A Taste Of High Society

Banquet invitations would be sent out to each clan head: Yuki, Kaguya, and Hozuki as well as a special invite for Kitsuki and Arisu. Kitsuki was not apart of the major clans in Kirigakure, but was entrusted with the task as representative of the general pubic. The Otsutsuki did not have an established clan in Kirigakure, but were well associated with the Kaguya and their numbers started to grow. It only made sense that the Otsutsuki would begin to be acquainted with the other great clans of Kirigakure is there was potential to integrate them formally in the city.

The banquet would be hosted in a very expensive hotel and would take place in the ball room which has been reserved by the city. The room would be decorated and set up with a long table and several seats. The quality of the furniture alone would be astonishing to those unfamiliar with the Aristocratic way of life. For a temporary event the amount of effort put into the setup seemed permanent, but the rich of course had the money to spare. The cooks were staffed with the Imperial House's own assembly line as the hotel staff's cooks were not over underqualified, but untrusted enough to serve for the royalty of the Water Empire.

It was rare to see Hana outside of her military outfit or something extremely casual. Hana often needed a lot of help to do basic preening and needed a series of baths spaced throughout the day to wash any mustiness which remained from her general neglected hygiene. She was fair-skinned from head to toe having alluring golden eyes which were considered uncommon, but prized compared to the usual blue or green many Kaguya had. She wore low heel dress shoes which was all it took to kick her height up to a standing six feet. A pair of black thigh high stockings ended midway up her thighs, and these would be paired with an extravagant black dress which glorified her substantial bust. She wore a pair of long black gloves whose design had the thumbs exposed for whatever reason. Hana didn't know. She just wore what the professional told her to. She figured they were to show off her painted nails, since a fully closed glove would hide those features. To top off her expensive outfit she wore a cluster of freshly picked, young red lilies.

The Mizukage was garnished with perfume, the brand alluding her, but the smell reminiscent of cucumber and mint. It was sweet, delicious, and refreshing. Hana held a wallet in both hands close to her chest which was packed with fifty thousand ryo, her identification card, and chewing gum. These were her essentials. Being unarmed and in public admittedly made her feel a bit insecure, but it was only a natural side effect of being a mobile fortress at all times. Hana ascended a set of concrete steps which led her to the front doors of the hotel. Finding her way inside the lobby she beelined straight to the ball room which had the doors propped opened, guarded by two staff members on either side. Security was certainly nothing skimped on.

The doors led to a winding hallway which eventually led to the room itself. Two long tables accompanied most of the ball floor, and between them were garden plots and fountains to serve as decoration for this three hour event. The tables and chairs were made of extravagant mahogany, treated and finished as they appeared relatively new. The chairs were finished with an imported leather cushion and backrest making them very easy to sit in for long periods of time. The table was already set with the basics: masu cups with glass sake cups centered, plates, chopsticks, bowls, napkins, and tea cups. The tableware were all lacquered and appeared to have some quality to them. The type of flatware many upper-middle class people would save for special occasions. At the front of the ball room was a smaller, more narrow table with two seats, likely for the Emperor and the Empress.

Before Hana could get far inside the ball room she was intercepted by staff, requesting her name and position. "Hana Kaguya, Mizukage and just a regular councilperson if I recall." Hana was a bit uncertain of her position in the grand scheme of things, but she did require mandatory attendance to this meeting. The man directed her to the left side of the room to seat at once of the empty spaces. Upon closer inspection she read the signs at the ends of each table. One was designated for Council members and the other for the Lords. Unaware of the implications she did what she was told and sat towards the end away from those already seated and socializing. Hana had an odd feeling being...little again. She was used to authority as Mizukage, but in this room she was back to being at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak. Her capabilities in battle meant nothing to the land owners and royalty which infested this place. So in this particular setting, Hana Kaguya was nothing more than a naive, young woman.

Hana picked up the masu cup after removing the sake glass, examining it curiously as to what purpose it served. Was it supposed to serve as a drink coaster? Bringing the box up to her nose she gave a few curious whiffs. It certainly had traces of alcohol in its past. The banquet started in just a few minutes giving all candidates the chance to settling in and for the meeting to start before the main event of the evening.

Kitsuki lived for banquets. It had been one of her strongest subjects at her alma mater and it was an area that jived with her general personality. The Dean of Etiquette had instructed her students that the epitome of aristocracy was the grand ball and/or banquet. Every lesson was building up to this monumental event. The grand crescendo where luxury, intrigue, and love all blossomed. The students of the WASP were graded meticulously on their social grace. It was a part of the core curriculum and it was that aspect that had given it the title of being the most prestigious finishing school in all of the ninja world. Kitsuki had passed her etiquette exams with flying colors and her skills remained sharp to this day. The food, the music, the fancy attire, every piece no matter how small was broken down to its essential elements and mastered. This was no different.

Kitsuki started with her dress. Unlike Hana, she insisted on doing it all herself. She refused the Royal Handmaidens and Fashionistas. She had more style in a strand of kinky hair than they did in their whole bodies. Kit was partial to uniforms, suits, and tuxedos. It was a bold choice given that women were expected to wear long flowing dresses, but her Dean had counseled her that bucking the trend was what made the Belle of the Ball, well, the Belle of the Ball. However, going with a suit would be too tame. Kit always wore a suit and it was part of her appearance at this point. If she was going to be formally introduced to Royal Society then she'd need to make an impression that highlighted her feminity and individuality. Something that showed that this wasn't just another white-collar event that she had to go to. With that purpose in mind, Kit designed a dress from the ground up. It was pink at its base but there was a fine pattern that stretched along the edges. The detailed lines converged into the back where they formed a beautiful mural of an Angel watching over an island nation.

Poⴻⵜⵉⵛ! ⵉ ⵍⵉⴽⴻ ⵉⵜ!

The dress covered most of her back obscuring the Yakuza tattoos she had gotten when she was younger. She wasn't ashamed of them but she did wonder how different her life would have been if she kept going down that path. Shaking off the doubts, Kit prepped the rest of her outfit. A pair of matching satin pink evening gloves, well groomed hair in its usual style but within flexible diamond bands instead of gold, high heels, and of course a perfect application of makeup. Kit's perfume was a gentle lavender, not overpowering but providing a pleasant touch to her grace. Kit was about to leave when she spied one last accessory. The golden flower that Okane had created for her out of thin air. She sighed when she saw it. It was a magnificent hair piece and it complimented her look wonderfully. It would also be a neat conversation-starter. Kit grabbed the flower and affixed to her hair. She then made her way to the banquet.

After ascending the stairs and making her way down the hall, Kit was greeted by a sea of royal faces. She recognized some of them since she was a member of the Royal House and the daughter of a prominent merchant family. It was likely her parents would be here too although they knew better than to crowd her at an event like this. Kit curtsied where necessary and exchanged the standard pleasantries with the people in power. Every blink, step, and word was carefully calculated to achieve maximum effect. If charisma were a stat then Kit's would be X-Rank. She turned on her charm to its highest level and won the affection of several nobles. Once the merriment of greetings was at its end, Kit sauntered to the table where the Mizukage sat. Kit could tell right away that the Kaguya felt out of place. She wasn't schooled in the art of fine dining and grace. The ignorant vibe she was giving off was concerning and so Kit swooped in to save her superior.

"Mizukage-sama, you look positively radiant this evening" she said before giving a curtsy and taking a seat beside the woman. "I love your dress...but you want to sit up straight a little like this" Kit tried to correct Hana's posture. She'd then say: "You looked like you haven't worked the room. I could introduce you to some people if you like"

Kit would ordinarily feel very self-concious about correcting her Kage. But this was an area that she was confident she knew everything about. It wouldn't look good if Kiri's Kage was socially inept. Years of training at the WASP, her job was House Rep, and her general attitude made her a natural fit as an etiquette coach.

Sayuri was not enthused about having to go to a banquet. Even one with that seemed to be as fancy as the invitation suggested. Since she had literally been living in a cave for the past. . . as long as she cared to remember, it had been a while since she’d had to go to any events. When she was younger and still under the rule of her parents she’d had to go to many, it was part and parcel of keeping up appearances and being part of the clan. Through some mysterious turn of fate Sayuri had found herself as the leader of the Yuki clan, which she had only accepted as she loved the irony of it. In her mind the clan had done little for her and so she would gladly return the favour. There was nothing she could think of that she wouldn’t do to tear down the Yuki and their arrogance. But her plan was more far reaching than simply getting rid of them or destroying their undeserved reputation for greatness. She was content to play the part of clan leader for now, pose as a respectable member of society and sow the seeds of their eventual annihilation patiently.

She had gone through many different ideas for what to wear before arriving at the ballroom. She eventually decided on a midnight blue floor length gown, silk and off the shoulder and edged with white fox fur. From the back of her shoulders flowed a single sheer piece of chiffon in the same midnight blue shade that billowed behind her as she walked and had delicately embroidered snowflakes that made an asymmetrical pattern along it with silver thread. Her long pale blonde hair was plaited loosely over one shoulder, small white flowers and sprigs of tiny red berries giving her a touch of playfulness against the otherwise austere and somber looking ensemble. She had opted for a few pieces of jewelry, despite loathing the trinkets, and an elaborately winter themed silver necklace and set of earrings completed the outfit. She was fairly certain that anyone that couldn’t tell that she represented the Yuki would need to have their eyes checked.

She didn’t wear shoes as usual. She hated them in fact, she’d always preferred the feeling of the ground against her bare feet. But over time she had come to believe that footwear was a sign of those in power seeking to control hers. It was perhaps an unfounded belief, and one only born of the madness that plagued her, but she clung to it desperately. Her gown was more than long enough to disguise her lack of shoes, unless someone was specifically looking of course. But she doubted that anyone would bother saying anything, usually no one did. Most people either ignored her completely or chose not to mention that particular facet of her personage.

She was stopped at the entrance to the ballroom, which she had expected and she would speak quietly her name and position. Another thing she hated. Speaking. Though she had become used to it the more time she had spent with Sero and Azrael. She would make her way into the ballroom tentatively, this was far more elaborate than any gathering she had attended thus far and the sheer number of unknown people gave her pause. She had not been prepared for this, and it probably showed in her timid manner. What she wanted to do was rip everyone in the room to pieces and make a real banquet. But she did actually know better than to just allow her every whim to take over, no matter how tempting. Scanning the room she did her best to avoid eye contact with everyone, not wishing to invite conversation or attention of any kind. She saw three tables, one obviously for someone important and the other two suited to the common rabble. Like her. She would make her way towards one of the tables, reading the card at the end of it. Unfortunately the first one she had approached was meant for the Lords, which she was fairly sure she wasn’t. So she would wander over towards the other one and find a seat that was comfortably away from the other people she saw sitting there. If she had to sit here she didn’t plan on doing it sitting that close to anyone she didn’t know. As she took her seat she would glance up briefly and offer a nod to the people she barely saw, immediately returning her gaze downwards and focusing on the cutlery that had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world.

Spoiler:

‘Clan Head’ was a title that Chigetsu had never seen himself having. The Hōzuki was an ancient clan that traced their lineage back as far as eight hundred years, to the time of the Sage himself, and their influence in Kirigakure no Sato and the greater Land of Water was second to none. Their dominance of these lands was how Kirigakure no Sato even formed in the first place and established itself as a major nation, and today they still theoretically maintained many high ranking positions inside the village itself and theoretical control of the navy. Of course, it was impossible to not recognize that their influence had waned since their organization of Kirigakure. Despite their continued massive trade empire there had yet to be a single Mizukage from the clan, and their theoretical influence and power was quickly being proven as a facade. This had been essentially the only reason that Chigetsu had ended up elected to the position through the Hōzuki peculiar democratic institutions. He was, or had been, a rising star within the village. Winning the Chunin Exams, being personally trained by the Mizukage, and then later dating the Mizukage as well? Having been personally selected to be a member of the royal family sealed the deal, and without even running for election Chigetsu managed to win the position, much to his chagrin. Now here he was, at a banquet he didn’t want to attend as a clan head he had never wanted to be. Formal events, political significance, princes and princesses - Chigetsu somehow bumbled his way into this situation without meaning to or realizing it until it was too late. Things got out of hand fast, and nothing went the way that he had expected it too. But what else was new? To a certain extent Chigetsu was used to this. He had to be at this point, after so many previous moments of anxiety, he expected things like this to happen.

He arrived at the right place at the right time, and instantly Chigetsu was able to recognize a few of the other participants. The location was unfamiliar, some big expensive hotel in some fancy ballroom that Chigetsu never recognized, but the makeup of the Imperial House was full of people that Chigetsu was already familiar with and that took a lot of the edge off. It was one thing to dive into a new situation with strangers, but around Hana and Kitsuki it was much more tolerable. Of course, it was like some bizarre dream version of their normal interactions. The last time Chigetsu had seen Hana dressed like this was their first date, and he had never seen Kitsuki without her signature aesthetics. Of course, it was impossible to judge given how Chigetsu was dressed right now. With a white pinstripe dress shirt together with a grey buttoned vest and black tie, it was safe to say that Chigetsu was dressed very much different than usual as well. He had the entire suit look going on, with a matching white pair of slacks and white suede shoes to go with his white suit overcoat. The black tie and grey vest were the only imprints of color on his outfit, creating a contrast that stood out against the whiteness of his outfit and drew attention to the tie. If it wasn’t that he still had her signature pink hair and braid Chigetsu would have been completely unrecognizable. This was probably the first time they had worn clothing made for men in years, and just by the way they were dressed now it was clear that their biological sex was just from a look. There was no illusion of girly outfits that could compensate for the flatness of his chest, and especially with the masculine quality that the suit gave off. Having Chigetsu now in the suit and Kitsuki in a dress was another odd quirk of the setting, given that it was a swap of their usual outfits.

The well fitted suit and appropriate posture that Chigetsu was forcing himself to assume made him put off an entirely different aura, once of (fake) confidence. That lasted up until the moment they were intercepted by staff, requesting his name and position, at which point the entire tower that Chigetsu was putting up nearly collapsed on the spot. His shoulders drooped, and he froze in place like a deer in the headlights for a few moments. This hadn’t been something he had planned for. A good few seconds passed, during which the staff member would stare down at Chigetsu expecting an answer and he would silently stare back.

“... Chigetsu Hōzuki. Jounin of Kirigakure… Council… Councilper… I was invited.”

After another second of staring the staff member would jot something down on the clipboard he was carrying, although it was obvious from how long he was writing that it was more than just Chigetsu’s name and position. Once it seemed like he was free to go Chigetsu would awkwardly shuffle into the ballroom, trying to forget that encounter had ever happened.

Seeing how bad that first encounter had already gone, Chigetsu made no further attempts at socialization. That wasn’t what he was here for, having no taste for it in the first place or desire for power, connections, or political significance. Instead he naturally gravitated towards people he already knew. Hana and Kitsuki had already congregated, and if drawn by gravity he would take a seat beside the two. A seat was taken beside Hana, on the other side as the one Kitsuki had taken, and the moment he would rest down that false confidence and posture he had been trying to maintain would deflate. While he probably should have introduced himself, or said something in particular as he sat down, truthfully there wasn’t much for him to say.

“Hana, Kitsuki.”

He had witnessed Kitsuki correcting Hana’s posture as he approached, and with that in mind after a few moments of that deflated slouch he would straighten back up into a more presentable form. Enough so that hopefully Kitsuki wouldn’t feel the need to correct his too.

Arisu had recently been invited the banquet with a special invitation for her as an Otsutsuki. As the most well known Otsutsuki, as well as her association with the Kaguya clan, Arisu was chosen as a representative of her people, which made sense to the Rinnegan wielder.

Unfortunately, she couldn't bring Naitome, her Chuunin protectorate, or the recently sent squad of Jounin that Konoha had seen fit to grace her with, a little too late, but not for Arisu's paranoia. She'd been worried that another attack on herself would be imminent. Of course she stationed them outside the place for quick access in case she needed them. Naitome was a good way to guarantee she had quick and reliable means of conveying messages.

She herself had decided to wear a dark blue Kimono that faded into lighter shades the further down it went, with the bottom being fully white. She wore a short white haori threaded with gold infused string. She wore an assortment of single flowers on the side of her head, braided into her hair. Most were blue roses, but they all met in the middle with a single black rose. Her hair was immaculately braided and twisted into a bun, with a side bang intentionally left undone.

Everything about her from head to toe was made with the finest materials available to the wealthy. Arisu's time in the Kaguya clan district had its perks. She had some excellent handlers who catered to her every whim, taking care of her hair, her clothes, and anything she could want.

Her rinnegan active, as she couldn't necessarily turn it off while maintaining Naitome's pathdom, Arisu spotted Kitsuki and Hana. If there was anywhere safe to be, it would be with them. Arisu walked with grace that matched and surpassed any of the nobility around. She'd grown up in a place where nobility was everything, and had always been taught to keep her composure, regardless of the situation. Never let her emotions show unless it was slight. It would command attention. Arisu could never feel out of place in these things.

Unlike Kitsuki, who made an effort to address people, Arisu's take was equally as attention grabbing. She made no effort to notice anyone in particular. In cases such as hers, she preferred to let people approach her instead. Never be the one eager to seek out the high class. They'd seek you out, and that acknowledgement would be the best way to prove you belonged. There were often those who wanted to fit in, and they'd look for the biggest connections. Kitsuki was correct about having connections though. Once made, it was smart to maintain them, and acknowledge them. One way to avoid having to wait for someone to approach you was to use your connections to introduce you to their connections. In that manner, it honored both groups with neither trying to acknowledge the other's superiority in any official way.

"Kitsuki-san. Mizukage-sama." Arisu gave a small curtsy as well when she approached them, but did not acknowledge the pink haired individual. She'd briefly remembered meeting them in a cart a decent amount of time ago, but they hadn't really talked then either, so she wouldn't initiate a familiarity there. To do so would be acknowledging the person as an equal or superior.

The first to arrive was Kitsuki, the young ebony Chuunin Exam champion who quickly rose through the ranks as a Jounin of Kirigakure. She greeted Hana with a curtsy, in which Hana responded by blankly staring at her, posture slouched as she naturally sat. This was immediately corrected by Kitsuki, placing her hand at her back to assist with having a straight posture. Hana knew how to sit properly, but willingly chose not to. It was bothersome to keep up for long periods of time. She simply wasn't used to behaving in such a manner, and her body would naturally return to a slouch over time. But for the time being she maintained her back posture for the sake of Kitsuki to try and not defy her like a fussy child. And like a child, Hana naturally smirked at Kitsuki's comment in regards to 'working the room', something she naturally processed as some sort of lewd jest instead of its actual meaning which didn't take a genius to figure out.

" 'Work the room' huh?" She said, humping her hips simulating a pelvic thrusting motion having countless sexual implications with a dirty grin. An older councilwoman across from Hana just a few seats down passed a glare in Hana's direction, being one of the only strangers in this room to catch a glimpse the Mizukage's inappropriate behavior. But the lady would return her attention to the man she was speaking too as the vinegar expression she had on her face slowly washed away. "No I get what you mean. Lets see..." She said, scanning the room. Hana preferred to get to know someone younger. The older folk were harder to associate with, and admittedly she found it difficult not to cringe at their mannerisms, expectations, and overall sense of humor. The generation gap was as wide as ever given how fast the village developed into a teeming metropolis.

"How about her?" She said, nodding her head in the direction of the loner at the far end of the table. Without seeking any confirmation Hana scooted her chair without ever getting up, the legs of the chair screeching as they chalked up the hardwood flooring of the ballroom. The chairs that were lined up were pushed out of the way as she neared the Yuki is a series of rhythmic scoots. Once she got to the near end of the table she rose off her chair just slightly and planted her buns on the empty seat next to Sayuri. What remained were several empty seats scrambled in something reminiscent of a row, and a scratched up hardwood floor in her wake. The Yuki's gaze was originally focused on the eating utensils lined up before her, but Hana sought to make her presence known. "Hey, I'm Hana!" She said in a casual sense, reaching into her wallet and retrieving a worn pack of spearmint gum. "Want some?" She said, opening the tab and offering a foil wrapped stick. It was the best icebreaker she had, and it was fairly successful during her time in school before she sought a career in the military.

Among the different smells which fumigated the air Hana was able to pick up the pleasant scent of two familiar people, giving a few audible whiffs of her nose when she did. Turning her nose up she scanned the crowd of people trying to find the individuals where the draft came from. Sure enough she saw a pink head and a white one, two fairly uncommon hair colors among the gray, black, blonde, and brown which were most prolific. As they broke the crowd Hana was able to recognize their faces and who they were. Chigetsu Hozuki was wearing his suit, which like her, seemed to have been the only piece of formal clothing in their wardrobe, and Arisu Otsutsuki donning a kimono keeping is classy as usual. The two would gravitate to the familiar faces and greet themselves standardly. "Hey guys, glad you could make it! Pull up a chair. I think the food should be ready soon. Have you guys met Kitsuki yet?" Hana said eagerly, gesturing to the Kurahasa near her. It wasn't often Hana got to be around so many familiar faces at once. To know they all held the same amount of power in the elite political scene in the Water Empire was a bit comforting knowing the people she cared about were moving up in the world.

Kitsuki smiled as Hana responded positively to her correction. She knew that it wasn't easy for a Kage to take instruction from a newly minted Jounin so Hana's cooperation lit her up like a Christmas tree. Unfortunately her response to Kit's suggestion turned a moment of optimism into a lewd horror. Hana's interpretation of her question was fairly pornographic. Even if it was a joke it was totally inappropriate for the circumstances. Kit stared at Hana as her face slowly filled with blood. A prominent blush overtook her facial features as she watched Hana simulate sexual intercourse.

....What? No! Please stop!

Kit pleaded with her eyes as her throat was frozen. She was making a scene and Kit (ever attentive to the eyes of others at an event such as this) couldn't help but notice a passing look of disgust from a councilwoman. The kunoichi bit her lip and gave the slightest shake of the head. For a lady to be so vulgar at such a high class event was the Bijuu of Faux Pas. If the Dean of Etiquette could see Hana's gyrations she'd either fly into a bloody rage or pass out from shock. Kitsuki didn't like to talk about sex, it was un-ladylike to discuss one's discretions and she personally had zero experience in that field. Fortunately, Hana stopped and indicated that she understood the true intent behind her suggestion. She spied a beautiful woman nearby and proceeded to move towards her in the most obtrusive manner possible. Kit stared as Hana scooted her chair over to the blonde woman and introduced herself.

She had hardly noticed the Yuki when she had arrived, but a infinitesimal buzz in her hair indicated that she should watch out for her.

ⵀⴻⴰⴷ oⵏ ⴰ ⵙⵡⵉⵠⴻⵍ ⴽⵉⵜ....ⵙⵀⴻ'ⵙ ⴰ ⴱⴰⴷ ⴻⴳⴳ.

Zizz could sense evil glowering from the Ice Princess. The angel had promised Kit that she'd remain the size of a speck for the duration of the banquet, but the presence of such malice provoked a response.

Down girl... Kit thought. What are you reading?
ⴱⵍooⴷⵍⵓⵙⵜ. ⴰⵏⵅⵉⴻⵜⵢ. ⴷⵉⵙⴷⴰⵉⵏ.

That was all Kit needed to hear. She wasn't sure what someone of that disposition was doing sitting at the Princess table but she'd be watching Sayuri for the rest of the night. In that moment, Kit had forgotten about Hana's lack of manners and was now focused on the safety of everyone in the room. She hadn't expected a fight in the heart of the city but this was Kiri and it seemed that evil lurked at every corner. Fortunately, dawn broke just when it was darkest. Chigetsu soon joined them in his typical timid fashion. Kitsuki turned to him and flashed a warm smile.

"Hello Chigetsu!" she said. She leaned over and gave a modest kiss on each side of his cheeks. It was a customary greeting among royals who were very close to one another. She hoped that it would give Chi some confidence. He was among allies and friends which meant there was no reason to be afraid. Kit was glad that Chigetsu was sitting upright thereby excising the need to correct him. "Looking quite dapper this evening if I might say" she said before giving a coy wink. Kit didn't have long to celebrate the Grand Champion's arrival. The attendance of Arisu Ōtsutsuki brought Zizz right to attention and Kit followed suit.

ⵛoⵍoⵏoⵉⵣⴻⵔ!!

Kit mentally shushed Zizz. Arisu was indeed an Ōtsutsuki, but she had proven to be more than a mere invader. She was a kunochi of merit, grace, compassion, and charity. She had been through the trauma of scientific torture and yet was navigating the political scene of the banquet like an experienced lady of high society. The Angelic Princess stifled a grin as Arisu curtsied and acknowledged her Kage and comrade.

"Arisu-hime" Kit nodded in response. She was seated and didn't feel the need to curtsy. Additionally, she had been a princess longer than Arisu so being overly formal would be a bit much. Kit turned her attention back to the skidmarks that Hana had created with her stunt. She said nothing but if Hana made eye contact with her she'd give a near imperceptible shake of the head. The Mizukage could not continue acting like this but Kit would be out of her jurisdiction to correct her at this point. Posture was one thing but if she tried to chastize the Kage for scooting over that might cause a scene. Rather than draw more attention to Hana's uncouthness, Kit instead smiled and responded to the Mizukage's question.

"Yes I'm well acquainted with Chigetsu and Arisu"

Kit's eyes told a different story though. The pupils shifted in Hana's direction for a brief second. She hoped her eyes could communicate what her voice could not.

Please get her to behave!

Sayuri was happily entertaining thoughts of flensing while examining the cutlery, and was perfectly content to be sitting alone and without the need to socialize. Which meant of course that she was due to be interrupted as life had a funny way of giving her exactly what she didn’t want at any given point. She had been struggling to keep her bloodlust under control since Azrael had fallen into a coma, and she knew that she wasn’t supposed to walk into a royal banquet and rip everyone’s skin off them, but she still wanted to. The need for self control was not something she had experienced as of late, and it gnawed at her. Normally her mind was filled with carefully created battlefields and toys for her to ‘play’ with, and it kept her in check and satiated. Now though. . . without Azrael’s genjutsu she had to content herself with her own imagination, and vivid though it was, it didn’t feel the same.

Just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to stand it any longer she heard an abrupt screeching noise as chair legs scratched their way across the ballroom floor from further down the table. She would look up and take in the scene; the Mizukage of all people was making her way directly towards her, in the most raucous way possible. Each screech of a chair leg against the floor was deafening, not actually deafening but given the stares it might as well have been. And in a small way Sayuri decided that the very act of defiance of social norm that the Mizukage was showing made her more appealing. A sincere smile would form on her face as the white haired Kaguya sat in the seat next to hers and held out a stick of what was presumably chewing gum, based on the faint scent of spearmint and unmistakable wrapper. “Pleasure to meet you, Hana.” She spoke quietly but focused her icy blue eyes on Hana’s gold ones as she spoke, accepting the piece of gum and slowly peeling back the foil before popping the stick into her mouth and grinning appreciatively. “I’m Sayuri, and thank you.” She would break eye contact to look at the other people that had gathered; everyone was dressed beautifully of course and Sayuri’s gaze would linger on each one as she gave herself time to think of what to say. She knew of some of them, while she did live in a cave she hadn’t always, and their deeds and ranks made them easy to pick out from the common rabble.

Of greatest interest to her was the dark haired woman who now seemed intent on watching her. She would take a moment to catch her eye if she could and smile sweetly, it always warranted her attention when someone noticed her. Since mostly people didn’t. She greeted each person in kind; a nod, a sweet smile and a slightly informal repetition of their name as she heard it spoken. “Kitsuki. . . Chigetsu . . . Arisu . . .” It was less courteous than she probably should have been, but she wasn’t known to follow strict etiquette, and she didn’t see any particular benefit in changing that fact now. Silence had been her protector her whole life, it would probably do well for her now. Even if she still wanted to see what the insides of everyone looked like. Idly her small pale hand would stroke the cutlery as she chewed the stick of gum and kept trying to figure out why she was even there.

One of the first things that Chigetsu saw once he entered the ballroom, beyond that awkward interaction with the staff member, was that quick interaction between Hana and Kitsuki. From across the room he couldn’t exactly make out what was being said, but just by reading the body language he got a pretty clear picture of the scenario. Something was said between them, resulting in Hana smiling and pelvic thrusting into the air. The reaction from the people around her, both Kitsuki and some older councilwoman, was immediate. The scowl on that old woman’s face and the quick blush that took over Kitsuki’s face… Just seeing it from afar was enough to make Chigetsu smile, that anxiety that had overwashed him for a moment being swept away. He wasn’t the type to make lewd jokes like that, and just by seeing or knowing Chigetsu he didn’t seem like the type that would appreciate them. The truth was that he wasn’t. If he had been in Kitsuki’s situation he would have had the same reaction, turning bright red, but seeing it from across the room like this changed the way that he viewed it entirely. Just walking in here he had felt like he was suffocating, being pressed down by the oppressive forces of social norms. Seeing Hana just fly in the face of all that made his own anxiety feel silly, and as though the things that were weighing down on him didn’t really matter that much after all.

He couldn’t help but smile now, although immediately he would be sent into the same sputtering mess as Kitsuki leaned over and gave a small kiss on each of his cheeks. Back and forth, up and down, his emotional state was obviously easily shifted with little gestures like this and that. Settling down into his seat again, he would do his best to get back in control of his own emotions. Little things, like Arisu not acknowledging him, would be missed completely, although there was little chance she knew his name anyway.

“You look beautiful too, Kitsuki, in your dress. I almost expected you to wear a suit- It feels like we swapped wardrobes today.”  He was the first one to make reference to this, something that might have otherwise gone unsaid. It wasn’t like he had expected Kitsuki to make reference to his gender, and given his usual state of dress it wasn’t as though he really ever had any reason to believe Kitsuki knew that he was a male. It would surely be an awkward conversation though if that came up, so while part of him hoped it didn’t, it was just something that ended up slipping out.

“It’s nice to see you all… Arisu and Sayuri, it’s the first we’ve met, but if you two are friends of Hana and Kitsuki I’m sure we’ll be friends as well.” It seemed that Chigetsu had forgotten completely of his meeting with Arisu in the past, perhaps not surprising with how long ago it was and how uneventful it had been. He had been half tempted to courtesy in response just out of instinct, but unfortunately given his current wardrobe that was impossible.

(Given Hana and Chi's absence, I assume this topic won't really be moving forward anytime soon, we can always pick it back up as a flashback of some sort but for now I'm just going to call it in.)

The banquet proceeded as one would expect. There was good food, laughter, excitement, a bit of awkwardness, and maybe even some drama. It was an eventful evening to be sure and Kit wasn't likely to forget it anytime soon. Eventually, it grew late and she retired for the evening. There was a lot of misery and death going on in the world and Kit felt as though she was responsible for alleviating it. She had worked hard to accomplish that goal despite its inherent impossibility. Sometimes the pressure of it all threatened to crush her into the dust. But moments like these released the pressure. For once, it was good to be a Kiri Citizen and even better to be a Kiri Princess.

Exit

[OOC - Following in Kitsuki’s footsteps.]

The banquet proceeded as most normal people would expect, but Sayuri was greatly disappointed. The food, laughter, fancy clothes and airs, it made her bloodlust a bit higher than usual. What she hadn’t anticipated was being able to keep her composure for the entire evening, a marvel if there ever was one. For her part, Sayuri stuck to the meat courses, preferring them over the less visceral offerings. She knew well enough how to smile and nod politely and for the most part that was what she did all evening. By the time the engagement was over she was seriously considering stabbing her own eyes out just so she didn’t need to see one more fake smile on some pompous noble. She didn’t, even she wasn’t quite that masochistic, but it was an internal struggle. She had somehow managed to be elevated to the position of power and she would be damned if her own impatience let it slip through her fingers. Keeping the position she had would ultimately be easier than trying to take it back by force.  

[Exit Thread]