Rising Tide [Kiri Only]

Decadence. The ballroom, a massive room within the kage’s administrative complex, known to very few and apparently created with the sole purpose of hosting ridiculously lavished events such as this, was simply an expression of pure decadence from the most fashionable and interior design savvy minds of Kirigakure. And fitting with Village Hidden in the Mist, the decorations were all dark blue and bright silver with the smallest amounts of black as trim.

The main entrance, a pair of huge double doors flung open to the outer terrace and meticulously trimmed gardens, opened onto the absurd splendor of the entire situation, dominated most noticeably by a huge stone fountain at the center of the room depicting a two great sharks in a peculiar looking dance, twining hypnotically around one another. From the mouths of the sharks flowed freely a red liquor, some kind of lightly fruity wine that resembled, with startling accuracy, twin streams of blood gushing from the sharks and bubbling in frothy swirls in the basin of the fountain. Even while putting on their best dress, Kiri could not help displaying a kind of obsession with the morbidly beautiful.

Falling from the ceiling hung a multitude of thick streamers, primarily silver in color, raining down from above in a huge amount of downward arches like the swollen underbellies of silver and blue clouds. They swaths of cloth rand down the walls as well, forming a kind of makeshift tapestry of alternating blue and silver with the occasional streak of black interspersed. They extended from ceiling to floor whereupon they met with a simple polished stone floor of the same make as the central fountain and the double staircase resting opposite the main entrance.

The double staircase, prefect mirrors of themselves extending in a curve stretching towards the sides of the room before doubling back and meeting once again near the middle mere meters from the fountain, which emanated from a large, singular door leading back into the administration building in full. From here would, eventually, emerge the kage, Lady Aya of the Aya clan whose banner hung as though descending form the clouds storm of the endless streamers. She was a woman of mystery, recently elected in light of the mysterious disappearance of the previous ruler of the land, Lady Neru, whose wonton ways likely engendered her ultimate downfall, though such hypotheses were still under intense scrutiny.

Kirite stood near one of the staircases, mostly silent and helping himself to one of the silver tablecloth clad tables serving a plethora of fancy, if light, dishes. The whole affair irked the ANBU member. The throngs of people presented no inherent problem, or more specifically did not exacerbate the problem of people. They were loud, annoying, and stupid in equal measure to any other group of people. No, the dress code, the excessive lavishness, the total absurdity of the air and the night really annoyed the blue haired man. People danced, drank too much, spilled wine, and ground food into the floor; wait staff ran around endlessly with sliver platters garnished with dark blue cloths, serving strange and exotic looking dishes matching the decor in color; a horde of ANBU, concealed in their finery, patrolled about, blending in to the surrounding crowed effortlessly. The whole event was a no weapon zone, though a few ANBU were permitted minimal arms with the caveat that such instruments were completely concealed.

Kirite didn’t like it much, no, but he looked good at least. A white suit jacket, with matching white slacks, rested over a dark purple button up left open at the collar. The tie was mandatory, though the state of it was not. Thus, the blue haired man with hair unkempt as usual had slung the intensely narrow string of fabric loosely around his neck, tied, but with the knot resting just below the final open button of his shirt and lending a startling streak of teal to match the man’s vibrant, alert eyes. Appearing supremely relaxed and feeling wholy and utterly aloof, he stood, awaiting the arrival of his new liege lord and musing about how long this one would last.

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WC: 690