The Most Wonderful Time of the Year [Christmas Party]

Okibi · Dec 7, 2013

Jazzy holiday songs played over speakers set up all throughout the Kazekage tower grounds. They were supplied by a live band, situated on a stage which was at the head of a shiny dance floor. Lights were strung absolutely everywhere - hanging from the tower, netted over bushes and wrapped around trees. Ornaments, ribbons and wreaths were strategically placed, so that whenever a person turned, they would have something to admire.

At the center of the grounds was an enormous pine tree, brought in from a neighboring country especially for the event. It was decorated to the hilt with lights, ornaments, tinsel, bows, and just about any other sort of holiday decoration out there. At the very top sat a blazing star, powered by a golden chakra crystal at its center. In front of the tree sat a golden throne, carved with swirling, wintery designs and cushioned with the softest red velvet. It was a special seat, roped off and reserved for a special guest.

Buffet tables were set up on the right side of the grounds, attended to by some volunteer staff who happily filled peoples plates with prime rib, potatoes, stuffing and so much more. There were also salad bars, sushi bars, pupu tables, and a dessert buffet for people who were feeling more particular, or just a little peckish. There was also a magnificent candy buffet that seemed to be drawing the attention of just about every child attending the event, perhaps because of the life sized gingerbread men who were handing out little plastic bowls and cups filled with the sweet treats. The adults seemed more drawn to the open drink bar where cocktails of every color and alcohol were being served by a few dashing young bartenders in snappy vests and shirts.

Cozy round tables covered in crisp white cloths were scattered everywhere for people to sit, eat and chat should they desire. Center pieces made of Poinsettias and bare tree limbs, bedecked with dangling crystal ornaments decorated each seating, casting little rainbow lights on the guests.

And all around the event, temporary barriers were set up in the shape of tall, thick bushes. They kept out the 'undesirables' and also served the purpose of bottlenecking every attendee in through the same entrance. Whenever a person made their way through the trellised gateway covered in lights and holly, they would be stopped by a pair of adorable children, a brother and sister it seemed, who were dressed in their holiday finest. The little girl wore a darling red dress with a gossamer black bow, and the boy sported a snazzy sweater vest and striped shirt combo. The boy handed the guests a small red sack - a party favor - and instructed them, "Don't lose. Don't open." in a brusque little voice. The girl gave everyone a stamp on the hand of a number. She smiled brightly and also instructed them, "Don't wash."

A young lady in a festive red cocktail dress came up behind the young pair and placed her hands on their shoulders. "Getting everybody?" She asked them in a chipper voice, brushing the stylishly mussed white hair of her braid away from her face. Her snowy haired head was crowned by a wreath made of holly, and her braid was twined through with the little holiday plants and hung over her right shoulder. Her feet were bare, but she didnt seem to care.

The pair of kids looked up at her and nodded, the boy frowning and the girl grinning. She grinned at them and gave their heads a pat, then turned around to head towards the stage. The lead singer was speaking with the drummer, who was flipping his sticks in the air, and she waved him over for a word. Whispers were exchanged, and when the white haired girl turned away, she was grinning deviously.

"Okibi." Someone called. She turned around and saw Seven, in his human form approaching her, also dressed in a red ensemble to match the rest of the family. "Some people arrived with an ice cream sculpture shaped like a man made of snow. Where do you want it?"

Okibi clapped her hands. "Have them put it by the dessert table. And make sure that cooling thingie is turned on!" She called after him as he started walking away. When he was gone, she sighed and looked around; things came together nicely, if she did say so herself. She hadnt been able to participate in the festivities last year, because she'd still been recovering from her ordeal, but this year she'd insisted she be part of the planning. You wouldnt think a girl as impatient as her could pull off something like this, but when she put her mind to it, even she could pull off a Christmas miracle or two.

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(Woo, sorry about all those links! I had to get my dogs in their outfits 8D. So! A few things for you guys to know~

Dont worry about the numbers stamped on your hands; I'll tell you what they are in my next post, and youll see what theyre for later.
Dont you open those favors till youre given the cue! Or Okibi is gonna give you a holiday smack! Lol
Once again, as I have said before, this is doubling as a surprise birthday party for Sousuke, so if youre close to the family you can know about it.
Oh, and dont worry so much about posting orders. Just throw something up when you feel its appropriate, but only once per round!

Other than that, lets have fun yes? HAPPY HOLIDAYS!)

Enatsu · Dec 7, 2013

There seemed to be some huge gathering at the Kazekage's Tower and what other wonderful thing could it be than a huge Sunan Party. Koga was still adjusting to these Sunan folks but he realized they were not so different from his people. He had some assumption that it was a militaristic type of environment on strict dictator ship. However this event showed their human side. He had immediately learned that the majority of people here were common folk and the place wasn't littered with shinobi at every corner telling you it was past curfew. It might have seemed unsafe to some but they were all still people in the end. Shinobi or not events like these just felt like the human thing to do. It felt good to remember that they were not monsters, not tools of war, not some overglorified soldiers. Koga could smile and toast to that. Even he himself was taking up a different role than his usual one as of late. Today Koga was not a shinobi of the sand village first, tonight he was cousin Koga.

As each member of the Clan walked through the entrance they were met with a pair of adorable little children. The boy handed them red sacks which they were instructed to keep on them at all times. The girl gave them numbers and instructed them not to wash them off. Koga covered his hand after not wanting to see the number. Spirits you love me right? Give me number 9? I'm feeling lucky. He'd smile and continue to wrap his hand up to keep his suspense in check. His clan members began to disperse as soon as they entered most of them heading to the buffet. The children of course wanted candy and for some reason their mothers chose Koga. Immediately they shoved their children off to the elder cousin paying him little compliments about how he was so nice, and good with kids and he knew, oh he knew their game yet he still gave in and agreed to watch the little bulls.

Six size-ably noticeable red headed children circled Koga tugging him to the candy stands. They chanted and cheered "Come on cousin Koga! We want candy, candy!" A look of despair and anguish overtook the face of young Koga as he was dragged by the children. "Uh, but your mothers said no candy until you've had three bowls full of vegetables!" They immediately retorted, "So!? We hate vegetables their icky! Koga sighed as he gave in to their pulling and escorted them to the candy. "Yes but if the mothers find out I'll have to eat 6 bowls of vegetables... I don't like veggies.." He'd make a screwed up face sticking out his tongue and closing his left eye. The kids smiled and made jokes about how big cousin Koga was a wuss or a pansy because he didn't like his vegetables. Even though his clan was in a state of discomfort at the moment it was times like these that he could find solemn peace in their happiness. However one of the children was trailing behind. Koga had been keeping a watchful eye on him, he was Ouma's younger brother apparently and of course even though this grand festival was going on he couldn't find much enjoyment in it. So Koga broke off from the rest of the children allowing them to get whatever candy they could for their hearts content. "Hey remember no fighting with the other children over candy. Get what you can, be grateful, or I'm gonna tell your mothers. I'll eat 6 bowls of vegetables as long as you all have to eat them too Bwahahahahaha!" They boo'd him but understood he just wanted them to play nice with the other kids. Ikoji children were usually physically larger than other clans children. He was basically herding a group of red headed baby bear cubs.

Koga approached Ouma's younger brother. His name was Dan, and he seemed fragile, let alone the fact that he was smaller than the other children. Ouma must have been his "confidence" because the other children had never seen him like this, or at least it's been a long time since they had. So Koga began to take a small trip around the place making jokes about some of the people they saw, trying his very best to make Dan smile but nothing seemed to work. So in his initial promise he would bring a shed of laughter to his younger cousin's face. Koga would search for the nearest attractive female he could fine. His eyes became fixated on a pale girl sporting an extremely selective red dress and a head of white hair. He would approach her immediately and begin speaking. "I know you don't know me and this is crazy, but my younger cousin here has been down lately. I asked him what would be the one thing to bring him cheer, this time of the year.... Well this is the crazy part, this little guy said (Koga looks around and cups one hand over his mouth). He wants a girl's panties for Christmas..." Dan's eyes began to "pop" out his head, and his cheeks turned red. He probably thought Koga was joking, and Koga's face was turning red too, it was clear he was embarrassed. The normal response to a question like this would be quite painful.

Takahashi Aki · Dec 7, 2013

Usually Sousuke was the one giving out orders when it came to setting up formal gatherings, but not today. His ward Okibi for unknown reasons took center stage. "Portable crystal air conditioner." He would simply say as she called the item a thingie. Sousuke would speak as he stood there looking slightly uncomfortable in his red suit with bow-tie. Last year he didn't dress for the occasion. This year he had to. Mainly because ... well ... Okibi told him to and told him to severely. Last time she didn't really want to dress up. Yet ... this time she was okay with doing so. Why it because ... she had grown older? Or was it because she wanted to impress someone.

Sousuke watched as things were starting to come together. He went on a stroll of sorts and inspected some of the ornaments. Some of them were slightly out of position, and others had to be moved slightly. Sousuke attended to these as he was somewhat of a perfectionist. Once he had attended those, he had returned to Okibi's side with a glass of egg nog in hand. He looked at Okibi and then the drink. Remembering all too well what had happened. "Right then. Down the hatch." He would speak as he drank from the glass. "Ah. Good. This hasn't been spiked. I don't have to worry about much then."

"Hrmph." A slight growl followed as former Steward, Judori as usual made a spontaneous appearance out of thin air. The small bald man looked at his son and shook his head. "I wonder if that'll be the case for the entire night. Bee, you've made quite the show... a bit flashy, but I suppose change is never a bad thing." Judori looked about and found a giant teddy bear that was bigger than he was. "Hrmmm..." Judori conjured up his chakra wires and set them on the bear. He walked the bear over to Koga, and hand the bear pat Koga on the back. Yes. That would be give him a surprise, wouldn't it?

"Dad ... don't do that." Sousuke tried to urge his father who seemed to have a very large grin on his face. "No Dad. Seriously. I think you may spook the children." Judori would have none of that though. He was going to have fun in his old age. Surely the newly arrival wouldn't go totally berserk about being face to face with a giant teddy bear... who sported a fine top hat.

Sunaku Harupia · Dec 7, 2013

Haru was quite surprised when Okibi approached him a few weeks back, to talk about his art work of all things. Not that he found anything wrong with her taking an interest to it, he just wasn’t quite expecting it. Still, he had the pleasure of showing her some of his works, some of them more elaborate, some of them smaller, also including a sample of something new form him, sand "paintings" to state it as simply as possibly. He was pleased to hear that she enjoyed them. Enough that she even asked for one of his sculptures. He was glad to oblige, and in spite of her urging, free of charge, in thanks for carrying him around during their little...misadventure. Either way he was happy to spread his work.

Fast forward a bit, and news of another annual Christmas party was littered around Suna. He still remember the last one he attended...it was a pleasant gathering indeed. And he hoped it would be so this year as well... even with his parents once again coming along with him. Not that he minded being around them, he just knew his father would be probably grumpy during the outing... but he wouldn’t pass a chance to represent the clan. Ahh well, he hoped to meet a few friends there, that’s all the matter. As they entered the Kazekage tower, they were greeted by two quite adorable kids, and they even received a surprise gift. One they couldn’t open outright. His mother was quite pleased by the sight of such cute children, even running her hand through the girls locks after she was stamped on the hand. Father wasn’t to keen on threat but he relented quickly.

Shaking his head a bit, Haru looked around the festive hall, while swaying a bit to the beat of the band. He hoped the outfit he picked out didn’t look to. Well, he wasn’t sure. He liked it either way. A light purple cape with golden streams, and under it a nice silk shirt, along with elegant dress pants. He felt classy, yet regal enough. His father, once coming through the selection process said "Honestly son, would it hurt you to done more traditional robes for an occasion like this?" to which he replied "This is a party father, not a council gathering or an international summit. You need to ease up a bit...though I must say you do look quite impressive in you knew robe" to which the older Sunaku grunted before his wife joined his side saying "I’m sure you love my handy work, right darling?" It always confused Haru how these two came to be together...before his father became clan leader he went exactly the most worthy commodity in the clan. Yet his mother saw something in him, and managed to sway her family to her gain... As sweet as she looked, one would be mistaken to underestimate her influence sometimes.

Musing aside, he turned around and saw something quite...unusual. One of the rather large teddies which were causing quite the glee of the children gather was poking an individual he didn’t quite know yet. Hmm... he noticed the fingers of Sousuke father move around in subtle ways, so he assumed the puppet master was up to something interesting. Seeing Okibi and Sousuke there as well, he approached the familiar faces with a wide smile saying "Good tidings my friends" while giving them all a respectful bow, then saying "Once again, the Takahashi family prepared a wonderful gathering. I’m glad to see you all doing well. I must say, you two look quite dashing" he said with a wide smile towards Sousuke and Okibi. The Steward in a suite...what was the world coming to, hah.

Alright, introducing the family
Sunaku Shigeo wearing this
Sunaku Kohana dressed as on the picture, just with her hair pulled down
Haru is wearing this but with a white silk shirt rather then being shirtless, withouth the gauntlet, and wearing darker pants. Thanks for taking the time to read through here

Sagasu Yume · Dec 8, 2013

It was that time once more; the annual Christmas party was being held at the Kazekage tower. A flyer had been delivered to the Sagasu residence earlier in the week announcing the event but it hardly required advertisement. Once the lights started to go up and music began to play, the people of the village would know that it was time and filter their way through the adorned streets and past the festive decorations to make their way to the main event. Attached to the generic invitation was a more personal note added by Okibi to ensure that those who were close to the family were in on a secret she had planned. On previous years, Yume had simply shown up in something a little more dressed up than normal and mingled but this year was different.

Hurry up, Shinji! We're going to be late!

We're not going to be late. See? People are still arriving. We'll show up with everyone else.

The eldest Sagasu, while not unkempt, was not in formal attire as he trailed behind his younger sister. With his hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, he still held a striking image in a black kit jumper and jeans which were adorned with a nylon belt, clasped in the front with a brass buckle. On his feet were comfortable black shoes, rather unremarkable in appearance but turning out to be the smartest decision he had made all night as it had been difficult to keep up to his sister as she ran ahead in heels. Even CuRua, who was sporting a green bow on his collar, was having trouble and decided to keep pace with Shinji.

Stopping at the entrance, Yume would turn around and wait for her brother with a smile on her face to which he would respond to with a shake of his head and a chuckle. Stepping into the party in front of her sibling, her dress would flourish as she span back toward the festivities and made her way to the children who were tasked with greeting everyone. With a smile she would accept the favor from the boy and tuck it into her clutch for safe keeping. Crouching a little, she would offer her hand to the girl so that she could place a number on it before she stepped passed them so that they could give the same treatment to her brother.

Looking around there were familiar faces mixing with new ones. For a brief moment, her excitement would get the better of her as she stood in place and trembled, looking everywhere and taking it in. She would stumble forward as her brother would come up behind her and bump into her to snap her out of the daydream, causing her to giggle and blush with embarrassment. Her hand would instinctively reach up to brush her bangs behind one ear before she would stop, remembering that they were left out on purpose. What was the point of a dressing up if one didn't style their hair? Exchanging a grin and a nod, they would hold the silent conversation that simply said "I'll see you at home, either tonight or tomorrow." before her brother would turn towards the bar and request an amber drink. The smile would appear to be permenantly painted on Yume's face as she would wander through the crowd, taking in the food and exchanging hello's and small talk with patients she had treated this year and other members of the village. Standing by the dessert table was the imposing figure of Olgav, a man with a talent for baking and the figure to prove it. His thick accented laughter rang out as he patted a smaller man on the shoulder who looked as if he wasn't entirely certain that the jovial gentleman wouldn't accidentally break him in half. After another half turn, she would espy the person she was looking for and hurry towards the hostess. On her way over she would stop, almost dumbfounded as a giant teddy bear would be animated to stand behind the young man talking to Okibi. Perhaps it would be best to sit back and watch how this played out.

Uri · Dec 8, 2013

The Christmas party was infamous in Suna, and while Uri hadn't been to one in many, many years he was exciting to have it grace the dull cavescape of their home. While many people were arriving in their best clothing, mingling and eating, Uri had been at the tower well before the appointed time helping in the set-up. While he hadn't been asked by anyone specific to aid in the festivities, he had been given the job as a general contractor. So he helped oversee and build the stand and stages. The lighting fixtures and additional sound amplifiers had all fallen under his responsibility. Even though he had only been back for such a short time, he had found his place in managing and constructing. As a side attraction, he had also spent some time with his long-time friend Olgav, who had baked up the life-sized gingerbread that were currently walking around handing out treats and goodies to all the good little boys and girls. As for their animation and autonomy, Uri was doing that all through some subtle manipulation of seals and sugar crystals; a little known technique that was more delicious than deadly.

It wasn't before long that everything moved into full-swing and people swarmed the decorated grounds of the Kazekage tower. Music, food, and holiday swelled everyone's spirits. Smiles and laughter could be seen and heard in any direction one decided to look, and it was already a sign of success. While Uri had fully planned on attending, he couldn't remain in his worn-in coveralls that he wore for jobs like this. He had to get into the mood along with everyone else. There was also the matter of meeting up with his date for the evening and it was of the utmost imperative that they match their attire.

Before long he was outside the entrance to the party sporting a bright red suit with white fur trim, a black silk shirt, and a crisp white tie. On his head was a traditional, dangly red hat with white trim to match his suit. Outside he looked around for the person he promised he would escort to the event. As he looked around, not seeing her, he felt a tap on her shoulder, and there she was. As beautiful as ever.

She wore a red cocktail dress with a large black bow secured around her torso. On her wrist rested a band of shimmering minerals. There was a beautiful smile waiting to greet Uri as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, "You look great, Okaa-san." The woman beamed again, and she reached forward, straightening up Uri's coat.

"And even if I can't see you, I know you're easily the most handsome fella here, ri-kun."

For as long as Uri could remember, his Mother had been blind. Some terrible accident when she was younger had taken her sight, and her life fell into a decline. Then she met Uri's father, a man who loved and cared for this fragile woman regardless of the hardships it meant bringing upon himself. They were never rich or had nice things, but as a family they had been the most happy and because of that Oichi, Uri's mother had become a strong woman as she aged. A slender arm looped through Uri's, they walked up to the grand welcoming and entered as normal guests, despite Uri having been there nearly the entire day. They got their numbers and their gifts and Oichi smiled at the children as they bestowed their warnings upon them. Once inside, Uri looked around with a huge smile spread across his lips. While it was clear something was happening where a large bear was walking about, many familiar faces in the group, Uri was intercepted by a call of his name and the thundering footsteps of a large man approaching him.

The accent betrayed him instantly. It was Olgav.

The large baker stopped in front of the couple, dressed in his double-breasted chef's coat and a toque that was a little too small for his enormous head, making his appearance a little comical.

"Little Uri!" He slapped the chuunin on his back with a massive hand, but soon his eyes shifted and he quickly drew back a step, bowing, "And this must be Momma Uri! It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintances." The heavy Slavic accent almost made him sound like a foreign diplomat, "You have raised a fine boy! A most fine boy!"

Oichi offered a polite curtsy, "Thank you, Olgav, and it is nice to finally meet you too. I remember Uri would always bring home loaves of bread and say he got them from a giant. At least now I know he was not telling tall tales."

They spoke back and forth for a good while, Uri keeping an eye on the ensuing situation some ways away. For some reason, it didn't seem like it would end well.

Suika · Dec 8, 2013

“It's the most wonderful time of the year~” sang Maji as he readied himself for the big party. He had just finished adding the finishing touch to his outfit – he had tied his red tie on. He glanced at himself in his large-sized mirror and gave himself a flirty wink. “My, my, Maji, aren't you a handsome red devil today?” The pink-eyed boy was dressed in a pure red suit with a white collared shirt under his jacket and a crimson red tie. He wore shined dress shoes and sported a shimmering gold watch he borrowed from Sousuke that was modified to his wrist size. He looked dashing. Well, he had a leathered cast over his once-broken leg, too. He was almost recovered from his last mission with Okibi, but he still had to stick it out in this finishing stage. Maji was able to walk without crutches now, but he kind of paced like Frankenstein when he did.

Oh well.

Today was the day! The party of the year, Suna's annual Christmas party, had arrived and his household was hosting it. It was apparently something that they have done before, but this would be Maji's first. He was beaming in excitement. He was even more stoked that this was a combination event – it was also to be the Steward's surprise birthday party. Okibi had given him the details way back when, but he was sworn to secrecy. He was loyal to his word and kept the event hushed. He was also afraid that Okibi would kill him, too, if he spilled the secret. Fear was a motivator in and of itself.

Ippin fluttered out of no where and let out a delighted cry. Surprisingly, she was dressed up, too! She had a red jacket one with a white-fur trimming around it. It's sleeves were designed to fit her wing, though, it was cut open to display her the brilliant shade of blue that she had. The lizard butterly also wore a little Christmas hat – she looked adorable. “You're so cute, Ippin. All the boy lizards will be lining up tonight.” he winked, chuckled lightly, and rubbed his cheek onto her head.

Now that he was ready, he didn't have a second to lose. He had to help out with the party set-up or Okibi would have his head. He dashed out, but then ran back into his room and grabbed onto a rose, a neatly wrapped medium-sized gift, and a smaller one that he stacked on top of the other. He then rushed out again with an awkward wobble towards the party spot.

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Upon arriving, Maji was already aware of his duty. Zen and Peaches were in their human forms and acted as greets and handed people what they needed for the party. Maji had already acquired his and a number as he entered. Seven, who was also in human form, was off helping Okibi with some important stuff. He hadn't spotted Okibi yet within the chaos of the set-up, but he didn't mind too much. Work had to be done! He set the gifts in a safe place within the tower, set the rose his pocket, and went outside to go aid in whatever way he could.

Maji helped organize food tables and made sure everything was where it was supposed to be. He was the double-checker. “Check...” he said aloud as he marked stuff down on a list. Everything was good so far. Well, until he stumbled upon the desert table. Where was the ice cream sculpture that was ordered? It was supposed to arrive before people started showing up. Maji tapped his foot, put his hand on his chin, and processed this for a second. Would he have to make a call?

As he was about to wobble off into the Tower to prepare a message, he saw Seven arrive with men carrying the sculpture. It was humongous! Maji “oo'd” as he laid eyes upon it. It was impressive. He limped towards Seven and waved with a bright, cheesy smile. “Looking good, Seven-kun.” As he neared the pup-boy, he shifted his attention towards the men placing the ice-cream sculpture. “This is so cool. Hopefully it doesn't melt.”

He then turned back towards the pup. It was kind of weird seeing him in human form, but Maji liked it. It was like hanging out with someone his age, which he practically was, in a sense. It made Seven feel more relatable. “Oh, by the way, have you seen Oki-chan? I got something for her.” He stuck his tongue out to the side and struggled to reach for the rose he placed into his pocket. He pulled it out and, to his luck, it looked undamaged from its stay within his pants. “I got this for her.” Maji grinned and held it out as to show off the flower.

The white-haired boy was pretty much done his duty, too. Everything appeared in check and people started to crowd in to the area. Let the party begin~

Toraono Michino · Dec 8, 2013

The halls were all completely decked out with reflective greens, reds, and gold's. Christmas ornaments of all shapes and natures hung from the limbs of the imported tree and delicious food wafted up into the air to entrance anyone who wasn't already done so by the alcohol of the open bar.
Tama for one wasn't, at least alcohol wise.
He was here on a completely different reason that most of the crowd below him was for. The blonde scientist hung from a thick silk rope that was attached to the ceiling where he was drawing strange tiny runes that could not be seen from the ground. A soft glow had began to emanate from above but thankfully the color of it went along with the rest of the decorations so that no one was distracted by the fact that right above them someone was making a rather complex barrier to keep them unwanted out. He couldn't keep everyone out of the party that would have possibly caused a lot of ruckus but there was a list that Okibi had given him to specifically ward out certain party crashers that would have tried to ruin the surprise part if not the whole ordeal if given the chance.

With the last rune finished he sighed a breath of relief and channeled a little bit of chakra into the palm of his hand to send a shock up to the knot in the rope that was keeping him suspended high above the crowd. He felt the sudden rush of weightlessness as he fell down to the floor. Some of the crowd below saw him and someone screamed in fear which would in itself caused a small panic had not the blond did a half flip in the air and land on his feet without even so much as a grunt.
Civilians. When would they realize that at least a third of the people here were shinobi?

Ryuu Tama was dressed to the nines for the event. He wore a silk triple breasted tuxedo colored in a red that was equal to the shade that his mate was wearing; though he had black dress shoes on his feet. His hands reached up and adjusted the black tie that had come loose a little bit from the fall before he made his way over towards the food bar to get himself served a ridiculous large platter of food that was pure protein. Making such a complex barrier was a taxing experience, especially when one had been at it since the wee hours of the morning to get the basic layers in before the crowds could start rushing the front.

With a heavy sit Tama settled himself at one of the white tables and dug into his food so he wouldn't be so damn distracted for the rest of the evening with something so simple as being hungry. He really wanted to go see how good of a host Okibi was playing since this was all her idea this year but his hunger was, at that moment, far more demanding of his attention.

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Blue hair was the only thing that made him stand out even a little in the crowd as the rogue sat with his back against a wall and a beverage in his hand. The rogue swirled the eggnog in his glass a little before taking another slow sip of the delicious drink.
Yoen had already had his small fill of sweets and a few things from the other buffet but his real attention was focused on the open bar and all the wonderful drink combinations they were offering. This was probably his third alcoholic drink of the evening and the bartenders were -not- skimping on the liquor. A nice small buzz was hitting the teenager and he felt all kinds of warm and fuzzy all over.

Yoen wasn't what you would call a hardcore alcoholic, but he did enjoy the drink enough that he had the potential to become one. Enough heartbreak on top of a rather hard life for being how he was raised lead to a natural taste for the burning sensation one got when they drank liquor straight. Honestly tonight was probably the first night he had ever done anything with mixing something into the alcohol to make it taste better and he could see why people did it now.

Of course the rogue wasn't there for an open bar, free food, or even the party itself. He was there just for one person that promised him a date a few weeks ago and his slightly addled mind was already starting to worry a little about. Surely she wouldn't stand him up...she seemed way different from all the other girls he had tried to woo in his short lifespan.

[mft]

Chiyo · Dec 8, 2013

Standing in her bathroom, her hair dried and hanging straight behind her, she looked at the supplies on the counter with a wary eye. Laying before her were assorted make-up items she had purchased with a lot of help from the girl that was working in the little shop. Amy had made sure to have the girl show her how to use the items, but now that she was on her own, the task that lay ahead was much more daunting.

Biting her bottom lip a little, she ran her hand across the little silver compact that held a mineral powder that matched her skin tone perfectly before picking it up with slightly shaking hands and applying just a little to her cheeks, nose, chin and eyelids – just enough to even out the little bit of redness as the girl had instructed her. Looking in the mirror for a quick moment, she smiled a little, happy that she looked okay and not clown-ish at all. Next was the eyes; she picked up the little pallet of violet shadow, she swept just a bit over the powder she had already applied to her eyelids then moved to the hardest task of all – eyeliner. With a heavy sigh, she picked up the little black tube and leaned in close to the mirror. Steadying her hands, the redhead drew an almost perfectly straight line just above her eyelashes then another along her bottom lashes before sweeping a bit of mascara onto her lashes, blinking carefully against the brush. Plucking up her bravery again, she looked in the mirror and laughed happily, it looked great! That girl at the shop really knew what she was doing. Now it was time for the lips, this part was easy. Picking up the tube of rose-colored liquid, she swept a bit of it across her plump lips and rubbed them together – just as the shop girl showed her and made a little kissy face at herself in the mirror.

Of course, next was the matter of what she was going to wear. Picking out her outfit was the most difficult part as the occasion was semi-formal and that generally required dresses of some sort for the women...Amy didn't wear dresses...dresses were evil. With another deep breath she stepped from her bathroom and let her eyes fall on the little cocktail dress she had chosen for herself – again with the help of the girl that was working in the clothing store. This girl had had a lot of fun trying to find a dress that the tom-boy could deal with for one evening. The whole ordeal had taken around an hour and Amy had tried on around fifty different dresses until she settled on the first dress she had tried on.

Cringing a little, she walked over to where the gown lay on her bed, paired with a pair of dangerously high heels that matched the dress and even lent it a little bit of an edgy feel. Her hands ran over the soft fabric and she sighed, it really was a pretty dress, but she just knew she would be nervous and uncomfortable all evening. Biting the bullet, she picked up the gown and slipped it on, zipping it up in the back with a deft tug. Now came the shoes, sitting on the bed, she slid her feet into them and buckled the straps with a little difficulty – why the buckles were on the outside of her ankles, she didn't know, wouldn't it be easier to put them on the inside?

Once she had the buckles fastened and the dress straightened out, she stood – wobbled for a moment – then strode over to the mirror that hung on her closet door. Looking at herself in the mirror, she wore a grimace at first, but smiled a little as she took in the way her small, toned body looked in the short dress and how her legs looked in the platform heels. Now she just needed to make it down the stairs and across town to the Kazekage tower.

Leaving her room, she made it down the short hallway, but took the stairs slowly, holding tight to the railing. Halfway to the door, however, she heard a playful wolf-whistle coming from the sitting room where her father had been reading his newspaper. “A dress, Amy? Wow! This boy must be something else, huh?” he winked at her as she hesitantly turned to look at him, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“I only just met him, Oto-san. It's a formal party, that's why I'm in a dress.” Her voice was shaking just a little, she knew what was about to come, so she took a few steps into the den and crossed her arms over her torso.

“My little Amy would never wear a dress, even if it was a formal occasion, the Amy I knew would have bought herself a suit before putting on something as girly as a dress and heels.” His eyebrow was quirked as he looked at the beautiful woman his little girl was becoming. His heart broke just a little in his chest as he thought of the boy she was about to go meet and he furrowed his brow a little bit. “You are to come home right after the party, and I want you to be safe, I'm sure Toushin will be looking out for you whether he's actually at the party or not.”

“Okay, Oto-san, I will, you know me, I'm not one for trouble.” She said with a little laugh as she started to turn, but she heard the creak of the floorboards as her father stood and walked over to her. Turning back to look at him, she saw that he was smiling, but in his eyes there was a lot of sadness. Smiling sweetly, the redhead wrapped her bare arms around her father's waist and hugged him tight. “I'll be back later, I promise, you don't need to worry about me, I hid a set of kunai under all this fluff.” With that, she tilted her head up and planted a swift kiss on his cheek – she didn't need to stretch far with these heels on.

---------------

The young redhead stood a ways away from the entrance to the party, her stomach was tied in knots and full of butterflies at the same time, this would be her first real party and her first real date all at the same time, so of course she was nervous. It didn't help either that she had chosen to dress for the occasion in a white cocktail dress with a red ribbon around her waist, not to mention the red spike heels she had strapped to her poor tortured feet. Needless to say she wasn't at her most comfortable as she fidgeted with the top of her dress and she watched some of the other people enter the party completely at ease. With a small exhale and a little nod to herself, she walked forward, surprisingly agile in shoes she wasn't anywhere near accustomed to wearing.

As she walked, her long red hair flowed behind her, loose for a change except for the two thin braids she had wrapped around her head from her temples before joining them together in one braid that lay down the center of her back. Her cheeks flushed as she stepped through the entrance to the party and took a look at how many people were gathered there. Hesitating a moment, she almost took a step backward to leave again, but two small children came up to her. The boy handed her a red bag, and she took it with a smile, nodding as he told her to keep it and not open it, then the girl took her hand and wrote down a number, which she was much too nervous to pay any attention to, but she mumbled out a nervous “Thank you,” and moved farther into the party.

Her eyes slid over the scene, taking in the festive decorations and the tables full of food, candy, and drinks with a little smile, she had heard that Okibi had taken it upon herself to put the whole thing together and it seemed that she had done a fantastic job, everything looked wonderful. With a nervous little smile, she caught the hostess' eye and gave her a little wave before making her way over to one of the food tables, getting a little something to snack on, hoping to settle the butterflies that were fighting to be free of her stomach.

Once her stomach had settled a little, she turned back to face the rest of the party and took another deep breath. She scanned the crowd for the familiar blue hair of her date and smiled a little upon spotting him over near the bar. Her cheeks flushed a shade of pink that clashed horribly with the red of her hair, but she began to work her way toward him, weaving around the other party-goers and tables.

Okibi · Dec 9, 2013

(Just to clear something up, since some of you seemed to have misinterpreted my post: the party is taking place OUTSIDE the tower, on the Kazekage tower GROUNDS. Hence the 'barrier' made up of big thick bushes. Lol kay? 8D)

Okibi turned and pouted at Sousuke, glaring at his back as he walked away to inspect . . . stuff. Cooling thingie worked just fine; his 'correction' was not needed! She rolled her eyes and waved him off, but soon enough, he'd returned with a cup of frothy eggnog. Okibi waved at a civilian business owner who'd donated the linens for the party. That was the nice thing about being part of the Stewards household: people often just gave you things when you asked.

Of course, she was going to give them all some due advertising when she got up on stage later.

She eyed Sousuke as he stood next to her, giving her an odd look. He glanced at his cup of nog, then her, and she realized what it was he was thinking. Scoffing she waved off his comment about not needing to worry since the eggnog wasnt spiked. "Theres an open bar Sogay. It isnt eggnog you should be concerned with." Judori came out of nowhere then, and confirmed what she just said. She smiled at him, and beamed when he praised her for her work on the party. It'd taken a few months of preparation and bartering with business owners, but in the end she believed she pulled off quite the shindig.

Okibi jumped with slight surprise when someone she didnt know appeared next to her, with a younger lad in tow. She eyed the older ones red hair before looking him in his blue eyes. She blinked owlishly as he leaned forward and whispered a request at her, and for a moment, she considered smacking him into next week.

But, that would not have been in the holiday spirit would it?

Grinning, she looked from the taller red head to the little one then back again. Looking around quickly, she placed the hand of her metal arm on the tall ones shoulder, and leaned in close, cupping her mouth like he had. "I would really like to help you, but," She glanced around one more time; it really didnt matter, she was whispering loud enough for anyone in the near vicinity to hear anyway. "I'm not wearing any." She finished, grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

The sudden appearance of an enormous teddy bear behind the red head caused Okibi to step back in surprise. She watched it thump the guy firmly on the back, and laughed. She turned to eye Judori, who was obviously behind the animated bear. Not that she minded at all, a lot of the older children seemed enthralled with the moving toy. If she werent wearing a practically skin tight dress that only reached the top of her thighs she would have considered jumping on it for a piggyback ride. It reminded her a lot of the stuffed bear Sousuke gave her when she first came to the village (which she'd torn up in her ignorance). She still had the stitched up thing sitting in her room at home.

Looking away then, she caught the eye of another red head, this one familiar to her, and waved back at Ame with a wide smile. She looked taller this evening, as well as a whole lot girlier and adorable. Hopefully she'd get a chance to talk to the little fire cracker later.

A certain Sunaku made his appearance then, and Okibi smiled at Haru. "You look pretty good yourself Hadoo. No date?" She asked with a chuckle, then looked around the party once more.

Speaking of dates . . .

---------------------------

At the dessert table, Seven was seeing to the proper placement of the snowman made of vanilla ice cream. It had chocolate pieces for its eyes, nose and mouth, and molded arms made of modeling chocolate for arms. It's hat and scarf were made of a light, gummy looking candy. He wondered how long the thing would last . . . there were already kids eyeing it with greed. The pup turned human for the night turned around as someone addressed him, and grinned at the young Maji. "Thanks. You've cleaned up pretty well too."

The rose that was then brandished and shown to him made the pup laugh. He'd put the thing in his pocket? Oh, children were so amusing sometimes (like he was one to talk, being only a couple months old). "She's around here somewhere. I just talked to her actually. C'mon." He waved the boy along, intending to find his human so the flower could be presented. He spotted his girl, but stopped when he saw that there was a small crowd forming around her, which included a very large, moving, teddy bear. "Huh . . . interesting." He murmured, before starting forward again.

------------------------------

OOC: Okay! Here's everyones numbers! If anyone else joins late, dont worry, youll get one too.

Koga: 483091
Sousuke: 483005
Judori: 483006
Haru: 483026
Yume: 483095
Shinji: 483096
Uri: 483099
Oichi: 483100
Maji: 483045
Tama: 483104
Yoen: 483115
Ame: 483123

Iyashinote Aisuteru · Dec 11, 2013

Aisuteru's First Christmas.
He heard of a massive gathering for Sunaiens to celebrate the holidays; which these people came to call as christmas. If it was anything that his mind thought; it would be a lot like the Yule festival that his village held around this time. He stood wrapped up in grown ups towel like a blanket of warmth in front of the 6 foot full length mirror; the mirror was given to him by the daughter of the tavern, it is suitable for someone his height and age to grow 'into'.
He was drenched from his bath still draining of his filth and he was finally able to get rid of the smell of oils and cabbage from his hair. He looks to the snow flake fastened at the end of his braid, sorrow filled his heart but he deeply inhaled freezing the feeling within him. He looks to his bed where he had picked out two new articles to wear... thanks to the kind old woman of the Gypsies Tavern she fashioned him clothing. She made him a black hooded long sleeves shirt with zippers and straps and of course stayed with his favorite style of pants also in the same black material as his new shirt but fitted for a child his size.
He dressed quickly underneathe the large blanket; towel, allowing it to fall into a heap upon the floor. taking another look at himself in the mirror before reaching for his pouch of coins and exiting through the door.

Where to go? The streets weren't crowded like before; which he was very happy about to be honest, but if he got lost he'd have no one to ask.

-How am I going to find this place?- just then as he made is way deeper into the village... he heard the faintest hint of music; joyous music.
A melody he heard once, the first solstice he attended and since then he has heard it hummed by his mother. He could see lights up ahead beginning toe decorate the inner sanctum of the village. His eyes gaze to the garland wrapped with lights, with bows connecting the long garland to the base of the tower outward. He stands there in awe of the glorous lights, the decorations; trees, bushes filled with shiny crystals giving of the light.

He reaches the beautifully decorative gates to the tower and smiles to the two children greeting people at the gate as they entered. It was his turn and he smiled widely to them, as the boy handed him the item and the girl stamped the hand he reached for. He looked to them curiously wondering why the instructions and nodded so not to upset anyone.

"Oh... okay I won't...." as he walks further in he turns and says ... "Oh and um, Merry .... Chris miss... " he chuckle, if he heard the words right and turns to walk in further.

Above him the lights looked like stars amongst the night; which made him smile and he closes his eyes allowing the jazzy music and the sight of Christmas draw him in. He pictured home, high in the mountains remembering the scent of snow and ice in the breeze. He opens his eyes and looks to the large golden throne sitting before the beautifully decorative pine tree.

He then notices.......... the buffet table... his eyes widden and almost as if the aroma itself lifted him up and pulled him closer; he was at the assembly line in seconds. Inhaling all the beautiful veggies, and sweets ... though the meat smelt weird to him ... the worker greeted him and offered to help the tiny boy make his plate.

"Oooo yes please!" he took his time saying yes and no to certain items; more or less to others... He yells 'NO' kind of abruptly looking around shyly as she asked him if he wanted any meat.... "Hee hee, sorry!" At the end of the buffet table he pauses, looking for the cashier.

"Is something the matter?" the kind woman asked him

"Who do I pay?" he looked to her puzzled.

She chuckles sounding jolly herself... "You don't pay... this is free of charge... enjoy!"

He smiles, he places his hand inside his pocket , loosening the pouch he takes out two yen.. and places it on the table; grabbing his food before she could reject his offering. "THANK YOU!" he yells back to the woman, who shook her head.

He made his way to an empty table; though on his way he spotted the girl with red hair; she wore a black dress and she looked amazing... -what is her name.... Ame?- he didn't approach her though and placed the plate on the table and sat down in the chair. Though he tucked his legs under him so to prop himself up enough to be higher than the mound of food on his plate. He looks around as he takes a bite of the veggies, and looks to the beautiful poinsettia that looked ravishing amongst the tree limbs.... "Wow these people go all out!" he munches away at his plate. Looking around the area as he ate, someone would eventually pass him and in between bites he would politely say to them .... "Yule Tidings!!"

Toraono Michino · Dec 13, 2013

Tama finished off his meal with gusto, pulling the last bit of meat from the remaining bone that had once been a delicious rib of something. He dropped it with a clatter against all the other bones from the various meats he had sampled and sat back in his chair with content as he wiped his hands on a cloth provided for that very reason. Once his hands were cleaned of any remaining meat juices he finally decide to stand up and get a good walk around; he hadn't felt this full in weeks.

With a small adjustment to his red suit and a tug on the band that held his hair into a ponytail he loosened it and began to move about the party as he would naturally; quietly. Despite Okibi's best efforts the scientist still wasn't exactly one for very open social things quite yet and though he knew almost everyone here he couldn't find himself walking up to anyone to say a thing. What would he say? All he had done in the last few months was date Okibi, and while those stories were quite hilarious most were also quite personal and he doubted anyone wanted to hear any of that. His research and inventions had gone on a downslide as of recent with the few exceptions of some nature chakra studies when he found the time. So he simply went from person to person nodding in their direction if they could recognize him with all that hair while he looked for the three people he did know.

It was around that time that he outright bumped into Amy while he wasn't looking. The scientist apologized quickly despite the fact that he had just knocked her into her date causing him to spill his beverage everywhere. The blond didn't even recognize the redhead in the way she was dressed and went about his way after the apology and rather quickly too; women still weren't his forte.

About fifteen seconds after his brief bump into the genin Tama finally located Okibi and his eyes instantly zeroed in on what that dress was doing for her. How it was he had managed to set up the entire barrier and runes without once noticing her setting up the stuff below was quite a mystery. Maybe she had only donned the dress once everything had been set up? It had taken him far longer to get the runes prepared than he had initially promised it would due to waking up late, so, yes there was perhaps the chance that he had missed out on a lot down here while he had been working.

Taking a few steps towards her direction with a rather large grin plastered on his face the scientist went to make a formal greeting to his mate and whomever she was talking to when he noticed the gigantic teddy bear tapping on the man's back.

Oh Kami, the warlock.

A shot of panic rushed through his mind as his hands slapped together fast to rotate through five seals and unleash a torrent of electricity from his hands to shoot straight for the bear's head...which broke apart and lifted up into the barrier to become energy.
Oh yeah, that.
The scientist probably would have continued to freak out of he hadn't noticed then the children and the fact that Okibi herself wasn't freaking out. Patting his chest hard just to make sure, he nodded to himself and walked up to the girl with white hair,
"Very impressive set up you got here love, very well done. How is the cake coming along?"

===

Yoen caught the girl's presence before she did his and all he could do was smile like an idiot.

Holy crap she was beautiful.

The Ryuu simply stood there and waited while she nervously moved about the courtyard taking a few samples of food while her eyes moved around and no doubt looked for his blue hair. Taking another deep swing of the eggnog Yoen began to silently move through the crowd, constantly avoiding her gaze as a playful mirth began to boil up inside of him. Perhaps he would be able to catch her off guard and make her jump; which would be rather fun to watch her do in the heels he just noticed.

Of course he wouldn't get the chance as his attention became suddenly distracted by the boy who he had met some time ago in a local tavern. He seemed to be rather enjoying his food and offering out tidings of cheer in the holiday spirit. Unfortunantly his momentary distraction was enough for the red head to find him and begin walking his way with that terribly nervous look in her eyes. It became very apparent to him that she wasn't used to wearing dresses from the way she tried to walk in it without completely looking like a tom-boy gone rogue.

However before the two could even get two words out at each other a large blonde accidently shoulder her into Yoen, causing his hand to wobble and eggnog to come splashing out to hit him in the face. The man apologized quickly and profusely before making an exit quick enough that the blue-haired rogue didn't get a chance to see his unknown cousin, though he did mutter some rather explicit words while he wiped off the small amount of drink that had been left in his cup from his shirt.

"Some people..."

Chiyo · Dec 13, 2013

Amy smiled a little wider, though the grin was still a little awkward, as she came close to her date. He didn't seem to be dressed up like most of the other guests were, and she mentally kicked herself for not doing the same, now she felt stupid for putting on this ridiculous dress and heels...not to mention the make-up she had bought that she would probably never use again. She was just about to greet him when she was bumped into by someone, though she didn't notice who it was aside from the mumbled apology. The small bump was all it took to throw her off the precarious balance she had achieved in the ludicrously tall shoes she wore and she bumped into him before tumbling to the ground, landing squarely on her bottom with her legs sprawled out in front of her where she let out a soft, “Oh!” before laughing nervously and looking up at her date with freshly reddened cheeks.

“Damn these shoes!” She exclaimed as she reached down to unbuckle the red heels and remove them from her slightly sore feet. “That's not exactly the entrance I was hoping for.” Shaking her head, she pushed herself back to her feet and smoothed out the dress that her little incident had hitched up a little higher than would normally be proper. Once she was standing, she noticed that she had made Yoen spill his drink and she went even redder. “I'm sorry! It's these stupid shoes!” She held up the dangerous pair with a shake of her head before continuing. “I would have been able to catch myself if I had listened to my gut and wore something more practical.”

Turning, she snatched a cloth napkin from a nearby table and began to help him clean the egg nog from his shirt before she realized how close she was standing to him. Stopping mid-wipe, she took a couple of quick steps backward and let out a nervous little chuckle, tossing the saturated napkin back onto the table it had come from.

[[MFT // WC: 345]]

Iyashinote Aisuteru · Dec 13, 2013

-Hey its those two teenagers again...- He finished his food and moved his plate over to a trash recepticle which was designed as a nutcracker.
As he made his way towards them, he witnessed the spilling of the eggnog and watched the man walk towards a beautiful woman in a red dress leaving the others to clean up. He grabs a few empty fabric cloths that were just sitting at a table being unused and makes his way over to them.

"Here you go!" he offers one of the cloth napkins to the blue haired teenager, and looks to the pretty red head. "I wanted to thank you guys for the other night..." he smiles. "I was so embarassed I just ran away without thanking you two!" and offers the other napkin to the red head. "SO.... thank you!"

"Your dress looks really pretty by the way!" He could tell she was quite uncomfortable, he moves to help the blue haired boy. "Hi I'm iyashinote Aisuteru... but you can call me Aisuteru!"

Sagasu Yume · Dec 13, 2013

Pausing about 30 feet from the gathering that had formed around Okibi, she had watched as their hostess would seem to taunt the redhead and step back with surprise at the sights of the giant bear. For a moment she contemplated moving on to another area of the party until a bright flash to one side caused her skin to prickle. It was incomprehensible to Yume that one could have such talents for the intellectual arts and yet have such a flare for obtuse antics. Looking in the direction of the disturbance she would see Ryuu Tama make his way rather sheepishly towards his partner. With narrowed eyes and a sigh, she would firmly march towards the inventor and cross her arms, lips pressed tight and her face holding an unimpressed expression.

Ryuu Tama. Genin and chakra coil specialist; the genius. Will you ever stop to think before lighting off energy? You’re going to seriously hurt someone one of these days. There are civilians and children around, not to mention the hundreds of shinobi that did not feel threatened by the animated childrens toy. I suppose Okibi sees something in you as you two have history but my goodness, if you ever cause harm to come to her, I will never forgive you. It does surprise me though. I figured one of such a primal nature would desire an alpha to consort with.

Turning on her heel, the Inuzuka would leave the area without another word and vanish into the crowd. She didn’t care if she was a buzz kill. Foolery would not be tolerated when those she cared about could be injured.

~*~*~

The festivities seemed to be off to a great start and the eldest Sagasu was determined to enjoy it thoroughly. Departing his sister’s side, he makes his way through the crowed to the bar and orders himself a drink. Saluting the bartender with a ‘cheers’ he would turn and wander the crowd, offering his salutations to a few friends and wink and a nod to a few of the women who had appeared to come unaccompanied. Some would smile and wiggle their fingers in greeting while others would give him a look of scorn as they turned away from him. Either way Shinji would laugh and carry on. He wasn’t interested in hooking up with someone so early in the evening. That could come later.

A blur of blonde would cause the man to step backwards to avoid being bumped into only to see him crash into a beautiful redhead and send her tumbling to the ground. Instinct pushed Shinji to step forward and help the young lady up but common sense stopped him as he saw she was with a date. He waited a moment to see how the lad would react and simply shook his head at the crass words that came from his lips. If only Red had been a little older. No woman deserved to hear such vulgarity.

Through the hubbub he would continue to wander until a familiar northern accent would grace his ears with a name that he had been hoping to encounter. A few months back his sister had returned to the house all aflutter with excitement about meeting a man called ‘Uri’. She said that he was from Suna and had travelled the world and had shown her some of his exploits over dinner. After his initial over-protective brother reaction, he listened as she recounted all of the amazing places Uri had been and went on to say that he agreed to help her make a journey to Rain Country to find their family. At the time Shinji and told her that it was wonderful but secretly was concerned. He wanted to meet this adventurer in person before he would allow his innocent sister to go gallivanting into the Maelstrom with him.

Olgav! So nice to see you here! Is it you that provided some of these spectacular treats? Yume adores your work. I dare say your bakery is her favourite place to shop.

And did I hear right? You must be Uri… And his older sister?

With a coy smile, he would take the woman’s hand by the fingers and bring it to his lips with a bow. The gesture was not leering or inappropriate but rather one of intended flattery. He was not so lecherous as to take advantage of an older lady, especially not in front of her son. Rising up again, he turns to address Uri directly only to be interrupted by Yume as she strode up and wordlessly took his drink from him, downing it in a few gulps.

Yume… that’s… um… Yu… Yume…. uh… Thank you.

With a sigh of defeat, he would press the fingers of his free hand to his forehead in a graceful facepalm as she would place the drained glass into his waiting hand with a clink of ice. Leaning up on her tip toes, she places a kiss to his cheek with a smile and then turns to Uri and does the same.

Merry Christmas!

And she was gone again, this time in the direction of food. With a glance to the fox, they would share a shrug before CuRua would bound after the carefree and now slightly drunk Mednin.

Uri · Dec 13, 2013

Despite this being a gathering meant for merriment and enjoying the seasonal spirit, it was obvious that a lot of people couldn't leave their issues before arriving to the party. Luckily, most people had and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. The giant bear didn't seem to cause too much of a stir, besides the trace lightning bolt that was sapped into the invisible ceiling above them. A ninja with any talent for chakra manipulation would have noticed it, more important the person floating above them prior to the most recent events. Sometimes it was hard to stop being a ninja. Machinations of the mind would work subconsciously and all the information would feed back regardless of the person's intent to stop being a shinobi for the evening.

Subconious all the same, Uri eyed the living gingerbread men strewn throughout the venue, entertaining and delivering sweet things to people who wished them. They moved about so effortlessly and all they were was a small pull on the back of his mind. Couldn't seal away all forms of chakra, no matter how tight the lid may be.

The scene seemed mostly harmless and Uri kept his attention mostly on the large baker before them, smiling and making a joke or two about their past together. It was when someone else had shown up, greeting Olgav that Uri's attention finally shifted. There was a familiarity with the large man, and once he stopped speaking, the connection was instantly made. "Yes, yes. Thank you, dear adorable Yume is one of my best customers!" Suddenly, the attention was directly on his mother and himself, and he smiled in kind. Flattery always had a way of coming off as cheesy, but Oichi chortled briefly and offered another curtsy in response.

"Yes, I am Kuroda Uri, and this is my mother, Oichi-" As he finished his introduction, Yume stormed onto the scene immediately seizing her brother's drinking and consuming it whole. One didn't have to know the demure med-nin to know how out of character that was for her. Normally when someone did that, they were upset in some fashion. A swift peck delivered to the cheeks of Uri and Shinji and Yume was gone as quickly as she came. There was a moment of reaction where following made sense, but Oichi raised a hand. It seemed the two men needed to speak anyway. Mother's just had good intuition about things like that.

"Olgav, would you be a dear and take me towards the buffet?" The large man moved next to Oichi and stuck out a thick arm for her to take, "Of course, Lady Oichi!" Turning back towards Shinji and Uri, she smiled, "You two boys behave yourselves!" The duo would end up near the long tables stacked with all kinds of delicious and exotic food for those attending to feast upon. Oichi did take a small plateful of sugared fruits to snack on, but she was over there with a purpose. Olgav knew it too, and waited until he was able to spot the upset Yume. Guiding the older woman over, Olgav gave her a pat on the arm before departing.

"Now, Yume-chan, what has you so flustered?" In her typical motherly fashion, she smiled, a smile that made it clear where Uri got it from.

~|~

Meanwhile, Uri and Shinji were left standing by themselves, a lot of the attention having left, it created an awkward rift between the two However, Uri was more than okay with striking up some form of conversation. Extending his hand this time, he offered another corgial smile, "Properly this time; I'm Kuroda Uri. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Sagasu-san. Yume has talked about you some."

Takahashi Aki · Dec 14, 2013

"Ah. Harupia. Always good to see you." Sousuke would nod his head at the Sunaku confidant of his. Harupia had always been a constant companion for Sousuke when it came to social events. His charm easily made up for Sousuke's lack of it. "I hope that tonight's ... events will be less..." Sousuke paused for a moment, "less exciting ... than our last dinner party." Sousuke let out a semi-amused 'hrmph' at the concept. "At least I'm not dressed to kill, so to speak." Sousuke would add a moment later. He turned his head and noticed that Harupia had brought his parents. It was no often he saw the Sunaku elder household, but it was always good to put on a good first impression. "Good evening Lord Shigeo and Lady Kohana Sunaku." He would bow his head seeing as how they were his elders. He may be their Steward, but Sousuke was always mindful of paying everyone their due respect. Sousuke proceeded to elbow his father who was still toying with teddy bear. "Father. Be social."

Judori turned sideways. "Ah. My apologies. Shigeo. It's been a while. Kohana, always a pleasure, are you getting younger?" Judori would inquire. "Hahaha." Judori folded his arms behind him and continued to play with the chakra strings. "Shigeo, you ought to be proud of your boy. Sousuke always speaks well of Harupia, and how helpful he is. You should bring him to court and council. It's not an old man's game all the time you know?" Judori would now turn to Harupia. "Yes. That dinner party the two of you threw, nearly brought the house down. That must have been fun." At the mentioning of the party before, Sousuke shot Harupia a quick glance and coughed. "I hope you're not a worrier like Sousuke. I was like that when I was his age. I went bald because of it." Something in the distance caught Judori's eye... or rather someone who would... well... could possibly make trouble, in particular for his wife...

***

Emerging from the open bar was an older female. Her hair the same shade as Sousuke and his mother's except it had several grey streaks in it. She wore not a dress but formal military wear with five stars and other military badges. One of her arms were missing, and the sleeve was clipped up. In the one free hand she had was a brandy. Her left eye had an eye patch over it, as she had lost one eye, but thankfully she still had one good eye. Masashi Mako only needed one good eye, and one good hand to get through her day thank-you very much.

The woman passed by some young ones on the way. She overheard the 'compliment' paid to elegantly dressed Oichi. "Pig." She would announce to the world as she passed Shinji by. Clearly she was not impressed by the show. Mako didn't need to make eye contact with him. She didn't need to. Mako did catch with her good eye the one person she did wanted to see...

***

Judori and Sousuke exchanged glances. Father and Son were at a loss for words as Mako so very clearly insulted people without a care in the world. "Your mother is..." Judori would begin.

"Not going to like this." Sousuke would finish the sentence. Sousuke took a quick moment to look around. Okibi and Tama were present. Those two alone, plus his own mother... right. This wouldn't be good.

"Beloved grandson." Mako would say as she came up. "The brandy... is good, but not my favourite brand. Next year order better won't you?" The tone was slightly condescending. "I see you order the best scotch. Good on you for that." She sipped her brandy. Her one good eye shifting over to Judori now. Mako was taller than her son-in-law. "Good to see you're still alive Judori. My daughter hasn't killed you yet. She may do so yet one day. She might put poison in your coffee you know? I think she tried to do that the last time visiting." Someone else then caught the attention of the elder Masashi. Her daughter. "Hello dear. Don't you look as pretty as a plum?"

On the other side stood what would have seemed to be a perfected younger copy of Mako, being Chiyoko. Like the rest of her family she was wearing red. "Thank-you Mother. What takes you away from your gambling?" Her tone was sharp and piercing. Like mother, like daughter, Chiyoko's hair was shoulder length, but far less grey than her mother. In addition to that the consort of the former Steward actually took care of herself.

"My grandson's party of course." Mako reached into her coat and removed a gift wrapped box. It was a small shape, and not wrapped very neatly. "Here kiddo. Don't say I don't give you anything." She threw the box at Sousuke who looked confused. "Open it." She instructed him as Sousuke opened the package revealing a silver plated zippo with his initials on it. "I figure someday you'll be smoking. If you're going to smoke do it in style... or use to to light candles, or whatever you do in that lab of yours. I figure you'll be smoking someday due to that ward of yours. She looks older than you do with the white hair. Her boyfriend is a bit older, can't say I ... well I can't say much." Mako then turned her head to seeing her daughter's face. Chiyoko looked like she was going to spontaneously combust. She was grinding her teeth at what her mother had said. Chiyoko opened her mouth and seemed about ready to give her mother a piece or two of her mind.

"Thank-you grandmother, but ... I assure you Okibi and Tama are better than what you credit them for. They're quite a pair, if I do say so myself." Sousuke would step in to diffuse the situation.

"Hrmph. I think my brandy needs a top off." Mako would say she would down the last bit and merely nod at her grandson. "Maybe you're right Sousuke. Maybe you're right." She would say she made her way off. Chiyoko merely glared at the direction in which her mother went off. Her hands curled into fists. Oh she was fuming still.

"Right so... ... did anyone see Yume yet?" Sousuke would ask as he tried to diffuse the situation even more so.

Enatsu · Dec 14, 2013

It seemed as the tension increased with more and more people crowding around the group. Something approach Koga and the girl whose undergarments he so desperately sought. Well not desperately but any thing less would seem weirder than his odd request for them in the first place. However the order of events were clearly getting out of hand. The girl reached forward with a metal arm that Koga considered "Hot". She would speak lowly into his sound ear, revealing that she did not have any panties on. Koga's face began to light up, red full of embarrassment or whatever it was boys did when cute girls caught them off guard in the most awkward of situations. Especially situations such as these where it seemed as though she had many adorers. Koga's little cousin would tap his head asking him a natural question for someone who was making skin contact constantly. Koga was unresponsive still stuck in his same position. The young boy would pull his cheek, "Cousin Koga... Cousin Koga... Your face is red and hot. Hey there's something behind us..." The boy's words weren't much but a whisper to Koga at the moment, a slight mumble in his lapse of sanity. However he did not continue to persist standing there as he then felt something tap his back. Upon turning he would come face to face... with a giant teddy bear...who wore a top hot. "There are sooo many things wrong with this scene here. *Ahem* I'll be taking my leave now." Koga would begin to slowly walk away from the teddy bear before snapping his fingers. Then there was a surge of electricity and the bear just fell apart. Well it's head at least. Koga sighed and looked around putting up his two fingers signaling "I'm Out". He would make his way to the candy stand with the boy on his still laughing.

Upon reaching the candy stand Koga would set down his young cousin and pat him on the shoulder. "Seems as though we were triumphant. Thanks for your assistance you'd make the Ikoji warriors proud! .... Look I know this may not be much, and I know how much you miss your sister but.." Just like the stories go, full of their wishful cliches the young boy would hug the leg of Koga and close his eyes. "Thank you... I'm going to keep smiling for Ouma for now on..." The elder Ikoji would simply stare at his kin scratching his own head in amazement. "Right then, well yes that is acceptable. Go have fun you and I better not see a frown." He would nod and run off tapping his knee while trying to squeeze his way into some candy. That kid is tougher than I thought. Even if it was just an act he's still pretty strong. He knew the boy wouldn't be rid of his feelings in one day but it was going to be troublesome for him seeing as Koga went to great lengths and risked the magical possibility of getting mauled by a stuffed animal.

"These Sunan folks sure do know how to throw a party. I wonder what else is going on." Koga still wasn't very comfortable in big scenes and seeing as though his fun was had it was time for him to search for another area of entertainment. He found himself at a bar in which he could not resist but to sit down and order something to drink, something alcoholic and strong. As he drank Koga would survey the party only watching now, as he wanted to see the events that would unfold. He would look down to read the number on his hand inquiring what they could mean. What do these number mean? Maybe it's a combination or a raffle number. Hmm I guess only time will tell what this means. Guess I'll just have to wait until then."

Sunaku Harupia · Dec 15, 2013

It was always good to see Sousuke in good spirit, even though he knew he must have been out of his element. Though lately he could see the Steward start to warm up to people in general... something he liked to think he had a hand in. And if anything he at least got himself a good friend. With a laugh Haru would say "Yes, after the last dinner here we could use a bit of a calmer party this time". After that he greeted his parents, to which both bowed with respect, Kohana saying "Good evening Steward-san. Looking quite dashing, I must say" smiling pleasantly at him. In the meantime Haru quickly turned to Okibi, who earlier turned to address someone else (And talk about...not wearing stuff? Crowd was getting louder and louder) and saying "Thank you Okibi-chan. You look stunning as well. And no date for me, sadly. Just my parents. But you seem to be sought after quite a bit tonight, hmm?" he concluded in a half joking, held somber tone, ushering the middle bit slightly quitter, before covering it up with the little tease.

As Judori greeted the Sunaku parents, Kohana let out a charming laugh while saying "Why thank you Judori-san. It’s always invigorating to be at such a gathering. Suna's finest, young and old, coming together to enjoy the festive time..." while Shigeo remained silent for a bit, nodding his head stiffly at Judori. He noticed how the male folded his arm, his fingers twitchg. Heh...perhaps puppets weren’t the most direct form of combat, but hey at least seemed to provide amusement in such a spot.

As Judori spoke, the Sunaku leader couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly. After all, he spent a good portion of his life making sure Harupia would make his family proud... and hearing praise from the current commander of Suna was a good step forward. At his words the rugged Sunaku said "I still feel we both have enough fuel in the tank for a bit longer Judori...but I would like to have Harupia accompany me whenever the council shall meet... if he doesn’t lock himself away again that is. And why were you exactly making a mess in the Kazekage tower my boy?" he said with a raised brow, a rare hint of amusement in his voice. Haru replied with a sheepish chuckle "I told you father, it was during one of my missions...we had a pest infestation, but we dealt with it just fine. And don’t worry Judori-san, I believe myself to be a lighthearted spirit for the most part..." he concluded, though he couldn’t say the last few weeks attested to that well. He had a tendency of being to...reclusive lately. The Djinn...he still felt weird thinking about it. But dwelling on it would bring him no good.

He didn’t have too much time to mop, because THUNDER!. The burst of energy was mostly harmless for the Sunaku, though he felt it rustled his jimm...erm, sand pouches just slightly. It seemed to annoy someone else quite a bit more though, Yume starting it a rather heated monologue towards Tama. Come to think of it, this was probably the first time he see the Medi-nin so upset. Which was sad cause she looked wonderful in her attire...though he wasn’t sure if the flash of emotion took away or added to her appeal. As she stormed of, Haru would come up and pat the scientist on the back while saying "Best not get Okibi angry like that, or you might end up with a bit more than a verbal lashing. If you would excuse me for a while everyone..." he would say, before departing away from the group.

Fortunately or not for him, he would miss the grand entrance of Sosukes grandmother, who came by to examine the party a bit. His parents though were there however to be witness of the gifting of the lighter and everything that followed. Kohana couldn’t help to interject a bit after she left saying "Sousuke-san, I do hope you are not considering taking up Tabaco. It’s quite a nasty habit. I fought tooth and nail to have my dear husband reject the foul habit..." to which Shigeo stated with a sigh "One of the few battles I lost actually", which caused a pleased, but somewhat devious smile to appear on Kohana's face. As Sousuke asked about Yume, Kohana looked around to ask "When did Haru-kun slip away? Haha, he's grown so much, being able to sneak away from his mother like that... He had much less look of that as a child, haha"

While the wonderful world of childhood stories opened before the other guests, Harupia made his way through the gathered guests, roughly in the same direction as Yume. Why particular? Well, on one hand he did promise her a drink last time, and while here drinks were on the house, it was always a proper way to set up a nice coffee. Besides, their last meeting she had seen him in a rather upsetting situation and did a lot to help him. And he hoped he could do that same. And besides all that, he would just enjoy talking with her. After a bit of meandering, which had him passing through the aisles of candy and some dodging exercise in the form of sugar rushed kids running around, he did spot the Inuzuka Med-nin... and a women approaching her. Well, he didn’t want to intrude into another conversation...but that left him slightly out of place. Though he was willing to wait for a bit...especially as a waiter came by offering him a nice selection of drinks. With a gracious smile, Haru took a glass of whiskey, which he took a little sip...and then he noticed the red headed men from earlier. After a bit of consideration, he would approached the stated Shinobi, before asking "I see you managed to escape the wrath of the fluffy one?" offering a pleasant smile to the stranger...though he was hoping that state of affairs wouldn’t last horribly long.

Suika · Dec 16, 2013

Upon the friendly greeting, the dressed-up human Seven guided him to Okibi. Maji followed him gladly with a Frankenstein-like wobble walk. His hand clenched around the roses stem tighter as they made their way. Hopefully the white-haired kunoichi would like his kind and flowery gesture.

As they neared Okibi, Maji could have sworn he spotted her within a tight group of people. He caught sight of some white hair and a flash of red… Okibi? There were too many people to tell, plus a humongous moving teddy bear stood in the way. The teddy bear made him raise an eyebrow, though. It kind of reminded the student of the time he first met Okibi and they both, along with a female Tama and the pups, were up against a warlock and his minions of giant stuffed animals. It was pretty whacky and most didn’t believe his story of the day, but it was a fun and interesting experience. He smiled at the thought and then continued with his mission at hand.

“There’s so many people, Seven.” he stated with a sense of awe in his voice. He knew Suna had quite the population, but to see so many gathered in one place was a little overwhelming. Maji liked it, but he didn’t really know how to react. He swore he saw some familiar faces in the crowd, but most looked blurred in his field of vision. It was a lot for him to take in.

“Hm?” 

He then saw an electrical beam get charged out of nowhere and then get absorbed by the barrier before it could hit the giant teddy bear. What in the world? Maji paced himself faster towards the crowd and gestured at Seven. Ippin even looked a bit stirred. Trying to get past people, he spotted a familiar turquoise-haired medical ninja giving a scolding to a blond-haired male Tama. Maji winced at the sight and clenched his teeth a little. Yume was kind, so for her to react in that way was a sign that the blond-haired scientist messed up in some way. After she stormed off, he thought this was more than a perfect time to approach the group.

“Tam-chan, Oki-chan!” he shouted in order for his voice to be heard through the noisy chaos. He held out the red rose to the woman and continued. “For you!”

And at that moment, he finally, and truly, caught sight of what Okibi was wearing. She looked beautiful! Her red dress made her look like a model of some sort. She was a Christmas beauty! Maji’s eyes sparkled and his smile grew wider. He was obviously admiring Okibi.

“You’re pretty now, too!” he announced. Well, Maji always thought she was pretty, but he had a habit of not conveying his ideas too accurately or smoothly. Hopefully she’d catch on to what he intended.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year [Christmas Party]

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