Two Moons, One Wolf

"I see." Love gave this animal form another glance over as Salzem returned to his human form. Her arm drooped back down to her side and once the transformation ended. "Oh uh was that weird?" She asked slightly confused herself by the puzzled look on the male's face. "I just really like animals and while I've petted dogs before I've never been that close to a wolf." She rubbed the back of her head with her left hand a little embarrassed that she attacked so comfortably with an almost complete stranger. "If it's any consolation your fur is really soft and silky so I guess that means you take good of your normal hair..." She trailed off thinking more on what she said. It made since right? Like if he let his normal hair grow his fur as a wolf would as grow. Either way she was losing sight and tuned back into the boy standing before her. Love tended to do that often, go off into her own mind while the person she was talking to answered her or continued talking on from whatever distracted the girl. It would only take a few seconds for her to remember the words she'd heard but hadn't listened to. It would seem like Love to a brief second pondering over what had been said or asked of her.

The next thing to come from the Hyuuga's lips would be this question, unless he asked something while she had drifted. "So you're a chuunin?" Kinda dumb question since they were here for jounin exams but everyone might not know that genin were allowed to participate this time. Her right hand would join the left behind her head as she waited for his response. Hopefully he would get the wrong idea and think that she was some kind of airhead because of the question and previous daydreaming.

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In response to Salzem's question, Love asked if her fur-stroking was weird, only to be met with a gaze that told her everything she needed to know. Yes. Yes it was weird. Despite the form he took, Salzem was NOT a dog to be petted, groomed or (god-forbid) FED. He would not suffer the indignity that came with lowering himself to that level. He'd never admit the fact, that on some level, it felt..... decent fore that would only prove that he's a mutt somewhere on the inside. That proof would never escape it's confines... Love went onto (unknowingly) embarrass the sanguine-eyed ninja more by offering a consolation that his fur was silky and soft, commenting that he must take good care of his normal hair. Great.... now he was being compared to a diva.... He'd be the first werewolf Diva, running around in some kind of drag to impress a crowd of fetishists, no doubt making bank as his self-respect dwindled to a trickle.

The sarcasm of these thoughts was as thick as Suna's wall, shaking his head instead of saying anythign before returning to the bench. Salzem gently raised a finger and tugged at his head-band tied around his neck, wondering how long it would be until someone called it his "collar..." He was actually surprised no one came up with that yet... Perhaps he could have more faith in people after all...

These thoughts were once again interrupted by Love who (kage bless her) decided to change the subject, guessing that he was a chuunin.

"Yeah..." He responded with a shrug. "Been one for a while." Love, however, didn't look like a chuunin at all... perhaps because she was still "green" looking... he just couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"You're here for the exams to, huh? I'm sure you'll do your family proud." Why else would a Konoha ninja be here in Suna? Its the only reason he could think of.

His face answered her previous question and she'd make sure not to do it again unless he asked or he deserved it lol. Love felt that they would become friends. "Cool." Love said with a nod. "I'd better." She laughed. "I kind of left them a last minute note saying that I was leaving for the exams. I'm actually kind of surprised they haven't sent anyone after to make sure that I'm realy here." The girl paused, that kind of made her sound like a runaway but surely he wouldn't think that. Most people are familiar with the rich kid who runs away from their bodyguard cliche right? She didn't continue on with that thinking, she'd just clarify if he takes it the wrong way. "Although this is an allied village so having a chaperone might seem as if we don't trust the ability of the ninja here. But I'm rambling, what about your family?" Love noticed that he had said "were" when he mentioned them earlier, maybe they were dead or it might have just been his way of speaking. Hopefully this subject wouldn't make him clam up if they are gone, Love prefered to hear the truth no matter how dark or painful. She also didn't like to be lied to.

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Salzem laughed somewhat as the girl practically admitted to what sounded like "running away", making her way here with nothing but a note left behind to inform her family of her choices. Now, Salzem would have never even DREAMED of doing something like this in his youth because, if he had, he knew his father would have given him more hell than his little-kid mind would be able to fathom. He wondered what kind of life one had to have to risk the wrath of a worried parent like this, what had to happen for her to develop the guts?

These were all kinds of questions Salzem had intended to ask the moment he got the chance, but before he could, Love asked something of a taboo question of the Lycan: What about his family... He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of outrage boil within him like setting a fire dangerously close a canister of oil. It would be so easy for him to get angry, to tell the girl off and leave because... that's what he's always done when people ask... Sure, sometimes he answered, but it was often with a voice that made it clear he hated them now... It was only 2 years later and through MUCH mental and physical exercises did he come to realize how utterly irrational he was, to noy sympathize with people's curiosity and blame them for asking the wrong questions. That really was sad, wasn't it?

"Uh... Well... My dad's dead... so... there's that..." Salzem managed to force out calmly, fighting an instinct keeping his lips sealed and another to keep them from exploding in a surprised anger. "He was murdered in Konoha. I don't know exactly what he did but.... someone killed him... My mom... she's here in Sunagakure... But she remarried... I don't know how she found out about dad's death but... she moved on I guess..." He quietly debated whether or not he should mention his supposed "sister", the girl he saw in his mother's abode when he visited her for the first time. "And.... apparently... I have a younger sister I didn't know about until relatively recently... So... yeah... That's them..." He was surprised... Despite actively fighting himself... the more he spoke, the easier it was.

Love breathed a sigh of relief when the male laughed, proof that he didn't misunderstand her and think she'd abandoned Konoha.Love breathed a sigh of relief when the male laughed, proof that he didn't misunderstand her and think she'd abandoned Konoha. "I see, I'm sorry to hear that." She could tell that talking abbout his family was difficult for him. "But it's cool that you have a sibling, I'll probably never have one. My parents seem content with just one." Love took her arms down from behind her head and let them swing behind her, clasping her hands together. "Not that I'm a handful or anything, it's quite the opposite actually." She shifted the conversation back to herself but still with room for Salzem to comment. "I'm -or I was- a Hyuuga prodigy and pretty independent. Although I still had to have a bodyguard because of my status." The young Hyuuga sighed, thinking of how much more fun it would've been to have a sibling to ditch their guards with. "Have you spent any time with her?" She asked the ball once again in the red eyed male's court. Love had never asked her parents why they never had any other children, it seemed to never cross her mind until now. Surely there was a good reason, something simple but more believable than "we forgot".

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The Lycan seemed lost in his own thoughts as Love began to speak, staring off into the middle distance ahead of them while she spoke about her family. While Salzem was still listening and heard every word, but most of his mind seemed focused on something else.  Memories to be exact, those that would play through his mind at seemingly random moments, make his heart beat loud and almost chest-throbbing in his ears, make him flinch away from the sudden bursts of guilt and sadness, ones that made him relive the moments he most regretted...

In this case, he saw two, one right after the other: One, his dad's note... explaining how he was dead, how he was never coming back... He relived all those feelings as if they were a ghost, noncaporial, but haunting... older pain... duller... and it kept on aching...

The Second, and most recent memory was when he found his mother again, when he saw her and that girl that looked just like him, his sister he didn't even know the name of... He remembered the outrage, the shock on both of their faces... His mother's because she didn't even know he was still alive and the girl's... because she didn't know the guy that looked just like her... Instead of building bonds with the family he never knew, the only family he had, he left them in anger, outrage, because he was too much of an idiot to think that there may have been some good reason for her staying secret...

Love's question whether or not he spent time with his sister, Salzem shook his head, his motions slow, heavy almost, as if there were a barbed chain around his neck he wasn't keen on touching.

"No. I never knew her. Or my mother really. She was a Suna ninja and I lived with my father all my childhood in Konoha. I didn't even know I had a sister until recently when I came looking... That's when I found her... She didn't know who I was or I who she was.... I don't even know her name..." Salzem paused a moment, seeming to choke on the words in his mouth, but he continued. "I was angry I never knew about her... Angry that neither mom or dad told me about her... I felt betrayed because... I truly thought I had no one in the world but then... it turned out I did the whole time... The only reason I don't go back now.... is because I don't think I deserve to ask for their forgiveness..."

"I see..." Love replied trailing off slowly. She didn't know what to say in this situation to try to comfort him. She'd never been in this situation before and didn't know Salzem that well so pushing him to reconcile with them might not be a good idea. Although Love was all about the possitive and would try to make him feel better, even if it was only for the time that they talked. "They're your family of course they'll forgive you." Just then Love did some hand seals for water ninjutsu. Of course nothing happened but Love thought that this was a good time for a rainbow or maybe some bubbles. "I'm sure she'll be happy to know her older sibling and your mother... Well I can't speak for an older woman's feelings or even a mother's but she obviously values familiy if she did everything she could to keep your sister safe." It only took Love a brief moment to realize what she just said might hurt him if he read too deep into it. "You're clearly strong.. you've made it through so much and you're still standing." The girl tried again with the hand seals but this time, instead of a constant 'O' shape Love's mouth moved like a fish globbing, as if she was blowing bubbles. She couldn't remember the last time she blew bubbles, yet it was one of her favorite things to do on a spring or summer day. She wanted to cheer up her new friend but she didn't know any magic tricks and didn't have any ballons. Both very childish ideas but it's the little thing that count.

Maybe he'd want to go punch it out? Love looked at the black haired male's face. She could solve just about anything with a good talk, long run, or breaking some stuff. Alas being in suna she didn't know the lay of the land, although that could be fun. Nor did she have anything that they could break however with enough strength punch chunks of rock for the cliffs could suffice. She would wait to see the look on his face before suggesting anything.

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"I don't know..." Salzem sighed, old emotions stirring up in his stomach. "I don't know my family outside my dad... I couldn't begin to imagine what they think of me..." He felt anxiousness begin to swell in his stomach the more he thought, though he did take some comfort in Love's logic, perhaps enough to actually test it out later... but not now.... He looked her way only to be met with a strange sight indeed. While Love's hands were making seals, she began expelling bubbles from her mouth, hovering a little ways before popping. He stared at her, confused to say the least, not sure what exactly to make of this.... whatever she was doing. Instead of trying to figure out what this was all about, Salzem let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.... Apparently blowing bubbles was hilarious because he couldn't stop snickering until about a moment or two later... Maybe it was the face she was making or just the strange break from the incredibly serious mood... He didn't know, nor did he especially care at this point... he was just glad to have had a break.

"Nice trick." He sighed as his breathing returned to normal, a small smile on his face. "What are you, a ninja or magician?" Against his will, with these memories still present, Salzem felt those dark little emotions creeping back into his chest, polluting his thoughts... ruining his experience... He felt  a tingling in his knuckles, a desperate need to punch something but, unfortunately, the only thing around was sand and that brought no satisfaction... Then he remembered Love...

"Hey... Love... Do you think you'd like to spar?"

Love smilied when she saw that her antics had caused her new friend to laugh. She didn't like the doubt and fear in his voice was glad that he was still able to laugh. The kunoichi then shrugged at his comment, giggling a little. "Why not both?" She replied, her face back to normal. Her hand extended out to touch a bubble, which popped when Sal's words registered in her brain. "Sure, why not." She answered back. A little last minute training woudn't hurt. And it would be good to see just how talented the competetion is. "Do want to do it here or go to the training grounds?"


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"Why not here?" He answered casually. There was no one else around and so long as Salzem didn't go TOO over the top with his techniques, there would be minimal collateral damage. Besides, he didn't intend it to be a fight to the finish either, just enough to get these feelings out of his system.

The Lycan would stand from his place on the bench and lower himself into an agressive fighting stance, though letting Love take the first swing at him. It was only polite after all since she was indulging him in this... hands-on form of therapy. While he waited, a small part of his mind wandered, wondering what exactly he was going to be doing once the jounin exams were over. Sure, he was never the type to take life more than one half-step at a time, but perhaps he should be now... Back when he was a genin, he could afford to make stupid mistakes and not plan.

As a Chuunin, Salzem had to be smarter, but he was still dead average, part of the generally largest group of ninja in the village.

Now... he was looking to be a senior ninja... all in the span of 2 years... one step below elite... He couldn't afford to be a wrecking ball anymore, plowing everything down like a force of nature... No... He had to be more percise... He had to make plans... he had to be sharp! He had to be... a wrecking ball with a point on it...