Disclaimer: Eerie Queerie (Ghost!) belongs to Shuri Shiozu, Shinshokan & TOKYOPOP. Rally owns Emma Blair.
Author's Note: AAC stands for Anime Assassin Corps. It's the web personalities on the Anime Hit List, one of my alternate websites. On that site my personality is Kawaii. Here I'm just using the name as a prop, but if you'd like to know more about the AAC and the Anime Hit List click here.
"On behalf of my employers at the AAC, I'd like to welcome you to the United States." With a bow, she continued her greeting in perfect Japanese. "I'll be your guide and interpreter during your stay."
Mitsuo smiled and thanked her.
"I'm sure you're both exhausted. How about we make our way to the hotel? Don't worry about your bags, I've got someone fetching them now."
"That would be great. Thank you," replied Hasunuma.
She led them outside to a lean black limousine. Hasunuma jumped ahead of the group when it was apparent that Blair-sama was going to get the car door for Mitsuo and him. He opened the door with an arm flourish. "After you, Mamoiselle. It's obvious to me now that these American males," he gave another flourish to indicate all the men in the crowd around him, "have no sense of chivalry." Blair-sama smiled but didn't protest. She slipped into the car with a fluid grace that belied her tall frame.
Mitsuo waited for a moment, to allow Hasunuma to climb inside as well, but the taller man waved yet again. "Chivalry doesn't rest."
He was doing it again. Hasunuma was treating him like a nuisance.
No, Hasunuma was treating him like a girl. Mitsuo's face burned shame and anger. Anger won out. "I can get into the car without your help, you know," he snapped.
"Oh, I know," said Hasunuma confidently. "But I like doing things for you. Besides, I already had the door for Blair-sama."
The words made perfect sense, but Mitsuo couldn't ignore Hasunuma's tone. It suggested that Hasunuma had truly gotten the door for him. Blair-sama had just been a convenient excuse. But Hasunuma had the I'm-not-budging look on his face, so Mitsuo just sighed and climbed in next to their host.
Someone scoffed. Emma was fairly certain that it was Hasunuma. "Ha! Finally a response! You both need to lighten up."
Hasunuma looked right at her and smiled. "Whatever you say... Emma-ko-kun-chan-ki, was it?"
Emma let out a full-bellied laugh. "I can't believe you remembered all that!" she managed between gasps. Her laughter spread through the car and she soon had Hasunuma and Mitsuo laughing.
"That's where we're staying?" asked Hasunuma in awe.
Emma nodded. "Yes, wonderful, isn't it?"
"Yes," he agreed.
"Can't-" Mitsuo squeaked, then tried again. "Can't we stay someplace a little more... I don't know. A little more modern? This place has got to be a hundred years old." He shivered.
Right. A hundred-year-old building had to have a lot of spiritual shit going on. Hasunuma had actually forgotten about Mitsuo's little "problem" for a moment. "Oh, yes. Emma-chan, is it possible to change reservations?"
Emma looked confused for a moment. "Sorry, boys. We can't. My bosses insist that you stay in the Old Cavalier. It's part of the terms and conditions of your trip. Why would you want to change reservations from a four-star hotel?"
"It's a really old building," began Mitsuo. "Really old!"
"Are you afraid of cracked walls or falling ceilings or something?" Emma had drawn out the word "afraid" as if she knew that Mitsuo was honestly afraid of the building.
Hasunuma frowned. "You know, don't you? You know that Mitsuo attracts ghosts."
Mitsuo grabbed Hasunuma's arm, but Emma put up her hands. "Guilty. Yes, we knew all along." She put her hands down. "Please, don't worry. The Old Cavalier was chosen to house you simply because it's one of the best hotels in the city. It's got style, class and enough history to make you feel as if you've lived a little bit of the American life." She paused long enough to give the boys a dose of honest eye contact before continuing. "I've personally seen to the warding of your suite. Nothing that you don't welcome inside will be able to enter. Yes, it is an old building and it does have a lot of strange history, but few people have ever complained."
Something pulled on Hasunuma's insides. "What do you mean, you've seen to the warding personally?"
"Warding is actually a fairly simple process," she replied cheerily. "I'm something of a witch."