Nakiri Erina didn't only reserve one seat during the Moon Banquet Festival, she reserved two seats. One for her idol Joichiro Saiba; and the other for a woman she hadn't seen in over two years – her mother.

I.

"Erina, how long do you plan on keeping me waiting for? Your father is starving, I want to eat something, now."

Nakiri Erina was rooted where she stood, her body visibly trembling as… memories she thought she had left behind began to flood her mind with the utmost clarity.

A dark room.

A simple table.

Her father's hand going up, up, up, and then swinging down, down, down at her and-

"Well," her father's smooth voice shattered the recollections muddling her mind and it was getting harder to think (What was she supposed to do again?) and to speak (Her tongue was filled with lead and her voice wouldn't escape her mouth.) and to move (Why was she still standing there? Her father wanted the menu, wanted food!) and to breathe properly (Dark spots were slowly dancing in the corner of her eyes and she idly wondered when the last time she took a breath was.) and-

"I'm waiting, Erina."

Like a rusty engine that refused to start, Erina slowly, mechanically, bowed low before the man, before her father, sitting in front of her.

(Sitting at the table that wasn't meant for him! That table was not meant for him! But what could she do? She was so, so afraid and she couldn't think properly or deny him anything and-)

Bottom lip trembling, the woman with God's-tongue, whispered, "O-Of course… Father." She straightened from her bow and turned on her heel to bring out the menu when all of a sudden the doors slammed opened and there stood-

"M-Mother?!"

-Nakiri Nariko, her mother.

"Erina, Darling, it's been so long! I'm sorry I couldn't make it until tonight, but my flight out of Germany was delayed due to a storm and I just got in a couple hours ago. How have you been, my beautiful daughter?"

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II.

Nakiri Nariko had been born on a snowy December night, some thirty-six odd years ago. With short wavy, golden-blonde hair that fell just above her shoulders and long wind-swept bangs, deep violet-colored eyes framed by thick lashes, pale skin gained from not being in the sun for too long, and a voluptuous figure that turned many a head, it was safe to say that Nariko vastly resembled her daughter, Erina, or – it would be more accurate to say that – Erina would one day eventually grow up to be a spitting image of her mother.

However, today was certainly not that day. Nor was it one that was supposed to be filled with nothing but a joyous reunion, relief, and laughter.

Violet eyes fell upon the black-clad man sitting in the center of the room and a harsh scowl appeared on Nariko's face, marring her natural beauty. "Nakamura Azami," She spat out in a voice that was almost a hiss. "What the ever-loving fuck are you doing here?!"

Azami let out a low chuckle, turning slightly in his seat to better view the now furious-looking woman standing in the doorway. "It's Nakiri Azami, Dear. And I'm glad to see that your… honesty has not waned over the past years."

"Ha!" Nariko laughed derisively with a shake of her head. "Like hell you're still a Nakiri, Nakamura. I divorced your ass nearly ten years ago and Father stripped you of the Nakiri name and kicked you out of the family at the same time!"

"I may not be a Nakiri legally, but, I will always be one in my heart, mind, spirit," here Azami tilted his head to stare at Erina, "and flesh and blood."

Nariko's eyes narrowed into slits as her hands clenched tightly. "If you lay a single hand on Erina, Azami I'll-!"

"Come now, Dear," the dark-haired man interrupted calmly, a mask of concern and worry settling on his features as he waved a hand towards the empty seat on the opposite end of his table. "You should take a seat before the stress gets to you and you get sick once more… I assume that since you've made an appearance here, that the hospital in Germany has finally released you? Was the treatment a success? How are you feeling? Did you experience any trouble on your flight here?"

With a roll of her eyes, Nariko responded, "Oh shut the hell up, Azami. You can stop with your faux-worry and concern over my well-being."

"Is it so wrong for a husband to be worried over his wife?" Azami frowned.

"It's wrong when the 'husband' and 'wife' in questions are no longer married!" Nariko scowled.

"While we may no longer be married, Nariko, I still deeply care for you and Erina."

Nariko's mouth opened and closed for a few minutes before she simply held her ex-husband's gaze. Slowly, she let out a deep breath and raised a hand to brush back her golden hair. "… You should think about going into comedy, Azami, that joke of yours just now was utterly hilarious."

Azami dipped his head in thanks. "I try to be a man of many talents, as you well know, Dear."

"Don't call me that, Azami." The blonde woman snapped irately. "We're no longer married, as I keep repeating myself, and you have no right to be on Tootsuki grounds anymore."

"Oh? I wonder about that last part, my dear," the dark-haired man said, his smirk conveying that he knew something that no one else in the room knew about.

Nariko's brows furrowed as she glared at Azami. "… What are you planning, Azami?"

"… I can't reveal too much to you, Nariko," Azami began after a momentary pause, "but, what I can say is this… there is change coming to Tootsuki Academy and those who aren't worthy of standing at the top of the culinary world will be tossed aside like the piece of garbage they are."

"Azami, you-!"

Before Nariko could say anything more, blinding beams of light suddenly streamed through the large glass windows of the room, painting everything a pure white.

"Ah, it appears the man I wanted to talk to has finally appeared." With that said, Azami deftly stood and began striding towards the doors in one fluid motion. When he was merely a foot away from Nariko he stopped and stared at the woman he had married sixteen years ago. "… I wonder," he began in a soft murmur, "back when we were students here at Tootsuki, you whole-heartedly believed in my philosophies and ideals of a perfect cooking world... Do you still believe in that?"

Nariko held Azami's gaze defiantly, her head held high. "Of course I still believe in the making of a perfect cooking world, Azami," she replied, "Just not in the way or using the methods that you advocate and are infamously known for."

"And is the current Tootsuki and cooking industry any better than my methods?" Azami challenged, dark eyes narrowing ever-so slightly. "Can you honestly tell me that you agree with how things are run now? How we are sullying the very industry that we are trying to perfect by allowing those with no talents or skills to defile and taint those that are worthy of being here?"

"The world will always be like that, Azami. You can't – won't – be able to create an inclusive culinary world filled with only perfection if you don't have a way of measuring or refining that perfection!"

Azami regarded Nariko for a minute before shaking his head fondly and breezing past the golden-haired woman. "Worry not, my dear, I have come up with a way of doing just that and I'll make you see and remember exactly why my ideal culinary world is the only one worthy of gracing Tootsuki Academy and the world."

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III.

Once Azami had left the room, Nariko immediately turned to face her still trembling daughter. "Erina," Nariko exclaimed, gently gathering the blonde student into her arms. "Are you okay? Oh, what am I saying… of course you're not! Don't worry, Darling, I won't let that man anywhere near you, okay? If I have to physically kick him off Tootsuki grounds like I did all those years ago, then I will!"

"M-Mother… i-it's okay… I-I'll be fine…!"

Nariko's distraught expression softened slightly as he pulled back to peer at her daughter's face. "I know that one day you will be, Erina, because you are strong like that. But, for now, you don't have to force yourself to be strong, I'm here for you and I won't let my illness or Azami or anything else hold me back from protecting and supporting you!"

"M-Mother…!"

Neither Nakiri woman would know that Azami had put plans into motion that would change Tootsuki and the rest of the culinary world forever.

This is something that's been brewing in the back of my mind ever since Azami made his appearance in the series. Mainly I wondered: What type of woman would marry a guy like Azami and vice versa?

And thus Nariko Nakiri was born!

I haven't really pinned down Nariko's personality yet – other than she now hates her ex-husband's guts for what he did to Erina and that she's sickly and is hospitalized a lot which is why she wasn't around for Erina's childhood – so please let me know what you think of Nariko so far!

I've had this sitting in my computer files ever since April-ish and decided to post it for you all to enjoy.

Also, if you liked it or have any suggestions or critic please let me know via PM or review!