Wise
"So… well… enjoy your night in the Hoshimi mansion, Wise," Belle said over Wise's cellphone. "What kinda' thread count is in your futon?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe a thousand? It feels great."
"Oooo, well maybe you can ask Miyabi when you see her later tonight…"
"Hah, hah, like that would happen. Miyabi isn't that kind of girl."
The phone was silent for a moment. "Wise, you have no idea what you do to all those poor women, do you?"
Not this again. Belle had this crazy theory that nearly all the female agents they contracted with wanted to sleep with him, except the ones Belle claimed wanted to sleep with her instead. Wise sighed. His sister was some kind of gremlin, he was sure of it.
"...Whatever, Belle. Good night."
"Wise! Do you really think that vixen is going to let you out of her lair without trying to take a bite?! Do you?!"
"Good night, Belle!" Wise disconnected the call. "Sheesh."
He sighed and looked around the little guest house. Soft amber lights created soft glows on the hardwood floors, and the dark lacquer of the few bits of furniture gleamed slightly in the cozy gloom. There was a spartan sort of luxuriousness to it, but there also wasn't much to do. He had his phone, but he wasn't in the mood to doom-scroll the Inter-Knott right now.
A small clock on the table advised it was just after nine. Miyabi had pursued her Father into the depths of the main house about an hour and a half ago, and then Lycaon had escorted him back to this guest room, advising that Miyabi was occupied with something. He'd been in here since.
Letting out a deep sigh, Wise flopped onto his back on the floor, enjoying the cool firmness of the polished wood. He almost immediately thought of his kiss with Miyabi today, the feel of her body against him, the way he could feel the muscles of her back through her clothing. His inner eye showed him all the times Miyabi's sweater billowed and he'd caught little flashes of Miyabi's belly and the the tops of her hips.
Wise sighed again.
Do you really think that vixen is going to let you out of her lair without trying to take a bite?!
Wise? Would you like to sleep with me tonight?
Wise rubbed his face with his palms, sighing yet again in new frustration. Why had he called Belle?! That had been a stupid idea born of boredom. Now he was thinking about things that were not going to happen and were likely to make him act the fool. With how that dinner had exploded, he might not even see Miyabi again tonight. Were there any lights on upstairs? Perhaps they'd gone to bed.
Climbing from the floor, Wise walked to the front door of the guest house and slid open the door. The night air was cold and a mild chill billowed about Wise as he stepped out onto the little porch. The stone gardens were only slightly illuminated by the tiny, shin-high lanterns. The main Hoshimi house loomed black in the near darkness, and far above, a crescent moon was climbing into the sky- the faint purplish gleam of hollow aura clearly visible upon its silvery surface.
"Please do return to your room, Master Wise," said an ominous voice in the darkness.
Wise startled and his head jerked to the source of the noise. A single, red eye gleamed in the shadows of the bamboo grove, a lupine tapetum reflecting in that unsettling way of cats, foxes, and wolves. An ancient fear shuddered its way through Wise's spine, some genetic response passed down from Wise's primordial mammalian ancestors: the fear of the predator in the night.
"Ah ha," said Wise, his heart thumping slightly. "You scared me, Lycaon."
"Apologies," said Lycaon from the darkness. The eye blinked. "But it is now past curfew. Kindly remain within the guest house until morning."
Wise very much remembered Lycaon's warning earlier this afternoon, but he hadn't considered the front porch to be a danger. But well, it showed intent, perhaps. And either way, Wise was not about to put himself at odds with a seven foot beast thiren- triple so if that thiren was Lycaon.
"Sorry," said Wise, putting out his best sheepish smile. "Well, good night then, Lycaon."
"Good night, Master Wise. Perhaps enjoy the onsen? The back porch is open to your use."
Wise retreated back into the guest house and slid shut the door. Well, no getting out now. He looked again at his phone. Should he text Miyabi? Or maybe call her?
No. She was busy with whatever she was busy with. It would be best to wait.
Maybe Lycaon's suggestion of the onsen bath was a good one. If he was stuck here, he could at least enjoy some mineral spring water. It was undoubtedly absurdly expensive to tap a geothermal spring and pump it to the estate, so it would be somewhat rude of Wise not to try it out, right?
The back porch's wooden tub was a small thing, made for one person- or perhaps two people who didn't mind being stacked on top of each other…
Wise shook that thought out of his head and turned on the faucet. Water hot from the deep energy of the earth poured out into the tub, the steam thick in the chilly night air. He put his hand into the stream and found it to be just slightly under way too hot- he winced and drew back his hand, the water feeling almost creamy on his fingertips.
He let the tub nearly fill and then he turned on the mundane faucet to bring in some cold water to temper the heat slightly. The garden behind the guest house was a dark wall of vegetation- bamboo and small trees and bushes, a great number of things that he could not identify in the dark. Yet it gave the impression of an area of privacy.
Wise took off his yukata, hung it from an available hook on the wall, and settled himself into the hot water with a sigh. The hot water tingled along his flesh as he settled in. He could get used to this!
Lycaon
Keeping a non-combatant like Wise the Proxy contained in a guest house was a simple assignment. Lycaon's personal opinion was that it was unnecessary, as he gauged Wise as a honorable man who was not likely to actively seduce anyone. Though, now that he thought about it… many of the women Lycaon knew closely all seemed to foster some sort of… infatuation with the silver-haired human: both Ellen and Corin were ever eager to see Wise, and even Alexandria was a bit more… handsy with the man.
Perhaps Lord Hoshimi was wise to station him in the garden…
Wise had appeared onto the front porch, but then obediently went back inside. Lycaon did not expect any trouble tonight. It would be a relaxing evening of moon gazing, and perhaps he might even doze. Wise was a clumsy computer tech, so there was zero chance he could traverse the dark garden silently- Lycaon was sure he would wake up to stop any subterfuge, but again, he was also sure Wise would never make the attempt in the first place.
Suddenly, his ears rotated to focus on a new sound from inside the main house. Light footsteps were approaching the garden door. A cloud of dread began forming on the horizon of Lycaon's mind. That was not Lord Hoshimi approaching, and the maids had been warned away…
The garden door slid open and Lady Hoshimi stepped out onto the garden porch, her katana in her hand. She had changed clothing and was now wearing a shimmering red yukata which seemed to glow in the soft moonlight. Silk, Lycaon's practiced eye knew the texture immediately. Lady Hoshimi had upgraded her outfit and was now approaching Wise's room.
This, too, was a scenario considered by Lord Hoshimi in his orders to Lycaon: If you see my daughter go to that room, tell her I forbid it. If she continues, do everything possible to stop her and notify me.
Lycaon's ears went back on the top of his head. He was almost double Hoshimi Miyabi's height and breadth, and triple her weight. But while he had never seen the Lady Hoshimi in action, he had no illusions of being a match to the Void Hunter in combat. There was something in the way she moved, in the way she smelled, in the gleam of her eyes- all were silent, deafening roars of personal strength. When she looked at him, Lycaon felt as the mouse before the lion.
If this situation became physical, Lycaon would lose, no question. But, well- he had his duty and his pride.
As Miyabi stepped down on the stone path through the rock gardens, Lycaon stepped out into the light before her.
"Lady Hoshimi, please do return to the house. Your father ordered me to stop you if I should see you approaching the guest house tonight."
The Lady Hoshimi came to an easy stop and didn't seem particularly surprised to encounter him here. In the shadows of the garden, her yukata seemed almost blood red. A golden glow was in the lower half of her eyes, from the light of the little lanterns.
Her ears flicked a few times. Then she untied her yukata and it opened slightly, revealing an under-robe that was cut to the mid thigh, her lithe legs bare in the lantern light.
Lycaon was taken aback- why was she disrobing…?
"Then you will not see me, Lycaon," said Lady Hoshimi, and then- she was just… suddenly not there.
Lycaon's ears tracked soft movement to his right, a feather of a footstep upon the gravel rock garden, a hiss of wind, a rustle of leaves- all in the span of a half second. A whiff of Miyabi's individual scent, along with a very strong, very flowery perfume wafted to his nose before billowing away into the night air. Lycaon blinked and spun in a vain attempt to track the source of these sounds and smells, but he saw only the empty garden.
Ears rotating, eye scanning, nose sniffing- but Lycaon no longer detected any trace of Lady Hoshimi. He realized she had, quite simply, ran past him at great speed. She had untied her yukata to grant her legs freedom of movement, was what.
Lycaon crossed his arms over his own chest in resigned contemplation: he had failed. What was he to do now?
If you see my daughter go to that room…
Lycaon's tail swayed subconsciously. Well, according to the letter of his employer's order… he had not, precisely, seen Lady Hoshimi go to Wise's room. So… technically, the rest of the directive did not apply…
He sighed again. It was semantics, but it would have to do.
So sorry, Lord Hoshimi; but it would have to be the letter of the directive, and not the spirit, tonight.
Wise
Up to his chin in hot water, Wise tried to relax and not think about Miyabi. If anything, the effort seemed to cause the failure. He couldn't stop thinking about Miyabi; her serene beauty as she stared at him; the movement of her ears (which he was sure was the body language which advertised her emotions); and just, well, the way her body moved. Those flashes of belly and hip! That sweater.
Wise's brow furrowed and he again attempted to wipe his mind clean before his own body responded with tangible excitement. He and Miyabi were just now dating. It was their second date. Nothing was happening tonight because Miyabi was in conflict with her family. Maybe on another date something would happen between them, but not tonight. She would perhaps call or text him and wish him goodnight, but with Lycaon in garden, Wise was probably not going to see Miyabi again till morning.
She certainly wasn't going to arrive, and… perhaps stand over him as he lay naked in the tub… and gaze into his eyes as she untied her yukata… and the soft fabric of the robe would slowly slide down both of her perfect shoulders, slowly revealing more and more of her soft, bare skin... and then-
"May I join you, Wise?" said Miyabi's real voice.
Wise's eyes shot open and his entire body twitched in shock. Water splashed all over the deck due to his sudden thrashing. He sat up, and below the porch in the garden, stood Miyabi.
She was wearing a glossy-seeming red yukata now, and it was open. But her underrobe was tight on her body at least until her thighs- her legs were bare down to some woven straw house sandals. She was carrying her sword in her left hand, which was so purely Miyabi that Wise didn't even mark that as unusual.
Her standing about ten feet away while he was totally naked was the very unusual part of this situation!
"Miyabi!" gasped Wise. "I didn't think I would see you tonight."
Was.. was his fantasy literally about to happen? She stared at him without responding. Wise felt impelled by the silence to say something more.
"You look, uh, really great in red," said Wise, and she did. "It really works with your hair."
Miyabi quite plainly blushed and her left ear twitched. She looked down at herself in a way that Wise could only guess was self-conscious. Then her sword was suddenly clasped in her armpit as her two hands quickly pulled the red robe closed and re-tied the sash, hiding away her legs.
Oh. That was a rather clear signal to Wise's perception, but it did contrast to her sudden appearance in what effectively was his bathroom. Mixed signals or no- this moment was obviously not the steamy encounter he'd just been entertaining in his fantasies. Plus, Lycaon would have to know Miyabi was here, right? Then why didn't she just go to the front door? Why sneak around back?
"What's going on, Miyabi?" said Wise. "Can I help?"
"Yes," said Miyabi, her blush fading. She was avoiding eye contact with him- probably because he was naked. "I need you to take a test."
"...A test? You're going to test me at what?"
Miyabi's eyes locked with his. Her gaze seemed serious and heavy. "Not me, Wise."
She held up her katana towards him. "Tailess."
The water in the tub suddenly didn't feel very warm at all. Her sword? The sword was going to test him? Wise began to feel nervous. In any campy sword-saint movie, there were scenes like this, where characters treated their weapons almost like sentient entities- but it was all just pseudo-religious fluff. In the end, it was just a hunk of metal.
But Miyabi's sword really was more than a sword. He'd seen it rebel against her in a blaze of foxfire. He'd felt the thrumming menace of… whatever was in it. Felt it vibrate his heart like the booming bass of a dance club.
Supposedly, anyone not of the Hoshimi Clan that touched the sword, would die. And Miyabi intended to use it to test him? What- what did she have in mind?
And if he passed… what then?
"All right," said Wise, trying to keep his voice calm. "I'll get out and get dressed."
Miyabi continued to stare at him.
"...Miyabi? Uh… I need to stand up and I'm totally naked."
Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Yes! Of course."
Miyabi turned her back to him. Wise quickly rose up and stepped out of the onsen tub, reaching for his robe. Behind him, Miyabi surreptitiously looked over her shoulder at his nakedness, the tapetum of her eyes gleaming in the darkness.