Tea Ceremony, The Royals Entertain

[Demetri Brycen]

People were busy, oh so busy on a day like this. Servants going crazy as they ran around trying to do the bidding of their King and Queen who wanted everything perfect for their guests. Soon there would be the head officals of Crystal Tokyo walking through the halls of the Crystal Palace to report to the King and Queen and everything had to be perfect, there could be no thoughts that the royal family was anything less then perfect.

Demetri rolled his eyes, leaning against a pillar he turned his eyes towards the court yard that was placed in the dead center of the palace, there were no walls seperating it from the hall he stood in and so he could feel the soft breeze that was daring to make it's way through the royal sanctuary that his great grandmother had strived so hard to make so beautiful.

Dressed in the royal garb he was required to wear within the walls of his home, Demetri once more looked like the rebel prince he felt more like day after day. His actions of living the palace to visit Crystal Tokyo had given him the repuation as a rebel with the guards and servants, but he was tired of his family always hiding within the palace's walls.

Something strange caught his attention, lifting a eyebrow in question he couldn't help but wonder why the servants seemed to be making preparations for an old style tea ceremony. Now that was new and it would be interesting to watch, no doubt his parents were trying to impress the officials for some reason or another.

[Mizuki Oshiro]

This was her first time in the Crystal Palace. She knew not many regular-every-day-people (if she could call herself a regular-every-day-person) entered the Palace's gates. However, tonight something special was going on, and she had been the one chosen to perform a tea ceremony insied the Palace walls.

Obviously it must have been a formal occasion - everything was formal inside the palace, or so she assumed. Mizuki was getting rather tired of bowing by now, because every step she took, there would be another person entering or exiting one of the many hallways, or making their way through the same hallway in the opposite direction. She was dressed in her best dark blue kimono, with white chrysanthimum's along the bottom of it that slowly faded into the dark blueness of her silk kimono. Her obi was a deep purple that could almost pass as a mix between blue or black.

One of the servants led her out to the court yard, where in a large pavillion, the tea ceremony was being set up for her so she didn't have to do it herself. Mizuki preferred setting it up herself, but the servants already took it upon themselves to set up the preperations. They also provided her with the right tools for the tea ceremony she was to be performing, but Mizuki had brought her own. She carried a wooden box, containing all the neceassry tools, wrapped neatly in a lavender silk. Mizuki crossed the court yard, to the pavillion, as fast as her zori could take her - which was pretty fast since she's accustomed to wearing them.

Once inside the pavillion, Mizuki bowed goodbye to the servant as she was left in there alone, taking up the atmosphere of the place she was to perform in.

[Demetri Brycen]

From his position against the pillar, Demetri could see the servants leading in a woman he wasn't familar with seeing. Her old style of japanese kimono wasn't something he was used to see around the palace so he knew that she was a outsider, she must have been one of the best if his parents had brought her into the palace instead of using one of their own people to perform the ceremony. The King and Queen hated bringing in outsiders, because of the families past they were so distrusting.

Silently he watched as she moved around led by the servants into the large pavillon where all of the preparations had been made. Smirking he watched as she just seemed to take everything in around her without even noticing that she was being watched by him. He couldn't help it, as though his body moved on his own, he walked towards where she was standing.

Not saying a word as he moved he simply kept his eyes on her as he headed in her direction, stopping when he was at the entrance of the pavillon the gentle smirk still upon his features. Oh the interesting people he was meeting lately, he wondered if she would be one of them.

"Enjoying the scenery?"

[Mizuki Oshiro]

The atmosphere was right for the tea cermony. There wasn't anything fancy in there, save for the flower arrangements, but everything else was just fine. It gave her a sort of relaxed feeling, almost Zen-like. That feeling quickly diminished when she felt something, almost like an invisible force inside of her stomach trying to pull her back.

Someone was approaching, and Mizuki turned her head over her shoulder to see. Her bangs got in the way for a moment, until she brushed them back to one side. Eyes widened slightly at his appearance. He was very handsome, but she had no idea who he was. Although, something did feel a bit familiar about him. Like she had seen him somewhere before.

"Hai," She said, turning fully around and bowing her head the same way she had bowed to the servants; a little duck of her head, but a little bit more deeper since he was dressed in rich clothing. Obviously he was someone. When her head rose back up, she lifted her chocolate brown eyes to look him over once again, from his feet to his hair, and then quickly averted her gaze to... something behind his a shoulder. Ah, yes, it was a tree. Such a good thing to look at instead of the good looking guy in front of her.

[Demetri Brycen]

He caught her, it was hard not to miss it, she was acting as though she wasn't trying to make it obvious but she had failed. The way that she had looked at him and then quickly put her eyes somewhere else was almost cute, almost as though she was too nervous or too shy to look at him directly, instead she was now looking past him at something that was holding her attention in the garden.

There was also the fact that she didn't seem to have a way with words, so far she had only spoken one word and it wasn't even english. He knew japanese, fluently thanks to his heritage, but he was still more used to speaking in english.

"So tell me, how do tea ceremonies work?"

He had never been to one before and was interested, there was a good chance he wouldn't be at this one either because his parents didn't feel he was ready to sit in on such important conversations, who knew what the rebel prince would say. Just to spite them he should stay around anyway.

Moving from where he was standing he walked around the pavillon and looked over everything that was laid out, there didn't seem to be so much to it and he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about such a simply appearing ceremony.

[Mizuki Oshiro]

As soon as he walked past her, her eyes followed him, body turning around and making her way to the other side of the low table. Her wrapped box was placed neatly, square beside the tea pot, fire starters, and other tools.

She had answered him in Japanese earlier, but he was speaking English. Japanese was just something she was accustomed to speaking when performing ceremonies. Clearing her throat, she answered him back in that quiet voice of hers.

"Well... First I must grind the tea leaves to a very fine powder, letting the water boil to a certain temperature before I can mix the two together - It's a very fine traditional art... It takes a long while, but during the time I am making the tea, there are conversations and food passed out. But when the tea is finished, everything is silent as we breathe in the tea's relaxing arouma, and lightly sip the hot liquid," she cleared her throat again, "It's almost like a zen feeling afterwards. Very theraputic."

[Demetri Brycen]

"Theraptic hmm?"

He had to think that over a bit, he couldn't actually see his father doing anything like this so it must have been her mother's idea. That was definitly that was something more like her style, oh yes, he would definitly have to stick around now just to watch his father the great King of Crystal Tokyo sip on tea and enjoy it's arouma.

"Sounds like you needed alot of training for this"

Stopping where he now stood, the Prince looked over his shoulder at her with a smirk dancing upon his lips as though teasing her gently, but not making fun of her in anyway. That was not his style, he wasn't even close to being as rude as that. He was raised as a well mannered prince after all.

[Mizuki Oshiro]

She nodded three times when he turned around to look at her. She saw that smirk on his lips, and she offered a small, shy smile back. She should start setting up for this thing...

Kneeling slowly onto the cushion, provided for her, feet tucked neatly under her ass as her hands began to untie the stubborn knot that belonged to the blue silk, wrapped around the laquered wooden box. Her fingers struggled to pull the knot apart, but with each pull she made, the knot only seemed to get tighter. This was the trouble with using very fine silk and tying it into a tight knot. Her expression, brows furrowed lightly so that a small crease forme din the midle of her brows, showed her unsuccuessful battle with the stubborn knot. But still, she proceeded.

[Demetri Brycen]

Still so very quiet, as though she didn't have anything to say at all or was perhaps afraid to speak to him. That only made him smirk more as he turned fully to look at her and caught her seeming to have trouble with a knot she was trying to undo. It seemed the more she worked at it the worse it became, a endless cycle if he allowed it to be.

But he didn't. Instead he walked over to where she was sitting and easily began to tug on the knot and with a few simple movements he had it undone for her. No longer would he be able to amuse himself by watching her struggle with it, but at least she wouldn't be getting frustrated at the foolish thing.

"Those get annoying sometimes"

[Mizuki Oshiro]

"Ah, thank you..." She looked up at him, her hand covering the heart crystal, instinctly and out of habit whenever someone came to close. It always made her nervous when someone she knew looked like they were going to intrude on her personal space. Luckily though, he remained on the other side of the table.

Her eyes caught his again, and again she felt a bit of a familiararity with him. But the eye contact didn't last long. She brought her attention to unfolding the silk to uncover the laquer box. Once that was done, she slowly lifted off the cover, placing it gently beside it. She double checked them with her eyes and then lightly brushing over them with the tips of her fingers.

Chakin - check. Hishaku - check. Tea bowls- check. Tea caddy - Check. Check. Check. Check. Then lastly, she placed her hand ove rher heart to make sure the kobukusa was neatly tucked into the breast of her kimono. It was there and hadn't fallen out on her way over. Good.

Once she set up the are around her, she began to boil the water on a portable gas stove. Silence was an akward thing and well... she didn't want to make the zen-feeling room to be made into an akward-feeling room. "So..." she said almost inaudibly. Clearing her throat she tried again, "Were you asked to come too?"

[Demetri Brycen]

Demetri chuckled at her question, no he had not been asked to come here, but any movement in the palace that he was unfamilar which was a cause for his attention and thats what had drawn him here. Rising from where he had leaned down to help her untie the knot, he moved back towards the entrance of the pavillon to see where his parents would soon be entering into the court yard to start the ceremony.

"No, as the rebel prince I might cause a uproar of some sort"

He shook his head, he hated being called the rebel prince, he hadn't given it to himself and even the way he said it with disgust revealed that fact openly. Demetri just craved the freedom that everyone else was allowed, he hated the war that had killed the previous senshi and caused his family to go into hiding.

"But maybe I'll find a way to stick around" Turning his head to look back at her he smirked again as though she was the reason that he would be sticking around.

[Mizuki Oshiro]

The Prince?! The Prince was standing right in front of her, and here she was treating him like one of the many servants she had passed by on her way to the pavillion. But the odd thing was, that he didn't seem to mind. Her mind was in panic mode at first, trying to think of a way to redeem herself for treating him un-prince-like. But he himself had called himself a rebel. So.. Maybe he liked it. But just in case...

Still in her kneeling position, she bowed to him, fingers against the floor as her forehead lightly touched the floor as well. A deep bow, but then she quickly rose. He was the Prince and she didn't even know the Prince of Crystal tokyo's name. "Well, I'm sure it won't be hard. It's only a tea ceremony of course.... I'm Oshiro Mizuki, by the way."

[Demetri Brycen]

Ah her name, it was japanese and so lovely on his ears that he had to smile when he heard it pass her lips. With the way that she was offering it up, it sounded as though she was warming up to him and he was glad, she had seemed to shy and withdrawn only a few short moments ago. Yet the way that she bowed to him meant that she had only figured out that he was the Prince.

"I'm Demetri"

Moving back towards her he reached out for her hand as though to take it in greeting, the playful smile reaching his eyes. Even when he was playing around and joking he was a kind person and always seemed to have such a strange gentle air around him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mizuki"

[Mizuki Oshiro]

She could feel her cheeks burning with the soft pink shade that came with blushing as the Prince extended his hand out to her. Mizuki didn't know what to do, staying still for a moment until she made herself take the Prince's hand.

"Hai..." She said quietly and looking up at him. He seemed so nice and kind. Just like she had pictured any Prince to be. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Demetri." She blinked swallowing hard. Strange how she wasn't that shy around him like she was with Sloan. But maybe it was because he wasn't trying to pick her up right or away or ask her on a date for his services.

[Demetri Brycen]

As soon as he felt her smaller hand within his own, Demetri easily pulled her to her feet so that she was now standing in front of him. The movement caused the Earth pendant around his neck to jingle against it's own chain, sparking in the light of the courtyard. It was the only thing that was ever constant about him, the only item he wore as both Prince Demetri and Escapee Demetri.

"Tradition or not, a beautiful woman should never be on her knees"

Grinning at her, he finally released his hold on her hand, he sapphire of his eyes remaining on her. Almost as though the window to the soul of the a captured bird, they always showed the playful and kind person he was while revealing the caged man inside trying to get free.

"Most likely you have things you need to do an I am only getting in your way so I should be going"