Freedom, Food and Fun!

Katsumi was dressed relatively nicely, considering that her choices in apparel were always more ‘form’ than ‘fashion’.  A short, light blue shirt covered what needed to be covered while still exposing her toned abs, a nice little decal on the front showing the waves, and a pair of white shorts that look like they might have just been a hint too small but seemed to work with her body.  Aside that, her short brown hair was well brushed, she was freshly cleaned from a good shower, and finished her ensemble with a few pieces of decoration in the form of a bracelet and a necklace.  It was just about as fancy as you could ever force Katsumi to be, but this time, she felt it was worth all the extra effort.

They were finally free.

Now, that wasn’t to say that the eldest Kurahasa sister thought that their time spent at WASP was a waste or even unenjoyable.  Quite the opposite in fact, there was no way she would have gotten as strong as she did unless she had went there instead of the stupid Ninja Academy.  She had mastered every E-Rank Taijutsu technique that was publicly offered, was stronger than most any of her classmates, and was setting her sights on her next goals, but all of that was going to have to wait.  She was not going to spoil their graduation celebration with more and more training.  Kitsuki had been talking about this little party they were going to have for quite a while now, and the smaller sister had expressed its importance thoroughly to her.  Kat had a bit of a soft spot for the youngest sister, and so, she would behave and not rush out for training or to challenge someone to a fight… yet.

If anything, she was being supportive; she had talked with their parents, and gotten the blessing for the celebration, although due to business, their parents wouldn’t be able to attend.  Even if it was just to be the Kit-Kat duo, that was fine too.  Their celebration would go off without a hitch.  After securing a small amount of funds from their parents for the party, Katsumi had found their favorite restaurant, a place that served just about anything under the sun, plus was the perfect mixture between fancy and a mom-and-pop place that served the most amazing food.  The taste of the food not prepared by the private school lunch lady was what she was most looking forward to, as well as some good times with her little sister.  Normally Katsumi was always running late for things like this, but not today; she was early, and pleased that all the preparations had been made.

They had an entire corner of the restaurant sectioned off with temporary partitions to give the party some privacy, a pair of dedicated waitresses to the event, and enough seats that if some people joined them, there would be plenty of room.  Akemi could join them, a friend from the school, or perhaps some others from their graduating class.  It was possible that their parents had fibbed to them and would show up to surprise them; Katsumi wasn’t taking any chances.  Besides, the owner of the restaurant was a friend of the family, so getting everything coordinated had been a breeze.  Sliding into one of the long booths and relaxing there, she waited for her sister to arrive.

[1]

Emiki learned from Kit about the dinner party. Of course her types of parties weren't usually Kit's cup of tea, but hearing that Kat was going to do her rare act of "dressing up", Emiki thought she'd join on the festivities, hopefully without overshadowing it with her presence. At least not intentionally.

Kit, Kat, and her. Three kinoichis from Kiri. All three from wealthy families. And all three never having heard of the others until they entered WASP. And each of them took too it differently; Kat seemed to thrive under the physical training and discipline to provided her. Making her an absolute beast in the ring. Kit seemed to take on the role of 'older sister' / 'nosey friend', and ended up growing really mature as the years passed, and the only thing that kept her from getting expelled. And one of the few people Emiki felt personally protective of. But Emiki, herself? Emiki felt she didn't really grow that much; just faster and sneakier. Outside of her reputation as party planner, social butterfly, and WASP's most disciplined prankster. For at least all the things they caught her doing.

As she wandered into restaurant wearing a light blue body suit and brown cropped bomber jacket. Holding a bag in her free arm, spotting Kat, she waved as she announced herself, "Hello Kat! Emiki has arrived! Where's Kit? Emiki wishes to bestow upon you both a gift, even greater than being in her presence!"

She threw up her signature smug grin, as she swaggered to the table.

[1]

For once, Kitsuki was the late one. The quiet girl had a reputation for punctuality, but on this occasion she had spent a bit more time in the recording studio than she had planned. Despite the wealth of the Kurahasa Family, she couldn't get Mom and Dad to loan her money for her very own recording studio. The two were very business minded and while she tried to persuade them that she could turn a profit with it, they were not convinced. They stressed that if she wanted something so grand, she'd need to scrap together her own funds and buy it, or convince someone else to front her the money. As a consequence of this, Kitsuki had to rent studio time and that came with its own complications. The most obvious being things took a lot longer to set up and fine tune because they were not calibrated to her specific tastes. By the time she had finished recording a couple of decent beats, the time had escaped her and she realized she was going to be late for the very celebration party that she had planned!

Kitsuki got showered, dressed, and ready to head out but by the time she had arrived Emiki and Katsumi were already there. Fortunately, she had organized and planned everything well in advance. There was little to no setup that needed to be done. All that was required was for them to show up and have a good time. Kat was dressed well, but fairly simply. Kitsuki was a far more elegant dresser. Preferring tailored clothes and silks that were professional yet still somewhat functional. For today's celebration, she wore a white blouse, riding jacket, white pants, and black boots. Kit was fond of equestrian attire and she based many of her own fashion designs on that style.

Many graduates of the WASP weren't exactly fond of the school or its teachers. A few would go on to exemplify the school's goals and ideals, but for the most part, people graduated and went back to being spoiled rich kids albeit with a slightly higher than average inclination towards charity. Kitsuki was part of that rare group who was a bit more proud of her alma mater. She wouldn't blatantly admit it, but the school did have a special in her heart. This graduation party was not only about celebrating how far they had come, but also how they'd chart their future as a trio. Kitsuki did have a few things on her mind in particular she wanted to share with the group.

Never the chattiest of girls or the most bold. The musician's entrance was very plain. She slid into the booth next to her sister and gave her a big hug. Kit could feel the strength behind her elder sister's frame. It was firm without being totally unyielding. The two were quite different in many ways, but Kit envied Katsumi's strength and prowess in martial arts. She had studied it for years and while she was no slouch, she had yet to attain the level of skill that Kat often displayed.

She broke her hug with Kat and then turned to Emiki and smiled. Reaching in her jacket pocket, she retrieved three ring boxes which she put on the table. Three rings were contained within the boxes. Each ring had their class year engraved along with their favorite gemstone and a symbol representing their subject of choice. Kitsuki had designed each ring herself as she wanted to make absolute sure the uniqueness of her two best friends was captured as accurately as possible. The meek girl shrugged her shoulders and gave a sly smile. She was proud of her art, not boastful, but proud and confident. She was certain they'd like it.

"Happy graduation guys, sorry I'm late"

The first to show was Emiki, which was both a surprise, and not. It was a surprise because Kitsuki was usually the one early, and on time at the very latest, but considering how consumed she had been with her recording as of late, perhaps that was understandable. It was not a surprise because Emiki, who loved to talk in third person for one reason or another, was someone who was fast... and not just, hey, this person can run pretty quick fast, but like... really fast. If nothing else, her being on time was something that she did because she wasn't capable of going slow, or so the tallest of the trio surmised.

Katsumi waved as her friend approached, gesturing to the seat across from her, leaving room next to her for her little sister, and this was their normal setup, even in WASP, when they sat somewhere. Kitsuki liked to be at Katsumi's side, while the energetic sprite liked to sit across from them, able to wave her arms while describing something or just be herself without hitting anyone with an errant elbow. Emiki being Emiki, she was a bit of a showboat, even by Katsumi's standards, so hearing that a gift was being brought to the table was not something unexpected. But just as she was opening her mouth and inhaling to respond, the dark skinned woman heard the door open again, and the shorter sister arrived, bringing a smile to Kat's face.

As per usual, she gave Kitsuki a firm but not crushing hug, smiling down at her as things got settled. "Jeez! Here I thought I was gonna be unique and bring a gift, seems like both of ya had the same idea!" she exclaimed, obviously pleased at this, and then picking up the box that was presented to her, curious and inspecting it for a moment before popping it open. Her light blue eyes shined as she inspected the ring, noting that hers was made particularly sturdy, smart considering how many times she wound up punching people, but shined with details that were beyond dazzling. Katsumi was no expert on jewelry, but to say that this was beyond stunning was not an understatement. Slipping it carefully onto her middle finger, as that was where it was most comfortable after a little trial and error, she examined her hand for a moment before giving Kitsuki another strong hug, a hint more squishing than before. "Thanks sis!" she said happily, smiling from ear to ear.

Before she could be upstaged by Emiki and her gift though, she quickly reached into her back pocket and produced a pair of hard paper slips. She put one in front of each of them, and then sat back and smiled. Reading them, they would look like professionally made coupons, each good for a single use, offering each of them a 'favor' of their choosing, no questions asked. This, as they would both know, was not something to be taken lightly; Katsumi rarely helped anyone aside those who couldn't help themselves with little stuff, and definitely didn't help people with no questions asked. It wasn't fancy like Kitsuki's gift, but it wasn't any less valuable in her eyes. "It ain't much yet... might wanna save it for a rainy day! No expiration date on them things!"

[2]

Upon seeing Katsumi wave her over Emiki flickered over to the table in a flash, "Hi Kat, where's Kit she usually is the first one there when she pulls a party."

After a while Kitsuki walked in, in her normal unassuming manner. But having spotted her Emiki let loose a loud wolf whistle and enthusiastically waved her over. As she saw the two hug she let loose a small 'd'awww' at the site. Their sisterly bond almost making her wish too bug her parents into getting her a sibling or two. As she traded gifts with Kitsune, Emiki wasted no time in opening hers and seeing the ring slipped it on and gave her chest a thump as a massive grin split her face, "This gift is perfect. Emiki loves it very much, thank you.".

But it was Kat's gift that floored Emiki, a favor, no questions asked, as Kat mentioned them not being worth much, Emiki let loose a mighty belly laugh, "Pfft! Not worth that much? Ha! This is the most valuable gift in the world. Emiki feels humbled at this gift, and will treasure it until I need use of it. You are both amazing friends, and Emiki is honored to have earned your friendships."

And now it was Emiki's turn to give her gifts. In her eyes they weren't as pretty as Kit's nor as priceless as Kat's. They'd hopefully be a nice gift for her friends.

Emiki handed them their gift bags.  Katsumki's had some quality monogrammed resistance bands, Kat's favorite protein bars, and a years membership to the best Gym in Kiri. Emiki's family paid to get for all three of them at her behest, and things that Emiki felt her friend could use in her path of self-betterment.

She had something similar for Kitsune, having got her custom earphones, a personal organizer, and the a slip for an appointment for a music coach to help her hone her musical talent. Much like Emiki herself, was as thoughtful as it was ostentatious.  

She'd give a warm smile to her friend, "Emiki hopes that you like your gift. Emiki thought that they'd be useful to you both, and be a thoughtful way of reminding you of our friendship. It'd be sad if we parted ways after making it this far together."

Emiki knew that she came across as self-centered, and every part the egomaniac to most people. And in some cases it was true, she knew she was skilled; born into a great family; and had a superbly ripped body with abs that you could bounce a bowling ball off of. But Kat and her sister were able to see past that, and the friendships she gained were important to her.  And in a rare display of softness from her usual bold and outspoken nature gave a gentle blush and in a slightly quite tone added, "You two are the first friends I've ever made, and the only two that are from Kiri like me. I hope we can build a name for ourselves and make many great memories together that we can cherish."

Her dropping the third person pronouns, showing just how serious she was at the moment.

[2]

Kitsuki smiled as she watched her closest friends open up their gifts. The joy that was marked on their faces filled her with pride, She had designed the rings and although she knew they'd appreciate any gift she gave them, it was especially nice to see them admire the craftsmanship. Katsumi gave her a close hug and Emiki thanked her, referring to herself in the third-person as she often did.

"You're both very welcome."

Katsumi then turned to give her and Emiki a gift as well. A small slip of paper allowing them one favor each. Kit's eyes widened and she tucked the slip of paper in her inner jacket pocket for safe-keeping. A favor from her older sister was priceless. There was no telling what she'd use it on, but she knew its importance and vowed to keep it safe. "Thanks Katsumi and trust me this gift is worth the world and more. It'll only increase in value as you grow stronger..."

Then came Emiki-chan's turn to give them some gifts. Emiki's gifts were very personalized. Katsumi received some gym equipment and Kitsuki received items related to her love of music. The earphones in particular were prized. Kitsuki examined them and blushed red with excitement. They were stylish and clearly cutting edge. The organizer was very helpful considering she had a lot of responsibilities now that she was a shinobi and a budding music producer. The planner would help her keep track of things. The music coach appointment was also quite valuable. Kitsuki was considered a virtuoso by many but she firmly believed that there were always ways to improve and she found that the higher end music coaches tended to be very busy. Getting noticed by them was difficult so having an appointment set for her was quite valuable and she was very grateful for it. She gathered them up and placed them in a bag to take home.

"Thank you so much Emiki! You know me very well."

Kit was reserved but Emiki did know how to bring out the excitable part of her personality. The girl confessed that she wanted the gifts to be a reminder of their friendship. She wanted them to stick together and honestly, Kitsuki felt the same way. She was naturally shy and quiet. Having two strong and loud personalities to lean on was helpful to her. She hoped that one day she could be as assertive as the two of them. She reached across the table and took Emiki-chan's hands in her own. She could tell her friend felt as strongly about their relationship as she did.

"Emiki-chan, we will always be friends....we're all different but that's what makes us so strong. Sometimes school felt like the hardest thing in the world and I don't know if I could have gotten through it all without you guys's help. If we can survive the WASP, we can survive anything!"

Katsumi took the bag from Emiki and slowly opened it, looking inside and pulling out the items with a massive smile on her face. The resistance bands would see some good use, and the vanilla protein bars were going to be saved for when she really needed them because they were rare. Vanilla was not something found in Kiri, so it must have been imported, making them both rare and expensive. But the year membership at the gym was something that she was going to use... like... today. Katsumi always trained hard, but she never went to the gyms because she was too damn proud to ask her parents for the money to do it and too damn stingy to use what little of her own money she had on such a thing. it was why she could be seen using rocks for weight and such.

She eyed the gifts handed to her sister and smiled. This was really awesome... the perfect way to celebrate their graduation. But it was when Emiki dropped her normal third-person pronouns that Katsumi really understood the depth of what it was that they were to the speedster. Katsumi slugged Emiki's shoulder lightly, more of a push than anything, and gave her a wide smile. "We gonna make the whole village know who we are. Probably the other ones too." She then regarded them both for a moment.

"Now... we got this fancy section of the place all to ourselves, why don't we get some food started, eh?" Ever the bottomless pit, Katsumi was hungry and began waving a hand to flag over the waitress. "You guys order first, eh?" She gave them a smile and then pulled a menu closer to take a look at what she wanted.

[3]

Emiki felt her face grow flush, and puffed out her chest with her natural cheerful bravado at the thanks from her friends, "Of course, what are good friends for." Emiki crowed. While internally she was happy that she was able to read her friends well enough to get them things that they'd enjoy.

At the playful punch from Kat, and her proclamation that they'd make Kiri and the other nations know their name. Emiki gave an enthusiastic nod of her head, before giving a playful one-two to Kat's arm that'd feel like a tap than a blow, "Just like in school. We're to amazing of a team to not shake the world with our amazing skills."

As they settled into getting their food, Emiki would order the Uni Yukhoe appetizer, the Dragon Cut Kalbi + Ippon Hormon main dish, and a bottle of Japanese Whiskey to share, after ordering the drink she'd throw on her patented 'I'm probably up to no good, but it'll be fun' smile, "We've graduated. Let's say we enjoy a bottle full of revels and good - bad decisions in a cup?"

[3]

Kitsuki nodded vigorously in agreement with her sister's words. The three of them were an unstoppable team. Kitsuki was looking forward to them taking the shinobi world by storm. She was normally reserved and often preferred to spend more time in the recording studio than on the battlefield but there were times when the spirit of martial camaraderie took hold of her. Now was one of those times. Kit was pretty hungry and so she ordered a Yellowtail Amberjack with a side of sushi and sashimi. She was a pescatarian, a habit actually picked up from the WASP School. Once she had ordered, Kit set aside the menu and put her hands on the table. There was something that was on her mind but she needed to work up the courage to say it. She knew that she could tell Emiki and Katsumi anything in the whole wide world but there were some things that were harder to talk about than others. For now, Kitsuki kept quiet and gathered her thoughts.

Katsumi gently shook her head side to side regarding the alcohol, as it was one of the few things she had never tried before, and she wasn’t certain what her tolerance would be. Almost as quick as she was about to politely (or at least politely for her) decline the idea, her stomach growled menacingly as if to indicate that it would be unwise to refuse any type of sustenance. But first and foremost, she needed food before trying to focus on any type of drink. After piking out an assortment of things that sounded good, she finally turned to address the speedster. “Can’t say I’ll drink more than one cup for sure, ‘cause I dunno what my body can handle, but I’m down for at least one cup of mystery.” Almost unconsciously, one strong arm slowly snaked behind her sister’s frame, pulling her into another sideways hug.

“Between the three of us, the world as a whole better keep their shittin’ pants on, ‘cause we are gonna steamroll anything that comes at us.” She gave her normal confident smile and then leaned back, putter her hands behind her head and even in her fancy outfit, showing off unintentionally just a little bit. She settled in and relaxed, waiting on her food, and not entirely sure where to take the conversation from here... perhaps that was what they needed to talk about next? “So, with that bein’ said... what now? Do some missions? I heard we are gonna get a Jounin eventually but I don’t wanna sit around and not get stuff done when we could be earnin’ some money and shi— stuff, you know?” She had been trying to cut out the swearing, at least for tonight, when it was supposed to be a formal event.

[4]