She Sells Sea Shells (P, NK)

Rakka looked unusual for, well, Rakka. Normally the Yuki girl dressed very moderately, and rarely did she exert any physical effort, preferring to outwit her enemies or overpower them with her sheer chakra power rather then simply using brute physical force. However, today, she showed the secret to her physical training, something she was strangely uncomfortable admitting to. It was mostly due to the fact that she was not very strong at all. In fact, she was basically a completely normal human being when it came to physical strength, which in the Shinobi world was very unusual. Even the weakest Shinobi could typically lift a person with ease, and throw around hundreds of pounds with effort. While Rakka could definitely lift a person, she couldn't toss them around like a sack of dirty clothes like many of her peers. 

However, she made up for that with sheer willpower, determination, and the best cardio in the business. She was fast, very fast, and she reckoned she could run farther and longer than anyone in Kirigakure, which was saying something. But to become the super runner, you need to run. And that was why Kirigakure's shores were greeted with a huge wave of water as Rakka circled the islands, figure eight style, running across the surface of the sea. 

Now she was beginning to tire, she'd been at this for, well, a couple of hours. She began to slow to a stop, huffing as she skirted off the water and into the sand, her wet feet becoming coated in the stuff.
"God damnit, I hate sand!" She shouted angrily at nobody in particular, trying in vain to remove the vile substance from her feet. "I miss the snow. This crap is not worth the warm weather." She mumbled to herself.

(WC: 300)

Malvoes was... well he was out of his fortress of solitude, formerly known as his workshop. Which was an odd occasion, since he rarely went out of it, but he decided he needed a change of scenery, for his training that is, Malvoes was going to work on his chakra control, felling that he would benefit from it. So he left the house and went to a nice secluded spot to meditate and work on his breathing.

He went to the shore, since it was a nice day, the mist was practically unnoticeable, the temperature was warm and a light breeze was blowing. He arrived at the shore and found a place out in the sand where he would sit, lotus style, and practice his breathing with the lap of the waves giving a serene ambiance as he focuses on his chakra network, flaring it and testing his pathways with heavier flows, his insects surging as the chakra does as well. It was good practice, considering that it would allow him to accommodate more insects and be able to sustain them better.

It was peaceful well... mostly peaceful, every so often he'd hear the steady run of footsteps on the ocean, which would be weird sentence if we weren't ninjas, he kept his eyes close but every so often it'd disturb his concentration. There'd be a moment when the run started slowing and the steps transferred from the water to the sand, which was promptly followed by the female shinobi, he could tell from the voice, cursing out the sand and say something about snow. To this Malvoes would chuckle loudly, not purposely though, just the thought of no sand in Kiri would be just as likely as snow falling in July. Cracking a smile he'd open his eyes, giving the girl a once over just to see if she was anyone he recognized, the voice was not familiar and the holder was just as foreign to him.

(WC:328)

For a few moments, Rakka didn't notice anything. She didn't even notice the boy sitting nearby. All she could think about was sweet, sweet oxygen, and how her lungs were too impossibly small to keep herself alive at this rate. Her cardio was impeccable, but she had just sprinted at high speeds for several hours on end, so exhaustion was to be expected... As she slowly, slowly started to regain her cognition, she began to be able to see the area around her once more, to hear the waves softly crashing against the shore and the birds chirping, melding together into a passive ambience. Although the mist was thick, as always, she could still see her reasonably near her.

In between exhausted breaths, Rakka heard loud chuckling. Looking up angrily, she would see the source of the sound, a boy sitting there in the sand, meditating or something. Looking down at the ground again, she struggled for her breath once more. She had been running for a VERY long time, and she found that her body did not want her to do much more then sit there. After a few moments of sputtering and gasping for air, she looked up once more, her teeth gritted.
"What... Are you... Laughing at?" She huffed, her breaths finally shortening until she neared normal breath rate.

Watching this person huff and puff made him wonder a few things, the first being whether or not I should get a doctor for her and two being whether or not I'm that out of shape. Malvoes looks down at himself, suddenly rather self conscious, he quickly decides that thought process would be best out of his mind until another time. As the woman recovered he was snapped out of his mind, he'd sit there and watch her for a moment, wondering whether or not she was going to faint in front of him, and how would he carry her to the nearest hospital, considering that they were quite a distance away from the village.

For a moment she made eye contact, thinking maybe, then went back to gasping for air. He continued watching her, feeling a little concerned. Finally, she spit out some words in between her draining the oxygen from the local area. "I didn't mean to offend honestly, just thought it funny that you were cursing the sand in Kirigakure, in the island country which would be like cursing the air." He replies with a laugh and continues, "Also the idea of snow being here, it'd be an interesting sight but unlikely, I wouldn't mind seeing it once, maybe I'll leave the village someday and travel to a snowy place, sight seeing hmm..." He says this out loud but it's more to himself than to the stranger. Malvoes has never been off the island, he wouldn't mind traveling seeing the sights, but he'd have to be a bit stronger before he does that.

Rakka just shook her head at the boy, having regained her wind.
"No, more like cursing the insects when you live in the jungle." She retorted, standing back to her full height, her posture less tense. The boy seemed to still be pondering her earlier statement, not insulting her, so she'd let it slide for now. She just sighed when he mentioned wanting to see the snow only once. "Trust me when I say, it is divine. Like a cloud that has fallen from the sky." She said. "I used to live in a house made of the stuff... Well, the ice at least..." She said, daydreaming a bit. Although the terms under which she left Yukigakure were not the best, she still remembered the place fondly, although their leader was an utter fool. She had hoped to save a few citizens, but under Youka's rule, she had heard they were actually happier. At least, for a time...

Well, there was a novel thought. Leaving the village to see the snow again. Of course, at the moment, it was fairly pointless, but at least the place itself was there to visit, with the tundra in all its glory.
"Trust me, it'd be worth the trip." She assured him. She loved the snow, although she never truly knew why. Obviously, she was a Yuki, but that didn't feel like it was enough. A fish didn't love water because it was its lifeblood, and a person doesn't love the air because they need it to survive...

"I'm Rakka, by the way." She added, deciding she should introduce herself. It would do her some good to actually interact with members of the village. Thus far she had kept to herself mostly.

Malvoes would shift around awkwardly at the girls sentence about insects, obviously not directed at him since they've never met before and that Malvoes tends to hide his Aburame inheritance from others, but it still made him a bit uncomfortable nonetheless. 

He had to smile though, the way she spoke of her home and of the snow was heartfelt and warmed him up inside, seeing that fondness in her eyes was touching, but she also seemed a bit troubled at something about it, I'm sure it's something way out of my depth he thought. Her words were nice though, he'd smile at her slightly, "I'll have to make the trip some day then, I'd love to see it, It'll probably have to wait till I'm better equipped for the outside world though."

Seeing the world would be nice, seeing all the places he used to go when he was younger with his father, but that was so long ago and those were only distant memories now, especially his father himself. He'd stand from his place of meditation as the girl introduces herself, "It's a pleasure to meet you Rakka, I'm known as Malvoes." He'd say offering his hand to her, it was always nice meeting new people, especially ninja such as himself.

Rakka would take note as the boy flinched at her mention of insects. Perhaps he had a phobia of insects or something. She’d make sure not to mention them again. She took his hand and shook, smiling at the thought of finally meeting somebody friendly from this village. Almost every encounter she had so far with these people ended in violence and typically another enemy made for her. She was, rightfully so, pretty fed up with fighting every stranger she met. This was definitely an acceptable change in scenery.

”I’d advise you bring a jacket. I didn’t need one, but I never saw another person without one.” She told him wisely, as if she were a seasoned veteran. ”So, are you one of those Tengakure ninja who took the place over, or are you a Shimagakure native?” She asked, cocking her head. His pleasant demeanor and lack of white hair led her to believe he was from the island nation, but you know what they say about assuming. ”Not that it matters, it just seems strange that I’ve never seen you around.” She said, clarifying to make sure it was clear she didn’t have hostile intentions.

Malvoes smiled slightly, happy to meet someone actually friendly around here, another shinobi that was this friendly to be specific. And glad to have a name for this friendly face on top of that. Malvoes laughs, "I'll have to find one, I think a jacket is a little lacking in my wardrobe for Kiri."

He nods a bit at her question, "I am in fact a native of Shimagakure, well I guess I should say was.." He trails off wistfully, it has been a while since the takeover of his village, and the adverse weather change from the destruction of the barrier. There's been an increase in hostility around and the immigrating ninja from Tengakure aren't the friendliest, other than a few exceptions.

He smiles meekly at her last sentence, "I'm a bit of a shut-in I regret to say, I spend most of my time in my workshop, tinkering or sleeping or drawing, I do enjoy going out I just am not always comfortable with doing so." He shrugs lightly, looking out past the shore, he had several reasons for not going out but in reality they were probably just excuses to just stay cooped up in his workshop.

Rakka chuckled a bit as the boy mentioned not having a jacket. Hardly anyone from Shimagakure did, after all. The village used to be so warm and sunny all the time, almost sickeningly so at times. While Rakka loved the warm climate, sometimes it truly did get ridiculously hot in Shimagakure. Of course, with the new Mizukage’s efforts to recreate the old hidden mist, he had also brought with it unnaturally cold weather for the area.

The boy’s mention of being from Shimagakure did not surprise Rakka at all. She truly didn’t get out much here, she felt like an intruder in yet another new village, and frankly, who could blame her?
”I guess you could say that I’m from Shimagakure as well, although there’s a bit more to it than that.” She said in response, not wanting to go into excruciating detail and make her look as bad a the story often did.

The boy’s weak smile was met by another one in turn from Rakka, who was trying very hard to be nice today. It was working out pretty well, and the boy had even said something she agreed with. ”I’m a shut in as well. I haven’t been out and about the village all that much, although I haven’t been here terribly long.”

Malvoes nods quietly as Rakka vaguely explains that she's from Shimagakure, not wanting to pry or anything, assuming she's withholding exact information for a reason, he respects her privacy. He adjusts the scroll on his back slightly, looking up at the sky and admiring the view across the sea. "It's nice to get out once in a while though, see what's new and such or just admire nature, the ocean certainly is serene site for someone to relax near or just visit." Malvoes nods in agreeance with his own words, even though he knows that he almost actively avoids going outdoors and interacting with real people.