White Tea for Ladies [I]

Before a large fireplace rests a small, jade accented tea table, two plush red cushions on either side of it. The manager of the bathhouse sits regally upon the seat facing the entrance to her office, awaiting her guest. She wears a long black kimono with gold embroidery depicting small diamonds that break apart and flutter across the length of the rich fabric.

The woman's fine parchment colored flesh is illuminated by the flickering golden firelight that seems to consume and engulf the room. In the silver pot before her Baihao Yinzhen steams, waiting for consumption by soft lips. By the large bay window a sole performer plays a Guqin, watching the sun set to present the night.

China's hair sweeps over her left shoulder, curling onto the floor, appearing as if it's a pool of jet black silk against the sand hued marble. Her black eyes reflect nothing, not the firelight nor the setting sun. They look as though they could be dead if it weren't for her pure white pupils, gazing calmly over her space of dwelling, waiting patiently for her guest.

Xun looked around curiously as she climbed the stairs slowly.

It had been a long, long time since she had been here. She had been shocked to receive the invitation earlier that day.

She was dressed in her finest kimono, bar the one she had received as a gift from Master Zhong. She doubted China would appreciate such a revealing dress.

Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck.

When she reached the door to China's office, the woman dropped to her knees, bowing low.

"You called for me, Mistress China?"

"Good evening Ms. Syun," she speaks to her employee, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement, "I have heard nothing but praise in regards your efficiency keeping the bathhouse clean as of recent. Please, join me for some white tea and conversation."

China moves her arm in a calm gesture to beckon Xun to take a seat across from her. Her eyes are fixed on the opposing woman's, drinking in her presence, picking out every little detail and scanning it like a specimen. It is in China's nature to do so, she is constantly observing and processing in her mind, a very intimidating trait, but one very useful for her profession.

Her disposition is unmovable, as though she has been cast in iron in that very space. To move her would seem impossible.

Xun stood when she was beckoned, her bare feet dancing across the ground in light touches as she made her way towards the free cushion.

She knelt on it, resting her hands in her lap, folding them neatly.

"Its an honour to be invited here for tea, Mistress China."

Xun would openly admit that she was a little intimidated by the woman. Xun was in such a high-up position here that most people she met were of a lower class. She didn't have to worry too much about being so proper.

With China, she didn't have that luxury. She had to be careful with what she said and did.

China lifts the teapot from it's place delicately and pours a cup first for Xun and then for herself, wanting to express a small sense of a casual atmosphere between the two during this meeting. This of course, is the only gesture she permits to express such a feeling, for she does want Xun to know her place under China's immense power.

"Do you enjoy Baihao Yinzhen Ms. Syun?" she questions, already knowing the answer she should hear from Xun. She only offers the finest of teas in her arsenal when she wants to showcase her status, especially to her workers. Once the tea is poured she picks up her cup and waits for a response from her maid.

"I've never tasted such a tea, Mistress. My finances don't allow me such a privileged," she admitted.

Xun didn't often spend what little money she kept for herself. Even if she wished to spend it, she wouldn't be able to afford such an expensive type of tea.

The woman lifted her cup, holding it gently. She inhaled the scent, eyes sliding closed. It smelled sweet. It was a scent that she could easily lose herself in if she wasn't careful.

Slowly she lifted it to her lips, sipping at it softly.

It tasted as sweet as it smelled.

"Thank you, Mistress China."

Not even the slightest hint of a pleased smile curls upon China's ink-black lips as she is thanked for sharing her expensive tea. She only nods her head slightly and brings her own cup to her lips, savoring its sweet flavor and warmth as she sips it politely.

"I am impressed by how tidy the guest rooms have been, even when certain conflicts with other areas of the staff occur," she sips her tea, allowing an uneasy pause to fall over so Xun can recognize that her boss is referring to the encounter Xun had with a member of the maintenance staff. Before Xun can speak China states,

"It has come to my attention though that Mr.Zhong has been keeping closer tabs on you... Is there a reason behind this?" China's eyes make contact with Xun's and refuse to let go and she makes sure to refer to Zhuyin has Mister Zhong to show that she is higher in rank than he is. She knows the answer, but she wants to see what Xun has to say for herself. China could care less about the personal affairs between two higher up staff members, as long as it isn't harming her business, but it would be a lie if she wasn't the least disappointed that Zhong was the woman's choice.

"Thank you, Mistress. I do try to keep them as clean as possible."

Xun was very thorough with her rounds. She made sure everything was cleaned to her standard at all times. Xun made sure she was the best she could be at her job. She didn't want to disappoint.

The woman stayed silent when her conflict with Dimi was bought up.

"Personal reasons, Mistress. Permit me to not go into detail." She didn't want to share any personal details of her relationship with Zhuyin with anyone. What the two did were for their ears only.

"Though, I assure you, it is only person. There are no conflicts with work."

She wouldn't let her relationship with Zhuyin get in the way of her performance at work.

"I should hope not Ms. Syun. For if anything were to interfere with your excellent work ethic I would not hesitate to do something about the situation," she sips her tea calmly, her black lips pursed very slightly. I would be nothing but irony if China had to clean up Zhuyin's mess so to speak, if that mess were Xun.

"But these matters are not why I called you here. This is a celebration of the good work you have been doing. I aim to become more well aquatinted with my higher staff so that we can run a more efficient bathhouse," China looks off to the side at the portrait of the previous Manager of the bathhouse, her calm expression never changing, "...Times have changed since Manager Calabash ran this establishment rest his soul... We must clean up a great deal of his messes so to speak."

"I would not let anything interfere, Mistress."

Xun cared too much about her work to let something personal get in the way of that. Her work was what was keeping her in such a good position in life. She couldn't allow anything to risk that good place.

The woman nodded in understanding.

"A brilliant idea, Mistress."

She agreed that getting to know her employees would be a good idea. It would make working relationships stronger and improve the work. She followed that ethic herself with her own workers. The better relationship they had, the better her workers did their jobs.

"...Where you around when Manager Calabash was the Bathhouse's head?" she questions, looking toward Xun out of the corner of her eye, "You must have been quite young if you were. He was the man who trained me... Who taught me everything I knew."

Her eye wanders back to the portrait of the man, he looks young, tall, a bright grin on his face, rugged jawline, slicked hair with stubble on his cheeks. Very handsome and very casual.

"That portrait was to spite his father. Gruff, informal... That was the way he functioned. I aim to prove his theories wrong Ms. Syun. I aim to make this the most efficient workplace not only in Solo, but anywhere," she speaks, the first hint of passion flooding into her voice. She sips her tea, her black eyes closing softly to take in the entirety of it and when she takes it away from her lips her breath makes the steam swirl around the warm air.

"Tell me Ms. Syun, what do you believe could make this bathhouse more efficient?" she questions, her eyes opening to look straight into Xun's.

"No, Mistress. I've only been here for two years."

Xun had raised through the ranks very quickly in her short time here. Her fine eye for detail and her efficiency when getting the job done had helped her get to the rank she was today.

Her own slate grey eyes turned up to the portrait when China's did. The man depicted was a beautiful creature.

"I couldn't possibly answer that, Mistress China. I know so little of the dealings outside of my own area. I wouldn't know where to help."

Xun was so thoroughly involved in her own work that she paid little attention to what could be done to improve other parts of the bath house.

China nods her head in understanding, but she won't take it as an excuse not to contribute to the betterment of the bathhouse.

"Then I want you to think Ms. Syun about how you run your section of workers, how you get them to follow your instruction, behave accordingly to your standards. I want you to take these thoughts and see how you could apply them to other areas of the bathhouse that lack such structure," she speaks calmly, keeping her calculating eyes on Xun's.

"You do not have to answer me now, but we shall meet in the future as long as you keep working so efficiently. By then I want you to be able to answer that question for me. More tea?" She questions, filling up her own cup since she drained it.

Xun nodded.

She'd have to put a lot of thought into how others could improve the bath house. It was a strange thought. She didn't pay enough attention to how the others worked. Now she would have to.

The woman nodded, setting her empty cup down.

"Please, Mistress." The tea was sweet. She enjoyed it immensely.

China poured her maid another cup and then set the pot down carefully, her movements very precise.

"Now tell me, is there anything you wish to share? Concerns or perhaps praises of specific workers?" she questions, wanting to hear the woman's input before sending her back off to perform her duties once more.

That and she didn't want to send her off quite yet, seeing as though the pot had at least one more round of tea to go.

"I am pleased with all my workers currently, Mistress."

Xun smiled as she lifted her cup to her lips again, sipping it gently.

"I have no concerns to report." She was pleased with all her workers and their efforts in their jobs. She had nothing to worry about.

The woman smiled at China. This was one thing she could take pride in. Her excellent staff.

"Then I am pleased to hear such news Ms. Syun," she replies, sipping her own drink, "Would there be anything in general you wish to discuss with me before I dismiss you?" she questions, wondering if there is anything the woman before her has to report.

China doesn't want to get to comfortable with her employee, for she only views her as such, but China likes to know all even when it comes directly from the source.

Xun could think of nothing.

She and China were not friends. Their relationship was strictly professional; it didn't allow for casual conversations and idle chatter about nothing important.

"I don't believe there is, Mistress."

There was nothing that popped to mind as important.

"Then I shall leave you to depart when you have finished your tea Ms. Syun," she states, giving her head a slight bow, "I shall see you again when I hear of your next favorable report."

China gestures to a small maid standing beside the entrance to her office to come and clear away the tea that isn't being sipped upon. China herself will wait to stand until Xun takes her leave.

The woman gave a nod, sipping at her tea again.

Perhaps the next time she felt the need to reward herself, she would save up for a small amount of these leaves. This tea was the best she had had before.

"Thank you for the tea, Mistres China. Talking to you has been pleasant."

She smiled at the woman as she took the final sip of her tea and set the empty cup down.

She stood and bowed deeply.