[Keihō, Gaoh]

It shouldn't have been a surprise that a country named after frost would be cold; yet, Gaoh found himself shivering underneath his massive mount of fur. "I'm gonna need'a new one o'these, soon."

His voice cut into sheer silence - the thin layer of morning snow having blanketed sound for miles around. He could hear birds chirping faintly, an occasional branch falling into the drift under it's own weight. A stifling loneliness that only sound could provide.

Traveling to Konohagakure, he was on leave to pursue a meetup for a joint mission. "Uniquely qualified, my ass." he barked out, to no one in particular. "Sure ya didn't wan'me freezin't'death?!"

He stood still for a moment, exasperated at his situation, and shook his head as he continued on through a faint road, surrounded by more hills than trees. Something about "peace relations" and "maintaining allies" - not that he particularly cared, but it was paying considerably well. "Coulda least ga'me some company."

In the distance came the first real noise he had heard for days, his brow perking upward. "Sunnava bitch, speak'a th'devil."

As the words left his mouth, he leaned back, stretching his legs. As the trunks of muscle stomped themselves back in the ground, he bent down, breathing in deeply as he prayed. "O' God - Let this be enjoyable, I am lost without thy direction." His arms swayed in still air, billowing as their shape distorted into flowing afterimages, as his legs pushed off. As his stance dissolved into a running form, he smiled - his scar twisting.

He was hoping for something like this.

@--- | 263 words | road trip baby boy

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

Well, she was further east than usual, but that was okay. The only real grievance Hitomi had with Frost Country so far was the snow itself. Not just because it was cold, but because it reflected sunlight. It was almost worse, during midday, than being on the water. On top of her usual attire and covering the pretty black dress she so adored was a white coat lined with fur. She'd picked it up in some tiny shamble of a village many miles back. It was pretty enough, but not very warm. The shop had probably been ousting their fall inventory for new brands. But she didn't mind. The coat suited her.

With her daily prayer already done, Hitomi decided to piece together some artwork while waiting for the next traveler to happen by. The first two she'd seen that morning had met her blade and been only sub-par offerings. She was partial to giving her legs a break from all the walking, though, and so she opted to draw a sketch of the horizon from one of the tallest trees she could find. It was a lanky pine overlooking the hills and rolling snow drifts of this area. A few dozen feet off the ground, she'd be spotted easily from any distance with her stark white coat against deep green branches. But Hitomi didn't care to hide. It was shameful, and she was hoping for company anyway.

Halfway through her little doodle, though, she saw movement from afar. Someone coming up on the clearing below her? She looked down. Oh, there were deer. "Cuuuuute," she sang, but this startled them, and two of the does hightailed it out of the clearing. One remained, her ears perked up toward the foreigner approaching. Hitomi began swinging her feet, watching a rather burly man make his way toward her. Was he a fighter? Or just a pleasantly built merchant?

Once he had gotten to the clearing, Hitomi put away her items and dropped down from the tree, swinging on a few branches en route to better direct her momentum. She landed on the snow bank at the foot of the pine tree, a few yards from her travel pack. Would he acknowledge her or continue on his merry way? Though there were fewer paths more merry than the one Hitomi walked...

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

The branches whipped, snow flying past his shoulders as he emerged into a massive clearing. Snow was melting against the earth, an enormous chunk of earth dug out. Smoldering in the center was a massive rock, red hot as it quickly cooled down.

The crater was smoking, steam pouring off of it as the slush poured into it. His arms slacked downwards, a sigh as he dropped the weight out of his charge. Fuckin'. Great. Nothin' bu'some crap. The snow had all but absorbed the noise, turning the enormous meteor strike into something he had been able to confuse it for a fight.

Yet, the day wasn't over yet.

A woman dropped out of a tree in front of him, his look of bewilderment and annoyance carrying to her sudden appearance. His arms crossed silently. his voice coarse and irritated as he addressed her. "Wh'th'fuck'r you?" His head cocked to the side, pointing towards the boulder implanted into the earth.

"Sight-seein'?"

@hitomidarling | 161 words | jashin trash

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

Tsk, such crude language. Hitomi smiled in greeting, raising her hand to show her palm but without waving. The remaining deer finally bolted at his approach. This man appeared rather bothered for someone out by his lonesome. Maybe he hated the snow, too? She took note of his scars, his clothing, his voice... Rather gruff. But not unpleasant as a whole.

"Sight seeing?" She glanced at the boulder, then back to him, lowering her hand. "I guess you might say that! I was doing some sketches of the treeline behind me." She jabbed a thumb backwards over her shoulder. "It's peaceful out here. A tad bit chilly, though, huh?" Her voice was bubbly and kind. The exact opposite of the man across from her.

"What're you doing out here all by yourself?" she asked. "Are you lost?" She didn't actually believe he was lost. But his answer would give her some idea of his purpose out here. Hitomi was playing the sweet card but she hadn't yet taken her focus off of him. She'd been dropped on by hunters in the past and she knew better than to let her guard down.

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

Artist, huh? his eyebrow cocked, his gaze swiveling over the surrounding area. Truth be told, outside of the newly formed crater, there wasn't anything for... Miles. "Ah, it ain't col', much."

His voice cut away beneath the snow as he turned back to her, a slight frown forming. "Nah, i ain't los'. Y'seem t'be, tho. Drawin' in'th'middle o'nowhere?" Something about the woman's gaze was unsettling to Gaoh, although he couldn't place it. The muffling snow was already putting him off; without his hearing, he felt naked.

With a shrug, he turned away from her, continuing off for his travel. "Don'freeze t'death. T'many dumbasses get lost when everythin' the same color." As far as he was concerned, this was little more than another distraction. He had places to be; regardless of how unnerved he may be by the woman's eyes.

@hitomidarling | 139 words | microposting

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

If drawing in the middle of nowhere meant she was lost, then Hitomi was destined to be forever without a map nor guiding star. She was always out passing the time with sketches and colorings. It was better than feeling restless or bored, and it helped to pass the time, especially at night when all she had for company were the owls and other predators.

Hitomi would smile at him, though her gaze remained on him with a peculiar intensity, as if she didn't fully trust him to be out of her sight. And she didn't. "Not lost at all," she assured happily. "Just the opposite, actually. I'm exactly where I want to be." Something about the way she said this was eerily deliberate. She wasn't a simple wanderer, more of an ambling hunter.

The man turned away from her and moved to leave, warning her not to freeze to death. The landscape's uniformity did pose a challenge to travelers, she supposed, though with her eyesight she saw the differences in tone much easier. She'd avoided more than a few nasty falls thanks to seeing the tiny differences between shelves of ice and snow.

"Gosh, thank you for your concern," she chimed sweetly. "But death's not on my agenda. And you seem much more averse to this frozen hell than I am. Although... I have a story that would absolutely warm your bones...if you'd like to hear it?"

Would he bite or swim away? It didn't hurt to try...

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

The bite of the air was ever present, yet its chill was something that Gaoh grew more accustomed to by the second. Perhaps even enjoying it, to some degree.

Yet the tone of the woman still cut deep, cold. He had never been a fan of the sing-songy type. Something about their voices was... Dishonest. Too happy.

"Y'say tha'." he'd reply gruffly, stopping for a moment. His body would turn slightly, an eye over his shoulder as he stared at her. A single, scarred eye. "Bu'yer t'one turnin' blue." His gaze would lock on hers for a moment, cautious, unsure.

Turning away, he'd wave backwards. "Y'can tell yer story. I'll hear i'from t'towns away. Trus'me." He'd also hear her if she ended up being as untrustworthy as his gut said, but that would depend on her.

The man had a long trip, after all.

@hitomidarling | 144 words | or is it a microaggression?

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

Oh gosh, he definitely didn't trust her. Not one bit! Very clear by his tone, the way he looked at her. But Hitomi was used to that. It was usually that people fell into one of three categories when they encountered her. Either her charm drew them in, they were immediately averse to entertaining her, or--like this man--they were somewhere in between: suspicious, but not totally convinced to one side or the other. The middle ground was the best, the most fun. But those who succumbed to her sweetness usually made the easiest sacrifices, which was good when she happened to be in a rush.

Except today, she wasn't in a rush. If anything, this man would be a prime candidate for what the Prophetic Order had directed her to do. Not everyone had to be a sacrifice. But just about anyone could feel pain. And spreading suffering was only the most dutiful part of her job. It didn't matter to her if the stranger in the snow ahead of her was actually listening or not. She'd begin her story anyway, mostly to keep him aware of where she was at. Sneaking up on people just wasn't her style. A sin to even consider it.

"There was a little crow, abandoned by its mother," she began, remaining near the tree for now. Her voice carried far over the expanse of snow between them in the clearing. "And this crow wanted desperately to fly, but her wings were broken. She fell from her nest, reserved to the cruel death that awaited her. But in the night, a sagely owl found her. The owl felled the snake that tried to eat her. And the owl, cloaked in beautiful white feathers, told the crow that her wings could be healed. That she could fly again. She just needed to learn how. If she believed in something greater than herself, she'd fly again."

Hitomi took her pack and moved ahead of the stranger's path in a blink, finding a tree up ahead of him where she would be sitting atop one of the lower branches. He'd see her there following a brief crunch of snow. She'd kept her distance from him, moving in a wide arc so he didn't think she was moving to attack him. Because she wasn't. She was only repositioning herself to be in his line of sight. And finish her story. Whatever reaction he'd have to her sudden movement would seemingly go ignored by her.

Swinging her legs beneath her, now, she continued. "So the crow learned. She listened. She prayed. Day and night, she practiced moving her wings, building her muscles back up. She put her heart and soul into her recovery, into believing that she'd fly someday. And her eyes were opened to the power of truly believing in something beautiful. The owl guided her, taught her to truly flap her wings. Slowly, that little bird gained what she'd lost. And so much more. She believed. And she grew. And when her bones mended...she finally took to the sky. A changed creature." She tapped her chin, tossing in thoughtfully, "The belief in something beyond ourselves is so powerful. Faith can make even journeys through the snow so much warmer, don't you think?"

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

Her voice seemed to follow him unexpectedly as he continued his travels, the faint appearance of a shadow from the corner of his eye telling him why. If he hadn't been very sure about the woman before, he now felt straight unease. Followers weren't befitting for a priest of his nature.

As his footsteps continued to sink into the snow, the sun trailing across the sky; yet an incessant babbling from the dark-haired woman. If he had anything better to do, he could've at least found a better way to ignore her. Ever relentless, her words still burrowed their way through his skull and into his head.

Gaoh would remain silent, un-befittingly so as he listened. He had never been read a children's story, but he had no doubts this was something of the sort. Until she began to finish, where his legs stood firm, solid, unmoving.

"Faith?" his voice ringing out, even in the dense snow. His speech clear, almost off putting. "Faith isn't for warmth. Clothes, home; those are for warmth. Whatever you seek in faith, is something else. Isn't it?" His body swiveling to face the woman, his eyes dead.

Yet in his chest, his heart was alive. What happened next depended on everything she said.

@hitomidarling | 209 words | nah nah nah macroaggression

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

Hitomi's expression remained unchanging--bright, cheerful--as the stranger spoke of what he interpreted "faith" to be--his wording making it sound as though warmth couldn't be found in scripture. Literal warmth, that is. Not untrue, but that just made the passion of the devout sound so very trivial! This man wasn't one for metaphors, it seemed. Had he even appreciated her little story? He wasn't brushing her off, though. No, no, he'd rooted himself in place just to make that point.

As for seeking something else in faith? "I guess that depends on what you're missing in life, huh?" she threw back in a sing-song tone, swinging her feet and making light of what others might have deemed a rather hefty topic of conversation--and between two strangers, no less. Her eyes then fixed on him, red and intense and disturbingly steady as if she were gazing down into his very soul. And maybe she was. Or trying to.

"So tell me, sweet stranger, what do you seek from your faith? You do believe in something, don't you?" But whatever it was, it would be the wrong something if he wasn't an apostle to the Glorious One. Which would be totally okay, because Hitomi was just about the perfect person to set him straight.

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

The man's breath materialized on the air, blinking slowly as he disregarded the woman's continued monologue. Gaoh was, deep down - or maybe not so deep - a man who followed his gut. Calculated risks, hell, even thinking was often outside of his wheelhouse. That never bothered him.

But this? T'many damn people askin' abou' fait'. Can'they jus' leave it alone? He sighed, turning back away from her, the beat in his chest slowing down as he looked forward, into the neverending snow. "My fait' ain't t'type t'be lookin' 'round, if that's what yer askin'."

Walking further away, he'd look back at her, slightly. "For strength is something you seek, not something that is given." The words ill begot him - they always did.

The road ahead only looked longer as things continued to drag here, his patience for whatever this conversation was having been killed and buried years before it started.

@hitomidarling | 149 words | you gonna be crazy or not

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

Hitomi wasn't sure what to make of the stranger's first statement. His faith...wasn't the type to be looking around? Without knowing what his faith was, she didn't know what the context was there. But his next words? "For strength is something you seek, not something that is given."

Oh ho ho, how perfect this was! It was like he'd given her both a door AND a key!

Hitomi shrugged off her coat and let both it and her travel pack dangle from the branch she'd been perched on--she'd nab them later--and leaped down from the tree.

"Wrong!" she sang upon landing, a cheerful giggle punctuating her enthusiasm.

She approached him with slow steps, her hips swaying beneath the fabric of her dress, her expression alight with everything excitement and joy, her dark mane following her movements with each step through the snow. She was closing the gap between them but would stop just out of arm's reach. He was taller than her, and looking up at him from her place in the snow was a reminder of what their differences in leverage would be, should he take her words too harshly. She hadn't reached for her weapons, yet, though. In fact, her body language was friendly. He might lash out at her preemptively--if he was the type to be intimidated by pretty women in the woods.

"Strength is a gift, you see," she elaborated, with a finger pointed skyward. "You can search the whole world over but if you're not meant for something, it'll never find you." She smiled, stepping closer and maybe pressing her luck, but she was optimistic he'd see her side. "So tell me: Are you still searching? Where has it gotten you?" Her gaze raked down over him and then back up, studying him, and there was a hint of something wild in the way she looked at him, but only for a sliver of a moment. She continued without pause, her voice silky. "Would you know a real gift if it was staring you in the face?"

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

The crunch of snow sounded the man's stopping, his weight falling into the surface as his eyes skated back around the area, trailing the woman as she moved in front of him. Her continued way of speaking was not filling Gaoh with confidence for his immediate safety; anyone who came at you spouting philosophy was usually either insane or an idiot.

He could tell she wasn't an idiot. Not yet, anyway. He blinked slowly, his only response to her continued spouting of a monologue.

"D'ya ever stop talkin'?" he'd cut through her last sentence, sighing as his gaze shifted to look through the woods around them. Snow had started to fall, the sun overhead slowly sliding behind clouds.

"If ya wanna keep sayin' crap, I don' wanna hear whatever this crap is. If ya go'somethin' t'say, say it."

He'd move to pass her, the tiredness showing in his eyes. "If ya don', fuck off."

@hitomidarling | 154 words | you gonna be crazy or not volume 2

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[Deleted]

by mistake or design we were born to die

Impatient! That was the word. How on earth could she expect someone so quick to talk to also be eager to listen to the good word? The best word? She absolutely couldn't! A shame. If he'd been more willing to hear her out, she could've bestowed upon him the knowledge of something glorious. What he'd be getting instead was, well...

"You're the type to talk with actions, not words, huh?" she observed, moving back a few steps and drawing up her sickles into each hand. The pair of blades didn't look like much--they weren't giant or intimidating and they didn't glow and they couldn't shoot fire--but they were sharp enough--divinely so--to cleave him into pieces, and that's exactly what she intended to use them for.

"Is this more your language?" she asked, sounding much too cheerful about it. Her words had only just left her lips when she sprung forward like a snake, swinging the sickle in her right hand toward his heart in a rush not directly toward him but straight past him. It would be a jagged slash if it even connected at all, nothing even remotely fatal unless he was slow enough to take the full force of the blow. She'd end up somewhere behind him with her zip forward, though she did fully expect him to retaliate and would be prepared to face him accordingly.

Hitomi had so wanted to introduce him to the ways of Jashin. She'd wanted to watch his face light up as the beautiful truth of his divine teachings filled his heart. But not everyone was a candidate for such a gift. This man proved too unwilling to simply listen. And if he wouldn't heed her, he definitely wouldn't heed her god. So she'd aim to fulfill her primary purpose with the order: cause him as much pain as physically possible. And if she accidentally killed him, too? Even better. Sacrifices were always welcomed.

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[Keihō, Gaoh]

Underneath the woman's voice, it was unmistakable; the subtle glint, the faint scraping of metal. Gaoh's eyes would widen slightly, twisting in their sockets to look at the woman as she began her lunge. Her words hadn't particularly registered for the man, falling to the wayside as she moved.

His heart pounded in his ears for a moment, his dower expression twisting into a rabid smile. Knew t'ere was som'tin off 'bout t'is bitch.

His body would pivot, sinking somewhat into the snow as his right foot slammed down - his shoulders would twist outwards, attempting to dodge against the woman's striking weapons. Not particularly adept with the movement, the blades would still manage to shore through the man's coat, leaving a small slash across his skin.

The man's body crashed forward, his left arm rising up and across his chest to deliver a blow to the woman's neck and/or head, with his right drawing back to continue the assault if she was incapable of getting away. His eyes were alight-, in a way they hadn't been before. Wild.

Snow would continue to fall, ever slowly, in the long rising sun.

SPOILER: Click to show

Enhanced Hearing: A quality seemingly born from his time in the wilds, Gaoh has a shocking sense of hearing. From the quietest of insects, to the unsheathing of a blade - if he focuses, he can hear through the noise of intense battle. Unfortunately, several shinobi are trained to move as silently as possible; a near direct counter to this 'gift' of his. While it prevents him, for the most part, to avoid stealth attacks - these few are a "pain in my ass".

A Cruel Body: As a follower of Kimyōna Shinsei, Gaoh can utilize Bukijutsu as if his body were the weapons required. While not being capable of clashing with metal as if his body were, his blows easily match if not overpower those belonging to general tools. While the execution of some of the techniques is rather odd without the extra reach or sheathes that belong to the weapons, he can shortcut the methods somewhat, such as gripping his arm to simulate Iai techniques. Because of them utilizing his body, he can even utilize them on top of his Taijutsu.

Thunderous Strength: His body being honed by years of rigorous, and painful, training; Gaoh embodies a terrifying physical strength. His blows are capable of crushing stone, and he can even lift massive obstructions with one arm. As some amount of recompense, his dexterity is generally more lax, although getting hit by the man will more than often result in serious injury.

Left Arm:
NAME: Keimou Ryuu Ouda [Enlightened Axe Strike]
RANK: C
STAMINA: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
DESCRIPTION: The user forms a fist with their hand and brings their arm above their head or across their chest. They will then step towards their opponent and bring the full force of their weight and power into the blow. All the kinetic force is focused into the bottom of the fist and upon impact the force is released. Much like its knee strike counterpart, the force is carried through the opponent to the opposite side of their body as if the user had just struck straight through them, and the damage felt across this path of the body is felt equally.

NAME: Kumo-Ryu Mikazukigiri [Cloud-Style Three days' Moon Beheading]
RANK: C
STAMINA: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu
DESCRIPTION: The user swings their sword in a single, large, crescent moon-shaped arc, which occurs with such ferocious velocity that the technique can be employed in situations where only a very limited time to react is available. The swing can be used to counter attacks from multiple opponents simultaneously.

Right Arm (Prepared):
NAME: Keimou Shou Ouda [Enlightened Palm Strike]
RANK: C
STAMINA: Low
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
DESCRIPTION: The user forms an open and flat palm with their hands and strikes at the opponent with the full force and weight of their body. Upon impact, the user steps forward and with another push they can instantly double the force used. With the sheer strength required of this style, this simple palm thrust can stop a speeding boulder rolling down a hill in its tracks and with the second push, either break it into fist sized rocks or even send the boulder rolling backwards a dozen feet. When done to a human, the effects can be equally devastating.

@hitomidarling | 191 words | hit hard, hit fast

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