>>ON A Dance With The Stars (cont)
Camellia wondered where Sayuri placed her uniform, since she asked where her clothes were. "Weren't you handed one when Misato detailed this plan out?"
"Eh?" Sayuri pondered for a moment, adjusting her glasses. She had neatly forgotten to switch before delivering the message to Ember, and hadn't gotten changed at her return. "This... is embarrassing. I left it behind earlier and well..."
Camellia sighed and rubbed her nose bridge. "Sayuri..." She said while placing a hand on the neko's shoulder, "you also did a rather poor job delivering that voucher."
Clearly ashamed at her sudden ineptitude, Sayuri's cheeks turned a slightly redder shade of her usual rose pink. "I was transferred into the Yuurei under the pretense I would be in a scientific position." She answered defensively, moving her hand to brush Camellia off. "I'm a sensors specialist, not an actress!"
"Well,anyway." Camellia said as she turned around and adopted her closed eye and smiley face as she looked over at Sayuri. "Try and look like you're
blending in then, we need to go get some stock."
Misato and Creighton started cooking and preparing what could be made ahead for the dinner service. Misato seemed fairly good in the kitchen, she found it to be a relaxing experience.
"Very well, I'll catch up in a minute." Sayuri answered, her features forming into a slightly perplexed frown as she observed what she thought to be nonchalance in the Geshrin's expression. After finally changing into the restaurant uniform, she hurried to catch up with the other SAINT. She arrived, no later than she had promised earlier, and glancing up at Camellia, decided to ask about...what they were going to pull out. "Based on the menu, what do you think would be the best wine for the occasion?"
"Hmm..." Camellia mused as she tapped her chin, "Probably white, there's a lot of foul and fish in the menu." She said with a raised finger, though her expression stayed the same, same smile and same closed eyes. "Though there is some red meat so some red wine will also be needed." She mused. "... Maybe three to one, for white and red."
"That would probably be good." Sayuri replied, again adjusting her glasses and pondering for a moment. "And fine brandy after or with dessert? Etto... maybe not. We wouldn't want to give them something too strong and make things turn out unfortunately."
"Well, that depends on their prefrence." Camellia said with a raised finger as the two started on their grand journey to get booze. "I'd assume Mr Davis would probably do for something with bite, so maybe Brandy, or Rum." She mused while walking, "Ember's a Yamataian so she'd probably prefer a more national drink, like Sake or beer."
"I'm sure we'd be able to accommodate them both. I was simply thinking that we shouldn't get them too drunk." Sayuri answered, giving one of her long bangs a graceful brushing back with her right hand.
"Moderation will be their digression." Camellia said with a frown, while she kept her look up. "Regardless, wine is the primary reason forthis trip." She said, waging her index finger slightly as she grinned at Sayuri.
"Naturally…" Sayuri said calmly, her expression surprisingly blank, but tinged with a faint trace of amusement. "For vintages, what do you recommend? I was thinking something younger than YE 24, but older than YE 29."
"I keep hearing that YE 26 was a good year for ice wine." Camellia said with a furrowed brow. "Then again, I also hear that YE 25 was a good year for the red wine." She shrugged, "Any year would probably work, we just need to pick one in the middle, that way there'd be no debate about it."
"I liked YE 27's white wine, so we can take two of those and a YE 25 red to balance things out." Sayuri offered, thinking that they should probably avoid wasting too much time on the wines. "Is that fine by you? We should just get them the after-dinner drinks on demand. I'm sure they'll have their own tastes on the matter."
"Sounds okay to me." Camellia said with a smile, "I'm not really partial to wine anyway." She said with a slight smirk. "Thanks to my parents, I'm more or less a beer girl from now till I die."
"Beer has its merits. My only problem with it is that I have to drink an eighth of my weight to feel anything of a buzz." Sayuri said, letting out a very faint chuckle. She moved to retrieve a pair of YE 27 vintage white wine bottles from one of the cabinets and checked to see if Cam had done similarly.
Camellia was puttering some as she was also looking at a particular brand of beer that the restaurant was stocking. "Man, I've been looking everywhere for this brand." She said as she put a can under her arm and picked up a bottle of Ice Wine and a Red wine. "Got'em."
Sayuri decided against saying anything about the beer, but merely noted that her crewmate was fond of the brand. She began heading back, before glancing at Camellia for a moment. "What brand is it?" She asked out of curiosity.
"It's Nelpeslian make." She said off handed as she checked her armpit to see if the can was still there. "It's also pretty c-c-cold." She with a slight shiver and teeth chatter. "They don't make beer this potent in Yamatai, this stuff's the strong type of beer." She said while readjusting the can, "Normally it takes two eights for me to go under. This brand, just one six pack can do it."
"Fun." Sayuri said passionlessly, securely cradling the bottles in her arms. "If Nepleslia can make two things in the universe better than Yamatai, it's firearms and alcohol. Everything else..." She decided not to finish, looking towards Camellia.
Camellia smiled at Sayuri as she walked along with her, keeping in mind to make sure the beer can in her armpit was shifted now and then to help it warm up.
(To be continued by SP.)
