A New Brew [Haruka, Seifer & Mirai)

The drive into the office this morning was beyond horrid. Something most people should never have to experience, but with the sudden rise in the FICA system and the domination of traffic when you're.... thirty minutes late to the office, sometimes there really isn't an excuse you can give. Sometimes you just have to be sorry.

After a similarly acrid experience parking the car and finding his way into the office, Haruka made a brisk walk through the main lobby. He was met with a few gestures of kindness from the secretary at the front, welcoming him with a warm smile as well as a few other colleagues. They were more looking to flatter than show any actual kind of endearment. After all, he was an international celebrity now. Finding time to brown nose was a competitive sport at this point.

Descending into the aquarium quarter, where Haruka's office was located, he turned the sliding window down to reveal a giant tank that surrounded his office on three sides, except for the exterior wall, which had sealife of all types. Exotic, indigenous and breeds inbetween. Even an artificially constructed coral reef lined the exterior edges of his office. It was like sitting under the sea, in a way. How he acquired the money to forward a private office of this kind is beyond regular means, but he digressed this is almost where every penny from his last album tour went, the first one alongside a few other colleagues.

"Uhm, Mr. Nakahara, I believe a few of your peers are here to visit. Should I send them down?"

Haruka tapped the small button on his desk to activate the echoing intercom in his office.

"Yes, yes! Quickly. I have something for them that they simply must see."

With a small rush of giddy excitement, Haruka hopped from his leather seat and pushed himself to a large granite tabletop in the corner of his room which had many fancy bags of beans and a hot water maker, among many other utensils, aprons, pairs of gloves and a mess of books. He tied a rather messy white apron over his suit vest and tie and got to work.

Driving had always been a nerve wracking experience for Seifer, one he tried to avoid at all costs only having learned it for formality's sake. Barely managing to find a spot to park, his hair in a bit of a mess from the stress of traffic, the young man motioned for his passenger to follow while attempting to straighten himself out. Not much luck, as his hair refused to cooperate. Giving up, he walked into the branch with almost no one really acknowledging his presence. To him, this was to be expected. He wasn't as well known well, anywhere. He wasn't an idol, or a Branch Director. He was just "Yukino and Hana's little brother." That didn't phase him though, preferring to stay in the shadows and not draw too much attention.

Coming up to a secretary, Seifer asked to see Branch Director Nakahara, and she paged for a moment before allowing him access. Walking in, it didn't take long for the smell of the beans to hit his nose. The smell alone was enough to make him smile, but seeing his brother was his main source of his current uplift. "Already hard at work? Could of at least waited and let me join in this time.

This branch was really something else. Mirai was amazed by the aquarium they had in there. Almost like a small child on a field trip, the airhead followed Seifer where he was going while looking in amazement that is the Magallanica branch. Coming here for coffee, all for coffee and probably meeting someone? Who cares. Mirai is actually glad she was the cause of Seifer's coffee being spilled. Otherwise she would be somewhere lost at the United Sanctuary Branch by now. This is what you call an adventure done right!

The branch director?! First day starting my new adventure and I am hanging out with the big people! I bet the director is a strong fighter too!! I. CANT. WAIT!! Mirai thought to herself as she and Seifer was about to enter the office room which had a really good smell of coffee. The airhead now wants some too. Coffee first, then cardfighting. The blond nodded to herself, a plan of action was taken.

The inviting aroma of coffee scented the room on a regular basis, though even more so now that Haruka had finished grinding out the beans on his own and was filtering the water through. He grinned at the sound of Seifer and Mirai's entrance, ready to introduce his most recent concoction to the two. He hadn't even let his wife taste it yet, not that she was particularly interested in drinking everything he made for her. If she did, she'd never sleep anymore and every little bit she got was sort of a necessity at the moment.

He pulled two small china plates, atop them porcelain cups with ornate gold-tinted rims and intricate designs of seahorses sculpted on their sides, and placed them from the small cupboard under the desk, atop the table.

"Normally I would! But I have... something really interesting this time around... Here, just give me a second! It's a brand new blend, I really hope you both enjoy it. I haven't even shown it to Yukino yet, so please be amazed or if you have any feedback at all, let me know."

Who Haruka was referring to when he said "if she drinks coffee" is completely in the air.

Haruka rattled with pouring the coffee from the similarly fancy pitcher at the center of his desk now. After both cups had been poured, Haruka returned a pair of slim-fitting white gloves to his hands and brought the two cups of coffee to the small table assorted among leather couches and love seats at the far corner of his office, away from his desk.

The coffee table situated among the furniture had symbols etched upon the wood that resembled something very familiar. A Vanguard circle on either side, accompanied by rear guard circles and a very intricately inscribed guardian circle as well. Clearly Haruka wanted to have his office still breathe the life of Vanguard even if he had mostly retired from it since-

"Come, come! Have a seat. Please, make yourselves comfortable. Nothing in here bites! Or, well, at least it can't bite you from that side of the glass."

Haruka chuckled a bit to himself, placing the cups on the opposite side of the table from where he sat, gesturing for Mirai and Seifer to make themselves at home.

"I'm glad you can make it out and again I am terribly sorry with my... erm, not-so-good keeping up. I wanted to stay in touch but being on the road is tiresome, and I can't always be at the phone. How have you both been?"

He offered a sympathetic smile to the two, feeling a bit bad for his lack of updates with his closest group of friends, especially Seifer who he promised to be better at that for. He had a small tinge of guilt wash over him.

The inviting, pleasant aroma of coffee washed over Seifer. He could honestly live here if he was allowed to do so. But at the mention of a new blend? Oh that got the caffeine addict even more excited. Whenever Haruka had a new blend, Seifer was always pleased with the results. Taking a seat as Haruka offered, setting out the china and coffee, a light smirk came over his face. "Even if it bit, I'd just bite it back. As for staying in touch, don't worry about it. You've been busy. So has Yukino really, so I know it's hard to really keep contact. I mean you're both Branch Leaders after all! ...Can't say I'm jealous though. All the work you two do, I'm fine just being a Clan Leader, even if that title really doesn't mean much."

Taking the cup set out for him by the handle, delicately held between his thumb and finger, Seifer took a small sip shutting his eyes and letting the aroma, taste and texture roll over him. Immediately he felt his self control start to slip, as his body tried to process what he had just had a taste of. This seemed exceptionally better, even by Haruka's standards. Pulling the cup from his lips he glanced at his brother-in-law. "What... exactly is this? Not sure I've tasted something like this yet." it was obvious, at least to Haruka, that his control might snap at any moment. The only thing really holding him back was the temperature of the coffee in his cup.

Mirai entered along with Seifer. This office is probably one of the most amazing offices she ever stepped on. The aroma of the coffee smelled amazing. And the Branch Director was good ole Haruka! A familiar face! Though he was apologizing for not keeping in touch. ”Don’t worry, I haven’t been in touch with many myself, I mainly travel searching for strong fighters!” Mirai said with confidence. Honestly, she just doesn’t have a phone and the searching for cardfighters to test her skills against was half a lie.

The airhead took the cup of coffee and the smell of it tranced her and made her want to indulge in such an amazing looking cup. Taking a sip, Mirai’s eyes widened, crying almost. Holding back her tears of joy and amazement, she couldn’t help herself but shout how amazing the coffee was. ”NO WAY!!! This.... THIS COFFEE IS THE GREATEST!!!!”

Mirai, calm down, it’s just coffee. Whether she caused an awkward outburst didn’t matter, the coffee was quite frankly delicious and Mirai didn’t care of her surroundings at this point. The adventure continues

Haruka clasped his hands together eagerly as they took their first sips, absolutely ecstatic by the response that it was met with. He nodded happily, first trying to clarify a few of the more touchy... awkward things up first that came into preview light.

"I, heh... Actually, the Branch Director is upstairs. Miss Nanana is a very kind lady, although seems somewhat troubled occasionally." Haruka briefly pulled on the collar of his buttoned shirt, feeling somewhat embarrassed to confess the situation of Magallanica politics.

"Truth is, I hold no executive position at the branch. Not even a clan leader, even. The Aqua Force position never got filled, likely because the only representatives with the quality to lead that particular clan were attending to other responsibilities I suppose."

Haruka sort of scratched the back of his head, tilting it to the side.

"Ever since I put Vanguard on the backfoot and took up touring, I haven't really held a high position in the field anymore. Jellal was nowhere to be seen for awhile so liabilities on that front arose as well... In the end, the responsibility was too great for anyone that was actually around to handle. We have no leader in that department now, unfortunate as it is."

He sat back, sort of dodging any further discussion about it as he maintained a professional disposition. To answer the question he was actually trying to evoke a response out of, he continued without interruption.

"As for what is in that, it's a trade secret. But I promise if I have anything to say about it, I'll get this brew running in other branches with the help of some inside influences, if you guys really say it's as good as you think it is. Don't you guys worry about it, okay?" He chuckled, a grin painting across his face.

He stood over to one of the aquarium walls, staring at the fish swimming by. An octopus swam by too, the way it moved somewhat elegantly yet kind of creepily along the glass pane vision.

"Anyways, if you have any questions concerning anything else, I'd be glad to answer. You're welcome to stay for a bit if you want but I just needed an opinion on this cup here. Don't be afraid to ask for more if you want, I have a whole pot ready. Any official business should be taken up with Director Nanana though."

With that, Haruka returned to the couch quietly seating himself with a social expression. No particular emotion seemed to poke through on the surface.