What The Hell You Doing

[Temaile]

The letter came to Howard Alt-Eisen in the form of a gigantic paper butterfly that unfolded in his touch. It delivered the following message:

Greetings!

You, sir, are expected personally by His Imperial Majesty in his 100th birthday celebration tomorrow, 7 in the evening, at the grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace in Cretaria.

His Imperial Majesty also says that he will not take no for an answer, and that you, sir, should wear 'that distinctly red tie'.

Yours truly,

Dorian Galasseas
Shield

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

Greetings!

You, sir, are expected personally by His Imperial Majesty in his 100th birthday celebration tomorrow, 7 in the evening, at the grand ballroom of the Imperial Palace in Cretaria.

His Imperial Majesty also says that he will not take no for an answer, and that you, sir, should wear 'that distinctly red tie'.

Yours truly,

Dorian Galasseas
Shield

Howard blinked. OMFG. D: Him? In... in... a big society party? D: Oh dear lord that would never do, he'd have to look his absolute best and-

...

GASP. What if he DOESN'T come to the party? The young sir (he'd gotten used to calling him that) would have his head!

...

Howard stood up from his chair. WELL HE'D JUST HAVE TO GO SHOPPING THEN.

[Temaile]

The Next Morning
---

He had been here more than seventy years, still the sheer number of people watching him eat breakfast unnerved him. Hence, the Emperor only touched the cream of mushroom soup and remained resolutely silent despite the Prime Minister's insistence on some of the other food.

He was alone with his bodyguards at eight in the morning.

"Check the entrance." he said suddenly. "Howard might get lost."

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

Oooh, this place was so big even Howard's nose had gotten confused! D;

SRSLY.

After getting lost FIVE times, Howard was very, very distressed. AND fit to be tied. His suit was still the same one Temaile would remember him wearing all these years, albeit with a red tie, since the young sir told him to.

He sniffed again, trying to reach out in vain for the scent that would lead him in.

[Temaile]

A flurry of light appeared beside Howard, revealing a curvy feline with curls of red hair.

"Mr. Alt-Eisen? Pleased to meet you, this is Aithne! You're going the wrong way - this is toward the Hall of the Commons. If you want to go to the palace we have to go straight up..."

She pointed a clawed finger toward the nearby elevators, which already had a sizable mob waiting their turn.

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

AUGH LIGHT-

...

AUGH CAT-

"Mr. Alt-Eisen? Pleased to meet you, this is Aithne! You're going the wrong way - this is toward the Hall of the Commons."

...

His Commonder blood hates him ):

"-If you want to go to the palace we have to go straight up..." She pointed a clawed finger toward the nearby elevators, which already had a sizable mob waiting their turn.

"up?" He squeaked. "Oh, no, I can't possibly, that's where all the nobles are and I really can't-" D: "It's very awkward for me-"

[Temaile]

"up?" He squeaked. "Oh, no, I can't possibly, that's where all the nobles are and I really can't-" D: "It's very awkward for me-"

Aithne gave a laugh. This guy seriously served His Majesty?

"All right, we'll teleport then."

She held out her hand.

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

The CAT (gack) gave a laugh, to which Howard replied to with a fierce frown.

"All right, we'll teleport then." She held out her hand.

OH DEAR GOD THAT'S EVEN WORSE.

"That's even worse." Howard muttered, as if it was taboo. Oooh, his mother had taught him NEVER ever to diss nobles and if he did do something wrong-

...

But what would be worse was for him to SKIP OUT on the young sir's party.

...

Hm.

...

"Fine." He grumbled, taking the hand (CAT!)

[Temaile]

Really amusing guy. They teleported quickly and reappeared in one of the monarch's private libraries.

Temaile looked up from the book he was reading and gave a small smile.

"Howard."

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

Howard flinched as they teleported into a library. Woah. Here's something new, but he frowned at one shelf which had a lot of dust on it, and he was about to go forward and polish it when-

"Howard."

He perked up and immediately fell into a bow. "Sire."

[Temaile]

"Sire."

Aithne left them to their own devices. Briefly Temaile checked the clock and saw that they had two hours before his scheduled viewing of the broadcast message of the Houses from the different continents.

"You did wear the red tie," he exclaimed.

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

"You did wear the red tie," he exclaimed.

Howard blinked. "I was told to wear it, Sire... by a Dorian?" He shrugged. Well, er...

...

"You look very much like an Emperor, Sire."

[Temaile]

"I was told to wear it, Sire... by a Dorian?"

Temaile laughed and rose, going to the nearby table, where a tray of tea things was already waiting.

"You look very much like an Emperor, Sire."

He blinked. "Nonsense."

He was only wearing a simple black shirt and khaki pants after all.

[Howard Alt-Eisen]

He blinked. "Nonsense."

Howard sniffed. Yes, well. That was a kind of complement that failed Howard EVERY TIME. He shouldn't use it anymore ):<

...

He just sulked.

...

THAT WAS A BIG THING FOR HIM.

[Temaile]

"Stop looking like a defeated puppy." Temaile said. "Join me for tea."

When Howard complied by going near, Temaile looked at him closely, a medic's diagnostic stare. The sealing was holding, intact as the day he created it.

"All is well, I trust?" he asked, sweeping his hair into a haphazard knot held in place with a pencil.