[Closed] A Walk to clear her Head

[Willoria]

Amaya walked along the water's edge, her mind feeling like it was going a hundred miles in a minute. They had just gotten back from their mission the day before, and today she had left her brother in the care of their new slave named Kouta. The man had already proven himself both capable and trustworthy, not to mention invested in the twins and their lives. Truth be told, her brother didn't really require any kind of special care right now, Amaya just didn't like leaving him alone. However she needed some time to herself, and so she had gone for a walk to clear her own head. Eventually she found her way down to the docks, going to the edge of one to sit down and stare into the mists of her village.

She stared for so long she wasn't sure when the noise started. But she could hear the whimpers of someone crying, of course, after a moment she realized it was herself. She wiped her face of the tears with the back of her hand, sighing to herself and shaking her head. "Get it together, Amaya." she told herself, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she sat there. She had seen so many things on that mission that pulled at her. She had seen the way the Muramasa allowed their mining slaves to be treated and it bothered her, it reminded her somehow of the fact that her mother had actually been tied to the Karagata, that her and her brother's contract to the Muramasa was because of their father. 'Another thing that mother's suicide stole from us... our ties to the Karagata.' She had also seen that creature, and the fact that it now resided in her brother. 'What about Hisan? Can he be removed from Ryu? I'm starting to think my brother doesn't even want to be freed of it...'

So many thoughts, so many problems, Amaya was so lost in them she almost jumped when she felt something against her arm. Turning she saw a dark colored wolf had nudged her and she gave it an odd look. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, a slight hint of a smile on her face as she reached out to pet the creature.

[Izanagi]

It had become quite common for Shinji to spend the majority of his free time transformed and enjoying the solitude of nature. He hardly trained within his home anymore, he had surpassed all but his father who had made a point to train with him personally once a week to assess his progress. It was a great honor to train with the man, there was much to learn from someone of such a calibre though Shinjiro had learned to enjoy his greater sense of freedom. Until recently his entire life had been focused on training. Now, he had at least some form of an escape from that. He could shed his human form and live as an animal, deeply connected to nature, free from his duty and the expectations placed upon him. In his animal forms he could feel the primal spirit of the form he took influencing him. As an imposing black wolf he lurked through the foliage near the shore of the lake where the mist was often the densest as it rose off the water.

He could smell the presence of another; female, young. Though he often enjoyed hunting and killing he knew immediately that this was not prey. Drawing closer to her, he watched her form from the edge of the bushes, his eyes were yellow in this form, his every motion completely silent. The girl seemed sad, crying softly with her back to him as she sat at the end of the pier. Enhanced by the nurturing, pack mentality of wolves, Shinjiro felt compelled to comfort the girl. Approaching, the dark furred wolf nuzzled her arm gently. There was nothing to fear from the girl, few shinobi could contend with him, even in this form he had tremendous strength, speed and agility and was a remarkable predator. And so he felt no need for caution beyond his usual readiness. He tilted his head, looking up at her with intelligent, bold eyes as he found himself surprised that she was both calm and friendly when met with his sudden presence. Few people, especially shinobi from a village as rigid as Kiri had a caring or understanding heart when it came to animals. This seemed to pique even Vorashu’s interest. ‘This human intrigues me, you should claim her as your own’ the Genma suggested. Mating and reproduction were essential to the survival of any species after all and were integral instincts in any animal. If he were in his human form Shinjiro might have contested this but as it was he felt content to ignore the Genma, having embraced his instincts for the past few hours and allowed some of his sense of self to temporarily slip away.

He would allow the girl to pet him and even move in closer, nuzzling against her gently before licking away the tears on her cheek. The wolf could sense her pain and almost feel her sadness and worry as if it was his own. He had never had anyone that he could rely on in his times of pain and sorrow and now, he had an opportunity to help and he didn’t even have to reveal who he actually was. There was something very satisfying in that thought. Deep within, Shiniro was a protector at heart, though he had been trained to think like a killer, to have his empathy stripped away from him. Only in the last year or two had various people in his life been working to help his compassion resurface once more. To teach him that it was okay to feel and to care about others even if they were weak or inexperienced. That sometimes such individuals simply needed encouragement and support to reach their potential rather than sternness and punishment as had been the case for himself and his siblings.

[Willoria]

Despite how upset she was, Amaya couldn't help a brief laugh as the wolf licked at her tears. "You remind me of someone." she said quietly, turning herself to better face the wolf as she pet him, pausing to scratch behind his ears and everything. "My mother had a wolf as a companion, you know." she said quietly. "I was only six when she died... but I remember that wolf. He was named Kazuki and he was almost as big as a full grown man. I remember cold days of laying on him, burying my face in his fur. Mom would yell at me that he was still a wild animal, and not a pet. But I swear he understood. He never got upset with me, he'd let me lay on him for as long as I wanted to." There was a smile on Amaya's face as she spoke of her mother's wolf. She remembered stories of how much it weirded her father out, that Ren had had a wolf with his family name before they'd ever even met. She remembered too that her grandmother told her the story of how, the first day they'd moved in together, Kazuki had decided Ryoga looked like a pillow and laid across the man. Even as a powerful Jounin at the time he couldn't move the animal due to its sheer weight.

She scratched behind his ears before shifting around to scratch at the wolf's chest, still watching him. The only time she paused was to look down at his paws, gingerly touching one to see how he would respond. "You know, I came out here to be alone, but I'm glad I'm not. You're very sweet... I'm not sure what to call you..." she remarked, leaning forward and kissing the wolf on the nose, assuming he'd allow it.

[Izanagi]

The wolf tasted the salt in her tears, it was a relatively rare mineral in the wild and an important part of an animal’s diet so really that was benefit enough for this exchange. Though he did also feel a connection, the closeness was something he didn’t fully trust or understand. Normally being near another caused his skin to bristle and fur to stand on end as he was used to being forced to fight and being abused and punished for failure to obey. This girl however felt kind and weak enough that she didn’t feel like a threat. He could relax a little and experience the type of comfort he had often longed for though had been taught to think of as something only the weak willed desired. He listened to her words, able to understand them clearly. From Shinji’s perspective it was almost like a dream when he was like this, allowing his animal instincts to take over to the point where he simply embraced them, able to understand everything around him without having to overthink anything. It was a good coping mechanism for him.

A few of her words made some connections in his mind. Kazuki…he knew that name. ‘Of course, one of the former overseers, Kazuki Ryoga’ he reflected, pondering the other statements she had made. She mentioned her mother dying when she was 6. Looking at the girl with a slightly tilted head and wide eyes it was an almost quizzical look as Shinji assessed her age, 13 or 14 maybe? Shinji thought back, he remembered it being a topic of conversation in his household when Ryoga had been killed. Though nobody in his family was a member of the Seven Swordsmen at the time the organization was highly respected by them as was the Head hunter division, each being often brought up as the level one should strive for and each child of the household being expected to one day become a member of one of the esteemed organizations. He recalled attending the shinobi academy at the time he had heard of the news, of Ryoga being struck down in front of his family. Not long after that his wife, a member of the HHD killed herself. He recalled the harsh lessons made as an example of her after that. That would have been 6 or 7 years ago roughly, the timelines matched up.

He didn’t recall anything about a wolf but then his family never focused much on caring about animals, thinking they were far less reliable tools than the weapons one carried with them. And Shinji had never met either Ren or Ryoga and only glimpsed them once, less than a year before their deaths. He had spent the majority of his life inside the Karagata compound and rarely ever even being allowed outside of his large home or the property. Only during a few important ceremonies and after Shinji had entered the academy at the age of 7 was he allowed to be publicly known but never allowed to speak to any adults unless spoken to. The wolf closed its eyes slightly, lifting its head a little as he allowed the girl to scratch his chest. This was perhaps the most extended human contact he had experienced that didn’t include violence. As Amaya touched his paw she would surely notice that the fur was slightly discolored, the front paws themself and a few inches up the leg were dark grey like ash, darkening to a more charcoal on the individual ‘fingers’ before his claws. It was a unique marking but not one completely unheard of in a wolf, who like all animals often had a variety of oddities in their colorations. He was tempted to speak as she said she didn’t know what to call him but he didn’t want to startle her or ruin the moment. When she leaned in and kissed him on the nose however he suddenly blinked and moved his head back slightly in surprise. He had no idea what to make of such an odd action, he had heard of kissing of course but had never actually seen it before and suddenly found himself internally blushing and at a loss on how to react. Now more than ever he was glad that he was in an animal form and could hopefully allow the awkwardness to pass without further incident. Vorashu chuckled within his mind, a loud cackling sound reminiscent of sounds monkeys might make. ‘This human seems to like you little pup, how long will that last I wonder when she finds out what you really are?' he taunted, his haunting voice echoing in his mind.

[Willoria]

Amaya looked over his markings as she pet him, pausing here and there to take a closer look and simply smiling. To her this was surely a wild animal, and the fact that he had sat and let her do so much not only baffled it, it made her day. When she kissed him she saw him pull back slightly and couldn't help a quiet giggle. "Did I startle you?" she asked the animal. "I didn't mean to, but I figured its only fair since you've already been kissing me by licking my face." she replied, chuckling to herself and shaking her head. Normally she might have laughed louder but she had no idea if it would startle the wolf and the last thing she wanted was for him to run off.

The girl shifted the way she sat on the dock a bit, her legs still dangling over the edge as before but now she lay back on her back, looking over and slightly up at the wolf. She reached out and scratched under his chin, smiling up at him. "I don't remember the last time a wild animal sat with me... it's nice. I guess you know don't you?" she said, continuing her one sided conversation with the wolf beside her. "You know I'm upset huh? I wonder if it's a scent you pick up... or maybe you're smart enough to know what crying is. I'm not sure... I guess I won't know since you can't really tell me." she sighed quietly, shifting her hand to scratch up and behind his ears and along the side of his neck again. "I just got back from a mission yesterday you know... I almost died I think. Second time in my life really. But the scary part was my brother. We had to fight this thing... it was almost like a thing of slime, it had no shape, no mouth... but it was living somehow. It attacked us and I got hurt bad, but my brother..." the girl sighed. "We didn't realize until after we left it had attached itself to him. It is in him now, I think its a parasite but it calls itself 'symbiotic' or something. Like they'll both benefit... its hard to get used to. I feel like I'm going to just be stuck watching him die..."

The girl sighed, feeling oddly better as she spilled her secrets to the wolf. Her hand dropped away from the animal and both hands rested on her abdomen now as she stared up at the sky and the mists overhead. "That's why I'm out here. It's not like I can cry at home... I can't let him see me cry over it. I can't let my grandparents see me cry either, they'll say I'm being weak but... he's my twin. How can I not hurt about this?" she sighed, chuckling and shaking her head. "I even tried to bargain with it. Hisan. That's what it calls itself now. I told Hisan my brother and I are twins... we're the same, he could take me and leave my brother alone but... it wouldn't..."

[Izanagi]

The wolf froze, seemingly stunned as Amaya claimed that he had ‘kissed’ her first by licking her face. Within the beast’s mind, Shinjiro paled at this thought. ‘That was…a kiss?’ he didn’t know how to he felt about that. He now knew who this girl was, but he didn’t really know her, though he wasn’t sure if that mattered at all. He had never really understood romantic feelings before though he was of an age where even he realized he had sexual attractions toward certain people. That wasn’t what he was feeling now though, it was more innocent and foreign than that. He still felt awkward and didn’t quite want to look her in the eyes as she scratched his chin and now he was torn between wanting to lick her again and being uncertain, feeling bashful at the thought of the closest thing to real affection and intimacy being when he was in the form of a wolf. Without thinking he whimpered slightly and buried his face in her lap, laying down next to her as she leaned back. Turning his head to look up at her as she continued to scratch him he listened as she inquired about his ability to detect her sadness. ‘What is this feeling?’ he reflected as his breathing slowed and relaxed again. He felt so content and warm. He hadn’t realized human touch could be so comforting.

She continued to speak, talking about a mission where she almost died. His pointed ears twitched and he looked up at her with concern, making a low grumbling noise. He absorbed the information about the slime-like creature that fused with her brother. ‘How unusual’ he mused, though upon further consideration he speculated that such a thing could be quite powerful and useful depending on what sort of abilities it granted. He found himself wishing to test her brother’s strength. Perhaps he would even make a useful Dagger to him if he desired to join the Seven Swordsmen of the mist like their father. But would Amaya want that for him? The wolf scrunched its face slightly at this contemplation. What did it matter what she thought? If her brother had the potential to be a strong shinobi then it was Shinjiro’s obligation to recruit him and utilize his talents to serve the village, no matter the danger and risk. And yet he found himself not wanting to create another reason for Amaya to cry and worry. It was perhaps the first time he had considered the thoughts of somebody else above the interests of the village. ‘Why am I thinking like this?’ he speculated, genuinely confused and reflective. She was a shinobi too wasn’t she? Her duty was to serve, suffering was part of that. It would come regardless of what he did or didn’t do, such was the way of life for a shinobi of Kirigakure. And yet still he felt himself reluctant to consider anything that would negatively affect her.

His breathing deepened as he felt the warmth of her body against his neck and upper chest, her scent spreading on to him and vice versa. Shinjiro felt a deep sadness in his gut as he empathized with the girl when she spoke of the lengths, she would go to protect her sibling. His intuition was far stronger as an animal, to the point where he felt like he could feel her pain which only enhanced his own. He had lost both a younger sister and a brother who was the same age as him. Both siblings were in fact half siblings but being the same age as his brother it felt similar sometimes to having a twin. Shinjiro had entered the household a few years before Mitsuo, giving him an advantage as he had quickly excelled whereas Mitsuo ended up constantly in his shadow, striving to be stronger and braver, to cry less and be more like Shinji. He had never fully processed the grief when his brother had keen killed during his Chunin exam nearly 3 years ago. It had occurred after Shinji had become a Jinchurriki and he knew he couldn’t let the pain in. He had vowed not to cry ever again after processing his sister’s death 2 years prior to Mitsuo’s. He had to be strong, less give Vorashu any foothold, if he gave in to despair than all of his training and the suffering, he had been through to strengthen him would have all been for nothing. The hope his siblings had and the faith they had in him would be meaningless.

Of course, Vorashu could sense this pain coming to the surface, perhaps that was part of why he wished Shinjiro to pursue more raw emotions, to bring it all out. ‘You mourn that runt after all, Pathetic. The weakest of the litter are always weened out in time’ the Genma chimed in, of course, animals also showed great compassion but in regard to humans Vorashu felt nothing but disdain and so always spoke of them through the filter of the cruelest aspects of nature. For he felt that was what they all deserved. Only those who deeply appreciated and respected animals and nature deserved to experience the more tender and beautiful nuances of his creations. ‘I should have done more for him. He didn’t have to undergo the poison training like me. It was too dangerous but I wasn’t there for him, too busy performing my own missions and proving myself to father.’ His voice within his mind was wavering but still he retained control, holding on by a thread as he felt Vorashu try to test the waters, a few light green wisps of chakra radiated from his fur before quickly dispersing as the wolf grumbled and nuzzled itself tighter against Amaya’s body.

[Willoria]

Amaya smiles as the wolf snuggled against her. She lay on the dock and stared up at the sky as she contemplated everything. ”I’m glad you’re here.” she told him. ”I don’t get to talk to anyone like this at home. I have to be a shinobi all the time. If I am not studying then I am training. Or sleeping. I can’t just... talk.”. Amaya fell quiet for several moments, realizing she was running out of things to talk about. Eventually mind wandered back to that mission and other aspects of it. Remembering the man in charge of the mine made her bristle. Though remembering the slave who had come home with them made her smile.

”One good thing came of that mission at least.” she told him, sighing quietly. ”We have a new slave. He was forced to help us during the mission, and yet when I got hurt, when Ryu was grabbed by that creature, he didn’t run. He faced it with us. Even helped bandage me up so I could keep fighting. He did so well that Ryu convinced the Mining Foreman, some pot-bellied waste of a Muramasa, to let us take him. I think he’ll do better here. And mom was a slave once upon a time... so he knows we’ll never mistreat him.”

She wrinkled up her nose as she thought about that Muramasa though. ”Meeting that Muramasa reminded me of something though. I think Ryu and I are sworn to that family, like father was. But mother was bound to the Karagata. I can’t help but wonder if I need to find a way to change things. Mother’s suicide ruined our standing with the Karagata... even though Uncle Shiv has still kept an eye on us. If I want to fix the damage she did to us, I may need to start there. What do you think?”. She raised her head and looked down at the wolf laying on her lap. For a brief moment she could have sworn she saw a swirl of chakra and she gave him a puzzled look. The color was strange and so she brushed it off as imagining things when she didn’t see it again. Instead she resumed her petting, running a hand down his head, back of his neck, and to his shoulders.

”I think I’m just going to call you... Kuro. It’ll be less awkward than not having something to call you.” she finally said, chuckling to herself for naming a wild wolf.

[Izanagi]

The wolfs eyes closed, though it seemed restless, twitching slightly as if it was having a bad dream as the voice of Amaya became a soft backdrop while Shinji dealt with the Spirit within. ‘Humans are selfish and cruel, shinobi most of all, you cling to power and trample the world around you. You’re no different. You failed your brother; Mitsuo, Kumiko, Zekka. They’re all dead because of you, because of your foolish loyalty to Kirigakure. The village deserves to burn’ Vorashu continued to dig, finding purchase now as he sank his claws in and continued to press for control. ‘It’s not like that. I had no choice!’ he persisted, feeling doubt creep in. He had allowed his siblings to suffer and die, he had killed his first friend and for what? For Strength, for loyalty? What good was any of that? ‘Coward! You always have a choice. Fight them, made them suffer, embrace my power and we’ll soak the ground in their blood’ Vorashu goaded, though even a Genma stood no chance against the might of the village but to have another chance to fight and take down as many Jounin as he could before being imprisoned. That was enough to give Vorashu pleasure.

Shinjiro heard what felt like the distant sound of Amaya speaking of the Karagata; his family. They had been cruel to him but they had made him strong. He didn’t want to hate them, he was proud of his heritage, proud of what he had become. And he still had people he cared about, Yuuto, Nishiki, Aimi-sama and perhaps even this girl, Amaya would be someone he could befriend. Still, Vorashu would not relent just yet. It was rare for Shinji to present any openings, the young assassin focused on Amaya’s words as she ‘named’ him. ‘No!’ he retorted, defying the Genma whose fury began boiling inside of him. Vorashu was not one to be denied. Green Chakra surged around him now after Amaya had given the wolf a name. “No, Shinji” he muttered, opening his eyes now as he realized he felt fabric against his mouth as he talked. His eyes widened further as he realized that he had been forced back into his human form and was now laying with his face directly in the girl’s lap. His aura intensified, shifting to his second form his limbs lengthened a few inches and his hair pushed back his hood, rolling down his back in thick braids. Grimacing as he realized Vorashu was flooding him with his power against his will, Shinji had no time to be embarrassed. “My name…is Karagata Shinjiro!” he reiterated, pushing up onto all fours as surely the girl would scramble away. The menacing sickly green chakra around him would continue to intensify, becoming more dense and closer to his body as his hair continued to grow into a thick mane that covered his neck and chest too pushing down his mask before his face became obscured by a veil of dense green chakra. He had entered the third form, a state he had not yet learned how to control. He could feel his consciousness slipping though continued to fight back against the Genma’s influence. ‘I won't betray the village or my family’ he stated resolutely, standing now as he began to grow used to this level of Vorashu’s chakra and slowly tightening his grip over the Genma.

[Willoria]

Amaya's eyes had closed as she spoke, her breathing slowly evening out as if she might fall asleep, but then the wolf spoke. Amaya blinked rapidly, her eyes suddenly snapping open as she realized her hand touched fabric now, clothing, not fur. She lifted up her head to look at him, eyes going wide as she realized this was no wolf, but a person. For a moment that was all she processed as she shrieked out a curse. "Jesus Christ!" and tried to roll away, momentarily forgetting she was on a dock. There was a splash as the cold water enveloped her, but a moment later she emerged and grabbed onto the edge of the dock, pulling herself up onto her elbows and looking at him in shock. What she saw before her left her stunned. His full name she immediately recognized. In Kiri genma hosts were famous, she'd be hard pressed not to know the name. But as shocking as his sudden transformation was, it didn't scare her.

For a brief moment she remembered Hisan taking over her brother, the way it had transformed and used his body, and the girl could only guess this was something similar. She knew nothing of Genma and their hosts in truth, but she could almost see the fight in Shinji's eyes. She pulled herself up on to the dock, dripping wet with icy cold water that left her shivering, but she ignored it. "Shinji." she spoke his name simply, watching him a moment as she saw the mane that had grown and the green chakra that seemed to surround him. She watched him stand up fully, and she realized a simple truth.

'I'm about to do something incredibly stupid.'

She rushed to him and reached out to put her hands on either side of his face as if to draw his attention to her. "Shinji!" she said, her voice more urgent this time as she spoke his name, having absolutely no idea how to calm him down. She knew she should be mad that he had stayed a wolf for so long beside her while she bore her soul, or that she should be stunned he could look so much like a real wolf that he fooled her, but in this moment she was suddenly more concerned for her fellow shinobi. "Push it back. This is your body. Show it that truth. This is your body, you control it." She had no idea if it would help, but if it were her brother arguing with Hisan again she knew it was exactly what she would say to him. "I'm here." she assured him.

[Izanagi]

Shinji could hardly see what was in front of him, the red-haired girl approaching was a blurred outline shrouded in a green overlay. He still didn’t have direct control over his body. It took everything he had just to remain still, to focus on closing off any additional chakra Vorashu might attempt to flow into him. He had to stop him here, if he advanced further in form’s he wouldn’t be able to contain the Genma alone. It would mean failure, death and dishonor. Discarded and shamed as a broken weapon. He could not allow that to happen. Not after everything he had endured to get to this point. ‘Insolent welp! Submit! Know your place!’ Vorashu yelled, furious at being defied and unable to claim control over Shinjiro. They were at a dead stand off, neither side able to decisively overpower the other. ‘This is where I’m meant to be! We are both tools, our will is not our own but that of the village to command’ he thought, “You will go no further” he growled through gritted teeth. He could feel something unusual, a warmth on his face, it took a moment, but he realized that it was Amaya’s hands. He heard his name and his vision began to clear enough to see her face. ‘Why? Why does she care?’ he wondered. He wasn’t sure what to expect when she found out who he actually was, only that he was certain she would no longer show him the same kindness.

He heard her words of encouragement and he was listening. With a sudden surge in his force of will, Shinji began to supress the Genma. ‘I’m in control. Return to your cage’ he commanded, reverting back to the second form as Vorashu’s grasp on him slipped away. ‘Filthy human, you will falter again. You will learn the evil of humanity’ Vorashu scowled, he would resign himself to once again biding his time and encouraging Shinjiro to embrace the kind of feelings that were easier to exploit. The two had never been on friendly terms but Shinji knew he could work with Vorashu on occasion. He would have to be more careful from here on out as he was reminded that the beast was still very much wild and could turn on him the second he showed any weakness. “You should be afraid of me…why aren’t you?” he spoke hesitantly, exhaling slowly as he embraced the comfort of her presence, his chakra cloak fading back into the first form now as his hair receded to the point of just being about 6 inches longer than normal and more shaggy. His arms and legs returned to their normal size, Shinji now standing on 3 inches taller than Amaya. His body relaxed and the struggle left his eyes, it was clear he was comfortable and in control now though for good measure and to not worry her he sealed off the chakra completely allowing the green aura of chakra to dissipate and his hair to shorten to medium length above his ears.

[Willoria]

She didn't step back, she didn't move away. Amaya stayed right where she was as Shinji struggled and her hands remained on either side of his face. For a brief moment she thought his growled declaration was meant for her, but she remembered how her brother responded to Hisan aloud, despite the thing being in his head. 'Perhaps he's doing the same, speaking aloud to the thing in his head.' she thought to herself. She took a few deep breaths herself, but remained with him, and after a few moments even removed her hands from his face to wrap them around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder and neck exactly as she had with her brother when he'd been fighting with Hisan. However unlike then she was not crying, or begging the creature not to hurt him. She had learned a bit more since then, and simply remained where she was even as she felt him changing more into himself once again.

She didn't move until she heard him speak again, his voice sounding closer to what she assumed was his normal tone. She lifted her head and removed her arms from around his waist, looking up at him and sighing as if relieved. "Well... I mean, we've never met before. But I know who you are." she said quietly. "You aren't going to hurt me." she added. "If that was what you wanted to do, you probably would have when you were the wolf... instead you let me tell you everything that's been bothering me. And honestly you aren't the scariest thing I've seen the last few days." she couldn't help a bit of a chuckle at her own terrible joke, smirking up at him and shrugging.

"I should be mad at you, you know. Letting me spill secrets like that without knowing who you were." she couldn't resist poking him in the ribs a moment. "Even letting me kiss you." The girl shook her head, blushing lightly at her own comment and looking down at her attire. "Honestly the only time you actually scared me was when I fell in."

[Izanagi]

Shinjiro couldn’t fault her for her reasoning. He expected most to be intimidated by the aura of the Genma but she was a kirigakure shinobi like him after all and the daughter of two famous shinobi, not to mention she had just had an encounter with a terrifying creature the day before. It would take more than that to unnerve her. She spoke of his kindness while in the wolf form and Shinjiro blushed slightly, the most freeing part of living as an animal was being able to avoid that sort of awkwardness or embarrassment. He wasn’t used to spending much time with others as an animal, typically just observing or of course fighting and killing. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, “Yeah, I guess that’s true” he admitted, smiling slightly as his eyes warmed a little, taking a moment to appreciate her with his own eyes for the first time. He was glad to have met her, even if he was still uncomfortable and unsure of what would come of all this friendliness.

She went on to lightly chastise him for not saying anything as he told him practically everything about herself. “Yeah, sorry about tha..” he started, a little meekly, apologizing was a bit foreign to him too but he could be respectful and considerate enough when it came to girls at least. When she poked him in the ribs and spoke of the kiss Shinjiro froze and went red as a tomato. “It wasn’t…I mean, it wasn’t like that really, right?” he stammered, even coughing a little as he choked on his words and scrambled for some way to save himself. Thinking of nothing just stood there awkwardly and suddenly wished his mask and hood were still on, running his hand through his hair before deciding that it probably would help a little if she couldn’t see his face. Pulling his hood back up he moved both hands to the mask that now hung around his neck and tightened it and moved up over his mouth unless Amaya would try to stop him for some reason. It at least gave his hands something to do and his mind something to focus on as he waited for the awkward moment to pass.

The girl looked down at her soaked clothes and Shinjiro noticed how she was shivering lightly, her skin forming small bumps. Unclasping his cloak he would throw it around her shoulder and do up the buckle around her neck. The thick brown fabric would help to dry her off and keep in her body heat, large enough to surround her completely and extend down to halfway down her shin. That wasn’t quite enough though. Focusing on deep breathing Shinjiro’s posture would shift, his arms out to his sides and his feet planted firmly as he opened his chest and lung capacity, demonstrating a remarkable mastery over his body as Amaya would soon be able to feel heat emanating off of his skin, raising in temperature to the point where it would feel like she was standing next to a small fire. “I’ll warm you up, just, don’t make it weird” he stated, more composed now as he embraced the girl in a hug. Between his layers of clothing and the thick cloak there would be enough protection where she wouldn’t be burned, instead, feeling like she had been wrapped in a heated blanket. For Shinjiro the heat emanating from his skin was actually rather painful though he would show no indication of it, being used to far worse.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Totem Style • Phoenix's Birth]
A-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
Reaching the point of unreal the adept is capable of focusing their mind and body to great lengths. They control the surface temperature of their skin to raise to unimaginable degrees, nearly causing them to burst into flames. They must focus for a full post but can sustain this stance for (stamina/5) posts. This heat does hurt but does not travel beyond the surface layers of their body, protecting the inner tissue. While in use the user moves constantly in wide arcs, dispersing heat rapidly to prevent too much damage.

[Willoria]

Amaya couldn't help snorting, covering her mouth to hold back the rest of her laugh as Shinjiro became rather embarrassed. "And the great Jinchuuriki blushes." she teased, shaking her head. It wasn't often that her mischievous side came out, most would say it only came out around her twin brother who she often pulled pranks on. But in this moment it was starting to show, especially when Shinjiro tried to put his mask back on. Her hand came up and she grasped the bottom of his mask with a hand to keep him from putting it on, though of course he was strong enough he could probably do it anyway. "A little late to be hiding your face from me isn't it? I mean... I was just scratching behind your ears... and suddenly I'm glad we didn't get to belly rubs stage." she suddenly added the last part with an embarrassed blush of her own, shaking her head to try and push the feeling away and sighing.

She was surprised when he threw his cloak around her, even fastening it for her. She took the opportunity to huddle into it, giving him a strange look as he seemed to take up a strange stance before wrapping his arms around her. She could feel the warmth and seemed to almost melt into his arms, resting against him. "It's not weird." she muttered, allowing herself to rest against him for a few minutes. "It must be amazing to be able to turn into a wolf like that." she said quietly, not realizing her words meant her breath hitting his neck. "Seems like it'd be freeing... but, the things I told you... just promise me you won't mock me for it at least?" she thought about some of what she'd said towards the end, remembering she had told him about her desire to change what family she was pledged to and she couldn't help a nervous chuckle. "At least I'm glad you turned out to be a Karagata. If I'd whispered some of that to a Muramasa I might be in trouble right now..."

[Izanagi]

When Amaya reached for his mask, the young teenager reluctantly conceded, letting it fall back to rest at his neck. He snorted a brief laugh as he considered getting belly rubs, how embarrassing that would have been. “Alright” he agreed, trying to force himself to relax a little and accept these moments where he would have to face embarrassment without hiding himself away. Swallowing hard he gradually became somewhat more comfortable in her presence. It still wasn’t like when he was a wolf where there wasn’t any real attention or pressure on him but it was still progress.

Taking care of her felt a little bit more natural. And as he pulled her into a hug, he even allowed himself to enjoy the moment, inhaling after a few long moments of holding his breath. Taking in her scent he found comfort in it. His nose wasn’t nearly as keen when not transformed though this close it was still distinct enough to appreciate. He held her tightly, though to him he was trying to be gentle. His strength was staggering. He was truly an elite shinobi, capable of great carnage but also possessing the ability to shield and protect those weaker than him should he have a reason to. He decided that Amaya was someone he wanted to protect. Slowly the Karagata swordsman exhaled and felt his body relax. Maybe it wasn’t so weird after all. “It is, not just a wolf either. With practice, I should be able to turn into any animal that I can think of. As of right now I can take on about a dozen forms and do a variety of partial transformations too” he informed her, speaking quietly in a slow, even tone. He thought back to everything she had told him, there really had been a lot. Her worries about her brother, feelings about her parents and not being able to express weakness, even her doubts about her alignment to the Murumasa family. There was a lot that she seemed to need to vent about. “I promise” he vowed, sincere and strong. He did actually enjoy teasing on occasion, mostly he could be a bit of a jerk and try to get under the skin of sparring partners or those he considered less than him. He recalled what she said about slaves and treating them well. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He had never gone out of his way to be cruel to a slave but then he also didn’t really treat them like people either.

He realized she was talking specifically about her contract doubts. “If you were to align with the Karagata you could never change your mind. The Muramasa might not like members to change contracts but the Karagata will hunt you down and kill you if you try to sever ties” he warned. There was no going back when one formed a pact with the Karagata or even one of their lesser branches. It was the same for clan members who were strictly aligned to the family they served. “It’s a dangerous choice, for a woman especially even marrying outside the Karagata could be reason for retribution unless your partner were to change allegiances. Of course, your father was an exception being that he was of such high standing.” He stated in a cold, even tone. He had been lectured extensively on the obligations and loyalty he was expected to maintain with the family as well as being taught to despise anyone who would slander the name of their family or seek to leave or betray them.

[Willoria]

As their conversation turned to more of a serious subject, Amaya shifted out of the hug and took a step back, frowning slightly as she thought over what she'd told him and what he was saying now. "My father was tied to the Muramasa, not the Karagata. That was my mother who was. But when she committed suicide they said our standing with your family wasn't strong enough... so I guess Ryu and I are bound to the Muramasa right now." Amaya sighed, shaking her head as she looked out over the fog once more. "I've never spent much time around them... but we met a member of the family on our recent mission. He was a fat, lazy bastard... I had too much fun threatening to gut him frankly." she said, frowning still as she knew it was an action that she might have yet to pay for. "The idiot got a report that his slaves were dying in the mines and rather than do something about it he kept sending them. It got so bad he lost more than two thirds of his work force and the mine stopped producing, so they sent my brother and I to find out what happened."

"Fact is, I hate that I have to pay for my mother's actions." she said finally, turning to look at Shinjiro a moment. "I want to join the Head Hunters one day. Karagata Shiv has been like an uncle to my brother and I. I see no reason for our standing to fall, and I want to get it back. I just.. don't know how to do it. I keep thinking I should talk to Shiv and see what he knows, maybe he can pull a few strings." As she spoke the girl found she hated what she was saying, she started to feel cold again but it wasn't just her damp clothes. She realized she was talking to Shinjiro now like she talked to anyone else, guarded, with her walls up, waiting to see if a simple conversation was going to end in her own death.

Chewing on the inside of her lip she found she wasn't sure what to say further at this point. "Sorry." she muttered. "I think I liked it better when I thought I was venting to a wolf... rather than another shinobi. If I had known you were, I never would have said any of it." The girl found herself in unfamiliar territory. She had sworn off feelings the moment she had found out the reason behind her mother's suicide, the moment she was old enough to understand the lonelieness and loss of love was such a huge factor. For a few moments though she had relaxed in someone else's arms and now she felt suddenly uncomfortable with the entire thing.

[Izanagi]

Shinji let the girl out of his grasp as she tried to shift free. Perhaps the heat was getting to be a bit too much for her. It was difficult to gage considering his resistance to pain, but he didn’t want to hurt someone that had been so kind to him. There seemed to have been a misunderstanding though as she tried to correct him. His brows tightened in mild annoyance, “I’m aware” he stated curtly. He had meant of course that her father had been an exception in not joining the Karagata even after marrying one sworn to the family. It was not exceptionally uncommon but generally looked down upon, though given that Ryoga was the Commander of the Seven Swordsmen then it was likely that even without changing contracts it was favorable to the Karagata to have any ties to him at all even if just by extension of his wife, Ren. The suicide of Amaya’s mother severed their standing and surely the Muramasa would wish to cling to the children to the great Ryoga and not let them wave their contracts without a hefty price. Still, if the children proved strong then there was little reason why the Karagata wouldn’t be interested in procuring them. It was simply a matter of whether or not they would be worth the effort.

It seemed Amaya was dry enough and surely quite warm now. Shinji would keep up the heat he was generating for a little bit longer, though it seemed like an unnecessary strain to maintain for too long. The red-haired girl continued to speak of her ties to the Muramasa and Shinjiro listened curiously, we seemed far wilder than him in many ways. He would never consider disrespecting a superior, rank and status were exceptionally important to him, though the girl didn’t specify if the man was a shinobi, likely not but rather a client of higher familial standing which fell into the same degree of respect in his mind. She explained the circumstances and he found himself agreeing that the man was foolishly wasting his resources. “Dumbass, he deserves for his business to fail. You though, you really are fearless. Careful that you don’t get yourself into too much trouble, I wouldn’t want you to suffer” he stated, with a hint of kindness in his tone. He was growing to care about her but he didn’t want to overstep. He had a very high status in his family but she seemed practically an outcast in hers. There was no telling how the main Muramasa family would feel about her getting close to someone as esteemed as Shinjiro. It could be seen as disrespect or a move to draw her away to side with the Karagata. Which, as he thought about perhaps wasn’t such a bad thing.

She mentioned the Head Hunters and Karagata Shiv and Shinji’s eyes perked up with interest. Perhaps she wasn’t as much of an outcast as he thought. He had always idolized Shiv growing up, he and his father were pillars of the Karagata family and their strength, Izune was nearing his 60’s and actually Shiv’s uncle making the Bannin Shinji’s cousin though do to the age difference he had never really thought of him like that. He had only met the man once after befriending Shiv’s son Yuuto who felt like a proper cousin to him he was now his closest thing to a best friend. Fortunately, Ren hadn’t actually been a born main family member of the Karagata, meaning that there was no blood shared between Shinji and Amaya. “The Head-Hunters, an admirable goal. I always wondered who would get to me first, turns out it was the Seven Swordsmen” he said, indicating the patch on his arm that bore the organization's symbol. “You’re fortunate to know Shiv-sama personally, I’m related to him of course and close friends with his son but I can’t say I know Shiv-sama well at all” he suddenly found himself much more interested in this girl, the allure of strength was something he found quite attractive and she certainly seemed like she had the makings to be a fearsome kunoichi.

Looking the girl over Shinjiro found his confidence returning now that there was some space between them and they were discussing things he was familiar with. “I can see what I can do. I have high standing in my family too you know. I’m a Special Jounin, a Jinchurriki and a full-fledged member of the Seven Swordsmen as well as being born into the main Karagata family. The Muramasa even owe me a favor but I’m not sure if it will be enough. If Shiv-sama can help that would assure it I’m certain” as a distinct after thought he remembered that she had a twin brother too, “What about your brother? Is that something he desires too?” he asked more out of obligation. He didn’t know the kid but it was likely they would want to be kept together, if that was the case it would take a larger offer, likely Ryu was even more prized by the Muramasa than Amaya, being a male and presumably taking more after their father who had brought great fame to the family.

The heat was still radiating from Shinjiro, an inviting and comforting aura where Amaya would feel safe from everything that bothered her. Gaining the favor and protection of someone like Shinjiro was something to be highly prized. Standing even a few feet away from him the cold winds and mist blowing in off the water would make a world of difference with the girl’s clothes still being rather damp. Being cold wasn’t something that would actively bother Shinji but he knew from her earlier shivering that she wasn’t nearly as resistant. Had he said something wrong perhaps to discourage her from the warmth of his embrace? He wasn’t really sure. “For what it’s worth I’m glad you talked to me. I like listening to you and the ear scratches weren’t so bad either” he added a little sheepishly, he hadn’t realized he enjoyed little things like that or even being close with someone at all and now he found himself craving her touch. “If you’re still cold then get over here, there’s nobody else around. I can even turn back into a wolf or even a bear if you’d like” he offered.

[Willoria]

Shinjiro's curt response brought an almost immediate and visible halt to Amaya's words. The girl frowned as she tried to recover from the tone, silently realizing it probably was his normal tone. 'There's nothing normal about how we met today, or how we've been interacting I suspect... I'll have to remember that I suppose.' she thought to herself, listening quietly as Shinji spoke of her own fearlessness. She felt like she was rubbernecking when he suddenly spoke of her fearlessness, speaking as if he cared whether she were hurt or not. She shrugged. "Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if the man was put out of the family after what happened, at best. He risked their standing with the village with his incompetence, lost resources, and had to have lied to keep going the way he had been." Of course she also knew much of what she said rested on the shoulders of the witnesses they spoke to, every one of whom was a slave he had mistreated one way or another. Regardless, she was simply glad they had managed to get Kouta out of there. The a slave the man was proving to be invaluable to the twins.

When asked about her brother though, the girl shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know... but I doubt it. He's determined to follow our father's example as closely as he can. I imagine he'd rather stay with the Muramasa rather than risk trouble with them. I just hate what our mother cost us and I want to try and fix or retrieve as much of it as I can. From what I understand she was once one of the best interrogators the Head Hunters had... and I plan to do far better." Given the fact that Shiv was the current leader, Amaya didn't quite state what her full plans were. But already the girl had dreams of leading the Head Hunters herself.

Amaya gave a shiver as the winds toyed with her wet clothes again of course, her mind steered away from the serious subject for the moment. She turned and looked at Shinji again as he spoke of the ear scratches, chuckling as she was still trying to process the fact that he was the wolf after all. When he invited her over to him once again she hesitated, but after a moment she accepted his invite, stepping close and leaning against him, her head on his shoulder. "I'm not sure its fair now that I know..." she remarked as he mentioned turning into a wolf again and the girl chuckled. "Maybe if I learn how to someday we could run together or something... that would be fun." she mused, looking up as a mischievous thought came to mind. Without much warning the girl reached up a hand and touched his chin to get him to look down at her, and she pushed up on the ends of her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips. Certain his expression would be one of shock, she immediately said, "Now I don't have to wonder if a wolf stole my first kiss." she teased.

[Izanagi]

The hooded Jinchuuriki kept a neutral expression as Amaya spoke of her brother, “I see. That simplifies things” he stated evenly, though he was quite pleased at this revelation. If Amaya was committed to joining the Karagata then it certainly seemed feasible. He was still curious to meet her brother at some point, though if he was anyone of worth, he probably would have already been known to him. Shinji was content to wait a little longer until his strength became more prevalent. After all he was well known for injuring sparring partners and not holding back enough. Sparring with anyone too far below his level was far too boring and the only way he knew how to train was through extreme pressure and pain, encouragement and guidance were difficult concepts for him. Even training with the other Jinchurriki Nishiki had been like fighting a child, though his mastery over the basic elements was at roughly a Jounin level already so he supposed that was quite promising.

Amaya mentioned her mother again, the way she spoke of her hinted at resentment though growing up Shinjiro had always thought highly of Ren. “As a kid I started my training in assassination, I looked up to Shiv of course but each division leader of the HHD were idols to us. My sister is the interrogation specialist of my family and served under your mother for a time. She spoke highly of her…” he trailed off, leaving the implication that the praise ended after her suicide. It wasn’t his place to speak his thoughts on her choice and he wasn’t sure he was the best person to talk to about that sort of thing. Compassion and Sympathy were still feelings that he was gradually learning and that topic seemed beyond his grasp for the time being.

The young assassin smiled slightly, his posture more relaxed and welcoming than before as he accepted her back. He still wasn’t sure what exactly he felt about her but he knew that he had come to enjoy the physical closeness. He actually grinned at the thought of running alongside her as an animal. To share that connection with someone was an appealing thought. “You’ll have to train hard if you ever want to keep up with me” he challenged boldly, a taste of his usual confidence and competitive nature now beginning to surface. “But it would be fun” he added, softer as he leaned his head against hers. Normally his breathing and heart rate were controlled to perfection, inaudible unless someone had enhanced hearing though as he held her against him he felt the beating of his heart increase marginally to the point where it could be felt. ‘Must be putting a strain on my body’ he reflected, considering that he had almost forgotten about the sweltering temperature of his skin.

Exhaling sharply, he released the heat, steam swirled in the area from evaporating ambient humidity and mist. Various points of his skin were even left with first degree burns. He looked at her as she touched his chin, expecting her to perhaps inquire about the technique he had been performing but instead she suddenly kissed him on the lips. He froze for a moment in surprise before pulling away with a confused and somewhat flustered expression. He had no idea how to respond to that nor did he know what she was expecting from him now. Relationships and affection were completely foreign concepts to him, something he had no actual influences in his life to demonstrate and had only witnessed glimpses of when on missions. “Umm, thank you? I don’t really…” he stammered, again at a loss for what to say before once again growing awkward to the point of not wanting direct eye contact. Cupping the back of her head he would simply pull her against his chest and pet her head while he stared into the mist, trying to process what just happened. His body still felt flush and warm.

[Willoria]

Amaya chuckled as she settled back into a position against him, the look on his face having been rather entertaining. As he tried to speak the girl shook her head. "Relax." she told him quietly. "I'm not proposing." she added, smirking to herself as she remained where she was. She fell into quiet reflection as she stood there, enjoying the moment and enjoying Shinjiro's presence. Silently she realized this was probably exactly what she needed after the hell of the last several days. Her arms shifted from being folded between them, to slipping around his waist again. "You know what's funny?" she suddenly mused aloud. "I've wanted to meet you for awhile now. Like any in the village I expect... you're pretty much a legend, I couldn't even come close to your skills and talents. I had assumed I'd never get a chance to meet you..." She didn't add it, but standing where she was now, she realized she had never expected to get this physically close to the man. She had never expected to enjoy being close to him or the simple things the pair enjoyed now.

But she also knew things had to end eventually. Begrudgingly she began to pull away, slipping his cloak off her shoulders and offering it back to him. "I have to get back." she said quietly. "I left my brother in a slave's care... I can't do that for too long." as much as she had started to come to trust Kouta, she couldn't bear to be away from her brother for too long when he was in such a state. "But... thank you. I think I needed this." she said with a bit of a smile, lingering a moment as she knew she didn't necessarily want to leave.

But hammering at her thoughts was suddenly her mother, the woman who had lost the person she loved and killed herself for that loss, shaming her entire family. 'If this feeling is even close to that... I can't linger in it...' she thought to herself, suddenly finding herself feeling almost hurt at the thought.

[Izanagi]

The young Karagata prodigy relaxed somewhat as Amaya brushed the kiss off as something innocuous. He wasn’t sure what social norms and expectations were when it came to that sort of thing. He was aware that clans and perhaps even some of the families were extremely strict when it came to dating, and that a kiss could be seen as either a significant commitment or a grave offense. The last thing he wanted was to bring trouble upon his family. He still wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t strictly opposed to a relationship with her, but he had always assumed something like that would have to be approved by his father first and perhaps even chosen for him. If Izune, his father, didn’t think she was a good match then there was nothing he could do. ‘I’ll have to ask Riku about this sort of thing’ he considered, his elder brother seemed fond of women and he knew certainly that his father didn’t hold any sort of prohibition on prostitutes, but someone of reputable heritage was not someone he could be involved with carelessly. Though he still wasn’t sure if he would even be ready for any kind of committed relationship, he didn’t know the first thing about being with a woman, he only knew that he had begun to enjoy this girl’s company and her physical closeness. For now though, it seemed safe to simply not speak of this encounter to anyone and leave it as something innocent.

Amaya spoke again and Shinjiro couldn’t help a proud smile as she spoke of him being a legend already. He knew of course that he was famous and highly praised by most throughout Kirigakure but he so rarely interacted with anyone outside of his family that he hadn’t experienced much of that praise first hand. Likely that was part of why he seemed such a topic of conversation, mysterious and powerful he was only seen in tournaments or the occasional spotting at a festival. Though of course the fact that he could transform into animals meant that he was frequently watching others and in their midst without them ever realizing. A stark contrast to the former host who often made a spectacle walking around naked or in the midst of town in very conspicuous animal forms rather than the more stealth oriented transformations Shinji favored. “I tend to keep to myself, I prefer not to be seen, habit of training as an assassin I suppose” he stated simply, his demeanor calm and deliberate. There was an unmistakable strength to his presence, seen and felt in these moments where he acted more his usual self, free of the embarrassment and awkwardness that Amaya had managed to draw out of him. With her arms around him Amaya would surely be able to feel just how solid his body was, though he didn’t appear visibly bulky with his seemingly layered jacket on, Amaya would note that the fabric was actually rather thin and form fitting and that his muscles were incredibly dense and well defined. He had the kind of ripped and lean physique of someone that worked out for hours everyday, though focused on sheer peak performance over arbitrary size. Of course, all that muscle was riddled with prominent scars, covering his entire body save for his face, dozens of them, perhaps even over a hundred and several that had been from life threatening wounds and most forced to heal naturally rather than through Iijutsu.

As the girl tried to pull away it took Shinji a few seconds to realize that she was trying to move. He was exponentially stronger than her to the point where he could barely even feel her resistance even with him trying to hold her gently. Releasing his grip, he let her step away. He didn’t show any visible signs of disappointment as she said she had to leave and in fact he felt quite satisfied with the amount of physical closeness he had received. Much more would have likely been overwhelming to the point where he felt smothered and needed to get away. This encounter had been quite satisfying all in all. He was momentarily perplexed as she spoke of being in a slaves care as if it were a bad thing. Having been raised by 6 slaves and to a much lesser extent his older brother and sister it felt natural to trust them. His own family had been much crueler and more unforgiving though even the slaves of his household were on par with Jounin in their Taijutsu proficiency and regularly helped him train. He realized quickly however that this slave was newly acquired and moreover Amaya was surely close to her brother being a twin and worried about him because of his assimilation with that strange slime creature. “Yeah, sure” he stated nonchalantly. He would smile slightly, that same flicker of kindness in his eyes that was reserved almost entirely for her. “I think I did too” he would say almost sweetly, softer and with a hint of emotion. He hadn’t yet accepted his cloak that she held out for him. “Keep it for now. I’ll get it back some other time” he decided. She needed it more than him and it was enough reason to interact with again in the near future. If that was all, he would simply look at her for a moment longer, his green eyes powerful and observing before a shroud of green chakra instantly enveloped him and he suddenly turned into a bat, remaining in place for just a moment before seeming to vanish, moving so fast that Amaya wouldn’t even be able to perceive a single flap of his wings.

[Willoria]

As Shinjiro admitted that he needed this time too, Amaya found herself tempted to give him another kiss before she went. But she stifled the feeling, blushing lightly as he told her to keep the cloak he had given her. She smiled and nodded in lieu of a thank you before pulling it around her shoulders again. "I guess with that wolf's nose you'll find me again more easily with it." she remarked, her blush deepening slightly as she spoke. She was honestly almost a little relieved as a shroud of green chakra enveloped him and he seemed to disappear. She couldn't help a bit of a chuckle as she finally noticed the bat in his place before he took off at a speed she couldn't follow, nor could her eyes. She let out a slow breath between pursed lips that she hadn't even realized she'd been holding.

"Oh that's dangerous." she muttered, sighing to herself before turning away and starting on her way home.

It wouldn't be until she got there that she'd suddenly have to explain to her twin her wet clothes, the blush on her cheeks, as well as the cloak she had about her shoulders.