Hide had kept her promise to Eriko about getting a nice hotel room. And honestly, she wanted a nice place to put together a little party for their allies. So a nice large hotel room made for the perfect place. She had even picked out a few bottles of nice sake.

So she waited for her guests. She did put on her date night shirt once again, so she would at least look nice for her guests. And wife. Especially wife. Also it hit the bandages on her shoulder well enough.

For her part Reki arrived in a very fancy evening gown. She smiled wearily. "Sorry...had a dinner date...then the whole cyber attack thing before I could change. I believe I am a little over dressed."

Despite that she gave the occupants an appropriate bow and moved out of the way of the doorway.

Yūrei by contrast us under-dressed and exhausted, but she starts to perk up some at the company.

"Lion-samma, thank you for the invitation. You all look wonderful tonight."
Rubbing the back of her head.
"I had work in the morning so I'm afraid I'm a bit more 'ronin who hasn't sleep in two weeks'."

Reki frowned at the ronin, not an angry frown...an 'oops' I forgot something frown.

"We...need to see you compensated for your actions." She dipped her head in a socially appropriate bow.

"Oh! Yes that reminds me." The Lioness reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of robotic cat ears. "I find these increase the level of fun at any event."

When Koyuki arrives she simply tries to just sneak in, without too much fanfare or attention. Offering quick greetings to those who notice her entry, and hefting a heavy brown bag onto the table where drinks seemed to be gathering. Wearing something a little fancier tonight, she wasn't going to be able to party too hard but she wanted to at least show up. Inside the bag is a heavy bottle of a Kuni made sake, which meant it was absolutely vile to most tastes but got you drunk real good.

Reki, now in cat ears, bows to the arriving Crab.

"Kuni-san." She taps her side, "You do good work...or else are simply much loved by the...water kami? If my memory serves." Her little mechanical ears whir and flick in a most pleased manner. The ability to read the Akodo's emotions has risen exponentially.

Akodo Reki wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 12:11 am

Snip

"Oh that's quite alright cat-sa, Akodo-sama. Some things are just worth doing regardless of pay."
Pause
"But uhh, if you do have some koku lying around?"

Forcing up a half-smile on painted lips she awkwardly doesn't make eye-contact, "Ah- just determination and will, Akodo-sama. My cause to save life was just and so the kami came to my aid," she said, and it was almost definitely her bullshit 'I don't know how else to answer this' line.

"I am glad I was where I needed to be. When I needed to be there."

This time.

"Well I am glad you were." Reki returned the smile, "I...had rather thought it was my end there."

She looks back to the ronin, "Well...I don't have any on me...but things can be arranged with the embassy." Which was code for: we have a slush fund of deniable koku.

Akodo Reki wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 12:33 am

"Well I am glad you were." Reki returned the smile, "I...had rather thought it was my end there."

She looks back to the ronin, "Well...I don't have any on me...but things can be arranged with the embassy." Which was code for: we have a slush fund of deniable koku.

"Ah, yes. As is tradition."
She bows
"I am very thankful, and if it can be arranged before the end of the day, even more so."

Rei showed up wearing a mixed modern and traditional outfit. It was somewhat similar to what Koyuki wore. He gave her a look with raised eyebrows. Yurei also got a look with raised eyebrows. Reki got a look with a smile, and then a double-take when he spotted the cat ears.

"Hey, everyone." Rei waved, smiling just a little. "Is this where the party's at?"

Reki nodded in understanding to the ronin.

Her cat ears perked up at the sight of Rei, making the sly smile under them look considerably more excited then it was meant to be. "Good evening Re....Usagi-san." She bowed as appropriate, the ears going back to their lazy whirring and flicks.

Eriko was also here! It was a bit hard to gauge what to wear for the occasion, especially when Hide decided to pull all this koku from nowhere to splurge on a gathering. However, she also knew that they were a bit of a motley crew from various walks of samurai life, so it would be silly to expect there was a firm standard of what they were going to wear tonight. Eriko herself would be wearing one of her many city casual suits, a yellow one for tonight.

She would walk out of the bathroom after some of them arrived already, giving the group a quick bow before giving them an easy welcome. "Heeey, everyone! Sorry, was touching up my face paint in there. Akodo-sama! I love those cat ears! Yurei-san! Koyuki-san! Usagi-san! Great to see everyone again! Kind of hard to believe that some of us came from a wild ride just yesterday!"

Rei couldn't help but grin at the display from the cat ears. Nor could he resist going over to talk to her again, both the dress and the cat ears encouraging him forward.

"Akodo-sama. You look lovely tonight." He said bowing respectfully. Smiling, Rei met her gaze, then deliberately looked at the cat ears, eyebrows going up. "I feel as though I should have taken a closer look at the dress code." He teased, grinning.

He turned to give Eriko a quick wave as she came in. "Ayyy, Matsu-san!" He greeted her as well.

Hide looked to the hungry ronin and quickly grabbed a bowl of what looked to be some baked shrimp chips. “Yurei-san, want some snacks?”

Of course, Hide got a bit distracted by Eriko as she entered the room.

Matsu Hide wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 2:24 am

Hide looked to the hungry ronin and quickly grabbed a bowl of what looked to be some baked shrimp chips. “Yurei-san, want some snacks?”

Of course, Hide got a bit distracted by Eriko as she entered the room.

Yūrei's gaze snaps around and she nods hungrily. As Eriko enters the room the ronin deftly plucks the bowl from Hide's hand and totally accidentally nudges her towards her wife.

"Thank you so much Matsu-sama!"
The consumption of chips and alcohol begins....

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 1:09 am

Rei couldn't help but grin at the display from the cat ears. Nor could he resist going over to talk to her again, both the dress and the cat ears encouraging him forward.

"Akodo-sama. You look lovely tonight." He said bowing respectfully. Smiling, Rei met her gaze, then deliberately looked at the cat ears, eyebrows going up. "I feel as though I should have taken a closer look at the dress code." He teased, grinning.

He turned to give Eriko a quick wave as she came in. "Ayyy, Matsu-san!" He greeted her as well.

"Thank you...Usagi-san," Reki smiled back, her tone was cordial. Her ears were perked up and wiggling happily. "Ah...I had a prior arrangement and then...work happened." Her smile turned bland and the ears flicked apart in a gesture or irritation. No amount of watching a trained Lion assault squad blow open an apartment door and snatch some poor kid's l33t rig was going to make her feel better.

They had given it back of course...in a state tangentially related to the one it had been in originally. Always keep your computer security up-to-date.

Her eyes widen a bit and the ears perk back up. "Oh you mean these. They are funny. I think they are funny. Wearing them adds to the fun." She smirks and the ears slide apart again, giving her an amazingly coy look. "Don't you think so?"

In the parting remark, Koyuki offered Reki a little dip of her head. She was glad that she was still here, after all. When attention thankfully drifts away from her, only to shoulder one more greeting from Eriko with some very perfunctory acknowledgement, Koyuki sneaks out of the main view to her rather particular task. Taking stock of what alcohol was present, juices that might be there, and whatever else she can pull together Koyuki begins herself a little project. Mixing them up a few fancy drinks out of whatever that she might manage to put together.

Akodo Reki wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 2:53 am

"Thank you...Usagi-san," Reki smiled back, her tone was cordial. Her ears were perked up and wiggling happily. "Ah...I had a prior arrangement and then...work happened." Her smile turned bland and the ears flicked apart in a gesture or irritation. No amount of watching a trained Lion assault squad blow open an apartment door and snatch some poor kid's l33t rig was going to make her feel better.

They had given it back of course...in a state tangentially related to the one it had been in originally. Always keep your computer security up-to-date.

Her eyes widen a bit and the ears perk back up. "Oh you mean these. They are funny. I think they are funny. Wearing them adds to the fun." She smirks and the ears slide apart again, giving her an amazingly coy look. "Don't you think so?"

The ears provided such interesting cues as to what was going on in the mind of the otherwise composed Akodo. Normally Rei thought of her as attractive rather than cute, but... "Mmm." He murmured sympathetically. "Yes. Work. I had to deal with that, too. I hope yours went alright?"

Rei took a deep breath, tilting his head to regard Reki with a smirk of his own. "I very much do think they're fun... Akodo-sama." He said, looking at her. "But I'll admit it feels a little unfair. I get a clue as to what you're thinking... but can you tell what I'm thinking?" His eyebrows went up, just a little.