[Forward Dated | RL with Xanxus | Would you like to come to dinner, dear?]
It was rare to have someone over when her family was about. But it was Xanxus-san, after all; she did hope they all got along.
Kasumi made more than usual-- which was, in fact, quite the feast. A steak or two for the guest, vast amounts of rice, vegetables and traditional dishes by the plateful. Would there be room enough, even, on the table? Oh, well, she could always keep it warmed in the oven until it was time to serve. It was always interesting, to place a meal in courses.
And now the last dish simply needed to simmer.
Nabiki and Akane were lounging in the dinning room, reading a magazine and studying, respectively. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes," she told them. Hopefully Ranma-kun and Saotome-san would finish their sparring by then.
Wandering from the living room to the porch, Kasumi asked, "Would you like some sake tonight, father?"
Distracted by his friend's antics in the yard, Soun smiled at his daughter and said, "Yes, Kasumi. Thank you." She took a seat beside him and refilled his tea cup with the kettle from nowhere. "Your friend," he continued after a pause, looking back to the match above the koi pond, "has he been here before?"
"Oh, no, this is Xanxus-san. Has not Nabiki-chan told you about him?"
Father was looking decidedly uncomfortable. Had she made the tea too bitter?
"She has," he stated at length.
"He's nice," Nabiki called from the living room. By which she meant 'interesting', of course, in her own sort of way. Akane looked intent upon her lesson.
Kasumi would not have used 'nice' to describe him, per say, but she did mention, "He is a well respected man, father. He has been nothing but kind to me."
At this Nabiki smirked and muttered, "Bet he has."
Akane-chan really did like math, didn't she?
Oh, that was the timer. Shinra-san's suggestion of a watch had turned out to be a good one. She rose without a word to check it, leaving her father to stare forlornly into his cup of tea.
Sake would be a good idea indeed.