Part 6
The Evil Incorporated Christmas party
Aya appraised himself in the mirror and felt the satisfied pride of a job well done. He wore a kimono the colour of butterfly dust and the detailing done in real silver thread, his hair was bound back with a cloth that he had taken from the Okiya when he left, and a wide ribbon around his throat was of that same silver fabric, his obi, however, was plain heavy grey velvet embroidered with small delicate flowers in white thread. Crawford knocked before he entered his own bedroom to see Aya dressed in front of the mirror pressing down the silk so it lay flat against his thighs. "How do I look?" He asked.
"Like a goddess," Crawford said, "you look as beautiful as you did the very first time I saw you, Murasakiiro." There was a lump in his throat as he looked at Aya. He couldn't miss the smudge of pale violet shadow that Aya had put around his eyes or the tiny dark red swathe on his mouth that was almost exactly the same shade as his hair. "Someday I will let you know just how beautiful you are."
"You know that you're pretty handsome like that." Crawford was wearing an impeccable tuxedo, something that Takatori could never force him into, with a white tie, the sort that European aristocracy wore to the opera. Aya gave a wicked little smile, "do you know no one will know that we didn't go." he sat in such a way that he parted the hem of his kimono to show his long white legs through a very fine gauze like mist. They were crossed over and he leant back on his hands in a very provocative manner.
"Schuldig was right," Crawford said, "we do have to go, or Schwartz will have no standing next year when it comes to the Evil Incorporated Elections, but we don't have to stay long." He leant down to nuzzle at Aya's cheek, "You could have gone as yourself, you know, no one would care that you're a man."
Aya frowned, "it wasn't that that bothered me," he said taking a deep breath of Crawford's aftershave, "it was the concept that they would recognise me as a member of Weiss."
That close Crawford was almost overwhelmed with Aya's perfume, it smelt of orange and myrrh, and something he didn't recognise. He felt like he could eat him up in a single swallow. Maybe Aya had a point about not going to the party. In the months since Kyoto they were yet to consummate their relationship, sure Aya was more than willing, in fact some would suggest as far as desperate, but Crawford was nervous and unwilling to take that last step. "But I really want to show you off." Crawford said, finding the very last strand of his self control.
Aya kissed him. "If you're sure." He said softly, rubbing the back of Crawford's hand with his thumb. "If you're sure."
Crawford's voice was squeaky when he answered, "I'm sure."
The restaurant chosen for the Evil Incorporated Christmas party was not decorated festively. Many famous names from the Tokyo underworld mingled with business men feared the world over. Trophy wives were congregated by the punch bowl flattering each other about the labels they wore. Somewhere a sound system was playing non religious Christmas music of the type that Farfarello favoured. As soon as Aya entered the room he felt that every evil eye was upon him. A man in a white satin suit and purple silk shirt, which complemented perfectly with his blonde hair and strange facial piercing (1). "Crawford," he said, gathering Crawford in a manly hug, "we were beginning to wonder if you weren't going to show, but instead you bring us the most beautiful woman in Japan. Is this the lovely Murasakiiro that all of Kyoto was abuzz about."
Crawford gave a fake laugh, "you've been talking to Muraki."
"He's over there," The Yakuza said, looking for all the world like an evil Derek Zoolander, "talking to Sesshomaru"(2), he pointed over, "that's him next to Akito Sohma (3).
"I must remember to thank him for his gift, even if it was gifted in return to Nagi as I simply lacked the time to give it the time it deserved." Murasakiiro said with a gracious smile. The yakuza looked surprised and more than a little baffled. "Doctor Muraki gave me a kitten," she explained, "but lacking time to give it the love it needs I gave it to Prodigy knowing he would need something to love him unconditionally."
"Oh," he said, "speaking of which, where's the rest of you?" He looked around, "these parties never get swinging until Schuldig shows up."
"Food poisoning." Crawford lied smoothly, "I've told him many times not to eat sea food out of a vending machine, and Nagi wanted the spend the night with his boyfriend so Far's out with them. It's just me this year."
"So like Nox," Muraki said sidling along to stand beside them, "always alone at the last, it is the great curse of evil that we must always stand alone. Glad to see you here, Murasakiiro, I had heard dire news of you in Kyoto." (4)
Murasakiiro smiled her most gracious and beautiful smile, "and I'm glad to see that that huge explosion in Kyoto didn't kill you, sensei." It only sounded slightly sarcastic. "I do not see your usual guest with you this evening." She looked around the room for the man with eyes the same colour as hers, but he was no where to be seen.
"He is yet to learn that I still live," Muraki explained, "although he suspects. And how is the kitten that I gave you?"
Murasakiiro quickly explained the fate of the kitten, of how she was unable to care for it properly and so had given it to Nagi who adored it, which made Crawford happy which made her happy, so she was grateful. Muraki excused himself after insisting that he had to have at least one dance with her. Crawford smiled and led her out unto the floor as the women gathered around the punchbowl were whispering amongst themselves. One of them distanced herself from the group and walked towards them. "Mind if I cut in?"
Murasakiiro gave her the darkest filthiest glare she could manage, a glare that in her other guise would have been considered a full factor five Shi-ne glare. It rolled off her back like water on a duck. "Yes, actually I do." She grated out in the Takatori Shi ne tone.
The woman smiled, "It's not you I want to dance with, Sakura." The woman answered in the same cold as ice tone.
"That's not my name." Murasakiiro managed taking Crawford by the hand. "and it's not even the correct insulting name for a geisha." she said. "And what are you wearing?" she looked her up and down, "I'm sure the label is meant to say Armani but actually says R Marney."
The woman, who was actually quite lovely, had long black hair that fell more than half way down her thighs, her arms were crossed under a pair of very large breasts and her dress was cut to show off that expanse. She had a pair of very large, very dark eyes. "Yes well," the woman said, "and poor little geisha girl dressed like an ash girl, is it specially for Christmas."
"Kanoe!" (5) A man came up, he had short black hair and wore heavy shades. "This is hardly the time for such conflicts. Crawford." The man bowed to him.
"Seishiiro." (6) Crawford acknowledged, "Miss Kanoe." He bowed at her. "I would rather that you didn't insult my date, one must not forget the past of the country, and Murasakiiro-sama is witty beyond the sense that you have interrupted us. Saki-chan, would you like something to drink?"
"Certainly Brad-san." Murasakiiro, nor Aya, ever called him Brad, but this was obviously marking territory in front of another dominant woman, and he was a little too scared to contradict her. Murasakiiro had also loosened the hem of her kimono so it showed her legs as she walked across the room, making sure that every single pair of male eyes was watching the long lean white lengths of her thighs. "Might I have a shot of brandy?
After several hours and three more conflicts with Kanoe Aya returned to the Koneko, steaming drunk and more possessive of Crawford than he had thought possible. "I want," Aya said sitting across Crawford's lap and whispering the rest of that sentence into Crawford's ear, "that'll make it a very happy Christmas."
"Yes," Crawford stammered out, "but you're so drunk." He said, "and you might regret it in the morning. If you even remember it. You kissed Muraki." Crawford said, keen that he wanted Aya to remember that, "and Seishiiro had his hand on your ass, never mind where Sesshomaru had his hands. If you want this I want you to remember it."
Aya stuck his tongue out. "It's Christmas." He protested, and then grinned, slipped his hands into Crawford's shirt and kissing him senseless. When he pulled back Crawford's mouth was covered in lipstick and he was painfully aware of the length of Aya's thighs against his own as Aya put his head on his chest. "Mistletoe." He murmured. Crawford ran his hands over Aya's back for several minutes before he realised that Aya had fallen asleep.
"Merry Christmas, my Abyssinian."
Author's note:
Ah the punchline to my terrible joke, although it is completely inoffensive despite being so absolutely dire.
In Britain there is a type of dish detergent called "Fairy Liquid," which for years had the slogan "hands that do dishes can feel soft as your face, with mild green fairy liquid" now read the punch-line again out loud this time, and you'll get it.
1. I have forgotten this Character's name, but it's the actor Tadanobu Asano from Koroshiya Ichi.
2. I've never seen Inuyasha but I have seen Sesshomaru- how cool can a villain get?
3. Fruits basket, god I called him names all the way through that.
4.Literature lessons with Seraphim Grace. Nox and Lux existed in the beginning, but then Lux (or light) separated into the incarnations (god, the devil, fate, time, death, war, and nature) but Nox resisted and that's why bad guys are always alone and good guys almost always come in groups of seven. - This can be applied to WK, think about it Weiss 4, 2 secretaries, and Persia.
5.Kanoe from X/1999
6.The Sakurazukamori from Tokyo Babylon (and X/1999)