Elly sat, arranging herself and trying not to upset the microphone the technician had placed in her clothing. Aizawa was beside her, strangely clean shaven for once and wearing a neatly pressed suit. His long, black hair had been pulled tightly back in a businesslike ponytail for the occasion.
She was wearing a black kimono with gray accents. A red rose was clipped in her hair on one side with a delucate black lace ribbon underneath. Her tailor thought it was amusing to match her outfits to the person she was with in interviews like this, and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that now.
Aizawa had complimented her that morning as well, and she didn't know how to handle that, either. But throughout the interview she smiled and remained calm. It was only when the questions turned to her love life that she tensed at all.
"We're all wondering if, throughout all this, the attacks on your life, a new head bodyguard -"
Aizawa lifted his head in acknowledgement.
"It must be difficult. I can't imagine finding time for yourself in all that. Have you been seeing anyone new?"
"I haven't even thought about it," she answered truthfully.
"There are some that speculated your change in bodyguards might have been due to personal reasons."
Aizawa's face remained expressionless as ever as he leaned slightly over. "That is false. The only reason I was appointed was the former head of security thought I would be a better person for the job."
"I don't think others quite understand that part," the interviewer confessed. "Giving up a lead position to another is hard enough, but acknowledging someone else is better than you as well? Wouldn't you ordinarily fight to keep a higher job?"
"Jobs are different at Moy Mell," he said, unruffled. "There are no higher pay levels, only more rewarding tasks. If you consider the harrowing job of keeping someone this important safe rewarding, that is." He paused. "I do."
"I'm not really important," Elly demurred softly.
"You are. You're a part of our culture and the only one of your kind left. Not to mention you're important to some of us in other ways, as well."
She blushed and was immediately angry at herself for blushing.
Afterward in the car ride home, she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. "What was that 'important to some of us in other ways' crap? That's going to be taken the wrong way when this airs!"
He blinked at her. "I don't believe it will."
She threw her hands in the air. "You're impossible to talk with!"
He grinned at her and went back to his contemplation of the roadway unfolding outside the window.
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