Dinner and a drink (IO)

It would seem that his initial response to her question was not what she was looking for; she wanted to know what goals he personally had. That was a great question because he didn’t really have much in the way of goals at that time. Well, outside of some goals he had in terms of inventing new concoctions and genetic combinations, but that wasn’t really something he’d wanted to talk about yet, it was their first date after all. Masashi would think more on it while she discussed her own goals. She wanted to show her power to the world, like a deterrent to prevent possible hostile actions. That was an admirable goal, and it could be very possible. He pondered a little more on the subject, stroking his chin thoughtfully. It took him a couple minutes to come up with something else that he would consider a goal he felt comfortable sharing. “To be fair, the village prospering more than it already is, is still a goal of mine. That being said, starting a family and continuing my bloodline is something I would consider also valuable to me.” He would pause for a moment, taking a bite of his meal. “Increasing my own personal power isn’t really a primary goal for me, but if in the course of my life, I get stronger, I certainly won’t complain.” He smirked across the table at his date. It likely wasn’t the answer she was looking for, but who knows, he could be entirely wrong about that.

WC: 255
TWC: 1568

Mid topic claim:

1568 WC towards Sage Mode (1671/2000, 50% discount coupon)

Approved

Masashi answered again to her question, saying this time that starting a family was "valuable' to him and continuing the bloodline. Tsubaki hadn't really thought about having a family or what it meant to her. She wanted kids someday with someone that was good enough to call a father, but she wasn't sure about having a family and settling down. She was on such a large role in her life to give up a large portion of her time to taking care of her children. She wasn't where she wanted to be before she even thought about having kids. Not to mention her bloodline wasn't really something she valued, the Senju was just born into the bloodline she was in and she accepted it. 

"Perhaps I'm too selfish of a person to have a goal that involves other people," Tsubaki chuckled in her confession. "Not that I don't care about other people, it just that I can't control other people, so why would I base my goals off that? I love Hoshi, but it was keeping me back from my goals, then I wouldn't be here." She took a bite of her food, "Maybe I wouldn't make a good Kage." Kages tended to need to think for the village before themselves, which didn't fit Tsubaki's style. Could she make for a powerful Kage one day? Of course! But if she couldn't see the village needs before her own then there was no point for her having the position. 

Tsubaki was close to finishing her food, she had been eating a bit slowly as she was still having a conversation with Masashi. "Speaking of bloodline from before- you said that your family is Hoshi's counts- do you guys have special techniques or Kekki Genkais that you'd pass on? The Senju have the Wood release, as you might know. So what does your family give?" Tsubaki didn't want to step on any toes, she tried not to be insulting or too nosey for her own good.

WC: 334
TWC: 1567

Masashi chuckled with her. “There’s nothing wrong with being selfish.” He said kindly. “Everyone should look after themselves first, provided it doesn’t negatively affect those around them, not that I’m saying your actions do that.” He added that last bit in hastily, not wanting her to think that he was saying she was in the wrong. “Personally, for me, I have a responsibility here as a part of Hoshi’s Nobility to look after the village; I’m proud to be able to do that and that my goals line up with my responsibilities.” He took a few more bites of his food while Tsubaki asked him another question, this one was related to his genetics. “My mother is a Countess yes, and she possesses the Kekkei Genkai of the Akari clan. I took after my father more, who is a member of the Uzumaki clan. The only thing I’ve noticed so far was that the Uzumaki side of my family live significantly longer, provided they don’t die in combat. Other than that, there are no secret techniques that my family have, outside of anything I personally develop. All of what my family discovers is shared with the village on principle.” He pursed his lips with his last comment. This was a point that Masashi didn’t wholly agree with, simply because he felt everyone was allowed to have some things to keep for themselves. With that being said, he’d finish off the last few bites of his meal. “Did you want to get dessert?” He would ask Tsubaki, wanting to see if she wanted to prolong the date or if she had had enough of him already.

WC: 275
TWC: 1843

To Tsubaki's surprise, Masashi didn't try to convince her that it wasn't selfish or that it was wrong. Instead, Masashi embraced the fact that it was selfish and said it was natural. Tsubaki agreed, thinking her selfish needs didn't interfere with anyone else's freedom. "You know, you're a wise man, Masashi. Most people would have just opted to ignore the notion or called me out on it. But you embraced it. I appreciate that." Tsubaki took some more bites of her curry. Masashi was turning out to be a very genuine man so far, not really afraid to share what he thinks. It was a pretty attractive trait of his. Not only was he interesting but his family bloodline was. 

Masashi explained to Tsubaki that his mother was Akari and his father was Uzumaki- him taking his bloodline after his father. He never explained what they did but Tsubaki recognized those family names. Hikari Namikaze was a popular Akari, a kunoichi she had done mission within the past as well as was the deputy Kage during Valen's era-as well as Valen. "I've heard of the Akari clan. I'm not quite sure what abilities they have but Valena and Hikari Namikaze of the last administration were both a part of it, correct?" Uzumaki was a family name she had not heard about at that moment, Masashi being the only one she met. Perhaps there was more information in the library about the clan's abilities. Clan abilities and kekki Genkai were also curious to learn about. 

When Masashi asked if Tsubaki wanted some dessert, she nodded without hesitation. "Yes, please! How about some chocolate cake?" The chocolate cake was not only a popular date desert, it was also Tsubaki's favorite type of cake. She would be very disappointed if the extremely nice restaurant didn't service the addictive pastry. 

WC: 306
TWC: 1873

Masashi nodded, accepting her compliment and acknowledging her appreciation for his words. The Uzumaki Jounin had been learning more of late to be open and receptive to the behaviour of others in order to grow himself as a person. As long as the behaviour wasn’t intrinsically negative, he had no issue with it. Looking out for one’s self wasn’t something intrinsically negative; it all depends on what you do to look out for yourself.

Tsubaki then asked him about his parents, specifically his mother’s side. “Truth be told, my mother has actually never used her Kekkei Genkai in front of me, so I couldn’t tell you. Perhaps I’ll ask her about it the next time I see her as it is something I’m rather curious about. Valen, the Previous Kogokage was to my knowledge, yes. Hikari Namikaze might be? She used a technique I wasn’t familiar with on our way back from the Chuunin Exams in Konohagakure years ago. Unfortunately I couldn’t tell you what it was, so I have no way of knowing for sure without asking her directly. In any event, neither one were a part of my mother’s clan, so if they are members of the Akari clan, they are not related to me.” They were no longer in the village; he didn’t know why they left nor did he really care. It was a slight on the village that such senior members would disappear without a trace.

Her response to his final question pleased him, he took it as a sign that at the very least could tolerate being around him. Her exuberance could be one of two things: she really liked dessert, or actually enjoyed spending time with him. Masashi was assuming that it was a combination of both, and while he was a tad narcissistic, he was also a realist. It was at this point that the waiter, almost as if he had superhuman hearing, came over to ask if they wanted to see the dessert menu. Masashi smiled and accepted a menu, looked it over briefly, and ordered two slices of chocolate cake. Now he was guaranteed at least a little more time with Tsubaki. “I take it you’re a fan of chocolate cake?” He would ask her after the waiter moved off with their order.

WC: 383
TWC: 2226

Tsubaki was glad that Masashi was responding well to her questions and answering them with continued respect. They were both curious people-naturally asking questions and finding answers. It's probably why the two of them were such great partners. Masashi admitted he didn't know if his mother was gifted with her clan's abilities, but he was also curious and would ask her the next time the two would see each other. Tsubaki wasn't exactly sure what the clan's special abilities were, just that they had some so she would hope to learn soon one day. 

But there were some things that weren't a secret, like the rich flavorful taste of the chocolate cake. Masashi responded with it with some charismatic charm. "I love chocolate cake. There is a certain childish side of me that will also get it if it's available. Eh, maybe it's harsh to call it childish. It's a natural side of me," She corrected herself with a chuckle. 

The waiter would come back relatively soon with the cake. Tsubaki would take her piece and start eating it while trying to show some restraint to not just take it by the hand full. Unfortunately, this place did what many fancy restaurants did and made it a pretty small slice of cake. I guess it was too uncivilized to take a quarter of a cake and eat it. 

After that, the check had come to the table. Masashi would pick it up, of course. It was his idea. "Next time, I'll pick up the tab when we go on our next date." It was a subtle way of letting Masashi know that this was a successful date and she would love to on another one. 

With the bill paid, the two were free to leave. She would follow Masashi out the door where they would have to part ways once again. "Thank you for the wonderful evening and amazing food. Give the owner and chefs my respects." The Senju would give Masashi a quick kiss before waving her farewells. Tsubaki would then head back to her ordinary residence, which seemed a lot less colorful when compared to the place she had just come from. 
EXIT 
WC: 364
TWC:2237

1118 toward Geb 
1117 towards Tsubaki


Geb: 
11 stats
Block (C rank) (1000/1000)

Tsubaki:
22 ap
241 Wc toward Pink Rose Barrier Techinque continuing from this (2750/2750)
876 WC toward Art of Atman (876/1500) (25% off for Max Stat discount)

Masashi would smile at her comment; chocolate cake is a delicious dessert and while it was not Masashi’s favourite, it was definitely up there on the list. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to treat some aspects of life with the same impulses that children use." The waiter came back with their order not long after, and the Uzumaki Jounin could see the excitement in the eyes of his date. He couldn’t help but smile again; she was a joy to observe.

The cake was delicious and unfortunately did not last very long. The waiter brought over the cheque which Masashi paid for. Tsubaki said the next meal was on her, which caused him to grin, as it meant that she was definitely interested in exploring this relationship further. “Sounds good to me,” he would say to her. He would escort her out of the restaurant, to which at that point she would thank him for the meal, compliment the chefs, and then leave, but not before displaying a small token of her appreciation. Masashi would smile, say "the pleasure was mine, and I look forward to our next one. Get home safe," and watch her walk away before heading back into the restaurant momentarily. He would speak with the Manager and the kitchen staff, passing on Tsubaki’s compliments and his own before making his own way home. He would definitely need to ask her out again, and soon. As he got to the gate of his home, he would bend down, pick up some earth, and infuse chakra into it to make more explosive clay. He would then walk inside and inform his butler of his successful outing, and to look at picking up a suitable gift for Tsubaki as a thank you for the first date.

WC: 298
TWC: 2524 (1568 already claimed, 956 WC remaining)

-15 AP (x3 Explosive Clay, 3/6 created)

[EXIT]

Claims:
50 AP
3x Explosive Clay (18 total)
956WC towards Hiding Like a Mole (956/1000)

Approved @ both