Ororo cried at the play. She had never seen a Nō play before. She had never seen any Japanese play before. Everything told a story from the elaborate makeup to the dance movements. She was entranced. After the play, he bought her a Nō mask as a souvenir. It was a beautifully crafted dragonhead with a gaping mouth. Ryujin.
Shinobi put the mask on. He spoke to her in Japanese, moving as gracefully as the actors had. He was telling her a story with his movements, with his words.
"Ryujin is the Japanese god of the sea. He lives in a palace at the bottom of the sea called Ryugu, which means dragon's court. Using Tide Jewels, he controls the flow of the tides. When I was younger, I used to try to catch turtles because I believed that I would get lucky and catch one of Ryujin's daughters in disguise. Then, she would marry me, and I could live in the sea palace." He explained in English, then pulled the mask from his face.
He handed the mask back to her, and she cradled it in her hands. "Ryujin. Japanese god of the Sea." She repeated.
During the ride back to the mansion, they talked a little more about the gods and goddesses. "If you were a Japanese goddess, I think you would be Haniyasu-hime, the goddess of the earth. She and her husband sustained life on Earth. They punished and they nurtured. From them, we get our seasons." He said.
She would have to ask the professor to give her a crash course on Japanese culture in the morning.
"Did you ever catch your wife?" she asked when he walked her to the door of the mansion.
"No, I grew up and realized I couldn't marry sea goddesses. I had to be more practical than that. I now have my sights aimed on earth goddesses." He chuckled, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Goodnight, Ororo."
She held the mask to her face, watching him walk back to her his car, hiding her smile.