Let us Dance in the Moon Light

Winter night. An unknown town that had puzzled the Crimson Oni as he stepped into its gates. Moments ago he had been inside of his apartment in Konoha tending to the broken blade that had sat above his mantle, remembering a time where the blade had been whole and he had been a demon slayer. Whatever had remained of that man was tainted, contorted and twisted into the amalgamation known as the Crimson Demon. A man of the once proud lineage of the Pendragon, one who would have inherited the thrown and the Sword of Promised Victory. Alas all of that was naught but a dream now. It was neither here nor there anymore and as he continued to walk through the town, small puffs of frozen breath billowing from his lips he realized he was once again out of his element. Dressed in a white kimono many would imagine him as a priest of some sort. What would shatter that reality was the fact that the left side of his kimono hung free from his shoulder revealing a black sleeved vest. White pants and black boots covered the rest of the males body as he walked silently. There had been no stares coming his way like many would. He looked out of place in a sense. The silver haired male would run a hand through his hair and over the stunted horns that had been shaven down to hide under the dense locks. The horns, placed on the left and right of his head would never see the light of day as long as his hair remained matted and long, but he always knew they would always be there. The Silver Dragon, Iscarot, walked into the middle of a town in what could be seen as a plaza and sat down for just a moment. Iscarot had been used to being alone now and he found solace in his isolation. No one bothered him and many did not bother him. However, as in his old life, there were a few that managed to prod at the males defenses and bring out the light in him.

The children of Konoha had often had the rugged male help them with their studies or play with them, much like the children he once fostered in both the Land of Avalon and in Suna as well. It was one of the few times he found a smile gracing his face, as he was once known as the Father Dragon, for his knack of picking up strays and raising them. He often wondered how his kids have grown since is disappearance, but it would hurt them more to see him now than it would not going back. In lieu of that, Iscarot closed his eyes as his body continued to get used to the chilling cold that had been the town. What was the name of it even? So many questions that had no answers, but what question truly did? As he pondered on his own internal struggle he felt tugging at his kimono's bottom. The eyes that contained the color of the sunset would slowly trail down as he saw a young girl, barely upon the age of ten tug a few more times until she realized she had gotten his attention. Silence was shared between the two of them before he finally decided to ask the question," What is it I can help you with little one?," the words wouldn't come out cold or callous. No. Instead they came out in a way a caring older sibling would speak to their younger kin. The small girl would ask a simple request of the Ushitora and that was to assist her in making a snow man. While snow was very rare in both the Land of Avalon and in Suna, Iscarot did not know how to make a snow man. However, he did know how to build a sandman. Same difference.

Standing up he would offer his right hand to the small girl," Lead the way then," and with a small smile he would follow the young girl.

She would lead him over to a small clearing maybe ten or so meters from where he had been sitting and point to the rather crudely made base. He would stifle a chuckle as he walked over and began to create a suitable base using what she had started. Rounding out the sides he would begin to roll it around until it had become suitable and then he smiled. Looking over to her he would point over to a tree that had some low lying branches and even some on the ground," Go grab some of those sticks and maybe some stones. We are going to need them later," and off she went to do it. In the meantime he would inspect the area once more before going to start on the second part of the snowman. The tricky part which shouldn't have been an issue for him would be making the middle part and being creative with it. He would check in on the little girl who was running to and fro trying to find the perfect sticks and stones for the snow man. They didn't use those when trying to build sandmen in the dunes, but it would be the best creative touch he could think of at the moment, which was saying something for him.

903 WC

Every time Baliquis came to this land, she was confused and enchanted. She enjoyed the snow. She enjoyed the falling of it, and only by straining her ears could you hear it fall into small piles of its kin. Her sensory abilities allowed her to make out that connecting fall and sound, but that wasn't what she was looking for. She enjoyed how in some areas, when no one was around, it seemed as if the world stood still: trapped in time. She stood still in these few sparse moments she would remember fondly in these areas where there was no one else around. She could unabashedly be herself if she wanted, and yet… she didn’t She didn’t move, and she didn’t speak. She only stood and listened in the middle of the street, probably looking ridiculous. She listened to the sound of a world that was nothing but the inside of a snow globe of its own creation and pocket dimension existence.

Where snow blanketed and quieted all sound aptly and efficiently. Where there was no need to think of morals; if you were breaking them if you were upholding them. Where there was no need to think of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ because it simply did not exist in this promised paradise of neutrality. Where everything -but nothing at all existed. The scenery did not change. The Land? Did not change. Where who you were or who you do not hold any bearing nor importance. Encapsulated solace that she took extra time to consider and revel in so that she could come here until the day she died because she would keep her small room here in this winter wonderland, inside her mind and heart, where she would go on days of stress and days of the test. Days of mediation and days where she needed to locate, identify, and then go to a ‘happy place’ where words would neither reach her nor emotions jilt or shake her resolve.

The hustle and bustle of this place came alive once more, even as she stood there in her standard temple garb despite the cold. Once more, using her own abilities to keep herself warm amidst the temperatures and their negative plummet. She could feel the coolness on her skin and how the hairs on her arms bristled slightly against the briskness of the cold. Even with a dark charcoal scarf on and wrapped securely around her neck Baliquis could still feel it. The thickness of the scarf was encouraging, even with its thick, hand-weaved wool yarn wrapped around her neck in loops thicker than her fist; even with her abilities, she could still feel it all and in response. She let out a deep sigh of contentment and relief. Watching the contract of her hot breath against the biting temperatures around her for her breath to be made relevant and visible in a cloud of misty air before her face.

She started wandering the streets and going further down them, idly window shopping or people-watching. She liked watching the families and their well-behaved children, and occasionally? The families with their misbehaved children made her smile inwardly too. She didn’t care for the children in general, but she always liked the aspect of a family, and it didn’t after if it was a single father and their child or an older sibling raising their younger siblings. She always liked the idea and aspect of family. Or rather, she liked its base and core foundation: companionship—the comradery. It reminded her that she wanted to make new friendships and keep them; however, that meant going out of her way to start them and explore them. In the back of her mind, somewhere in the dark, there was a reminder that though she had lost one sister, she still had one that was older and may be more reliable if Bali actually reached out more. Their reintroduction was amicable and left open-ended, which Baliquis couldn’t ask for more.

What more could she ask for, really? She had been separated from her sister for ten fucking years. There was a desire to reconnect there, yes, of course, and to have at least a replacement for the lack of her biological counterpart. Ikazuchi was not a replacement for Izayumi and never could be however, she could be a rock for Baliquis if Baliquis allowed herself to leean ojn her a bit more, for Balquis to be open to the fact that, yes, she did need other people and she did need to rely on someone. She needed stability during her transition out of the temple and out of the role she had for so long that it damn near was her personality. It was hard to determine where the temple and the religion ended, and Baliquis began, which bothered the young woman. It bothered her more than the fact she was so old for a genin, but in retrospect, that was a given, all things considered. Bali never considered she would be entering the shinobidom so there was no need for her to stay up to speed and stay current with things that Izayumi was doing. It would have been easier, but now she was here: recreating a relationship with her own sister. No, not recreating- just ‘creating.’ Bali couldn’t ask for a relationship that started backward in time. She couldn’t ask for something like that because it just didn’t exist, and there was no way for them to begin ‘anew’ in the past. They had to start fresh and new. They needed their reintroduction to manage their expectations, so they could sit down and speak candidly about what they both wanted from a relationship- even if it was a friendship. They both needed to take that extra time to speak about what they wanted from the friendship and where they wanted the friendship to go from there. How they were both going or not going to contribute to solidifying their new relationship’s foundation. They needed to take that time to also speak transparently about their boundaries and what their ‘hard-no’s were: the things they refused to forgive. It was a healthier start, and that's all she could ask for when her sister could have closed the door in her face or just flat out ignored her.

It was a lot to think about, and as Baliquis absently wandered down the bustling and merry shopping streets that skirted a large, snow-covered area. It could have been a park if there wasnt any snow, but that didn’t both Bali entirely. She was enjoying the contrast, and she continued down the path and then spanned the area before she saw someone who looked familiar. She spared a moment to reach out with her sensories abilities just to touch the chakra of that person and just try to verify if Baliquis was correct in her assumption. When her senses connected and reported back to her, Baliquis smiled internally. It was her- Remika. The shorter woman had been enthralling when Bali first met her, and though the intensity of those feelings and that attraction had mostly died down, that was no promise the fires could not be restocked and fed again. She did take her time to walk over and see her and another person growing larger in view as the distance grew shorter and shorter.

She was still a picture of folklore beauty. The woman’s dark hair gleamed softly in the light softly bounced off the snow as it fell about hand around her shoulders and into the folds of the cloak she wore, even if the hair cascaded down into the folds then spilled out and down the rest of her back. Her skin was still soft and near poreless, ceramic perfection. Reddened eyes still drops of red velvet, and her lips still warmed and rosied with that same red.

Bali stayed smiling inwardly as she saw a small child taking some buttons from Remika and seemed quite excited as Baliquis drew within a few meters. The larger woman watched as the child held onto them and ran off to get something for this- rounded ball of snow. Was it a snowman in the making? She tried to rack her brain to think of what else a snowman was comprised of.

Rounded mounds of snow in a tall, stacked row of three, sticks for arms, little rocks for eyes and buttons on the chest, something to take place for a nose and a scarf- Oh. That’s something she could contribute. A scarf. Baliquis raised her hands to her neck and unwrapped the scarf she wore, carefully unwrapping it so the yarn would not unravel. Now what? How was she to offer it normally in a social setting like this? The only person she knew was Remika, and when the small child- a little girl- came back, she looked at Baliquis, and her eyes began to grow big, “Whoa! You’re tall!” The little girl said, and Bali chuckled politely, and she took the scarf off completely and knelt down, turning slightly to bring herself as close to the girl in height as she could-

“And generous, too.” Bali chuckled jokingly and smiled politely as she offered the girl the scarf, “For your snowman, perhaps?” The little girl took it and whispered with wonder about how it was still warm. Still, Baliquis nodded shortly and looked at Remika, smirking as the little girl trampled off to find more things for the snowman, “It’s good to see you again as well, Remika; I’m happy we were able to meet again here.”

[ WC: 1600 / 12,250 ]

Rin strode through the city streets, the cold night air swirling around her, leaving a cold burn under her like a frozen flame as snow continued to fall around her. Shivering under the pressure of the cold Rin pulled her coat tighter around her, a long white cotton trench coat with lined, supposedly, with the fur of a hundred year old white fox; at least that was what the vendor she had bought it from last night had assured her of. She had probably overpaid for it as a result but she had been a little tipsy and board not to mention that the unexpected windfall of the various jobs she had finally begun to pick up had left her willing to splurge a little on one of the rare cases of a piece of clothing that sung to her. The coat was edged with a fine weave of alternating black and gold stitches that gave the coat just enough of a sense of formality that she could wear it in almost any setting and the material it had been made from was, at least to her eye, of some of the highest quality she had ever experienced, so the coat should last her even through travel.

The long trailing leaves of the coat even resembled that of a kimono, although admittedly the material was different, but that wasn't what had drawn Rin to it, rather the trailing coat sleeves allowed her to disguise her missing arm, giving the illusion that it was simply hanging limp within the protection of the coat; and seeming to follow on with its resemblance to a kimono the designer had seemingly taken inspiration from the obi used to fix kimono's in place. Rather than buttons or clasps a thin yellow gold ribbon was stitched and woven around the midriff of the coat, allowing it to be tied closed in a way that left her chosen attire of her upper body still somewhat visible, neatly framed by the coat as it wrapped around her sides, giving it the illusion of being tailored just for her.

She smiled at the memory of first trying it on, the kindly old clothing vendor who's shop she had been visiting often of late had pulled it out from under the counter as she approached, the coat neatly folded and stored in a gorgeous box for protection. Apparently it was one of the woman's display pieces, one that she had been saving for a favored customer. When Rin had had thrown the coat over her shoulders she had been pleasantly surprised, the way it framed the simple back shirt she had been wearing looked wonderful, and the soft cherry corset she wore under the coat just peaked out enough to give her outfit an air of culture. She had liked the look so much she even wore the same again today; although tightened and wrapped around her as her coat was the majority of her look was hidden away. Still her skin tight black cotton pant's clung to her legs, a white strip running down the left side of them that looked reminiscent of a foxes tail, another odd find she had picked up in the woman's store; whenever she took a step forward the black and white leg wear peaking out from under the coverings of her coat.

The one thing she wasn't happy with however was her shoes; though it was her fault, the party she had found herself drawn into last night had been wild and much of it was a blur, however she at some point in the night had made a rather foolish bet with an odd individual who wagered he could eat her shoes within a minute; she had thought it a safe bet, but apparently even without a powerful chakra signature the fellow had some talent because he had managed to bite through her tough leather shoes with ease. It had been a neat party trick, she had to admit that, but it had also cost her a few thousand ryo, and a pair of shoes. So now rather than the nice warm leather boots she had been wearing during the rest of her time in this little town she was now wearing a pair of old Geta that she had borrowed from her generous hosts.

The sandals weren't ugly or anything, indeed as with many antiques their host's seemed to own these sandals were of an impeccable quality, well looked after and quite pretty all things considered, no the issue was the cold; even with her legs wrapped in thigh length tabi, the chill of the night's snow still bit into her, just enough to leave her constantly aware of the discomfort. With a sigh she made a mental note to find some new shoes as soon as possible, even as she continued wandering through the streets. It was late and many of the shops and stalls in this part of the city had closed for the night, which left her free to ponder the assortment of bizare events that seemed to happen in this town on a regular basis. First she had been whisked away here with a girl from a backwater village through one of the most advanced space time techniques she had ever witnessed, not just that but the technique had been imbued into a scroll haphazardly, as if the technique was nothing more than an afterthought rather than with the reverence and care such an advanced technique should be treated with.

Following that she had found herself encountering a strange giant of a woman who, through some bizarre twist of fate was connected to The blackened sage, a woman who... at least what she could gather from the broken snippets and fractured memories she had somehow shared with the woman, was responsible for the deaths of two of his offspring. She still really didn't know how to feel about that, the monster that she knew would never have been capable of showing enough sympathy, or kindness, to attract attention from all but the most twisted of women... and even then, for him to willingly engage in any form of romance seemed... Rin had to stop and lean against the side of a nearby building, the mental image making her want to vomit... in fact she did, just a little, as she felt her dinner starting to try and force its way up into her mouth.

Shaking her head and forcing herself to swallow the small amount of half digested lunch that had caught in her throat she continued, wandering rather aimlessly as she explored the city, forcing her mind to move onto more tasteful subjects; at least for the time being she needed to think of things other than... that thing in the shape of a man. Trying to find a more pleasant memory to focus on she began reconsidering the woman she had met a few days earlier, odd though she may have been, and though they had certainly had some differences, the meeting had been, overall at least somewhat pleasant... when she hadn't been inadvertently contributing to the ruin of what little remained of Rin's meridian system...

Perhaps fate was playing a trick on her, or perhaps it was just a coincidence but just as she was pondering the woman's last words to her she turned a corner only to find that same woman she had been thinking about standing there with a young child. With a smile plastered on her face she strolled up to the woman, flourishing her hand out into a bow as she greeted her with a kind smile "Remika, a pleasure to see you again, I hope you dont plan on scaring this child half to death?" She asked, the playful tone in her voice evident. Even if she still hadn't forgiven the woman for her mistake she could at least see the humor in it... that was until she glanced up from her bow, seeing a figure standing just behind Remika, her eyes narrowed as she felt blood pumping in her ears. She tried to speak, but her voice came out as a horse whisper, all she was able to get out was an ominous "You" delivered whilst glowering at the woman who had run off on her after exposing her to a reminder of the most traumatic experience of her life.


WC: 1402

Time moved slowly within his mind as he toiled on the creation of this snowman. Delicate workings went into each movement he did as if he had been crafting a weapon. The first mound had been smoothed to an almost perfect circle with the top being perfectly flat so the second mound could be sat upon it perfectly. As he leaned down to start on the second mound itself he would hear a voice behind him, a voice had not had the pleasure of hearing yet. As he turned his head slightly to see who the new person was he would see her smile and chuckle lightly as he turned back around to continue his work," While this is my first time making something like this with snow, i have some skill in doing it with sand. The trick is all in the wrists and molding. Its almost akin to the beginning stages of making a weapon. Its about the nuance and care you put into the first stages," though when he realized that he had been rambling he would quickly put himself back on track," Apologies i tend to ramble sometimes. Though I hope I am not overstepping my bounds, but i do think a more...genuine smile would fit your features. You are very beautiful but a fake smile does not suit you," he said it with the utmost respect and did not mean any harm by it. It was truth that he thought Remika had been beautiful but the smile he had seen was probably not her real one.

He would continue to work on the snowman but at this time another would come into the story. If meeting new people in such a small frame of time was an understatement this was it. It seemed the two woman knew each other which seemed nice. Friends were a commodity that everyone needed, and while Iscarot was in a very low demand of them he was somewhat envious of it. While they talked he would pick up the second mound with no issue in fact it felt as light as a plate to him. Placing it gently onto the bottom half, he would lean back down to quickly, but efficiently build the last part which was the head. It did not take him long, probably just as long as the two would have been conversing before he had finished it. Standing up he would wipe some of the excess snow from the snowman and stare at its blank features," Hmm...You seem to be missing the most key features of your being. Surely my little helper here has what you need?," he would turn to smile at the small girl who had a plethora of things to add to the snowman. Since the snowman was taller than her by a wide margin he would lift her up gently and place her on his shoulders so she could place the items directly onto the snowman. As she did he wouldn't say much as to not disturb the true artist from the final plans of her work. Once the little girl was done he would stand back and make two L-shaped symbols and once he brought them together they would make a sort of finger camera lense.

He didn't notice it but the little girl had copied him and pointed it at the snowman. They would both nod in unison as Iscarot declared their work complete," That is the finest snowman I think I have ever had the pleasure of creating. Fine work lass fine work indeed! You should be proud of this," what he did not expect was the awkward but thoughtful hug the girl would give his head. For a moment he had been thrown off but he had returned it as best he could. After a moment he would sit the little girl back down and watched as she bounded toward the others. For a moment he was reminded of his own little ones back in Suna. How they would have enjoyed doing an activity like this, something they had never done before. Maybe being here was good for him and good for his soul. As he was pondering something cold had tagged him in the chest and brought him back to reality. Upon further inspection it would have been a...snowball? As he dusted the remains off he could hear the childish snickering of someone ten meters to his right and as he turned he caught it just in time to dodge it. Silly child knew not who he had been challenging, but the male knew one thing. The challenge was accepted. He wouldn't bother the others with what had been going on just yet, but he would prepare some ammunition just in case. Making a dozen snowballs he would load each of his hands with one before launching the first one at the culprit who had struck him.

The battle was on as Iscarot waged a battle against the five other kids, still unsure if the ladies would join in. Iscarot however was having fun admittedly.. The snowballs were launched en masse and even though he was outnumbered he would hold his own as a knight should. Three snowballs came barreling at him causing him to dodge in the opposite direction and behind a decently sized shrub. Due to his immense height he would have to crouch just a little more, but he was out of harms way. Slowly he would peer over it and see the children waiting for him, but Iscarot was prepared. Taking in a deep breathe he would focus, aiming for the head of one of the children. The snowball would launched with vicious accuracy with the intent of putting the young boy on his behind. As it the projectile knocked his mark, he would chuckle and yell out," Apologies but all is fair in warfare!!," though the kids definitely did not believe that. The remaining four would relentlessly barrage the area he had been in, but Iscarot wasn't going to give in.

WC: 1,009
TWC: 1,912
WC Needed: 12,250

Rin's eyes narrowed, staring at the woman who was the center of her ire, her scowl deepening as the woman's showed a faint hint of what could only be described as excitement as she looked towards Rin, had it not been for the friendly presence of the monster who's power wholly dwarfed Rin's own she may very well have attacked the girl then and there, but instead she gritted her teeth and waited for the girls response, restricting herself to a hostility only conveyed with words rather than with the force that she wished to levy against this snake of a woman... at least that's what she intended to do, until the woman took a step forward, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Conscious of Remika watching them Rin took a single, graceful step backwards and to the side, positioning herself so she was just out of reach of the woman's grasping hand. With barely contained venom she spoke quietly enough that the others, at least to her knowledge, shouldn't be able to overhear them, though of course should one have supernatural senses that dwarfed that of standard shinobi they would no doubt still be able to overhear.

"Don't touch me snake, whatever you have to say to me you can say without subjecting me to whatever witchcraft you used before." She said, her gaze locked coldly on the girls eyes.

She could see the look in the girl's eyes as she spoke, something that looked almost like a distant mirror of her own pain, at least for a moment, as she spoke. "I would like to speak with you privately; please follow me.” she said, her voice barely a murmur, and Rin felt a hint of a quiver within, the burning rage that was fulling her calming ever so slightly. Reluctantly she gave the girl a brief, curt, nod before turning to Remika. "If you would excuse us for a moment, we have some unfinished business to resolve." She said, giving the woman a respectful half bow, albeit one that probably looked a little awkward with the sleeve of her missing arm hanging limply to the side.

Turning and following Baliquis to a polite distance that sat out of earshot of the aristocrat and her new companion Rin opened her mouth, about to rip into the woman for her actions, for the pain, suffering and betrayals she had caused, but she was cut off as the woman sprung into an immediate apology. “I wanted to apologize to you, Rin, for the other day- when we met- and for running off on you after that exchange without a proper explanation. That was not only rude of me but also not right, and I am deeply apologetic for my uncouth actions.” Rin closed her mouth, frowning at the woman. She was 'sorry?' What absurdity was this, to think that a simple apology would make up for her actions, to absolve her of her connection with the shadow. Rin would have launched into a barrage fueled by anger and hurt right then, the intention visible on her face, but before she had got her thoughts in order enough to put those emotions into words the woman had continued her hurried apology.

“I…Have so much to explain, and I will start with what I feel are the most important things. In regards to the memories we shared…that is due to an ability I have that grew and turned into an affinity that is in connection with the religious order I am a member of- Ninshu." Rin was barely listening at this point, and had the woman started with anything other than this she would likely have cut her off then and there, but even as furious as she was she could recognise the value of information, and this woman was giving away hints of what could very well be the secrets of some secular order. Gritting her teeth and swallowing down her feelings for now she tamped down on her boiling fury and let it sit contained within her gut as she resolved herself to listen to the woman's words, if only such that she would have the knowledge to use in the future.

"It is the connection of all beings, and the exchange we had was due to this ability that I am still learning control over, which allows a glimpse of a person’s sincere feelings." The woman said, and Rin's mind was already starting to categorise the implications of such a power, so similar to how her own control over nature chakra worked and yet... somehow so different, she had felt no indication that nature chakra had been involved in the technique the girl had used, in fact she hadn't felt any nature chakra at all whilst she was experiencing the girl's memories, the sense of the world's chakra cut off from the girl's own untrained senses.

"The lack of control over this ability is my responsibility and my fault alone; however, I am newly learning of these things and newly stepping into the…shinobi world… after many years being kept in a Temple…so that my twin sister, who meant a great deal to me, could become a shinobi and would not be hindered by the more religious sects of our faith and family. I was not allowed to leave the temple or speak to my family in exchange for my sister being allowed freedom from the religion…A few weeks ago, her corpse was returned to the temple after no one had heard from her for years, and the people I asked to keep an eye on her for her safety and my peace of mind, were all murdered. The following day, her children- my niece and nephew- came to view the body….” The girl said, and Rin could already feel her mind drifting back to that image, the memory of the children being locked away, their death warrants signed by the woman in front of her, she felt her mind quivering, the rage and anger that was tightly held down mixing with shame, worry, fear and a trace of regret. She felt many things, right now, more than she could easily process, and certainly not while this woman continued to pile more on her, but the one feeling that stood out the most, was the utter pity she felt for the girl's sister. It was not the strongest emotion, nor the most insistent, but it was a constant gnawing in her gut that made her feel sick, like she was on the edge of loosing her lunch, as if she was a child falling from a great height, it was the emotion that stood out from all the others because of how different it was. Where her anger at Baliquis was a red hot rage, her fear of the Oil of night a cold grip around her throat, her desire for an almost impossible vengeance a constant companion, this was unique for how unused to this feeling she was.

Rin could feel the intrusive thoughts in the back of her mind, spiraling away again, picturing what horrors and torments the poor girl's sister must have experienced. She was utterly convinced now that the scion of corruption would never have been capable of any degree of love or affection, it was too far removed from the monsters nature, she could only assume the poor girl had been some sort of experiment, forced to bear the young of the demon in an experience that was no doubt more horrific than anything she could put words too, no doubt the universe itself would endeavour to censure any mention of such wretched actions. Still she shuddered as the images flashed through her mind, the intrusive thoughs of what the woman must have endured and the horrid creatures that had been born of her body.

“I…The memories I got from you showed a man that I had received reports about, but I didn’t believe them because they seemed so fictitious. They described him as a patchwork man…and by the time I denied the reports, the people I asked to watch my sister began showing up dead. She married some man who took the place of the children’s father, but she died with the answers to the questions of who actually was the father of my niece and nephew… I believe, as horrid as it sounds, your memories confirmed that this…stitched-up horror was, more than likely, their father." the woman said and Rin's gut dropped even further, so not only had she been forced to experience this woman's memories but her own mind had been violated, not only without her consent which... at this point in her life was all but worthless anyway, but without even her knowing it had happened.

"I felt… many of the things you did in that memory exchange" the woman confirmed even as she continued on, "and knew some of your thoughts; We were identical twins, yet as people, our personalities could not be more opposite than they are…I do not know how to speak to you or where to begin, but I want to apologize if that exchange re-opened old wounds you were trying to close… and I can understand if, because of it, you would rather not have a connection with me." the woman said and Rin found her already roiling mass of emotions barely kept under control ready to burst as a thread of confusion began to pour into the mix. She had no idea what to think of this woman, how to think of her, or even how to feel towards her. She would not have wished those experiences, those memories, on anyone, should she feel sorrow for the woman, pity? The traumatic experiences she had experienced in the presence of the stitch faced wraith were something that could only be described as soul crushing, it had taken her years to claw herself back into even a semblance of a functioning person again. Should she be showing this girl sympathy for having to go through that? She simply didn't know, and that left her without an outlet for the roiling mess of emotions within her.

"I do not know what you saw of me, but…I would be lying if I told you I was and always have been a good person because I haven’t been. I have done things that should not be pursued by a devote of any faith or religion….” the girl said, taking a deep breath again and Rin finally had had enough. She was mad, angry, furious, with the woman, but more so at the demon who had been proven once again to be responsible for ruining not only her life but the lives of an incalculable number of others. Cutting the woman off finally Rin spoke, her voice shaking with the complicated mix of emotions that kept her from even looking the girl in the eye. Instead, eyes downcast she spoke, her hair hanging over her face and masking her expression. "Bullshit." she said quietly, before she said it again louder. "That is utter Bullshit! No one is a good person when the living corruption that is that asshole gets involved in your life, you violated something private, and I wont ever forgive you for that, but there is no way in hell that thing is causing you any more damage than it already has. You mark my words Baliquis Hozuki, whatever horrors that creature has placed upon your life you are not responsible for a single one of them, the Monsterous spawn the creature sent masquerading as children to your home are better off dead now, before they can be used for whatever sick plan they had been conceived for."

Doing her best to hold back the slow trickle of tears that occasionally dripped down her face at this point Rin stifled a sniffle before forcing herself to look up and place a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Forgiveness or not, when it comes to the black stitched demon you will have an ally in me, whatever choices you make. Just make sure that when you make a move you you do not loose more than your planned on wagering." She said, waving her stump as if to make a point.

Just as Rin was about to continue on their conversation she heard Remika's voice echo out from behind them, “Let us go, it looks like we might be able to spend the day, all together.” the high born said and Rin reluctantly turned, letting out a sigh before speaking far more quietly "we should pick this up afterwards, it would be ill advised to keep her waiting." She said, stifling another shudder as she thought of the terrifying power hidden behind the woman's placid gaze.

Turning and walking towards where Remika and her odd new friend were, Rin found herself quickly entering into what looked like a battlefield, albeit one where the weapons were not knives and blades but rather snow and water. Rin watched as a cluster of children bombarded the odd man, five of them throwing down a wave of snowballs at the man that, with their positioning would have spelt defeat for a warrior in any normal battle... but of course despite appearances the battle's outcome was far from foregone, she watched as the warrior blurred, dodging a wave of oncoming snowballs even as he ducked behind a lone shrub, using its cover as another wave of ice and frost crashed against it, spraying their debris everywhere, she saw the children continue their bombardment, a never ending stream of frozen water crashing against the man's poultry defence and keeping him pinned down. At that point the fight was a foregone conclusion, one of the children starting to sneak their way around to flank the trapped combatant, then as if sent by fate herself reinforcements arrived for the man, Remika arrived, gracefully, flowing through the battlefield like a saint of combat, as she chose her targets with pin point precision, balls flying towards the man's assailants with the perfect timing to disrupt their barrage, leaving him room to pop up from his barricade and return fire himself even as the children were forced to split their focus between the pair. The fight raged back and forth for a short while, settling into a stalemate for a short moment before Baliquis and Rin arrived on the scene, the blue haired woman dashing into the fray with abandon, a joyful look on her face that left Rin standing there in puzzlement, it had only been a short time since she had witnessed Rin's memories and Rin could tell she had been affected by them, and yet here she was indulging herself in cheerful play with children as if nothing had happened... Rin couldn't decide if she was impressed, terrified or offended by the girl's seeming disinterest in the truama that she had experienced first hand.

Regardless with Baliquis's inclusion the tables quickly turned on the children. Though they still outnumbered the older trio by two, the children were vastly outclassed, indeed any one of the adults could likely have wiped the floor with the children if they had been inclined to use even a fraction of the spiritual power stored within their bodies, but that would have been poor sportsmanship to say the least. Never the less even without the help of their chakra the training the trio had all experienced was clear, in the way they moved, the way they held and positioned themselves. Each of them were clearly trained combatants and with the three of them working in tandem the children found themselves hard pressed to maintain the momentum they had built up, the group being forced back step by step as they were forced to take cover from the retaliatory snowballs that came towards them. For a moment Rin wondered if she should join in, conscious of drawing the ire of the mysterious power that was Remika, but then she was also fairly sure joining in at this point would be more akin to bullying the poor children. She considered joining on the children's side for a moment, but before she could involve herself she heard calls echoing out over the battlefield, the children's various parent's summoning them back for dinner or chores, though the voice of one adult was crying out for an entirely different reason.

Rin watched as Remika headed in the direction of the woman's cries, swift and elegant as was her way, despite the speed that would have indicated hurry on anyone else the woman moved with an ease that didn't even crease her clothes, an ease that spoke of years of practice, something that Rin found at least a little odd given the woman's age, she couldn't help but add it to the growing list of evidence the woman was from some incredibly strict noble family, though which one and from which country was still a mystery to her. Trailing on behind her with the others she watched as the woman led them to an absurd sight that, to rin, was all the more absurd for the fact that it was a sight she had witnessed twice now within only a handful of days.

There on the side of the street, with a wailing mother to the side who flitted between bemoaning the children's situation and scolding the children's foolishness, were a pair that had once again managed to find themselves with their tongues stuck to the pole. For a moment she thought it might have even been the same pair that had gotten themselves stuck in the same precarious position the other night, thankfully however upon closer inspection she noticed a few differences that marked them as children other than those who had already experienced this quirk of temperature.

Stepping up next to Remika she was about to make a comment about not repeating the events of the prior night when she saw Balquis stepping towards the pair of children, a confident look on her face, closing her mouth to watch what the woman did with interest Rin waited, observing as she placed her hand on the pole, the flesh seeming to bubble and writhe slightly before turning to water, the liquid rolling down the pole and absorbing the frigid temperature from the pole enough that the children's tongues simply slipped right off. Rin had to suppress an impressed whistle, the ability to turn her body to water was interesting enough, something that could have a myriad of possible combat applications, but what was more impressive was the liquid's resilience, despite the frigid temperature that should have frozen the water within a few moments the girl's liquid seemed to be almost completely unaffected, something that could no doubt be exploited given enough research and dedication; still that was a problem for next time, and something far more pressing scratched at her senses.

Rin watched out of the corner of her eye as Remika began scanning the gathering crowd, searching for something, even half lost in her own musings as she was Rin had more than enough presence of mind to recognize that anything which drew the attention of the aristocrat was no doubt important enough to warrant her own attention so she drew her attention out and stretched out her spiritual senses. Unsure what she was looking for at first it took her a moment to recognize a presence darting from house to house, almost in unison a the woman next to her exclaimed “Caught you.” Rin found herself groaning an exclamation of her own. "Not another one" she said aloud even as Balquis popped up by her shoulder, whispering to the aristocratic power next to them, though Rin's already alert senses picked up the words. “Want to go catch him and beat him up?” she said a faint trace of excitement in the woman's voice.

Happy to let Remika take on the role of defacto leader she left the decision up to her, instead stretching out her senses to feel for any other abnormalities, this was the fifth person she had seen stealing from houses with abandon, a decidedly unfestive behavior that seemed in utter opposition to the nature of this place, moreover the other four had been complete strangers within the city, though they looked and acted like the townsfolk none of them had held up to scrutiny, not having a single connection that could be identified. Though she wasn't sure exactly what it was just yet, something itched at her mind, telling her there was more going on here than just some petty theft during the festive season.


WC: 3452
TWC:  4854

The battle waged. Balls of snow flung in two different directions as Iscarot fired off potshot after potshot at the opposition as he could only smile. Even if it was a mock battle, as a warrior it ran in his blood to take any sort of battle seriously. The air had become frigid yet his entire being emitted a heat only around him. He could feel the horns on his head itching as the inner oni within him stirred, something had awoken the battle like beast within him and he enjoyed it. Sweeping his hair backwards the filed and smooth stumps of the horns would reveal themselves to the world as he began to make more ammunition for the oncoming onslaught which would determine the outcome of the battle. He could hear the crunching of the snow across from him as the children had begun their approach. Slowly. Surely they would ambush him but he would allow them absolutely no quarter in trying to defeat him. He slowly counted each step in his mind as he heard them. One. Two. Three. Upon the fourth step he would launch snowballs with expert aim and monstrous strength until he had heard either an "oof" or "fall back" from the children. As they retreated back to their original position he would chuckle and begin to make more snowballs. He had not checked to see if the others had joined him, it would not make a difference if they had or not. He had fallen back into a mindset of war, something that had simply came with years...no decades of fighting in a land far away from here. He had to remind himself however that these were kids and they were simply playing so he didn't incidentally take their heads off with a snowball. As the battle waged, he could hear footsteps to his left before a body had slid into cover beside him. It had been one of the ladies that had assisted him in building the snowman with the young lass. He had never caught her name, but from earlier conversation it felt as if he was not worthy at least in her eyes to receive it. Whether he did or not was no consequence to him it simply was it as was. However at the present time he would be more concerned with the snowball fight. After she had joined he would have had enough snowballs to launch a counter siege against the children. Looking over to his new partner he would give a nod as he picked up as many snowballs as he could and began to launch them at the kids at rapid, consecutive intervals. He would almost appear as a gatling ballista as he launched them at the kids, sparing no one in his assault. The sounds of wails and laughter filled the air until unfortunately the fun would come to an end. Mothers would call their kids back into their embrace as it was time for the playing to end and either time to eat or head home to prepare their ornaments and trees.

He did not understand the sentiment of preparing trees and other such things for a holiday he had no recollection of. Presents were usually given on namedays or special occasions where he had been from. If you had the privilege of ascending to one of the thrones of the family you received a gift in the form of the families unique sword or one of your own. One thing had been for sure though he was envious of being able to spend this time with others he had cared about, even more so the family he had lost over the years of not being home. Shaking the thought from his brain he would stand up and dust some of the snow off of his clothing and turned to Remika almost briefly," I must commend you on your throwing arm, you have quite the aim milady," the words came off as a compliment yet he knew to many they would come off as odd since he talked...very weirdly. Not of this land weird at that. Before he could say anything to the others he heard a scream of sorts. Turning his head, Iscarot would readjust his hair to where the horns had gone back to their hidden state under the matted silver locks and off he was. When had arrived to the scene he could see two kids with their tongues stuck to poles. For a moment he had to stifle a laugh as why would one want to stick their tongue on such a dirty pole, frozen one at that. He could make quick work of this and as he attempted to he would reach for where his sword would be. Feeling the emptiness of it caused him to sigh for a moment, but he was not out of options. Across from him the sound of whittling could be heard and that was where he had an idea. Walking over to the old gentleman he would give a bow and a smile as he always would with his elders and speak," Excuse me sir but could I make use of your knife to free those kids without taking off their tongues?," the old man blinked for a moment and placed his glasses on his face to observe the pole and then looked back to the Ushitora.

"Sonny you must be mad if you think you can slice through that with this. But if you want to waste your time go ahead sonny."

As the knife was handed over, a smirk would appear on his face as he took it gently and walked over toward the pole," Sir you may want to watch closely. Even the smallest or dullest of blades can still cut in a qualified hand," it wasn't a saying or philosophy it was truth to him. As he moved over to the kids who had been squirming trying to get free of their own accord, Iscarot had been looking over the poles sizing them up and once he was close he would take in a deep breath and exhale. Focusing he would hold the blade upright, directly against his chest before taking three steps back. As he stepped back the blade itself would begin to heat, taking on the property of fire as he thrusted forward in one simple movement. No energy was wasted as the knife went through both poles in an angle that would cut the poles and free the tongues of the children with no damage to them. Swiping the blade to the right he would begin to twirl it for a moment before sticking it in the ground to cool it off before heading over to the old man and presenting his blade back," Nay a scratch on it good ser. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity of using it. Have a great night," the old man had been dumbfounded but nodded his head before going back to what he had been doing. Before Iscarot had the time to turn off to head back to the group he was stopped by the old man who had thrown him a spare knife. The old man had chuckled and looked over to the Oni as if he had remembered something from his youth," Here take this just in case you have to liberate someone else from a pole. It ain't that shar but seeing what you did with that knife? It'll make due now won't it Mister Swordsman?," that sage like chuckle escaped his lips as Iscarot caught the blade which had been in an intricate leather sheath. Attaching it to his hip he would give the old man one more bow before heading off.

Shortly after his short exchange with the old man he would be back with the group who had stopped to talk again, or at least that's what he thought. He had noticed they had some sort of history among one another. Whether it was good or bad was no business of his as he was not going to inject himself into something that had no business of his. However as he was about to ask the group of three a question, something had caught his eye. A mother and her group of children had stopped after coming out of a store, which isn't a weird thing in of itself. What had caught his attention though was the fact that one of the children had been crying. A memory played in his mind of the youngest in his ilk. Jiwa, crying because one of the stores had sold out of his favorite stuffed animal. Iscarot had probably spent days hunting down that stuffed lemur before finally finding one and quelling the tiny rage that had been Jiwa. He didn't know if he had been chuckling due to his own pain in that situation or because of how the young child had thrown such a tantrum but he had walked over to the lady and asked if she needed any help. She had begun to discuss how they had been searching for a specific toy for her youngest all day because the festive holiday was right around the corner but the last toy store had sold out of them which had put them in this current predicament. Standing up for a moment he would look around and nod before looking back to the mother. He didn't honestly know anything about this place but he was resourceful. Patting the mother on the shoulder gently he would promise that he would try to find the toy before the days end, and deliver it to her. Asking for directions to her home, he would take a mental note of it before bowing to her and heading back to the group once more. Just as he arrived back he would catch wind of something going on, mostly due to the reaction of Bali and her question to Remika.

Whatever had been going on caught her attention from so far away that he was wondering just how strong her senses were. None the less as soon as the group moved so too would he. While they ran toward the culprit or more so toward the area where they had been, Iscarot would roll his shoulders and get into position. Crouching down he would focus most of his monstrous strength into his legs as the ground underneath him slightly buckled. With one swift release he launched himself into the air toward the area the ladies had been running toward. He wouldn't be able to launch himself far, but as he took to the air he would look for the nearest house or building and place his trajectory for landing there. Using the mastery of his own body he would turn toward the right to adjust his trajectory, landing on the house and seeing someone running out of one house and into another. So this was the culprit she had seen? Maybe it was, but he would wait for the others before jumping off the building and timing his descent to catch the person running out of the next house. As he left his third house and ran across the street into another the thief would find their body in the ground before they knew what had happened. Bags and presents littered the snow covered ground as he tried to wiggle free but found he would go nowhere," If I were you, thief, I would stop trying to wiggle free or I might press wrong and remove your ability to walk ever again from your body. Why were you stealing from these people?," he would ask as he pressed just a little more, cementing the fact that he could and would take away his walking. He'd wait of course until the others had caught up to him and let them ask their own questions for his job had simply been to detain and stop. As the ladies had did their thing, Iscarot would stand up and walk over to the side to pick up some of the presents and bags that had been strewn around. As he begun to pick them up he had noticed that one of them had been the stuffie that the kid had wanted. Seeing as there were two going back to the same house. Surely they wouldn't be getting two for one child as that would be wasteful so he did what would have been right- giving one to a family in need.

While they had still been interrogating the Grinch, Iscarot would return the good and then head to the families house where he would give the family what they had been looking for. A smile appeared on the youngest kids face as he smiled and hugged the elder dragon's legs which caused him to chuckle and pat the kids head. A thief had been stopped and a family was now happy. That was all he could honestly ask for really. As he left the family, he could hear that the nearby area would be shut off due to a blizzard which had been smart. What he had also heard however was that someone's husband had still been out there. No one was going to go and assist him, but going out alone was also foolhardy. What he would do however is head back over to the group alerting them to what had been going on," There is a person that is stuck out among the blizzard that is roaring towards this town.. I would like to ask for your assistance in retrieving him before he is past the point of no return," of course if they had declined then he would have to brave the blizzard on his own, but the cold didn't bother him in the slightest. Not being able to see however? That did.

WC: 2,322
TWC: 4,234
WC Needed: 12,250