[Event] - Masquerade Ball

[Osuteno]

As Hisako helped Osu up from under the table, a girl who he had never met before was sitting down at the table drinking what was apparently an alcoholic substance despite the fact she seemed even younger than he. Why was she drinking if she didn't like the taste? "Thank you Hisako-San. There isn't too much else I can do at this party anyway. I am not supposed to move around more than I need to so dancing is out for me and I am not quite sure who anyone is with these masks aside from some fairly obvious people." Osu was not very aware of just how obvious he was to some people himself.

His thoughts drifted back towards Sashine who was apparently trying to get drunk just on the other side of the table. "Uhh, are you alright over there?" Before he could really finish his question though a boy and a hound approached the table. Osu had no doubt in his mind that this was Zoro and FuwaFuwa. He was surprised though as Zoro apparently completely ignored him and started speaking to one of the girls thoguh he was not very clear on which one he was speaking to. Maybe Zoro didn't recognize him with his mask, it had been... a year? Maybe more he wasn't quite sure.

As Zoro walked away suddenly Osu looked to FuwaFuwa and gave the hound a slight bow of his head. "It is good to see you and Zoro, FuwaFuwa. I am not dancing tonight due to an injury but I do hope you enjoy the party." What was wrong with him? He came to this party to interact with his friends but rather than doing that he was simply sitting at a side table watching others dance and his relatives going at their own pace without a care for all the people watching them. He would die of embarrassment if that much attention was focused on him.

"Raiden you are killing me with how introverted you are. You do realize I am in here too. If you socialized a bit maybe I wouldn't feel so cramped in here." Great, the girl in his head was back. Now the night was going downhill fast "This past week you have spent about an hour speaking with people who aren't patients and about 6 hours speaking to cadavers. Talk with that freaky bloodless thing at least, at least it responds without you making up the conversation. And keep your thoughts down I am trying to read in here."

Now Osu could have simply admit that the voice in his head belonging to a girl slightly younger than him in appearance was right concerning his deteriorating social comfort, and if anyone else had said it he would have followed their advice without much question. But without exaggeration he hated Uso, as the girl inside his head called herself, and she returned that hatred. For some inexplicable reason he would do almost anything other than give her the satisfaction of being right. Unfortunately Osu couldn't be rude to Hisako to prove a point to Uso. Before he could say anything though a most unusual tune began playing.​

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Elsewhere Junichi was finishing his tango with Oka. There were a good number of flourishes and spins incorporated in his overly embellished steps as he lead her through a final dip. As he laid her back in his arm he couldn't help but notice her beautiful hair falling back behind her, beads of sweat glistening and rolling down her neck from the dance tracing along her delicate skin. The smell of her perfume was filling his mind as he gazed at her. Raiden that blush of hers was endearing and had been driving him to the brink for the entire dance. It would be a simple matter to steal a quick kiss in this position. The temptation was strong too with those full red lips of hers just parted ever so slightly with nervousness. He could hear her breath along with his own, both just slightly more noticeable than normal due to being used to dancing but still having kept a rather quick pace. He wanted to pull her closer to him, bring that beautiful figure closer to his own, feel and caress every inch of her... but he was a gentleman. Mostly. At least when in front of so many people. Still he would regret it for a very long time to not have done anything with such a beautiful woman in his arms, but at the same time he wasn't such a brute as to just take a woman's lips when he was still unsure how she would react. As he looked down into her big blue eyes he was beginning to feel reason walk out the door. *Snapshot* This would be a very pleasant memory to keep for a little while but it still didn't satify his desire to do a bit more.

"Madam, you are a most enchanting dancer." That was just the honest truth as he brought her back up to both her feet and spun her with her back facing him. He lightly moved her hair away from her ear and spoke warmly into in while bending down. "Before I mentioned that my intentions were not dangerous but after that dance I have to admit I cannot make that claim anymore. I should probably leave you be before I do something ungentlemanly." He gave a light chuckle right before giving her a kiss near the nape of her neck. So maybe he was a bit of a brute after all. Swiftly but carefully he spun her back around and began departing with a bow. "I apologize Madam. It seems I am leaving both too late and far... far too soon. I would love to dance should we meet again." It was as he turned to leave that the ridiculous tune threw off his dramatic exit and caused him to stumble a few steps.

Well that was not a strong exit but he didn't turn back and marched proudly forward to get to his job of digging up what some of these nobility were up to, both for that horrid woman and for the department. While normally an entertaining job it was rather dull to do when there was a party going on but someone had to do it... Besides, there was an interesting number of what he assumed were guards hidden in the crowd tonight. Even with the presence of so many VIPs in attendance. Was something of actual interest occurring without him knowing about it? Any self-respecting KSIS operative (and as his absent father would say, any man with Nara blood) would feel the need to correct this.​

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Ookami was staring at the lush who was apparently hoping to be rewarded for being a rather incompetent dancer. It was certainly amusing the way he stumbled about like a drunken toddler. Rather reminded her of the rickshaw driver she had when she last sneaked out of the estate for a night on the town. While she did sometimes enjoy playing around with virgins she simply wasn't feeling it tonight. Especially with how eager he was being, she preferred her greenhorns skittish... This could still be fun though.

"If you want a little present for your performance let's go over there where there is better lighting," She said with a well practiced tone both musical and seductive. She was rather curious just how drunk this young man was and what was a party without a bit of public embarrassment? "Just close your eyes and let me pull you along for a few moments. I promise the result will be entertaining." It would be for her at least. Where she was leading him was indeed better lit, as it was the stage with the band. She grabbed an imported tropical plant with edible multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries, the name of which she had forgotten and would bother her for days until she remembered it, off the refreshment table and pulled Ri up to an unoccupied microphone stand. Casually she removed the microphone from the stand, adjusted the height just around Ri's height and stabbed the pineapple tropical plant with edible multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries onto it.

Standing with the microphone stand between them Ookami grabbed Ri's hands and brought them up to the tropical fruit which shall not be named. "Such a fine young gentleman. You only get one kiss so make it good and make it last. Put everything you have into it." At that point she left the young man up on the stage to make out with the fruit that had no name (that she could currently remember) for everyone to see as she walked off into the party to find something else to occupy her time with... What in hell was this terrible song that just started playing?

MFT

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Many things can happen in the single few moments of one’s life. An acquaintance you haven’t seen in years can approach you and subsequently be taken away. A song can be dedicated to you and it’s suddenly your favorite. You can be introduced to a slew of new people, and hugged by complete strangers against your will...Or you can learn in two words you have a sister.

These moments tend to define a person. They dictate whether the person will remain strong, or if heads will explode. The whirl of it all at once is enough to make anyone go mad. But like sands in an hourglass, these are just the days of our lives.

Kahako smiled as Junko greeted her and Ayumu. “Thank you-” She responded to Aiko, cut off by the sudden hug he engulfed her with. Then it was Junko’s turn to hug her. Why the Tsuyoshi brothers were suddenly interesting in physical contact was beyond her reckoning, but she returned each with as little awkwardness as possible. “You must be the brother Junko-san spoke dearly about.” She said with a smile. Any further conversation would have to wait, however, as Kitsune all but dragged three individuals their way after the waltz ended and a tango began.

She turned her head to the sing-song call of her name. Only one person in this group really knew Kahako’s current opinion of her mother, and even then it was vague and ever changing. The bright smile she held was colored with a more sober gaze as her mother approached. “Good evening, Okaa-sama,” she softly acknowledge. However, the mixed expression was short lived. It took Kahako a second to recognized two of the masked figures. “Tomo-kun!” Kahako enthused, “I almost didn’t recognize you. It’s been so long! and you brought Saeko-chan as well.”

Now these comrades Kahako felt compelled to hug. Their encounters had been brief, but Tomo was one of the very few people left that she knew from her days as an academy student. The only one, really. The rest died, deserted, or went AWOL. Her meeting with Saeko was even less so, but Kahako felt something akin to friendship then. “You look beautiful tonight, Saeko-chan.” Kahako said with sincerity as she pulled the chunin away and held her at arm's length before letting go.

The redhead accompanying her mother also introduced herself. Kahako returned her greeting with a small smile of her own. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, both Mother and Junko-kun have said great things about your progress.” Kahako knew of Akane, her being a distant cousin in the Main Branch of their family, but this was the first time she met her. Her tell-tale red hair gave her away as a Shinrya, and her eyes spoke of an intellect that was rare amongst those her age.

As the tango ended, a voice called to Tomo before they could catch up any further. A girl in an odd attire approached him and promptly demanded to dance with him. They wore masks, but Kahako could tell by other attributes they shared that they were siblings. She was definitely more lively than the man she knew. Kahako was just about to ask to be introduced when two simple words caught the Medical Sennin’s attention.

“Greetings Mother.”

Kahako’s head turned almost as if it were on a spindle staring at the new beauty who entered their group. Simultaneously, the conductor addressed the crowd that the next song was in commemoration to her, Shinrya Kahako. Almost instinctually, Kahako stepped closer to Ayumu, clasping his hand. Any outsider could mistake it as a jealous gesture with the approach of a beautiful woman in their midst. Now with the music starting this mysterious beauty was matching gazes with her. Kahako could see the stark similarities despite the missing red hair. Even the way they held themselves felt like she was staring at a distorted mirror. “Good evening, Sister,” Kahako finally said as the first stanza of this mysterious song began to play. Her eyes gave a brief suggestion to the woman to play along before disappearing. Kahako’s smile was on display for the world to see. There was no need to show the others the drama this encounter just created.

Her only betrayal to the facade was her muscles shifting as she held Ayumu’s hand in a chakra-filled death grip. It kept her from displaying the jaw-dropping shock that stood before her. That Kitsune has another daughter she never told her about. Did this woman know about her? Her grip tightened, her white knuckles unseen because of the folds in her flowing dress covered the intimate action. It kept her grounded.

By the grace of Raiden the song dedicated to her was… an odd one to say the least. “You know, I have never heard this song in my life,” she chuckled to no one, desperately wanting anyone to take her away as Tomo’s sister was now. She feigned the red in her face as embarrassment instead of anger, intentionally tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and waving to Tomo with an apologetic look. She silently directed her uncomfortable posture to be at the blame of the music.

She refused to let Ayumu go. Her hand was no longer laced in chakra, but the grip was still so strong it shook slightly. She refused to show an entire room of people that, once again, Kitsune failed to tell her something important about the Shinrya clan. Among a song that was performed in her honor, surrounded by friends, the miserable feeling of being an outsider bubbled in her chest.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

From Takagi’s Dictionary of the Kaminari Language, page 357, second column:

“Clusterfuck”—noun—a disastrously mishandled situation or misunderstanding.

I can’t think of a better word in our ineffably melodious tongue to describe what’s happening before me. I can’t imagine how in the hell I’m going to start picking up the shattered pieces of this aborted evening, or how it can possibly get more…well, fucked.

Actually, I can: Imagine Kogami Ayumu in all of his graceless splendor suddenly bending his knee and asking poor Kahako to marry him, accompanied by a prancing Akira Saito wearing only a loincloth and bearing an aluminum ring topped with a ten carat cubic zirconium on a papier-mache donkey complete with the entire Mochizuki troupe turning into a full mariachi ensemble, with the entire proceedings being broadcast on the propaganda jumbotron overlooking the national capital right when Kahako spills her entire glass of Chateau Shinrya all over her dress. Yes, I can imagine this getting much worse, but for the sake of decency I won’t get more into it.

On a personal note, Mochizuki Tomo’s been stolen out of my grasp no less than three times this evening. First, Akane sank her claws into him, then Kitsune dragged us apart, and then finally who the hell decided to show up but the Lord Protector Mochizuki Tama wearing the same costume as those girls who hawk churros at Lightning National Amusement Park’s “Wild Fire Country” attraction?

As if Tomo being spirited away wasn’t enough, the next thing to happen is the entrance of none other than my half-sister Miyako, who I nearly skewered with an epee earlier today while searching for the woman who tried to give Tomo a clandestine blowie under the table at the bar a few nights ago and then ran away like a scared little bitch when I threw down the gauntlet and opened the pistol case. The problem with living in a homogenous society is that all us bishoujos tend to look like each other with minimal effort. But the tale of how my half sister and I nearly killed each other is for another day.

My father was not only the King of Swag, he was also the Earl of Cleavage, since every girl he ever spawned has always been top-heavy. I wonder how many other half-siblings I have out there. Dad was kind of a slut. This realization only serves to demoralize me more. I’m supposed to be happy to meet family, but why do I feel so stressed out?

For Raiden’s godrotting sake, all I wanted to do was enjoy some formally-clothed nookie with my pseudo-boyfriend while we both pretended I was someone else. I didn’t want to end up as an unwilling party to my half-sister’s debut into shinobi society accompanied by the strains of the Chicken Dance.

Honestly, I want to cry a little, but I can tell that Kahako wants to do so even more. For anyone wondering how I know: we’re both girls, we’re probably related, and things just work that way. Deal with it.

“Mi-mi,” I tell my new sibling. “I’ll take a rain check on our duel for now. Have fun at the ball!”

Next, I sidle up to Kahako and squeeze her free hand. It’s now or never. “Let’s just go home. I’ve got two gallons of rocky road in the fridge, flannel pajamas with that cute new ‘Murder Hammer Hikari’ pattern on them, and ‘Fury Street’ on DVD. Have Yumers watch the kid.”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu grinned as the Tsuyoshi brothers noticed the arrival of the two Sennin and traded off hugs for Kahako and handshakes for Ayumu. In the confusion Ayumu almost hugged Junko by accident, but played it off as a joke. Not that he was adverse to hugging friends, but he wasn't much for initiating that kind of thing. "Heh, Sennin couple... never thought of it that way," Ayumu said, lying. Of course he had thought about it. It was cool. Junko attempted to introduce the woman that was with them, but she had been whisked away while they weren't looking. All the same, he gave her name and explained how they were acquainted which was good enough Ayumu supposed. "We're doing pretty well. We almost brought Susumu with us, but he was being a bit fussy so we let him stay with my parents," Ayumu explained. Speaking of parents, a familiar voice called out to Kahako from somewhere not too distant. Kahako's adopted mother and the former Medical Sennin Shinrya Kitsune was approaching with a few people in tow.

Wasting no time, she stole Kahako's attention away from the Tsuyoshi brothers as if they had not been in the middle of the conversation. Ayumu was not spared any attention either, which was no surprise. The two had not been on great terms for a little while now, each with their own reasons. Ayumu didn't feel like being petty tonight, though. "Evening, Kitsune," he said after Kahako greeted her before looking to those she had brought with her. Ayumu couldn't help but note the difference in the enthusiasm behind the greetings for Kahako's mother and then Tomo and Saeko whom she greeted with hugs. "Good to see you Tomo," Ayumu said before looking at Saeko. "...Saeko," he acknowledged the Chuunin, wondering if she was already lost in a fantasy after the hug and compliment she received from Kahako. "I think your nose might be bleeding," he commented quietly to her. She was always amusing, even if she was constantly trying to start a rebellion in the branch against him.

All of a sudden, one of the group was snatched away by another in a mask. That seemed to be happening a lot tonight. "Predators on the hunt..." Ayumu whispered to himself, wondering who would be stolen next. At last, one more voice joined the conversation. Blinking, Ayumu turned to seek the source. A young woman with black hair and a striking resemblance to Kitsune approached. 'Did she just say... mother?' Ayumu thought, glancing back and forth between the two women. She had definitely been talking to Kitsune, and the resemblance backed up that claim. Kitsune seemed completely composed, so chances were that this wasn't some reality TV show where a long lost daughter was surprising her biological mother. Kahako on the other hand suddenly stepped closer and clasped Ayumu's hand. For a brief moment he thought he saw something in her expression but it was quickly covered up as she greeted her apparent sister.

Kahako had, of course, never told Ayumu that she had an adoptive sister. Ayumu had never heard about this from anybody. The deathgrip on his hand from Kahako was telling him something was off. 'Did she know?' Ayumu wondered, looking at Kahako and then at her sister. Ayumu's hand held on to Kahako's, trying to give her some peace with whatever she was struggling with at the moment. 'Surely Kitsune would not pull a stunt like that- introducing Kahako to some new sister during her first appearance as the Sennin,' Ayumu thought, shaking his head. There was definitely an weird vibe in the air now as a moment of silence, save for the chicken dance, played out. "Well. This is awkward," Ayumu commented. Meanwhile, Saeko had moved over to the other side of Kahako and whispered something to her, though Ayumu wasn't paying attention. What was important was getting the subject off of the Shinrya family drama right now. "Phew.... anybody else feel like getting a drink suddenly?"

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune looked at Kahako and then at Miyako, giving a nod to Ayumu, acknowledging his greeting. ”Right. The two of you haven’t been introduced. Kahako, meet your sister Miyako. Miyako, this is Kahako.” she said and smiled before looking at Kahako. ”Her father isn’t around any longer. But. You knew him. It was Masao.” she said in a low tone so only the ones closest would hear it. (Meaning Kahako, Saeko, Ayumu, Akane and Miyako.)

”Be nice to each other, you two.” Kitsune said and reminded the two that they were family. ”Kahako-chan, could you keep an eye on Miyako for me for just a few minutes until I get back? It’s her first time in Kumo. I wasn’t actually sure if she’d be coming or not. She didn’t tell.” Kitsune explained, giving Miyako a glare at the last three words while stressing them as she said them ”A message would’ve been nice. I could’ve arranged a proper meeting before the masquerade.”

Kitsune shook her head but then smiled to the others and told them she would be right back. She had a thing to do, and it was rather important. So she went to the stage area and took the microphone and flipped it to active right as the previous song ended. ”If I may have your attention for a few moments~” she started out, hopefully making people turn and watch. ”I’m pleased to see the big turnout for this event, it truly warms my heart to see so many people here. Now then, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves so far. And please, eat and drink to your hearts content, for there is plenty more out back, all supplied by the Shinrya Clan as some of you might have noticed. I’d also like to take this time to thank the Mochizuki clan for providing the evening’s entertainment; fantastic job guys.”

She smiled and took a short pause before raising her glass ”I propose a toast to the Kagetsu, the Santaru and the Chigokai clans, as we are indeed honoring them tonight. May they be forever remembered” she said, still smiling before taking a sip from the glass ”Next, I propose a toast to our Sennin and Raikage, may their reigns be long and prosperous.” she continued, taking another sip. ”I’d also like to commend three of the villages skilled shinobi, namely Takaki Saeko, Wakahisa Chiyoko, and Chigokai Osuteno, for completing a highly dangerous S-rank mission in a relatively short amount of time. You did an absolutely amazing job there. A toast to your success!” she said and once again raised her glass.

Then came the most important part of the speech for Kitsune. ”Finally, I’d like to dedicate a song to my two daughters in attendance, Kahako and Miyako.” she said and gave the queue to the band to begin playing the instrumentals for the song, and then she’d stand there, singing her heart out so to speak, hopefully giving some of the people there a case of ‘the feels’.

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♫ Birds, In the sky
Carry, These words for me
Life, Tasted sweet:
It let me live; let me breathe
Love, hurt so bad
But still, Saved my soul
Flowers of a brighter past:
They bloomed so free beneath the sun
Memories, I want to give them to you
So you can see what we left there
When all hope bleeds out
What remains is doubt
Should've left it all for you, For tomorrow
As your time draws near
Will you live in fear?
Could've left it all for you
But we let go ♫​

At the end of her song she bowed and put the microphone back onto the stand and stepped off the stage, and went back to the others to hear their opinion of the speech and song.

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Hisako blinked at the random person that had flopped down on a chair by the table and was drinking alcoholic beverages, but seemed to dislike the taste. ”You appear to dislike the taste of your beverage. Would it not be more appropriate to drink a different beverage, then?” Hisako inquired, oblivious to what it was Sashine was trying to do. Then Osu apparently recognized someone and greeted them. ”Acquaintances of yours, Osuteno-kun? They seemed nice.” she commented and petted Osu, feeling compelled to do so because somehow he reminded her of a bunny. ”I am sorry Osuteno-kun. For some reason, I felt compelled to do that.” she explained to him.

Then Kitsune got on stage and gave a speech, then a song. ”That was a moving speech and song. Was it not, Osuteno-kun?” she asked him, genuinely curious to hear his opinion of The Creators words on stage, and more so the song. In fact, Hisako had no idea that Kitsune could sing, much less that well.

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Miyako smiled brightly as she was introduced to Kahako, and gave the older girl a big hug. ”I didn’t know I had a sister!” she said excitedly, and was almost bouncing off the walls with energy. It was clear to everyone that Miyako was young and unaccustomed to the ways of the world. Hopefully Kahako would feel the need to protect Miyako, as an older sister would. ”I’ve been stuck in the province all my life, reading books and learning things. I’ve never actually spent much time with anyone.” she explained before blinking at Saeko. ”What duel?” she asked, completely puzzled, having absolutely no idea what Saeko was on about, much less actually knowing who Saeko really was.

Then when Kitsune went to do her speech, Miyako stepped over to stand next to Kahako, wrapping her arm around Kahakos because, when it came down to it, she wasn’t really all that comfortable being here. It had taken her most of the day to work up the courage to do that grand entrance. ”I... I’m sorry I didn’t send a letter in advance… I just wanted to surprise mother…” she said in a low tone so only Kahako would hear it. ”If I had known, I would’ve asked for a meeting before showing up here. Can you forgive me Kahako-oneechan?”

Just before Miyako could’ve said something else, Kitsune dedicated a song to the two of them, and then began actually singing. I didn’t know she could sing! Miyako was surprised to say the least. Almost enough to make her jaw drop. When Kitsune came back from singing, Miyako wasn’t entirely sure what to say. It was moving, it was beautiful, but could she really say that? Instead she’d just let Kahako speak first.

 

[Junan]

Everything seemed well. People were having fun, and that's what he wanted this day to be about most of all. A celebration of life, an intermingling of shinobi, where people didn't need to worry about the goings on of the outside world. He smiled, a true smile which would spread to his eyes, the only part hidden by the mask. They needed this.

Tomorrow they would be out on missions again, working hard for themselves and their families. Some would be killing fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, others would be saving them. It all depended on the mission, all depended on who they had been hired by, and Akira had no misconception that to many it was Kumogakure who were the evil in this world.

Still he would enjoy this moment. He would enjoy it for those in this room were his family and he loved them all.

He watched as Kitsune went to the stage and made a speech. Advertising her clan's generosity, though he drank to the toasts. The toast to the clans, to the Sennin, and then another to the most recent S-Rank mission. Every time an S-Rank was out he would be behind his desk fidgeting, worrying about their safety, ready to charge to wherever they were located to do battle with the enemy should he need to.

A song was then dedicated to Kitsune's daughters.

Thinking to himself about Kitsune's faults he couldn't help but feel that her pride was perhaps not her largest, but perhaps it was a need to feel needed, to feel wanted, and for others to look jealously at her. She was an intelligent woman, had lived longer than he had, and had proven her loyalty to the village. But there were too many aspects to her character which were flawed, and flawed in a way he suspected that she didn't see.

He clapped politely with everyone as she stepped down from the stage. If only she had let him give the speech then it wouldn't have come across as self promotion... still... it was what it was. People went back to what they were doing and Akira relaxed.

Then two figures flanked him, not even pretending to not be ANBU, their ANBU masks clearly on their face, the similarity between the two masks showing that they were in a squad.

Akuhei he could understand, but this type of thing... this is what Koumyou loved... though he was sure that the boy wouldn't deny himself an opportunity to go out and dance.

 

[Sukuna Kiyo]

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It seemed it was true, that was Kitsune's daughter, and it seemed to be quite a scene. It didn't take to long until it became awkward. Akane mentally sighed, she hated being in large groups, for this reason, she was slowly inching away. Soon kitsune left to the stage, and made her little speech, she then sang a song. It was pretty, but Akane really did not care. During that time, it seemed the group had split into separate groups, leaving Akane out. She simply shrugged, she was irritated anyways.

Seeing as Kahako was being grabbed by her newly found sister, the other girl, and holding onto her partner it seemed her hands were full. Akane would have to wait to get to know her, so she walked away, not to far, just a few feet to a chair. She sat down, feeling the need to wait things out, she just wished she was in a better mood. Though she wouldn't allow a frown to show on her face,as it would draw attention, so she had a simple smile.

Akane simply listened to the music, it was relaxing, and catchy. She glanced towards the stage, where Kitsune once was, she wonder what it was like to preform. She remembered dancing with the Michizuki, it was wonderful. Though it just didnt feel like her, dancing that is. Her mother taught her how to play the flute, and a few other instruments. She just couldnt see herself as a performer, she didnt care to watch others perform, but it was something to think about. She then started thinking about her studies, she needed to do some rounds as well. She'd get to that after this day ends. So much had happened, but it just all seemed unreal. It all has made her happy and excited, but she still felt a little agitated.​

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Oka's tango soon came to an end, she was extremely nervous, but she never allowed that to interfere with her dance. Though the dip seemed to linger, she could only imagine what the hell was going through his mind. Which unfortunately made her cheeks burn even more so, she was too nervous to do anything though. It kinda made her feel helpless, she had so many skills, but none that would protect her from a stranger.

He broke the silence with a compliment, then allowed her back to her feet. She showed him a smile, "Th-thank you...She was able to say very quietly, though anything else was stuck in her throat. Though his next comment made her question, though she was glad that he was going to leave. Suddenly he came closer, and kissed the nap of her neck. Before she knew it he was walking away, she was left in pure shock, and a red face. She wasnt sure what he even said after that, but he was gone, and the blood had rushed to her head, she was light headed, and felt like she might faint. Though she held on, embarrassed as hell now. She decided to slowly walk back over to the prodigy brothers.​

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MFT​

 

[Sashine]

Purple dress helped purple hair up from the floor and it looked like the purple haired girl was broken. What was she doing at a dance with a broken leg anyway? Seemed like a waste but then again sitting around doing nothing while people were partying wouldn't be something she'd choose to do. The two girls were chit chatting about makeup and something else, probably. Who knew. Sashine was much more focused on the music, tapping her foot along to it and stopping every few seconds as she sipped the drink and her body responded with shudders of the bitter taste that hurt her throat. It wasn't so bad if this was all you had to do to be strong. It was better than training using exercise, at least. The small girl around her age spoke to her and Sashine turned her eyes from her drink up to her face. She was pretty and if it wasn't for the height, she could pass off as looking younger than her. The purple dress one asked a really weirdly worded question to which she responded with: "You're wasting your time not drinking some of this.", she tried to move the glass toward the girls, her arm making a large half circle to move the glass forward as the liquids swirled with it. Only drips flew off of the glass from Sashine drinking most of it by now but the motion was weird. She hadn't expected to make such a dramatic move without consulting with her brain first but that was fairly normal for her so she didn't question it.

"It tastes like... if you mix grape, apple and cranberry juice.", she stuck her tongue out of her mouth as she concentrated on the taste, trying to translate what her tastebuds were processing to her mind and creating words. "And then you filtered it through a Prince's sock.", she brought her tongue back into her mouth as she finished trying to turn the taste into a description and took a sip to make sure, nodding her head and processing her reasoning over in her head. A prince would do less work than most of the royalty, probably had super clean feet but it was still a sock. She forgot to add the fact that it tasted like it was starting to go bad but she didn't want to completely make the drink sound horrible because it wasn't the worst, just bad enough to handle.

In general, many people stuck out of place but one group who actually seemed like the belong was a boy and a dog. She knew about people having animal companions but she hadn't seen someone with one before, at least not up close. It looked like they were talking to themselves but that dog was just randomly barking, it didn't make any sense. The boy himself seemed weird and though that wasn't a red flag around this village, Sashine felt a need to poke fun but found that her mind couldn't come up with a comeback to the situation. Instead, she decided it would be good to try dancing despite knowing nothing about it and not feeling normal. The power was kicking in right about now, she could feel it. Maybe this power would help make her a stronger dancer. If it helped in battles and this was her battlefield, it made sense in her mind.

She followed the boy onto the dance floor and was unsure of what to do, so she did what she did best, pretended. She held a soft smile which did nothing on what seemingly looked more like a battle costume and began to mimic the back and forth motion that the other people were doing. It looked a lot like when she would practice dancing alone in the garden, swaying back and forth, making really pretty leg motions, moving her arms like soft wings and doing all the wrong dance moves altogether. It surely looked cute and like a child pretending to be a ballerina while waltzing but she was unsure of what the boy (and his dog companion) would think but she could fake it like the best of them.

"Your outfit is very handsome.", she directed at the boy but left it open for the dog as well. At this point, Sashine was into commenting but not really directing them at anyone in specific. "I've always wanted to dance in a ballroom.", she paused as she looked around the room again, amazed again by all that was around her. "I'm going to be up on a pedestal in this room when the time's right. I'm going to be everything.", she lifted herself up, lost in the joy of the situation.

------------------------------------------
WC:789

 

[Uragaeshi Riyoji]

It was finally his time to get something good! Dancing was great and all, but when your partner keeps denying you you're RIGHT to touch her in the places you want to, especially after they so obviously lead you on, it gets boring. But now... Now he was going to get something he wanted. Ri listened to the order to close his eyes as he was lead to somewhere he believed was private. It was almost as if he could feel her lips on his before it even happened, the hard, surprisingly prickly feeling of that woman's mouth was the best feeling he'd ever felt. One thing that nearly threw him off though, was the sounds of his lips smacking seemed to echo in the room they were in. Then one thing that literally threw him off was Ookami getting rough and making him fall down... Off of the stage that he was on.

The shinobi landed with a thud, and crushed the fruit he was about to fornicate with underneath his back. All he could do was lay there for a moment as he thought about what it was making his back wet. The thoughts that came to mind made him smile, before realizing it would be impossible for her to get like that so fast. And when he remembered that he felt something get crushed underneath him, he realized what might've happened. A feeling of panic rushed over him as he quickly rolled over to look at the dead body of the woman he was just making out with, but he returned to normal as soon as he saw the thing he crushed was some pineapple. "How the hell did this get here?" He asked no one in particular.

Well, it seemed that the wonderful woman he was with suddenly turned into a pineapple, so there was nothing else he could do except continue drinking while searching for his little Osu. Pulling himself from the ground, Ri walked over to the same place he was getting his alcohol before, and as he arrived, he noticed another woman that could occupy his time. This one he recognized. Sort of, anyways. It was the girl he met about a year ago, one that made him spill his shit and only bought him dinner to say sorry! Then she returned a few months later and she was older than him... The shinobi didn't really know how that worked, but it did apparently. Maybe he just drank too much on one of those days, but the fact remains, she's older.

Just like he's done several times before, the boy stumbled through the room, pushing his way past whoever was foolish enough to get in his way, until he reached his destination. He came to an abrupt stop in front of the girl who was sitting alone, and stood there for a moment while he thought about what he was supposed to say. It took him a bit to remember why he had actually come over here, and in all honesty, he never actually remembered the real reason at all. What he did remember though, was alcohol, and alcohol might be more fun when there's more people drinking it! "Come, WE DRINK!" He shouted, then grabbed Akane by the hand and pulled her away!

Once again, he pushed through the crowd, making his way back to the alcohol place with his newly found drinking partner. As they arrived back at this "place," Ri immediately reached for the glasses and filled them both with wine. He handed one to Akane and drank the other one in just a few seconds, filling it up immediately after so that he'd be able to drink again when he felt like it. Looking over to Akane, who was staring at her drink, he spoke, "Drink it! Can't let good alcohol go to waste, trust me, it's good." The alcohol on his breath could likely be smelt by Akane, even at the distance she was at. This likely showed how much the boy already had.

 

[Sukuna Kiyo]

---

---

Akane was sitting there deep in though, not long before she was snapped out of her day dreaming by another. She looked up at a looming shadow that was right in front of her. The smell of alcohol, messy attire, and monstrous height, she knew who this was. It was Ri, maybe it was because she was sitting, but he looked taller. "What is it?"She wondered t o him as she looked up at him. She stared at him, waiting for him to speak, she doubted he was here for a dance. He didn't seem like the dancing type, also he was most likely drunk, she was ninety nine percent sure by just smelling him.

"Come, WE DRINK!"

Akane blinked as he said that, then she let out a small squeak as he grabbed her hand and dragged her away. It felt like she was being dragged all over this night, and honestly she didnt know why she allowed herself to be. She knew Ri was harmless, he was too lazy and drunk to harm her. Or maybe that was all a ruse, either way, she allowed it.It wasnt like she would be doing anything else anyways.

Once they got to the place, Akane was handed a glass of wine. The smell alone made her throat burn, especially this close, and it was only wine! She could not imagine being this close to Sake. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was stopped as Ri told her to drink. She let out a half sigh. She was already grumpy, but she lost the will to fight the temptation. "Fine. I'll do it. She stated, then she put the glass to her lips, and downed the wine. It was probably a bad Idea to take it all in at once, but it was better to get it over with. Like taking medicine. It burned her throat, and she held in a cough. Right away she felt dizzy, but she did not want to look like a wimp, so she tried to hide it.

She stuck out her glass. "Another!" She demanded, though it was already getting hard for her to stand straight. She had never felt this way before, it didn't feel like a bad feeling either. She felt relaxed, and she felt like she did not need to think. She really did not know what she was getting herself into.​

---

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

[Anyone who cares about Tomo]​

Tomo began to dance with his sister, doing a majestic rendition of the Lightning Bird dance that was a mix of waltz and poultry. His eyes caught sight of a few people as he danced, trying to distract himself from the awkwardness of dancing with his twin. He noticed a very large man who towered over everyone. He seemed to be keeping to himself, observing the people in their festivities. A boy and his dog were dancing with the metal-clad girl from earlier, and up on stage, to really drive home the ridiculousness of this party, was a young man who looked familiar making out with a pineapple. Tomo shook his head. Clearly that lad was drunk, which Tomo despised. Sad part is, drunkards never remember the idiotic shit they do, and will always repeat the process. Takama was a prime example.

The song came to a close, and Tomo looked to his twin. "So what was that supposed to accomplish?" After whatever cockamamie answer his sister gave, Kitsune took the stage by the mini orchestra. It was time for a speech it seemed, and Tomo was offered a glass of champagne. He shook his head and instead made his way to the drinks table, grabbing some sparkling white grape juice instead. Once he was equipped for the toasts to come, he listened to the Shinrya's words. He nodded at the mention of the Shinrya supplying the food and drinks, though he inwardly chastised whoever was in charge for not regulating the alcohol appropriately. He clapped at the mention of his troupe, and he could hear his family and friends cheer in the rafters, waving to random people below. He also heard a cheer from the floor, and his eyes honed in on two pink-haired boys. Tomo shook his head. They were supposed to be above...but it was a party, he couldn't fault them for wanting to take a break once or twice during the festivities.

However, soon the speech began to cause something in Tomo's heart to stir. He couldn't quite explain it, but his body felt hot. It wasn't anger per se, yet his body tensed as she mentioned the S-rank mission Saeko and the others had performed successfully. His eyes flicked to Saeko holding hands with Kahako, and he thought he would throw up. Kitsune began to sing, but the feeling would not desist. When she had finished, Tomo placed his glass down and applauded with the crowd. But his body wouldn't stop heating up. He felt a bit woozy, and fearing he'd pass out if he stayed, he walked briskly to the door. Hopefully the crisp night air would help.

[Topic Left with Tomo to be continued HERE]

---

[Sashine]​

FuwaFuwa-sama gave an acknowledging woof to Osuteno before trotting after his master, this pink-haired girl seemed rather rambunctious, and Zoro would probably need all the help he could get. The blonde-haired boy looked to his dog, who huffed lightly. Zoro gave a nod and began to sway back and forth, along with taking a step from side to slid slightly. His arms swung as he pushed his shoulders the direction he was moving. It was lame compared to the spinning and twirling of his partner, but he had never really danced before.

Sashine's compliment caused the boy to blush, though his mask hid it from view. He recovered quickly as the shih tzu gave a bark. "Oh, yeah, definitely. We like to keep ourselves pristine." *woof* "Right. Yeah, you look good too. The metal has a nice clean sheen." The girl then began to tell how she was going to be everything. The boy cocked his head. "Um...okay? It will be pretty hard to be everything. Better to stick with just trying to be something first." The boy smiled at his own clever wisdom, though it wasn't nearly as profound as he thought.

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Was it really so clear on her face that she wanted to crawl into a hole? It had to be because Saeko’s offer of movies and ice cream made her silently scream ‘please’ with all her heart’s desire. And Kahako hated sweets with an unrivaled passion. Kitsune certainly loved being in the middle of a soap opera, but Kahako prefered the gossip around her to remain behind closed doors. It seemed she was the only one interested in keeping this sudden introduction a secret, as Kitsune introduced her daughter as a love tryst. By the end of it all, she managed to whisper to Saeko “Give me a distraction to get away,” before Miyako quite literally latched onto her arm, effectively forcing Saeko away from the Medical Sennin. The last plea on her face to Saeko made it clear that the chunin was currently her only savior from this fiasco.

There was a part of Kahako that desperately wanted to immediately dislike the heir to her clan. But her cheery personality made that exceedingly difficult to accomplish. The girl seemed excited for this whirlwind of new information, and she took the drama that came with it gracefully. She seemed genuinely sincere, and Kahako’s only choice was to sigh. No, she didn’t have the heart to hate her ‘new’ little sister. Time would tell if that sentiment would remain.

Gently pulling the girl off her arm, Kahako returned to her smile. “It is good to meet you as well, and yes. I would have done the same, had I known.” The ‘about you’ was left out of the sentence for the sake of politeness. But their conversation came at a pause as Kitsune took the stage to make a speech. Now was her chance. “I am going to get a closer look, and grab some food,” she said softly to Ayumu before reaching up and pecking him on the cheek. Just before she pulled away, she whispered “Gomen-ne,” softly in his ear before pulling away. She gave Junko and his brother a quick apologetic look of goodbye.

Waiting for Miyako and the other’s attention to belong to the stage, Kahako gracefully maneuvered her way through the quiet crowd close to the food table. Conveniently, the door to another room was next to it. She would just wait for Saeko’s signal.

For the moment, Kahako stood by the table and listened to Kitsune’s song. The message was not lost to her, but it didn’t exactly provide her with a comfort either. She still struggled with their bumpy past, and new... issues... kept appearing that made it all the more difficult. It wouldn't have been a bother if Kahako did not care, but she did. How do you tell someone you care about, and know cares about you, their flaws? Especially when Kahako knew she had a few of her own. It was by the grace of Raiden that Saito seemed to see the genuine intention behind all of Kitsune's actions.

When Kitsune's song ended, Kahako's eye caught a slight movement in the upper level of the ballroom. His mask was well made, but his size and stature betrayed his hidden identity. So he did make it there tonight. Her attention on him was short-lived. Just as Kitsune stepped off the stage, Kahako caught sight of a man falling off another stage and landing on a pineapple. Clearly the man was drunk, and she assumed this was Saeko’s doing. Now was her chance.

Taking one last look up her Raikage, she gave him a small apologetic grin and a slight bow. He may not have seen her, but on the off chance he had, she wanted to give her greetings before slipping out the door for the night.

[TL | MFT]

 

[Junan]

Looking around the room it seemed that some had drunk too much by this time, others were leaving in dribs and drabs. He noticed that the woman he thought was Kahako was leaving with Masao and Rin's child. That was one he'd never forget, they had never officially met, but he had been sure to place her to memory, no mask would hide her from him.

He noticed Kahako look around before she left, she looked up towards him a small smile and a slight bow before she turned to leave. Akira nodded his head in return. She had shown her face, and he didn't know what struggles were taking place in the branch at the higher levels. There would be sure to be some, especially with a mother-daughter relationship in the mix with the daughter suddenly in a position of higher power than the mother. That had been the main drawback to his decision, but it wasn't a decision he'd regretted.

However nice it would be to be able to leave he needed to stay. He was the Raikage after all, and this was the final event of the day.

Also he needed to announce the winners of the competitions which took place during the earlier parts of the day. The students who would get their pick at which branch leaders they would like to spend a day with, and the competitor who received the blade he'd forged at his new forge. He would give it a couple more moments before he decided to do that however.

 

[Nara Raian]

Shin didn’t know what to think of the two younger Mochizuki as they began pulling him away from his silently sampling of food, almost tense up over the fact of them placing hands on him. Though Shin was grateful towards them for saving his life weeks ago, he didn’t believe that they were such close friends that physical contact was a necessarily. Next time, no charming anyone. He mused silently within his mind, allowing himself to taken towards the dance floor. He couldn’t say that he disliked those two, he hadn’t forgotten what had happened the last time they had been in close proximity with the twins. Be forced to feel their sadness and guilty over the death of Shinku had remain with the young trainee days after he had slew the fallen Uchiha; for one as closed off as him, it was not emotions that he was particular found of reliving within this life time.

Drawling himself way from such thoughts, he found himself faced with another problem, his dancing ability. It wasn’t that he was without any form of dancing, however he had taught himself it for more…seductive purposes. It was far easier to gather information from a target that you could seduce and bend to your will. Recognizing the slight touch, body movement, even the passion in their eyes could allow one to charm even the most frigid of women. While Saka and Soko were not female, it was clear that he already had charmed them; something that would probably send even more wrong signals with his proposed. Damit Achimou. Only his father would teach the mambo as an introduction of seduction to his son, before making him go through even more intensive training when he would mess up.

Shin gave a light push off, from the twins, his hands going through rapid motions before he was greeted by the presence of his Clone. He was indebted to the twins, and regardless of his personal feeling, he would repay them for their near sacrifice. He would just have to set them straight after words. Nodding to his clone, Shin offered his hand to whatever twin would accept it.

“Shall we?”

If they accepted, he would and his clone would began leading the two twin within the movement of the mambo, even with the odd song that was playing in the background. The turning of hips, tapping of feet, even the twisting of the body would be coordinated in way to make sure that they understood his feeling regarding them. The sensual nature of the dance would be toned down, yet not so much that they wouldn’t enjoy themselves. Though he did wonder, if they would be able to keep up with the movements with their capes, but it that was a passing notion. If they couldn’t perhaps he would be able to come back to his table and enjoy the music and food once more.

WC: 491
MFT

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu had said it already. Things were awkward. And they were about to get even more awkward. Kitsune took this moment to introduce her two daughters to one another for the first time. It wasn't only their first introduction, though. It was clear to Ayumu that this was, in fact, the first time Kahako had even heard that she had a half-sister. What was worse, for Ayumu, was the revelation of her father. He almost wanted to call Kitsune a liar and make a scene over it, but he resisted for Kahako's sake. Besides, as he looked at her he could see some resemblance. He couldn't deny that it seemed likely Kitsune was being truthful. Ayumu sighed, looking away. 'Masao... what were you thinking?' Ayumu thought, wiping his hand down his face in exasperation. He couldn't help but think that it was some mistake Masao made in a moment of lapsed judgement, one that he would come to regret. Maybe Kitsune had even forced herself on him somehow, or used her witchcraft science to mother his child without actually sleeping with him. Whatever it was, he didn't want to think about it anymore.

With the introductions done, Kitsune dumped Miyako in Kahako's lap and walked away to take care of something. In the meantime, the new daughter jumped on Kahako with a hug that Ayumu could tell Kahako was less than comfortable with while Ayumu barely moved out of the way in time. Why would she be? They had known one another for less than a minute. From that point forward, she latched onto Kahako's free arm pushing Saeko out of the picture as well. A song ended and the speakers hissed slightly as the mic was transferred to Kitsune. Ayumu glanced momentarily towards the stage as Kitsune took to it to grab more attention still. She wasted no time in mentioning that the food had been provided graciously by her very own clan. It was about then that Ayumu began tuning her out.

Pulling herself free of the girl's grasp as Kitsune began speaking, Kahako informed her and the rest of them that she was going to get some food. The fact that she decided to do so without taking Ayumu along along with the quick whisper of apology in his ear helped him to realize she wasn't really going to check out the buffet. "Go ahead. Catch up with you later," he whispered back before she pulled away. He couldn't blame her for wanting to get out of there. This one night should have been a fun excursion and her time to ease into her new position. Instead, it got mucked up by Shinrya bullshit like it always seemed to. Ayumu watched as Kahako disappeared into the crowd and found himself wondering what he would do now. The song began and Ayumu found himself looking upon Kitsune singing on the stage in disbelief. It wasn't his kind of music, but he was sure someone out there liked it. The one thing he was sure of was that he didn't want to stick around with the Shinrya mother daughter duo. "I'll catch you guys around," Ayumu said to the Tsuyoshi brothers and new acquaintances before excusing himself from the group.

Walking through the crowd, Ayumu found himself at the refreshments table where he snagged a drink to go. Nearby, Akane downed a glass of wine like a shot before enthusiastically demanding another from the one with her. Ayumu chuckled and smirked before sipping at the drink he had obtained. He scanned the room looking for any more familiar faces he could recognize behind masks. Instead, he found himself noticing the imposing figure of Saito on the balcony. It didn't take much guessing to figure out who that was. If his large frame wasn't enough, he was flanked by two ANBU guards. They weren't assigned to just anybody. 'So the new Raikage made it, after all,' Ayumu thought, taking another sip of his drink. Intrigued, he made his way to the balcony, resisting the urge to simply leap up to it as he normally would. This was a classy event, after all.

Passing by the two ANBU, showing his face behind his mask if they needed help recognizing him, he stepped up to Akira's side. "I take it you're not much of a dancer, Saito-sama?" he commented with a grin. He took another sip of his drink as he looked out over the masquerade playing out below. From the balcony, they had a good view of it all. "Keeping a watchful eye over us all as usual, I see. I hope you're enjoying yourself up here though," he continued. Saito hadn't budged from this spot as far as Ayumu could tell. His only company, until now, was the two silent ANBU just doing their job. He wondered if the two of them would prefer to be below. Ayumu was personally happy to have a break from it all, especially after the preceding incidents. He hoped Saito didn't mind sharing the balcony for the time being. Soon he would likely be making announcements, but they could chat for a few moments if he was willing.

 

[Junan]

Aware of Ayumu's approach, it wasn't until the man spoke that Akira could confirm who it had been. Despite the mask only covering half his face it had still been enough to hide his identity. Something Akira knew would be impossible for himself, a weakness in his own ability as a shinobi, but one which he did not regret. Ayumu's assumption about Akira had been fairly accurate. His hand were rough from the smithy, almost like leather, and with his size it made it difficult to find a partner who wasn't almost a full two feet shorter than him which made the whole thing awkward. This combination had meant Akira had never truly danced before.

You might imagine why. Akira said, returning the grin.

They both resumed looking out over the people in attendance, Ayumu mentioning his keeping an eye on them.

I understand my place in the village at this time. There was a time when I would be among everyone whether I could dance or not, laughing with everyone, having too much to drink. But I am the leader of this village now. My words mean more, carry more weight. My actions have more strength. I do not have the luxury of being able to blend in, and so I watch. I am content to do so, because everyone here, everyone outside this building, all the citizens of this village, they are all mine to protect. I would kill any who seek to harm them. His mind wandered to Titan and his recent warning about the group.

How has your evening been? He asked, trying to lighten the topic of conversation.

 

[Kazu]

BGM: Macabre Waltz: Night of the Living Dead

This woman impressed Kotsuko. As she took his hand, the tell-tale signs of her being a kunoichi became as obvious as the mask on her face. A long scar rested upon her hand, a badge of honor among those who wielded a kunai for their profession. She'd seen a few battles, and had lived to tell the tale. She was either a coward or a skilled fighter, and he hardly believed the first could be true. And yet, while she was obviously a dangerous assassin, she seemed to exude a calm grace and poise the likes of which rarely graced anyone but the sophisticated upper class. She was a real treasure to be found, and it was why she impressed him so. Notwithstanding, she even did well to keep up in the verbal fencing that had been underway for the last few minutes. How exciting. "Very well. But if you haven't found me out by the end of the dance, I won't let you hear the end of it." Grabbing her well manicured hand in his own, he extended his left arm outwards and brought his right arm to rest just below her left. His grip was strong, and yet tender at the same time. As the music began to start, the young man looked his partner in the eye, and seemed to give her a sly wink behind his mask. "Let's show these stiffs how to really dance, eh?"

And with that, the tempo started. The music was alive, and suddenly so were they. Kotsuko had practiced his waltz for hours and hours, and now that practice was paying off. He practically glided off the dance floor, his partner keeping up just as easily.They twirled around the other dancers, perfectly in sync with their movements. If Kotsuko hadn't known any better, he'd have thought they'd known each other before tonight. But that was impossible. As they danced, her chestnut brown hair flung around in response to their movements. Her emerald green eye glinted in the light, catching the young man off guard with its beauty. She was really quite attractive. It made him wonder who it was that was behind that mask. As they danced, he figured a bit of playful banter was in order. "My, you certainly do have nice rhythm miss. Grace, beauty, and deadliness are a rare combination. Although, your detective skills seem to be lending themselves in my favor towards this little game of ours." He was merely teasing her. He didn't expect her to be able to figure out who he was while he still had the mask on. Still, the game was fun and he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The two danced, and danced, for what seemed like a good fifteen or twenty minutes. Time seemed to be moving very slowly for the young man.

As they made their last pass around the dance floor, Kotsuko could hear the music coming to an end. As they ended their dance, the young man gave the woman a deep bow with a sweeping motion of his arm. However, on the way up he would grab her hand in his and bring it up to his mask. He slipped the mask up, like he had with the champagne earlier, and kissed her hand lightly. He didn't draw it out, and didn't intend it to be anything but polite, but a big part of him wished she'd respond well to that gesture. He may have been a man of science, reason, and research, but he was still a sixteen year old young man who was just getting into the prime of his adolescence. He was very much interested in this kind of playful flirting. "Now that was a dance worth remembering. Thank you." He most certainly meant it. That had been a wonderful dance, and he could only hope to have such an experience again. As they walked off the dance floor, the young man leaned in to her so that she could hear him over the music being played. "I don't know about you, but I could certainly use some air. Would you care to accompany me while I go outside for a smoke?" He hoped she wouldn't take offense to his offer, and that she wasn't the kind of woman who disliked smokers. However, somehow he had a feeling that she'd be joining him outside.

[ooc: Topic Left with Chiyoko.]

 

[Kawakami Hotaru]

For a moment the young girl's concentration was moved from her lovely dance partner to their formal Medical Sennin as she gave an impromptu speech and broke into song,a small smirk sat upon her face as she noted that someone was congratulating them on a recently completed S-Rank mission, hiding her surprise Chiyoko near immediately turned back toward Kotsuko, trying her best not to give away her identity. She hadn't expected any recognition for their deeds, but it was somewhat nice to note that someone had taken notice of their accomplishments, though it ultimately mattered very little as she suspected the words to be nothing more than hollow.


Returning her attentions back toward her masked man she thought of bringing up the speech but pushed the thought from her mind, her quaint and reserved smile returned as she pressed her hand into his, gently gripping his palm as her eye nary strayed from the gaze behind his mask. Those effervescent gray jewels reminded her of someone, though she still could not think of quite who they belonged to, perhaps they had met in a previous life, or perhaps as she had suspected earlier they had gone through the same rigors in the academy. Her fingers danced ever so slightly as they pressed against the side of his hand, her smile bearing a few more teeth than before as commented she wouldn't be able to live down not figuring out his identity by the finale of the dance, "It's not a challenge unless there's a penalty for failure, though having to speak with you for a little while longer isn't much of a penalty even if you're chiding me, mystery man." it was almost painful for her to play in the way she did, it was so removed from what she normally was, from her character, yet it was oddly fun. The girl nearly shuddered at the possibility of continuing her line of thought, though there was no time to dwell on the issue as it seemed her partner was ready to dance, "Wouldn't have it any other way." the way he phrased his statement brought back a somewhat unfamiliar and hazed memory of years passed, she couldn't fully form the image in her mind, but she was near certain she had met this man somewhere before. Stiffs. She thought to herself, hiding the somewhat frustrated expression on her face as she contemplated who he was.

Her long since ingrained training in the arts of the waltz was put to the test as her partner did, in fact, dance as well as he spoke. It wasn't like her to be impressed by such spectacle, but she could not help but find herself a bit entranced with the twirls and the movements of the dance, perhaps it was a good thing to break away from her usual salacious routines for the night. The thoughts of who the man was, or who he might be, melted away for those moments when they danced as she gave into the serendipitous movements that had befallen her, almost trance like as she focused solely on her partner as her fingers still danced in rhythm across his hands, the only sign that she wasn't entirely used to dancing. His banter was sweet in the sickliest of ways, their banter was enjoyable and so different from what she was used to but her wit remained all the same as she replied, "Your flattery persists even in the middle of our dance, impressive sir. Though a dancer is only as graceful as their partner, and I can't help but feel that you're as handsome as I am beautiful, if not a bit more so." her statement was mainly idle speculation as she couldn't fully make out her partner's appearance through his mask, though she had a feeling that a man of such charm was likely nothing short of comely, "However I have the strangest feeling that I have you beaten in the deadliness compartment, it pays to be a femme fatale. " she couldn't help but let out a light and airy giggle as she referred to herself as a femme fatale, believing few things could be farther to the truth. "Honestly I'm looking forward to you making me eat my words, though I can't help but feel I know you. Perhaps I may have underestimated the time it's taking me to put the pieces together, but I'm almost certain I know who you are in come capacity, Mr. Mystery Man."

Their dance was coming to an end and Chiyoko couldn't help but feel a bit sorrowful as she wished it could have lasted a bit longer, but as they say all good things must come to an end. There was a slight feeling of surprise as her partner took a moment from his bow to supplant a gentle kiss upon her hand, he was ever so suave, "Charming." she remarked withdrawing her hand hiding a slight flush of not quite embarrassment, in fact she wasn't entirely sure what the flush sitting on her face was from but decided dwelling on wasn't in her best interest. Instead she returned to speaking with the man as he ensured her that the dance was one to remember, something to which she agreed wholeheartedly. "Any time, as I first expected you're as skilled on your feet as you are with your tongue." Leaning in toward her dance partner as they walked from the dance floor, she listened to his proposition her chestnut tresses resting lightly upon his shoulder as she made sure to move in a bit closer than he had initially intended, it was as if he had read her mind as he commented he could use a smoke and some fresh air. "I'd be happy to protect you from the big bad outside world, besides I would love a smoke as well." and with that the two walked outside of the Aristocracy ridden ball and back into the real world.

[Exit]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu was glad that Saito didn't seem opposed to his interrupting the silence of the balcony. Of course, his presence didn't stop the man from remaining vigilant, either. Nothing really seemed capable of doing that. Ayumu chuckled as the man hinted at why he might not be so inclined to dance. He supposed it would make it difficult to find a dance partner when one was as large as Saito. On the other hand, he imagined that Saito could really work some wonders as far as maneuvers that required lifting his dance partner. Or throwing them, if he was so inclined. Ayumu leaned on the balcony banister as Saito spoke about his duty to the village as Raikage. It was clear that he took the position very seriously from the way he talked about it. He understood the weight and importance of it well. Ayumu could relate to some extent, having held two Sennin positions, but to lead the entire village was another level entirely. It was somewhat sad though, to think that Saito felt he could no longer join in like he once might have.

"I'm with you there. It's reassuring to know that you take the well being of the village so seriously," Ayumu commented before taking a drink as his mind wondered for a moment to the murderous mercenary he had cut down in the streets of Kumo once before. He realized back then just how easy it was to kill when it meant protecting the people of the village. Fortunately, the conversation shifted to a lighter tone as Saito asked how Ayumu's evening was progressing thus far. Ayumu thought about it for a moment as he took a drink finishing off the glass he had in his hand. The night hadn't played out much how he had hoped, in truth. "Shinrya drama... My date bailed on me, though I can't blame her after all that. Kitsune at the center as usual. Could be worse though," Ayumu responded, shaking his head. 'She could still be Sennin,' he added in his mind, deigning not to speak the evil aloud. "But the entertainment is good, as are the drinks, and many people seem to be having a good time," Ayumu commented, glancing at the more drunken guests causing a scene. "Some more than others," he chuckled as he watched them. "It's good to see the village come together like this and cut loose once in a while," he observed, pausing for a moment as he turned his head to look to Saito.

"You know, you may not be able to blend in very well, but I think you could join the revelry if you wanted... every now and then," he said, though he doubted the man would want to give up is outpost on the balcony to do so. Ayumu was content to watch with him though for now. If nothing else, he would have enjoyed another drink and some food, but it didn't seem the waiters with their trays of goodies were going to come up to the balcony on their own. Spotting one just below the balcony, Ayumu put his fingers to his lips and let out a whistle just loud enough to catch the man's attention. He looked up to see Ayumu and nodded as Ayumu pointed at the tray he was holding housing a few different food items and a couple of drinks. Ayumu assumed the man knew how to make it to the balcony so he would come sooner or later. "At least maybe we can enjoy some of the fare provided," he said, having spotted a few things he wanted to try.

 

[Sashine]

She took notice in the boy's dancing pattern and since he said nothing about her wing flapping and child-ballerina style, she rationalized that boys were the reserved type in dances and needed to down-play their dancing to make their partner shine. Sashine recalled seeing women dance on mirrors. The men held the women up and stood still as they floated around and the women did really exuberant poses, ran around the boy and did flips in the air. If this was true of dance, Sashine was really underplaying her dancing. She wanted to jump into the boy's arms and fly too but she didn't think the boy looked strong enough. Maybe if the dog helped him. She lifted one shoulder as a half shrug to the compliment, a smile on her face. "Thank you very much, gentlemen.", she wasn't sure if the dog was a male or even could be considered a gentleman<i></i>. Sashine was feeling very happy dancing, so much so that the comment which would usually make her destroy someone to a pulp with words, only made her smile at the boy and explain "I'm already a lot of somethings. You're a lot of somethings too. I want to be all of the somethings. Only then, I'll be everything.", she thought about it more as she made laps (and flaps) around the boy and dog. "Yeah, it will be hard work.", she closed her eyes as she danced and imagined all the hard things she'd have to do to get there.

Caught up in her own world, Sashine began to add some new dance moves to her set,attempting to twirl and end the twirl by lifting her leg straight up into the air and though it looked alright, as a first attempt, the landing went downhill,her body falling forward, trying to save herself by doing a roll out of it but with the clunky metal, making a loud scraping noise on the floor and ending the roll sitting flat on her butt., she looked around and panicked for a few seconds. She felt like a fool and like a... child. She didn't want to seem like a child. Sashine felt, even at this age that she was a lot more than her age and it constrained her. After freaking out for a bit, she felt herself come back to reality when she realized that the music didn't stop, it kept going and people kept walking along and living their life. This was an event where everyone was masked. No one knew her and she had nothing to fear when it came to public embarrassment. The worst of her problems would be facing the boy and his dog.

She stood up, taking the help of anyone if they helped her up, replying with a short nod and a "Thank you.", otherwise, just standing up on her own. She dusted off her bottom despite it being metal and not really having to worry too much of it since metal didn't cling onto dirt like cloth. Sashine's mind was back on Earth.

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WC: 513