Milkshakes!

There was a little bit of a skip in Chigetsu’s step as she left the school. The bell ringing and all the children streaming out of the classroom was a satisfying finish to their mission. It had been a very successful mission, at least compared to how Chigetsu had expected things to go. She had even done a good job when she had to teach herself! Or well, her clone did a good job. She just acted as an assistant while Kitsuki took the lead, but there was no shame in that. It was more than she had thought she was capable of in the first place. Her original plan had been to try and coyly shift the majority of the work over to her partner, but that obviously didn’t end up happening. Meeting Kitsuki though and actually talking to her erased any idea of that plan, especially after that television announcement. It was probably a good experience and all, learning how to improvise and all that, but still, standing up and presenting in front of a class of children wasn’t something she could really see herself wanting to do again. Public speaking just wasn’t something Chigetsu was suited towards, and that was okay.

Now, exiting the academy with Kitsuki, the promised time for milkshakes would come. The shop that Chigetsu had seen was just outside the academy district, along the area where the market district would just begin. There were tons of shops aimed towards academy students as a result of the proximity to the academy, with the Sea Cow Parlor. Despite the interesting name that ‘Sea Cow Parlor’ was, it seemed nice enough. There was a big picture of a milkshake drawn onto the storefront besides its name, and from the look it seemed like a general sort of malt shop where all sorts of drinks and sweets could be bought. She hadn’t entered yet, but Chigetsu could already imagine the checkered floor, spinning stools, and jukebox that would probably be inside.

“Here it is. I told you I saw one on the way here.” She would point it out as they came closer, turning back to make sure that Kit was still following behind her. “Let’s get some drinks and listen to some music… Wait, what sort of songs do you like? I forgot to ask. I have some spare cash for playing the jukebox if you want, so we should find something we both like...Oh wait, have you ever been to a place like this before? I used to go to these kind of places all the time as a kid.” Realizing she was making maybe too many assumptions, Chigetsu would slow down. Someone so prim and proper might not have ever been to a sort of casual place like a malt shop before. Especially one so kiddy-ish, since it was so close to the academy. As silly as it was, Chigetsu was sort of fond of these sort of places that were themed towards children. She had so many good memories of having birthday parties there as a kid, with everyone drinking milkshakes and eating ice cream cake while listening to a jukebox, it was almost like a second home. Or at least it had been, back before Chigetsu retreated into being a shut in. Nowadays she just ate ice cream out of a tub and listened to the radio alone. Basically the same thing.

If Chigetsu was vouching for the quality of this milkshake place then Kitsuki decided that she'd follow the girl's lead. The establishment was called the "Sea Cow Parlor" and it had a very juvenile vibe to it. It wasn't exactly Kit's scene but she would not refuse it on those grounds. Kit peered in through the glass and could see that it was dedicated to serving all manner of sweets and goodies. Ah...delish... she thought optimistically as she followed Chigetsu. Kitsuki liked to give off a more mature vibe and that meant not frequenting places she might have adored as a child. It wasn't necessarily a big deal though. A milkshake in a place such as this wouldn't annihilate her image as a sophisticated and adult musician. She figured it'd be better to just enjoy a delicious treat in good company and not worry about whether or not someone would catch her in a kid's sweet store.

Chigetsu asked what kind of music Kitsuki liked and the girl stopped dead in her tracks. She looked rather uncertain for a moment and then shrugged. Where do I even start? Kitsuki's musical tastes were complex and multi-varied. She had always loved pop and hip-hop, but after mastering classical instrumentation she had gained an affinity for jazz and baroque. That wasn't what she was going to tell Chigetsu though. Kit had enough social sense not to delve into the world of classical music when around normies. She was aware that most people who described their musical interests in those terms came off as arrogant and haughty. She didn't want to appear that way and so she went with her more mainstream opinion.

"Anything with some bounce and beat to it, really" she said with a smile. Maestro Ko had ruined music for a lot of his students. After learning the fine arts from him, it was almost impossible to listen to music uncritically. He had tuned his pupils ears to dissect every note and melody they came across. Fortunately, Kitsuki loved music too much to ever let her own perfectionism get in the way of enjoying a good tune. "We can play anything you like..... and uh, I haven't been to a place exactly like this but something close to it" Kit considered how to explain without sounding like a complete buzzkill.

The WASP School had a cafeteria that served milkshakes and when she was younger, her and Kat had been to places like these before. However, Kit didn't remember them being so childlike. She didn't want to point that out though. It'd only make her seem ungrateful and combative so she just left it at a simple. "I don't think it had a jukebox....or the the amount of variety." She walked up to the menu displayed and saw a deliciously large selection. There were various permutations of toppings, ice creams, milk types, and even glasses. Kitsuki enjoyed a good milkshake and she liked to think of herself as a pro at selecting top-notch flavors, but this was on a whole different level. Childish appearance be damned the intricacy of the menu alone tipped her off to the fact that when it came to this place, milkshakes was grown folks business.

Chigetsu had been a bit jittery and quick on the way into the building. She let loose a bit more than was maybe appropriate, and this was something she had realized herself, but she especially did once she noticed Kitsuki’s reaction to her probing. The strange look and then the shrugging from Kitsuki immediately worried Chigetsu that she had been a bit too outwardly enthusiastic and excited. Oblivious to social cues, Chigetesu wondered for a moment if she had stepped on Kit’s toes, or something along those lines. The eventual response would completely reassured Chigetsu though, especially when it came with a smile. It came with the realization that she was maybe being a little bit too paranoid about things. She wasn’t really good at this whole making friends thing, but the key was just to be yourself and act naturally. Or at least that was what all the books she read said! She had acted without really thinking up until this point, sort of letting Kitsuki lead with the entire teaching mission. Now that Chigetsu realized that the roles were reversed and that she was the one effectively taking the lead in suggesting to come here, the anxiety machine would start buzzing. It brought on a bout of self-consciousness, with her originally innocuous stream of thought running out of control in a matter of moments. The memory that she should act natural would be followed with attempts to remember other tips for this sort of stuff, and with her scrambled mind she would find herself unable to. It would all cause Chigetsu to stumble a bit. Literally. She would turn to the counter and the stools, before turning to look at the jukebox. As if she were trying to go in both directions at the same time, she would stumble a bit as if she suddenly lost all coordination. It only lasted a split second before she would course correct and walk in the direction of the stools…

“Anything with some bounce! Alright, I’ll pick something good.” She would repeat, a great big nervous smile plastered across her lips. This was the wrong direction. Her mind had blanked out for a moment. Thankful that she hadn’t accidentally fallen while occupied with her thoughts, Chigetsu would let out a deep exhale as she got over to the jukebox machine. There was this weird phantom pressure now that weighed down on her. It wasn’t something that she could exactly explain the exact reasons for, and she would quickly attempt to do away with it. Tapping the electronic screen of the jukebox, Chigetsu would give a quick scroll through the options. Given that it was a jukebox, there wasn’t exactly anything brand new in it. It had some of the best hits from like five years ago plus a lot of old fashioned songs and some weird classical music that nobody probably ever played. Honestly, it seemed like a pretty random assortment of stuff, selected just to appeal to the largest potential audience possible. A few ryo bills would mindlessly be shove into the machine as she thought about what to pick. After a few seconds of thought, Chigetsu would settle on one of those popular pop songs that came out a few years ago. They were pretty popular with everyone, and were pretty bouncy. She would press down on the song through the screen to select it.

The name of the song flashing across the screen was what cued Chigetsu into the fact that she had selected the wrong song. It was… Heartbreak Hotel? She would stare down a little incredulously as the words rolled across the screen. Chigetsu had never heard of whoever it was that sang this. It wasn’t at all what she had thought she pressed, and hearing the first few seconds of the song only confirmed that it was absolutely not at all what she had wanted to press. In a sudden panic she would press down at the touchscreen again, tapping it. There was no cancel button visible, and so she would press a few times at the corner of the screen in an attempt to at least pull away from the song. Not only did this not have the intended effect, it also seemed to cue up the same song several more times in a row. Realizing that this weird heartbreak song was now cued up like half a dozen times, Chigetsu would press her palm up into her face.

Shamefully returning to Kitsuki by the menu, Chigetsu would be forced to admit defeat. Unsure at first how to admit her failure, the failure that was made obvious by the strange song that was playing, Chigetsu would approach the other girl with the face of a deer caught in the headlights. “Uh…” She would turn back to look at the music player for a moment. “I made a mistake with the song. Haha… I’m always unlucky with electronics.” It was awkwardly phrased as if it were a joke, despite there being no joke present except for Chigetsu. Quick to change the topic, Chigetsu would turn up to look at the menu as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. It also helped her avoid the shame of eye contact. “Did you see anything on the menu that looked good…?”

Chigetsu's reaction to her shrug worried Kit. After the remark Kit noticed that Chigetsu appeared distracted, discombobulated, and hurt. The concern showed on Kitsuki's face, but she didn't say anything. There was a good chance that the girl was as socially awkward as Kit, the only difference was that Kit went to a school specifically designed to (metaphorically) beat the awkwardness out of rich young women. She had learned early that second-guessing yourself and letting your mind wander was the fastest way to embarrassment in social situations. Don't overthink it girl.... She had honed her skills in etiquette to the point where it was second-nature. She was still a bit awkward underneath it all, but her naturally aloof and dispassionate aura made her seem way cooler than she was. Seeing Chigetsu stumble like that made Kit feel bad, the girl eventually recovered but it made Kit realize that Chigetsu could really use a friend to help build up her social confidence. Katsumi had had that effect on her, so she saw no reason why she wouldn't be able to reproduce the effect with this Hozuki.  

She gave a thumbs up as Chigetsu fumbled with the machine. She knew from personal experience that if she asked what was wrong or offered assistance it would only make Chigetsu more flustered. When music began to play, Kitsuki started to bob her head to the music. She wanted to let her know that it was an excellent choice. Chigetsu didn't seem happy about the selection which clued Kitsuki in to the possibility that she may had made some kind of mistake. Rather than draw attention to it, she kept an unbeat ethos as Chigetsu rejoined her. Chigetsu admitted that she had made a mistake and even joked that she had poor luck with electronics. The girl seemed so sad and beat down that Kitsuki knew she couldn't just let the technical failure go unaddressed.

"Its alright! I think this is a great song. Its the Heartbreak Hotel....a real classic. This is what I call a happy accident." Kitsuki wasn't really the talkative type. Nor was she the chipper can-do type. However, Chigetsu seemed so beaten up about her mistake that if she remained disconnected there was a likelihood that the girl's confidence would be shattered. Kitsuki knew she couldn't do that. She needed to be gentle with Chigetsu and that meant re-affirming the girl even when she made a minor mistake. The pinkette was nice enough to try and reassure her after the whole Iron Sacking episode so Kit thought it was only right if she returned the favor.

Kitsuki pointed. There! Her finger traced a line to the various points of deliciousness. She constructed a beautiful monstrosity of sugar, flavor, and fixings.

"Bubble Gum-Strawberry topped with bananas, whipped cream and a cherry" She turned to Chigetsu. "What about you? See anything you like?"

Once Chigetsu had selected something, a server would take them over to a booth. Kitsuki would slide in on one side and presumably Chigetsu would sit across from her. She wouldn't take outward offense if Chigetsu chose to sit right next to her, but she would think that was a bit weird and an invasion of her personal space. Once they were in the booth and their milkshakes ordered, Kitsuki would nod her head to the beat of the song. Apparently, it was stuck on repeat because it was playing for a second time. This didn't bother Kit one bit. She was in a milkshake shoppe with a new friend. The inconveniences and challenges of the day were behind them. She was moving forward with good company and nothing would take away the joy of this moment.

The fact that Kitsuki both seemed to recognize the song and enjoyed it erased a bit of Chigetsu’s anxiety. It was complete luck on Chigetsu’s part, since the song was chosen by complete accident and had been something she had never heard of before. Apparently it was a classic? The details didn’t matter. Chigetsu was mostly just relieved at the situation. The only remaining problem was that she had queued it like a whole bunch of times in a row, but hopefully Kitsuki wouldn’t mind? Hopefully. The worry was sort of put back on the backburner of her mind with a time delay. “Heartbreak Hotel… I’ve never heard of it before, but it’s nice! I like it a lot.” Chigetsu really didn’t listen to this sort of music at all, but the fact that Kitsuki liked it encouraged the easily impressionable Hozuki to feel the same way.  

As Kitsuki pointed up to the menu, Chigetsu would find her eyes watching the girl’s moving finger instead of following it up to the menu. Blinking a bit, she would turn up to the menu after her few seconds of mistake, but ended up missing what was actually being pointed at. Luckily, Kitsuki went and explained it all right afterwards, so Chigetsu wouldn’t be left in the dark. Two words into the order and Chigetsu would already be smiling. It was clear that she had found a worthy partner in crime when it came to milkshake orders. It was why she enjoyed going to places like this, even if they were a bit kiddy. It was an opportunity to get absolutely extravagant with sweets and sugar, which was something that was very important and extremely valuable.

“That sounds good! Actually, just hearing it makes me wonder now....” She would stare up at the menu for real this time, and not just out of a shame induced desire to avoid eye contact. Taking a few moments to read the menu, Chigetsu would finally come to a conclusion. “I think… vanilla cream with the nutella, oreo, and marshmallow topping, with a sprinkled donut and some ice cream to top it…” The thought of it was almost enough to make her drool. “That’s not too extra, is it?” Chigetsu found herself almost laughing at the thought. When it came to sweets, Chigetsu was a bit of an expert and generally didn’t hold anything back. The toppings were especially crazy, but Chigetsu wasn’t really fond of cherries, and so she had to find something other that those and whipped cream to top off the milkshake.

Once taken to the booth, Chigetsu would slide into the seat across from Kitsuki. She didn’t sit next to her because even though Chigetsu was awkward, she wasn’t nearly that awkward. One they got into the seats though Chigetsu would sit back and relax, sinking into the comfiness of the cushion a bit. With that earlier hiccup in the past now she was able to relax again. Being in a shop like this helped with that. There was something reliable about sugar. It always had this comforting aura to it. She hadn’t even had any yet and already all those earlier worries and anxieties felt like they were beginning to wash away. It was a tradition that Chigetsu often took part in that, whenever she would find herself upset or embarrassed over some little thing, she would comfort herself with something sweet. Whether this was in the form of munching on sugary cereals or eating an entire carton of ice cream alone in the bathtub, it never failed to distract Chigetsu’s mind away from whatever had been bothering her. It was why she offered to bring Kitsuki here when she was so upset earlier regarding the whole “Sacking Iron and their Exclusives” thing.

It was then that Chigetsu noticed that the song repeated, and that she remembered that whole incident earlier with the accidentally selecting Heartbreak Hotel like half a dozen times by mistake. The realization would bring back all her earlier anxiety regarding the jukebox, and Chigetsu’s eyes would momentarily go wide. Suddenly laughing nervously, she would do her best to change the non-existent subject.

“H-Hey! Uh… Kit, you mentioned the WASP school a little bit earlier, and it sounded interesting… What was it like growing up and being in a school like that? In the Hozuki Clan everything was one on one with the training… Did you have a big group school with tons of friends there?”

---

Milkshake:

Chigetsu had the sweetest tooth Kitsuki had ever seen in her life. A whole sprinkled doughnut on top of the milkshake?! Was such a thing even possible? Kitsuki hid her surprise well with an aloof grin but internally she was worried about Chigetsu's health. If the girl ordered things like this regularly then she might have to worry about becoming insulin resistant. Kitsuki decided not to worry about it for now though. This was a special treat with a new friend. She'd let Chigetsu live her best life. When Chigetsu asked if it was too extra, Kit shook her head. "Not at all. It sounds delicious actually." She resolved to keep things positive and light-hearted. Discussing diabetus would only sour the mood. The two took their seat in the booth and Kitsuki could tell that Chigetsu was relaxed. She felt at home in this place. While it was still a bit too juvenile for Kitsuki's taste, she decided that it didn't matter where one spent their time snacking. So long as it was with friends, the experience would be enjoyable.

Kitsuki was a quiet girl and so she was content to not say anything for now, but then Chigetsu spoke. Chigetsu asked her about the WASP School and Kit perked up. She didn't like to talk too much but one of the few subjects she liked to speak on other than fashion and music was her time at the WASP School. She was a proud alum and although she had vowed to hate the school when she had arrived, in retrospect she thought it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Chigetsu mentioned that she had only done one on one training. That was pretty interesting but it made sense since most rich kids went that route. Kit and Kat were the exceptions to the rule. When Chigetsu mentioned having tons of friends, Kitsuki laughed.

"Hahaha, no not really. I mean the WASP School..." she stopped and thought more about how to describe it. "....its like.....imagine all of the spoiled rich kids in the world congregating in one of the most strictest schools imaginable. There's bound to be some growing pains and drama. I think it was meant to be a reformatory for....you know.....bad kids but the principal of the school Headmaster Sukimori turned it into a really fancy place. A finishing school, basically a place where girls like us get a classical education, train to be a shinobi, and take etiquette lessons. I don't know where it is to be honest, I know it was in the mountains so maybe Lightning Country but I honestly don't know. They never told me and I never wandered far enough from campus grounds to find out what land I was in. I do know that at first it was rough. I was a bit of a weird girl. If Kat wasn't there to stand up for me I'd have been picked on all 4 years. Once you get a certain rep at a school like that it can be hard to shake. Girls are just catty, you'd think with no boys to impress they'd behave but..."

Kitsuki shook her head.

"They weren't very nice. Luckily my older sister Katumi had my back and I had her's so people stopped messing with me after the first year. The WASP was where I fell in love with music. It was my main thing there and I became pretty well known for it. Most people didn't care about the details but everyone loves a winner so yeah, that was cool I guess." Kitsuki sighed. She kind of missed it. Drama, politics, and cattiness aside it was truly a one of a kind institution. Kitsuki could spend days describing how intricate the curriculum was. How girls went in as airheads, sluts, or burgeoning crooks and came out as proper ladies, doctors, strategists, warriors, and of course musicians. Even at 16 she could tell that that sort of transformation was nothing short of miraculous. It was all thanks to one man. "Headmaster Sukimori owns the school, he was also my personal mentor. He said he saw something in me....I really look up to him. He's kind, generous, smart, but also willing to tell hard truths. He also had this sense of style and he would al-" Kit stopped in her tracks. She realized that she had been grinning like an idiot the whole time she was talking about him. The truth was Kitsuki had a bit of a crush on her Headmaster but then again what student didn't develop a crush on at least one teacher in their lifetime? She was way past that now. She was now a mature young lady and she had no use for fantasy crushes. She respected him as a mentor. Nothing more. "He's just the best teacher in the world in my book. Preachy but still very good". She threw in the criticism to make it sound like she wasn't madly in love with him.


"Sometimes I think the ideals of the school are bit overblown and dramatic, I just kind of want to keep doing music and live my own life. But other times I really think they were onto something. How many shinobi really fight for the people? I mean not just their government but the people." Kitsuki realized that she was getting into the school's political and moral philosophy. It was a bit of a heavy subject for such a lovely day so she decided to leave it at that. She fully acknowledged that they had done a fantastic job of brainwashing her on this subject. She liked to think for herself but her spirit and mind compelled her to think about the value of what they had said. It drove a lot of her actions as a shinobi and it would be fair to say it was now her Nindo. She shrugged. If it made sense and felt right then she couldn't fight that. If anything, she was thankful for the school for giving her that perspective. She'd take it and use it to forge her own path.

"It was a great school. I'm glad I went there. I think Kat feels the same. But enough about me, I want to know more about you. What was it like doing one on one training? I know some of my friends were homeschooled or had private tutors before coming to the WASP but I'm curious what your perspective was like."

Chigetsu would listen intently as Kitsuki began speaking. The thoughts about the repeating song and the worries about being judged for the milkshake would roll off her quickly, and she would settle in comfortably to her seat. Clearly by the way Kitsuki was thinking about what to say she was going to tell a great big story. This was something Chigetsu was beginning to pick up on as a social skill after reading so many self help books. If you probed people to talk about themselves, they probably would! It made things a lot less awkward then when they did all the talking, and Chigetsu liked hearing stories people told about themselves. Plus, if she agreed with them and acted interested, people will probably like her more and want to be her friend! She wouldn’t have to pretend to be interested in Kitsuki though. The question was legitimate. Chigetsu really was curious about what it was like in the WASP School thing, especially given she had never gotten the opportunity to go to a big school setting like that. While she wasn’t about to admit it she sort of wanted to live vicariously through Kitsuki’s stories, so she could imagine what it was like to go to a big school and to have a lot of friends.

There was a lot that was lost to Chigetsu. She wasn’t aware of what a finishing school was, and for someone who had never left the Hozuki District until a month or two ago couldn’t comprehend what it meant to be away from home in another nation.

“Y-Yeah… you know how girls are…” She would nod reflexively. Really she didn’t know what to say to something like that. Boys to impress? Were they supposed to be impressing boys…? She wasn’t really sure if she should ask. Chigetsu didn’t really like to think about this sort of gender related stuff, and so the topic would probably get really uncomfortable really fast.

The transition from that one comment into speaking about Kitsuki’s older sister made Chigetsu relax again. The thought of having an older sibling was nice. Being an only child, it was something that Chigetsu had always wished for secretly. Having someone who was always supposed to protect you seemed too good to be true, almost. Then there was the bit about this Headmaster Sukimori person, apparently the owner of the school.

“You must be really amazing if the Headmaster noticed you and decided to be your personal mentor. That doesn’t happen to just anyone, right? … I mean, you obviously are, just from what you did back in the Academy just then. You were like a professional teacher already. The Headmaster must have rubbed  off on you. Oh! And you should introduce me to Katsumi sometime. She sounds really lovely, especially since she’s your sister.”

“A-Ah? What was homeschooling like?” She would repeat the question as it was asked, a bit off guard. She had asked Kitsuki to talk about herself without expecting that the question would eventually be turned back to her. Chigetsu’s eyes would shift back and forth, desperately looking for something interesting that she could use to shift the conversation. Without finding anything to change the subject to Chigetsu would eventually relent.

“Well…” She would have to take a moment to think about it all. “The Hozuki only let members of the clan be taught by other members. So all the tutors I’ve had were people who I already knew. Well, I guess it was more like they knew me from when I was a baby…” She would slump down in her seat a bit, slouching back against the cushion. “So it was strange. They were all family but… not really family. Like distant cousins and uncles or aunts who you don’t really ever speak to except maybe once a year. Then they come and tutor you, and pretend they know everything about you because they saw you as a baby and then maybe once a year during holidays.”

Her voice and demeanor changed. She was still awkward, there was no getting around that for Chigetsu, but the nervousness in her voice had been dropped for something else. Talking about her past like this just made her bitter, and it probably showed in the way she was speaking. Given how much Kitsuki had opened up to her in the last few hours Chigetsu would feel guilty doing the same, but at the same time she doubted Kitsuki would want to listen to her just talking about how much she resented her family.

“And it’s hard… Uh, I don’t know how to explain it. When you’re trying to change, and everyone around you knows you as a baby and had this specific idea of what you were always supposed to be from the moment you were born. Like…” Her eyes would shift downwards for a moment, before turning back to Kitsuki. “When I first dyed my hair pink… It was like… Oh yeah, I never mentioned that I dyed it to you before, did I? My hair is naturally white, like most of my family. When I came to a lesson one day with pink hair... I mean, I used to have short-cut white hair like everyone else, but first I grew it out really long, and then I dyed it pink, and people reacted as if I had spat in their faces or something.”

She realized suddenly that she was talking about something very different than what Kitsuki had asked. Chigetsu would stare blankly at the girl across from her for a moment, her mind stalling. She would visibly switch mental gears. “I mean, the tutors would swap out all the time. So someone would teach you something and then someone new would come in after a few months and it would all be different, and they wouldn’t know where the last person had left off. It was all done one on one too, or with one student and multiple adults. It’s really silly, because the clan is so worried about their secret water stuff being stolen or something…”

“I didn’t do really well. All that really mattered was that you learned the clan’s water techniques and were good with a sword. All the math and academics was secondary at best, or saved for once you already finished with those two first things. I’m not really good at any of it, and I was always terrible with using chakra and using swords. Eventually they just gave up on me and kicked me out because I was so bad, so I never really finished with the tutoring I guess.”

That was a weird thing to leave off on. Chigetsu didn’t want to stop there, but she also didn’t really want to talk anymore about herself. She would think for a topic for a few seconds.

“W-What was that you said about boys earlier…?”

"Hahaha, I'm nothing special" Kitsuki said modestly. There were definitely girls far more talented and beautiful than her. She was good at music and that was where her innate skills stopped. "And yeah, I'll introduce you to her. She's really awesome!" She looked up to Katsumi. The elder sibling was her rock and her protector. Chigetsu would absolutely love Katsumi's confidence and strength, it was what drew people to her like a magnet.

Chigetsu began to talk about herself and her life with respect to homeschooling. Judging from Chigetsu's tone of voice and the words that she used, Kit took it that the experience wasn't exactly positive. Her own family was filled with merchants and business-folk. There weren't many shinobi, and the few that were ninja worked in specialized technical fields. Kit and Kat were the first to be primarily combat shinobi. Kit nodded with a serious expression on her face as Chigetsu recounted her frustration with family. Apparently, the girl had opted for pink hair rather than having been born with it. Kitsuki thought that that was interesting. Pink suited Chigetsu in a way that white didn't. She considered it to be a sound fashion choice but it seemed as though her family did not approve. Kitsuki took the story at face value given how uptight the founding clans came off as. They were strict, conservative, and had a very narrow view of what people's roles in society were. Kitsuki didn't comment on the family drama but she would occasionally nod sympathetically.

Chigetsu realized she was going into deep waters and switched gears. She continued talking about how the tutors rotated in and out. She also got the benefit of one-on 0ne coaching which Kitsuki found to be invaluable. She cherished the moments she got alone with the Headmaster and her Maestro. Towards the end of her story, Chigetsu mentioned that they had kicked her out because she was so terrible at swordplay. The girl's mouth opened wide. She was unwilling to believe that a family could be so vicious and cruel. Perhaps she had misunderstood Chigetsu's story.

"Wait, they kicked you out of your home for not being a good shinobi?"

How did she become a genin? If the tutors had no confidence in her and she didn't go to the Academy how did she receive her headband? Where is she living now? Is she homeless? Does she live in a shelter? Does she have other family un-related to the Clan?

Kitsuki had more questions but she stopped herself. It was rude of her to ask and judging from Chigetsu's demeanor the girl was not comfortable talking about her family. She immediately retracted the interrogative.

"You don't have to answer that...in fact, please don't...it doesn't matter. You're a genin of Kirigakure now and I'm sure your skills are more than adequate. Also I think your hair is positively delightful. We really need to go shopping sometime I have a few fashion ideas that might work for your look."

When Chigetsu asked about boys, Kitsuki giggled and shrugged totally unsure of what to say. Whenever that subject came up she just shook her head and laughed. She had long suspected boys were dumb and lacked basic fashion sense. Her encounter with Daisuke appeared to confirm her suspicions. At least fully grown men were sophisticated, well-groomed, well-mannered, yet somehow also rugged and intense.

Like Headma-

The thought was interrupted by the arrival of the sugary ambrosia. A waiter walked by and set the two milkshakes down on the table. He smiled at both of them and provided straws. "Enjoy!" he said before walking off. Kitsuki looked at the giant doughnut sitting on top of her new friend's milkshake.

"It looks even better in person" she commented. Kitsuki's own milkshake was modest in comparison. She placed a straw inside her's and took a sip. Still good though. She looked at Chigetsu and raised her glass.

"To fashion and friendship!" she said indicating her desire to toast.

Chigetsu would flinch a bit at Kitsuki’s reaction. Her eyes would go wide for a moment, and she would retreat into temporary shock like a deer in the headlights. Luckily Kitsuki didn’t follow up on the questioning, and as a result Chigetsu had the time required to calm herself. She would relax back into her seat, wondering if maybe she shouldn’t have dumped all that onto Kitsuki. She did ask, but at the same time it was a lot of baggage… She was being selfish when she said it all. Chigetsu regretted it now. Instinctually she wanted to apologize, but at the same time she was sure that it would just result in her getting told not to, or looking pathetic or something along those lines. Instead she would just sort of look down at the table, wishing she could go back and time and stop herself from saying anything at all.

The reassurance that came afterwards would lift Chigetsu’s chin though. A small smile would crawl across her face as she heard what Kitsuki was saying. Even though Chigetsu went way too far with what she had just said it didn’t seem like the girl was offended by it. She even went as far as to compliment Chi on her hair, and offer to go shopping together? Chigetsu didn’t know how to respond. It was a foreign and alien thing to hear, and for a moment she would just stare at Kitsuki, unsure of what exactly to say in response.

“I… That would be… I would love to-” She would be cut off as their milkshakes came. Chigetsu had forgotten all about the monstrosity she had ordered, and seeing it in person made her eyes bulge. It made her break out into laughter just as soon as it was plated down and given to her, and all of that negative energy was dispelled. Chigetsu was always so shameless when it came to food. Part of her wished she could be like that when it came to everything. Just asking for and doing what she wanted, without having to worry about anything else.

“It does! I’m glad I got it. Feel free to take some if you want, I don’t know how I’ll be able to eat all of this.” Chigetsu was a blackhole when it came to sweets, but even this was a bit much. Once she saw what Kitsuki was aiming for, Chigetsu would raise her own glass and tap it against Kit’s in a toast.

“To fashion and friendship!”

Kitsuki could see that her reaction had troubled Chigetsu. The pinkette's home life was a taboo subject and now that Kit knew this, she'd never bring it up again. Fortunately, Chigetsu expressed interest in the two going shopping together. The mood also brightened considerably when the milkshakes arrived. Chigetsu offered her some of her own and normally Kit would refuse. A proper lady did not eat or drink from the finery of another. That was something children and vagabonds did. However, that was a snobbish rule taught by Lady Anawana, the Dean of Etiquette & Charm. Kit did not like the woman and while she learned some important habits from her she wouldn't let her shadow spoil such a grand moment. Chigetsu was her friend and Kit knew that friends often deepened their relationship by sharing with one another.

"I think I will actually." Kit would gently take a small piece of the doughnut. They'd then raise their glasses and toast to Fashion and Friendship.

Clink!

The sound was satisfying and refreshing. It was hard to believe that a day that had started with misery and pain could end with so much hope and fun. Kit and Chigetsu would enjoy their milkshakes together. The two would get to know one another and exchange laughs, stories, and experiences. After the outing, they exchanged contact information and agreed to meet up to go shopping in the near future. Kit exited the shoppe content that she had made a new friend.

[Exit]

The clink of two glasses together would be like a bell chime that signaled in a new era. Maybe it wasn’t really that significant in the grand scheme of things, but making a new friend was really that important to Chigetsu. It had been difficult getting here. Taking the mission together with Kitsuki had been a struggle at first, even though it had no right to be difficult. Something as simple as teaching the academy should have been easy, and it was for Kitsuki. Even with that moment of pain and frustration, Kitsuki had been able to pull through it and return to the classroom as if everything was just natural and fine, and taught the classroom like she was born to be a teacher. It was incredible to see someone like her in action. Just being able to see work and interact was inspiring for someone like Chigetsu. There was a tinge of jealousy in the way that Chigetsu thought about her, but a positive form of jealousy. One day, Chi hoped that it would be possible that she would become more like Kit.

Once Kit had taken a piece of the doughnut and the two had clinked glasses, Chigetsu would dig into the monster that she had ordered. They would have the rest of the day to talk and get to know each other better, chatting about every topic that they could think of. Once the initial anxiety ran out and Chigetsu was sated with some comfort food, she would be more forthcoming with herself, stuttering less often and being better at maintaining eye contact. It was the start of something new, and it was incredibly exciting. The time would come where their milkshakes would run dry, and when this did happen the two of them would settle on a date to meet up again. Chigetsu would be left thinking how incredible it was that this all happened.

[Exit]