Homeward Bound (Free RP)

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Snow flew thick through the alleys and streets of Kumo as the wind tore and spun the small frozen flakes through the night air. Few would be out and about so late on such a night, but one figure could be seen wandering down side streets and back alleys, making his way doggedly homeward to a warm fire and a soft bed. It had been a long day for Narashi Jo; that morning he had returned from a mission where he and his team had almost lost their lives, that afternoon he’d searched the village fruitlessly for his love, and that evening he had met with her brother and set up a meeting with their father on the marrow. Afterwards, he’d gone to the training grounds beneath the Colosseum to blow off some steam, and had succeeded. Now, with leaden limbs numbed by both exertion and the bitter cold, all he wanted was to go home.

The boy wasn’t dressed nearly warm enough for this weather. His steel-toed boots kept his feet dry, but offered little insulation. His jeans were warm enough, but he wouldn’t turn down a pair of thermal underpants if they were offered. Beneath his brown leather jacket, only a black t-shirt stood between him and the cold. ’Just keep moving… you’re almost there…” he told himself as he turned off a main road onto a side street, then down a back alley he knew to be a shortcut to his destination. He only hoped that the troublesome riffraff that frequented these dark corners of the village were wiser than he and had chosen to stay indoors for the evening. He didn’t want to have to fight his way through them to get to his apartment.

Just as he turned a corner between and behind a few buildings, a figure materialized through the blinding snow before him. The form was indistinct through the white-out that was this evening’s weather, but it stood directly in the boys path. ”Who’s there?!” Jo shouted through the wind. ”You better not try anything! I’m a shinobi of Kumo, and I’m not in the mood to be dealing with petty criminals!” Jo’s tenor voice held steady, despite the winds, the cold, and the exhaustion. He hoped there wouldn’t be any trouble, he wasn’t in the mood or the shape to be fighting at the moment.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

Well, that's winter in Kumo for you. The roads are covered in ice and you can barely see a few feet in front of you, yet I still have to do deliveries. Shashu thought to herself as she kicked her feet free of snow. Even in the summer visitors complain that the weather is too cold, the air too thin. It's no small wonder they avoid us like the plague in the later months. Of course, to a Kumo native this degree of weather was no surprise; what others would call freezing was a but mild afternoon in here, and one could see children playing outside when parents elsewhere would be calling them in lest they catch their death.

Although. however much a resident of Kumogakure may be accustomed to such winter storms it was the rare individual who actually enjoyed them. Even bundled as she was in her special coat, gloves, and scarf she could feel the bite of the wind, so she decided to take a bit of a detour. My deliveries are done anyways, and I made pretty good time considering. I doubt Saya-sama will care if I take a bit longer coming home.

With that thought Shashu turned and headed down a nearby alley. It would take her a bit longer to get back to the Dragon's Rest this way, but the buildings were closer together here and held back a good portion of the wind. It was a worthwhile trade-off, as far as Shashu was concerned. The only thing she really had to worry about was thugs, gangers, or the off chance that some homeless person was desperate enough to attack her. She wasn't really concerned though, as most people knew her by name around here. Saya had her off on deliveries enough that she was a familiar face, and she helped out enough in her free time that she had a fair bit of good will in the district. Besides, in this weather people were more likely to have their minds set on keeping warm than doing nefarious deeds.

With that in mind, she was a little surprised to see someone come up the alley from the direction she was headed. Whoever it was, they seemed exhausted, but before she could say anything the boy (judging from the voice) called out, asking who she was and stating that he was a Shinobi of Kumogakure. He seemed to be mistaking her for some kind of criminal, which, considering their location, wasn't surprising.

"Relax. No one is here to fight you, just a another traveler going from A to B." Shashu said calmly as she moved toward the boy so she could get a better look at him. She walked slowly so as to appear non-threatening and didn't bother shouting, instead letting the wind carry her voice. As she got closer she noticed he was dressed in almost casual street clothes, certainly not anything suited for the season. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Are you sure you're from Kumo? No one in their right mind would wear that in this weather. Here, wrap this around yourself, it'll take the edge off the wind at least." Shashu reached into the pack she carried and pulled out a large folded blanket, formerly used to insulate the food she had been delivering, and offered it to Jo. "I know it seems light, but it's warmer than it looks." The blanket, like the coat, scarf, and gloves Shashu wore, was made out of spider silk, woven together in several layers. It was an exceedingly fine insulator, and durable too. But Jo didn't need to know all that, just that it was a blanket, it was warm, and Shashu was offering it to him.

After he bundled up or refused the blanket Shashu would continue. "Are you sure you're ok? The weather can be pretty brutal if you're not prepared for it. I work at an inn not far from here. You may have heard of it, the Dragon's Rest? If you like you can stop in for a bit and warm up, maybe have a hot meal before you continue on your way." Shashu's motives weren't entirely altruistic here. Saya wouldn't mind helping out a frozen traveler if it meant leaving a good impression, as it had the potential to bring in future clients from the boy and those he talked to. However good impression or no, Shashu couldn't in good conscience leave someone out here to suffer in the cold. This was Kumo after all. The weather here could, and often did, kill those unprepared for it. She didn't want wake up tomorrow and find the boy frozen dead in a ditch when she could have prevented it.

 

[Tanuki Rinko]

Izawa Yoko - Genin​

Yoko shivered as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. There had been many 'special' visitors entering Kumo as of late, and some of the higher ups were restless. Mainly the Chuunin, the fodder of Kumo. They were the first sent in and the last to leave, meaning if a conflict were to break out, they would be the ones who dealt with it. So a certain paranoid Chuunin had sent Yoko out to patrol the Susukino District on this cold, frigid night. Yoko cursed her Genin rank. She had been tempted to use her special jutsu to get out of it, but her powers were still a little weak, and there was no telling it would fool the older shinobi. So she resigned to her fate as late night stalker and continued to watch the mostly empty streets.

As Yoko jumped around the alleyways, she heard a shout from somewhere. Yoko, worried that a fight was about to break out, made her way to the possible conflict. When she arrived, she looked down from the roof to see two figures, a boy and a girl. A response from the girl put Yoko's mind at ease. It was a mere misunderstanding on the boy's part, nothing to worry about. Yoko was about to move on when she saw the girl pull out a blanket. Yoko's hand reached out for it, and she had to remind herself not to use her Kinetic jutsu to pull it towards her. She looked down at her bare thighs and shivered. Curse the need for flexibility. Yoko's eyes lifted again, waiting to see if the young shinobi would take the blanket or not. Yoko silently called dibs if the boy refused. It seemed like the girl wanted to bring the ill-dressed boy back to an inn, and Yoko wanted nothing more than to follow them. In fact, she decided that she would. Yoko had been patrolling for long enough, and she was feeling homesick anyway. A visit to the local inn might help her get over the desire to return to the Izawa Inn at Sekai Yuki. So Yoko watched from the rooftops, preparing to follow if they left or make an appearance if they noticed her.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

“Relax. No one is here to fight you, just a another traveler going from A to B.” A calm female voice drifted towards him, the wind carrying the sound just close enough for Jo to hear before tearing it into mindless noise. The figure approached, her countenance confirming his assumption of her gender. She was a dark-haired, silver eyed beauty of about his own age; and she seemed to be bundled up properly for the weather. “Are you sure you're from Kumo? No one in their right mind would wear that in this weather. Here, wrap this around yourself; it'll take the edge off the wind at least.” She said, reaching into the pack she carried and pulling out a large folded blanket. ”I know it seems light, but it's warmer than it looks.” Jo didn’t have to think twice before accepting the blanket with a stiff bow (more from being near-frozen than out of formality), and wrapping it around his shoulders. It was silken to the touch, softer than any fabric Jo had ever had the pleasure to handle; and she hadn’t lied about how warm it was.

”Th-thank you.” He stammered out, his words chattering with his teeth regardless of his attempts to calm his shivering muscles as they did their damndest to produce heat through rapid contraction. ”S-sorry. I j-just got b-back from a m-mission, and I h-haven’t had t-time to g-get home f-for a ch-change of cl-clothes.” A sudden burst of wind tore down the alley, trying its hardest to tear the blanket from his grasp and claim him as its next victim. ”I j-just w-want to g-go home…” Every word, every syllable came at the cost of Jo’s precious little remaining energy; each exhalation releasing heat from his core. Home was only a couple miles from here… just a couple of miles of mind-numbing, skin tearing icy blasts of wind.

“Are you sure you're ok? The weather can be pretty brutal if you're not prepared for it. I work at an inn not far from here. You may have heard of it, the Dragon's Rest? If you like you can stop in for a bit and warm up, maybe have a hot meal before you continue on your way.” Her voice was concerned, as was the look in her eyes as she observed him struggling to stay warm. Home was close, but Jo wound never make it there; there was nothing left in the gas tank, no more for him to give. The Inn would be a welcome reprieve from the cold; good company, a hot meal, and a warm bed were a welcome thought (even if it wasn’t home). Jo only had to think about it for a moment.

”I’ve h-heard of it, b-but I d-don’t know w-where it is from here. W-would you b-be s-so k-kind as t-to lead the w-way?” “Any port in a storm”, right? Even if the girl was only trying to drum up business, he could use a place to stay until either the storm died down, or until morning when he’d have the strength to get home. Besides, Jo would probably end up face-first in an alley somewhere if he didn’t warm up soon. Unseen through the driving snow, several stories above the pair in the alley, a Genin watched as the scene unfolded. Jo was too dog-tired to notice anything more than the girl before him; a sign of hope for a warm hearth in the frigid Kumo night.

{MFT: 583}

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

Shashu couldn't decide whether she should find the boy's teeth-chattering response humorous or concerning. "Of course, follow me. Like I said it's not too far, and we need to get you out of the cold before your feet fall off and you lose the ability to speak completely." She replied with a smile. She walked past Jo and headed down the alley in the direction he had just come from, taking a right at the exit. Shashu didn't say much on the way there other than a few 'This way's and a couple 'Don't worry, we're almost there's, opting to remain mostly silent so the boy could save his breath rather than reply.

A couple blocks and another right turn later they were on the street she needed, another two buildings past that and they were at the Dragon's Rest. The massive hotel took up most of the city block with it's sheer size, and was the usual resting place for the majority of travelers through Kumo. It never ceased to surprise Shashu how many residents had simply never heard of the place despite it's prominence. Then again, most residents had no use for a hotel when they already had houses. At any rate, I better get this boy inside before he freezes to death.

As Shashu lead Jo through the entrance a cheerful voice greeted them from the reception desk. "Welcome to the Dragon's Rest! Can I- Oh, Shashu, you're done early. Welcome back!" The receptionist looked past Shashu to see a very cold Jo. "And who is this icicle? A fellow student?"

"Yes, he's a Shinobi, Tama-chan, though I don't think he's a student?" Shashu replied, looking to Jo for confirmation. "At any rate, we need to get him a place to warm up and something hot to eat. Would you mind showing him to the lounge? I'll go get something from the kitchen."

"Sure thing! It's been a slow night, I can spare a few minutes. Right this way." Tama would lead Jo down the hallway to the guests lounge where there was a nice big fireplace with an equally large fire crackling merrily inside, along with several extremely plush armchairs arranged around the fire. "Have a seat by the fire dear, Shashu-chan will be back in a minute with something to warm up your insides. If you let me take your coat I can hang it up to dry while you warm up." With a short bow Tama would then head back out to the lobby to greet any further guests.

[OOC: Should a certain sneaky ninja also show up Tama will be happy to show her to the lounge as well :3]​

[MFT: WC-428]​

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo followed blindly behind the kind girl, not bothering to reply to her comments about the threats of frostbite and hypothermia. Jo stumbled on through the storm, the white-out blinding him from everything that wasn’t the back of the girl in front of him. Not her backside! Jo wasn’t perverted like that. Besides, he had a girlfriend; and he was far too concerned about freezing to death to think of anything along those lines.

What was sure to have been only a few minutes of travel felt like hours before they arrived. The hotel was larger than he thought it would be; then again, he’d only heard vague rumors about it being a nice place to stay. As a resident of Kumo, he wasn’t in need of a hotels services. The blast of warm air and light that flooded out from the opened door blinded Jo as he walked into the welcomed heat.

“Welcome to the Dragon's Rest! Can I- Oh, Shashu, you're done early. Welcome back!” The receptionist said cheerily, noticing Jo shortly thereafter. ”And who is this icicle? A fellow student?”

”Yes, he's a Shinobi, Tama-chan, though I don't think he's a student?” She looked to him for confirmation.

”Genin.” Jo said simply, trying his best to keep his teeth from chattering.

”At any rate, we need to get him a place to warm up and something hot to eat. Would you mind showing him to the lounge? I'll go get something from the kitchen.”

”Sure thing! It's been a slow night, I can spare a few minutes. Right this way.” Tama escorted Jo into a lounge filled with firelight and comfortable looking chairs. ”Have a seat by the fire dear, Shashu-chan will be back in a minute with something to warm up your insides. If you let me take your coat I can hang it up to dry while you warm up.” Jo obliged, peeling off his dripping jacket and handing her both it and the soaked blanket Shashu had given him before plopping down in an armchair nearest the fire.

A few minutes before the roaring flame and he felt life and feeling beginning to return to his extremities. When Shashu returned, Jo would finally be able to speak without his teeth chattering together.

”Thank you so much for your help. Forgive my impoliteness earlier, I wasn’t in any shape to remember my manners. I’m Genin Narashi Jo; but you can just call me Jo.” Jo said, graciously accepting whatever food or drink she happened to bring him.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

After ensuring that the boy was in Tama's capable hands Shashu headed off to the kitchens to get him something to eat, but first she stopped by the employee changing room to get out of her cold weather gear. After stowing it away she headed into the kitchen and got a pair of bowls, one for her and one for the boy, both of which she filled with a hearty soup from an enormous pot that was being kept hot over the fireplace. She then grabbed a pair of spoons and some napkins and went to join the hopefully thawed out icicle.

"Sorry for the wait, I had to change out of my cold weather stuff. It's amazing for keeping the cold out, but if you wear it indoors you'll soon be wishing you could let some cold in," She joked as she entered the lounge. She was pleased to see the boy had managed to shed his icicle status and was in a much better state than he had been when she found him.

The boy noticed Shashu as she headed over to join him, and raised his head to address her as she set the bowls of soup on an end table. ”Thank you so much for your help. Forgive my impoliteness earlier, I wasn’t in any shape to remember my manners. I’m Genin Narashi Jo; but you can just call me Jo.”

"Jo huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Tsuirakuya Shashu, Academy Student extraordinaire." She proclaimed as she flopped down into an adjacent chair. " You can call me Shashu as well, if you like." She settled in and tucked her legs under her butt before she handed Jo one of the bowls of soup. "Here, try some of this. You're looking better already, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to put some food in your belly nonetheless."

Shashu would eye Jo expectantly as he took his first bite, waiting until he had swallowed before asking his opinion. "Do you like it? My mum calls it the Immortal Soup because it never really runs out, you just add more ingredients to the pot each day to top it off." Shashu explained. "There's a little bit of everything, so you get some really interesting flavors and it never tastes the same way twice. I make sure it always tastes good though." She said with a wink as she dug in herself.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

”Thank you, Shashu.” Jo replied graciously before scooping up a spoonful of the rich, savory stew into his mouth; though “rich” and “savory” really only meant “brown” and “thick.” Spices had been added for flavor, but there was hodge-podge of different meats and vegetables; leading Jo to believe this wasn’t a typical soup made from a specific recipe. Rather, it probably started off as a beef-and-barely stew, and more ingredients and water were added later as ingredients became available. That wasn’t to say Jo didn’t enjoy it; quite to the contrary! It reminded him of home, and a warm hearth, and a loving family doing what they can to get by (hell, it was probably cheap and easy to make, resulting in a decent profit margin for the inn).

”Do you like it? My mum calls it the Immortal Soup because it never really runs out, you just add more ingredients to the pot each day to top it off.” Shashu confirmed his suspicions. ”There's a little bit of everything, so you get some really interesting flavors and it never tastes the same way twice. I make sure it always tastes good though.” She said with a wink as she dug in herself. Jo nodded in affirmation;

”Yeah, it’s great! If I weren’t away from home so much, I’d consider making a batch myself.” Jo continued to eat, his pace showing a healthy appetite, but his etiquette preventing him from devouring the whole bowl in five seconds. Though, if anyone was around who knew enough about behavioral patterns, they’d notice that the way he ate reflected that of a soldier in the field rather than a normal fourteen-year-old boy. Between bites, he tried starting a conversation. ”So, you’re a student at the Academy? You must be close to graduation then?” Based on her age (probably somewhere near his own), Jo surmised that she was probably going to be finishing up at the Academy sometime soon. ”Have you given any thought to which branch you’re going into?” He wasn’t trying to become a recruiter for the Main Branch or anything, he just wanted to get to know his host a little better; and, in the explaining of her career choices, he might be able to glean a little more information about the good Samaritan before him.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

Jo didn't waste any time before digging in, though that was hardly surprising considering the situation she had found him in. ”Yeah, it’s great! If I weren't away from home so much, I’d consider making a batch myself.” He replied in answer to her question.

Shashu tapped her spoon against her lips for a second before replying. "Well you know, you can always stop in here for a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We pretty much keep the pot going all day, and Maya-san, that's our head chef, liked the idea enough that she promised to keep it going after I leave. Not that I don't like it here mind you, but I graduate from the academy I might be too busy to work here."

"So, you’re a student at the Academy? You must be close to graduation then?" Jo asked, and Shashu nodded. ”Have you given any thought to which branch you’re going into?”

"Hmmm. That's a good question..." Shashu continued eating for a minute before answering. "I think I'm going to try to join the ANBU. I don't really fancy myself as a regular ninja really, and I'm not the medical type. My mum knows some herb lore and such, and she taught me just enough for us both to find out it's not for me." Shashu laughed lightly at the last bit, recalling memories of back home.

"At any rate, ANBU seems more my style." Shashu ate a bit more before adding: "What about you? Main branch, Med branch? You probably wouldn't say if you were ANBU..." Shashu chuckled a little bit.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo listened as he ate, a wave of… disappointment?... anger?... distrust?... Who knows… washed over him as she said the acronym “ANBU”. Maybe some of Takaki-sama’s prejudices were rubbing off on him; or maybe he, like most people, distrusted any group of people or institution that operated under such extreme secrecy. Then again, who was he to judge? The Merces Letifer wasn’t exactly the most transparent division of the Main Branch. ”No; I guess I wouldn’t, would I?” Jo chuckled, scooping what was left in his bowl into a final spoonful. ”The ANBU aren’t the only Branch to operate in secrecy, though. I’m in the Main Branch; I’d tell you more, but then I’d have to kill you.” He repeated the same chuckle as he had a second ago, but this time it seemed forced, hollow. As he polished off the last of his immortal soup, he realized how fake-sounding his words had just been. The sad part? They were true.

”Whew, that was good! I’m stuffed!” Jo said, his words returning to a more honest and cheerful tone. As he turned his gaze to the fire, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. The combination of a full stomach, a warm fire, and an extremely long day had him on the verge of sleep moments after finishing his meal. He dreaded the thought of attempting to brave the storm once again in a futile effort to return home, and made the decision to wait until morning. Hopefully, the storm would pass by then; and with a full nights rest (even in a rented bed), he’d be better able to face the day.

”I’m sorry to be so rude…” he said, a yawn escaping him as he reached the median of his sentence. ”but I’m so tired! I don’t think I’ll be able to make it home tonight. I think it’s in my best interest to rent a room.”

{OOC: Sorry for the crappy post. Long first week of the semester. The next couple of posts will wrap this up. I’ll make them count.}

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

The slight stiffening of Jo's figure at the mention of ANBU did not go unnoticed, nor did how he quickly and smoothly relaxed and returned to finishing off his soup as he answered her question. His words were cheerful enough on their own, but the tone betrayed his true feelings on the subject. Does he not like ANBU? From his words it seems like he has secrets of his own...perhaps a conflict of interest? If he's in the Main Branch, but can't reveal his position on pain of death, isn't that pretty much just a rose of a different color? Thought Shashu.

For her part, Shashu simply finished off her stew in silence, eyeing the Genin with a speculative stare as he focused his attention on finishing his own. It wasn't long before he polished it off, the hearty stew apparently restoring the good cheer he had lost with their earlier topic. ”Whew, that was good! I’m stuffed!” He proclaimed before suddenly slumping in exhaustion, as if all the previous night's events had decided to wait until now to pile on his shoulders. ”I’m sorry to be so rude…” he added, yawning. ”But I’m so tired! I don’t think I’ll be able to make it home tonight. I think it’s in my best interest to rent a room.”

Shashu couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "Oh, I don't think it's rude at all, all things considered. You'd have earned a warm nights rest after braving the cold alone, so don't worry about it." Shashu tapped her finger on her chin a moment, thinking. "Sit tight, I'll be right back."

Leaving the Genin to fight his own battle against the onslaught of sleep alone, she went off to find Tama. A few minutes would go by before she returned, though it would probably seem longer to the sleepy shinobi seated in front of such a cozy fireplace. Hopefully he would still be awake, for she had an offer for him. "Tell you what. Considering it is absolutely atrocious outside, you promise to stop in for dinner a few times in the near future, maybe bring a few friends along, we'll call it even. How does that sound?"

[Lol don't worry about your posting speed, as you can see I haven't been exactly punctual either XD]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo had just started to doze off when Shashu returned. Everything was in a full-stomach, long-day, exhausted haze. He vaugely remembered her going off to check if they had an open room... but everything was (YAAAAAWN)... so sleepy.

"Tell you what. Considering it is absolutely atrocious outside, you promise to stop in for dinner a few times in the near future, maybe bring a few friends along, we'll call it even. How does that sound?" Her voice sounded like a whisper trying to firght its way through an earful of cotton. It took Jo a couple of seconds to comprehend the words, then a couple more to... (YAAAAAwn)... come up with a coherent answer.

"Mmkay... deal." With considerable effort, Jo stood and rubbed the sleep from his eyes; forcing himself awake. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot with exhaustion, but he made a considerable effort not to let his posture slouch with the weight of the sleepless hours he had... (YAAAAAWN)... racked up since returning from Marsh. With forced effort and without hesitation, he would follow her to wherever she led. Honestly, she could bring him to a concrete cell and he wouldn't care. He'd just find the softest patch of floor, turn in a circle three times, and plop down and go to sleep.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

With a small laugh Shashu shook the drowsy Genin's hand, sealing the deal. "Alrighty then, your room is on the third floor. I'll show you the way." And with that she walked off toward the elevator, Jo trailing behind her. The elevator itself was pretty interesting all of it's own, though it had already scared it's fair share of acrophobics in the short time it had been here. Saya, the proprieter, had installed it so that it would be easier for the handicapped and those burdened with luggage to reach the higher floors, but more than one customer had been put off by the seemingly fragile cage, suspended as it was by mere cords over a vertical shaft. The whole thing was extremely safe of course, but there was no logic behind irrational fear. I hope he's too tired to notice...it's a bit late to have do deal with a panicky customer, let alone a panicky Shinobi. Fortunately, Shashu herself had no problem with heights. Between her webbing and innate ability to cling to walls, she had no doubt she could handle any reasonable fall. And catch any unfortunate passengers as well.

After the excruciatingly slow elevator ride, in which Jo almost fell asleep three times, they arrived at the third floor. A quick glance at Jo indicated that the Genin was on the verge of dozing off yet again, so with a tsk she propped him up with her shoulder and headed off down the hall. Should Jo be awake enough to notice, his right hand would be dangerously close to her chest...well, it would be if she had one to speak of. At any rate, Shashu would help him down the hall to room 312 where she would unlock the door and hand him the key. The room itself wouldn't be anything too fancy: a single room with attached bath, containing a dresser, a four-poster bed with it's head set against the back wall, and a nightstand with a lamp and several books for light reading, including the obligatory Daimyo Jamusan's Book of Raiden. "Alright, this is you. Think you can make it to the bed on your own?" She would say, her mouth quirking slightly in amusement. "If you need anything there's a bell by the bed, but if you pull it in the wee hours of the morning I suggest you do so with good reason. It's connected to the maids' quarters, and whoever you wake up will probably not be too pleased at having to come all the way up here just to fetch you a glass of water. So if you need anything, now's the time to let me know."

[Ooc: I'm referring to the old fashioned cage elevators they used to have in some of the more prosperous hotels, not our newfangled tech. Those things were slow]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Shashu took Jo’s hand and led him to the elevator, a spindly brass cage that Jo was sure wasn’t nearly as rickety as it seemed; however, he was a little more perturbed by the fact that Shashu was holding his hand, and continued to do so throughout the duration of the elevator ride. Normally, people were a little more reserved about someone of the opposite gender holding their hand (or initiating physical contact at all, for that matter). As Jo dozed against the wall of the elevator during the ascent, his fleeting thoughts were disapproving in nature. She was just being friendly, helping him to his room. There was nothing more to it than that… was there?

In the recesses of Jo’s mind, a pair of blood-red eyes snapped open. A low growl reverberated in his head as By-Tor, the demon within him, reared his head in interest. The wolf didn’t have to speak to let his interest be known. The familiar sensation of lustful desire filled Jo’s exhausted body as the evil presence in his soul pumped a cocktail of hormones into his veins. The feeling, all too well-known to any teenager, permeated throughout the fatigued young man, but did nothing to alleviate his weariness.

Jo had just begun to doze off again as the elevator came to a stop. He didn’t hear Shashu’s tsk, but he did notice as she wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled him in close. Jo was grateful for the support, but this closeness… it wasn’t proper, especially for someone who had a girlfriend. What was also improper was how dangerously close his hand was to her modest chest; not to mention the inappropriate feelings the now fully-awake demon was flooding into his system as the soon-to-be kunoichi unlocked the door to his room and handed him the key.

The hotel room was nothing spectacular; a standard four-poster, nightstand, dresser, and bathroom. “Alright, this is you. Think you can make it to the bed on your own?” She said, her mouth quirking into a small, amused smile. “If you need anything there's a bell by the bed, but if you pull it in the wee hours of the morning I suggest you do so with good reason. It's connected to the maids' quarters, and whoever you wake up will probably not be too pleased at having to come all the way up here just to fetch you a glass of water. So if you need anything, now's the time to let me know.” Her words registered in his mind, he understood what was going on, but he could only think of one thing.

”I should be able to…” Jo smiled back in response to Shashu’s first question, though he made no move to pull away from her. As to her second inquiry… ”I need…” The voice coming from Jo’s throat seemed deeper, rougher… but still his own. The dark wolf had pushed to the fore of the genin’s mind, and now… was forcefully pushed back. ’Spoil-sport’ A new wave of exhaustion flowed over him then as he cleared his throat and spoke again, his voice normal once again. ”I just need to go to bed.” Jo forcefully unwrapped his arm from around her and made his way to the bed, plopping down on the end. He smiled his small smile, no more than the left corner of his mouth turning up. ”I can’t thank you enough for your kindness...” Jo thanked her again, ready for her to leave.All he wanted to do was to kick off his boots, fall back on the bed, and crash; regardless of the various things By-Tor wanted to do with Shashu.

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