Those currently invited:
Adzumi
Mako

Fukai didn't know where he was going, he just needed a bit of fresh air and some blood circulation. He needed to sort out his thoughts and decide what he was going to do with this new occurrence he had stumbled upon. It was later on in the same day as he had ran into the shady messenger and had enjoyed a meal with a pleasant young ronin by the name of Jiongami. Their meeting had been one of random occurrence but it was such events that were the spice of life and added flavour to a sometimes bitter world. But what he had discovered was a little unnerving, a small piece of information that was not meant for him and he had to decide what to do with it, whether to act on it or not and what he should do if he decided to...

..Ugh. His head was cloudy and he couldn't seem to find an easy answer. The stroll through the streets led him up an easy incline as well as weaving in and out of buildings. After about an hour he raised his head to realise that he didn't know where he was. There was a distant noise coming from somewhere up the road. A beat with a constant tempo reverberated down to his location. A faint glow of bright colours joined the sound, the mix of sensations beckoned to the young man. He decided to go explore, he may as well try to distract himself. He found himself staring at a bar, sat like an eagles nest high in the side of the mountain. What a strange place, bright lights flashing on and off to the beat of repetitive music. Fukai's interest grew, he wanted to see what was in the place. Like a moth to a bright light, he drew nearer.

The inside of the place was jammed full of people, dancers and drinkers that had quite different ideas about personal space then Fukai did. They bumped into the large man out of clumsy intoxication. The music was uncomfortably loud and seemed to echo around in his skull. Jostling his way through the throng, he made it to the bar only to find a mass of people wedged up against the counter. He sighed in exasperation and gave up, using slight of hand to whip out a bottle of cheap beer from an unsuspecting partyer and replacing it with a few notes. He then fought his way back through the crowd and out onto the deck. It was pleasantly cool even if it was a little windy. The view over the deck of Kumogakure at nightfall was spectacular. Most of the village and all it's working people would be asleep now, preparing their bodies for tomorrow's work but these young people in here were out to enjoy their youth. Fukai sighed as he knealt over the metal railing. It was a life that he had never been a part of, he had never been privy to such excitement.

[510]

The world was dark, the air was hot and vibrating, and her ears were bombarded with an intoxicating beat that Adzumi couldn't help but swing her hips to even if she wanted to. She opened her eyes and flashing lights exploded against her retinas, bright blues and pinks, the cool air outside was no where to be found inside the cramped bar. Tonight was another good night here at what Adzumi claimed to be the only worthy hang out spot for the younger members of Kumogakure. She had been there for a few hours now from what she could tell from the small slit-like window she peered out of, the moon was finally up in the middle of the sky. 

She had finally danced her way to the wall across the entrance to the bar and was catching her breath when she noticed a tall man enter. He had long lavender colored hair tied in a pony tail which was pushed back with a crown-esk piece adorned a matching gem in the middle. Her eyes scanned the rest of his attire, or lack thereof. From what she could tell he wore an overly large blood-red scarf and a chest piece that divided his extremely toned body in half. The large circle piece looked a lot like the top of her thigh high socks actually. She continued to watch this man attempt and fail to get to the bar to order a drink and silently watched as he stole from a partier. Hmmm a stranger and a thief.. 


Pushing her hair back out of her hair and smoothing it down slightly she straightened up and slid through the crowd to the other side in seconds. She leaned against the door frame for a few moments watching the stranger get comfortable against the railing before walking calmly over to him, her barefeet making little to no sound against the wooden deck until she placed her elbows against the railing next to him. Still not having said a word she turned to look at him, her body bent slightly to lean against the railing she was significantly shorter than him. She narrowed her ice blue eyes up at him as she motioned to the beer he was clutching, "I sure hope you paid for that, I would hate to ruin a perfectly good meeting over a stolen beverage." She scanned her eyes over his figure once more before meeting his gaze in expectation.


[Words 414]

The dark twilight which held the sky was a weird one. Even though he had come from the mountains himself, this part of the world was quite different in itself. The borders of the horizon were tinted a lighter colour from the day's end for the next continent over. What a vast world this was and yet he knew so little about it. He struggled to understand even his own village let alone all that was out there. It made him feel small. Just when he was starting to gain confidence in himself and his abilities, tonight's atmosphere brought him right down to earth while still being far above it.

The thumping beat continued behind him but he had managed to find a spot that was just outside of the range of the uncomfortable sound and light. It was too much stimulation for his finely tuned senses, a barrage of information that was unprocessable for his brain. A small, pink haired female leaned on the railing beside him. Their eyes locked as he watched the girl's first words. Her blue eyes ringed with makeup drew his attention, he was interested in what she was going to say to him. The large genin was quite obviously a shinobi and stuck out from the club's inhabitants like a sore thumb. She on the other hand, did not look dissimilar to the other young people with her strange coloured hair and unique fashion sense. Fukai did not shift his position on the balcony, only turning his head to acknowledge the girl.

I sure hope you paid for that, I would hate to ruin a perfectly good meeting over a stolen beverage.
Her features narrowed in accusation. Fukai was initially surprised that someone had seen his sneaky swipe but realised there was more to her words then he had previously thought. She would hate to ruin a meeting... Was this a threat of some sort? Did this girl have the self importance to condemn his actions and the authority to call him out? More importantly, how was she planning on ruining anything for him, a quite obviously strong young man a few years her senior and at least a foot taller.

Fukai pondered silently for a few seconds before twisting the cap off the beer bottle between his fingers and flicking the metal cap casually at the girl's forehead and then proceeded to take a nonchalant swig. He knew that she would no doubt react to this, he was a little curious as to how she would. The Iwa genin was in a weird mood tonight and felt like teasing the cute girl that had presumptuously walked up to him.

[451] /961

Adzumi could feel the tension shift between them along with the feeling of being sized up, clearly she looked to be extremely outmatched compared to the hulking man to the side of her. Without saying a word he unscrewed the cap on the presumed stolen beer and flicked the beer cap directly toward her face. While she was obviously smaller than him, she was undeniably fast as she deftly caught the bottle cap in between her index finger and middle finger. Not once breaking eye contact with the man as she folded the metal cap in half and tossed it over the railing in front of them.

Raising one eyebrow she reached out and poked him hard in his bicep. "Not only are you not much of a talker but you are so very rude. Upon meeting one usually is courteous enough say their name." Punctuating her next sentence with another, lighter poke, "But you decided it was best to flick a bottle cap at me! I swear if you weren't attractive we would definitely be having some words." In one swift movement she hoped up onto the railing, now sitting with her ankles crossed facing the stranger, she pushed her hair out of her face which was a combination of perplexed curiosity. 


She turned away from him for a moment to stare out at the moon that hung behind her in the dark sky, for just a second she forgot she was sitting next to a stranger. It was probably the alcohol she had been getting from the bartender on the sly but she dropped her air of formality and hostility and spoke in a sweet almost whimsical way, "I always thought the world looked best in the dark, illuminated by the ever enchanting glow of the moon. Not to mention no one ever sees you coming in the dark..." Her voice trailed off as her ears filled with the fast beats of the new song that the owners were blaring over the speakers, it was an intrusion on the still night behind her. She cast her gaze back toward the stranger and sighed, "Since you seem ever so friendly, I'll start, my name is Mizuno."


[396]

Fukai's eyebrows rose a little as he watched the girl catch the bottle cap between her fingers. She kept the stern eye contact with him which added to the coolness of the move. So this little lady was a ninja, it was surprising to see another in this sort of place but then again, he was here. Without missing a beat, the girl folded over the metal cap and tossed it over the side of the balcony and into the darkness below. The corner of his mouth twitched, hinting at an amused smile. What was the deal with this girl? Ususally most people did well to avoid him in Kumogakure, and the same was true for back home as well. Something about his build and appearance intimidated others and made him unapproachable. While this had helped with his isolation as a teenager, Fukai would be remiss not to admit that he had taken advantage of this in the past. A scary face can be a useful tool in some cases. But the fact was that if you got to know him for more than a few minutes, you would realise that he didn't fit his outward projection.

And then the girl started to scold him like a parent teaching her child a lesson on manners. She poked him and then went off on a well meaning rant that reminded him of his late mother and his younger years in the mountains. His face changed into a genuine smile for a few seconds as she finished. He held back his toung when she said that she "would definitely be having some words", it would probably be rude of him to point out that she was already having many words as it is. Then she hopped upon the railing with her legs crossed and with a cute little action, pushed dark pink fringe out of her face. His new acquaintance turned away to look up at the moon and he was a little dissapointed that he could not see her face for a little longer. It took him a few seconds to realise that maybe she had been flirting with him but he hadn't noticed.

The young lady said that the world looked best in the dark, and then made a comment that he could only assume was a reference toher particular line of work. The words paralleled that one mission of his that he had a few months ago, before all this exam business started. He had been dispatched to dispatch a group of bandits in the wildlands of Tsuchi no Kuni. Like a good little soldier, he jumped to it, putting aside humanity to slaughter the unsuspecting people. His administrators had said that they were law breakers and must be taken care of for the safety of the people. What he had come across after the deed had been done was something more like that of the homes of a group of nomads that had chosen to live outside the law. He didn't know what to think after that, maybe this was one of the reasons he was pushing so hard for future clarity and the power to make his own path. He didn't want to march to the beat of another's drum, at least not one that he didn't trust.

So her name was Mizuno. He was glad that she had the patience to deal with his poor social skills. His purple eyes softened as he looked back at her. I apologise. My name is Fukai and I am from Iwagakure. His focal point flicked up to the moon momentarily to continue along her line of thought. Does the world look best at night? Maybe that speaks for how unsightly the world is, for we cannot see much of anything in the dark. It was a solemn conversation, one that didn't suit verbosity. He let the silence hang for a few seconds and then reduced the distance between them with a slow approach. He wanted to know why this girl did not seem to have any inhibitions about talking to him in such a way that she did. Tell me... His hand curled around the railing next to where she was sitting, Fukai would slowly reach down and hold the shoe of the leg that was underneath in the crossed position. He then pulled it slowly up, playfully threatening to tilt her over the edge. What made you come over here, do I not scare you?

[754] /1715

The sight of them must have been one to behold, it is rare in one's lifetime to meet their true opposite. Not only were they physically different what with the dominating stature and commanding air around the man but his aura had a grounded, dark feeling to it. While Adzumi was thin, short and sweet looking and housed a very far-off lighthearted aura. It was definitely a funny enough situation to her that a small laugh escaped her throat, in an attempt to not seem rude she quickly disguised it instead as her clearing her throat. 

In her village of Kumogakure the Mizuno family is now a name directly aligned with pity. Long before she graduated the academy, her mother was a reputable ninja and her father was a successful shop owner. Her brother even was a medical prodigy, not in the ninja arts but still a noble profession. Soon after she started in the academy her mother became very ill and unfortunately no medicine to date was able to cure her, only to ease the pain she was in. She steadily grew worse over the course of a few months until passing away peacefully in her sleep. Her brother snapped and threw himself into his work, all but abandoning his family in their time of need. Worse than that was her father, who stopped coming home at night and gave up his shop all together. Now a days Adzumi can we seen dragging her drunk belligerent father home and laying him into bed before heading out for her days of solitude. Adzumi may have an open heart and mind but one can only take so many pity filled eyes before the desire for friends gets shoved behind the need for aloneness. 

Luckily tonight was not one of those nights. She heard a slight shifting as he began to reply to her, darting her eyes back to his stern face she caught what she would only describe as his eyes soften in kindness before addressing her,  so an Iwa-nin? No wonder he looked like he could rip a chunk of wood in half with his bare hands, her eyes glanced quickly at his biceps before connecting with his again. As she contemplated his words she bit her lower lip in thought as her eyebrows furrowed, after a moment or two she replied, “You are right, the world is an eyesore in the daylight. A wolf hunting in the dark is always more majestic under the moonlight than the savagery witnessed in the light. Plus… everything and everyone always looks more beautiful when  bathed in the glow of the moon.” She flashed her bright blue eyes up at Fukai, “Don’t you think?”

Releasing him from her gaze she stared back up at the moon, noticing the slow purposeful movement he was making to close the space between them. She was about to mention something when her attention was distracted by his words again, Tell Me. Tell him what exactly? Raising her eyebrow slightly in curiosity she barely noticed the heel of her shoe being grabbed as she was gently tilted back. That feeling one gets when they tip their chair just a bit too much rushed over her as she instinctively reached out and grasped the closest thing to her, Fukai’s scarf. With her thin fingers tightly wrapped around the scarf and her brain able to focus on his question she narrowed her eyes mischievously and yanked him closer. Now inches from her face she spoke in a soft playful tone, “In fact, that is the exact reason I came over here. You DO scare me but when have you ever heard a good story that started with a young girl playing it safe?” Holding him there for a moment she gently pushed him back, placing one hand on the railing to prevent further toppling feelings from occurring. “The real question is how long you will be gracing little Kumogakure with your presence… Fukai.” She left his name to the end to watch how he reacted to it, especially after the stunt she pulled. 
She could see people in the background watching out of the corners of their eyes, nosey little gits. Leaning forward to look past Fukai, her hair sliding off her shoulders and hanging down in front of her, she cleared her throat loudly her eyes changing from playful to menacing like lightening. There was nothing more she hated than prying eyes on private affairs, she had had enough of that in her childhood to last 3 lifetimes. She stared the lingering people down until they all dispersed before leaning back into the eye sight of her newly formed acquaintance.


[786]

The wind whispered from the darkness, a beckoning message to any who would listen. A quiet search for souls that stood out in the daytime but were at comfort in the night. Being on the balcony of the club was like being between two contrasting worlds. The Sky Bar behind them thumped with sound, packed with people with suspect chemicals in their veins, all jumping around in amongst the colourful lights. The scene exuded life compared to the midnight view on the other side of the railing. It was cold and dark and lifeless, like it would swallow you whole if your reached down into it.

A wolf hunting in the dark.. Yes, a beast eating from the carcass of a fresh kill could be described as grisly during the day, but the image of a sleek hound seeking it's prey had a certain majestic or maybe even romantic feeling to it. Mizuno then went on to to say that people were more attractive in the light of the moon and asked him if he agreed while widening her already saucer-like eyes. He raised an eyebrow in response to the girl, not willing to indulge in wooing some strange girl he had just met.

Fukai's hand raised to tilt Mizuno back. He slowly lifted her off balance and her hand darted out, grabbing his scarf. He could see it in her eyes, the little shock to the senses that one exibited when they were caught off guard. But her eyes narrowed, and from what he could tell, she was enjoing the interaction. The pink haired young woman pulled him in closer and Fukai let her. The intimacy was raised up a notch as her blue eyes enveloped him. She spoke, telling him that she was afraid of him, but Fukai doubted that, she definitely didn't look like she was bothered by him. Softly she pushed him back so that he was not hanging over her. The Iwa genin did notice her take better hold of the railing, this caused him to smile a little, for the girl did seem to be telling at least the partial truth for all her assertiveness. He was starting to enjoy this situation.

The real question is how long you will be gracing little Kumogakure with your presence… Fukai.
The way she talked, how she drew out her sentences stirred something within him. His hand on the railing slowly began to curl around her waist, feeling the soft white fabric of her clothing. His hand that was on her shoe traced it's way up to her ankle and then the bottom of her calf. Fingers brushed her moonlit skin. He then noticed that her attention was not on him, but rather the small congregation of loiterers behind them. He turned a little to see them and heard Mizuno clear her throat. The look in her eyes as she challenged the onlookers was not one that he expected, fierceness out of nowhere. She seemed to take great offence at their intrusive eyes. He turned back to her with a cheeky smile. He did not know why this was such a problem but everyone had their reasons. If she did not want people to stare at them then they would have to stop their exchange but he didn't want to. There was another option..

Without any warning, his muscles fired into action. He would scoop up the girl in front of him and leap over the balcony railing. Without a second thought he dove into the darkness. He ran chakra down the lengths of his blood red scarf, animating both ends like a snake. As they sailed through the air, the lengths of fabric stretched out and were enveloped by a great burst of fuuton chakra. Great wings spread out from Fukai's back as he held the petite figure to his chest. She did say that she wasn't going to play it safe, after all. Then they started to drop down, distance grew between them and the strobe lights and beating music. The onlookers gaped in shock as they ran to the edge to look down. They started to pick up speed, plummeting metres down into the darkness. Then with one flap of his deep red wings, Fukai positioned them below the falling pair. The ground came up to meet them quickly, as it did, Fukai smashed the scarf into the ground and bent it like a spring to slow their descent into a smooth and joltless transition. Fukai's feet finally touched the ground and he lowered onto one knee.

[772] /2487

A reckless and impulsive move, to jump into the darkness without forethought. A strange mood had come upon the young man, which compelled to do such a thing. The wind no longer seemed to carry the low constant note of lonelyness but rather, quick wisps of excitement. Was it a well up of romanticism that lay dormant within him while he grew up in a life devoid of such experiences? He had never entertained the thought of this part of the human experience ever pertaining to him yet on this night, his natures changed to biting wind and electric atmosphere. In that moment, there was no thought, no consideration of whether what he was doing was right or good, just a want, and the will to provide satisfaction.

Fukai couldn't really believe it when he found himself midair with Mizuno clutching him, a helpless hostage that he had stolen away in the night. He didn't know her, but he wanted to. The clouds that masked the future were so close that he couldn't easily see what was going to happen. He had always lived in a constant condition of uncertainty about his future but had learned to get used to it. Humans, who are very much still animals, are naturally uncomfortable and afraid of change, for it was change that threatened their survival. In the shinobi world, especially the village of Iwagakure, he could never be certain as to what tomorrow would bring. The stress and worry sometimes wore on him like the eroding rain.

His mother's scarf, the symbol of her protective spirit, rose up like two large wings and swept them to the ground. The garment that he wore every day without fail. It grounded him and reminded him of his roots and at the same time brought him the infantile comfort of a baby with it's blanket. He was twenty years old and much too qualified for his rank, yet he still relished in drawing on the memories of the past. Those times were where he did not worry about the future, he was secure in his bed with evils happening to others but he was cozy in his small mountain home. Little Fukai had not come to terms with the fragility of his world yet.

When they landed, he looked at the girl that he clutched in his arms. She looked shocked, wide eyes not able to express herself. Wordless, she looked up at him. Then out of nowhere she sprang at him, kissing him. An action that went unanticipated but seemed to fit the moment nonetheless. The feel of her soft lips and the gentle brush of noses. Her skin gently illuminated by the moon. He was a little disappointed when she pulled away. She made a threat to do it again if he was to ever surprise her again, like she had stabbed him instead of kiss him. He gave her another cheeky smile. Don't tempt me. Fukai would then release his grip on her so that she may stand up. Once she had done so, he would address her one last time. He had indulged himself far too much tonight.

You interest me, Mizuno. Meet me here the day after tomorrow at noon. With those last words, he strode off into the darkness, his scarf bending and curving above him, finally wrapping back around his neck and resting. He would not wait for a reply if there wasn't one, if she didn't turn up then there was no harm done. Hopefully he had not been recognised in tonight's escapades, he didn't need more colour on his already eventful representative record. But people always talk, and somehow those whispers managed to find their way back to him.

[639] /3126
~exit~

Training:

The seemingly black nothingness surrounding the pair began to come into focus, the blank black canvas turning into intricate shapes of varying degrees of shadow. The leaves above then rustled gently, presumably from their sudden drop from meters above. Though the night was still, the air between them seemed to crackle with intangible energy, attracting her closer to him. After her harmless warning Fukai replied with a cheeky grin and a threat all his own, only providing reason for a pale shade of pink to flourish on Adzumi’s cheeks.

The warmth she felt radiating off of him came to a sudden end as he had let her go, her fingertips sliding off his skin into the emptiness of air. Unfortunately, as soon as they had met they were parting. his last words of invitation running through her mind as she watched the man's scarf wrap itself around his neck and disappear into the darkness, even his dominating figure being engulfed by the night time. Though he could not hear her anymore she replied nonetheless, “And you interest me Fukai… I’ll see you soon.” As if the words released her frozen body she turned away from the spot he walked off into and began her ascent back to the skybar, now accompanied with a definite yearning feeling in the pit of her stomach.

[Exit Final Word count: 2,556 ]