Naki adjusted the collar of his white suit and glanced at his watch. It was 7:30; the guests should be arriving in half an hour. He examined the ballroom, which the servants had toiled to turn into a place where a 'party' of sorts could be held. The ballroom itself was huge, with checkered floor pattern and a gothic ceiling. Expensive paintings hung on the walls, and a crystal chandelier much like the one in the entry way dangled from the ceiling, Down the center the servants had lined up tables. On the tables were white table clothes, and shiny silver bowls organized by what organs were contained inside of them. There were wine glasses out and pitchers of blood wine, along with coffee for those who did not want to drink alcohol.
The servants were in uniform, and they were stationed at different parts of the house. Most of the guests would be in the ballroom, but they were free to go anywhere downstairs. Upstairs was roped off. Much to the other servant's distaste and suspicion, he had put Ju San in charge. He watched her hurry into the ballroom and make sure that everything in place.
Naki smiled. Her hair was perfectly brushed, and she wore the servant's uniform consisting of a collared, long sleeve white shirt, a black vest, and a brown skirt. She had that flustered expression on her face, and watching her run around like that was nothing short of adorable. If there were not other servants in the room, he would've gone up and hugged Ju San from behind.
He strolled between the rooms making sure all the servants were stationed until 8:00. The doorbell rang right as the clock struck. Naki took a deep breath and opened the door. Eto stared up at him. Her hair was straightened and she wore a sleeveless, knee length burgundy dress.
"Right on time," he said. Naki looked up and saw more people walking up the driveway. The blond ghoul walked to the ballroom with Eto and motioned to Ni to tend to the door.
Ju San watched from her position in the ballroom as ghouls poured in. She yawned, Naki had been up at 5:30 in the morning. He had allowed her to sleep for a few hours more, but that sleep had been haunted by dreams filled with 'Scarf Man's' voice and agonizing screams. Ju San scolded herself yet again for letting the unknown man plague her thoughts. The doe eyed servant kept a watchful eye on her boyfriend.
If she knew anything about the blond ghoul, it was that he couldn't do much alcohol. He got drunk very easily. So aside from her assigned job of making sure all the food in the bowls and drinks were stocked, she had to make sure Naki didn't get tipsy. If he was drunk, he might accidentally say something about their relationship. Or do something else extremely stupid. Ju San grimaced as she thought of the situation. A low educated man who's bad with alcohol surrounded by expensive things and important people.
Ju San watched the ghouls mill about. More were still arriving, and it was already crowded. She spotted Eto, Tatara, and Ayato. The rest of them she didn't know.
"Hey," another female servant whispered to Ju San, standing next to the doe eyed servant.
"Hey, Hachi," Ju San said.
Ju San had known Hachi for as long as she could remember. The 26 year old woman was wearing her caramel colored hair in a bun, and her brown eyes scanned the room. Hachi was well aware of her friend's affection for the Master, and she said that she 'shipped' them.
"Do you see that chick that's always hitting on Master Naki yet?" Hachi asked.
"Miza? No, not yet."
Just as they said that, the two woman saw the short woman walk through the door. She wore a long sleeve white dress that came down to her knees and heels. Her pink hair was pulled into an odd ponytail, and she was scowling.
"There she is!" Hachi whispered, pointing at the woman.
Ju San swatted Hachi's hand.
"Don't point," she scolded.
"You're prettier than her," Hachi commented.
"Hachi!" Ju San said. "You can't just say things like that!"
The caramel haired girl shrugged. "It's true."
Ju San let out a huff, and then a man standing next to the table caught her eye. He had shaggy white hair and wore an all black tuxedo. He was going around, eating the food with his hands.
"No, no, no," Ju San muttered. She hurried to grab a plate, fork, and knife and then carried the utensils to the man.
"Excuse me Sir," she said properly. "Would you, um, care for a plate?"
He stared at her blankly.
"Sir, what's your name?"
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Takizawa."
"Well Mister Takizawa," Ju San said, trying not to come across as rude. "I would appreciate it if you would use a plate when eating your food."
He took the plate from her, and Ju San, satisfied, decided to refill one of the food trays. She picked up the silver platter and was on her way to the kitchen when a scent distracted her. Ju San froze. The scent; she knew it. It was signature soft yet masculine scent. Scarf Man.
Someone snapped their fingers in front of Ju San's face, and she jumped in surprise. Nijuhachi was frowning at the doe eyed servant.
"You okay?" she asked. "You spaced out. You were just standing here."
"Sorry, I just thought I smelled someone."
"Who?"
"Doesn't matter, it was just my imagination."
Nijuhachi gave Ju San a concerned look. "If you say so. I was just talking to that Kanou man, he's actually a human. Now I'm gonna go find that handsome one with the white hair."
Ju San scanned the room. She spotted Tatara speaking with a few ghouls she didn't recognize. He was wearing a pinstriped suit and a red tie.
"He's by the refreshments."
Nijuhachi scurried away, and Ju San continued into the kitchen. She hastily refilled the plate, thinking to herself why on earth she would mistake scarf man for being here. It remained a mystery to Ju San why the memory of him haunted her a year later.
"It's been a year," she murmured to herself.
Ju San headed back into the ballroom and put down the platter. She glanced at Naki, and her stomach churned when she saw Miza handing him a glass of blood wine.
"Ichi!" Ju San hissed at the male servant who was standing at the entrance to the ballroom. He gave her a confused look, and Ju San beckoned him over.
"What?" he asked.
"How many glasses has Naki had?" she asked.
Ichi glanced around nervously. "Well, he had one by his own choice. The short chick gave him like, three more glasses. She's been throwing herself at him all night."
"Fuck," Ju San muttered.
Ju San walked by her boyfriend and the pink haired woman, glaring at the female ghoul.
"Be right back," Miza said, smiling at Naki.
Ju San clenched her teeth at the sound of Miza's voice, and she strode angrily into the kitchen to get away from everyone. She stood at the kitchen sink and scowled out at the courtyard.
"Servant," someone said rudely in the entrance to the kitchen.
Ju San turned around, trying to figure out who was rude enough to belittle her by calling her nothing but 'servant'. The doe eyed servant was shocked to see Miza standing in the door.
"Yes Ma'am?" Ju San said, trying to fight the urge to stab the woman in the throat.
"Where's the restroom?"
At that moment, Hachi walked into the kitchen carrying an empty platter. She glanced at the two women and opened the fridge.
"Down the left hallway and make a right," Ju San said, giving Miza a smile.
The pink haired ghoul whirled around without saying thank you and left the kitchen. Ju San turned back to the sink and began to wash her hands. Hachi was giving her a confused look.
"That's not where the bathroom is," Hachi said slowly.
Ju San beamed at her friend. "I know."
Naki frowned as he watched Miza angrily storm up to him and the two of the White Suits, Hooguro and Shosei, whom had been engaged in conversation.
"What's wrong Shorty?" Hooguro asked, grinning at Miza.
She silenced him with a glare. "Naki, one of your servants got me lost!"
Naki blinked, trying to focus his eyes on the woman. "Which one?"
Miza let out a huff. "I don't know her name. But she had brown hair and doe eyes."
"Oh," Naki said, hiccuping. "Well, I'll go talk to her."
Hooguro and Shosei gave their Boss a concerned look as he staggered away.
"How many drinks did you give him?" Shosei asked slowly.
"I don't know," Miza said rudely, crossing her arms. "Like, four."
Hooguro spit out his own drink and looked at Miza with panic in his eyes. "You gave him four drinks? He can't handle alcohol!"
Miza shrugged. "I was trying to get him drunk. You know, this is so stupid. He's drunk off his ass and I've been throwing myself at him, and he still hasn't done anything!"
"Maybe getting him drunk was not the best route to go," Shosei pointed out, stirring his drink.
"Whatever Shosei," Miza said. She turned her head to his smaller, yet still tall, partner. "What do you think Hooguro?"
The six foot tall man did not respond. There was a confused expression on his face.
"Hooguro!" Shosei said, giving his partner a nudge.
The blond man jumped, and then he looked around to calm himself down.
"What's your problem?" Miza asked, giving Hooguro an odd look. "You were all zoned out."
"I thought I smelled someone," he said slowly, and then looked at Shosei with wide eyes.
The large man sighed and shook his head. "You've just had to much to drink."
"Yeah, I really have," Hooguro chuckled, looking down at his empty glass. "I'm gonna go see if there's anything stronger in the kitchen."
"Ju San!" Naki called out to his servant who was rummaging in the fridge. His voice was slurred, and Ju San knew before she even turned around to see him that he had had too much to drink.
"Oh, Naki," she said when she saw him. He was sweating a bit, and his face was flushed. His red eyes weren't focused, and there was a lopsided grin on his face. "How much did you drink?"
"Hey baby," he cooed, getting awfully close to her face. "You sent Miza wrong way, that's funny."
Ju San slowly pushed him back. "Naki, you can't call me baby right now. Or get this close. Someone could see."
Naki hiccuped and giggled drunkly. "Why not, baby?"
"Naki, how much did you drink?" Ju San asked, flustered.
"A lot," he said loudly. "A lot!"
"Shhh!" Ju San said, putting her hands up in an attempt to calm him. "You can't yell like that."
"We have to be quiet," he whispered. "So quiet."
"You just can't yell," Ju San said, brushing a speck of dirt off his tux.
"Ju San," he whispered. "I gotta pee."
The servant sighed. One of the most stressful things in the world for the doe eyed woman was easily drunk Naki.
"Then go pee."
"Here?"
"No not here!" Ju San hissed.
"Someone!" Ju San called out.
Nijuhachi peered inside the kitchen. "Yes?"
"She won't let me pee!" Naki said, tears in his eyes.
"Will you please escort him to the restroom?" Ju San asked.
Nijuhachi chuckled at her friend's defeated expression. "Yeah. Come on, Master Naki."
Naki mumbled something and staggered after the nurse, leaving Ju San alone in the kitchen. She desperately looked through the fridge for more eyes, which that Takizawa ghoul had hogged to himself.
"Crap, I thought we had more," she muttered as she kneeled down in front of the fridge.
"Um, uh, huh, I," someone said from behind her.
Ju San stood up and turned around to see who was stuttering. A tall man stood in the doorway. He was using a shaking hand to brace himself against the doorway. He wore a white suit, and around his neck was a black and white scarf. He wore his blond hair in a chin length bob that that covered his left eye. On the right side of his face he wore a makeup or face paint of some kind on his eyelid all the way to the bridge of his nose, under his eye, and then a thick line going down to his jawline. He had blood red eyes, much like Naki. In the hand that wasn't gripping the wall he held an empty wine glass.
"Can I help you?" Ju San asked, putting her hands on her hips.
The man parted his lips slightly and dropped the glass. It shattered, bits of glass skidding across the floor.
"Why'd you do that?" Ju San asked, throwing her hands up in the air. "Are you drunk?"
"S—S—," he stuttered, fumbling for words. "Me—Mes…"
"What's your problem?" Ju San asked, getting closer to the man.
He was breathing hard, and he took a step back.
"Are you okay?" she asked, getting close.
Suddenly, she caught his scent. And she almost passed out right then and there. It was a soft scent, and so, so familiar. After all, it plagued her dreams at night.
"Sassy," the man managed to say.
Ju San stared at him with wide eyes. "Scarf Man?"