Christmas break [Kininata, open. No fighting].

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Some snowflakes drifted down from above; it was in the late December and the day before Christmas. Many different people were in the streets at the moment. There were families on a trip, groups of male and female friends who had fun, couples that enjoyed each others company and shinobis.
One of the people in the streets was a female, who seemed normal at the first glance. The only visible thing that separated her from the other females was the hitai-ate that was tied as a scarf around her neck.

Ice blue eyes looked up at the signs that pointed in different directions. Her eyes then locked at one that went to the north and continued in that direction after a few seconds.
Marii looked for the hotel; it should be in this street, but where!? It made her a little embarrassed and irritated that she was not able to find it, especially since it was the capital city of her home country. But after a minute, she found Shirokumo hotel and a smile appeared on her face.

The hotel was a little larger than average, but the standard was neither very low or very high. And since it was low-season, there were not many people there.
The young woman entered the hotel and walked towards the counter. "Hello, can I help you?" asked the woman who stood behind it. "Uhm, yes, I booked a room...the name is Kazeraikou" said the Jounin.

"Just give me a second" said the clerk and started to type something on the keyboard. The female nodded and looked around; the only people in the lobby was a family of 4 and some elderly people.
"Kazeraikou, Marii?" said the woman and looked up. "Yes, that's me...how much?" asked the brunette and showed her shinobi ID. "That will be 900 ryo, including breakfast, dinner and access to the onsen at the ground floor" said the clerk and smiled.

"What are the opening times for the onsen?" asked the young woman and took the key the woman had given her. "The hot spring will open at 08:10 AM and close at 08:30 PM" said the woman in a friendly voice. "All right, thanks" said Marii and bowed before she went up to her room. The key read '250', which meant that it would be in the second floor. She walked up the stairs and arrived the second floor after a minute.

'200-225...no. 226-255...yeah, that's it' thought the Jounin and walked to the right. Her room was in the middle of the hallway, which was fine.
The female unlocked the room and turned on the lights. It was a little more Western-style, but with a few exceptions. The bed was two normal madrasses on the top of each other and the table was rather low.

She looked into the bathroom, which had an ofuro that was a little larger than average. It made the brunette smile and she decided to leave some of her things there.
She laid the backpacker on the bed and took out a handbag that contained some cash, her camera, a nail file and some tinted lipbalm. The young woman than left her hotel room, left the key in the reception and decided to wait outside the hotel. Enrai had some nice attractions that Kininata would like.

"Buy the Cloud milk here! Only 20 ryo per cup!" said a voice. She turned her head; Cloud milk was something that was served in the winter.
It consisted of hot milk with a little bit of cinnamon, which was good on a winter day. 'I'll introduce Kininata to that when he arrives' thought Marii and smiled.

SPOILER: Click to show

What Marii wears: Kinda like this. The jacket is dark blue and a little shorter, skirt is black and headband instead of scarf. Her skin is also paler and her hair is a little darker.

[kininata]

[Enter]

[Time: 2:48pm...]

Red hair moving gently in the wind of the streets, Kininata could finally see the Shirokumo hotel described by Marii in her letter, delivered by the summoned bird. His jade eyes were now finished adapting to the grandeur of the city itself; compared to this place, Yokoburi was a town - its size, its construction, its architecture were all more glorious and extravagant than his home city. He had seen many things across the world, but Enrai impressed him greatly in terms of man-made wonders. He walked onwards towards the hotel, his heavy coat now slightly wrapped up around him; the weather here was getting a tad on the cold side now - even though he saw many others so heavily dressed as to be considered wearing their entire wardrobe.

He stepped through to the reception area, carefully undoing the fastens of his coat and gracefully taking the heavy attire off from his person. Fortunately his new clothes were still clean and dry, though another half an hour in that slowly worsening weather might have changed that circumstance. With a quick adjustment to his tied back hair, he walked confidently towards the receptionist. 'Damn it's getting pretty cold out there.' He said to her, and she nodded with a warm smile. 'I believe that you have a room for me. Under the name Hyouketsu, Kininata?'

The receptionist turned to her books, moving her finger down the page until she stopped and tapped on the page. 'Ah yes, we do have a room for you here. If I could see some identification?' He nodded and showed his Shinobi ID - a moment later she nodded to him. 'Thank you sir; it will be 900 ryo, including breakfast, dinner and access to the onsen at the ground floor' He nodded to her, pulling out his wallet to place the money on the counter. Once he did so, she placed a set of keys on the desk for him. He read the number of the key for his room: "251".

'Erm, I don't know if I can ask this or not, but... has a Kazeraikou Marii already arrived?' He asked her nervously, and the receptionist nodded. 'Yes sir, she arrived just a minute ago. She is roomed right next door to you - it seemed she made the booking for both your rooms according to this.' He nodded, smiled, and grabbed his things before heading up the stairs to the second floor.

He walked passed the doors, checking the numbers until eventually he saw 250 on his left. 'There she is.' He said under his breath, and then moved on to his own room. He unlocked the door, entered, and quickly placed his belongings on the floor next to the bed. He then heard the door next door open then close, footsteps in the corridor heading towards the stairs where he had come from. He slowly opened the door to his room, locking it as he left, and quietly followed her down the stairs; he watched her place her keys on the reception desk and head to the exit - maybe for some shopping, maybe to wait for him.

He stealthily moved to the desk, placing his own keys on the wooden top, and crept up behind her as she stood outside in the open air. 'You look beautiful in that , Marii-chan.' He said to her softly from behind, a wide, warm smile on his face.

SPOILER: Click to show

Asside from the chocolate heart in the mouth, that is pretty my appearance, apart from the heavy coat in my arms.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: I don't know if Kininata has changed or not...if he have not, please PM me))

"You look beautiful in that, Marii-chan" said a familiar voice from behind. The female spinned around and saw Kininata stand there with a big, warm smile on his face.
Her ice blue eyes widened in happiness and a similar smile formed on her face. "Kininata! I'm so happy to see you" said Marii and gave him a small hug. His cheeks were colder than hers, but that did not matter.

She let him go and looked at him; he had cut his hair shorter and he was not as gangly anymore. "Whoa, look at you...you look so much healthier" said the young woman and measured him from top to toe.
"Heh, seems like we both decided to go for a more Western outfit this time. Before you worry about me; my tights are made out of wool and cotton, so I won't end up with hypothermia" said the Jounin and let out a small giggle. It was nice to meet up with him again.

Then, the female noticed that he did not wear any gloves or mittens. She took his left hand with her own right one, which was covered in a black glove.
"Soo...what do you want to do first? I want to show you some monuments and some other things here first" said the brunette, now a little excited. Since this was the largest city in her home country, she wanted to show him some of the largest tourist attractions.

[kininata]

[OOC: Sorry for massive lateness - crazy fridays]

"Kininata! I'm so happy to see you" said Marii and gave him a small hug. She felt warm to the touch all over, wanting to hold her for longer, but in public he supposed they needed to be a little more conservative. She let go of him and looked him over. "Whoa, look at you...you look so much healthier" said the young woman with a decidedly happy tone. 'Well, fresh sea air and good exercise will cure any ill. At least that is what my doctors say - even they are amazed at how well I have been recovering.' They were beyond amazed in truth, but he didn't need to talk about that.

"Heh, seems like we both decided to go for a more Western outfit this time. Before you worry about me; my tights are made out of wool and cotton, so I won't end up with hypothermia" said the Jounin and let out a small giggle. He leaned forwards, looking down at her legs for a moment. 'And I was so looking forward to taking care of your legs for you.' He smiled and winked playfully at his own comment, ensuring her that he was just being amusing with his comment... though her legs did look quite lovely in those tights.


She took his left hand with her own right one, which was covered in a black glove. "Soo...what do you want to do first? I want to show you some monuments and some other things here first" said the brunette, now a little excited. He could tell that this was something she had been looking forwards to for some time since this date had been arranged, and he would be ungentlemanly to deny her the opportunity to show off her home. 'Of course. I'd love to see the sights of the city; I was impressed walking through to get here in the first place, and I trust you can show me all the beautiful things here.' He smiled, giving her a little kiss on the cheek, and gracefully followed her lead through the streets of Enrai.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

Jade eyes studied her legs for a few moments. "And I was so looking forward to taking care of your legs for you" said the young man and winked at his own comment. Her cheeks turned light red and she let out a small giggle. Just what did he mean by that? Oh...now she got it.

"Of course. I'd love to see the sights of the city; I was impressed walking through to get here in the first place, and I trust you can show me all the beautiful things here" said Kininata and kissed her cheek.
It made Marii smile, but she did not blush this time. "Yeah, Enrai is an old city. Funny thing is...the whole place burned down for about 105 years ago, but was rebuild in this style. They tried to not make it too foreign, but they have some nice details here and there" said the young woman while they walked through some busy street.

"That is a nice example" said the Jounin and pointed on a big, pale yellow house; it was built in Japanese style but in bricks instead of wood. "This is the more foreign part of Enrai and it has more foreign houses than the rest.
But this is the main street, so it was a smart move by the architects" said the female while they continued on their small tour. In the end of the street was a nice Christmas tree that was almost 20 feet tall. The deep green colour contrasted with the yellow, orange and peach-coloured houses in the street.

The brunette stopped for a moment and looked up at the tree; it was really pretty. 'Hm...weird to think that this is the first time I'm not celebrating my Christmas with my friends or teammates' thought the young woman and smiled.
She just hoped that she could celebrate the next Christmas with the young man as well. 'Ah, off course you will! He's not that weak, isn't he!?' said her inner with a somewhat angry look on her face.

Ice blue eyes looked at the Genin next to her for a moment; come to think of it, she had never seen him fight. But she knew for sure that he had defeated a lot of strong people, some of them on her own level of strength.
'He will make it through...and he's getting healthier too' thought Marii and looked back at the tree, now with a more delighted look on her face.

[kininata]

"Yeah, Enrai is an old city. Funny thing is...the whole place burned down for about 105 years ago, but was rebuild in this style. They tried to not make it too foreign, but they have some nice details here and there" said the young woman while they walked through some busy street. Kininata nodded at the information, applying that to what he already knew - Enrai had, at one point, been a cultural hub point for travelers of this region, and adopted neighboring designs to compliment and admire them. He was aware of the fire that destroyed the city, but had not realised that they had embraced that facet of their history more so than before.

"That is a nice example" said the Jounin and pointed on a big, pale yellow house; it was built in Japanese style but in bricks instead of wood. "This is the more foreign part of Enrai and it has more foreign houses than the rest. But this is the main street, so it was a smart move by the architects" said the female while they continued on their small tour. 'The style reminds me of some of the older sections of yokoburi... though now they have to be rebuilt. There was an "incident" there some time back. I'm sure it'll be restored in no time.' At the end of the street was a nice Christmas tree that was almost 20 feet tall. The deep green colour contrasted with the yellow, orange and peach-coloured houses in the street - seeing the mix of colours, Kininata had to admire the conceptual genius of the architects, imagining that this was what they had intended when they constructed this part of the city.

The brunette stopped for a moment and looked up at the tree, and Kininata paused to stare up at it. It reminded him of memories of the one his family had back in Yuki no Kuni when they lived there - many of those child hood memories, along with those of Marii, were coming back to him now, bringing smiles to his face. He gave her a quick glance, seeing that womanly side of her instead of her Shinobi side... and still remembering that officially, she was his better. He knew that his still being a Genin was of a little concern for her, but he was going to change that soon. One way or the other.

'I have to admit, this is a stroke of genius for the architects. It looks better than the one we usually have set up; saying that, we have to use green-house roofing to keep the area from being heavily doused in water, so its pretty warm nearby it. I was wondering...' He said, thinking to something he had read back home. 'What about the temples and traditional structures here? I had read they had some unusual features to them in the past.' He waited patiently to hear her response.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"I have to admit, this is a stroke of genius for the architects. It looks better than the one we usually have set up; saying that, we have to use green-house roofing to keep the area from being heavily doused in water, so its pretty warm nearby it. I was wondering..." said the male and looked thoughtful for a second.
"What about the temples and traditional structures here? I had read they had some unusual features to them in the past" said Kininata.

"Ah, yes; you're probably thinking about the temples that were made for Raijin and Fuijin*. It's not a surprise that Kaminari no kuni have been bothered with bad weather for ages, so they built some temples in their honour.
There are so far no other temples built in their honour, but I suppose they did not need to. The temples were reconstructed in their original style after the fire. I think one of them should be two blocks away or so" said the female.

The temple: Here.

She started to walk towards the temple, which would only take a few minutes for them. "Ah, here it is" said Marii and smiled; the temple was a bit large and had a statue of Raijin outside. Some shinobi's stood right in front of it and paid their respect.
"Many shinobi's, especially those from foreign countries and are not used to this weather, usually stops here and pray for good weather. Others pray for success in their raiton training" said the young woman, her voice now lower.

Another statue stood a bit further away; it was a dragon that sat on a cloud and the small sign beside it said 'Seiryuu'. "The dragons are popular here too; especially when we have so many raiton based bloodlimits running around.
Kumogakure is the home of the Masamune, Kyodo, Ryuugan and Sakurai clan, not to mention that raiton jutsus are extremely popular" said the Jounin. She looked at the dragon...they surely were strong and mysterious creatures. She wondered if Amegakure had some similar creatures.

"Does Amegakure have any similar temples like this? I'm quite sure my mother told me of one that was built in honor of some creature" said the female and looked at him.
The shinobis who had prayed in front of Raijin were now gone; according to their hitai-ate, they were all from Otogakure.
There were not many people at the temple grounds. At the moment, it was just them, three Yuki shinobis who did not look older than 10 years old as well as two mikos that cleaned up the grounds.

Raijin = God of lightning. Fuijin = God of storm, wind etc.

[kininata]

Kininata listened patiently to what Marii told her, soaking it all in. He was trying hard to be a better person not just mentally and physically, but also educationally; one day, he would once more hold the title of Amekage, and when that day came he intended to attain as much cultural knowledge as he could hold. One cannot be the bringer of peace if one cannot understand those who still make war. In respect to Raijin and Fuijin, he said a brief prayer, and then turned his attention to the other statue.

It was a dragon that sat on a cloud and the small sign beside it said 'Seiryuu'. "The dragons are popular here too; especially when we have so many raiton based bloodlimits running around.
Kumogakure is the home of the Masamune, Kyodo, Ryuugan and Sakurai clan, not to mention that raiton jutsus are extremely popular" said the Jounin. He stared at the dragon, recalling the tales of something fairly similar from the history books.

"Does Amegakure have any similar temples like this? I'm quite sure my mother told me of one that was built in honor of some creature" Said the female and looked at him.
He nodded to her, and clasped a small metallic token he pulled out from his pocket; it was shaped like a dragon coiled around a perfect sphere, the beast itself with waves on its back rather than spines as some images have shown them to be.

'Tenreikouu.' He said, smiling at the token. 'There was a legend before the formation of Amegakure no Sato. The man who would be the First Kage was trying to master Suiton to its limit, beyond what any one could believe was possible. In his search for this, he found a map leading to a cavern atop of Shijukou Mountain. He struggled reaching this place, only to find a fierce dragon within it, with wings like thin sheets of water waving in the air.'

He flipped the token with his thumb, catching it casually. 'They parleyed over the "fine art of the falling ocean", as it was put by the dragon, and eventually it issued a challenge. "Perform an act of mastery befitting of your wish, and I shall show you the divine power of water". So, the First Kage stepped to the mouth of the cavern, and performed one, single Jutsu - still lost to this date. With it, he stopped the rain; not just where they were, but across the whole horizon.'

He placed the token back into his pocket, and smiled. 'The dragon taught him the true mastery of Suiton, but much of his knowledge has been lost over the years - the only remnant being the Ochiru Ame no Jutsu, claimed to be a mere fragment of the technique the First Kage used to stop the rain. And so, those people who become both Amekage and are masters of Suiton are called "He who can stop the rain" as a memorial title of the First Amekage. Of course, that's just a legend.' He stopped, letting Marii soak in all he had said, enjoying a moment to appreciate the craftsmanship of the statue of Seiryuu.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

The female was a little amazed and tried to imagine the beast in her own mind; she did not know that there were so many dragons. "They parleyed over the "fine art of the falling ocean", as it was put by the dragon, and eventually it issued a challenge. "Perform an act of mastery befitting of your wish, and I shall show you the divine power of water". So, the First Kage stepped to the mouth of the cavern, and performed one, single Jutsu - still lost to this date. With it, he stopped the rain; not just where they were, but across the whole horizon" said the young man.

His hands laid the dragon back into its pocket and a smile appeared onto his face. "The dragon taught him the true mastery of Suiton, but much of his knowledge has been lost over the years - the only remnant being the Ochiru Ame no Jutsu, claimed to be a mere fragment of the technique the First Kage used to stop the rain. And so, those people who become both Amekage and are masters of Suiton are called "He who can stop the rain" as a memorial title of the First Amekage. Of course, that's just a legend" said the Genin.

"Whoa...that's amazing" said Marii, who had been silent the whole time. Suddenly, she remembered something that he had told her earlier.
'Did not Kininata told me that he promised to become the one that had stopped the rain when we were in Taki? But...that means...'. In one way it made sense; suiton jutsus were probably used a lot in Ame no Kuni and he had been Amekage.

Her ice blue eyes looked at Seiryuu and remembered the legend about how her bloodlimit had been borne. It seemed like these legendary creatures appeared in legends all over the world, not only in this nation.
She closed her eyes and made a small prayer to the legendary creature that was portrayed in front of her. 'Seiryuu, if you hear me...please help me to become a better team leader and future clan head' thought the Jounin. Her eyes opened again and she glanced over at the male again.

"Let's go, there are two more things I want to show you" said the female and walked down the stairs once more. After they had passed a fountain that portrayed some various koi fishes, there was a statue of a man who hold a sword.
"It's said that one of the legendary swordsmen came from Kaminari, but nobody knows where he is today. They raised the statue of him since he had inspired many families to become reputed swordsmakers" said the brunette. She knew that he liked swords, so this attraction was perhaps more interesting to him.

[kininata]

"Whoa...that's amazing" said Marii, who had been silent the whole time. Her ice blue eyes looked at Seiryuu, and closed slowly, he assumed to say a silent prayer to the great creature. After a moment, her eyes opened again and she glanced over to Kininata.

"Let's go, there are two more things I want to show you" said the female and walked down the stairs once more. After they had passed a fountain that portrayed some various koi fishes, there was a statue of a man who held a sword.
"It's said that one of the legendary swordsmen came from Kaminari, but nobody knows where he is today. They raised the statue of him since he had inspired many families to become reputed swordsmakers" said the brunette.

He could understand why he might want to see this particular statue, considering his interest in swords - especially the one currently hidden among his belongings in his room. 'This is the kind of memorial that people should look up to. Individuals like this inspire people to greatness and unity... I just hope that the world can make a move towards that kind of unity together in peace.' He kept his voice low enough to not be heard by the people passing by, but loud enough to be heard by the woman of his heart. He could feel his heart beating through his chest again, beating against the scar, and he moved to touch it with his spare hand.

'I wonder who it was that inspired the great sword maker that crafted the Tenkyo Buryoku. Whomever that was, must have been a truly remarkable man indeed.' He said to her, letting his hand drop down by his side as the pounding against his chest slowed and steadied again. He was healthier than he had ever been for a long while, but still the scar bothered him at times, enough to be a distraction from the world and those he cared about. He looked down towards her with an affectionate gaze, smiling still. 'You hinted that there was one other wonder of Enrai you wanted me to see?' He asked, following her lead willingly.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"This is the kind of memorial that people should look up to. Individuals like this inspire people to greatness and unity... I just hope that the world can make a move towards that kind of unity together in peace" said the male, his voice so low that nobody else than herself heard what he said.
"I think so...many shinobi's in Kumo have done missions together. Since we're a rather large village, there are many teams consisting of shinobi's of all ranks" said the female.

Kininata's left hand moved upwards and touched where his heart was and Marii blinked; he had not got rid of it. She squeezed his hand a little.
"I wonder who it was that inspired the great sword maker that crafted the Tenkyo Buryoku. Whomever that was, must have been a truly remarkable man indeed" said the young man and dropped his hand.
Jade eyes looked to her side, their gaze now of the type that made her smile.

"You hinted that there was one other wonder of Enrai you wanted me to see?" said the Genin. "Ah yes, follow me. I might warn you...the next attraction is a little boring" said the young woman while they walked through an avenue.
Right between two lampposts was a small stall operated by three children. The sign above it read 'Buy Cloud milk and Moon cookies! Money will go to the capital hospital'.

"Cloud milk is a speciality you can buy here in the winter. It's basically warm milk or soya milk with some cinnamon that creates a cloud pattern. Sounds strange, but it's good.
As for the cookies, they're low-fat cookies with mint and eucalyptus. It used to be shinobi food in the old days here to prevent sore throats...the climate here is quite cold" explained the Jounin.

A price list was taped to the side of the stall; it read 'Cloud milk: 15 ryo per cup. Cookies: 15 ryo for 3 cookies. Milk and cookies: 25 ryo'.
"Want some? Stalls like this are quite common in the winter. And the money we pay here goes to charity" she said and pointed on the list. The kids were busy at the moment; two shinobis from Kiri had just bought some of the milk.

[kininata]

"Ah yes, follow me. I might warn you...the next attraction is a little boring" said the young woman while they walked through an avenue. Right between two lampposts was a small stall operated by three children. The sign above it read "Buy Cloud milk and Moon cookies! Money will go to the capital hospital". Kininata could not resist himself from smiling and letting out a little giggle.

'Cloud milk is a speciality you can buy here in the winter. It's basically warm milk or soya milk with some cinnamon that creates a cloud pattern. Sounds strange, but it's good.
As for the cookies, they're low-fat cookies with mint and eucalyptus. It used to be shinobi food in the old days here to prevent sore throats...the climate here is quite cold" explained the Jounin.

"Want some? Stalls like this are quite common in the winter. And the money we pay here goes to charity" she said and pointed on the list. The kids were busy at the moment; two shinobis from Kiri had just bought some of the milk. 'Of course I'll have some. Even if it wasn't for charity, in this developing weather I'd still take a warm drink and a nice bite to guard against the cold.' He waited patiently for the young children to finished serving the Kiri shinobi, and when they turned their attention to Kininata and Marii, he placed 125 ryo on the stall.

'One batch of cookies and milk for each of us, and one for each of you.' He said compassionately, and could see big smiles on their little faces bright enough to turn this weather to sunshine again. They quickly darted around to prepare what he had ordered for the two of them, and they would walk away from the stall, each with their own package of milk and cookies. 'Well, I've always had a soft spot for charities, especially for kids. I can remember what it was like in cold weather as a kid, back in Yuki no Kuni. That's where my family was from originally.'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"One batch of cookies and milk for each of us, and one for each of you" said the male and laid 125 ryo on the desk. The kids smiled and gave them their food and drink right away.
"Well, I've always had a soft spot for charities, especially for kids. I can remember what it was like in cold weather as a kid, back in Yuki no Kuni. That's where my family was from originally" said Kininata.

Some wind blew past them and the female drunk some of her milk; it warmed her from the inside and out. "So you used to live in Yuki no Kuni? May I ask why you moved to Ame?" asked Marii and looked over at him for a moment.
They were on their way back to the hotel now and the temperature was falling; the sun was about to set soon. "Let's get in, it's getting a little cold...we can go into my room" said the young woman before she entered the hotel again.

She picked up her key and walked back into her room; the temperature was comfortable and the Jounin removed her coat and winter boots. Her socks and sweater were black, but her sweater had some plum blossom pattern that was spread over her left shoulder.
The headband was laid into the backpacker before she sat down on the bed and hoped he would join her. "Don't start panicking now, but I was wondering a bit on our relationship and that. I want to hear your opinion before I make mine" said the female and looked at him.

One did not have to be a Jounin to know that one of the worst sounds that guys knew was their girlfriend who said 'We need to talk' or 'We need to discuss our relationship'.
Which was why she wanted him to say what he meant first, but the brunette hoped for a positive answer.
'This is my first and longest serious relationship...It's not like we're kids anymore. If the relationship between Ame and Kumo gets better, I'll be ecstatic. But I better wait and see' thought the young woman and prepared herself.

[kininata]

"So you used to live in Yuki no Kuni? May I ask why you moved to Ame?" asked Marii and looked over at him for a moment. 'It was a long time ago, before I met you when we were kids. My mother was born there, and my father met her and married her there when he was still a Genin of Amegakure no Sato. When I was born, they were already talking about moving to a warmer place... and eventually, I think when I was about two or three, we move to Ame. I don't remember alot from then; the odd snowfall, my parents laughing, little things.'


The temperature was quickly falling as the sun started dropping closer to the edge of the horizon, and Kininata could feel the chill through his bare hands already. It wasn't too long before they arrived back at the hotel. "Let's get in, it's getting a little cold...we can go into my room" said the young woman before she entered the hotel again, Kininata sneaking a quick smile onto her lips as she said that.

She picked up her key and started walking back to her room, with Kininat closely following after grabbing his own key; once at her room she lead the way inside - the temperature was comfortable and the Jounin removed her coat and winter boots. Her socks and sweater were black, but her sweater had some plum blossom pattern that was spread over her left shoulder. Kininata slid off his jacket and scarf, placing them carefully on a table in the room.

The headband was laid into the backpacker before she sat down on the bed and hoped he would join her. "Don't start panicking now, but I was wondering a bit on our relationship and that. I want to hear your opinion before I make mine" said the female and looked at him.

Kininata missed a step and nearly tripped over his own foot as she said that, and he stopped moving altogether. She wants to hear my opinion first? Where to begin... He stood there for a moment, pondering the question and the answer he had already formed. Deciding on what to say to her, he moved to sit beside her.

'I think that what we have between us is special, and important. It's already filled me with a joy and warmth I haven't felt since my mother died.' He paused, thinking to the friends he had lost over the years as well as his family. 'It's difficult being far away, but I would cross the world to keep coming back to you. And hopefully, with the right nudges from us to our Kage's, I'm sure we can bring our villages as close together as friends as we are to each other.' He waited again, gauging her reaction to his words... and then he said the most honest part of his feelings. 'If it ever came to a choice between you and my village, you would always come first... I would leave it all behind to be with you.'

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

The male almost tripped over his own foot; her assumptions had been right when it came to guys and discussing relationships. He eventually steadied himself and sat down next to her, his face now holding an expression that would have fit better in an ANBU meeting.
"I think that what we have between us is special, and important. It's already filled me with a joy and warmth I haven't felt since my mother died" said Kininata and paused for a few moments. The female nodded and looked at his eyes; the color in them was more intense than before.

"It's difficult being far away, but I would cross the world to keep coming back to you. And hopefully, with the right nudges from us to our Kage's, I'm sure we can bring our villages as close together as friends as we are to each other" said the young man and waited for her.
"I think it's quite difficult to be far away as well...especially since..." Marii swallowed, it felt like someone had stuffed a cotton ball down her throat. "Especially since I would love to get into a serious relationship with you" said the young woman. 'WHOA, I CANNOT BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT!!!' said her inner, now with a shocked face.

"If it ever came to a choice between you and my village, you would always come first...I would leave it all behind to be with you" said the Genin.
Her eyes widened in size and the ice blue iris turned emerald green in the blink of an eye; she could hear the sincerity in his voice.
"Kininata...I should wish I could say the same. But I have obligations back home, and the captain title is not the only one I'm afraid" said the Jounin and leaned forwards. Her bony right hand covered parts of her face and tears felt down at the floor; these strong emotions were new to her.

After a few seconds, she looked back up at his jade eyes. "But...I love you a lot, and I don't mind to cross several countries to see you" said the brunette. She dried away her tears and smiled when she looked at him.
"Thanks for telling me how you feel and made me do the same. I'm really lucky to have you as my boyfriend" said the young woman before she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

His skin was colder and rougher than hers, but it was to be expected; he was a guy after all. "So...do you have any idea of how to get rid of the scar that's left?" asked Marii and tilted her head a little bit.
She assumed the one on the leg was gone; it had already shrunken quite a bit during the last day they spent together in Taki. Not to mention that his health had improved as well, which would have made the healing process go faster. The female waited on the answer.

[kininata]

'Kininata...I should wish I could say the same. But I have obligations back home, and the captain title is not the only one I'm afraid' Said the Jounin and leaned forwards. Her bony right hand covered parts of her face and tears felt down at the floor. After a few seconds, she looked back up at his jade eyes. 'But...I love you a lot, and I don't mind to cross several countries to see you' said the brunette. She dried away her tears and smiled when she looked at him. 'Thanks for telling me how you feel and made me do the same. I'm really lucky to have you as my boyfriend' She said before she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. It wasn't entirely the response that he had been hoping for, but it was to be expected - after all, she was a more prominent and senior individual of her village than he was; even if he had been Amekage in his past, and had saved his village from one monstrous mad man, he was still just a Gennin.

'So...do you have any idea of how to get rid of the scar that's left?' Asked Marii and tilted her head a little bit. Kininata made a slightly grimaced face, though her usual attentive eyes would tell there was still some joy in that look. 'Not exactly. All of the rest of the scars have faded now, except the one around my heart. There isn't a single doctor who can understand how that happened, to be honest, and I don't fancy telling them how either. Considering they were expecting me to be dead by now, I'm happy the lot of them are confused by this sudden change.' He said, rubbing his chest a little. 'However, they did say that it seemed as though the muscle and flesh were, slowly, naturally healing. It might take ten years, but eventually it will fade away back to normal - and as that happened, I would return the "normal healthy state" that I should be at for my age.'

A moment passed by, and he caressed her cheek in his hand very gently. 'To think I would owe you so very much, and to have given you so very little in return, I feel like I have cheated you for the gifts you have given me. My heart, my health, my very soul, all saved because of you.' He maintained a strong, confident and heart-felt smile to her, and kissed her back on the cheek in return for the one she gave to him. He intended to return the same boons and gifts she had given him as part of his thanks for his renewed life.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

((OOC: I'm afraid I'll be offline tomorrow and some of Sunday. Feel free to post while you wait though))

"Not exactly. All of the rest of the scars have faded now, except the one around my heart. There isn't a single doctor who can understand how that happened, to be honest, and I don't fancy telling them how either. Considering they were expecting me to be dead by now, I'm happy the lot of them are confused by this sudden change" said the young man and rubbed his chest a little.
The female smiled; she was happy that he was healthier than ever before and more outgoing as well. She thought about the first meeting at the Chuunin exams - he was so shy then.

"However, they did say that it seemed as though the muscle and flesh were, slowly, naturally healing. It might take ten years, but eventually it will fade away back to normal - and as that happened, I would return the "normal healthy state" that I should be at for my age" said Kininata.
Then, he raised one of his hands and carressed her cheek with his hand. Bicoloured eyes closed and she smiled at the contact. Some warmth spread across her pale face and her eyes opened again, now back to ice blue.

"To think I would owe you so very much, and to have given you so very little in return, I feel like I have cheated you for the gifts you have given me. My heart, my health, my very soul, all saved because of you" said the young man, now with the most sincere smile she had seen.
He leaned forwards and kissed her cheek while Marii tried to think out a response. "I'm happy to hear that I managed to save those things. You've managed to make me smile again and you treat me like a woman...I appreciate that a lot" said the young woman.

She gave him a small bow and her sepia locks spilled forwards for a second before she pulled her head up again. "Now, perhaps we should watch some TV" said the Jounin and grabbed the remote.
She turned on the TV and flipped through a few channels; so far, there was not much to watch. The female laid her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. "Do you mind?" asked the brunett while the TV made noises in the background.

[kininata]

"I'm happy to hear that I managed to save those things. You've managed to make me smile again and you treat me like a woman...I appreciate that a lot" said the young woman. It only just clicked to him there that he had always treated her as more than "some girl he met", even from the first day he re-encountered her at the Chuunin exams those years ago. I guess I can even surprise myself now and again he pondered as he smiled at her kind words.

She gave him a small bow and her sepia locks spilled forwards for a second before she pulled her head up again. "Now, perhaps we should watch some TV" said the Jounin and grabbed the remote. 'Anything to remove the memories of boredom on the ocean.' He said and watched her flick through several channels to find something to watch. When she laid her head on his shoulder, he could feel her warmth ebb through his body. "Do you mind?" asked the brunette while the TV made noises in the background. 'Not at all, Marii.' He said, wrapping his arm gently around her.

As she continued to search through the channels, questions started popping through his head about what would happen when he returned home. Eventually, hopefully this time around, he would walk through the Chuunin Exams and gain his rank, and shortly afterwards because of his experience and skill, Jounin would right after that. Still, he had to wonder what he would turn to once that was all done with - whether he still had that mild ambition to be Amekage again, or to embrace what felt natural to him; to be a teacher at the academy.

'You know, I recently got myself a student not long before I came down here; a talented kid called Terato. Quick wits, smarty, adaptive. I've been thinking about becoming a teacher at the academy once I've gotten my Jounin rank. What do you think?' He asked her, wondering what he thought about him not just as a man, but as a professional; he knew that she had little knowledge about his capabilities, but there was a bond between them that he hoped would help her shed light about what he should do when that time came.

[Marii K. Kazeraikou]

"Not at all Marii" said the male and wrapped an arm around her frame. She smiled and flipped through a few channels before she found something that looked a little fun; it was a show about folklore.
"It's winter now, and time for the folklore myths! This year, we have managed to compile a lot of cartoons and songs about the different yôkai* of our countries" said an adult woman with purple hair that stopped 3 inches below her shoulders, alabaster skin and cobalt blue eyes.

"You know, I recently got myself a student not long before I came down here; a talented kid called Terato. Quick wits, smarty, adaptive. I've been thinking about becoming a teacher at the academy once I've gotten my Jounin rank. What do you think?" said Kininata.
'Hmm...he did said that he liked to be with the kids back in Taki, not to mention that he was quite kind with those in the charity stand' thought Marii and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"Well, as for the teaching, you must like kids and still be authorative in a good way. Also, your knowledge in taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu must be above average.
I don't know how good you are at taijutsu, but I remember that you were beated by an Uchiha who used genjutsu against you in the exams. So my advice will be to train up your genjutsu skills and try to sign up as a team leader or second in command on "B"-ranked missions and up" said the young woman and looked up at him.

"Genjutsu can be just as powerful as the yôkai's on the TV...there are people that can make you see your worst nightmares in a very realistic way. Not to mention that some shinobis and kuinochi's can literally stop your movements with just a stare" said the Jounin and turned her attention back to the TV.
"First up is the infamous yuki-onna; the legend about her still exists in Kaminari and Yuki no Kuni. In Yozamu, there is even a statue of her in memorial of those who died in their country" said the host, and a picture of the statue came up at the screen. It showed a woman with long hair and a kimono.

"There is also a song about her too. This version is written and composed by Yahiko Fujiyama, played by Shiroikumo music school and performed by Iruka Hatake, Masako Yamaguchi and Rieko Konishi. The movie was made by Otogakure classic studio" said the host.
"Whoa...all of the singers are quite famous in this part of the world" said the female, who was a little surprised. The screen then showed a snowy forest and the names of those who had made it. The song then started to play.

Song: Here.

((OOC: Sorry for forcing this, but yuki-onna is one of my favourite demons. Fits well with the setting too, he he. Yokai = Japanese demon, spirit or monster.))

[kininata]

She didn't give him the most positive opinion about his thoughts on becoming a teacher, but seeing as she was at that stage in her career, and was probably responsible for the overseeing and training of others herself, he did appreciate her words of advice. She was right, as well - he still had a weakness towards Genjutsu, and his training in that area was lacking compared to his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. However, continuing it further would simply lead the conversation down a work-related path, and this was the holidays after all, so he chose to focus on the show on the television - focused on folklore and myths.

As the stories surrounding yuki-onna started coming up on the screen, he could recall a few of the tales woven to him by his mother when he was younger, and became more interested in what details he either didn't know or was somewhat sketchy about. When the song that was about the yuki-onna came on, Marii seemed to be genuinely surprised. 'Whoa...all of the singers are quite famous in this part of the world.'

The music was quite nice, melodic, and almost thoughtful from the way it sounded, and the voices of the singers weren't too bad a match for it either. Once the song was over, the show went to adverts for a short while. When the adverts ended, the next myth was brought into view: Hōichi the Earless.

'Strange, bringing up that myth. I mean, there is a yôkai mentioned in the story, but it is more about the saving of his spirit rather than about the yôkai itself.' He mentioned as the show continued into what he suspected it might do - exploring the Samurai Ghost and its master, the reasonings for its actions.