walk over to the host of this party.

"Kenkou"

He got about four feet from the man, he would look down at him. he was slightly displeased how he spoke earlier. But truly was not the place to say it.

"It would seem, you have taken great care of your self these past years. Though if you may, please keep Leiko's name out of all this party. Her loss was a great down fall to this family."

when he said the name Leiko his voice lowered so only Kenkou could hear him. He rather not bring her into this group of people. They wouldn't truly under stand what the Komastu family lost with that woman.

SPOILER: Click to show

Made a booboo with wording..my bad

Masato, like the noble, kind man he was even sprawled against the outer surface of his exterior -- not digging too deep down inside to find -- waited for Chiyoko to show for a brief moment or two more, until gently stepping onto the platform of the sky-blue carriage. His left foot 'gracefully' followed his right; right hand extending outward to grasp the handle of the beautifully created door, in which he quickly opened and stepped inside with a duck of his upper frame, so that he wouldn't hit his head or anything. Not to say he was that tall, but just didn't want to take any embarrassing chances!

He noted the lanterns against the designed carriages, and the horses, truly in a wondrous place within his mind. Masato, a lesser noble head, could safely say he had never rode a carriage before, so this was certainly a new, yet exhilarating ordeal for him! In fact, he sort of cushioned his bottom well with the velvet interior, dancing against the chair since, well, he was by himself in the carriage; often feeling and stroking the interior with his tender hands. He even had a kid-like smile about his face, chuckling a bit afterward at his own foolishness!

Then, as quickly as he sat down, the carriage was off! He gradually leaned toward the side away from the door, with the larger window so he could watch the scenery change and the snowfall as they traveled to their destination. His elbow sat against the rest underneath the window, which his adjacent hand, balled into a fist, propped his head up as it rested against his cheek. The ride was relaxing, to say at the very least, watching the tranquil nature outside, as well as the smooth locomotion of the vehicle and the overall vibe and air about the 'car'. Well, he was by himself, so perhaps he found tranquility in the fact that he didn't have to converse or engage in mingling yet, per se. Still, he was likely to face a fit of nervousness when the carriage would get closer and inevitably stop at the destination of the Komatsu household.

Yeah, then reality would kick in!

SPOILER: Click to show

In advance I apologize for my crap post being crap.

Cold, windy.. She was not please by these things. Sure she liked a bit of snow, winter just wasn't winter without it but by Shinigami she did so hate it when she was caught out in it.

"Oh you fool.. You should have waited, they would have come for you. Who wouldn't? It's you. Yes, they would have come. What a pain this is, what a dreadful, dreadful pain. Ack! Snow got in my sock cooold!" By this point the Daidouji woman had pulled her cloak up over her head to save her hair and while she was slugging it through the wet and cold snow she seemed no worse for wear.

How women manage that, right boys?

Soon enough she discovered that she was lost. All the buildings looked the same! They were all white and were all the same shape, size and all had the exact same level of snow piled on them! She let out a single sob and looked back to where she came. She could plainly see the Kido Tower and First Division even with the weather. Perhaps if she went back in that direction she'd find her way...

Wait, what was that noise? Was it a horse?! YES! It was!! Quickly she took off in a run, her feet carrying her in a pink and purple blur in the blackness and snow as she darted this way and that through the empty and seemingly dead section of the city toward the sounds of hooves upon the stone roads.

Oh she would dread if what she heard were boar folk.. If Malik's insisting that the Division's had fresh food rather than smoked got her more lost, oooooooh.. She'd kill him.

SPOILER: Click to show

I’m confused about the post order now, so… I’m just going to post, I guess?

Kazuo stared about as the host arrived, speaking a few words of introduction before people began to circulate. He stared about, watching people milling around and interacting. It was interesting to watch the patterns form and dissolve, seeing circles form and collapse. Some circles avoided others, and some circles tried to merge with others, and were sometimes rejected. The only interesting thing to do was to try and chart their relationships based on interactions, find out who was feuding with who, who was trying to curry favor, who was trying to ingratiate themselves, and who was just there for the food. He had to admit, he sympathized more with the ‘just there for the food’ crowd than the nobles and politics that were there for… Whatever it was they came to these parties for. Status? Appearance?

He was just in the middle of developing this wonderfully complicated chart, though he would likely appear to be staring vacantly in to space, looking rather forbidding and unapproachable, and somewhat unstable as he often did, when his stomach reminded him that yes, his place was indeed with the ‘just there for the food’ crowd. It was time to relocate. Meandering through the crowd over to the buffet table, he surveyed the vast expanse of edible goods before him. It would take a carefully laid plan of attack to conquer this territory, but he was willing to take the plunge. Who dares, wins, and all that. He would have to start with something light, make a quick foray in to the desserts for something light and sweet to speed digestion, circle around on the flank to beverages, then make the main assault against the entrees, while skirmishing with the side dishes and finally routing the enemy and piercing through to the main desserts. Plans laid, he began cautiously by picking up a rice ball.

Fortunately for him, he was dressed in the nicest clothes he owned (did he own them? Maybe they weren’t even his. Where on earth had they found these things?), which were not nearly so nice or ornate as what the nobles around him were dressed in. As such, he didn’t appear to be anyone of particularly high rank or status, and his very rare public appearances meant that only a few would know who he actually was. That suited him just fine, as he could hover around the food without anybody bothering him.

Free from the burden of her fine coat, which was made of many, many dead rabbits, Jira slunk into the party with a small sigh. Smoothing out her cream colored kimono, perhaps a nervous tick, she peered about the room. She could already hear the buzz of chatter of the nobles kissing up to each other. This level of schmoozing was make her a little nauseous. Again, that nagging doubt as to why she was here tickled through her brain. There was free food to be had, and she wasn't likely to track down the person who just took off with her cloak. Not yet anyway..

Looking around, hopeful to catch a server with liquor, she was approached by a man. At first, she had no idea who he was. Nice clothes, and some sort of servant or subordinate tailing him. Her upper lip twitched ever so slightly, but she recovered and kept her face blank. He was attractive after all, perhaps there was depth behind the good looks. She returned his bow with a nod of her own. She would bow to no man, aside from those higher her in power. Money and influence meant nothing to her.

It was when he spoke that her memory was triggered. "Gobu-san," a small smile flitting on her lips. "It has been some time, and it seems you are not accustomed to your voice." She frowned, noting the rasping in his voice. It should improve with time, so she was curious to examine him again. Moving close to him, she would reach out and gingerly touch his throat with her cool fingertips.

SPOILER: Click to show

I would like to keep some semblance of it, because like Von said, people get confused. Please use the posting order from the last round as a reference then. If it is getting close to/past the posting deadline, you can skip the person/people holding the thread up and I'll allow a little extra time for those delayed because of that.

The chatter and music which filled the room never ebbed in strength. There was no doubt that such an affair was distasteful to many of those present, but there was a certain art to socializing on either end. The more adept players of the game of words and wits had already left Komatsu Kenkou's side; any information that could be used could be gathered at a distance, the man did speak from the bottom of his expansive gut and his voice carried above all the others, even when he addressed Suzaku in his merry tone. "Of course, Suzaku-sama! Everyone here knows that, but pray tell, what should I say when I am asked about the matter again as I was earlier?"

The kidnapping of Komatsu Leiko had been no secret. It had been done amongst the guards of the Komatsu estate by a high ranked member of the Onmitsukido, so of course people had talked. Damage control was always taken by the wiser members of the Komatsu family when Leiko was mentioned in public, and Kenkou was one of them with his own method of glossing over questions with answers that weren't really answers. Silence only produced more questions after all. Still, Suzaku had chosen to slight him by attempting to monitor his speech at his own party while he was surrounded by guests and even those who had not been paying attention to the host were now, awaiting Suzaku's answer.

The wind had picked up outside, blowing snow free from the drifts that had built up and scattering them across the air to blur the scenery that Masato would be seeing as he headed toward the party in his carriage. It was also cause his trip to be somewhat delayed, though not by much and soon enough he would find himself at the estate where the party was being held. The same fashionably late arrival could not be said to be the same of Chiyoko. She had certainly spotted the horse and carriage, but the same blustery wind had overcome the walls of Seireitei and snow billowed about her as she pushed her way forward. Due to all of the pink which the woman wore, she was spotted by her servant who had been riding back within the carriage to come find her, so the horses pulled to a stop, waiting for the woman to reach them.

---

Mayumi graciously accepted the drink from Kusu before he disappeared from her side, though when it came time for a member of the serving staff to take her fox furred cloak, Mayumi denied the offer. "Lady Natsume is not in the best of health," Hikaeme offered the servant who had adopted a puzzled expression. "This room has a cold air to it." The modsoul gestured to the icy sculptures against the windowed wall. "If her cloak becomes a burden, I will carry it." And so the servant was dismissed and Mayumi found herself grateful for the aid. It wasn't the first time nor the last time Mayumi would benefit from procuring a personal attendant. The young noble woman offered Hikaeme one of her warm smiles before she sipped from the small cup which had been given to her. It was tea, of course, though it had been flavored with dark berries. Mayumi would have to be careful drinking it so that it did not stain her teeth; another form of noble art.

As she sipped from the tea, Mayumi let the surroundings wash over her. She did not watch her brother for he had Kerai for that now and this was a personal interaction to him. Instead her gaze wandered over those dancing in the center of the room, to the musicians, to the servants, and finally to Kenkou and his group down the table from her, though a certain kidou captain was in the center of her sight. He seemed alone and out of place, a trait that reminded Mayumi of Kusu. She doubted the man would want pity from her, but Mayumi could not stop the faint feeling from developing. Perhaps she would engage him in conversation, but she felt he would hate that. After all, Natsume Mayumi had nothing in common with Kazuo, despite the wealth of kidou knowledge that laid just beyond a mental veil of differences that was Misaki.

Without quite having made up her mind, Mayumi began to move toward him. It was at that time her ears tuned into Kenkou because of the words that came from his lips. Mayumi knew of Leiko's abduction. It wasn't never spoken of in more than passing in public affairs. In fact, she had heard the traditional gloss over earlier. Mayumi wondered what had transpired to bring it back to light again at the party. She was close to Kazuo now though her eyes had settled on the scene of the host and the head, though Mayumi was still unclear as to the nature of the latter. Hikaeme still stood just at Mayumi's elbow, though she seemingly took no interest in what was happening beyond the small personal area of her mistress.

As Jira's hand approached, Kusu tilted his chin upward obediently; he was no fresh victim to impromptu examinations, and would not deny a doctor her duties. Of course, it would be Kerai who's voice met the air next, a soft smile on his lips. "It is Natsume now, Rokujo-Taicho; Kusu-sama has been adopted into the Natsume clan, to become the head of house."

The personal assistant bowed as he spoke, deferring even in his correction to Jira; he was polite, give him that much. Of course, Kusu himself was less concerned with names than doing what any given patient would: providing his physician all the information she should need to procure a diagnosis.

"I speak much more clearly in a murmur." And indeed, this was true; the murmur came across with none of the roughness his speaking voice had retained, delivering a deeper, easier-to-hear line. And with the murmur, Jira would certainly feel how well the muscles moved in tandem with one another; his was a voice meant for silence, rather than speeches.

Turning his eyes, Kerai could see that there were souls beginning to watch, and why wouldn't they? A woman they could not immediately identify as a Taicho had her hands on the throat of the new Natsume head, or at least a member of the main family line, as evidenced by the ring on the finger at his side; this would call for a little damage control. "It is very kind of you to see Kusu-sama on such short notice, Rokujo-Taicho; as could only be expected of the woman who so easily cured such a difficult infection of the throat, your professionalism and dedication to your job. You humble us all." And again the manservant bowed, slightly deeper this time; he had spoken in a louder tone, to be certain his voice would 'accidentally' be overheard, and already he could see the fruits of his labor being harvested.

Word was certainly spreading; not only was a Taicho here, but she had apparently saved the life of the Natsume clan head? Incredible! And to have taken time from her party-going to give an immediate follow-up? Surely she was a saint among Shinigami!

Suzaku looked at Kenkou for a moment but then looked around the room noticing a lot of the side branch where attending and really He was the only one of the main branch so far of the Komastu family here. Perhaps his out burst was truly unneeded. He let out a low breath bringing a hand up to his forehead and rubbing it slightly.


"I am sorry for the out burst. Forget I said anything on the matter. I have not come to terms with her lose yet.


Thank you for holding this event, you truly have captured our family spirit." He added on bowing his head as a sign of respect.

Time seemed to quickly pass by as the man watched the buildings come and go, along with the trees and inevitable snowfall, which was occasionally sprinkled upon the tip-top of surfaces that 'stood still' in nature. As his glimmering-emerald eyes peered out from the window and into the fixed distance -- being that ultimately the cart, carrying him, was moving -- Masato had begun to realize that up ahead, with the aid of the lanterns, likely, he had entered the Komatsu estate. If reality hadn't settled in, now was the time!

Letting a soft, anxious sigh escape his lips, Masato could only watch as the carriage soon pulled up to the front of the household, butterflies swarming violently around in his stomach. Luckily he hadn't eaten much today, otherwise he would surely be using the restroom right about now. That, and he didn't drink much either, for the bladder would surely rupture at this point in time. Still, he couldn't distinguish his anxiety from his utter starvation; the pit of his stomach only rumbling deeper should the thick-air filled with the scents of each and every food inside make it toward his nostrils.

From the exterior, Masato noted the rich estate, and the utter brilliance in quality and design the household possessed; also honing in to the sounds of a true party inside, such as the chatter, the instruments playing, etc. Even though a servant was likely to aid in escorting him inside, Masato stood outside briefly, as if mustering up enough courage to face the 'sponsors' ahead and inside. He needed to win them over, should he desire for his household to become something big. No mistakes, no mishaps!

He wondered, too, if he was even recognized. He was a rather bashful, reserved person who often strayed away from the spotlight, but had people known of the Fukutaichou of the Command Division? Had he ever been talked about while under the rule of the famous Daidouji, Malik? That Taichou was well-known and presumably talked about; good or not. Masato saw all good in Malik, though.

SPOILER: Click to show

I'm pooped, its been a long, tiring, day and I can hardly keep my eyes open let alone type, this already has been a series of corrections on my part which is more than a little maddening. As such, this will be a place holder until I am rested at which point I will simply edit my post and rp properly.

As Chiyoko is not anywhere near either Jira or Mr. Casserole, don't wait for me to edit just go ahead and post o.ob

A carriage! Yes, with horses not swine! VICTORY! Her body picked up its pace, as she leapt from bound of snow to bound of snow, not allowing herself to sink all the way in due to the knowledge of hoho she had acquired over her life time. Which you could imagine would be quite useful now, considering her footwear and the terrible, terrible storm which was billowing.

The fates were cruel!

"Over here!!" She cried racing all the more toward her heroes of the hour. She did so hope they knew how to bathe.. If her heroes were stinky she would be most disappointed.

Bounding up to the carriage she came to a stiff stop, her face red from the cold and thick clouds of white following her every breathe. "Thank heavens you found me! I'm lost!!!"

SPOILER: Click to show

As promised, post posted!

It took Kazuo a moment to notice that somebody had approached him – no, two somebodies; the second just seemed to have a very small presence. Likely a servant of some sort. He looked about the room once more, curious. The servants everywhere were being , for the most part, completely ignored. Anyone wishing to spy, or assassinate, or steal, or… Well, anything, really, would only have to dress as a servant, and nobody would be likely to pay them any mind. An interesting thought. He filed it away before turning his attention back to the buffet table, before remembering what had brought him to that train of thought: the woman who had approached him, and was now apparently staring off at something else. He frowned slightly as he looked at her.

“Shouldn’t you be off doing… No. I mistook you for someone else.” He shook his head slightly. Faces were difficult to remember. He had trouble recognizing people he saw every day, most of the time. He assumed he was simply blocking her path to a particular item of food she wished to reach, so, he gave her some space, moving down the table a little way to continue his assault.

The buffet table was proving a worthy opponent, but the various foods were driven before his relentless advance, crushed between his mighty crushing teeth, consumed and devoured. On the left flank, however, one opponent was putting up a strong resistance. Whatever was contained in those dumplings was very spicy. He didn’t like spicy things. Frowning, he debated whether he should abandon his attempts and accept defeat, or force himself to try them and risk indigestion, which could damage the war effort overall. It was a difficult decision. If any of his subordinates had been present, he would have assembled a war council to discuss their options. Sadly, he was alone in this endeavor. Well. It was time to make a tactical retreat from the spicy foods. He would circle back to them after he had prepared himself. So, he pressed on, sampling several more appetizers, before circling off to retrieve a drink of something or other to wash it down, still meandering back and forth along the table, generally ignoring the rest of the world.

If there was attention directed toward Jira, she was oblivious to it. She was a healer, damn it, and if she wanted to examine her patient in the middle of a party, she would. The thought of how it would look with her hand on his throat did not even occur to her, but if it had...she still wouldn't have cared. The old Soutaicho left her alone, much to her pleasure, as did the C46. Jira had grown accustomed to having free reign (to some degree, as she always knew never to cross some lines).

Her fingers gently rested on each side of his throat, about an inch or so below the jawline. He would notice the twitch in her hands at the mention of his new surname. It felt like she was beginning to pull her hands away for just a brief moment, but then she recovered.

"Head of the house, hm? That much be lovely," her tone was a bit snippy and short. It was more of a rhetorical question, as she did not expect him to answer as she began to ease her energy up towards her fingertips. "You make speak while I am examining you, it would help me sense how the muscles are working together. How long has it been since I examined you last?" Her memory wasn't the best in the world, not for dates and things she usually deemed unimportant. As she awaited her answer, she was already beginning to filter her energy into his body.

As for the flattery the other man made, in a particularly loud voice, she ignored it. That wasn't the type of compliment she usually listened to.

SPOILER: Click to show

Sorry for the delay, I've been sleeping a lot. e.e Anyways, for Masato and Chiyoko, there was no storm/snow fall, it was simply old snow from the drifts blown about by a strong gust of wind.

What tension had developed due to the onlookers seemed to vanish as Kenkou's face remained pleasant. His gut bounced merrily as his laughter boomed out. "The head of the house doesn't need to apologize to someone as lowly as I! But your thanks is greatly appreciated. The side branch worked very hard to make this a special party though we would have done more had we known members of the main branch were coming besides Shiro!" The host chortled again those his golden eyes swept over the crowd. "I wonder where that dear boy is," he mused aloud for the benefit of those still gathered around him before he clapped his hands together. "Oh well! The show must go on. Musicians! Something more cheerful if you would!"

As the music picked up tempo inside the large dwelling and more people succumbed to call of dancing, the entry door was opened for the still Masato as he examined the house. There was no servant beyond the guards who had opened the door as the party lay only beyond a straight hallway. If Masato entered through there and into the parlour room, there would be servants aplenty to take his cloak and offer him drink at the table where the food had been laid out. Meanwhile, the stationary carriage awaited its intended passenger as she rushed to meet it. The only smell which would greet her nose was that of frost and the heady scent of horses, unless her own servant had not take precaution against offending the lady. Surely he would offer her assistance into the carriage as the driver did not disembark from his post; he had one job to do, and that was to carry the passengers safely within the carriage.

---

Nary an eye was batted at the ill formed accusation Kazou presented to Mayumi who met it only with a small smile as her attention shifted away from the Komatsu, and a pleasant, "Indeed. I do not believe we know each other sir," though he had already begun to move away. Mayumi would not bother to pursue him anymore than Misaki would force her presence upon him in the workplace. So the woman let him meander further down the table as she took a sip of the tea and once more cast her gaze across the room. It appeared that Kusu was still engaged with the lady taichou, so Mayumi would have to take care of the Natsume greeting to the host. She maneuvered deftly through the crowd as only someone with much practice in such things could until she was near Kenkou; it was easier now that more people had joined in the dancing.

"Komatsu Kenkou," Mayumi spoke with an inquiry laced through her tone, though it was more rhetorical than anything. At her side, Hikaeme bowed politely; Mayumi has main branch blood and sister to the head was not required to do as much, so her attendant would observe the formalities for her here. "I am Natsume Mayumi, sister to Natsume Kusu, heir of the Natsume family and daughter to the head, Natsume Kyuhei." The introduction was concise and practiced, but flowed naturally from the lips of someone who had said it many times before. "Thank you for sending my family an invitation to your party. It is a splendid affair."

SPOILER: Click to show

So sorry for the wait e..e Dunno what came over me

"A hassle, honestly." He murmured at her assertions of his new status' 'niceness'. "These people know nothing of how actual people live, and attempting to conform is a great challenge." Kusu spoke, or rather mumbled, freely, for he knew there was no way he would be heard: even his standard 'speaking' voice only reached three feet before petering off into incoherence, forget his 'comfortable mumbling voice, which perhaps only Jira would be able to hear, and even then just barely.

The blonde, of course, knew well what the 'mute' was saying, more because he knew Kusu better than all that, and simply shook his head, turning to make small talk with random strangers in order to attempt and camouflage his master's voice from them, so Kusu and Jira could keep their conversation to themselves.

Though he wouldn't say it, Kusu nearly sighed in relief as Jira's energy began to thread into his throat: the feeling was calming, relaxing, a wonderful drug that he had no doubt he could become rapidly addicted to. That Chiyudo, as he'd heard it called, was a powerful medicine, and he would need to be careful as to how much he exposed himself to it.

Suzaku's eyes turned to the music and let out a soft sigh of breath. Though dancing was not going to happen this man, he refused to do that. He would simply walk over to a wall nearest the door and lean his back against it. Truly the reason he came was make sure everyone here would be safe. He new that was not his job all the time, it just put Suzaku at ease really.

He would scan the room with his eyes of course, watching every little movement everyone did. He also read a few peoples lips as they talked among them self's. Very rude of him indeed but someone had to do it. His eyes would turn to look at Kusu and the doctor but then away at the man who seemed to be having a battle with food. He blinked a few times, trying to study the man and who he was. He hadn't really seen that man around.