Much Needed R&R

Friday was finally here!

Hana spent yesterday in an unusual manner, yet the day turned out to be nothing short of a success. Despite waking up much earlier than her usual schedule (noon) she made the best of the circumstances and even got to meet her notorious neighbor upstairs. This winged into her scheduled training she had with the Mizukage later that evening. By the end of the day she was exhausted and fell straight to bed only to resume her normal schedule. Today was special unlike an average day off. She had contacted her cousins, both distant and close for a get together. Hana tried to make the most of her weekends not being keen on laying in bed all day or spending time behind a computer screen like a sloth. Those were last resorts when she had nothing going on. She was even feeling a bit generous and invited the new girl. The Kaguya and Hozuki were on good terms for the most part. Before the clan's revolution the Kaguya respected Hozuki as a greater clan and had been apart of their district in the past building stronger relationships between them. Much like all Hozuki they were more-or-less the bureaucrats of the Land of Water, whether they had ties to old money or current influential figures of today.

Hana knew Tsukimi's father by his name, being one of the most prominent landlords throughout Kirigakure. And Tsukimi herself was just a Genin. As little as Hana cared about politics and business she considered helping Daisuke find a new home after his most recent dispute with their current landlord. When the suggestion of property managers came to mind she couldn't help but recall "Golden" Getsumei as a fluid realtor who could potentially allow Daisuke to rent out without totally screwing him over. This naturally bridged her thought process to his only daughter, who ideally was much easier to get ahold of and confer with. Was it her goal to deal business with her at this social event? No. But it would possibly be in her best interest to get a feel for Tsukimi's side of her family.

Invites were sent via e-mail to her cousins and Tsukimi to hang out. Hana worked off recommendations for places to meet up at with her allies in the village. She wasn't an avid drinker and she was unsure if most of her cousins were even legally allowed to, nonetheless. Hana needed a place that was somewhat "kid friendly," if a pub like that even existed. Fortunately she got wind of a pub which doubled as a Karaoke bar. It served food and drinks, both virgin and alcoholic, and have a small variety of pub games such as darts, pool, and even regular poker games for the occasional gambler. She figured some games would be more of their taste than drawn-out conversation over a few elixirs.

Hana was already at the scene being sure to arrive at least fifteen minutes before everyone else. She wore her usual get-up, being a pair of black sandals and long black stockings which stretched just above her knees. She wore a black miniskirt with a white sports bra up top, both being fastened with a set of suspenders made of nylon. Around her skirt was her utility belt hosting a blue holster on the right and a beige pouch around her rear, both filled with a variety of tools for combat and utility. Her hands were covered with fingerless long gloves in matching color to the rest of her outfit.

Like most Kaguya her skin was deathly pale, as plenty of it was seen with her lightweight outfit alone. This was coupled with long white hair which was relatively thick compared to the long, silky strands a lot of the more feminine clan females had, which required day-to-day dedication to maintain. Hers was a bit untamed and high in both length and volume extending as far as her lower back. Her eyes were the only true difference in her appearance compared to the rest of her clan having an alluring golden hue to them. Hana casually leaned against the front of the double-door which led to the inside of the establishment. They were at the heart of downtown approximately nine o'clock in the evening. There were plenty of people out walking the streets. It was no surprise as Kirigakure boomed into a Metropolis from a backwater village over the course of four years that the people within the village developed different sleep habits and the regular curfew lifted. These were different times, and Hana honestly quite liked them. Arms crossed beneath her bosom she scoured the crowds almost as if she was a first-class bouncer, keeping vigilant for those she needed to meet.

After yesterday, Daisuke spent a lot of time reflecting on what Hana said. There were constant arguments in his head, one part saying to just accept what Hana said and become better for it but the other half says to completely go against it, purely out of anger he felt when he heard the words. After her little comment on his kimono though, that aspect at least changed and he's seen wearing his more "modern" outfits now. A clear favorite of his being the light brown pants, black boots and a long-sleeved grey shirt but this time, he's wearing a leather brown coat to keep himself warm. Falling to the backs of his knees, the earthly brown leather is well-aged, lines formed from the subjection of the harsh elements subtly visible, alike colourless capillaries, aged but sturdy. Carrying faint whiffs of old memories were one to breathe-in close. It was neither heavy nor tight upon Daisuke, fitting him in that airy way that made clothes comfortable. Oddly, the coat featured not a single button.

Daisuke couldn't say that his smoking habit got any better though, he usually just casual smokes but the constant thinking and the slight hits of depression at his incompetency as a person led him to have more smokes than he intended, he's well aware of it but he continues to indulge anyway. He's also been walking a lot as well, as that tends to help him think more clearly compared to just sitting in his room.

On one such walk, the figure of one certain person instantly made him cautious, as he already made it out to be Hana. The corner of his eye, he had saw long wavy hair which he hadn't forgotten from yesterday, with a closer look, those piercing yellow eyes confirmed that it's her. He still hadn't moved on from yesterday, but he at least coped enough to give her a friendly greeting. As soon as he walked by the establishment, he gave a wave to Hana who seemed to be waiting. "Lady Hana." he bluntly said, still remembering the exchanges of conversation they had yesterday. "You're waiting for somebody?" he'd asked, seeing as she's alone.

Around twenty minutes passed since her "friends" were supposed to meet up with her giving Hana severe second thoughts about the whole gathering in general. It was bad enough Bryn cancelled her plans the day before. She figured her other, although more distant cousins would at least be willing to congregate for a small evening. She wouldn't be so ticked off if at least one person showed up within the half hour, but that was far from the case. There was a toxic mixture of anger and a bit of sadness brewing in her mind feeling a betrayal to some extent. Hana came to the conclusion that it all wasn't worth her time. If she couldn't count on them to show up in a reasonable amount of time then why should she bother giving them her time to begin with? Using her buns she'd thrust them against the building giving her enough of a push to balance back on both feet. "Ahh, fuck 'em. Guess I'll just grab some food on my way home." Hana started to look at the better side of things as she left the establishment. Although she only planned to have one drink, it was less alcohol and sugars in her body. Not to mention the bar food was probably not the best quality.

As she hummed along there was a familiar voice and honorific follow. Considering how big the city was, the odds of the both of them running into each other like this was slim to none. Her head turned and spotted Daisuke among the crowd dressed in some decent attire. Hana had a nonchalant expression on her face when she saw him, mouth opening in a bit of surprise but her visage not changing. "What're you doing here, Da- Doge?" She said, tripping over his actual name before correcting herself justly. Hana turned back the other way where she was originally heading and began walking. "Nah, I was just hanging out. Food started to sound good." Sushi sounded like a good option. It was light and tasty, and nutritionally one of the best foods someone could eat. There was a place that carried out a few blocks away. Conveniently it wasn't too far from home.

She seemed like she was hiding something... well, it wasn't Daisuke's place to pry, morally or practically speaking. He just took it for what it is and walked along with her, offering to eat alongside her. "Mind if I tag along? I haven't eaten anything and don't worry, I'll pay for my own meal." he did see the food she put in his fridge and while he hasn't gotten around to that yet, he didn't want her feeling entitled for every meal he has. He doubt she was going to anyway, but on the off-chance she showed a more softer side than she's letting on from yesterday, he didn't want her to commit that much.

"That is, if it's okay for me to come along. If you wanted to eat by yourself, I understand." considering the awkwardness of what happened yesterday, he would get it, but it couldn't stay awkward forever and they had to get it out somehow. He got the feeling that he's going to see Hana quite a bit for the next few years as a shinobi and he'd rather be on good terms with her than a shaky one.

There was also another factor to it, her words made him realize he didn't have many friends, of course he did have his family and his friends from the academy but they weren't actual "friends" and were more so friends of convenience, where as Hana showed a brutal honesty to Daisuke's situation that no one else has. He's still uneasy and still figuring out her words but at the same time, he appreciated her attempt to help his situation by giving him the advice she did.

Tsukimi had never been to a bar before. She knew what they were of course, establishments where alcohol and food were served – perhaps a bit more of the former than of the later. Her clan, the Hozuki, had their own private establishments that they deigned to drink within though – less “small, enclosed and shadowed spaces with loud music,” more “ballroom-esque, crystal-dripping, private conversations and performances.” And only her family had ever requested her time, her company before.

To say that Kaguya Hana’s email – an invitation to “hang out” with herself and a few of her cousins – came as a shock to Tsukimi was a gross understatement.

For the better part of an afternoon, Tsukimi had fretted, tormented herself over whether or not the email was a joke. After all, Hana was older – already a jounin – and one of the Kaguya – their interaction had been so scarce that nothing memorable came to Tsukimi’s mind, they were not friends.

Tsukimi didn’t really have any friends.

Yet, perhaps such was exactly the opportunity needed to change that.

A small hesitant flicker of hope that was just enough to convince her to prepare for the invited night. To meticulously comb out her long azure-hued hair, braiding specific strands with beads of pure gold. She rouged her lips, powdered her high-cheekbones and chose a kimono that delicately painted peacock-feather print from sleeve to hem, the straps of her obi a turquoise hue to match. Only when every last detail was “just-so”, perfection, did Tsukimi make to leave. However, she paused upon catching her reflection in the tall gilded mirror, kept in her home’s entrance-way. Staring at herself for a second, and then two, Tsukimi blanched, spun on her heel and dashed back towards her bedroom. To throw back her wardrobe’s doors, to pull things out wildly.

She felt so stupid. How could she hope to be accepted, to bond when she made herself look so – so – so different. The expensive and beautiful kimono and yukata that she owned suited the company of her family but, with sickeningly sharp certainty, it was doubtful that Hana would be dressed in the same. What she needed was something “simpler.”

It took some time and the emptying and discarding of almost her entire wardrobe but she eventually found a few items that her father had gifted to her – not to be worn but “admired.” Clothing popularized by outside lands. A skirt of coal-black velvet, tight and high-waisted it reminded her in that way of a kimono’s obi, however, the skirt only reached her knees, far too short for a kimono even though it spilled loosely down her thighs. A pearl-white blouse, high-buttoned collar with similar buttons at the cuffs of the sleeves, which only reached partly down her arms, but it was tight-fitting, her preference. Black stockings were alike a second-skin, worn with two-inch coal-black closed-toe sandals that sported tiny black bows at her toes.

Tsukimi had overestimated the cuteness of those shoes though, she realized. Her heels stinging, tellingly chaffed as she walked the village’s streets. Distracted from her discomfort only by the uncertainty of not knowing exactly where she was going – she had never been to the street of the bar that Hana had marked in her email.

Her golden-hued eyes swerving, trying to make sense of her surroundings, a head of telling white caught her attention. Biting her lip in anticipation of the sparks of hot pain that would inevitably fire up her heels, Tsukimi dashed forward. ”Hana-san!”

”I-I’m so sorry!” Colour bleeding across her cheeks, Tsukimi offered a shaky smile, one of apologetic embarrassment, once she had reached her. ”I didn’t mean to be so unfashionably late – I, uh –“ It was only then that Tsukimi noticed that Hana wasn’t alone. ”Daisuke?” She hadn’t thought that he was one of the cousins that Hana had mentioned inviting along.

The thought of company from Daisuke was a bit enlightening to her tossed evening plans. The alternative was her grabbing food, going home, browsing the internet all night until early morning, then crashing for the "night" then. She would've been no better than what she scolded Daisuke for being the day before. Hana did find it a bit awkward given the circumstance. Normally she would not consider the offering of taking Daisuke with her. After all the boy was still her slave, as he consented to, and to treat him like an equal seemed off. It seemed like it would have been better to rip on him and veer him, but then she would be left all alone. And that would make her the true loser in this scenario. "Sure. I planned on taking everything back to my place and just kick back. And don't worry about paying. Remember: doggies can't pay for their own chow." She followed with a subtle grin. Sushi was relatively inexpensive and it would be prude to get anal over the insignificant bill.

From the foreground a feminine voice cried out as blue locks weaved within the crowd appeared just before her and Daisuke. Among the invites she sent she was partly surprised the Hozuki was one to actually follow through. Hana remained nonchalant, not really upset or disappointed of her tardiness. Although she would love to hear how she managed to be half an hour late, the event was cancelled in the end. What surprised her the most was how she managed to know Daisuke by his real name. Perhaps she was wrong to assume he never got out as often as she thought. To know someone from another clan generally required one to be on relatively good terms with their kin in general. It was either that or they just happen to be acquainted through some measly D-rank mission or something. "oh? I see you already met my slave. Yeah, that whole bar invite is cancelled. You aren't the only one 'late' if you could call it that. We were going to go over to my place if you still wanna tag. If not, you don't have to stay." Hana said with inner sincerity in her words. She didn't want the Hozuki to feel like she had to stick with the plans following the change of events.

Through the brief exchange of words they were just outside the place Hana was looking for. "I'll be back in just a moment." She said stepping inside the building pushing some hanging tarp aside, which acted as the barrier between inside and out. The interior was nothing short of minimal. A few stools, a bar, and a back kitchen area where they prepared food and had their stock was all there was. The only two patrons sat at the bar— Hana assumed regulars given their size. "Hey there, Mister! Could I have the party platter to go please? Oh, and a two liter of Pepsi Max." Hana wasn't big on soda considering their hyper-processed nature. But she figured the other two would fancy it given their youth. She'd wait for the order to be fulfilled while subtly eavesdropping on Daisuke and Tsukimi. Hana was a bit curious about their relationship, if they were good friends and chatted casually or just stood in awkward silence.

Hana forgot her wallet at home. What a clutz. She snuck out of the building and decided to leave the two alone making a break to her apartment.

[Exit]

Daisuke simply rolled his eyes at her label of him, it looks like the whole slave stance hasn't changed but he'd let it slide just this once, since getting a free meal is worth a underhanded insult. It seems he has his plans for today sorted out, hanging with his "master" though he despised that term, making their whole friendship if they even have one, weird. When he thought the rest of the day was pretty much determined, someone else came along... a familiar face. The Hozuki he met the other day on that mission. He gets the feeling that he'll start to see her around a lot in the future at this rate. 

If it were just between Daisuke and Hana with her calling him a slave, that would be tolerable to some extent but he visibly cringed a bit when she outright stated it to Tsukimi, but afterwards he mostly took note that there was a "bar invite" which she didn't mention before, simply stating that she was just hanging around, followed by the "late" comment made him pick up that someone, or a group rather stood her up and Tsukimi is the only one to show. He wouldn't comment on it though, feeling a bit bad for Hana with her whole stance from yesterday.

When Hana went off to pick up the food they'll have, that opened a brief window for Tsukimi and Daisuke to talk. He didn't plan to have any awkward silence and he had a gut feeling that he'd see Tsukimi far more in the future, so he might as well build a solid friendship out of it. "You know Hana, huh? small world." he'd comment. He knew she's a bit... quiet and shy, so he'd leave it at that if she preferred to be quiet but otherwise, he'd preferred to pass the time with a little small talk at least.

After the substantial wait, Daisuke had a look inside the store and Hana was nowhere to be found... did she really just ditch them? he let out a sigh, turning to Tsukimi. "Looks like Hana's gone, don't know what she's thinking but it looks like it's cancelled. I'll see you some other time?" he said, starting to head off.

(Exit)