A series of insistent calls punctuated by plinking sounds on the wall or shutters finally dragged first Temari - all prickles and glares - and then all three of them not only out of bed but out onto the balcony.

"What do you morons wa-" Temari broke off and Gaara hardly heard her, inching a little further out onto the balcony with wide eyes as he shuffled through the cold white layer of not-sand, then raised his head to look at the swirls of it dancing lightly through the air as they fell.

"Fuck it's cold," Kankurou whined, yanking the blanket he'd brought with him tighter around himself, "did you guys wake us up because of the snow?"