Music and Running (Intro to Sen, open)

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

The music pounded through Sen's body, through her veins, her bloodstream. She walked silently back and forth at one end of the Konoha public track, her legs stiff with weariness and anticipation. She ran her fingers over the scratched Walkman CD player in her hand, as the guitars went silent and the singer softened his voice. The raw lyrics fit wonderfully together with his voice, soft and soothing just now, almost like some kind of gothic lullaby. She felt the music wrap around her, pulling her into a world like a stream of silver and black ribbons, enveloping her in a paradox of dark light.

It was a sad, angry harmony. But it fit just the same. The song was tragic, grieving, raging, but it was hers –for a little while at least. Sen was defined by the tension in her muscles, the sweat clinging to her body, the growing delightful shrillness of the singer’s voice. It was just her and the voice and the emotions. Some one was speaking to her, and in his voice, she heard her own.

As the chorus burst to life, and the guitars began to scream, the energy poured through her. She found her release in its intensity, its burning passion and anguish. Feeling the adrenalin in her system, she began to run.

As the speed came to her footsteps, Sen knew she was an addict of this terrible beauty, the feeling of rightness that came from her running, the complete unison of her mind and body and soul and emotions as one. She felt and was and existed violently, even as physically she started to wear down. Her mind was racing; unleashed it danced across stories and concepts of faith in God and betrayal, loyalty, and love so deep it heralded pain. She delved deeper into her being, swimming in the ocean of everything that made up her whole, her view was cloaked by the empathy, the sympathy, the horror, the truth and the being of her sleepless “running dreams”, which despite her love for words, she knew would never be written on paper.

She loved the exhilarating ache as her limbs moved beneath her, the ability to finally think, to sort out her problems, unhampered by her normal fears.

Her mother and father had been fighting again today, over her cousin Kyokki's prescence, and as jealous as she was towards her "relative", she wasn't so sure she had would take kaachan's side...

She stopped abruptly, panting, as she felt another's prescence.

[Kira]

Ren walked a normal pace, humming to herself.

This month, she was staying at her father's house in Konoha. She still felt a little bit bitter over her parents' break-up, but she was comforted by the thought that at least she would still be able to visit each one.

She missed her mother, but comforted herself with the lullaby her mother had sang to her as an infant.

Ren didn't happen to realize that she was walking at the same path with a girl holding a Walkman, who was running. It seemed as though she were following the other girl, although her following was accidental.

Her pace seemed to slow a bit, as she started to wonder about what to do, and what to say if the other girl thought she was following her.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

Sen was puled back to real life in a single sharp tug.

She nodded at the stranger, trying to look casual, though she couldn't help but think that she must look like a mess. She was sweating like a pig, and her sandy-blonde hair was coming unbound. It was a bit embarrassing.

Still slightly doubled over and panting, she grabbed her knees.

"Hey," she managed to say.

[Kira]

Ren snapped out of her thoughts at a voice and manged to say, "Hi!"

She noticed the girl was panting and seemed tired, and her being her usual slightly worried self, asked, "Are you okay?"

"Ahh, real smooth, Ren...act worried even though you barely now the girl...", she thought sarcastically to herself.

Even if the other girl looked harmless, looks could be deceiving. As usual, Ren was thinking slightly too much about the situation and getting worried over what was most likely nothing dangerous.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"Yeah," Sen replied, standing up and giving the stranger a cautious smile, "I'm just a little out of shape. Haven't been running quite as much with Winter here, you know. My name's Tenkiame Senhime, but everyone calls me Sen. I don't think we've met. If we have, I don't remember, but I certainly hope I was more presentable."

[Kira]

Ren smiled gently and replied, "I'm Shibate, Ren. We haven't met before, but it's nice to meet you."

She thought that they ending of what she said sounded some-what weird, but ignored it.

She decided not to explain why it seemed as if she were following Sen, because it would probably be a little awkward to explain.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"Hajime Mashite, then, Shibate Ren-san" Sen said. She kept smiling, albeit a bit nervously. She was a bit unsure what to say.

"I'm normally out at the track at this time every day, but I've never seen you," she tried, "You knew here? Or trying out a different training time or something?"

She suddenly remembered she had to pause her cd, and did so.

[Kira]

"Well, it's not that I'm new here, exactly...it's just that I come to Konoha every other month and I'm not too familiar with the area around here, so really, I'm just exploring. ", Ren explained.

She left out the part about her parents' divorce which was why she was here every other month.

She didn't feel the need to mention that much about herself until she knew Sen a bit better, because it was a bit like personnel information, in her state of mind.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

Sen nodded, but didn't press farther. She could be a major brat when it came to Kyokki, but she respected most other people's space. She knew she wouldn't enjoy a lot of personal questions from a total stranger, so she kept her curiosity in check.

Already, she was bouncing from one foot to another, full of enegy even as she was worn out from her running.

[Kira]

Ren smiled, seeing as Sen seemed to recover from her previous exhaustion. "So, I'm guessing we're not exactly tired anymore?", she asked, although it sounded a bit like a statement, rather than a question.

She took a deep breath, feeling fresh oxygen rush into her lungs. "Much better than being cooped up somewhere...", she thought.

"Do you like running?", Ren asked, trying to strike up a conversation. She hoped that this question wouldn't be personal, because she never felt the need to pry into someone's personal life unless they were just willing to tell her, although of course a stranger wouldn't want to tell her, but Ren was starting to think of Sen as more of an acquaintance, than a total stranger.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"Yeah, not really," Sen agreed, as she tried to stand still, "Running's my favorite pastime, well, other than listening to this thing."

She held up the CD player for Ren to see then continued, "But it's more than that."

Not wanting to elaborate, she asked, "So, are you a runner then? Or a walker?"

She waited for Ren's reply.

[Kira]

"Umm...I think I would be more of a walker.", Ren said, a bit thoughtfully.

She loved to be outdoors and she liked to stroll around, but she never actually tried running before, unless she had to, not that she didn't like running.

"I think my favorite pastime would just be to be outdoors and meet new people.", Ren said, with a slight smile, remembering how she met all her friends so far.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"I prefer running, but I'd still never make track or anything. I just run to think... and to burn of energy. I like to have my body working at the the same time as my mind. Having even to pace drives me nuts. Then again, I can't run with out music. What kind of music to you listen to?"

[Kira]

"I'm fine with any kind of music as long as it isn't rap or anything with screaming." Ren replied, with a slight crinkle of her nose.

She absolutely hated rap, mostly because she hated the way that most of the times, the lyrics didn't make any since. For music that included screaming, it hurt her ears to listen.

"What kind of music would you like?", Ren asked, returning the question.

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"A little English pop and J-pop, some pop-rock from both east and west, rock-type ballads, alternative rock, classical, a few Minyo (Japanese folk songs), anything on the Koto or Shakuhachi, alternative rock, the list goes on and on. But I ditest hip-hop and rap. A little screaming is okay, but to much is just annoying. for instance I like System of a Down, Metallica, Three Days Grace, ect. and all of those have some screaming. But Children of Bodom is just stupid."