>"Sure, sure."
>Let's wait for Rin to be ready and then depart for the shrine
>Having a task perform enables your mind focused, as distracting a figure as your Rin is as she ducks back into your room to put some clothes on, emerging in a long grey sweater and black pants. She takes long enough to add a scarf to her ensemble before the two of you transform in the privacy of your apartment, then step back out into the winter air.
>It would hardly be difficult for you to transport yourself to the shrine of the Metal Tiger, but given the coldness in the air, you choose the comfier option. You and your Rin share her flying disc, not only because it gives greater speed, but it gives you more time to enjoy each others' proximity. You resolve, though, to give this kind of flying a shot yourself one day soon. It really is something else, to be able to zoom through the sky like a tengu or a fairy. Small wonder Lily flies everywhere. For the bulk of the journey, you're certain Rin enjoys your company more than the flying, until a pugnacious yet adorable red-headed fairy accosts you in mid-flight, and challenges you both to a race to the Shrine. Rin is kind to the little fairy and doesn't break out her full speed, and the fairy does an admirable job at keeping up with Rin's disc, until she spies a rather large dog on the ground, yelps in fear, then breaks off and heads backwards at fairly great speed. Exactly why she was scared of a non-flying dog you're not sure, but fairies aren't always the most logical creatures in the world.
>In the distance, off to the north, you spy a trio of birds heading in the direction of the Bird shrine, including a very large, and very familiar, golden eagle. That has to be Haruka. You glance down at your ring, and sure enough, there is no reaction to the big eagle, confirming that physical proximity does indeed appear to be a requirement for that aspect of your ring's powers.
>The fields and streets around the Metal Tiger shrine are silent when you rock up. Almost eerily silent. You can't even detect the sounds of animal life. The only sounds are those of the wind blowing through the playground equipment, across the roof of the shrine, and through the clothes of the tall, long-haired woman standing beneath the torii gates holding a glowing board of wood.
