At Sakuya's first frustration of the meal with the lazy maid's rude eating habits, Kaede simple sipped her soup quietly next to him, eyes closed as if not aware of her surroundings. Ryuu next to her had grinned as he spooned at his own as he propped against a fist while watching the beginnings of a show. Kaori sighed as she finally lifted her head to rest her chin on her folded arms, looking at the food that either Kira or Haruo placed before her uselessly as the chef and kitchen maid mused about the kitsune's arrival. Haruki glanced over at the little spirit's solemn face as he sat down his bowl of soup, "I can describe the way it tastes for you."
Kaori smiled up at him sadly and shook her head just as Ryuu rolled his eyes at Nanasuke's conjecture. "If there were a clan then I would've smelled them - he is obviously separated from them. We're a pretty random collection of youkai, if you look at us, anyway. A new one to the mix would certainly be interesting."
Kaede smacked Ryuu on the back of the head, knocking his lazily balance off so that he had to catch himself from falling into Kaori. Haruki shook his head with a smile as he turned another page of his magazine that was now resting on the table next to his meal. He took a bite from a sidedish and added without looking at no one in particular, "You only want someone new to play with."
Ryuu smiled devilishly as he returned to his fist and took another bite from his meal, about to respond before Momoko threw in her expected input on the kitsune topic. The series of events which followed were too entertaining to miss. As the kitchen duo teamed up on the kurakasa, Kaori faded away once more - deciding to leave before this got messy. Kaede took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and munched thoughtfully on some rice. Haruki closed his magazine and slid it out of harm's way to his lap just as Sakuya shot up to stop the quickly escalating battle.
Haruki sighed as he moved to stand, dinner never lasted long enough for him to rest. Kaede stood simultaneously with him and followed him towards the rear exit towards the garden sheds. "Haruki, a word as we walk." He paused to wait on her as she briskly maneuvered around the mess the silly trio now was cleaning, both noticing Nanasuke going to help but not saying a word. They instead departed speaking of business and security the entire way across the grounds.
Ryuu, on the other hand, looked quickly down at the mess and the retreating Sakuya and knew which way to go - he'd already done enough cleaning for the night and now wanted to have a little fun. Quickly catching up to the nekomata he pursued, he lingered just behind a smile was laced in his words, "Sensei, did the do-gooder Shinryū gardener's words make you jealous? Or were you feeling especially testy tonight after all the tiring events with the kitsune?"
Meanwhile - the moment Kaori disappeared
Elsewhere, the kitsune stirred from the bedding, the medicines applied to the bandages only leaving a small, dull ache when he moved. He wanted to stretch, but that did not seem wise. Tiny little paws reached the cool hardwood as he shuffled out of the futon and its linens. Looking up out the window to see a bright, not quite full moon outside caused a little pain where the wounds stretched. "You should be resting," a soft, childlike female voice came from behind, causing him to freeze and then react a split second later - he bounced quickly, the adrenaline making him not feel the searing pain at his legs for such a quick act.
He found himself facing the cold one, a maid. Kaori tilted her head before going on her knees to look at him closely. He backed away, feeling scared. "Don't worry - I won't hurt you. And you know you can't hurt me, so don't even try." The last bit she added as she reached out to touch his head lightly. He growled under her touch for a few seconds, but didn't move. She smiled sadly. "I can't even feel how soft you are."
The little fox studied her, and decided to sit. He blinked up at her, seeing her sadness as she sat back on her heels to study him as well. Instantly making the decision, mostly from curiosity once the hostility was gone, he tapped into a reserve of magic that allowed him to change his appearance. It was only an illusion at this moment, because he was so weak, but he managed. Kaori's eyes widened as the little fox transformed into a messily red-headed young boy, arms wrapped around his legs as he rested his chin on his knees. When he eyes opened, they were just as red as his hair, with an orange burst forming around the pupil. He looked at her questioningly and then smiled. She blushed and fell onto her rear, "S-stay there, I'm going to get you s-some clothes."
"Clothes?" He asked and noticed that his form was bare. "Oh, no - it's okay."
"You need them," She insisted, covering her eyes bashfully. He reached for her hands and pulled them away from her eyes, and she saw he was now wearing a white outfit. "Oh."
"Where can I find the human who saved me?" He asked as their hands fell together to the ground in Kaori's still stunned expression.
"Master Davis," She blushed again. "He's sleeping in his room - it's not far from here. The others would be mad if I showed you though. You might hurt him."
"I would never hurt someone who saved my life," He said defensively, Kaori recoiling slightly with still wide-eyes. "I'm sorry - I can find him on my own so you don't get into trouble."
Kaori nodded, and then hesitated before saying, "You know, I don't think I would mind if you did ... hurt him, I mean. Not that I want him to get hurt ... but ... Then I wouldn't have to be alone."
Hiroshi tilted his head, "But you're not alone. You have lots of others here with you - a dog, a cat, a spider, and now I smell a dragon in your hair and others ... I'm not sure what they are though. But, that's a lot more than I have."
Kaori thought about this for a moment, and then smiled a little. When she looked up to where the boy had been sitting, he was gone.