Dinner for Two (Arisu)

Tsubaki was up in her room located in the tallest room of the palace. Her usual armor and garb was stored in her wardrobe. She only chose to wear her armor when heading out into the village where interaction with foreigners and Kirigakure Shinobi was expected. In her home district and palace she had the benefit of wearing lighter, casual outfits that helped make her look more lady like. Tsubaki had just bathed, as she ritualistically does after a good exercise or activity. The woman pampered herself, often bathing four times a day to always be in her best condition. Her skin was pasty white with flush pink lips and sapphire blue eyes. Makeup was not needed and would downgrade her natural beauty. She was barefoot wearing only a long plum and lavender kimono, sleeves longer than her arms and bottom dragging across the floor. Her hair was down with it reaching all the way down to her lower back. Tsubaki worked on her hair which as one would imagine required a lot of attention to keep not only kept, but extraordinary. She sat at her desk in front of a mirror as she worked on her appearance.

Tsubaki expected Arisu to make an appearance as she promised after accepting her address and signature. She made it an effort to let the cooks know she was having an extra guest and her parents know she would not be joining them at the table, but instead in a gazebo out in the courtyard. Tsubaki slide on a pair of comfortable sandals before descending the spiral staircase passing the hall and outside into the courtyard. The gazebo was already set with a pitch of iced water and two glasses as well as the requisite flatware and napkin set. Tsubaki followed a cobblestone path leading to the heart of the courtyard where she seated herself on one of the benches. It was approximately six in the evening where the sun began to set. It was a warm day being pleasant as spring slowly approached...

Arisu followed along up the path to the gazebo, listening to the click of her wooden sandals with every step she took down the path. Her current wardrobe was just as dust and dirt free as it had been upon arriving. She looked around for Tsubaki, and spied her in her lavender kimono, prompting a smile from the Otsutsuki.

Increasing her pace slightly, though not so much that it would be considered a jog, Arisu moved down the cobblestone, hearing the shift of cobblestone to wood as she walked up the steps to enter the gazebo. It appeared that the dinner would be outside, which was completely fine. With the sunset soon approaching, it was a nice view, and it wasn't a terribly cold day out, so it was more or less tolerable to be outside for the time being.

Standing in front of Tsubaki, Arisu would give a small curtsy. "Tsubaki, you look fantastic. Thank you for the invitation to dinner."

Tsubaki was settled in but didn't get too comfortable as she was expecting Arisu to show up any minute. There was no moderation practiced as Arisu approach the courtyard, sandals click clacking against the hardwood floor and eventually stone. It was no bother to anyone, and Tsubaki actually welcomed it. She was comfortable enough in the district and palace nonetheless to make her appearance recognized. Tsubaki rose from her seat as she followed through with a similar curtsy mirroring what Arisu did. The Kaguya was not a stuffy Queen. She did not see classes between her and her fellow kin. There were only Kaguya and non-Kaguya. And even then, Arisu was a guest of honor. Although she did not possess the blood of a Kaguya she certainly looked like one and poised herself as one. It was more than enough for Tsubaki to see her as one of her own.

"Likewise, and it's my pleasure. Please, take a seat." Tsubaki said gesturing to the empty bench across from where Tsubaki was once sitting. Once Arisu took a seat Tsubaki would follow. She'd pour a glass of ice water for the Arisu before setting it before her in its proper placement on the table spread. "The chefs were made aware of your entry when you passed the gates. The food should be arriving any minute..." The doors opened which allowed three clan members to follow outside, two female and one male. The man and one woman shared the same eye color which was the typical blue, however the other female had a rare and prized color of green. They each held a silver platter covered by a dome lid, the man holding another platter in his off hand which had a teapot and two small teacups stacked on top of each other. "Yay!!" Tsubaki cheered to herself as she patted her hands together.

The left platter was the vegetable and "filler." Everything from various pickled vegetables, sesame bean sprouts, okra, mushroom, and plenty of traditional Japanese dishes served in small portions which was enough for both to share. The center offered a variety of nigiri, sashimi, and sushi. There was no surprise that living in Kirigakure meant cheap, good quality fish. The naturally health-conscious Kaguya were naturally attracted to the various sushi dishes. Everything from salmon roe and sea urchin to the classic fatty tuna, salmon, and squid. This platter had the freshly grated wasabi and pickled ginger to accompany the sushi, too. The last platter had dessert. It was a simple platter of assorted Wagashi. It was a nice compliment to a natural, flavorful meal of intense and fresh flavors. "I hope you don't mind. I figured the Tsuki clan had a similar diet otherwise you wouldn't look so fit and pretty. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask!" Tsubaki was not a shy one when it came to food. Certainly not a slob, but being a hard working Kunoichi when she ate she needed to eat. She'd grab a variety of sushi and vegetables on her plate before pouring herself and Arisu a cup of hot green tea.

Tsubaki was very well versed in manners of politeness. She mirrored Arisu's movements, and then returned to her seat, but only after gesturing for Arisu to do the same, and waiting for her to sit first. She was an excellent host so far, from Arisu's estimations. They didn't have to wait very long for food to arrive for them, as Tsubaki was quick to inform her that the food was already in preparation as she had entered the district. The Otsutsuki was incredibly impressed by the showing that Tsubaki made for her.

Taking up her glass and sipping a little bit of the ice water, she set it back down as the two Kaguya brought out a very diverse array of foods to select from. Her visible eye raised noticeably. "Do you go all out like this for all your guests, or just me?" she asked, taking a moment to decide what she wanted to eat.

The Otsutsuki honestly wanted to try a little bit of everything, but she wasn't sure she could stomach all of it. Unlike many shinobi, Arisu wasn't incredibly active, much more than the average human would be. And while she had an extensive reserve of chakra, she didn't utilize it very often, so her caloric intake didn't need to be that particularly high for the moment. "Thank you for the compliment, but I'm not from the Tsuki clan, so I can't speak on their eating habits. I must confess, I feel a little bad, seeing the effort you went through. It wouldn't be right for me to continue this charade for very long, at least while in present compant."

Searching through the platters, Arisu picked out a little of everything, but focused mainly on the sushi and fish. Placing her plate in front of her, she took the cup of green tea and sipped it a little to test the heat. Deciding it was still a little uncomfortable, she set it down to cool a little. "I have knowledge of an Otsutsuki by the name of Zurui who didn't last too long here. I was a little hesitant to bring up my clan name in public, and considering my registration forms list my name as Arisu Tsuki, that's what I opened with. But Tsuki is just short hand, and still means Moon, so it was apt. When I said I was from the same origins as yours I meant my clan is the Otsutsuki clan."

She wasn't going to tell everyone that little tidbit, but Tsubaki seemed trustworthy enough, and her clan was related at least in part. She seemed to have a lot of pride in being a Kaguya, and Arisu didn't think there was another clan quite as closely related

She would finish pouring their tea and set the pot down as Arisu asked her about being too generous. Tsubaki giggled as she picked up her own cup and held it close to her lips. "All of my guests are worthy of honor and decadence. Not that I have many guest, though. You are certainly worth the investment." She finished before closing her eyes and tipping her tea cup back taking a steady sip of her green tea. Tsubaki grew up on home cooked food and very rarely ate out. What was spread out before them was just a normal meal in her eyes, though to Arisu the quantity and quality was probably more than what she was used to. Setting the tea cup down she grabbed a piece of fatty tuna nigiri before dabbing it in soy sauce, smearing a bit of wasabi over the flesh, then popping it in her mouth chewing slowly to savor the texture and flavors. Unlike Arisu, Tsubaki was a working girl. The Kaguya lifestyle was very active. It wasn't very surprising in a clan of warriors. Being overweight or even average was looked down upon.

Arisu was fortunate with her body. She was petite, yet blessed with a bosom that offset her somewhat frail frame. It made her look perfect as if she was just a developed fourteen year old girl. She would easily be mistaken as a Kaguya just by appearance alone. Tsubaki was silent for a moment as she listened to Arisu speak to her about her clan. She kept her food intake at a minimum as her guest shared about her clan not trying to rush anything or cram herself with too much food so she couldn't speak. It turns out the Tsuki clan was not its proper name. The real clan, the Otsutsuki, was something shared with a man named Zurui. It was a name Tsubaki knew well. There was an intense conflict months ago at Kirigakure's hospital which forced half of it to be destroyed in a battle. The damage was no doubt caused by Zurui Otsutsuki. He didn't last long once reinforcements arrived and Tsubaki was one to have front row seats to see his gut busted by an air missile technique which spelled the end to the Jounin. Tsubaki couldn't remember the motive of his attack and doubt she even stuck around to find out. Once the threat was neutralized she went back to her clan district and shortly after went to bed.

"Don't burden yourself. Tsuki or Otsutsuki you are still welcomed here. I'm guessing after Zurui's incident you didn't want to associate yourself with his surname. I remember he was after some body. He held onto it, probably after robbing it from the hospital's morgue. I don't know if it was a relative or what, or why anybody would want to take a dead body with them. It's something I never understood, but didn't think much about either. He's dead now. My job was complete." Kirigakure happened to be a magnet for violence. From the night she witnessed that massive flame volcano outside of Kirigakure's gates to Zurui's business. Next there was going to be some lunatic challenging the whole village for no reason. She didn't know why Kirigakure was always targeted, but to her it just meant plenty of opportunity to practice her skills on real targets.

Relieved, Arisu relaxed a little as Tsubaki didn't really seem to care that she was an Otsutsuki. She had gambled a little on telling her, but it was better that she did now rather than wait to do so in the future. Lying to the closest thing she had to family wasn't a great way to start off a relationship.

With that out of the way, Arisu picked up her cup of tea and sipped it a little, still deciding it was too hot for her tastes. She had listened attentively to what Tsubaki had said about Zurui, and while she didn't want to dominate the conversation with a talk about him, she couldn't help but think about what she had said. It seemed that Zurui was more than likely using a corpse as a Path of Pain, but she had no way of knowing whether that was all. To her, it seemed like more than just a simple corpse, as those could be acquired easily enough to not have too much worry with losing one. That meant it was important, and precious few things were important enough to die for as an Otsutsuki with Rinnegan powers. "So he fell victim to the curse of completion."

She pondered that thought for a moment, picking up something random off her plate and popping it into her mouth. It was beyond delicious, especially considering that she didn't have to prepare it herself. She'd been making her own food, and while that was fun enough, it was time consuming and she wasn't a world class chef or anything like that. "Compliments to the chef, this is amazing. Very fresh too." She wasn't particularly surprised with the quality, given how much effort had been put into making the dinner presentable in the first place.

"So, Tsubaki, tell me a little bit about yourself. Traditionally, I feel a guest would know more about their host than their host knows about them, but I've been going on an on, and I feel I don't know you quite as well as I should, or quite as well as I'd like."

Tsubaki was a bit confused when she heard "the curse of completion" causing her to cant her head to the right and the blank expression of curiosity written all over her face. Arisu spoke very proper and she was unsure if Zurui was actually cursed with something or she was speaking hypothetical. She spoke with little emotion and keep her facial expressions about the same. Tsubaki couldn't help but find her adorable. She was almost like Yanagi in her "moodiness" but Arisu was much more pleasant to be around. Tsubaki's expression she held changed rapidly as her guest asked to know more about herself, which in part meant she wanted to know more about the Kaguya clan. Her face lit up as she gently clapped both hands together. "Well! As you know I am Tsubaki Kaguya, the current Queen of the Kaguya Clan. The clan is typically run by a Patriarch, though my parents only had me as their child. My father, Daisuke, was the former leader of the clan. Believe it or not, this entire clan district wasn't here two years ago. It was only recently did Kirigakure acknowledge the Kaguya as an important clan to the village. When I turned sixteen my father was required to pass the title of Clan Leader down to his firstborn son. Because he did not have any sons I was next in line. I was a princess until I secured a Clan District through negotiations. The great deed was acknowledged by our elders and thus I was granted the title of 'Queen' once I turned eighteen."

Tsubaki consumed three pieces of sushi, surprisingly, within what seemed like a second as she picked one up, stuffed her mouth, retrieved another piece, and repeat. It was done so fast, yet elegantly as if she wasn't stuffing her face. The quick pace allowed her to pick up her blabbering before Arisu could add anything. "But as for me personally I serve my people and not anyone else. Your people are related to mine, so you can consider yourself family. The other people are subhuman savages. Always causing trouble. Always conflicting. Always enforcing their beliefs down other's throats. The Kaguya do not believe in sharing their customs and culture with others nor do we even think about taking from other cultures. This Clan District is just a simulation of what the Kaguya could be in a larger population. There is no crime. The boys and girls grow up strong and traditional. The people behave how they should. Like a community." She raised her glass of tea to her lips taking a steady drag from her cup. She was proud the district was what it was: a homogeneous community for her people. It helped express the civil side of the Kaguya without the interference of other cultures poisoning the mind of its men and women into degeneracy and simple mind control. They were truly the master race. Aware and vigilant of the world's problems.

Arisu was really impressed that the clan district had only existed for less than 2 years, given how well put together it was, and how out of time it was in comparison to the rest of the Metropolis that Kirigakure was. It was pretty obvious that she cared a lot about her clan though, just by the joy she exhibited when she got to talk about it. As the matriarch of the clan, it made sense that she had a lot of pride in it, and the Kaguya clan was certainly one to be proud of as it was, so it only made sense to the Otsutsuki that Tsubaki loved it.

"I certainly love the district. It's very different from the city. Yet the city seems like it's out of place, while your Clan District is what truly belongs." She spoke her thoughts, nodding as she did so, to affirm that what she said was obviously the truth. Eating from her plate, Arisu was neither as quick nor as graceful as Tsubaki was about the process. However, she did eat very properly, not making a mess, and sure to cover her mouth as she chewed. Nor did she speak with a full mouth.

A comment that Tsubaki had made had gotten Arisu to ponder a little bit. Swallowing her food, she removed her hand from in front of her mouth. "Can you really describe them as sub human, if they are actually humans? Correct me if I'm wrong, but we are the ones who come from a line that is removed from the Earthlings. They're still inferior, but not technically sub human. The Fish man, Kyoji, I believe he would classify as sub-human."

"On the topic though, why is your clan subservient to the Mizukage, who doesn't hail from a superior clan? Or rather, why have you not taken control of the village yourself?" It was a question more of curiosity rather than rudeness. She didn't know how strong Tsubaki or the clan was, but she wouldn't have been surprised if they were strong enough to take over. Arisu knew that she hadn't advanced to a point where her own superiority would be evident yet, but she would be able to rectify that soon enough.

And once she did, she planned on great things. Chief among them was to open a path for her Otsutsuki clan members to this world, to establish the place as their own. Hopefully with the Kaguya and other clans of similar descent to help rule.

Their conversation carried on for a while, but eventually it ended up drawing to a close, as all things had to at some point. Arisu stood up, invigorated from her new friendship with the Kaguya queen. At the same time, she was very tired, as the food had been satisfying and draining at the same time. "I very much enjoyed your invitation to dinner. I thank you once again for the opportunity to dine with you, and I look forward to seeing you around more often as well."

After exchanging the pleasantries associated with leaving, Arisu began to make her way back home. While she did so, she once again looked around, appreciating the architecture of the clan compound. It was a pleasant break from the cityscape that the rest of the city had become. A 'metropolis' it was called. Arisu found the city look to be absolutely an atrocity, a perversion of the land as it should be.

She had been given quite a lot to think about over the course of the dinner. Tsubaki was a very interesting girl. Arisu found the prospect of having someone she could consider a friend in this world to be thrilling. It was a new feeling for her, one she looked forward to experiencing more of.

-Exit-