A Most Awkward Meeting [Hyosuke/Hana]

It had been quite some time since the courtiers of his house had insisted on Hyosuke putting himself out there for a potential partner. Indeed it was almost a breathe of fresh air to be going out to do something at their insistence even if he was expected to be acting in his role as head of the Clan and also the part of an attractive suitor. A combination that he did not think would be necessarily difficult, rather he was more concerned about his courtier's ability to find a competent prospect. Not that their abilities were lacking but that his tastes could be considered, politely, as eccentric as they were vague.

In any case he was quite pleased with the outfit they had chosen for him. A black suit inlaid with a fine white inner lining, subtle but effective detailing on the inner lining in deep crimson leading up to two ruby gems gently inlaid to the two lapel flaps that flanked his head on either his just below where his chin stopped. Naturally the ensemble was tighter around the waist than the shoulders, subtly highlighting his toned physique even through the rather reserved attire. While the well-kept pants tightly hugged each leg and his hips, the dark color and close fit of each pant leg making his legs seem longer and his back more sleek as a whole while subtly accentuating his backside.... a detail he was loathe to mention his courtiers actually paying attention to.

Regardless from what he had been told he was to make the acquaintance of a much younger woman from a somewhat smaller noble family. One falling on hard times and who the courtiers believed they could leverage quite a bit of influence over, if not subsume in totality, with a strategic marriage. Hyosuke, with a sigh, accepted that this was likely to always be a consideration when it came to romance in his life. Dictated by station and status more-so than zeal and the passions of the heart. He loathed it, on some level, but like a chess piece upon the board there was only so much he could.

Shaking his head softly, finishing styling his hair before the mirror, Hyosuke frowned as he finished and stood. He did not wield Benicho Kogo tonight, seeing as she was invited to his home, and could not help but think that his courtiers could have at least told him her name before he waved them away, rather insistently, and demanded to at least greet her himself when he heard her arrive. Gently opening the door, bowing, and not quite seeing his partner for the evening Hyosuke simply greeted her politely.

"Hello Miss, welcome, I am sure..."

It was at this time Hyosuke's single eye rose, saw who was at his door, as his words fell to a somewhat stunned, somewhat murderously angry at his courtiers, mumble that died off.

"....we will... have a.... wonderful.... night.............."

A couple days ago...

"You have got to be kidding me," Hana said angrily, glaring at both of her parents as she contemplated running the hell away from here. "You set this up behind my back and expect me to just follow through like some puppet?"

"Now, Hana, it's just a single suitor. It's not like we lined up ten," her mother said. "And it's only for one night. You can handle talking to a man for one night."

"Besides, if you do not go present yourself and represent this family," her father said and stepped up to her, as if trying to intimidate her. "You can consider yourself disowned. We may have tolerated your blatant disobedience by joining the Gotei, because it was us to gave you the choice, but I will not continue to tolerate anymore of your childish rebellion. Now, prepare yourself, Hana. You're going."

And now...

One of Hana's mother's servants helped her dress in a new kimono. Normally, her own servant would have done this, but her father fired the poor women to save some money. In her father's mind, it was his way of getting back at Hana by removing someone she cared about from a job. What a fool. Little did her father know, Hana was able to land the woman he fired a job at one of the Saionji hot springs. While her mother's servant helped dress her, that was all she could think about, along with revenge for this insidious arrangement.

When she was finished dressing, one of her father's hired guards escorted her to the dwelling in question. However, Hana absolutely refused to let him approach the door with her. She walked up herself, her hair pulled back in her normal ponytail, a new dark blue ribbon to compliment the light blue kimono, being the only difference from her normal appearance. She held onto a small elegant handbag that held a mirror, some pepper spray, and her soul phone. There was a part of her that was truly praying to get a call from her Division. They could get her out of this.

Hana waited quietly for someone to answer the door after she knocked. She was so nervous she felt her heart pounding in her chest. She felt guilty. She was wasting this person's time. As the door opened, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She was staring straight at the face of her new teacher! He looked up and seemed as shocked as she was. "H-Hyosuke-sama?" Hana blinked, dropping her handbag as her arms fell to her sides. "P-Please... tell me... you have son?"

As Hyosuke's eye met that of his first student since returning to active teaching he drew in a sharp inhale through his nose, steadying his shock and emotions in that one motion, only to straighten up and watching Hana react much more poorly than himself. The poor girl seemed mortified. Honestly? He could not blame her and it was certainly a fresh kind of reaction for him to experience on a date. Clearing his throat promptly Hyosuke would offer her a hand and promptly assume something resembling a more proper countenance.

"I cannot say I do Hana-chan, no."

His single eye fliting off to the side his thoughts said something else altogether.

'Actually several most likely but.... details....'

Shaking his head Hyosuke would raise a hand to smooth back his hair, bend down, and pick up Hana's bag and hold it for her. A gentle smile on his face as he took her hand.

"Well, while certainly an unexpected surprise at the very least I know I will have good company tonight."

Hyosuke then gently tugged on Hana's hand.

"Come along Lady Aoyama, there is still propriety to follow after all and your are my guest of honor. You look lovely, I'm sure the young men at the academy are quite too shy to speak to you."

Hyosuke would remark casually, slowly leading Hana through the halls of the estate, his heart most certainly not in the compliment but done out of habit to make his guest feel at ease.

Hana's eyes widened in panic when he answered her. There was no way her parents did this. Was this a coincidence? Was it on purpose? Had Hyosuke-sama some how inform them that she was training under him? They could have been talking in passing, right? Hana tensed as he grabbed her hand. She picked up her bag and allowed herself to be led through his estate, unsure of what to say or how to really react here. His half-assed compliment was clearly noted too! Hana stopped walking and pulled away her hand. For a moment, she was silent, deep in thought while standing there in some random hallway she stopped them in. Then she glared.

"I can't believe this..." Hana brought her hands to her face, completely embarrassed. She shook her head, keeping her face hidden, and then sighed a she looked up at Hyosuke and puffed out her red cheeks. "Is this some sort of joke?" Hana asked, clearly angry. "You know my family, so is this a trap? They threatened to disown me unless I came here. Did you know? You're in lead with them, aren't you! Traitor!"

Hyosuke knew from the moment it was Hana he had greeted that she was not going to be particularly happy about the circumstances and, frankly, Hyosuke was still rather livid about the situation as well. Thankfully as the two left the main foyer and entered the hallway to the dining area they had gained some small measure of privacy. It was then that Hana decided to make her displeasure known and Hyosuke allowed her, being more than a little tempted to do so himself, his arms crossed and eye watching her sternly as she pouted and vented at him. Hyosuke waited until she was entirely quiet and, just as he had done in the dojo before, he let the silence speak for him first in showing how Hana was acting by comparison.

Granted, he understood her reaction, and did not stay quiet as long as he had to impress her immaturity on her at the dojo and when she was done he raised a hand gently, palm facing her, before stroking his chin in exasperation and sighing.

"Hana-san, please, control yourself at least a little. I was as unaware of my intended guest tonight as you, evidently, were. My courtiers arranged this as it so happens your family is in dire straits and, frankly, I have been seeking to somewhat distance myself from politics as much as possible lately. I hardly even saw the letter change hands, let alone read it myself, and..... well.... truthfully when it comes to these sorts of things I am as much a piece upon the board as I am the one playing the game."

Uncrossing his arms and closing his eye Hyosuke would draw in a frustrated breathe and exhale slowly, tension melting from his shoulders and posture as he slowly opened his eye and his voice lowered conspiratorially to her.

"Listen to me. We will make dinner short, eat only what you wish, and at the first opportunity we will leave. Once outside the eyes of my courtiers I am as eager as you to cast off the roles placed on us right now. But we DO have a part we must play, if only for a while, much as we may detest it."

There was a sort of low, simmering, honest anger to Hyosuke's words. An anger only restrained by immense self control and the weight of expectation before, slowly, Hyosuke's features softened and just a tiny bit of his more jovial nature shone through as he murmured.

"Besides, during your next training session this Friday you will have plenty of opportunity to vent your anger all you want."

Not wanting to take Hana's hand again Hyosuke instead stepped beside her, looking down at her to his side, and offered an elbow. A soft, subtle nod hinting for her to take it as he cleared his throat.

"They will begin to get suspicious if we take too long..... and I don't think your family can handle the scandal that would result from something like that."

After getting all of that out, Hana did go silent. She stared at the floor, anger welling in her gut, but she forced it down and calmed herself with a couple of deep breaths. She didn't look up to him as he talked. She just kept silent, like her parents wanted her to do from the beginning. She may have known him well, but she knew him well enough to understand his tone. He was angry. This whole thing was inappropriate.

Hana had a hard time coming out of that frustration and anger. Even when Hyosuke became more jovial, Hana could only sigh, but her demeanor did calm and the tension in her shoulders lessened. She looked up, finally, and nodded in agreement. He stepped to her side and held out his elbow. She was about to take it, but hesitated because of his final comment. She stared up at him, blinking once...

"Do not make me completely embarrass you in front of your people," Hana said. She was completely serious, and what she'd do to embarrass him in front of those living or working here... who knew? But her eyes said, "Test me." Hana straightened up her posture and took the demeanor of a noble young woman once more, taking his elbow and then following him along to wherever he was leading.

As Hana took his elbow Hyosuke had time to arch an eyebrow as he noted Hana's singular blink and her desire to speak. Her words, however, were honestly close to encouraging in an odd way. It made him smile a genuine smile and, tightening his elbow around her dainty hand, he would chuckle as he shook his head. Not laughing at her, nor disregarding her threat, as he simply murmured.

"I would not dream of it Turtle-chan.~"

As the two walked down the hallway Hyosuke's expression would sober up, his eye kept focused straight ahead, and he would inhale before stating in a tone far more formal.

"We are to dine together, for a time, and you will espouse your virtues as a prospective bride."

Despite his more formal tone Hyosuke sounded un unusual amount of stressed as he suddenly paused, glanced at a door on his side of the hallway and grimaced. He would glance to Hana, his expression serious and somewhat... fearful? Just a tinge of emotion she had never seen touching her teacher's eyes, and in his own home no less, before he would slowly guide her to the far side of the hallway, all but shielding her with his body, as they walked by that singular, unassuming door in tense silence.

Only once the two were well away from the door did Hyosuke relax and sigh softly in relief, his posture relaxing back to something formal instead of worried, and he would swallow gently to overcome the fear fully.

"As.... for beyond that, you are to give an honest interpretation of yourself in totality, or in more.... pedestrian terms... make small talk."

Switching from fear to distate rather quickly Hyosuke would make it obvious for a brief moment he was as unhappy as Hana in this role as she was and he would look down at her meaningfully as they paused before a set of elegant double-doors at the end of the hallway and asked pointedly.

"Any questions?"

Hana's eyes darted around everywhere as they walked down the hall. Nothing, not even the door Hyosuke avoided, caught her attention. Since she had no clue what was behind any of this, there was no reason to be suspicious. She had some curiosity, like which was the kitchen or bathroom, whether anyone else lived here, etc., but nothing too important. What grabbed her attention was her duties.

"Virtues as a bride, hm?" Hana scoffed at the thought. "I have no interest in such things. How am I to discuss something that never enters my mind? Or that I have never witnessed. I guess I'll figure something out, or make it up."

"Small talk?" Hana giggled as her mind wandered to Cala and Hiroe. Small talk was how she could get to know them. That could be fun. "I've learned some of that."

They stopped before a pair of double doors and Hana looked up to him. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't even going to play this right. She'd be polite and all of that expected stuff, but this was a time tog et to know her teacher. That's it.

"A few, but not about anything you brought up." she said.

Hyosuke heaved a sigh as Hana continued to even try to play the part she was presented with, the hand not currently crooking her in it's attached elbow coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He did not move that hand until Hana finished speaking and once she did it changed it's posture and position to simply rub down his face in exasperation. His eye blinking rapidly in thought as he was beginning to feel far too much like a prisoner inside his own home. So it was with a heavy, almost defeated sigh that Hyosuke glanced at her and grimaced a bit.

"Hana-san, I'm more than aware you do not wish to be here. Truly, I do. I want this to be over as quickly as possible as there are more than a few courtiers I will be letting go for this embarrassment. But, for now, all I ask is that you trust me enough to play along as best you can. I'll do what I can to see us leave here as quickly as possible."

Straightening his posture once again Hyosuke would open the door to a very lavish dining room, though one that was obviously renovated to make it more intimate. The usual ensemble of tables had been cleared out, save for one that was a bit larger than the others, that sat in the center of the room with a veritable feast of fine food upon it's surface. Two chairs sat, close enough to be private, but not so close as to be inappropriate, and Hyosuke lead Hana to one of the chairs and gave her a very pointed look as he pulled it out for her.

"For you, Aoyama-san. The staff will be flitting in and out to attend to our needs, pay they themselves no mind, only their ears."

With that Hyosuke would take his own seat across from her, taking a moment to seemingly prepare himself for the tedium of small talk while also formulating an excuse for them to vacate the premises as quickly as possible AND... admittedly... guide Hana into comfortable conversation so the young woman didn't start kicking and screaming in her seat. The best option, he decided, would be with genuine curiosity and honesty.

"So, Aoyama-san, from what I understand of your training to be a Shinigami, you have a friend named Hiroe, yes? Could you tell me about her? Is she someone with prestige, connections of her own?"

Hyosuke smiled softly, politely, his eye not leaving Hana as he gently gathered some food to his plate.

Hana was almost disappointed in Hyosuke with the assumptions she got from his words and tone. Did he have no faith in her at all? Just because they met on a day where he was pushing her to the ground, bapping her with a broom, and actually getting her to enjoy the tedium of training, did not mean that she had forgotten where she came from. Hana knew exactly how to behave in a situation like this. She was only letting him know her plan. It was quite literally a warning to trust little that came out of her mouth. She had no interest in speaking truthfully about herself in a situation where all eyes and ears were on her, like she was auditioning to be worthy of being in the same room as another man. Though, if he took her warning as some childish attempt to mess with today, that was on him.

As if a new woman was standing in front of him, Hana's demeanor shifted to that of a noble swan, a trained woman of grace and elegance. Her posture was perfect, and the life that once brightened her eyes dulled to that expected of a noble suitor. She sat down at his request. And when she spoke, even her words carried a strange weight to them. "Thank you, Lord Niyagata." Hana said with a Mona Lisa smile.

His first question was about Hiroe? Firstly, how did he even find out about her? Secondly, wasn't that question weird to ask if he hadn't known she was coming today? That would give off some sort of hint to the people around them, right? Hana assumed, like any other suitor's meeting she was warned about, his staff was standing on the other sides of each walls, pressing their nosy ears against the paper that separated them. Hana let her smile grow, her hands laying in her lap.

"I don't understand why Hiroe is of any interest to you, Lord Niyagata," Hana said, a venom dripping from the edge of each word. However, that tone quickly faded, her voice softened and she truly sounded saddened. "If those I am acquainted with are what you're interested in learning of, then maybe it is not I that should be sitting here. Are you... not interested in my prospects as a wife? I sincerely apologize if my appearance has already disqualified me for the role. I have done my best in keeping my beauty and health to noble standards, but it seems I have disappointed you."