Very Important Hunting Club Time

[greatestkingdom]

The morning of the hunt was a perfect clear, warm day. Stephen was the first to arrive at the meeting place out near the stables-- normally he aimed for fashionably late, but he didn't want to risk anyone important showing up before him. It'd just be rude. So he was already dressed for the hunt, and sitting astride one of his horses. Stephen Jr.

Comments

[guard_puppy]

Since Fay had been invited, Kurogane had, by extention, been also. And wherever Fay was going, Kurogane got there first--if only by a couple of seconds.

He led their horse over, looking around in a manner automatic to him now, to see how safe their current surroundings were, and how he could make them safer. He nodded to Stephen in greeting, then turned to call back to Fay, "Stop spoiling the dog and hurry up, mage." Somehow, he managed to make that sound almost fond.

[greatestkingdom]

"You sure?" asked Stephen in an oddly strangled voice. "Because I could show you how to ride your own if you wanted. You could even borrow Charlene here! I've got a lot of others horses. Just a lot."

None as well-trained or well-bred as Charlene was, but he wasn't going to tell Fay that. After all, he was important enough to have a lot of really fine horses. Why shouldn't he?

[guard_puppy]

Now Kurogane gave the man a weird look. "He knows how to ride on his own," he pointed out. "If he doesn't mind, I'm fine with it." More than fine, since it meant Fay was cuddled up to him, but he didn't say that.

[greatestkingdom]

Stephen coughed, as something appeared to be caught in his throat. "Well, that's all right then. I guess it's nice that you and your servants are so close."

[guard_puppy]

"I'm not a servant." And he wasn't--he provided a service, but there was a clear difference in his mind. "I'm his bodyguard."

[lady_kuchiki]

Hoping to diffuse any possible tension, Rukia cut in, "I think it's nice, whatever you are. Charming, really. Good morning, both of you." Byakuya would never approve of such friendliness between a man and his bodyguard, but Rukia herself found it cute, and it wasn't like Byakuya would ever find out what she said when he wasn't around.

Kon, far more vocal than his mistress, had been growling at Stephen Jr. when the bird's wings started to flap, but had abandoned that for panting and looking adoringly up at Zelda when it became apparent that Stephen Jr. was not going to either fly away or attack.

"Is there anyone else we're waiting for?" Rukia asked.

[sssauntering]

Crowley made it a habit of always being late to everything. As this included sermons, weddings, funerals, and baptisms, he wasn't about to be on time for hunting, even if the prince was going to be there.

He'd timed himself to arrive just before everyone tired of waiting, and smirked privately to himself as he heard the question Fay was asking just as he was riding up.

Crowley was astride an enormous black horse and a falcon perched at his wrist. The bird made him somewhat nervous, as he was never good with animals and those talons looked dangerous. But he'd paid a lot for the falcon, so he doubted he had anything to fear.

He was dressed in simple black clothing, but the clothes were obviously expensive from their fine fabric, careful tailoring, and tasteful gold embroidery. It wouldn't be befitting a priest to dress too ornately, but it was still obvious that he was a very wealthy man.

"Good morning," he said as he rode into the clearing, surveying the rest of the party with a polite indifference. "I hope I haven't kept anyone

[lady_kuchiki]

Kon didn't like Crowley's falcon anymore than he liked Stephen Jr., and made his dislike readily apparent by abandoning Zelda to growl at it. He didn't get too close, however.

Rukia herself, still with a smile and solemn eyes, raised her head a little and said sweetly, "Good morning, Father. Don't worry. We haven't been waiting that long."

A commoner, no matter how wealthy, fraternizing with nobility was another one of those things that Byakuya didn't approve of but Rukia found no problem with.

[sssauntering]

((Yeah, there were totally two seconds in which I was like 'Crowley isn't Rukia's dad, quit godmodding!!!1!' before I figured it out ^^'))

"Glad to hear it," he said smoothly, bowing his head in her direction. His lip curled slightly at the dog-- the growling was agitating the falcon and Crowley really didn't feel like having his wrist torn apart by a startled bird of prey.

Fortunately, the bird (Crowley hadn't given her a name, but had taken to mentally referring to her as Angel because of the nasty looks she kept giving him and the gluttonous way in which she devoured her food) was too well trained to do any damage. She gave Kon an extremely unimpressed look, and then went back to perching lazily on Crowley's arm.

Satisfied, he gave the others a convincing, if slightly cocky smile. "Well, are we ready to start?"

[lady_kuchiki]

((Ahaha. Oh my. That didn't even occur to me. I'm so sorry. Perhaps I should have opted for 'Father Crowley' or 'Crowley-sama' instead? ^^;

...also, I'd be highly disturbed if anyone were to suggest Crowley was Rukia's biological father, considering he would have been eleven years old when she was born.))

Kon made a whining noise before he tucked his tail between his legs and backed off slightly. He was too chickenshit to ever be any real trouble, no matter how much he disliked birds, and Rukia knew it.

Still, the girl apologized with a little, "Ah! Sorry!" when she noticed the way Crowley's upper lip curled, and relaxing visibly when he smiled, taking it as a sign that he wasn't overtly upset by her dog's behavior.

When he asked if they were ready to go, Rukia looked first to Stephen and then to Tamaki. Either the person who arranged this entire outing in the first place or the prince of Modgnik, she figured, would be best qualified to decide that.

[imyourking]

"I'm fine to leave if everyone else is," Tamaki said, trying unsuccessfully to stop his horse from dancing to the side. He had picked, years ago, the most majestic looking 'white' stallion to be his steed, and he really did love his horse, but sometimes he was a little skittish. Tamaki had almost forgotten, since when riding inside, there wasn't much to distract the horse, but now that they were outside, he was remembering just how much trouble he had had before he had been forced to make use of the indoor stables.

He was somewhat disappointed that he had been too busy trying to stop his horse from moving around to greet the ladies properly, but there was plenty of time to charm them during the hunt.