The sauntering breeze passes the instant she steps from the inn. Immediately, the disoriented sensation subsides.
Above, the night sky is inundated with galaxies of brightly lit stars. They twinkle like diamonds against sunlight and grant the endless expanse an even richer shade of velvet. Amongst the celestial body is the illumination of a full moon.
Only several hundred metres down a paved pathway is the formation of an incredible waterfall. The sound it emits is so remarkably quiet, Rin can almost hear the beats of her own heart.
She sits by the pristine pool of water and submerges her feet into the coolness. Together with the soft sounds of music floating its way from the inn, she is incredibly entranced by the mesmerising quietude of her thoughts.
When the winds pick up, she reluctantly departs, as if something or someone is guiding her. And instead of walking to the inn, she scans the sparse atmosphere.
Atop a large precipice overlooking the faraway lands, she sees Tobi staring out across a luscious field of diverse mountainous greenery.
When she approaches, he does not palpably acknowledge her presence.
"Am I impeding?" She asks.
He turns to her, and the light smile he gives is a non-verbal indicator that she may stay.
When she sits beside him, her gaze joins his into the faraway reaches. The music from the inn ceases playing, and so they sit there in the stillness of a darkened night.
"Are you reminiscing?" She asks eventually.
His gaze continues to linger ahead but his mind hovers somewhere between deep in reflection and reality.
"No. Emptying thoughts," he answers.
She looks to him in surprise. Perhaps this is his way of releasing painful muses?
When she remains quiet, he continues to speak.
"You look great, did you change that dress?"
"You noticed?"
"I notice almost everything about you," he replies mildly.
Rin frowns.
"I don't know whether to categorise that as sweet or creepy," she says falteringly.
He lets out a short laugh.
"I think I'm on the verge of the latter if I try too hard," he answers lightly.
This time, Rin lets out a string of uncontrollable giggles.
"It's not that funny is it?"
There is a look of genuine puzzlement to his features.
"You're funny," she says through stifled laughter.
"Oh," he pauses briefly, "So you're laughing at me?"
Her continuous giggle confirms her answer.
"You need another purple pill?" He adds sarcastically.
Rin stops and lets out a horrified exaggerated gasp.
"You should not have said that," she says with futile composure.
"No one is going to take you seriously with that expression on your face," Tobi says.
He makes a very sardonic, yet accurate imitation of her stifled chortles.
She lifts her chin.
"I can make you falter if you keep up that attitude. You'd be begging for clemency," she says haughtily.
"Oh really?"
Tobi stares at her in bewilderment.
"I'd like to see you try," he continues.
"You're fighting a losing battle," she warns.
He raises an eyebrow in sarcasm.
"Presumptuous statement there."
"Last chance to concede defeat and take back your purple pill comment."
"And if I don't?"
Rin looks into the vast space. And she hears it, the sweet sound of gentle music crawling its way up from the inn.
"You'll have to dance with me," she smirks.
This time, he stares with rough incredulity.
"What?"
"You heard me."
He lets out a short laugh of disbelief.
"I don't dance, nor do I know how."
"Too bad."
"Okay, if you can't get me to er…beg for clemency…" he pauses momentarily, an enormous attempt for composure, "You can get up and dance by yourself."
"Deal."
And her quick response brings another element of surprise to his features.
"Also, you take back the purple pill comment as well," she continues.
"Fine."
"Last chance," she says.
"Go for it."
"I can bet that on two minutes or less, you will concede defeat."
Tobi spreads his arms out wide.
"Go on."
At his comment, she gives a wide merciless grin, then shuffles toward him. With both hands, she slides them into the gap of his cloak. Her left holds his waist steady, whilst her right strokes the oblique muscles of his left side.
Instantly, she gets the reaction she anticipated.
"Dammit!" He groans, and he is suppressing a chuckle that reinforces the ticklish sensation.
"You're thrashing and it has only been less than twenty seconds," she says, "Concede defeat yet?"
At this point, he lets out a wave of uncontrollable laughter. It is an act she finds so incredibly delightful.
"No…dammit, it's been more than twenty seconds," he says in between lungfuls of air.
"Excuse me, I can tell the time."
And she hastens the action at his audacious comment. His flailing increases wildly in both movement and strength, as if there is an immense containment of physical power he is holding back.
"Okay…stop…please stop…I can't take it anymore…"
When she ceases the action, there is a triumphant grin on her face. She has proven her point - he should not underestimate her abilities.
As she withdraws from him, he takes her arms and pulls her into a petulant embrace. Then, he leans in and kisses her.
"I win," she says softly.
She stands and straightens her dress before extending her hand in invitation.
"Let's go."
He gives her a resigned smile and accepts.
Rin is not an expert but she is good at teaching and learning. From what Akihiro taught her, she remembers it clearly.
"Hold me here," she guides his hands to her waist. "And I just put my hands to your shoulders. Easy right?"
Although reluctant at first, Tobi eventually eases into it. His awkwardness however, is still evident in his very stiff-like movements.
"You need to relax," Rin fusses.
He only laughs again, perhaps out of his own embarrassment that his coordination is lacking. But slowly he gets the hang of things and Rin gets him to hold one hand whilst she twirls to the music. And when he catches her on the third try, he steps close until her chest is inches away from his.
"Can I stand this close?" He asks softly.
"I don't think this constitutes as dancing anymore," she replies.
His expression is mild and sentimental, as if he is staring at pleasant memories.
"Who sets the rules anyways? I'll call this as dancing," he says.
"You're the only one who would call it that."
"Makes it exclusive."
"If you stand too close, I can't keep pace properly."
"Why not?"
"I am not blessed with your height, you're overshadowing me."
"Sure, I can fix that," and he picks her up so that she laughs and squeals in bewilderment.
"Are you seriously going to hold me like this the entire dance?"
He gives her a small smile.
"If you want me to," he answers lightly.
"Perhaps not for dancing then," she leans down to kiss him.
"If I keep getting that response, can I continue to carry you?" He murmurs.
Rin lets out a derisive snort.
"You wish."
When the music stops, Tobi releases her, but they continue to stand there and revel in each other's proximity for some time after.
"I almost forgot," he says suddenly.
"Mm?"
"I take back that purple pill comment."