Running a Village... uh, you know the rest.

"Coming!" Natsume answered, solo slow-dancing her way into the dining area before taking the seat offered to her with a casual slide. "Good music, right? Sets the mood real well for the future." It looked as though she was about to pantomime some sort of erotic male on female action, but she didn't get a chance before Setsuna emotionlessly, wordlessly and without any warning shoved her straight out of her chair and onto the floor.

Natsume took the sudden assault in stride, snorting before breaking out into drunken laughter, stumbling her way back to her feet and into the chair again through tears of mirth. "Your life would be so dull without me and you know it."

Setsuna failed to reply, instead only casting Kai a silent look of 'Do you see what I have to deal with?'

Kai was a little envious, the two were quite a pair. Setsuna even visiting some playful violence on her younger sibling. Kai had never really had a friend that he'd been that close with. All he could do was attempt to give Setsuna a little understanding smile. "Natsume, it sounds like you're the one whose life is made exciting by Setsuna. How often does someone found a village, all while taking care of a party girl?" He was of course teasing, though he suspected that in the blondes mental state she would take such teasing well.

"Ah yes but where were we. Kana." He would turn his head and look over his shoulder mid-sentence and call to his help, with that a well dressed woman with fox ears and a single tail would approach, her hair tied back into a ponytail while she acted as server. "Kana here is one of my foxes, she's transformed to take a more useful form when acting among humans."

Kana herself was carrying a tray with three platters on it, on the platters were two dishes. A Salad and a soup.

"The first dish of the night is soup and salad, A poached-egg Avacado salad on baby spinach, and a Red-pepper Corn chowder." Kana would of course set the platters in front of each of the guests starting with Setsuna and Natsume then ending with Kai as the host. Leaving with the silver serving tray in hand she would return with three glasses and a bottle of just opened white wine and pour all three a healthy portion, before retreating back to the threshold of the kitchen to watch for signals from Kai but be out of sight of the other two guests. "Please try it and tell me what you think."

"It's probably mutual," Natsume replied, calming a bit. "I get her out of the house and meeting new people and she constantly puts my life in mortal danger. I'd call that even." She smirked even as Setsuna failed to form a response. She was accustomed to their conversations being one-sided. Setsuna liked to keep a frigid perimeter around herself at all times, but she knew what she was like on the inside even without it being openly shown.

As the fox in girl form appeared with their first course, both women turned to face her, watching attentively as they were served. Setsuna's words were a humble thanks for her service low enough that it wouldn't catch Kai's ear, but would very likely be heard by a fox. Natsume was much less subtle or polite.

"It helps that she's eye candy too, right? I'd heard that foxes were good at transformation techniques, but yow! That booty." She took a moment to clear her throat and put on an expression of deadly seriousness, leaning over the table as if she were interrogating their host. "So Kai... what's your opinion on bestiality?"

Setsuna was doing an admirable job of ignoring what was happening now, picking up the soup spoon and slowly partaking of the chowder that had been given to them as if her table manners were everything in this encounter.

Kai could see from his sitting position that Kana's brow furrowed at the insinuation that she was being called little more than a beast, and at the insinuation that she'd opened her legs for Kai. Though the thought had crossed her mind, more than once idly she'd not yet done the deed with the sage. Though she would have wanted to jump to Kai's defense the man could take care of himself and she wouldn't hear the end of it if she'd ruined dinner by verbally attacking and abusing one of Kai's guests.

"By bestiality you're referring to sex with a non-sentient Sexual partner. I personally abstain from non-consensual encounters. As a non-sentient partner can not give consent, my answer should be obvious." Kai countered putting that thought process to bed on a technicality. Though he could say from experience that many of the Kitsune preferred to be the dominant in any physical relationship. "How about yourself?" He would ask pulling the soup spoon almost daintily into his hand and nearly mirroring the manners of his guest of honor and starting with the soup first. It would seem that outside of the choice of table conversation Kai was very refined.

"Well I was kinda going for non-human sexual partner, but whatever." Natsume appeared at least a little thrown off by Kai's somewhat awkwardly polite counter to her statement. She'd become much more accustomed to simply being blown off as an airhead with too much spunk for her own good or just plain ignored in Setsuna's case. "I've thought about it. Maybe if Setsuna wasn't so infatuated with creepy spiders I might've been a little more inclined."

Setsuna remained deathly silent and wished inwardly that she could eat with her mask on. She felt the heat of a blush touching her cheeks and this conversation wasn't even about her! She really should know better than to bring Natsume to anything she considered formal. This was hardly appropriate dinner conversation.

Finally, she cleared her throat loud enough to attempt to derail the topic before muttering through a breaking voice something along the lines of the soup being of fairly good quality.

Maybe it was the fact that Kai saw through the airhead that Natsume paraded herself around as that caused Kai to give such a direct responsive answer. "I'm sure we could arrange something to meet your fancy." Kai would respond with a fairly serious look on his face before it broke into a playful smile. He would have continued but also caught Setsuna's comment on the soup and realized that she was more uncomfortable with the conversation at hand. The fact her face was about as red as her usual Jumpsuit. Her request to change the subject was pretty clear.

"Oh yes, I learned the recipe for the soup out and about. It was one of my earlier missions to an Island in the Land of Waves, real deep cover stuff. My team had run out of food pills and our resupply had been intercepted by Mist Shinobi. I guess they were hoping to starve us into making a mistake." Kai would take a few bites, not wanting to talk more than eat, though the portions of their appetizers were small enough to finish quickly he wouldn't rush it. "As the only one between the two teams assigned to the task at hand with any cooking talent, I found myself in the position of feeding seven other people with what I could scrounge up locally, with whatever pocket money the team had or could steal." It was a much simpler time for Kai, and made him feel a little nostalgic just talking about it.

"Hah!" Natsume scoffed despite the others' obvious attempts to swap subjects. "I'll have you know that I've got very high standards and I'd have to ask that you make arrangements for Setsuna to join me as well. I think she needs a good rutting to loosen up lately. All she does is work in her office all day and then come home and train most of the night. You must've bribed her with something incredible to get her here."

Setsuna growled only just loud enough to be barely audible before speaking up again. If Kai wasn't careful he was about to have two very different conversations to keep track of since the two seemed set on ignoring one another's conversation topics.

"That's interesting. I've never thought about the possible benefits of placing one member with culinary expertise to a team before to keep the team from going hungry during desperate times. Our own team didn't have that sort of benefit, but we managed despite the fact."

It was beginning to look that way already as Kai looked back and forth from one woman to the next, pausing to choose his next words carefully, setting his spoon down, he'd had a few spoonfuls of soup and a few bites of salad. He wouldn't communicate the next dish to Kana yet but he would finish with this one himself. "You think perhaps too much or too little of me Natsume." Kai would address the rambunctious blonde first. "I did not bribe Setsuna, I simply convinced her that eating a good home made meal was in her best interest, and she invited you here because she felt it was in yours as well."

The redhead would then turn his attentions to Setsuna. "I wasn't assigned to the group for my talent at cooking, It was simply improvisation of a skill that I'd already had available to myself. Plus a hot, flavorful meal is as good for morale as the most rousing speech by the most charismatic leader." He paused for a moment, "Perhaps you're onto something there Setsuna, Maybe a field-cooking class at the academy?"

Natsume scoffed once again, though this time with much more sarcasm to the tone. If Kai's goal was to continue weaning her off the subject of sexual matters he'd somehow managed to succeed. "She invited me here so she could say this wasn't a date, obviously. I've known her way too long to be fooled into thinking anything else. She doesn't have to worry about you thinking you have a chance or trying for a kiss on the way out and she doesn't have to worry about me grilling her for details once she gets home. If we happened to get too boozed up and libido got the better of any one of us I'm the distraction to keep Setsuna from dusting off that pussy for a little fun." At that, Natsume threw caution to the wind and simply lifted the bowl of soup to her lips and gulped it down.

Setsuna, for her part, gave a little shrug with an expression of indifference. "For the most part," she agreed.

"Now I'm sure you underestimate me." Kai dismissed seemingly offended by the act of Natsume thinking she was some kind of cock blocking wing man. He would casually wave for Kana to bring out the main dishes for the three of them. "If it was a date I would have been on a moonlit veranda overlooking the village, the table would be candle lit." He would give Setsuna an amorous look, "And it would have been just the two of us."

"Still debating on whether or not there would be music. Violin maybe." Kai added as though dismissing the discussion. Picking up his wine glass, "And I still might just steal a kiss on the way out when you aren't looking Natsume." he would tease both women before taking a long sip of the alcoholic beverage.

Kana would move in with her platter, whisking away all the soup and salad dishes, come back to refill wine as needed then bring in the Dinner, a large and hearty poached salmon steak without the skin, the sides were a cilantro shrimp drizzled with a honey lime sauce and Spicy Quinoa to finish off the plate with something lighter. "I hope you ladies are hungry." Kana playfully chided setting down the plates in front of the two guests, before returning with Kai's own plate.

"You've been thinking about it. How nice..." Setsuna responded in a deadpan tone. "I'm sure the only reason this isn't a date is because I won't let it be," she affirmed to herself, returning his own look with one of slightly furrowed brows.

"The classic approach isn't so bad though," both women spoke up at the exact same time before sharing a humored look and letting the mood lighten a bit after Setsuna's tongue lashing.

"Be my guest, in any case." Natsume continued in reply to Kai's words about stealing a kiss. "I personally think it'll be like trying to kiss a granite statue at this point. ...So I hope that's your thing." She was definitely making much more progress on her wine than Setsuna was, though both women were drinking somewhat liberally now as the mood continued to relax little by little.

Once Kana returned to clear and refill, both women moved their hands aside to give her plenty of room to work, eventually left to look in a surprised sort of wonder at the new dish laid out before them. First soup and salad and now a full course meal?

"Where did you find the time to do all this before we arrived?" Setsuna inquired for the both of them. "You didn't skip out on more work, did you?" The question was only half serious, but she eyed him warily just the same.

"Looks good! I dunno if I can eat all this after such a hearty soup, but I'm sure willing to give it a try!" Natsume's reply was much less questioning of Kai's morals as she lifted her silverware in preparation to dig right in.

When Setsuna returned Kai's look, his adoration broke into something akin to a teasing grin. He even shared a smile when the two of them both spoke up about how the class approach wasn't bad, though it could be said that Kai wasn't one to settle for 'not bad' though that same 'not bad' was a good start.

He wasn't going to touch the like kissing granite comment, though he'd be the first to try and find out.

"I found the time when I had Kana do all the prep work. Having a contract with animals that like taking human form on occasion has its benefits." He would raise his glass to the fox woman in appreciation for her help in the matter, "Kana's a student of my culinary expertise. Being contracted is a two-way-street."

"Please try to save some room, I have a rich desert planned after this as well." Kai warned while digging into the plate then set before him. Thankfully he'd been specific on the smaller portions of the soup and salad.

"Oh, so Kana did all the hard work," Natsume piped up quickly before Setsuna could likely say something similar.

"Well, thanks go to the both of you then," Setsuna added on since her original comment was stolen from her, having filled the time between with a bite of the dish. "It's very good, though I shouldn't expect any less from Kai or those studying under him."

Natsume wouldn't waste any more time on talk as she dug into her meal as well, not wanting to be left behind when it was time for dessert.

In the back room Kana could hear their conversation and it made her blush. To be completely honest she would burn water if she'd tried to boil it before, and when Kai had been brought to the Foxes ancestral home, they'd fed him cheap wine and meager food. He wasn't impressed, so while Kai trained as a Sage, Kai trained Kana to cook, simple things at first but by the time Kai left she was preparing five course meals for Lady Yumi.

"Im glad you two are enjoying the fruits of my talents and the studiousness of my pupil." Kai replied genuinely his ego seemed to be particularly stroked by the complement. He would take another sip from his cup. "You should have seen it when I was teaching her to cook, you could see more band aids than skin on Kana's hands. At first she was a real klutz. It was kind of adorable."

Still listening from the Kitchen Kana's face lit up in an embarrassed blush! Did Kai have to be so... open about her training like that?

Discussion would be short as they all enjoying the good wine and the great food.

Kai's comments got amused chuckles from both women as they dined peacefully now, neither breaking the silence for awhile afterward as they simply took the time to enjoy the meal. There would be time to speak in between if such a thing was necessary. Time was rather short given the late hour in any case so they couldn't sit about and babble on about nothing for hours rather than eat like it had seemed they were prepared to do.

When dinner finished, out came desert, a chocolate lava cake, and it too strode through with only a few anecdotes on Kana's level of proficiency in the Kitchen, and a smaller story about where he'd learned the recipe.

Soon the desert was taken away and Kai was surprised by a yawn, quickly covering his mouth and checking the time piece it was nearly midnight, the trio had managed to turn a full course meal into something a little longer. "I hadn't planned to keep you lovely ladies out this late." With that Kai cleaned up with the napkin, really only wiping his face and placing it down where his plates had been, before standing up and stretching a little bit. His guests were welcome to stay the night but that wasn't very likely right now. "Would my wonderful guests like an escort home?" It was suggestive, but then again everything about Kai was.

"Just means a little less sleep for the night..." Setsuna responded blankly, vaguely concealing a tone of annoyance. She'd known that this meal would become an inconvenience. She chose meals with much speedier preparation and consumption for a reason. She was a busy woman and didn't have time for these sorts of frivolities unless it was for the betterment of her village through diplomacy.

"Or..." Natsume interjected quickly. "...You could always train a little less before bed or even arrive at work a couple hours late. It's obviously not something you should make a habit of, but it's fine every now and again."

"Hmph... Perhaps..." Setsuna replied with a calming breath, "but I wouldn't be much of a leader if I didn't push myself. As for the escort..." She turned her attention back toward Kai now. "I'm sure we can manage to find our way home on our own, thank you."

The both of them stood as Kai did, Setsuna quickly busying herself with cleaning both of their places and stacking the dishes before Kana arrived to whisk them away before she could assist any further.

"I dunno." Natsume piped up with a quick stretch toward the ceiling. "I think we could both use a little something extra to make us sleep like babies through the night."

"Natsume is right." Kai added, to her and Setsuna's conversation, "You should be in peak form, no matter what, you are a symbol of the village, will survive while you sleep in this once. I'll even tell them when I get to the office, Though you really don't need it you should get beauty sleep sometimes."

"Actually I think I might have something for that." Kai responded to Natsume's questioning. He would step into the Kitchen for a moment, and returned with a bottle of Vodka and four shot glasses, he wasn't going to leave Kana or Setsuna out if either wanted to partake.

"I'll abstain tonight Uzumaki-san." Kana responded taking a bow and starting to wipe down the table with the rag she'd brought back, leaving just the three of them if Setsuna didn't decide to be a spoil sport and go home already.

Natsume and Setsuna shared a few quiet words whilst Kai stepped away to fetch the glasses and vodka, but the moment he stepped back in with his prize, Natsume stopped being as quiet as she had been a moment before.

"Ohoho! You know the way straight to my heart!" The young woman feigned swooning and acting lovey dovey. "I'm in!" And she nudged Setsuna a few times gently with her elbow.

"I suppose," she droned out, sounding largely uninterested. "But not too much. I'm going into work late rather than not at all.

"More for me!" Natsume chirped back happily, obviously intending to imbibe much more than Kai had intended to share.

Kai had quite the intention to share, he had a stockpile of booze for just such occasions. Not that it took too much for him to pour shots of strait vodka for each of them to imbibe before setting the bottle down. "To the Village." Kai saluted raising his glass for the other two in a toast of sorts.

Without waiting for the two women to agree he would tip the glass back and take the shot strait and begin filling his glass again, as soon as the women were done he would add another shot to each of their glasses.