Tree's Company

Yenn couldn’t sleep indoors as usual the night before, she kept trying but somehow she always ended up outside either under or resting in a tree. A soft and comfortable bed was a luxury she had never been used to, and it felt strange to her. Sometimes she found herself waking up on the ground, not remembering how or when she had wandered into the forest. The only problem with that was that Tamwyn often followed her out and the while the cold didn’t affect her, it most certainly affected him. She had no special ability to keep someone warm, and so she’d resolved to build a temporary shelter so that she could sleep comfortably knowing that he wouldn’t freeze to death during the night.

She wasn’t too far from the village, though with how big the village was she could have been miles away and still been able to see the towering structures glinting in the sunlight of the morning. She’d been out here for hours, watching the sun rise and roaming around the area gathering supplies for her project. Her heeled leather boots sat off to the side against the base of the tree she had chosen for her shelter, she’d worn them again since she apparently hated her feet and the thought had never occurred to her to simply purchase boots with a more practical heel size. With the exception of her feet, neck and face the rest of her was covered in leather clothing. Black leather pants with intricate stitching to allow for ease of movement and a waist length leather shirt held together over a linen undershirt with small silver buttons. Even her hands were covered by black leather gloves that came to her elbows and were trimmed with the same dark fur that edged the neckline of her shirt. Barely visible beneath her long dark hair was a leather cord that held a silver, obsidian and diamond pendant around her slender neck. Along the tops of both feet were raised scars that looked like streaks of lightning, though looked long healed.

She had a pile of handmade ropes made of twisted bark and vines and a few boards that she had already secured to an upper branch. It wasn’t quite the same as just sleeping on the ground, but it was at least outside away from the village and that was the larger part of the reason she always found herself out here. Climbing up to the small platform she had already constructed, Yenn began work on building the rest of the floor and humming softly to herself as she tied the boards down, lost in daydreams of Tamwyn.

Tsumi was doing his early morning work out before work. A couple hours set aside for a ten kilometer run along the outside perimeter of the village was coming up but before that there were sets to do. Of course after learning the hard way Tsumi had started stretching before working out and hydrating properly. He slipped into a pair of red shorts with camo designs on the outside and a black tank top with the Oni symbol on the front and the Yokai symbol on the back. A pair of black tennis shoes with red lining and of course his head phones attached to an old used mp3. For today he had selected some rock music set on random shuffle for his work out. He would start by getting out of bed and doing fifty push ups, followed by fifty sit ups with his feet tucked under his dresser. Not the just straight up and down ones obviously but each time he came up he would turn left and then right before going back down. After that it was fifty step ups and then stretching again with another round of hydration and twenty minutes of rest before his run. A protean shake thrown in for breakfast to give him calories to burn.

Of course he would head out at a jog though for normal people that would be closer to a full sprint. He was keeping it at a simple D rank speed instead of pushing himself and it was clear that was intentional. Pacing himself for long distances. His work out routine may seem minimal but the truth was Tsumi was built like a beast. His shoulders and arms were lean but clearly defined muscles without an ounce of body fat. His red hair was tied up in a pony tail as usual to stay out of his face with his kumo head band as the tie. The metal plate polished and glistening in the dim morning light. As he ran Tsumi would let his music blare blocking out anything as he worked on his foot work and shadow boxed. Ten kilometers of foot work and shadow boxing at a constant D rank speed before work was just his way of things. Though his clan may wish he worked on some studies somewhere in all of that as Tsumi was not known to be the brightest cookie in the tool shed.

Of course normally he was fairly focused on his path. He didn't want to hurt anyone shadow boxing of course. However this morning a fox had caught his eye and went dashing through the woods and for fun he had decided to chase after it. He didn't intend to hurt the thing. He just enjoyed the game of chase. Like a dog with his squirrel. Tsumi would go crashing through the bushes with a big old grin on his face despite not being able to see well where he was going through said bushes. His eyes would widen as he came through another set of bushes and there was a tree less than a meter ahead of him. He didn't even have time to register the girl building a tree house before he would slam forehead first into the tree hard enough to shake it but not to bring it down. He would fall hard on his rear and rub at his head and horns. Quickly checking them for any damage as tears began to well up in his eyes and he sniffled at the pain. Mumbling under his breath.

"Stupid tree...stopping me from...sniff...playing with Mr. Fox."

Yenn was happily working on building the treehouse that she had decided would be the best compromise for her and Tamwyn’s odd sleeping arrangements, when she heard crashing through the woods. She wasn’t expecting any trouble out here, there was rarely anyone interested enough in this section of the forest to even bother being in it, let alone intentionally cause a ruckus. Still though, the cautious part of her would look in the direction of the sound and she spotted a small fox running past just moments before a large red haired. . . demon? ran face first into the tree she was precariously balanced in.

The raven haired woman was moderately coordinated, but the confusion of the scene below had left her less attentive than she should have been and as the man shook the tree with the force of his forehead she would lose her balance and tumble from the ad hoc shelter. It wasn’t a very long fall all things considered, only ten meters from where she had been crouched working to the forest floor, but it was far enough that had she not landed on the back of the unexpected visitor it would have hurt a considerable amount. Assuming he didn’t notice and dodge her falling form of course. Rolling as she hit, whether it be the red-haired man or the ground beside him, helped to soften the blow even more and would end up placing a few feet away from the man. Her immediate reaction was to apologize, which she did, as she stood quickly and before she had even brushed off the pine needles and twigs from her clothes and hair she would move to check if he was injured.

“I’m so sorry, are you alright?” Her voice was slightly panicked though mostly apologetic and full of concern for his well being. She looked him over, trying to not stare too long at the horns on his head, even though the realization that she could have landed on those drew her attention to them all the more. Seeing the tears welling up in the man’s eyes from the initial face plant into the tree made her heart break a little. Crouching in front of him she would try to get his attention as she attempted to make sense of what was going on. “Was that your pet? Do we need to find. . . uh, Mr. Fox? I can help if you like.” She hadn’t seen any features of the fox that would indicate it was domesticated, but the man did seem rather upset by it running out of sight and she would hate to think that this fumble would cause him to lose a cherished companion.

Tsumi never even noticed her coming. He was to frazzled from the tree kicking his ass and looking for where Mr. Fox went to be aware of his surroundings. One moment he was sitting there holding his head and the next face first in the dirt as someone landed on top of him and rolled off. He sat there twitching a second before his hands twitched and he pushed down on the ground to pull his face out of the dirt and spat with his nose turning red from getting hurt slightly. He would spit out a bit of dirt before touching his nose and wincing. A voice registered for him and he turned with a face that could only be described as a smoldering pout as he sat cross legged and puffed his chest with his hands resting on his ankles. He would stare at her with bird like yellow eyes passed his red hair with dirt still on his cheek. Something about him seemed almost child like before he harumphed and crossed his arms. Looking away from her as if insisting that he had been wronged and was justified in his behavior. Speaking matter of factually. In a much more manly tone.

"I ....I don't even know of any Mr. Fox. Where did you come from anyway? Falling on people like that? It's rude!"

He was speaking from experience as when he was a kid he had fallen on Mr. Toki twice trying to sneak out of his apartment. He had to write an apology letter both times but it had taken him forever to write a whole letter. Not that he hadn't felt bad about it. Still the fact that she fell on him brought his attention the fact that she had in fact fallen. Which meant she had come from above right? So that meant he should look up? He glanced upwards and he saw the makings of a tree house. For a second he just blinked before he bounced to his feet like an excited child. His hands resting on the bark of the tree as he looked up at it. Excited to see a tree house as he had never had the opportunity to have one. No one to help him build it and he wasn't about to figure out how to do it on his own.

"Yo! bruh! Is this a tree house? I always wanted to see one in person! Did you do this? woah dude it's even solid!" he said as he lightly pushed on it. Not even thinking about what if it wasn't. He was just too excited to see it. His eyes lighting up like a kid on a field trip.

Yenn was very confused. She had been so sure that he’d mentioned ‘Mr. Fox’, but now that the pouting man claimed to have no knowledge of him she wasn’t so sure. Or perhaps she had fallen on him harder than she thought, and he was confused. Either way she didn’t disagree that falling on a person was rude and so rushed to apologize, a look of abject misery on her face as she did so. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to fall on you.” The idea that she was apologizing for being knocked out of a tree was ridiculous, but she didn’t think that her guilt ridden soul didn’t allow her to not accept blame for anything and everything that went wrong.

She didn’t have to feel guilty for long though as the man suddenly jumped up excitedly and started admiring the tree house she was building. She was surprised at how greatly he seemed to appreciate it, and especially just after he’d been so upset. It was mildly alarming how swiftly his mood had changed, but she was thankful that he seemed to have forgotten why he had been so upset. Giving him a moment to talk she answered the two questions he had asked. “Yes this is a tree house, and also yes I’m building it.” She had been looking forward to a quiet day alone working on the house, but seeing how excited the horned man was she couldn’t very well turn him away now. “Did you want to help me finish it?” Yenn smiled as she spoke, finding the man’s enthusiasm infectious.

Tsumi was excited about the treehouse and virtually failed to read the mood entirely. She was building something he had always wanted as a kid. But never had a parent to help him build it. The clan raised him well enough but it wasn't like he had anyone to call dad or mom for that matter. Everyone was just aunt and uncle so and so to him. He remembered crying himself to sleep as a kid whenever he heard a thunderstorm outside. Wondering constantly why neither of his parents wanted him. What had been so wrong about him to be abandoned at birth. So eventually one of his uncles had told him that if he wanted to he could grow up to be a hero. A legend to the people and then even his parents he had never met would have to recognize him. That if he strove to be more than your average man they would see his true worth. So he had set his mind to improving his physical capabilities. Working out ridiculous amounts and figuring out how to build muscle. He wasn't very smart and he knew it so he had turned to his muscles instead. One day his parents would find him and apologize.

However not much else he set his mind too had ever worked out. He hadn't figured out how to mold his element yet, it took him years to graduate the academy and he didn't really know how to build anything. Anytime he tried to help out with things like gardening or roof repairs tools broke and holes ended up in the roof. So he was a little nervous as he paused and one finger rose to scratch nervously at his chin. His yellow eyes looking at her and then back to the tree house before his shoulders slumped and he pushed his hands into his pockets. Looking to the ground as he felt his dream of a tree house slipping away from him....Maybe his dad was right to abandon him.

"I don't know if that's a good idea....Aunt Maria says all I do is break stuff....I don't want to risk breaking your tree house...it looks really nice though."

Yenn’s heart broke as she saw the sadness in Tsumi’s posture as he answered her. She wasn’t sure who this Aunt Maria was, but she didn’t like how her words had seemed to affect the well meaning man. It made her think back to all the ideas that had been put into her own head, things that she knew, intellectually, were incorrect. But a lie told often enough quickly became the truth. The lie didn’t even have to be convincing, simple repetition was all that was required to change reality. She didn’t know this man at all, but she knew that slump in his shoulders, the way he subconsciously was hiding himself away, just through the simple act of placing his hands in his pockets. Or at least that was how Yenn saw it, she only had her own experiences to go by, and like most people she saw everything that happened around her through the lens of her own past.

She wasn’t worried about this man breaking anything. Besides the fact that she’d barely begun, that was simply the way of the forest. Nothing lasted forever when subject to the elements and if something broke, well that just meant you had to fix it. It didn’t suddenly mean that the thing was worthless. Rising to her bare feet she would look at the man and smile reassuringly as she made her offer again. “I’m not concerned about any of that. Who cares if you or I or anyone might break it? Right now it’s just a pile of boards and ropes, if those come apart once we put them together then we just do it again. Maybe it would even be better the second time around anyway.” She would reach down and pick up a board and hold it out for him to take. “I’m Yenn by the way, what’s your name? If I’m going to have you help me it’d be nice to know what to call you.” She would stand there holding out the board hoping he would take it from her, but leaning it against the tree if he decided against it. She was being uncharacteristically friendly, but there was something about this man that had garnered her sympathy and openness.

Tsumi looked just down right pitiful. He was starting to consider just running off and avoiding coming back to this place. It was a nice spot for a tree house and he hoped that she had it for a long time. However when she spoke about how if something got broken it wasn't a reason to freak out it was just something that needed to be fixed he looked to her and smiled. It was a sheepish and shy smile but it was genuine. When she handed him the board he would take it and his smile would extend to eyes filled with tears but refusing to cry. He was a man after all and men didn't cry. The light began to filter through the trees and some of it bathed him in light and for a moment even someone comparable to a demon seemed much more like a friendly spirit in the woods. Perhaps the Yokai were more than just demons but spirits in their own regard. He certainly didn't seem like someone capable of cruelty. Still he held it awkwardly and glanced up to the tree house she had begun. The light hit his face and his smile and for a moment there was peace in the forest.

He figured so long as he didn't grab a hammer or anything he probably wouldn't break anything. Perhaps he could just hold boards in place? He realized he actually didn't know how to build anything. His brows furrowed as he looked down at the board and then back up to the tree house. He was honestly a little bit stumped. He would lift it and shift it from position to position as he considered just what to do with it before he would lower it again. A blush running across his cheeks. He lacked manners and was a little random mood wise. Kind of like a kid that didn't know better. His maturity was clearly stunted and his brainpower was lacking. Still he would glance to her out of the corner of his eye before raising a free hand to scratch at his chin a little. As if he was thinking before speaking quietly. Like he was a little ashamed of having to ask her for instructions on how to build a simple structure.

"So um...Thank you for including me but.....what do I do with this? I can hold it up or something but I uh...i don't know what I am doing honestly."

Yenn was glad that the nameless man took the board. She was less glad that he didn’t introduce himself. Though she barely had ‘proper social interaction’ down, so she could hardly fault anyone else for it. With a shrug she would bend down and pick up some of the ropes she had made and move closer to the tree to begin climbing it again. She noticed the blush in the man’s cheeks and would pause, turning to face him as he asked what he should do with the board.

Giving him a warm smile she would answer him kindly. “We’re going to put them up there” she said pointing to where she had fallen from. “First we’ll lay them down for a floor and tie them so they’re secure, then we can work on the walls and roof. It’ll make more sense if I show you. To be perfectly honest, I’ve never done this before so I’m just making it up. Can you climb at all?” She really hoped he could, it was not particularly far and there were branches that offered decent hand holds, but if he couldn’t she would just switch to making a shelter on the ground. She had seen how peaceful and happy he looked when she made a point of including him, and she wanted him to keep that feeling.

Tsumi would look to the board in his hand and then to where she had said it would go. He would have to climb a bit but he was also surprised she wasn't doing this with nails. Every time he had ever watched people building with wood it usually involved drills and screws. She would inquire about if he could climb and his yellow eyes would blink and then look to her a moment. When was the last time he had climbed a tree? He looked back up and slowly walked around the tree trying to find the best hold while still holding the board. Having found a suitably thick branch for his weight (Or at least so he guessed) he would look to her and grin confidently. Pointing his own free thumb at his chest. "Climb? I used to be known for scaling the building out of my room growing up. I'm a big old gorilla!" He said proudly although it made him kind of look like one. He would position himself directly below the branch and crouch down before taking a breath and launching himself up with some considerable strength. His hand reaching up and catching the branch which bent under his weight and creaked but didn't break.

He grinned and held the board out. Steadying it where she instructed while he place both feet against the tree to steady himself. He seemed perfectly fine holding his body weight there like his weight was nothing to him. Arguably that was true. He probably weighed about two hundred pounds and was capable of repeatedly benching about twice that. His feet were placed to help support his weight and keep him steady too. Although the grin on his face from something so simple was kind of foolish. He would call out to her happily.

"If we work like this. You can pass me the boards and I can hold them steady while you tie it down. Out of curiosity though...will ropes help? Usually I see the construction crew using big ol nails and stuff."

Yenn would laugh warmly as Tsumi described how well he could climb. She watched as the ‘big old gorilla’ easily climbed the tree and held himself there in a fairly impressive feat of strength. Yenn was not a very strong person physically, and so she had to rely on other ‘tricks’ to accomplish the same maneuvers. Tsumi though had easily climbed up and was still hanging on as though this was a normal activity for him. She would nod approvingly as he placed the board where she had pointed to. “That’s perfect. Thank you.” She would bend down and pick up another board as he suggested it. It really was a good idea, half the time she was spending so far was going back and forth between the ground and the treehouse with supplies, and it was definitely slowing down her progress.

“I don’t know if nails would be better. I’ve never used them. Probably they would, but I learned to do this sort of thing without them. Also it keeps the forest free of manmade materials, which is nicer for the forest. If something were to happen and we couldn’t come back here, we would know that nothing we built was hurting this tree or the forest surrounding it. Since all the materials came from here.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was close enough. The real reason she’d never learned to use tools and nails for her constructions had been out of necessity. Hiding in the woods from the horror that was her home life had turned her into an ‘outdoor survivalist’ in a way. She’d made everything out of what she could find around her, and it had the added benefit of being hard to pick out of the scenery. Perfectly hewn boards and shiny nails were hard to camouflage but the rough hewn boards and hand made ropes blended in quite seamlessly.

Yenn would keep handing boards to Tsumi as long as he kept placing them beside the others in the tree. Assuming he did so and once there were a fair number of them, she would climb up to begin tying them together and to the large tree limbs they rested on. “Where did you learn to climb like that by the way? You have some talent there.” Her own climb up to the tree had not been nearly as impressive, her bare feet aided slightly, but mostly it was a laboured affair that could use a bit of grace.

Tsumi would continue to line up the boards carefully but slowly as they were handed up to him. She explained to him that she didn't like to use nails because in truth the tree would be harmed by man made materials. He had never really considered the tree as a living feeling being if he was being honest. He would look up to it with yellow eyes and wonder if it was offended by his presence. Would it care that it was being used by them? Where was it's brain? Did it feel pain? It couldn't move or communicate so he wouldn't really ever know. Still he supposed if that was true, he wouldn't want nails hammered into him if he couldn't defend himself. He would frown at the thought a little before he placed the last board. Once that was done he would plant his feet and spin over the branch by pushing off the tree and using the rotating momentum to place himself in a sitting position with one hand holding the branch next to him and the other against the bark of the tree itself to steady himself. Watching her as she started to tie down the boards.

He wondered if the ropes would really hold them there securely. Maybe if it was just her but would it hold his weight? He had his doubts to be honest but for now he was just watching as she set to work. He barely knew how to tie his shoes if he was being honest and he didn't see any fancy bows in her knots. It all looked so firm from his perspective and he was truly impressed. She asked where he learned to climb like that and he would blink before he looked away as if bashful about the answer. That frown returning to his face as he would look out into the woods. Speaking quietly in response as she tied down the floor of the tree house.

"I uh...well I wasn't the most popular kid. The clan took care of me...made sure I was sheltered and fed but I never had any parents or siblings of my own. Even the other kids in the clan were sometimes friendly but it was...lonely I guess.....So sometimes when it was warm out and clear skies I would sneak out and come out to the woods. I used to climb up the tallest tree I could find and hang out at the top.....Just staring at the sky and wondering....idle stuff like where did I come from and...." He stopped there as he didn't want to voice his inner most sadness.....why didn't his parents want him? "What about you? How did you learn to do all this stuff?"

The making of the treehouse was going surprisingly quickly, much faster than if she had continued to do it alone which made Yenn pretty happy. At this rate what should have been a project done alone for several days, might actually be completed in a single day as long as her current assistant stayed to help her. He was incredibly athletic and she would take the time to smile appreciatively as he swung himself around the tree branch to sit and watch her work at tying the floor down. While not on a project quite this big, this type of construction was something she had done over and over during her years in the woods, and so while her companion spoke she was able to keep most of her attention on him. She felt for him as he told of how he grew up, she knew that pain; the pain of feeling unwanted and lonely. She knew it all too well, and it was not a thing she would wish on nearly anyone. Least of all the exuberant man that was helping her now.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. Being lonely is. . . well it’s difficult. It changes you. For what it’s worth though, if I’d been able to I would have spent time with you.” It was small comfort she knew, talking about what might have been. She’d spent many hours herself just staring at the sky in these very woods wondering much the same thing, not so much where she came from but why. Idly she asked him “What clan?” as she continued tying the boards down. She could see from the horns on his head that he was most likely from the Yokai clan, but she didn’t want to assume and make an ass of herself.

When he asked her how she learned her skills she would pause in her tying, keeping her violet eyes locked on the knots she was weaving. She could feel the familiar pricking of sweat down her spine as her fears began to creep in while she considered her answer. Clearing her throat she would look at him, deciding that he deserved at least some of the truth. When she was younger it would have meant the world to her if she had known someone else felt even a little like she did. In fact even as an adult it still did, so perhaps it would mean something to him. “I didn’t have any friends growing up. Well, one friend, but that didn’t last long. I wasn’t allowed any. . .” She didn’t finish her sentence, she found she couldn’t. It didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things anyway, just the fact that she was mostly alone was the point, not why she was. “Eventually I came out here and lived alone for a few years. I needed somewhere to sleep and a way to cook for myself and so on. So I just learned, because I had to. Most of the things I do out here probably aren’t the ‘proper’ way of doing them, but I get the job done. Lots of trying and failing and trying again until I figured out how to take care of myself.” Returning to tying she would force a smile. “Some of the best years of my life were spent out in this forest. Sometimes at night I wander back out here while I’m asleep. That’s why I’m building this you see, I’m not overly susceptible to the cold, but someone I care for very much is and he likes to follow me out here to make sure I’m safe. So in the interest of making sure he doesn’t freeze to death I thought I’d build him a shelter. Though now that I think about it, up in a tree is possibly not the best place for a house meant for a sleepwalker.” She would laugh as she realized what she’d done, the whole point of this was to make a shelter for Tamwyn and while she wandered out here and slept on the ground she doubted he would want to climb up a tree and separate himself from her, and she equally doubted he’d be able to convince her to climb into the treehouse while she slept.

Tsumi would lean back against the tree using one foot against the trunk and one foot on the branch to balance himself as he tucked his hands behind his head and leaned back. There was a lot to process with all that. He hadn't ever thought others were lonely like him. She asked him what clan he was and he would blink before looking back to her. A little confusion in those yellow eyes. Was she being nice or was she serious? He had never actually been asked what clan he belonged to. The horns kind of gave it away. Still he would reach up with one hand and fiddle with the pointed tip of it. Idly seeming to be lost in thought. Still he would speak up while he did.

"Well that's a new one. Never been asked before. These horns mean I'm not a human like you. I'm a Yokai. There are actually three different kinds but I'm an Oni...If I had to put it to words I guess we are physically the strongest of the three. Although that puts some expectations on me I suppose and I'm not really sure I can live up to them. They tested me for elemental affinity and I came up katon but I can't so much as create a bit of flame..."

She would go on to explain that she had come out here on her own a long time ago and it became do or die at that point. He would stop fidgeting as she explained and look down to her. Well if that wasn't turning a frown upside down. She had survival skills he just flat out didn't. He was a city boy that liked to go out into the woods but she was a wild child. It wasn't much to say he was impressed. Although suddenly she became concerned with how a tree house would be difficult for someone sleep walking to get into. So it was a shelter from the cold? He supposed all a house needed was four walls and a roof. .....That was it! He would grab the branch with one hand before swinging down and letting go to land on his feet in a crouch before grinning to her and grabbing a board. He would move over to the structure and lean it against the planks she had tied down already before grinning like an idiot.

"Problem solved. Your floor just became the roof yo! If you got four walls and someone you care about you got a home right? Put some blankets in there and aside from bugs you got a ground level tree house am I right?"

Yenn listened as Tsumi explained that he was a Yokai. She had suspected as much, but wasn’t sure how well it would go over if she just assumed and didn’t bother asking. At best it would have made it seem like she wasn’t interested, and at worst. . . well. She’d only ever seen problems created when people assumed that others were things they might not be. “I’d say you definitely live up to my expectations of a physically strong Yokai. I can’t say I know very much about the Yokai though, I wasn’t even aware that there were three branches. I don’t mean to sound rude or ignorant, I am genuinely interested. I spent so long hiding from the world I guess I didn’t learn much about what was in it. Could you tell me a bit? If you wanted to, that is.” She blushed slightly as she spoke, slightly embarrassed about her distinct lack of knowledge about prominent clans in Kumogakure. It hadn’t even occurred to her that the Yokai weren’t human, she had always taken it for granted that people were human, and even as she formed the thought she knew it sounded wrong. She had so many questions, but she was torn between her own anxiety when speaking with people and her guilt for feeling like she was taking too much of their time. So instead of asking all her questions she stayed quiet for a moment to see if he would tell her anything about his clan.

His comment about having an elemental affinity to Katon and not being able to use it resonated deeply with her. She had always had access to the elemental powers she currently possessed, but it had been quite some time before she had been able to utilize them. She had no idea if it was for the same reason, but she remembered it being one of the many complaints that her parents had used to justify mistreating her. In her own experience she had accessed that power by channeling it through her emotions, something that she had only been able to accomplish fully when outside of Quan and Tien’s watchful and judgemental presence. Over time channeling the elements had become as simple as breathing, but at first it had felt difficult, something akin to learning to walk or speak with only the barest concept of what those things even were. A skill she knew she was supposed to have, but couldn’t master. “If you want, I could help maybe. I don’t possess fire, but I do know how difficult it was for me to conjure the elements I use. I was thinking of maybe hunting something for lunch and then cooking it anyway. It would be a whole lot easier with actual fire.” She tried to make the offer sound lighthearted, the last thing she wanted was for him to feel bad. And in truth she was hungry, it had been a while since she’d eaten and all the climbing and working was not helping to suppress her appetite. She knew that being able to conjure fire for him was just a matter of figuring out what worked. With her it had been a strong and negative emotion, maybe for him it would be peace or something else unique to his psyche.

She watched as he swung down to the ground, landing in a crouch and grabbing one of the boards from the pile. She would kneel on the edge of the floor they had created and carefully leaning over would look at what he was doing. As he placed a board beneath where she was his plan dawned on her and she would grin back. “That’s brilliant. Honestly it is. I don’t why I didn’t think of that.” She toss the leftover ropes onto the ground and climb her way back down to where Tsumi was. It was the simplest and most elegant solution to the problem. “Thank you, now that we’ve built a roof, I guess we just build walls. And the bugs aren’t so bad out here, they have to stay warm too.”

Tsumi would look at his own hands as he set the board up against the branch and held it there for her to start tying it down. She said he seemed strong but he wasn't so sure. The older fighters in his clan were so beyond him he wasn't sure if he could compare. Most of them thought he was an idiot and didn't want to waste their time on him. The clan took care of him sure but mostly no one wanted to train with him. He had to admit he found it lonely at times. But he wanted to be stronger. He wanted to be able to protect everyone. With his fists he would be a hero to the people and then....then someone would love him. Sure a couple of people cared he knew that. But he wanted to be loved by everyone. So he would strive for more. He would train harder and eventually he would be somebody worth loving. That's what mattered. Not his current state...not his own weakness. Just train until you dropped and get stronger by surpassing your limits. He would be a hero. He had to be...so that his parents would....would come back.

Yenn would mention helping him and his attitude would change dramatically. He wasn't sure how to hunt or use his chakra but he was sure if someone took the time...worked with him on it he could learn. He had tried for years but a different perspective would work. It had to!

"Alright! Lets catch some fish or a rabbit or somethin ya know? I'm not very fast but I could uh...hmm"

He would wait until the board was tied and spot just what he was looking for. A nice sized rock. Perfect! He would hop over to it gleefully and pick it up before tossing it up and down. Looking rather confident with a...rock...did he not have any ninja tools? It didn't look like it.

"If we can find somethin I can pick it off with this here. One throw and bam! Dinner is served....though to be honest...I have never hunted before. Do you just like...hold it over the fire? We can't tie it to a stick or nothin cause the rope would burn right?"

He honestly seemed confused. He had obviously never hunted. Not to mention skinning anything and preparing it to cook. Hell he hadn't even considered wood for the fire yet. His survival skills were minimal. At best he was useful for power but not much in the brain department.

As Tsumi held the board in place Yenn would tie it to what was now the ceiling of the tree house. She couldn’t help but to be just as enthused about the prospect of hunting as the Oni seemed to be and she would find herself smiling as he found a rock and casually tossed it in the air. She wasn’t a very good thrower herself, but from what she’d seen of the man she did not doubt that he was. The trick was going to be finding something that he could throw the rock at. She wasn’t sure how successful an endeavour throwing a rock at a fish was going to be, so rabbit was probably their best bet.

“Alright, how about this. I’ll sneak around a bit and see if I can chase a rabbit out into the open, and then when it comes running, you hit it with the rock. If you can, try to aim for its head, less damage to the meat is better for food, and there’s basically no meat on its head. You might have an easier time up higher since I don’t exactly know where there’s going to be rabbits around here, or you can come with me and I can show you how to look for them.”

She would grin as he questioned how they were going to cook it. She had had her fair share of failed cooking experiments when she’d first taken to the forest and they had actually involved charred rope. Through a bunch of trial and error and nights with little food she had muddled through though.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you. We are basically going to be holding it over the fire, but with sticks. So I guess we’ll need some green wood too. Young trees, so they have more moisture in them and won’t burn up in the fire while the food is cooking. So, ready?”

She would make to begin moving through the underbrush quietly, pointing out signs of recent animal activity as she went had he opted to come along with her, otherwise keeping an eye out for him to ensure that he would have a clean shot at their lunch.

Tsumi would listen to the explanation and with his free hand he would scratch his chin and frown. Hit it in the head? For a rabbit? He wasn't so certain his aim was that great. If it was running that meant a really fast moving target and he had barely managed to hit stationary pop up targets. He was nervous to say the least. He didn't want to fail but that was one hell of a task. He suddenly was wishing he could take her out to the village instead. Get some katon burgers. Burgers so hot you scalded your mouth. Wash it down with some ninjaraid for the hydration after. Sure it would make him wish he was a med nin later but....he didn't have to catch it. He would take a deep breath as she began to move all quiet like. She was counting on him so he had to try at least. If he failed they could always go with plan B or he could go get groceries. But she seemed to prefer living on the land. He supposed she would be offended if he even suggested changing anything. So he would follow her directions for now.

Tsumi however knew he wasn't the quietest of the brady bunch. Nor the sharpest tool in the shed. So he would need to prepare a little. He would scoop up two more rocks and quickly climb up another tree. Moving up the branches to get a vantage point. Birds hunted rabbits from above so there had to be some advantage there. He would see her moving under him and he would hop tree to tree to follow her. Soon enough there would be the clearing she was going to chase the rabbit into. He would hop around to get a side view. He would take a couple of steadying breaths as he held two rocks in his left hand and held one in his right. Holding it just above his shoulder in a ready throwing stance. Finding his balance and putting his left foot forward. He had a good view of the field and could see anything moving in it. If she chased their prey into the open here he had three shots to bring it down or if he didn't she would go hungry likely. It never crossed his mind that she had survived without him out here until now and thus was fully capable of doing this without him.

Yenn could see a tiny bit of nervousness in Tsumi as she explained her plan, and she would give him a reassuring smile as she noticed him grab two more rocks and climb up a tree. She wasn’t really worried about whether or not this ‘hunt’ was successful, while she was definitely hungry, she wasn’t entirely invested in eating out here. If it didn’t work out well they did have a whole village to get food from. This was more about the activity than the end result, at least for her.

She would move stealthily through the underbrush, following the trail she had noticed earlier, and picked up a small rock. Her plan was to scare the rabbit out into the open and then toss the rock past where it would run to so that it would freeze, as prey animals tended to do. As she expected within a few meters she saw a large brown rabbit happily chewing on some greenery, so Yenn advanced with her rock in hand and the rabbit bolted. With Yenn’s perception she followed it easily and with practiced efficiency tossed her rock so that it landed where the rabbit was fleeing towards Tsumi. If things went according to plan, Tsumi would have a few seconds to hit the rabbit while it paused and tried to decide which direction was safest.

Tsumi would watch from where he sat on his perch. Fiddling with the rocks in his hands as they almost silently clacked together. It was a relieving feeling for him as he figured there was pressure on him now to succeed. He didn't want to fail in front of his new friend. It would be awkward after that and he suuucked with awkward. Didn't know how to deal with it. Did you wait to be spoken to? Do you speak first? Oh lord it was the worst if they felt pity for you. How often had he seen pity in the eyes of his fellow students at the academy when they graduated while he still didn't. He had been held back a lot in the academy and was considered a problem child. Eventually he had graduated by the skin of his teeth but he got out of there. The memories still followed him though and he hated feeling pitied. The clan pitied him because he had no parents. The class pitied him because he wasn't as smart. He had only ever seen pity from those close to him. Drowning in it. It was why he decided to be a hero. No one pitied a hero.

So he was focused when she chased the rabbit out and when she stunned it with fear for a moment Tsumi saw his opportunity. He would toss one stone up and with one stone in each hand he would rapidly cross his arms as he threw them at the same time at the rabbit. Spinning as he caught the rock he had tossed up mid spin and end it in an overhand throw with his dominant right hand. There was a prayer in his yellow eyes. Determination never to fail again. Never to be pitied again. He was going to be a hero to everyone so he was putting his everything into this attack. The first two rocks slammed into the dirt on either side of the rabbit and buried there like little rockets kicking up dirt. Making the rabbit jump. With the third one though it was a little further behind and it struck the rabbit in the head mid jump. Sniped out of the air so hard that with a cracking noise the entire neck would break as the rabbit died instantly. No wounds or trauma. The moment that rock hit the Bunny was done. Tsumi would throw his hands up in celebration before losing his balance. With a yelp he fell from the tree and hit the ground with a thump. Already though the durable kid was sitting up rubbing his back..."Ow."

Yenn was honestly impressed with Tsumi’s throw, she had been concerned only for a moment as the first two missed. But that last one knocked it straight out of the air as it tried to leap away. The simultaneous projectiles had clearly been meant to cause the rabbit to jump and she was fascinated by his skill. Standing up she would move towards the felled rabbit just in time to see Tsumi fall from the tree. Her instinct was to rush to him and check if he was hurt, but she had also seen the sadness in his eyes earlier about his belief that he lacked skill. And so instead of coddling him she would move past the fall and call out, her voice filled sincere appreciation.

“That was a hell of a shot. You’ve got quite the arm you know, I mean that. Now comes the slightly gross part. You squeamish?” She didn’t expect that he was, given that he had just effortlessly snapped the neck of a leaping rabbit at quite the distance, but it didn’t hurt to check. Skinning a rabbit was messy business after all. Yenn would keep a concerned eye on the Oni, if he was injured she would want to take care of it right away. A bruise was fine and nothing really to worry about, but anything more could be a problem. If he showed further signs of pain or distress she would offer to look into it, otherwise she would offer a friendly pat on the shoulder for a job well done.

Looking around she found several saplings that would serve her purposes and she would take a knife out of her boot and begin preparing them for skewering the carcass after she cleaned it. “If you want you could help me get some firewood, just anything that’s fallen and hopefully on the drier side will do.” She would gesture around them, being careful to not point her knife directly at Tsumi while she did.

Tsumi would sit up rubbing his rear and wincing. It wasn't enough to actually damage him but it still hurt to fall down like that. Still his eyes shifted to the girl moving over to him to congratulate him and he couldn't help but grin. She was impressed with him. So that must mean he was a hero in the making after all. Dames always were amazed by heroes in the comics. Still he would rise to his feet and ignore the bruise on his back forming with a brush of his hands over his clothes. Scattering nettles and such off his clothing before he grinned to her with yellow eyes and pointed a thumb at himself once more. "Of course it was! Look at who you're talkin to! This is nothin to a hero after all." He was lying of course. He had made that shot almost entirely on luck. Still she didn't need to know about that. Instead he would pose for a moment. However she had asked if he was squeamish and he recalled that they were going to eat the small animal. He didn't care to watch that part but his smile would turn soft a moment as he replied.

"Before I go get wood...could I have a moment with it?" If she let him Tsumi would approach the rabbit and and kneel down beside it on both his knee's. He would take a breath before clasping his hands together flat with fingers extended as if in a prayer. He would speak in a reverence that seemed almost unlike his previous nature. His fingers moving to touch the center of his forehead between his horns before lowering to touch the head of the dead rabbit. "Brother rabbit I apologize if you knew fear in your final moments. We thank you for the sustenance you bring us and bid your spirit rest so you may be reincarnated in a more peaceful longer life. Rest now and be tormented no more by a hard life." It was suddenly apparent that the Yokai were very in tune with the spirit world. There would be a green glow of energy turned gold before the light passed. With that done he would bow his head before suddenly hopping to his feet. He would nod to her quietly before jogging to go find fallen branches. Choosing not to break any off the tree's.

When he returned Tsumi had an armful of mostly dry branches. He would pile them all up and surround it with stones. He had camped enough to know something of safety. Finally he would sit cross legged next to it. His fingers reaching out to touch the base of the pillar of branches before he seemed to focus hard. Straining a little with his eyes closed. The chakra surging around inside of him as he tried to force it into his finger tips to no avail. Speaking quietly under his breath. "Please chakra....please burn... Please burn....Please." He would focus harder. Picturing a small flame in his mind. Growing as he fed it. It was slow. Much to slow to be used in battle. However after a minute there was a small flare of fire from his finger tips. Smoldering against the wood. He yelped in excitement before shifting to all fours and blowing on it until the embers became flame. Grinning sheepishly at his success. "I did it! I produced fire!"

Yenn was genuinely happy to see Tsumi happy. Compassion and empathy were apparently skills she had acquired despite efforts for them to be removed due to her upbringing. She laughed warmly and agreed with Tsumi. “It was a heroic shot, that’s for sure. I’ll have to bring you hunting more often, it’ll make my life much easier.” She was surprised when Tsumi asked for a moment with the rabbit and knelt down to. . . pray? Yenn was not religious or spiritual at all, she had long since given up on the notion that there was any powerful outside force that was interested in the lives of those that walked the earth. She was deeply jaded about the idea of a god or spirit or angel watching over anyone. If such a thing did exist then it was either apathetic or malevolent.

Watching Tsumi though she could see that although her ‘spirits’ might be malicious, his clearly weren’t. There was a calmness and reverence in his actions that she wouldn’t have guessed he had until she saw it with her own eyes. The glow of green and then gold light gave her pause. Were spirits real? She decided not to think on it too hard as Tsumi jumped up, nodded and then jogged away to collect the deadfall. She took the opportunity with him absent to quickly and efficiently skin and gut their dinner. The pelt was laid out on two sticks, and the carcass she skewered in preparation for cooking over the fire. The offal she gathered and took away, leaving it near some rocks for forest creatures to eat once her and Tsumi had left the area.

She returned to see Tsumi having set up a makeshift fire pit and sitting cross legged in front of it. He seemed to be concentrating and muttering to himself and so Yenn was quiet as she approached, not wishing to interrupt him. As a fire lit and he exclaimed his success Yenn would smile and congratulate him. “I knew you could do it. Thanks for lighting it, again I should probably bring you hunting more often. You have some talents that make this a piece of cake.” Once the fire was stable she would set up the rabbit carcass above it, kneeling beside Tsumi and showing him what she was doing. “Pretty soon we’ll have some lunch, though if it’s not enough we can always go get some food in town if you want. That uh. . . that prayer back there. What was that about?” She asked her question as respectfully as she could, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

Tsumi found that time spent with Yenn was time where his confidence was built up far more than he allowed it to be torn down. He had nearly failed twice but she only spoke of the success. Though the suggestion of taking him out hunting more often did make him nervous. He had gotten lucky this time but what about next time? What happened when he did miss and cost them a meal or something? It was troubling but for now he would simply smile and nod to her. She was nice and thats all that really mattered. Being kind to others was one sign of a hero. So maybe she was destined to be a hero like him as well. He wasn't certain of course but she sure had the mettle for it. Still she would congratulate him for the fire and set about preparing the rabbit which he watched with fascination. The meat already sizzling over the fire as it slowly began to cook. His mouth watered a little but for the time being it was best to actually let it cook. She mentioned that if it wasn't enough they could always go to the village for food but honestly a rabbit split fifty fifty sounded like plenty of meat.

Still she would ask about the prayer with the rabbit and Tsumi would lean back quietly supporting himself with both hands in the grass behind him. His yellow eyes glanced to her surprised before tilting his head. As if surprised by the question. Still he wasn't rude when he spoke. Soft even in nature.

"Well uh...I guess I'll explain it as best I can.....you know the Yokai clan isn't actually human right? We are descendants of great spirits. I mean we are flesh and bone but...I don't know. I guess humans aren't as attuned to the spirit world as we are. Even though you use chakra. Hmm that's not explaining it well is it? Well I am basically part spirit myself I guess. As all Yokai are. We keep the spirit world monitored and police it here on this plain. Sometimes when a spirit isn't satisfied with it's life it manifests here on this plain and causes trouble. With a simple bit of thanks to the rabbit though it was able to move on. Animal spirits are usually easier to satisfy. Human spirits though tend to be more dangerous. Filled with hate in life like a venom they become Oni. Not like me of course but dark spirits. Spirits that seek out death."

Yenn sat and listened as Tsumi explained the prayer she had seen. The rabbit cooked over the fire and with the shade from the trees around them and the greenery of the forest the whole scene was very picturesque. She found that she was enjoying herself, even though she would usually find the first excuse to go off alone, with Tsumi she felt comfortable. He had a gentle and joyous manner to him that made it easy for her to forget her fears and worries.

Taking a stick she would adjust the wood and coals in the fire to allow the rabbit to cook evenly while she thought of what to say to his explanation. “I didn’t know that. That the Yokai aren’t human I mean. Never really occurred to me. Descended from spirits huh? I believe you, but I. . . it’s been a long time since I believed in spirits or gods or angels. A very long time. So I guess what I mean is, I’m struggling to believe it.” She would wrinkle her nose as she thought hard about how to explain what she meant. The last thing she wanted to do was insult him.

“The part about some humans becoming dark spirits, I can believe that. I haven’t seen much good in the world until very recently, so I sort of lost faith I guess. Lost faith in anything I couldn’t see.” She would sigh and turn the rabbit so the other side cooked for a while. Forcing a smile onto her face she would look up from the fire. “Can anyone do that? Help spirits pass on peacefully? I’m just thinking about all the times I’ve hunted and I hate to think of what that means since no one helped any of my kills until now. And the dark spirits, how do you get rid of them?” She had drawn a correlation between dark spirits and Quan and Tien, her parents. It felt to her like they were like Tsumi described, filled with hate. If they ever died they would undoubtedly turn into dark spirits and she wanted to ensure she could stop them from hurting anyone else when the time came. As thoughts of her parents swirled through her head, dark clouds gathered above in response to her turmoil, a storm brewing in tandem to the one in her heart. Her understanding of spirit things was entirely inadequate, but she was interested and her questions were spoken in earnest.