Kazune sat pouting at the lively dinner table as he sipped his soup. Karin and Michiru were getting along famously and while Michiru did his best to include Kazune in the conversation earlier, he seemed to have given up. Kazune would have liked to have a conversation with Michiru but he feared that he would say some harsh things if he spoke. It was better to stay silent. To make matters more uncomfortable, Karin kept giving him side glances as she spoke with Michiru. They were always accusing.
"So, Kazune-chan, tell me about the West city to torched. I hear it was both glorious and frightening." Michiru turned to Kazune with his usual sparkling eyes.
"I would rather not bring that up at the dinner table." Kazune said quickly and quietly.
"Did you hate the people? Did they wrong you because of your power?" Michiru's face looked pleasant but it unnerved Kazune that he seemed to know so much about him... or rather could read him like a book. Karin looked just as surprised so, she couldn't have told him anything.
"Like I said... I don't want to talk about it." Kazune said with his voice rising.
"No need for such a scary face, Kazune-chan!" Michiru said with a surprised look that faded into a carefree smile. "I won't ask again here." He beamed.
Something about him grated on Kazune's nerves. It wasn't like Michiru was being particularly friendly to Karin, nor was he being derogatory towards him but, it was the fact that Kazune had no idea how to read him that put him on edge. Kazune stared as Michiru laughed out loud when Karin accidently dribbled water down her chin as she tried to drink from her glass. Kazune saw Karin defending herself playfully. Kazune saw that Michiru had arranged his food to look like a forest and volcano. Kazune finally snapped.
"How can you see him as a worthy new governor?!" Kazune yelled as he stood and pointed in Michiru's direction.
"Kazune!" Karin shot him a glare.
"He plays with his food, he takes nothing seriously, we know nothing about him, what is the allure?"
Kazune was frazzled and his face was red. He could barely form the words he needed to say.
"I can be serious, Kazune-chan." Michiru chimed in with a straight face. His voice changed drastically from bubbly to stern. He almost seemed like a different person
"Please enlighten me as to why I should be serious here? We are having a dinner party and I am amongst my new friends. Surely that constitutes having pleasant conversation?"
Kazune was instantly reduced to the bad guy and could not speak again without sounding like a jerk.
"I am sorry." Kazune stuttered out with large eyes. He could not look away from Michiru's face. He looked like someone of very high authority. His face demanded respect without having to outwardly say it.
"It is true I do not know you very well. I should not have spoken out so soon."
Michiru's face softened back to the cheerful man he was before, "I will gladly tell you anything you wish to know about me after dinner." he offered with a smile.
Kazune was so confused at himself. When Michiru is carefree he feels on edge but it is so much more relaxing than serious Michiru. Kazune was also feeling awful guilt that he was not used to.
"Please excuse him" Karin said softly. "He may put up a front but he is actually pretty shy with new people."
"Don't worry about it, Miss Hanazono. After that, I think I understand what kind of person Kazune-chan is."
"I see..." Karin looked worried and looked towards Kazune with her skeptical eyes.
After his outburst, Kazune sat and ate the rest of his meal silently. When dinner was finished Karin and Michiru went into the parlor to talk business. Kazune wanted to listen but felt awful. He started back up the stairs to retire to his room. He would let Karin decide on her own if Michiru was indeed a good leader. Near the top of the stairs, Kazune's cane slipped out from under him. Stirring into panic, Kazune grabbed for the railing but was too late and fell backwards. Bracing for impact and the inevitable tumble down the stairs, Kazune thought to himself "This really isn't my day, is it?"
There was a soft thud as Kazune fell against a hard body. Opening his eyes, he looked up and saw Michiru's lightly sweating face.
"That was a close one, Kazune-chan!" He said catching his breath. "Good thing I came to bring you to the parlor."
In Michiru's arms and against his chest, Kazune felt incredibly small. His face also began to burn with embarrassment for being saved. Michiru helped Kazune get upright again and handed him the cane that had fallen a few stairs down.
"Thank you... even after I judged you so harshly..." Kazune looked away sheepishly.
"Well I wasn't about to let you just fall." Michiru's face smiled
"Besides, I wouldn't want my dear Kazune-chan to have been hurt further." Michiru placed his hand against the wall near Kazune's head and leaned closer to Kazune's face. There was a smirk spreading over his face and Kazune became leery.
"Michiru?" he questioned.
"From what I have heard, you an interesting person that I would like to get to know better. That also means being on good terms with you." Michiru's voice was low and he spoke in a whisper only the two of them could hear.
"I of course will do nothing you are opposed to, but I would like to strike a deal with you if it suits your tastes."
"What kind of deal?" Kazune said as he took a step up the stairs to be at face level with Michiru.
"If I get this kingdom, it will be a lot for me to handle on my own. It would be easier if I had a consultant that lived here. You and Miss Hanazono can go live in the forest home you wish for, but I would like it if you would work together with me to tell me what the people need. In return, I will see to it that you are provided with any and all materials from both this kingdom and mine you could need... not in excess of course." Michiru stepped up closer to Kazune again.
"It is a good plan, and you certainly do know how to strike deals..." Kazune ran through his mind looking for any kind of hidden agenda behind Michiru's words.
"If I do accept this offer, you need to do something for me."
"Ah, I should have known it wouldn't be so easy with you." Michiru sighed. "What are your terms?"
"There is only one. If you are proven to be an unfit ruler, the ownership of this kingdom goes back to Karin and I."
Michiru's eyes widened and his face looked at Kazune with surprise.
"That is very thoughtful of you. I will have the contract drawn up that agrees to those terms once I gain this land."
"And I will get to read that contract and make changes if there is anything funny with it." Kazune stated with cold eyes, taking another step up the stairs.
"As my consultant, I would expect nothing less." Michiru smiled stepping up again, this time trapping Kazune against the wall and grasping under his chin.
"What do you think you are doing, Nishikyori?" Kazune warned.
"Oh, my last name. You must be getting annoyed with me." Michiru giggled "Please don't worry, I am just admiring your eyes. They are a similar blue to my own, but two are really very dazzling."
"I would appreciate if you'd let me go." Kazune glared up at Michiru's face.
"Please don't mind me. I think I understand you very well. You are hot-blooded but very kind at heart, aren't you? You also have a bit of a complex with your own masculinity." Michiru chuckled. "You have power and a pretty face but no luck with love... well except for Miss Hanazono. That is why you are possessive enough to leave hickey marks all over her neck, isn't that right?"
Kazune was confused and surprised and a little angry. His faced flushed and his cheeks must have puffed up a bit because Michiru started to laugh and he backed off of Kazune.
"You really do make the best faces, Kazune-chan! I just guessed at the hickeys. Not too many young ladies with endowment like Miss Hanazono wear high necked dresses unless they have something to hide."
Kazune reddened even further. A dark red glow began to lift from his skin as his flames bubbled forward.
"Let's head back to the parlor, she must be wondering where we are." Michiru smiled and laughed as he started to walk off towards the other room.
Kazune reluctantly followed still burning.
As they entered the parlor, Karin was sitting on the loveseat looking bored.
"There you are!" she exclaimed.
"We are a little late, I had to help Kazune. He almost fell down the stairs, poor chap."
Karin looked over at Kazune with a worried face.
"You almost fell? You could have broken your leg again!"
"Yeah, I know that, miss obvious." Kazune snapped back.
Karin clamped her mouth shut and scowled at him.
"Excuse me for worrying." she said coldly.
Kazune was exhausted mentally. He hadn't meant to say that so harshly but Michiru's presence was draining. He would have to apologize later.
Kazune sat next to Karin on the seat even though she was mad at him now. When he sat he kinda just deflated and sprawled out his legs and arms letting his head hand back over the seat. Karin looked like she wanted to say something to him about his posture but decided to ignore it.
"Micchi, I know we want you to take over this kingdom but we do have to make sure you are fit to do so. I will ask you about your kingdom and if we like how you run it, we will give this kingdom over to you will little hesitation, understood?"
"Certainly. Kazune-chan and I had a little chat in the stairway hashing out what would happen if I get the kingdom already so when I get this kingdom, I will run it by you as well to make sure you agree."
Karin smiled and proceeded with her questions.
