"Nyanoha!" A short brunette in a beige and brown a-line dress glomped onto Nanoha. The executive was still in her crumpled flannel top, though she had swapped her ripped shorts out for equally ripped jeans, earning her a small huff from Fate, "So this was your idea of 'more formal', hmm?"

"Nyahaha… We're off company time, Haya-chan won't care."

And sure enough, their CEO didn't, squealing and hugging Nanoha like the old friend she was.

"Awk! It's good to see you too, Haya-chan," Nanoha's greeting was as dry as Hayate's was enthusiastic. Instinctively, the auburn-haired woman fended off any smooches or gropes the little brunette attempted, until it almost seemed like a game between the two.

"Getting slow in your old age, Haya-chan." Pulling out of the woman's grasp, she introduced Fate to her friend, "Feito-chan, Yagami Hayate. Haya-chan, I'll break your hands if you try anything with my AVP." The executive's introductions were made in good humour, and she appeared relaxed. This was the only reason Fate did not go nuclear on the touchy-feely brunette, boss of her boss be damned.

"Mou, I'm just out of practice. And should you be threatening your boss the minute you see her?" Hayate prodded Nanoha in the cheek, which the executive bore with an expression of long-suffering. She held out her hand then, snapping quickly back into corporate mode to greet the blonde, "Miss Testarossa, glad to have you in TSAB. I've heard good things about you."

The brunette's sharp eyes caught the faint shades of green in Fate's own crimson eyes when she had latched onto Nanoha, and the CEO hid a chortle of glee. There were reasons why she did the things she did.

"That's because I know you too well, Haya-chan." Droll, Nanoha helped seat Fate and Hayate before settling into her place. They were at one of the many Jumbo Seafood Restaurants scattered about the island. Famous for its lavish Chinese cuisine without the stuffy trappings of a high-class restaurant, it served clientele from the man on the street to high-powered business dinners and everyone in-between.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Yagami, thank you for having me aboard." The CEO had booked a private dining room for them, and Fate appreciated the relative quiet it afforded. "Please, call me Hayate. Miss Yagami makes me sound as old as Nanoha claims I am. And if I'm old, so are you, Nano-chan. You're older than I am!"

"I am old, Hayate. This job ages me a year for every month I'm in TSAB."

Fate could tell Nanoha was only half-joking. "It is my hope that I may slow that ageing process down," she interjected in her sweetly dulcet tones.

Nanoha had been checking on their pot of tea to see if it was done steeping, and glanced up at Fate's words to smile at the blonde.

"You're doing a fine job," she told her AVP warmly.

'Well, well, well.'

"Mind if I order? I've been missing some specific dishes." Hayate scrolled through the iPad the restaurant provided.

Nanoha glanced at Fate, who nodded.

"Sure, Haya-chan."

The table they were seated at was a fair-sized circular affair, with a Lazy Susan set in the middle of it, typical again of Chinese restaurants. Nanoha poured out three servings of chrysanthemum tea for them, using the table's device to serve the drinks up to Hayate and Fate.

"All done! And thanks for the tea, Nano-chan. So," The CEO carelessly tossed aside the iPad to wrap her hands around her cup, "Nanoha tells me you helped with the Testarossa account. How did you come about your decisions?"

"Hayate, we're off the clock…" Nanoha began, falling silent when the brunette lifted one hand to stop the executive from further protest, "Nanoha, I like getting to know key staff better and there's no guarantee I'll have a chance after tonight."

Pursing her lips, Nanoha exhaled a soft breath and leaned back into her chair, "I have faith in my pick."

"And I'd like to find out why," the CEO countered with a smile. She returned her beady-eyed attention to the blonde seated across from her.

"TSAB has the IS infrastructure, true. But the ground-level services that TI provides requires a minimum of one year to fully on-board due to its specialised nature. That on-boarding process does not require either myself, or my sister. We were…" Fate's jaw worked while she searched for the proper word, "...Expendable."

"That's a very ruthless way of looking at it," Hayate observed.

Fate tilted her head to concede the CEO's observation, but didn't bend, "I prefer the word 'practical', Ma'am," she countered respectfully.

"Nothing personal, huh?" Hayate asked, almost rhetorically.

Fate glanced over at Nanoha, whose arms were crossed, the leopard's eyes lidded as she observed the two spar. Her pose was deceptively relaxed, and Fate knew the executive would leap to her defense if needed, but trusted her to fight her own battles, too. It comforted the blonde immensely, and though she didn't smile, her crimson pools warmed when Nanoha met her gaze, holding her captive with those brilliant azure eyes, "No, nothing personal."

Turning back to Hayate, she took a small sip of the fragrant floral tea.

Hayate giggled and leaned back in her seat to take a sip as well, "I'd have you in HR and Recruitment if Sig-chan wasn't already there." She told Nanoha, her oblique way of saying she approved of Fate's hiring.

"I'd toss myself out of the 42nd." Nanoha muttered, drinking her own tea.

"Oh come on, you're a good mentor. Look at Tea and Subaru."

"They were more than halfway there when they came in, I just nudged them a little. It helps that they complement each other so well. I don't have the luxury of doing one-on-ones with anyone."

'Only with Fate, hmm?' Hayate mused, peering at the blonde to see a tell-tale hint of pink in the woman's cheeks, which informed Hayate that the blonde knew she was an exception to the rule. Well, it was good if the woman appreciated the effort her friend was putting in.

"Halloween is coming up, have you gotten your costumes yet? I have this amazing Magical Girl outfit for you, Nanoha. It's all white and blue and has these cute ribbons, you'll even have a staff to hit people with…"

"I'd hit you first," Nanoha drawled, "Forget it. I have something in the works."

"Works? Oho, that's more effort than I've seen you put in in ten years, m'dear. What changed?"

Nanoha hooked an elbow over the back of her chair, affecting a relaxed pose, "Well… My AVP and I have a little competition going to see who has the better costume this year. A bit of friendly rivalry, you might say. I was going to ask you to judge but there's no point if you're dressing me up…"

"DONE!" Plates and cups rattled from the CEO slapping the table in excitement. "Stakes?"

Chuckling at Hayate's expected response, Nanoha glanced over her shoulder at Fate, arching one finely shaped brow.

"I'll pick then!" Hayate piped up before Fate could formulate a response, "Loser has to sing something to the winner in a karaoke bar!"

"Urg." Nanoha groaned, "I'll whup Feito-chan's arse, but still, urg."

"D-Don't be too sure, I might be the one wh-whupping your a-arse, Nanoha." Fate stuttered over the unfamiliar turns of phrases but was determined to give as good as she got.

Hayate glanced from vice executive to assistant vice executive. "Maybe I'll decide you both lose and whup both your arses."

Fate choked on her tea and began coughing while Nanoha patted her on the back, "You'd have to get through Sig-chan, then me, to get to Feito-chan, you know that right?"

"Well, it might be worth it," the CEO mock-leered at the blonde who was just recovering, only to choke again at Hayate's leer.

"Oh stop it Haya-chan, you're scaring the poor girl. Pay no mind to this tanuki, she forgets how to be civilised outside of TSAB." Nanoha reassured her AVP.

Further conversation paused as the CEO's orders arrived. Sichuan hot and sour soup, a platter of black pepper crab, and one with chilli crab were also served, along with a heaped plate of steamed mantou, or buns, fried crisp. The corpses of at least four cooked crabs stared their beady eyes at Fate.

"This is… different," Fate noted weakly while she eyed the nutcrackers that had arrived with the crabs. "Haya-chan, did you have to do that when Feito-chan is wearing white?" Nanoha scolded the drooling CEO who only had eyes for the crabs, "Oh how I've missed you my pretties…"

Sighing, Nanoha waved down a server, "Can I get three bibs, please?"

"Certainly, Ma'am."

Nanoha tossed one of the bibs at Hayate and flicked out another. "Hold up your hair," she told Fate. Blinking up at the executive, the blonde did as she was told, and blushed to feel Nanoha's hands at her neck, securing the bib around it with a knot. She helped smooth the paper over Fate's clothes which only served to deepen the pink hue dusting her pale cheeks, "There. That should protect you."

"Nyano-chaaaan, can you tie it for me too?" The CEO blinked puppy dog eyes at the auburn-haired woman, who only snorted, "You ordered, you tie it yourself."

"Mou, Nano-chan is only nice to her AVP!" An accusation the auburn-haired woman shrugged off, "It's because she reduces my workload, instead of increasing it." Hayate got an accusing look of her own from Nanoha.

Ladling out the soup for everyone, Nanoha gestured at the crabs, "Case in point. Most people prefer their food outside of shells, not inside, Haya-chan."

"But it's worth it!"

Nanoha merely sighed and dug in, explaining to Fate, "It's what they're famous for in this country."

"So I have heard," Fate twitched the edge of her bib, "This is my first time encountering them, however. Well, I'm sure you can show me how to do this."

Nanoha smiled and nodded.

Hayate was running out of fingers to count the number of smiles the blonde was eliciting out of her usually grouchy Operations head, and it was driving her wild with curiosity. She schooled her expression to cordial blandness and bided her time.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Cleaning their hands on the wet wipes provided by the establishment, Fate began rolling up her sleeves at Nanoha's behest. The executive did the same and reached out to snag one of the fried buns. Breaking the small portion in two, she dipped it in the generous pools of gravy the crabs were served in, selecting the black pepper one first. Handing it to Fate, she nodded, "Give it a try."

Gingerly, the blonde nibbled at the soaked bun, her eyes widening at the burst of flavour that greeted her tongue. "Mmm, wow," she licked her lips and popped the rest of the bun into her mouth. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, even the mouthfeel was excellent.

Hayate giggled at the blonde, "Good yea? Black peppercorns pounded in a pestle and sauteed in a butter-infused crab broth." She took a bite herself, making a sound of pleasure, "SHO GOOD."

Nanoha had dipped the other half of the bun into the gooey chilli crab gravy. This too, she offered to Fate who daintily accepted it with a murmur of thanks. The gravy was red as sin and she was afraid it would be terribly spicy. She blinked after her first, tentative taste. "This is chilli?" She licked her lips, there was nothing spicy about this gravy at all.

Nanoha chuckled, "There is a little of that, but most of it is tomato, egg, cornstarch, and more crab broth."

"Mmm, yes, very egg-y. I can see why these are their specialty dishes." The outer dining area had been packed when they got in, meaning Hayate had to have made a reservation for them.

Without preamble, the executive grabbed one of the massive pincers from the black pepper platter, "They pre-smash these," she explained to the blonde who was curiously watching. Actually, Fate was just enjoying the view of Nanoha's arms, something she never tired of looking at, but she was paying attention, honest.

"But they aren't thorough, so these," she picked up one of the nutcrackers, "Are for finishing the job," Turning the pincer one way then the other, the auburn-haired woman deduced what needed further cracking and proceeded to do so, the sight of muscles in her hands and forearms doing interesting things to Fate's insides.

The shells of these Sri Lankan mud-crabs were particularly thick, which explained their size and the effort Nanoha had to put in. CRACK! Peeling away most of the shell, leaving only the tips intact, she offered it to Fate.

"These are the prized parts, since it offers the most meat for the least fuss."

"Ah, y-you shouldn't have…"

"Please, I'm claiming all the pincers for you since Haya-chan decided to sabotage you with them. She knows a Midchildan wouldn't be familiar with these." True to her word, her hand darted out to slap Hayate's away from a pincer.

"Hey! At least lemme have one!"

Fate giggled, still holding the pincer gingerly, "It's all right, Nanoha. I'm sure I can figure this out. Hayate was correct when she said you were a good mentor."

"She's just buttering me up hoping I'll take on more headcounts." Nanoha slid a knowing look towards Hayate who pretended to be busy cracking her own pincer, "Too bad for her, I hate bloat in my department."

"It helps maintain organisational health," Hayate mumbled around a mouthful of crab.

"Cut half the bloat in the other departments and we'll be a lot healthier." Nanoha muttered as she cracked another pincer, urging Fate to try the pincer she had, "Just put your teeth around it and pull."

Doing as instructed, Fate found herself with a mouthful of softly steaming crab meat. It was sweet, buttery and peppery. Her raised eyebrows got her smiles from the other two women.

"Pardon," she dabbed at her mouth, "As you know, this is uncommon cuisine where I am from."

"And that's why we exist, for new experiences!" Hayate toasted them with her tea, which they returned.

The meal passed without incident, Hayate sharing stories of Nanoha from back when they attended an all girls' prep-school, much to the executive's chagrin and Fate's utter delight.

"Please, wait," Fate held up one hand, "Nanoha was the Student Council President, captain of the kendo, judo, and parkour clubs, and regional champion for javelin and discus?" Fate eyed the auburn-haired woman who was currently cracking the hell out of a pincer, "Nanoha, I had my mother for my excuse. What was yours?"

Giving Hayate the stink eye, she peered at Fate from under that unruly lock of hair in her eye, "They needed someone?" She offered weakly.

Hayate giggled, "Needed? They all wanted you. I remember when all the girls in the kendo club were chasing you around school, declaring you had to join and become captain if any of them beat you."

"Oh gods, I'm still trying to forget that."

"It gets better," the brunette promised Fate with a wink, "The judo girls decided that would be their ultimatum too, and then the two clubs began fighting one another. It was pandemonium!"

"Detention class was packed for a week," Nanoha recounted glumly, "I had to challenge the best kendoist and judoist at the same time to get them to stop with their nonsense."

"The auditorium was packed after school. Everyone wanted to see Takamachi-sama mete out divine punishment on the perpetrators. The school newspaper reporting on the event went out of print three times over. The amount of love confessions she received af-MMPH!"

"Eat up before it gets cold," Nanoha had shoved a gravy-soaked mantou into the CEO's mouth to stop her from making any further revelations.

Undeterred, Hayate finished off her mouthful and continued gleefully to her captive audience, "And since she beat both girls, she became the de facto captain of both clubs."

"Now that was messed up," Nanoha pointed her pincer at Hayate, "The conditions were that I joined if I lost, not won."

"Nano-chan," Hayate began, as if explaining to a child, "You beat their best, who else would they pick for captain of their club?"

Nanoha sighed, "At least I could schedule their activities around mine since I was captain for both. I had enough work on my plate cleaning the family dojo after school."

Fate smiled quietly, envious of the long friendship Hayate shared with the executive. At the mention of her family dojo, however, she had to ask, "What discipline is your family's dojo known for?"

"Judo," Nanoha exchanged glances with Hayate, unnoticed by the blonde who was working on her own bit of crab, "And a few other things, but my brother is a kendoist, so I picked that up from him as well."

"Boy, did those girls love being tossed around by you," Hayate giggled.

"Shut up, Haya-chan, they did not." To Fate she explained, "They were very persistent and kept getting up, I didn't want to use any moves that would actually hurt them."

"Ahh, Nano-chan, always the merciful devil. Much to the disciplinary committee's dismay."

The executive shrugged uncomfortably, "I never wanted the gig in the first place."

"That's why you were so good at it."

Fate shook her head in bemusement. It was a comfort to know that Nanoha was the same then and now.

"How did you both meet?" She asked as she took up arms in the form of a nutcracker to try her hand at this de-shelling business.

"Nothing special, we just bumped into each other on the first day of elementary school." Nanoha muttered, watching Fate's first attempt like a hawk.

"Nano-chan! It's not nice to lie!" Hayate tossed a crab leg shell at the executive who absently ducked, still watching Fate's hands.

Fate glanced up and just at that moment, a shell slipped through her nutcracker's grasp and went flying, right into Nanoha's hand. Nanoha had been watching for a possible accident and was already there when the bug leg took off. PAP! It slapped neatly into the palm of her hand and she placed it back onto Fate's plate.

"I wasn't lying," she said mildly, "I did bruise my knee on your wheelchair."

"Nice catch, Nano-chan," Hayate said this as if she was used to seeing TSAB's top executive make agile catches all the time. "You know the softball team was always crying to me about you not being their captain." She smiled at the flummoxed blonde, "Nano-chan bruised her knee because my wheelchair was in the way when she was kicking my bully in the shin."

Asking what any sane person would in her position, Fate stared at Nanoha, "How did you make that catch?" She wanted to ask about the wheelchair too, but that had to wait.

Azure eyes crinkled at the corners, "Because I sent my pincer flying the first time I tried this. I was merely prepared, just in case."

"You almost took Helen's eye out, she thought you did it on purpose," Hayate remembered.

"She would have deserved it for botching that account," Nanoha grumbled sourly, "Took me two weeks to fix that."

"Aw, don't be too hard on her. I think they were giving her a difficult time because they only wanted to negotiate with you."

Looking down at the detritus that was the mess of her plate, Nanoha shook her head, "What I want is clean hands. If you'll excuse me," she nodded to her table companions and left for the ladies.

Fate was focused on the bit of leg she was still working on, determined to get that portion of meat inside without Nanoha's help.

"So how is it working for Nanoha?" Hayate asked out of the blue.

Blinking, she looked up at the CEO who was toying with a piece of mantou and watching her with that same beady-eyed look from before.

Fate put the nutcracker aside, deeming this worthy of her full attention, "She is a most adequate superior. She is an excellent judge of the abilities of others and provides constructive feedback that allows the recipient to apply themselves and improve. She works harder than anyone else in the department and never asks of her people what she won't do herself. In summary, she is the best boss I have ever had the pleasure of working for."

Hayate nodded, "She has been teaching you well. In fact, with your prior background combined with what you've learned under her, I think you would do well in her position. What say you? The board likes to see the old guard cycled out, helps cut costs. It will be a bump up in your salary and your job title. All I need is just cause."

Fate's heart skipped a beat. Was the CEO suggesting she fire Nanoha and put Fate in her place? This woman who bled her heart and soul and kept all the spinning dishes in the air for TSAB? At the cost of her health? On top of that, she was asking Fate to give up dirt on Nanoha? Her friend of goodness knew how many years? What sort of monster was this brunette?

Back ramrod straight, Fate stared Hayate down, crimson eyes gleaming blood red with suppressed fury, "That is a very kind offer, Ma'am," she stated quietly in a voice laced with arctic chill, "Yet, I question any leadership who would look at Nanoha as a liability that needs replacement simply because she has been a decade in the company. I would kindly ask that you take your offer and place it where the sun's rays will not reach, because I respectfully decline." Her chin lifted, "In addition, please expect my resignation the moment I know my boss has been replaced." Her aristocratic tones never rose, kept even and dripping with utter contempt.

Dead silence. The two women staring the other down. Finally, Hayate leaned back with a slight smile, "That may have been the most polite 'Fuck you' I have ever had said to me." She waved a gravied hand, "I rescind my offer." Standing, she offered Fate a deep Japanese bow, "I entrust my dear friend to you. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu~"

Scrambling to her feet, Fate returned the bow in equal measure, heart pounding, "Kochi rakoso, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu~" The blonde hoped she had remembered the proper way to respond. Had the CEO been testing her?

"What's going on?" Nanoha had returned to see them bowing to one another, and she eyed Hayate suspiciously, since to her, the root of all mischief in the world was this tanuki right here.

Hayate gave Nanoha a cheery grin, "Fate was practising japanese with me! Let's go wash our hands, Fate."

"Ah? O-Okay…" Dragged off by the CEO, Fate threw Nanoha an apprehensive look and the executive sighed, hoping Hayate kept her hands to h… 'Shit!' She jumped out of her seat and bounded the few steps needed to catch up with them, "My hands still feel soapy," she lied, hustling herself between the two to force Hayate to let go of Fate's hand.

"Mou, Nanoha, it's not like I was going to grope her, much."

"I still keep up with my martial arts, you know…"

"What did I say about threatening your boss with bodily harm?"

"We're off the clock, you're just my Student Council VP who gave me all the work and none of the help…" Nanoha popped her knuckles for emphasis.

"Save me, Fate-chan!"

"Who said you could call her that?!"

"Fate-chan, Fate-chan, Fate-chan!"

"C'mere you!"

"EEEK!"

"N-Nanoha, we're still in a restaurant… Ah! She grabbed me!"

"Oh you are dead now, you damned tanuki…"

The dinner ended on an amicable note, with Hayate promising to drop by the office while she was in town.

"Is that a promise or a threat?" Nanoha quipped, earning her a smacked arm from her old friend who chuckled, "Wait here, Haya-chan, I'll get the car."

Leaving Hayate to wait at the pick-up point, Nanoha walked Fate to her vehicle, not really trusting the blonde to be on her own after that incident with joyriders.

Gravel crunched under their feet as they walked in silence, with Nanoha scanning the area, checking for sight or sound of danger. Finally deciding it was safe, she broke the silence, "Ne, Feito-chan?"

"Hmm?" The blonde glanced over to the executive, one hand lifted to keep her hair out of her eyes in the soft breeze coasting over the parking lot.

The princess looked enchanting in the moonlight and it took Nanoha a moment to drag herself into the present. "I know it's not your thing to go to the gym and…" She shoved her hands deep into her jeans pockets, glaring down at their feet as they walked, "I wanted to say I appreciate the company. You didn't have to…"

Nanoha looked so adorable in her jeans and flannel with hands all tucked into her pockets and staring death at the inoffensive gravel that Fate simply couldn't resist. Linking her arm around the executive's, the blonde smiled, "I wanted to." Nanoha turned to her at the feel of the warm arm curling around hers, "This is not me k-kissing up to my boss, or anything like that. I enjoy spending time with Nanoha."

Delivering Fate to her car, heart thundering in her chest, the executive smiled up at the taller blonde, "Can I get a proper Midchildan goodbye?"

Only too happy to oblige, Fate leaned close, breathing in Nanoha's scent. Then, cupping her face, she brushed feather-light kisses to one cheek, the other, and then the first once more. "Good night, Nanoha-chan…"

Drawing back, she was surprised when she felt calloused hands cupping her own face. "Let me try it," the executive husked. Three, all too fleeting kisses that set her cheeks a-tingling, and the auburn-haired goddess was pulling back. "I like this Midchildan custom," she murmured. "Good night, Feito-chan."