Tesler Train Station.

[★ tohaku]

Note: Thread is private. Set after the timeskip.

---

The train station is empty. Abandoned. Void of the factory workers and soldiers that had once commuted across the vast winter wonderland known as Yuki no Kuni. From its exterior, the building appears as nothing more than a slate-gray factory compound. Its only windows, thin rectangular panels lining the sides of the rooftop, are now scarred with blossoms of frost. The metal gates that once allowed a train to enter and exit the building (from the west and east side, respectively), have been slid shut and locked. And all the entrances, except for one employee back door, have been boarded shut with wooden planks.

The train tracks that once ran straight through this station have been buried beneath leagues of snow for a good while now, unattended to and forgotten. The building now stands alone amongst hills of white and mountains of ice, hidden from all but the few that dare explore these empty and remote lands. In fact, it's safe to say that only those who know of its existence can find it. Scattered around the vicinity of this train station, within a diameter of fifty meters, are mysterious junk parts of various origin and type. Most, if not all, of them are half-buried within the snow.

The train station's interior is made up of two distinct sections: a waiting area, and a boarding area. The entire building is fifty by fifty meters. Its southern half (the waiting area) contains a now empty ticket booth on one side, an arrival/departure board on another, and rows upon rows of seats at its middle. All of them are now rusted with age. The building's northern half (the boarding area) withholds two antique trains, locked within this frosty tomb for an unknown number of years. These trains have cabins, but appear to be permanently out of order.

[★ tohaku]

"..."

The young man, garbed in a midnight black cloak, leans against a slate-grey wall, arms crossed as his masked countenance surveys the room sprawled out before him. The train station is empty, resonating with a hollow sound, a building with its roots in Pre-War history. He's waiting, patiently, for an assigned comrade in his current endeavor. A comrade he is hoping will arrive prior to the arrival of their... client. The very success of their assignment would most likely depend on it.

Sighing, the masked man bends a single knee, propping one of his black boots up against the wall behind him. CROW had a habit of sending him to places far and in between. He'd been to nearly every known country on the continent now, each waypoint as unique and distinctive as the last, every rendezvous (with familiars and strangers alike) soaked within an aura of uncertainty and danger. But never before had they sent him into an assignment with a recruit.

The reasoning behind such a decision was lost on him. Sometimes, understanding the higher-ranking personnel within CROW was like trying to read a damn sphinx. But, they did have a tendency to make decisions that, although perplexing at first, ended up being a success. So he didn't try to fight it. Whoever this newcomer was, and for whatever reason he was assigned to train this person, he would do his duty. After seven years of loyalty, he wasn't prepared to challenge their leadership any time soon.

[Jun]

Enter.

It's so cold I don't even need to speak to see my breath manifest in the air. I've got my arms wrapped around my petite figure, though it does little to ward off the chills and goosebumps. Not even a full day spent in the wintry Land of Snow and I'm already sick of it. I'm dressed appropriate enough however, donned in all black, including gloves, and a beige scarf that's set on dancing among the flurries. Oh, and the olive, buttoned down flak jacket I'm wearing I haven't quite gotten comfortable with yet either. Not that it doesn't fit well, rather, after just blossoming into a Chuunin I'm already being sent off to foreign lands to serve a higher purpose. And yet, for some reason I find myself to be a bit more irritable than normal. The uphill journey through plentiful snow brings on more fatigue than what I'm used to. By the time I reach its crest I'm winded. Then, I see a train station out yonder and smile. It's the supposed meeting point for my tutor and I -- though I can't help but wonder why the hell they chose to have us meet all the way out here in the first place. At any rate I make a quick check behind me and note the extensive trail of footprints left in the snow before continuing on.

I'd pass by a twisted log, a fallen sign, and chunks of aged metal buried in the earth, only to come close enough to the station to know that it's outdated. Those elongated windows up higher are so frosted over I can't see through them and its easy to tell that the place is deserted -- things have likely been that way for a while now. The building is huge by the way. Off to the side my ocean eyes spot a dormant railway engulfed in snow A secluded location, no doubt, one ideal for secret meetings such as the one I was about to engage in. But where was the other soul in the midst of this rusted outpost? I figure it shouldn't be too much trouble to find him, considering how easily the landscape gives ones position away -- also it is depressingly quiet. So, re-adjusting the scarf around my neck I start a wayward stride into the metallic lodge, first circling around an old gate. I guess I'm east of the main entrance since I gaze up and observe thick , cylinder poles jutting out of the outer walls of the building -- no doors whatsoever. The vents, as I soon diagnose, probably kept the interior warm at one point in time, though they no longer emit grand tufts of smoke from their openings at the top. I'd keep going until I turn left at the corner of the train station, giant doors soon coming into view along the wall I'm close by. Then my eyes widen. There's a lone fellow leaned up against another heather wall maybe ten to fifteen meters away. Sadly, I can't make out his face, as he's wearing a mask but he's definitely a shinobi telling from how obscure he looks in his cloak. I approach him with caution, yet I'm sure he'll catch wind of my presence long before I'm in front of him. When I get within earshot of him I say with a casual wave of the hand,

"I'm Jun, hailing from Cloud. Are you here to be my escort?"[/b;oclquote]

[★ tohaku]

The metal door at the corner of the large room squeaked open, and the young woman beyond it walked in, rousing the masked man's attention. She offered him a wave as the door closed behind her, its sound echoing throughout the waiting room, and to the dormant trains beyond. "Welcome to the Tesler, Jun." The masked operative answered, dropping his arms to his sides, as he eased himself off the wall he was leaning on. "My name's Cobalt."

He paused for a moment, his hidden gaze focused on her in a vague, but brief, silence. Then he spoke, his voice nonchalant and smooth, even behind the acoustics of his mask. "And, yes. I'm the Sentinel they sent to test you. I'm guessing they haven't filled you in on the details of our assignment?" The seasoned CROW agent inquired, his focus briefly diverted towards the rest of the train station. "The higher-ups do have a habit of being unnecessarily discreet."

[Jun]

"Welcome to Tesler, Jun."

Tesler? The room we'd occupy was devoid of any color besides a somber gray. Off to the side there was a long row of seats facing both left and right; and as expected they were all shabby, having had their fabric and cushions stripped away. On the same wall as the masked agent was a ticket booth with sheets of paper strewn all over the tiled floor beneath it. He introduced himself dryly as Cobalt. From first impressions I could hear in his voice that he was apathetic. His porcelain disguise didn't do too much to muffle his speech, I could hear him clear enough. He made known his reasons for being at the train station at the opening and I favored him for that. Evidently however, I'd been given an assignment from the higher ups in Kumogakure -- such was the induction method into CROW. I wouldn't know too much about them besides their being founded and managed by the Niidaime Raikage. Even then I didn't really have much of an idea of who my leader was, but I knew I wanted to serve under them directly.

I noticed that the CROW operative wasn't looking at me, but rather, up at a gaping hole in the ceiling. There was a great deal of rocks and debris on the ground below where the roof had slightly caved in. It was an off-color sight really, I wondered what had caused the damage as I guessed Cobalt had been wondering the same thing. It was cold inside here too, but things would have been that way whether that hole was there or not. I only spent maybe 6 seconds tops reeling over what he had told me before I replied,

"Assignment? The village elders didn't tell me about any assignment. What will we be doing?

Frost accompanied each word I emphasized as it accumulated in front of my face. Cobalt was probably going to stand there in good posture and digest my words before speaking again in a deliberate manner. This was fine, he'd said 'our' as I recalled after all; therefore it would do well if he was concise as possible when explaining the details. 

"But whatever it is, just tell me we won't be performing it around here. Please."

[★ tohaku]

Although she couldn't see it, the humor in her latest statement brought an inch-long smile to his face. But she would most likely hear it in his voice as he spoke, his suave tone paced and direct. "I'm afraid so." He answered with a tinge of lament. "The weather's shitty, but it's better than being knee-deep in sand on some lifeless desert-- trust me on that." He'd let the lighthearted suggestion sink in, before pivoting around, gesturing for her to follow with a nod of his head, then ambling towards the wheeled metal monstrosities on the other side of the station.

As soon as he was walking side by side with Jun, he'd speak once more, eyeing the dead trains ahead of them with slight intrigue. "Location aside," He'd begin. "We've been asked to attend a rendezvous on behalf of CROW. Nothing too dangerous, I'd wager. Just a routine information retrieval." Or, at the very least, that's what his superior had told him. The young man had long since abandoned ever feeling 'safe'. It never ended up well in his line of business. "I'm also here to evaluate your abilities. Though I have to say, you do look pretty... capable." He'd admit, casting a brief, and admiring, glance at her.

By now, they'd be halfway across the room, approaching the deserted boarding station ahead.

[Jun]

He'd mention something about sand -- which stirred within me the assumption that he had journeyed across the dunes of Kaze no Kuni at one point in his life. It was true that the terrain there was harsh. I'd know, as I spent an insignificant amount of time there watching a tailed beast from folklore decimate Suna's gates. If memory served me correctly the cat had, had two tails and a body composed of vivid azure flames. . .then again, how could I ever forget that day? At any rate, he hadn't told me what I'd wanted to hear -- we would indeed be carrying out the act in the snow. I almost wanted to groan but didn't. I couldn't complain when I had a job to complete; and especially when it would place me among Cloud's elite.

Then the passive youth started walking, and of course I'd follow. Where we were headed there were benches being watched over by metallic canopies. There were panels that would have contained glass but these were destroyed long ago. Shards of glass lay strewn across the seats and ground of the boarding area as if it were some murder scene. We weren't here to catch any train either, that much was for sure. Before I could imagine what would occur next Cobalt would speak up once more, ending his explanation by complimenting me, or rather, my looks most likely. I returned a smile -- it wasn't a big cheese or anything but it was the least I could do. After all, I had always been told I was pretty and held on to such, but modesty still went a long way. More importantly however, was the divulging of info that we'd be on one side of a rendezvous. Nothing dangerous, he reassured, but seeing as we were working on behalf of CROW I wasn't so sure if that was the case. Perhaps he was just trying to keep things upbeat for my sake. Then he also said he was going to evaluate my abilities. I didn't know the extent of what that meant but he sure did seem confident that I could be trusted. Then again, I wouldn't have even been selected to come out here to begin with if my skills were only sub par. So, when he finally grew quiet and I was walking alongside him I murmured, 

"Say, do you know exactly who it is we'll be meeting? Oh, and if we pull this off do you think we'll get to meet the Niidaime?" Unless you've already met him . . ."

[★ tohaku]

The masked agent's attention perked up when Jun mentioned meeting the Nidaime Raikage-- a man he had considered a father figure for quite some time now. There were only a handful of people in the world who knew of "Cobalt's" past, and even fewer who understood the circumstances under which his life in Kumogakure no Sato had become possible. The Nidaime, coincidentally, was privy to both. But there was no need to divulge any information like that now. Especially during the evaluation of a recruit.

"Hardly anyone meets the Nidaime." The masked man answered truthfully. "But if he's interested in meeting with us, we'll be the first to know." As they approached one of the trains, crossing through the trash-littered pathways of the indoor boarding station, he'd stride a few steps ahead of Jun, the tail of his cloak rippling with the wind as he hopped up onto its metallic hide. A gloved hand gripped onto a black bar protruding from its side-- a door handle that lead into one of the train's deserted cabins. 

With his back against the train, and his hand holding onto the bar behind his back, he'd gaze out at the room once more, his slightly elevated position giving him a broad view. "We're meeting clients." He informed the raven-haired gal. "A splinter-group from Yukigakure no Sato's Pre-War military. We lent them support, and they're giving us the latest on Yukigakure's current events." There was a pause then, his hooded countenance shifting its hidden gaze from the left side of the room, then to the right.

"So, Jun... what's your story?"

[Jun]

"Hardly anyone meets the Nidaime."

So that was it? Our leader, for whatever reason, would rarely ever take the time to sit and speak with his subordinates, or even show is face in the village for that matter. Was he really famous? I couldn't have imagined being in a room with him -- and every time I tried remembering ever seeing him I'd go blank. . .but then that flash of crimson would always pop into my head and leave me wondering. 

There was no use in pursing the topic, as surely a shinobi had to be extremely talented to catch the interest of the Nidaime. We treaded along the platform, little sound being made besides that same mysterious howl resonating throughout the station walls. Alongside our right was a thick yellow line running down the entirety of the pathway; it was distinct enough to have warned passengers not to stand too close for their own safety. Cobalt led us to one of the retired train's -- we crossed one of the lines anyways with him slightly leading the way and prepared to board one of the smoke billowing giants. Well, he did anyways, I still remained on the platform looking confused. What could possibly be stored for us inside one of those old cars? Whatever it was Cobalt didn't seem to be in a rush to get to it. He didn't swing open the door using that black bar he was grasping just yet. Rather, he told me who we'd be meeting. Outsiders, as it turned out, clients from Yukigakure. After that he asked me a personal question. 

"Yukigakure? Such a tiny little village!? What could possibly be going on over there that we need to know about?" I complained having crossed arms. It didn't seem like Snow would have anything valuable to give to us, as I added, "Sometimes it's like Yukigakure isn't even there, I swear." As for the personal question I instantly decided that I wouldn't say a thing about me once being a nuke-nin. That I always did anyways, and it was the only thing I really needed to hide. Everything else I'd share with Cobalt, even though he appeared to be scanning the area instead of looking at me. I began calmly, voice audible enough for only us to hear, "Gee, I was nobody before I'd met Eiichiro-sama, really. He was the one that introduced me to Cloud." Then I lowered my head to the floor, just now remembering Kou -- he and Tarou had run off to Konoha this time on an extended visit. In all honesty they were both nothing but low lifes -- drifters.  Before I became too lost in my thoughts however, I continued, "Besides that, I guess I've been living in the shadow of my brother my whole life, aspiring to grow strong enough to stand beside him. But he always goes running off alone to leave me worried -- I guess my skills as a field medic aren't valuable to him." Finally I took the time to climb aboard and wait for the masked youth to swing open the cabin door. 

"I hate how self-centered he is. . .but I still love him."

And that was enough about me.

[★ tohaku]

The dark-eyed young man uttered a single chuckle when she shared her personal opinion on the "little village" that was Yukigakure no Sato. Shaking his head, it was clear that he, in one way or another, shared her viewpoint. But that single chuckle was the only response he'd offer for now. There was more to take into consideration when questioning the council's decision to pry into the affairs of this snow-laden country. Should Jun stick around, he was sure that she'd find out on her own eventually.

CROW, after all, wasn't as difficult to get into as most people imagined. There were no extensive training exercises. No required years of service, or dossiers filled with assignments and decorations. All it truly required was dedication, loyalty, and a dash of common sense. And the sooner a recruit could prove all of these merits to their superiors, the sooner they were officially inducted into the organization. Jun had a spark. He could see that. And, quite frankly, he found himself a bit inspired by it.

In response to his latest inquiry, she'd speak of a vague relationship with the Sandaime Raikage, and how meeting the golden-haired man had changed her life. It was because of him, after all, that she was even in Kumogakure no Sato-- and one of the many reasons CROW took an interest in her. The cloaked operative would edge his gaze towards her as she went on, speaking of a brother she had always aspired to exceed. The dark-eyed agent would remain silent as she took his place beside him, hopping up onto the train's metallic hide before finishing her dialogue.

With his masked countenance pointed in her direction, their proximity to each other closer than it had been down below, he'd offer his own standpoint on her situation. "Family is all we truly have nowadays." He stated, his acoustic tone smooth and relaxed. "You'll be as great as you want yourself to be. And I'm sure your brother will come to recognize you for it. Respect you for it." He paused-- only to give her a reassuring nod a beat afterwards. Then, a lighthearted chuckle. Shaking his head lightly, he'd explain. "Though, to be honest, he does sound like a grade-A prick."

[Jun]

OOC ~ sorry for such a short post >:/

---

Not so surprising, Cobalt chuckled at my mention of Yukigakure -- it was nice to know that he wasn't so high strung as I would have expected a masked sentinel to be. He listened to everything I said silently, as if he were a good friend of mine. When he finally did decide to face me after my climb onto the cabin he'd pass along his reassuring two cents.

"Family is all we truly have nowadays."

Among other things he told me I could become as strong as I wanted to be if I wanted it bad enough. Hearing such spurred me to give him a quirked glance -- it wasn't often that I received kind words. Hell, I rarely indulged in conversation with others in Kumogakure for that matter. What got to me most was the prospect of Kou respecting me. Him admire me? Yeah right. I rolled my eyes at that bit but cracked the brightest of smiles when he made fun of my brother. "Aha, he can be. What about you though? Do you have any family? Any ambitions? A wife?"I asked, eyeing my partner with a look of concern. He seemed like the type to carry a heavy burden and not say anything about it. If he ever needed someone to share his worries with, I could say that I'd be there for him. How could I not do that much when he was cheering for me? Then again, if he did have a wife, she was likely to have that much already taken care of. Then, for a second I imagined what his wife would look like. . .then I tried to imagine what he looked like! Whether he cared to share a little about himself I nodded toward the door when I felt it was time. "Ready when you are." I said firmly. Arms crossed again, I waited patiently for his lead. Not to mention that I was unconsciously tapping my foot against the floor in response to the cold. Yeah, it was really cold out, even indoors. In the meantime I blew a playful tuft of visible frost right in front of my face and looked up at it all squint-like.

Whenever he was done loitering.

[★ tohaku]

OOC: It's all good. I've had a few of those myself.

---

"I'm one of the many orphans of the First World War."

He answered blatantly, speaking as though he were reading the words out of some boring textbook. He'd long since, after all, gotten past feeling sorry for himself-- or having others feel sorry for him. But that didn't mean he'd completely lost all the drive to make their deaths mean something. He just did a very good job at hiding it. "So no family to speak of. Not biological, anyway." The dark-eyed agent continued. "Yet, I've managed to lead a rather a fulfilling life without them anyway. First as a shinobi of Kumogakure, and now as a member of CROW."

Watching her blow tufts of frosty air made him unconsciously smile. But he could see she was ready. So, gently, he'd lean to one side, slowly swinging the metallic cabin door open with one hand, then hanging off the side of the train as held onto the steel bar. With his free hand, he'd politely gesture for Jun to enter the train's cabin first. "Needless to say, in all the haste to excel, I haven't found the time for marriage. Nor do I plan to anytime soon. But I can't say I don't have my eye on someone." He teased, waiting for her to enter, before entering himself.

The interior of this cabin was perhaps the last thing they would have expected seeing in this place. It was a once mobile suite, built with dark wood paneling and heavy padded furniture, emanating a warm inviting glow. Everything that could be polished, the metal and glass and woodwork, had been polished vigorously, and it all glistened under the electric lights like a politician's grin. At the end of this luxurious cabin, beyond the leather couches and the long dark mahogany coffee table, was an addition that immediately piqued the masked operative's interest.

"No shit-- is that a bar?"

He beamed, closing the cabin's metal door behind him. Turning his masked countenance towards Jun, he pointed towards the treasure trove of liquor. "Do you mind? I've picked up a bit of a chill this morning-- and I'm not just talking about the weather." So, with an easy stride, he made his way towards the bar, lifted a bottle of scotch, and thumbed the cap off. His back turned to the raven-haired gal, he'd pour himself a splash in an 8 ounce glass as he spoke. "Oh, and could you open the blinds covering the windows? We'll want to see our guests as they arrive." He'd edge his mask to the side with a single hand as she did so, downing the glass of scotch in one fluid motion thereafter.

After enjoying its relaxing burn, he'd bring his mask back down over his face, turning around as he crossed his arms, and then leaning on the bar's counter behind him as he observed Jun's progress with those blinds.

[Bit]

haku +70
Jun +45