Stormy Memories (Mission) (M Rated)

Spoiler:

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The morning was crisp and cool, and Tamwyn stood at the gates of Kumogakure awaiting his partner for today’s mission. He wore his normal attire, black shirt, vest, cloak, combat pants and boots. His black cloth boater hat sat upon his head as the sun slowly inched its way higher into the sky. The air was still cool, his breath crystallizing in the air and becoming visible. Nights in the mountains were viciously cold and the chill in the air was still obvious as the sun had yet to fully warm the region sufficiently. The cold didn’t bother Tamwyn however, having a hardier constitution than many although to individuals who were less fortunate, or hadn’t yet trained enough, it might pose a problem.

The mission he was tasked to do was to stop a man named ‘Yuan Ji, The Wind Demon’ from terrorizing the regional populace with raiding and other such nonsense. Tamwyn thought the moniker ‘Wind Demon’ was a tad pretentious, although he did have the gall to call himself the ‘Seraph of Lighning’ on live fucking television. So he supposed he wasn’t one to talk now was he? Either way, he was tasked with stopping the man, either via killing him or detaining him. Tamwyn didn’t care for killing unless specifically ordered to. Although this ‘Yuan Ji’ had caused large amounts of trouble thus far. If he proved too much of a challenge to let live, the pale haired, newly promoted, Chunin would do what was necessary.

He was however tasked to take a genin along with him. He wasn’t her master or sensei or anything such as that. She was going along to help build her experience for the war that was brewing. The village would need every capable set of hands it could get and genin would being tasked with shadowing and helping higher ranked shinobi in order to gain that experience as quickly as possible. His task was to protect her while she gained that experience and ensure the mission was completed. Kind of like a jounin instructor without having to actually teach her techniques or give valuable life lessons. He didn’t really mind, company on a mission was always nice. So he would welcome her as he would anyone else when she arrived.

[Tam 1]

Yenn had been assigned to shadow alongside a Chuunin on a mission today. She was not overly thrilled at the prospect as she’d grown fiercely independent over the years and although she was well aware that she needed more training, she had spent so long doing everything on her own that the idea of a partner was not something she was looking forward to. She’d slept in the woods again the night previous and the cold morning air was a bit of a shock. The weather was turning quickly to autumn and it wouldn’t be long before she’d have to prepare better to sleep outdoors. She was well situated in the Inazuma Clan district, had a beautiful home, but she couldn’t bear living in it. Each night she tried she would wake up drenched in sweat and still screaming from her nightmares. And every night she would then haul her ass out of bed and stumble out into the forest to lament her misery in peace. The night previous had been just the same; her trying in vain to sleep in a bed like a normal adult, and failing utterly.

Shaking out the cloak she had used as a blanket, Yenn would take her time to remove all the traces of her being there that she could see. Beyond being respectful to the environment around her, she was still beset by the fear of being dragged back into a life she didn’t want. Once she was reasonably sure that she’d left no human traces she would make her way towards the village gates, pulling her black fur-lined cloak around her shoulders as she moved. She brushed the remaining bits of dirt and leaves off of her leather outfit as she walked, it was one thing for her to know that she slept on the ground - but it was quite another for the Seraph of Lightning to see it. While it was true she was unhappy with having to partner with someone for this mission, she couldn’t deny she was curious to see the recently promoted Chuunin in person. She wondered idly if he would be as inspiring while they tracked down this so-called ‘Wind Demon’.

She had finally finished readjusting her clothing as well as she could by the time the village gates came into view and she was mildly annoyed that she had misjudged how long it would take her to walk back to the village in her high heeled leather boots. She had planned to arrive before her mission partner, but her nightmares had other plans as usual. Taking a deep breath she would set her jaw and straighten her shoulders. She wanted to prove that she was more than capable of handling things herself, if she could do that then she would likely not be assigned partners anymore. Clearing her throat politely she would address the blonde man that, now that she was closer, towered over her. “Tamwyn? Yenn Inazuma reporting for the mission.”

A young woman arrived, petite, extremely so actually, being all of five feet tall. She had dark hair, dark clothing, and a unique eye colour. Obviously, Tamwyn liked her immediately. That aside, he would nod toward her as she walked up before confirming his name as well as hers. The blonde man would nod at her politely, a small smile on his features. “Indeed I am Tamwyn Miss Yenn, good to meet you. May I?” He would ask, his eyebrow raised in curiosity as he raised his hand politely and tilted his head down slightly. As if giving a vague impression of holding something and bending down to kiss it. He always saw it as the polite way to greet a woman but after...well, Sayuri, he decided to be a bit more careful about such things. If she didn’t want him to he wouldn’t. It was the thought and effort that counted anyway.

Once that was done he would jerk his head toward the land beyond the village “Shall we begin? I can debrief you on the way.” He would say, the intent to get moving so that they could talk and move at the same time. He wouldn’t be willing to fly his mission partner to their destination this time. Not with what potentially awaited them. Seraph’s Brilliance took a great deal of chakra and he wanted every bit he could spare for this ‘Wind Demon’ they were to face. Provided she agreed he would take point, moving in front a bit to both be ready to guard and assault if necessary. His job was to ensure her safety on this mission, and he’d fulfill his task no matter what it took.

As they moved he would hold his hat upon his head with one hand while speaking. “I know you probably know this. But it’s better safe than sorry in regards to repeating it. Our mission is to find and confront a man named ‘Yuan Ji, The Wind Demon’ and apprehend or kill him. I expect to be the front line in fighting him while you support me. He’s been known to take hostages, murder indiscriminantly, and a number of disappearances are accredited to his work. I would prefer to apprehend if possible. However I won’t hesitate to kill him if it’s necessary. I expect you to do the same if you have your shot. If trouble crops up, and you’re not sure you can handle it, get to me. I’m supposed to protect and let you gain experience. I won’t let you get hurt if I’m capable of stopping that from occurring, any questions?” He would ask as he moved down the road. A thought would occur to him after the fact and his voice would sound out again. “By the way, I know it might be a bit cloying to have someone watching over your shoulder. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you’re stuck with it, and that I’ll try to be annoying as little as possible.” He would say, an amused tone to his words as he finally fell silent.

[Tam 2]

Yenn was pleasantly surprised at the man’s manner. He seemed polite enough and was even kind enough to ask her permission before taking her hand. Which she just stared at as though it were a venomous snake coiled to bite her. After a few moments she would look up at him and bow politely, a formal bow that you might see from an employee. With that social niceties out of the way she would turn in the direction he indicated, happy to have something else to focus on other than her babysitter. She kept pace with him as they moved, although she did regret her current choice of footwear. Had she not slept in she could have changed into ‘tromping through the woods and over the mountains’ type footwear, but as it was she felt they were already falling behind and the last thing she wanted to do was to appear incompetant in front of the Chuunin. So like every other discomfort she had ever experienced, she simply ignored the aching in her feet and kept plodding along, giving a dutiful nod as he spoke. Not that she was certain he could even see her as he’d moved ahead to. . . protect her? That was a new one.

She had already been made aware of her duties in the mission, but she was loathe, again, to appear incompetant. So she merely listened and nodded, waiting to speak until he asked if she had any questions. As it happened she did have questions. Many, in fact. Like why was there a person who pretentiously called themselves ‘Wind Demon’? Why did she need a so-called ‘protector’? Why in god’s name did she forgo appropriate boots? And how were they supposed to find a single man in the middle of. . . everything? None of those questions she voiced aloud however. Instead she would stick to more reasonable inquiries. “I’ll do my best to be helpful, though you should know I do not normally work with others. So I’m a little unclear what you mean by ‘support’. Unless you mean shoot him with lightning, in which case, that should work fine.” As an after thought she would add, “I’m perfectly capable of defending myself by the way.” Which was absolutely a lie, not that was consciously aware of it, but she needed it to be true so she said it anyway.

She half laughed, half snorted at his comment about him not being annoying. She hardly interacted with people if she could help it, so in fairness she found literally everyone annoying compared to the stillness of the mountains. And the further the two of them walked from the village, the greater her discomfort became. As he fell silent an old instinctual fear worried her, he had been so friendly moments before and now his quiet spoke of violence to come. It was always the moments between talking that were the most dangerous, and try as she might she could not set her worries aside. She would fidget with her gloves as she walked behind him, and finally unable to deal with the silence would blurt out the first thing she could think of to say that might make the tension disappear. “Congratulations. I saw your speech. It was, uh, inspiring.” She hoped that ‘inspiring’ was the correct word to describe what he’d said. She had watched it, but with the same type of detachment she viewed most things. What she had found interesting was his wings, they had been breathtaking.

She would bow formally toward him rather than accept his gesture. Which was fine with him, he would simply return the bow with equal formality. It was simple enough and respectful enough that no one could object to such a thing. As they moved her honesty regarding not usually working with others would be met with a nod of acknowledgement. “That’s part of why I’m here Miss Yenn. To help you get accustomed to working with others. War is a brutal thing, and we’re in the middle of one. You’re going to have to learn to work with people you might otherwise not want to work with and learn how to act like you like it. The reason I’m here as protector and guide for you is because resources are stretched thin. This mission needs to be done, the man we’re going to take down is too powerful for you to handle, but you need experience. Thus, I’m here too.” He would say simply, as they moved down the road from the village.

“And yes, shooting lightning at him will be quite sufficient. ‘Support’ is simply the term used for backing up an ally, any way you can do that will be sufficient. I don’t expect you to be some master of ninjutsu. Should we prove to be able to get along I’ll help train you if you wish.” He would finish as they moved. The quiet tension would settle down upon them, Tamwyn wearing it like an old friend as his thoughts drifted toward the possibility of killing someone else. Two interactions in his career had set him on very different ends of the pole. The mission with Sayuri was traumatizing. He had done things in that mission he didn’t think he’d ever do, liked things in that mission he didn’t think he’d ever like. All for what? A pretty girl? The hormonal and emotional craving for validation from an attractive member of the sex he was attracted to? That was pathetic, and he thought he was better than that.

He had tortured those men and women, and their screams haunted his nightmares, but they weren’t what he saw when he closed his eyes. Instead, he saw the girl from Konoha he had so brutally attacked in the Land of Earth. The battle of Meijiing was over though, he didn’t know if she survived what he had done to her but a part of him wished she hadn’t. The pain had to have been incredible. When he closed his eyes, he saw her broken, battered form, charred to the point of near unrecognition. Blood pooling around her as he broke discipline and ran to try to staunch the bleeding she had. He hadn’t slept well since that battle. He doubted he would for a while.

When the tension seemed to become too much for Yenn she would make a comment about his speech from the ceremony, even congratulating him on the promotion. “Thank you, I appreciate it.” He would say, turning his head enough toward her to flash her a small grin, a single yellow eye looking back toward her as they moved. It would be a while before they got to the last known location of The Wind Demon. They’d move around that area and try to pick up his trail. His companions' comments however make him wonder. She didn’t seem like the type to bring up random things like that out of the blue. It was generally the mark of someone nervous. ‘She’s a fresh genin Tamwyn, she’s on a mission she subconsciously knows she isn’t strong enough to be on and you started talking about combat. She’s nervous as hell and you getting all quiet on her isn’t going to help. Get it together, act like a Chunin.’ He would think to himself before shaking his head to clear it.

“Alright, while we’re moving why don’t you give me an idea of what you can do, where your talents lay? I’m not your sensei, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t help. If I can teach you anything at all, I will.” He would say simply, wanting to make sure she was prepared for what her career would require of her. He didn’t really know much about her background, but fully intended to learn it if he could. As far as he was concerned she was one of his responsibilities now. Even after the mission he’d check up on her from time to time to ensure she was doing okay. If he wanted to progress within the ranks of the village, he would need to look out for those who were starting out. Everyone he could.

[Tam 3]

Yenn was not arrogant, and she didn’t imagine that she was any stronger than reality showed her. But she was not a fan of hearing people tell her she wasn’t strong enough to do something. It hearkened back to a time when she was told she wasn’t strong enough to do anything, and that was a time that she did not wish to dwell on for very long. Pushing back a biting comment that she was sure would at least strain the tenuous peace she had come to with this entire affair, she would nod at the seeming logic of it all. While she considered herself to be strong willed that did not equate to combat prowess by any stretch of the imagination. And she barely knew what this ‘Wind Demon’ was capable of let alone how she would measure up. Grudgingly she admitted to herself that it would be better to have someone along that knew what they were doing. The war, this mission; she did actually need experience like he said, and similarly she would silently agree that she needed to learn to work with others if this was the career she wanted.

The Chuunin’s offer of personal training inspired a raised eyebrow from the dark haired woman. Other than the Academy she’d not trained with anyone and she wasn’t sure if she would accept or not. She currently leaned towards not, but if the mission went well and she could tolerate him, she would consider it. As she awkwardly tried to start up a conversation she was relieved at the man’s grin, he at least hadn’t taken offence to anything she’d said so far. Her violet eyes would hold her gaze on his yellow ones for a moment. He was a curious one. No last name as far as she was aware, and she hadn’t heard of any clans or families that had his eyes. But if the Raikage, the Queen, trusted him enough to promote him, it had to bear some weight. So she tucked away the tiny abnormalities she’d noticed into the back of her mind to be pulled out and analyzed later and focused on the present and his questions about her abilities.

She would shrug at his question in a casual manner, lifting her gloved hands to mimic how she used them in combat. “Nothing special really, I shoot lightning out of my hands and I can make storm clouds. I can do a bit with water, but I don’t really focus on it.” She had no idea if that’s what the man was asking her for, and she hoped it was enough. Apologetically she would add “Honestly I don’t really know what you’re asking me for. I can just show you once we find the great and powerful ‘Wind Demon’” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she spoke Yuan Ji’s title.

Her violet gaze would fall into his of yellow and hold it for a time. He could practically see her considering her opinion of him but he wouldn't comment. It frankly wasn't important now. They could discuss that after the mission at length if she so desired. Her answer to his question wouldn't prompt a nod and a chuckle from him as she spoke of lightning,  storm clouds, and a bit of water. That would certainly fall within the bailiwick of an Inazuma alright. "I know a thing or two about lightning myself. Although my only talents thus far lie in lightning and Taijutsu." He would say, effectively telling her that she was already more well rounded than he was when it came to ninjutsu.

At her sarcastic tone regarding the wind demon he would have to laugh. Not rudely, or derisively, he just found the tone funny, especially when she used it regarding titles such as that."I suppose you feel the same about me then eh? The 'Seraph of Lightning'" he would say with another grin. His tone wasn't offensively or rude. He understood that many people didn't find stock in such things, which was a shame when the enemy came not believing. Things would go so much faster if they just surrendered. Of course that would be outrageous. 'I'm here to stop your life of crime, you know me, surrender.' Never really worked. He knew, from experience.

"Don't underestimate him though, and understand that I'm going to try to bring him in, not kill him, I..I've had enough of doing that for a time." He would say, his voice trailing off as his vision was filled with a blonde woman, with blue eyes and angelic skin. A terrifying smile on her face. He would snap himself out of that vision quickly though. He didn't need that now,  not at all. "Right then, we're heading to Yuan Ji's last known area. We'll move around from there trying to track him down. I intend to detain him and bring him in." He would say as he fully spoke of his intent to Yenn. "Traveling there will take some time. Feel free to ask any questions you might have if you want. I'm not too terribly secretive about most things." He would say, giving her free reign to ask him anything she might want to as they traveled.

[Tam 4]

He didn’t seem to want more information than she offered, which she was glad for, and even offered some details about his own abilities. She hadn’t asked him for it, but he seemed more than willing to share, which was . . . something? Without anyone else to compare him to, she had no way of knowing if this was usual behaviour for a Chuunin. Not as though she didn’t have a concept of their tasks or duties, just no personal experience beyond when she was a kid really. His comment about her feeling the same about his own title would slap a look of horror on her face. That was not what she had intended at all. Quick to apologize her words were rushed and just slightly below the volume of panic. “No! No, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. Seraph of Lightning is a lovely title and well, it fits you. With the wings I mean.” Taking a calming breath she would start again, slower this time. “It’s just the name, ‘Demon’ it sounds. . . like the sort of thing some useless criminal would go around calling themselves so they could legitimize their inflated ego while they rob little old ladies. I didn’t mean to offend you.” She was genuinely concerned that she had offended the man, even though it didn’t sound that way, she couldn’t be sure and not being sure was dangerous.

She would nod about not underestimating the ‘Wind Demon’, even though she still was doing just that. She had formed an opinion of the criminal based on a ridiculous premise and now that it was in her head, she’d need hard evidence to form a new one. She found it curious that he seemed hesitant to kill. She knew little of the war, or of what it meant to fight in one. But it seemed that it had affected him in a way that was difficult for him to live with. Yet another thing she tucked away in the file in her mind labeled ‘Tamwyn’. She hadn’t considered that her mission partner might prefer one option over the other. For her she knew that she would just end up choosing the one that caused the least amount of damage to everyone, if that meant killing him then so be it. In an effort to be more understanding she would nod once more to his plan. “We can take him alive if you think that’s best. The ‘wandering through the countryside looking for him’ part sounds a bit more tedious than I would like, but I’m sure he’ll turn up.” She would push her cloak back over her shoulders as the walking and the rising had made the fur a poor choice, she would open her mouth to speak, close it again and then finally decide to actually say something. “Ah, I don’t have any weapons. Or anything actually, so if this takes too long I have no supplies.” She would be fine, she knew, but she wasn’t so sure about her blonde partner, and she considered offering her services as a guide. Although she also didn’t want to run the risk of offending him again. So she mulled the offer over slowly in her mind as they walked, her feet growing increasingly irritated with the trek. Eventually she convinced herself that it would be better to ensure he understood that she could take care of herself. “I don’t need any though. Supplies. I spend a lot of time in the woods. If that helps. Not that you need the help.”

Her panicked look and quick apology would cause him to throw his head back and laugh merrily. She had been so panicked that she had offended him that he just couldn’t hold it back. This would continue for a few moments before he managed to quiet himself down, sniggering a time or two before speaking. “I-I didn’t mean to laugh at you, but you looked so panic stricken that I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry, but don’t worry, you didn’t offend me. Most shinobi once they get out of Genin take quite a bit more to offend than simple words. I hope you’ll keep that in mind, and don’t be afraid to speak your mind. I’m not going to hurt you or anything. I’m not some murde-.” He would pause at the word, his eyes going distant as the memory of tearing a woman in half at the waist came unbidden into his mind. “I-I won’t hurt you, or get mad at you. Wouldn’t dream of it..” He would say simply. After a moment he would tilt his head to the side, regarding her words about the nickname ‘Demon’. “I suppose the thought that he might not have come up with the moniker didn’t occur to you?” He would ask with a raised brow. “He introduces himself as that, but that doesn’t mean he’s the one who came up with it. A survivor, a witness, a rival bandit group, they could have named him thus because he legitimately terrified them.” He would say, pointing that out politely with a look of thought on his features.

“I would prefer to take him alive yes, with that said however don’t hesitate to kill him if you’re in danger. I value your life far more than his after all.” His words would have the tone of a man who knew it was possible that there was simply no choice to a course of action. As they walked, she would comment on how wandering through the countryside searching for him wasn’t high up on her list of favorite things to do, and he could honestly agree. Luckily though, his sense of smell was so good he could follow a scent for quite a distance. It was why he knew that she not only already spent a great deal of time in the woods, but that she had probably slept in them the night before. Which isn't to say she smelled bad, she didn’t, but he could smell the scent of trees, and nature in general about her and less the scent of fancy soaps and such that many women of her appearance used. At her comment of not having supplies he would think for a moment, they’d have to find a way to handle that if they ended up having to stay a few days out here. However he was sure they could manage. He had a scroll with basic necessities such as tents, flint and tinder, sleeping bags, and food and water on him and they could utilize that and share it if they needed to. He didn’t voice this aloud though, instead wanting to see if she had a solution herself.

At her next words though he would turn toward her in curiosity, his head tilted to the side and his eyes bright with interest. “Yeah? That’s rather awesome actually. Being able to take care of yourself from the land itself. If you’d rather lead than by all means lead on.” He would say simply, dropping a pace or two to walk next to her. His senses were sharp enough that he could intercept most threats before they reached her if necessary. Once he was there he would idly comment, his voice speaking in a ‘oh by the way’ tone. “Oh, and you can stop worrying about offending me Yenn. I don’t know your skills, and you don’t know mine. I couldn’t survive out here without supplies, I was just in front because if he shows up I want to be in a position to shield you if necessary. I don’t care who leads, or who’s the better hunter and camper. I’m quite confident in my capabilities in the fields I’m good in.” He would say, his bright yellow eyes looking toward her violet ones with a contentedness that was frankly, completely false. He still hadn’t slept well in days and acting bright and chipper was the only real way he could keep people from really noting the bags under his eyes. Most people weren’t polite enough to comment on them anyway. So it hardly mattered in the end.

[Tam 5]

Yenn was a touch mortified at Tamwyn’s laughter. Whatever joke he was laughing at she certainly wasn’t in on and the longer he laughed the more concerned she grew. Once he finally explained the reasoning behind his fit she relaxed somewhat, but was also a tiny bit annoyed with herself. She had truly done herself a disservice by intentionally avoiding people these last three years. Apparently other people’s panic was funny. Her brow would furrow as she tried to make sense of it and fit the newly acquired information into the ‘list of things she knew about how normal people acted’. She was at least relieved to hear that she hadn’t offended him. He seemed rather cavalier about the whole comment and so she allowed the tension to come out of her shoulders, rolling them back in a conscious effort to be more personable. She didn’t miss the subtle cut off of his thoughts, she also knew better than to comment on it. For now. She did make a note though of the word she thought he meant to say, and continued walking allowing him to keep his secrets.  

Talking as they walked was making the experience more tolerable and she would nod and make non-committal ‘I’m definitely not challenging your opinion’ noises. She hadn’t considered that the title of ‘Wind Demon’ was anything but self named. It was a concerning thought, that this wasn’t just some self inflated ego walking around, and that perhaps there was some real threat. Of course if there was a mission to arrest him or dispatch him then of course it was serious. “I hadn’t considered that.” she would reply slowly, working through the ramifications of what Tamwyn was saying. She would shrug and give a sardonic grin. “Maybe I should have brought a weapon after all.” Which was probably the understatement of the century. She was showing up to fight an A-Rank missing nin with a fancy cloak and high heeled boots. There was little she could do now though, so she just chuckled at the poetic irony of her statement.

Her footsteps would pause as the Chuunin commented on her offer and even dropped back a few steps to allow her to take the lead. She was stunned at the man’s willingness to just let her take over, only on her mention of her skills outdoors. To put it mildly, she was flustered. Just as she opened her mouth to apologize again for some unforgivable offense she was sure she had just committed, he would tell her to stop worrying about doing just that. Her mouth would close as her jaw lightly snapped shut, cutting off the seemingly unnecessary apology. She thought he did have a point, she didn’t know his skills at all and so were the two of them peers, his sentiment would hold true. But without issuing another apology she didn’t know how to tell him that she thought he was wrong. He was without a doubt more skilled than she was, it wasn’t even a question. It was a fact, proven by the laurels heaped on him by the Queen. She was competent enough, but she was not his equal. And as his lesser, she knew her place. So she kept her philosophy about ranks and abilities to herself and studied him as he spoke. She could see the dark bags under his eyes, the mark of sleeplessness that she knew all too well. She was curious and wanted to ask so many questions of the man, but she didn’t feel like she had a right to ask such personal things. ‘Why I know we’ve only just met and all, but would you mind telling me the intimate details of your life? Why aren’t you sleeping? And why are you so insistent on not killing dangerous criminals?’ She couldn’t see that going over especially well. “I’ll try to stop worrying” she would say as a way to deflect from her true thoughts, “I doubt that’ll happen though. You need air to breathe? I worry.”  

She would set off in the same direction Tamwyn had already been leading them, but this time she would keep an eye out for signs she recognized of human travel, humans trying to remain hidden. She knew them well enough since she had employed so many techniques to her own travels, but she would need to be much closer to pick them out clearly. Looking around at the terrain she could see the gentle sloping of the earth as it rose off to their right, eventually broken up by jagged rocks and cliffs that were peppered with trees and greenery. She would point towards the hillside with her chin and speak softly to the man at her side. “If I was going to hide in the woods and hadn’t done it before I would probably hide up there. But if there was anyone hiding in that direction they wouldn’t be hidden for long, it’s too windy and everything they did would be just on display for the world to see. It would be smarter to hide out near the base of the cliffs, hidden in those trees.” She would gesture with her chin again further off into the distance to a thick copse of flora. She couldn’t make anything out distinctly, but it was the best insight she could offer based on her own experiences. “People always think it’s safer higher up because that’s where all the predators hang out so of course clever people always stay up high, but we don’t have wings.” She would give him a sidelong glance and a chuckle, “Well most of us don’t anyway.” She would blush slightly, hoping that her joke would be received with at least neutrality, before clearing her throat and speaking more seriously. “Want to go unnoticed? Just keep your head down and stick to the ground. If you’re lucky people will just walk on by.”

The pale haired man was quite thankful that she hadn’t pressed further into what he had been about to say. Although he kept this from his features. As they walked and spoke she would constantly make non-committal noises that made him sigh inside. He could recognize these signs well enough to know that she had been damaged mentally somehow. Self conscious, afraid everyone around her will take offense to what she’s saying so she apologizes all of the time. She had been hurt, and he made a mental note to get that story sometime so he could try to help her if he could. Still though, asking now would be woefully inappropriate. Her comment about having not thought of the ‘Wind Demons’ reputation being earned brought a nod from him. It was an easy assumption to make, but a dangerous one. When she said she should’ve brought a weapon he’d grin. “Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Don’t worry about it, just play backline support by providing me cover and I’ll take care of him.” He would say as he flexed his hand.

It was an act of course, a bit of bravado for the new blood. Putting on a strong front as he wrestled with demons within. His mind swam with images of a pale blonde woman, covered in blood as she moans while killing her targets after torturing them. Then flashes toward a scene from the Battle of Meijing. The appearance of the Konoha genin after he had done what he’d done. He remembered the sick feeling in his stomach as he fought to keep down his gorge at both scenarios. One of the memories having to do with lust, and a strong desire to kill the weak, to prey upon as the predator he was. The other having to do with the actions of what their world did to others. Both in a never ending replay within his mind.

Her comment about her always worrying would cause a small smirk to cross his features and he shrugged “Very well, I’ll lay off telling you not to worry, but do stop trying to apologize for every imagined slight. Not just because there’s nothing to apologize for. Keep in mind what you represent with the symbol of Kumogakure on. I promise you though, even if you did somehow manage to offend me. I don’t bite, I don’t even get mad.” He would say as he would turn his head and meet her violet eyes with his yellow. As they traveled she would eventually start giving tips on where an inexperienced individual would hide in the woods. The pale haired man would nod his head in understanding before smiling at her comment on the wings. Her mild blush would look moderately attractive on her features and he would chuckle at the comment. “Like them do you? I made that jutsu myself. Perhaps when we’re done I can fly us home?” He would offer his voice carefree, as if he didn’t mind if she said yes or no. He didn’t really, it was her decision if she was comfortable with such heights. Once she spoke of hiding places he would nod his head in understanding. “So we keep low and search for him. We can’t split up, so this might take some time. Perhaps, we can bait him to us?” He would ask, the last him simply thinking out loud.

[Tam 6]

Overall Yenn found Tamwyn to be a decent travelling companion. He at least liked to laugh and joke, and although the first few minutes of banter had been awkward she was beginning to appreciate his attempts at humour. She still wasn’t convinced that his idea of ‘backline support’ was something she fully understood. But they’d find out one way or the other regardless. Whether or not that ended up being successful was more concerning. As he spoke of how she represented Kumogakure she would sigh inwardly. He was right. Of course he was right. But it wasn’t something she often considered when she was sleeping by a brook or hiding away in her ‘home’ pretending to be busy with paperwork for the Clan or some such nonsense. Yes, she loved her country, her village - all of the patriotic crap they tried to drill into her as a student at the Academy. But she was just the tiniest bit resentful of it as well. As far as she had ever seen Kumo was a blind state, championing causes publicly while rotting from within. It was hard for her to justify feeling ‘proud’ of Kumo with her bitterness at its lack of care for its own citizens. For her.

She tried not to dwell on her current train of thought, she knew it went nowhere good. The last thing she wanted to do was freeze up while they were battling Stupidface McWindDemon and end up costing them the chance to bring him in. Distracting herself was made easier by him laughing at her weak joke. And her distant and somewhat cold violet eyes would light up as he offhandedly suggested that they fly home after the mission. She wasn’t so sure how she felt about flying, but being able to see them again? That she wanted. She hadn’t been lying when she’d liked his speech, it was nice and probably inspiring to lots of people, but she had been paying closer attention to the six elegant wings given form by his lightning. With another nod, this one sincere, she would almost smile. “I did like them. They were, uh, beautiful. I’ve never flown so, not gonna answer that right now. But if you wouldn’t mind showing them to me again sometime. I’d really appreciate it.” As a hurried afterthought she added, “If you want.”

Hearing his idea about possibly baiting their quarry to them her brow would furrow as she turned her head about slowly, trying to find anything in the area that might work towards that end. There wasn’t much around, and frankly she didn’t know how to bait a person. Deer, bears, rabbits. Sure. People? Not so much. The only things she knew about this man were that he liked killing, or was at least not opposed to it, and frequently was involved with hostage situations and various disappearances. She would pause in her slow rotation as she formulated a plan. A very bad and stupid plan. Based on the number of times Tamwyn had insisted that he protect her, she was fairly certain he was going to hate this plan. That was almost enough to make her laugh out loud, the notion that she might have actually come up with something that would make him stop grinning. Looking up at the tall Chuunin she would nod as she settled on her approach. “So he likes to kidnap people right? What if we just use me for bait? I go sit somewhere, looking all lost? Or something? And you hide somewhere and when hopefully he shows up, preferably not to murder me, then we get him.” She would shift subtly as she spoke, trying to balance her weight between her feet, giving each foot a few brief and wondrous moments of relief from her dreadful boots. If she was being totally honest, part of her plan should he agree was going to include sitting.

Her violet eyes would become alight as he offered to fly them both home from their mission. He knew it was an offer that many might not take up because of simply being afraid of heights. Many however simply didn’t like the sensation of flying, their bodies off the ground and nothing but the air around them. Others simply didn’t want to be ‘flown’ because they simply had no control over what happened. A primal fear took root in the knowledge that if they were dropped there would be almost nothing they could do to save themselves if the person that was flying them could not catch them before they hit the ground. Her nod and slight relaxing of the muscles around her mouth would made him think she were about to smile. However he’d reserve judgement on that. Her desire to see them was met with a nod. “Of course, I have no problem showing them to you. However they are a bit chakra intensive, so let’s wait until after the mission. I’ll show you and you can decide then if you want me to fly us or not.” He would say, his features cracking into a genuine smile.

At his thought of baiting the enemy she would furrow her brow, another thing she did quite attractively, but that was beside the point. She would look around for a moment, trying to think of something that would allow them to bait a kidnapper, murderer, and thief out from his hidey hole. Her movements would pause however as an idea seemed to begin to take form in her mind. Then she would look up at him and begin to speak. Nodding his head at her confirmation that Yuan Ji did indeed like to kidnap people and murder them. She would proceed to suggest that they use her as bait. His immediate instinct was to ‘hell no’ that idea. However the pale haired Chunin held the impulse in check. She was supposed to be getting experience on the mission. Not be safely wrapped up in a bubble of protection. He’d be doing her a disservice by not letting her participate more, especially when the plan would probably work. However, an alternative would be available as well. “The transformation technique..” He would say, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. “Would allow me to transform into a potential victim for him while you hang back. With that said, if he somehow noticed you as well he might wonder why ‘two’ potentially perfect victims were around and get wise. So I’m going to ask you this once, and only once Yenn.” He would say, his yellow eyes taking an intense cast he looked into her violet ones. “The risks involved in this could be that you have horrible things happen to you..With that said, do you really want to try this?..” He would ask, his eyes not looking away from hers and daring her to break from his gaze when she answered.

If she did he would know that she wasn’t nearly as confident as she seemed, and he would progress with transforming into a potential victim. It was simply too risky of a plan for him to be willing to let her do that if she wasn’t prepared for it. Being a shinobi was all about such risks, but there was a good reason that genin were started off slow and then built up into being able to handle these types of missions. She had skipped that building up process, it meant she would need to be ready to take such risks sooner. However there was always the very good possibility that expecting her to be ready on the first mission together would be asking too much. He wouldn’t take that chance, not with her, not with any genin. However it was her decision in the end, provided she was strong enough to make it without showing any hesitance.

[Tam 7]

The prospect of being able to fly home, still not entirely sure she’d say yes, was doing something to her that she found unsettling. It was giving her hope. A reason to actually look forward instead of always back. She would agree with his assessment of reserving chakra, it was practical and being stranded somewhere without having enough chakra to get back was not something that gave her hope. It sounded pretty damned miserable. “Of course, that makes sense.” She felt something else unsettling as she answered him, was she? Disappointed? She would inwardly grumble about ‘this is entirely why I stay the hell away from people’ as she moved on to formulating her plan.

She waited anxiously for him to comment on her ill conceived plan, fully expecting that he’d just outright say no to it. When he mentioned the transformation technique and she watched his eyebrow raise she felt disappointment again. It was a feeling she didn’t much care for. True her idea was probably dangerous, and it had taken her all of one whole minute to come up with it, so really how good could it be? But she didn’t like to be anything less than perfect, that included her ideas, and to have him remain skeptical at her thoughts was akin to the feeling she thought she’d buried from her youth. Waiting for the disdain, the anger. ‘How could you even think that? What’s wrong with you? Why are you so worthless?’ And then the violence that came afterwards. Her eyes darkened with the shades of her memories as she tried to focus on just his eyes, hoping that something interesting and unfamiliar, far removed from her past would help ground her.

His reasoning was sound, and not quite the dismissal she was fearing. He was at least willing to entertain her idea. His plan was also a good one, and probably better and safer than hers. She was so close to just giving in and doing what he thought was best until he spoke her name. That caused her to focus intently, matching his stare with her own. As he warned her of what could happen she almost laughed, one corner of her mouth twitching as she tried to suppress the inappropriate reaction. In her mind there was little she hadn’t lived through, she’d like to see this idiot try to do something that she hadn’t seen a thousand times before. Her eyes would flash almost angrily as she answered. “Yes. I want to. I’m not worried.” It wasn’t arrogance that fueled her confidence, it was despair. And a fearlessness that came with living through hell.

Her focus on his eyes as she answered would cause him to nod. However the flash of ‘almost’ anger that flashed through them would give him cause for concern. What had happened to this woman? What had been done to her that would make her willing to take such a risk on a mission that she was only supposed to be gaining some experience on? He wanted to know, wanted to ask. Was tempted, oh so tempted, to order her to tell him. However he wouldn’t do that. Couldn’t do that. He would never gain her trust if he did that, and her past was her past to deal with. Her baggage, as his actions near the border of Iron and during the Battle of Meijing were his own. His eyes would take a haunted cast to them as he couldn’t quite fight off the premonition that Yenn would end up like that Konoha girl had. Injured beyond measure, on the cusp of death, with only an enemy shinobi and a single, not very well trained medic trying to keep her alive until help came.

Hearing her words, he would nod his head in acknowledgement. “Very well, then we do it your way. But you swear to me Yenn..If Yuan Ji shows up, you get to me. I won’t let you get hurt, not if I can help it.” He would say, his words calm. It wasn’t simply because she was his responsibility no. He simply couldn’t bear to see another person injured so severely because of his actions. He wouldn’t let anything happen to this woman, even if it killed him. It was an odd sentiment to feel for someone. ‘Hi, I barely know you, but I’ll die protecting you.’ but his past actions left him wanting atonement, craving it. He wanted to stop the nightmares, wanted to stop feeling like he’d failed his sensei, and more importantly himself. If he could take a step toward that direction, by ensuring that she wasn’t harmed, then he would do it.

“Your plan, how do you want to do this?” He would ask, after she had sworn to come to him if Yuan Ji arrived. He would listen, wagering that he would probably be tasked with hiding out of sight somewhere while she played ‘come and get me’ with a serial killer. That meant he’d have to remove his hat and cloak, probably his shirt too. Black stood out too much out here and he was indeed wearing a lot of it. That was fine, he’d simply take them off and seal them into an empty scroll. He had one on him. Of course, in a perfect world that scroll would be filled with sharp, pointy objects. However Tamwyn didn’t use kunai and shuriken. He really just ran at things and punched them, for the most part.

[Tam 8]

She had lost herself for a moment there, her impulsivity taking over as she felt challenged by him, the Wind Demon, the whole world. She needed to prove that she was not weak. Maybe not to them, maybe it was to herself, it didn’t matter either way as she still hadn’t done it. And that was that it seemed. A yes from her and strangely she got exactly what she wanted. ‘Well that’s never happened before.’ She was used to getting answers, just not usually positive ones. The shock of not being treated with contempt or ridiculed just for speaking was only just wearing off as she heard him say her name again. Somehow when he said it the word wasn’t foreign sounding. She was only used to hearing her name in roll call at the Academy. Everywhere else no one used it, they either didn’t know it and it wasn’t even relevant to speak it aloud. Or there were far more creative and degrading words used to describe her. He was asking her to swear to not get hurt? That was a weird request, though she could see the value in him trying to ensure her safety out here. If she were to be badly injured or worse, he would probably end up being blamed for it. Even if it had been her idea. With a sigh she would relent to his seeming need to protect her from bodily harm. “I swear. He shows up, I’ll go to you. You can have him, I’m just the bait.”

As he asked what exactly her plan was she would resume looking around for a decent place to set their trap. There was a small creek just at the edge of the treeline, far enough away from open spaces that she thought maybe it would seem inviting enough for him to venture out of hiding. She would point in the direction of the water as she replied. “Over there is not a bad spot I think, it’s pretty hidden from view, so he might feel comfortable. It makes some kind of sense that I would be over there, getting water or just resting in the shade. I’m sure there’ll be places for you to stay out of sight there.” This was absolutely the worst plan. Probably in the entire history of plans. ‘Oh yeah, we need to catch a murderer. How do you suppose we do that? Oh well obviously lets get him to try to murder me.’ Worst. Plan. Ever. She was shifting back and forth with more frequency now, her feet starting to tingle with the pain of oncoming numbness and she considered then that she might want to tell Tamwyn about the other part of her plan. “In the interest of transparency, it’s not just that it’s a great spot, I really need to sit for a couple minutes.” She would bashfully gesture to her feet as she continued. “I really didn’t mean to come out in these.” Assuming he agreed to the location she’d picked and had no other complaints she would begin making her way towards the creek, finding that while moving it wasn’t nearly as bad as when she had been just standing there.

She would agree to come to him if the Wind Demon arrived. She might not understand his unflappable need to protect her from serious injury. If he had it his way, she wouldn’t. Still, the fact that she had agreed meant that he would be able to relax somewhat in regards to trying to keep her safe. He could be fast as hell on his own, but if she were trying to close the distance too then she would be behind cover even faster. “I didn’t say you couldn’t help fight him. I just want me between you and him when it comes down to it..” He would say simply, his voice calm, gentle even. He didn’t want her to think she was weak, he didn’t honestly know if she was or not. However he wouldn’t risk anything happening to her, or at least, if they were going with this plan, he would mitigate those risks as much as possible.

As he asked for specifics she would begin looking around for a suitable location to bait their trap. Finding one quickly, she would point it out to him. A small creek by the treeline would indeed make for a perfect location. He could hide not far away, and she could play bait for the man known as the ‘Wind Demon’ to come get. Then he would come out, get between them and work to disarm and detain the man for transport back to Kumogakure. As she began to shift back and forth he would wordlessly take a scroll from a pocket and open it, revealing a simple item storage seal within. Removing his hat and sealing it away, his blonde hair would hang down around his head. Absently moving his hair behind his ears after sealing the hat he would proceed to take his cloak off and seal it too. As he set it down he would move to remove his shirt. “I’m wearing entirely too much black to hide well during the day, besides, my techniques tend to destroy my upper body clothing. So I need to remove it for now, I keep telling myself to have some stronger stuff made. But never seem to remember when I’m in the village.” He would say as he removed his tie, vest, and undershirt, sealing them all in rapid succession and leaving his upper body naked to the elements.

He had gotten stronger recently, finally his efforts were starting to pay off, but that was beside the point as he noted that she had mentioned, while he was removing his clothing, that she needed the break anyway. Thinking on it, he would realize that they had been walking for..what was it..Three? Four hours now? He didn’t know anything about heels, but they seemed like they’d probably hurt. She would draw attention to them as almost shyly as she mentioned that she really hadn’t intended to come out in them. Nodding his head he would say “I figured you camped out last night. The smell of the woods is strong on you.” He would say as he noted the heels. “She does look great in them though doesn’t she?” He would say, rather than think as he had intended. The statement not registering to him as he idly decided that her having walked for so long in them was quite long enough. “I could carry you if you’d like, let you get off your feet a bit. That ground is pretty tangled and rough around there anyway.” He would say, speaking what to him seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea. It was a few moments later that he realized that he had said that comment about her ‘looking great in them’ aloud and his features would colour in embarrassment. “I-I didn’t mean to say that outloud! I’m sorry!” He would say, his eyes widening as his own panic briefly set in.

[Tam 9]

The first words out of her mouth as Tamwyn corrected her were “I’m sorry-” She had said them out of habit, to her it had sounded as though he’d pointed out how she’d lied about what he said. She bit back the rest of her sentence though, he’d already told her to stop apologizing and she didn’t want to risk angering him by not following that request. And that thinking was just as illogical as her knee-jerk apology. He’d specifically said he didn’t get mad. In fairness to her incredibly damaged psyche though, she’d heard that line too many times before.

She could hardly disagree that he was wearing too much black. But she didn’t see the problem, seeing as that’s all she ever wore as well. Still though he did have more experience with field work than she did so she would just shrug as she saw him remove his hat and cloak and store them away in a scroll. She probably would have been fine if he’d stopped there, she had been expecting him to. But as her eyes caught sight of his well muscled torso her breath would catch in her throat. She was stunned into staring as he removed every bit of fabric from his upper body. A deep blush would spread across her cheeks as she simultaneously felt drawn to keep watching and felt incredibly awkward. She was prepared to go be the delicious victim on the buffet of ‘trap the murderous psychopath’ but seeing her mission partner who she’d only met a few hours prior suddenly decide to strip was distressing. To put it mildly.

After a few seconds too long of gawking she would turn her head and hold a gloved hand up as a sort of privacy shield between them. It’s not like he hadn’t warned her, kind of. The whole affair was rather quick, the explanation compared to the actual removal of clothing. Yenn would stand looking off towards their creek trap location until he commented on how she smelled like the forest, which caused her to whip her head back towards him, a look of incredulity on her now crimson face. “I smell of the for-” In her brief moment of indignation she’d somehow completely forgotten that the last minute had been spent with Tamwyn removing the fabric from his upper body. And as her violet eyes gazed at him again to challenge her ‘smell’ they rested on his perfect toned pectoral muscles, which just made her blush more, her voice lost as she became more flustered. She probably would have awkwardly turned away again if he hadn’t casually commented on how good she looked in her boots.

This time her staring was quite intentional as she couldn’t believe her ears. Or his casual manner as he carried on talking as though what he’d said was the most normal thing in the world. After a beat it seemed to dawn on him what he’d just done and then it was his turn to blush. She would just keep staring, one eyebrow arched as he stammered out an apology. It was him apologizing to her that brought her back to the present and she would shake her head apologetically, looking down at the ground. “It’s fine. But yes, my feet are very nearly literally killing me.” The hope of the pain going away faster was all she needed to say yes to the offer he’d made to carry her. Ordinarily she would have vehemently refused, but four hours of trudging across the countryside in four inch heels had made her pretty agreeable to changing up her usual behaviour.

Her instinctive apology would cut off, and he would let it slide. Habits were hard to break when they became ingrained into you and he wasn’t one for chewing someone out. All that did was scare them, why would you want to scare your allies? Besides, she caught herself and stopped it. It would take time, but perhaps he could help get it into her head that she simply didn’t need to apologize for everything. It was like she was afraid of offending everyone and everything at once. He knew of people like that, and it usually spoke of past trauma or abuse. Perhaps they could explore that road. Although he was reluctant to do so since that would mean he would probably have to share the skeletons in his closet too and he didn’t know if he could trust her with those. Besides, it wasn’t like she could help him with them anyway.

At her indignant sounding comeback toward his comment on how she ‘smelled like the forest’ he would internally wince. That hadn’t been meant as a statement of odor. It was actually rather pleasant. She smelled of fresh grass and pine. It was actually extremely pleasant and he found himself wanting to be near her for it. He didn’t need to be of course, because the point was that his nose was extremely good. So much so that he could close his eyes and still fight effectively. So picking up her scent, or even the scent of blood, which he figured Yuan Ji would have on him, would be child's play. When it came time for his apology over the words he’d spoken aloud he would stammer it out as she arched an eyebrow at him. Then however she would shake her head apologetically and look down. As if she had done something wrong, as if she were afraid of confrontation of some sort.

Why would that be? Probably something to do with the past trauma and abuse he speculated on earlier. Briefly a look of concern would cross as his features as his desire to help increased. Most people would probably just think him a meddler, but he didn’t like seeing people suffering because of demons that they could use help with. Did that make him a meddler? Probably, but he’d wear that as a badge of pride. Her agreement to being carried would come as a sort of surprise for him before he nodded his head and got into gear. He would move beside her, bend, and proceed to pick her up bridal style, one arm under her knees and the over at her shoulders. Their heads ended up extremely close, but that didn’t really bother Tamwyn, and so he moved forward, through the terrain.

As he trudged through it, carrying the woman as though she were weightless a thought would occur to him. She had been under the impression before that he thought she stank or something. That wasn’t true, and perhaps he could settle that now while they got closer and closer to the creek. “I like it you know..” He would say, hopefully getting her attention before speaking the next. “The smell of the forest. I wasn’t trying to say you stink..You smell of pine, and fresh grass...I like it.” He would say. A minute or so later, they would arrive at the creek and he would set her down gently on a large stone that would be close enough to the water to put her feet in if she wanted. Once he has deposited her, he would nod toward her. “I’m going to go hide now, don’t be afraid to draw attention somehow.” He would say, before moving to set a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it for a moment as if to say ‘I’m here.’ He would proceed off into the nearby treeline, and hide, low under a good thicket of bush that would keep him hidden from view.

[Tam 10]

Yenn was not normally the type to get indignant, but in this particular instance she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She had just decided that she would act as bait for a man who may or may not be an actual serial killer. The mission partner she had with her had just implied that she stank, while he also had stripped himself half naked. And on top of all that he’d been flirting with her? Maybe? And even more, she found him to be incredibly attractive with his blonde hair moving gently in the breeze and his very finely crafted physique. It was all rather confusing and a bit too much to deal with all at once. So in the end the only thing that had come out of her mouth was a roundabout apology and the acceptance of his offer.

This was not a battle she wanted to fight, what he thought of her didn’t actually matter in the end. He could like her, or hate the way she smelled, or whatever other thing he chose. She had no say in it. And she wasn’t really sure why she cared so much in the first place. In all likelihood they were going to complete this mission, hopefully without too much trouble, and then part ways and never see each other again. What did she think was going to happen? ‘Hey we helped catch a criminal - wanna be best friends now?’ Her gloved hand would instinctively move to her pendant at the thought of having a friend, her forefinger gently brushing across the raised metal star. With a subtle shaking of her head she would smoothly transition from touching her pendant to grabbing at the edge of her cloak, pulling it so that she could wrap herself in it before Tamwyn was able to touch her.

Her muscles would stiffen instinctively as she felt the man’s arms beneath her knees and across her shoulders, and she would take a deep breath as she willed herself to calm. She didn’t want to risk electrocuting him when he was just trying to be helpful to her. She could have walked over to the creek, and she absolutely would have, but between the discomfort in her feet and the flustered state she’d been quick to accept being carried. Now that she was in his arms however she found herself further overwhelmed and she struggled between two opposing trains of thought. She could feel her skin twitching with panic, the subconscious need to protect herself from harm. Not physically, but more similar to the pressure one feels behind their eyes when they feel the need to sleep. She fought to suppress the lightning in her blood that told her she was in danger, the added layer of her cloak aided in her control, helping to convince her that she was safe with the barrier between them.

Her mind reel again as he revisited his earlier comment on her apparent scent. This was the other part of her inner monologue that she struggled with. He carried her with ease, and she could feel the strength of his muscles against her as they flexed while he walked. It was incredibly distracting and then he had to punctuate it with another compliment. Or perhaps not a compliment, but at least an airing of his preference. She would frown as she felt her cheeks burn, choosing to find the swiftly approaching creek destination so fascinating that she simply couldn’t take her eyes off of it. “Thanks?” Was all she would say in reply, still looking away from him. Their faces were fairly close together and there couldn’t possibly be any way that he had failed to notice the redness in her cheeks, but she let herself believe that if she couldn’t see his reaction then it simply didn’t exist.

As he placed her down on a rock she would finally release the deep breath she had been holding, her muscles and feet protesting as she was required to bear her own weight again. She would unwrap herself from her cloak, busying herself with unimportant ‘preparations’ for appearing as bait. She still awkwardly refused to look into the man’s yellow eyes, her own violet ones darting around as she took in her surroundings. She would barely register his words when he told her he was going to hide and that she could draw attention to herself. She hadn’t really considered how she was going to do that exactly, but she was definitely going to start by taking off her boots. It was a shock when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she would flinch noticeably at the contact, her eyes meeting his in trepidation. She wouldn’t speak, just stare close lipped and nod her head as a way of saying ‘okay’.

He felt the instinctive stiffening of her muscles as he moved to pick her up. Was that just normal? Or was it a reaction to something? He didn’t know, he wasn’t well versed enough in psychology to be able to ascertain such information. The deep breath was certainly odd, was she so afraid of being touched that she needed to prepare herself for him to carry her? That...was enough information for him to decide that she had been through a lot. However he still wouldn’t ask, it simply wasn’t time, and not his business. So he would carry her toward the creek, saying nothing more than he had said as before. However he would note her flushed cheeks after he commented on her scent. Was she nervous? Whatever for? He could figure out later, perhaps.

Her ‘thanks’ would have the air of question to it and he wondered if he had made a mistake in speaking at all. Perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut? He would decide that now would be the best time to do so. Her seeming intent to not meet his eyes would further cause him to believe that he had somehow done something very wrong. He hadn’t intended to, but he’d clearly offended her. Perhaps her reddened cheeks were from anger? He would have to find a way to make up for that somehow. He didn’t know how but he could figure something out. She was an Inazuma, so that meant she would probably live at the clan compound. He could bring her a gift in apology or something. Something small, to make up for making her mad when he hadn’t intended to.

When his hand came out and touched her shoulder. He would be in for a shock, quite literally in fact as small arcs of lightning coalesced from her form and struck him, in particular, his hand. The part of his body he’d touched her with. As she’d flinch, he would too, jerking his hand back as if from a hot stove in surprise. Her eyes would turn to his, filled with fear and trepidation and his yellow eyes would meet them, concern evident in them. “What..was that?” He’d ask simply, his question quiet, and gentle. He didn’t want to scare her into not answering, but he did need to know if he needed to expect that type of thing every time he touched her without her knowing or giving consent. Sometimes shit happened and he might need to push her down to get her out of the way of an attack, or they could get slammed into each other. He needed to be prepared for that.

Provided she answered, he would simply nod “I’m sorry for startling you..” He would say softly, almost whispering like before moving away. His eyes would be extremely sad for the violet eyed woman, and for the next few minutes, he would consider how best he could help her, and forget about sapphire eyes, blonde hair, blood, and sex. As well as charred and unrecognizable flesh, surrounded by incredible debris from an attack he should never have used.

[Tam 11]

Yenn’s heart was pounding rapidly, her muscles ached from the sudden unconscious tensing of them and she was trying to will herself to breathe normally. She was relieved that the touch she’d felt was only Tamwyn, for the briefest of moments she had not even been aware of her surroundings. His question rang in her ears ‘What... was that?’ and it made her feel guilty. In truth she didn’t know what it was, she just knew that it happened. Her body’s own natural defense system that she only barely had any control over. She had tried to shield him from it earlier by wrapping herself in her cloak, but she should have warned him. She knew she should have. She hadn’t because warning people meant offering some sort of context or explanation and that was not something she liked giving. It brought questions she didn’t have answers for, sins she didn’t want to reveal. It was entirely irrational at this point as she was no longer a young woman under the thumb and heel of her tyrant so-called ‘care givers’, but she still heard and felt their threat every time she went to offer an explanation.

She would look down at the fur lined cloak she had draped over one knee, moving her gloved hand to brush invisible dirt from the fabric, a look of shame on her face. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you. It’s just. . . something that happens sometimes. I’m glad you let go when you did, the lightning, it can burn. I’m really sorry, I’ll try to control it.” She hoped her weak explanation would be enough, she hadn’t been entirely truthful about why it had happened, and the lie was eating at her as she tried to justify it to herself. The truth of it was that her own subconscious was trying to protect her from being hurt, fighting back against anything that caused her panic, which while the list of things that did that was quite long - primarily it meant anyone that touched her. She reasoned that it didn’t matter why a blade would cut you, just as long as you knew that it could. She would shake her head at his apology, she didn’t think it was necessary. “It’s my fault.” His soft voice would make her look up with remorse in her violet eyes while she bit back the words ‘I’m sorry’ again. She could see a profound sadness in his yellow eyes and she didn’t know how to handle it, so she just looked at him as he left.

Watching him move away she would take note of the direction he headed. She had sworn to run to him when the ‘Wind Demon’ showed up so she made sure she knew which way she was going to have to run. Once she’d watched Tamwyn disappear from sight she would turn her body to face the creek, bend over while still sitting on the rock and unbuckle her boots. As she pulled them off she would hiss softly through her teeth, the relief of having the leather away from her feet causing a sting. She’d probably end up with blisters which would be wonderful for fighting a missing nin. ‘Hang on, time out. Just need to put my feet up for a minute then I’ll be good to go.’ Carefully setting the leather boots off to the side she would gingerly make her way to the edge of the water and set her feet in the cool water. She assumed it was cold at least as she watched the redness of her feet slowly fade. Sitting down on the grassy bank she would lean back with her palms supporting her weight on the ground behind her, staring up at the sky and doing her best to look killable. Which in her mind equated to being unarmed and heavily distracted. She realized though that sitting quietly wasn’t going to attract the attention of anyone, so she swallowed her fear of judgement and began to sing. She sang a song she’d made up during her many long hours of solitude in the dark.


Her voice wavered at first, cracking as she held back from using the full power of her voice. She wasn’t sure if Tamwyn could hear her, but the thought of him listening gave her some anxiety at first. As she let the melody wash over her though, she would close her eyes and sing to the mountains, pouring her heart into her lament as it was carried on the wind as dark clouds formed overhead.

She wouldn’t be able to meet his eyes when she spoke next. Instead looking down at her cloak, nervous gestures of cleaning off invisible debris from the fabric being more telling than any words could. The look of shame on her face broke the pale haired man's heart and the concern in his eyes deepened a bit before she began to speak. She didn’t really give him an answer, just telling him that it happens, that she should have warned him, that she’d try to control it. ‘Control what?..’ He would think to himself, opting to not ask the question aloud for the moment. Frankly, he had to get himself hidden before Yuan Ji showed up by sheer happenstance. He might not appear if Yenn had others with her, potential protectors. Her final words, compounded by the remorse deeply inset into those violet eyes, would make him almost give up the idea of the plan entirely.

Instead he would swallow that idea. Taking her away from it now might do more harm than good at this point. Besides, the longer it took them to find Yuan Ji the more people he could potentially kill or slaughter. This was probably the fastest simple way for them to locate him. By trying to have him locate them instead. Instead he would shake his head at her, trying to tell her that he didn’t think that was the case. Before turning away and moving into the treeline. He’d find his hiding place and get into it. A space beneath thick bush at the base of trees. Then he’d open his senses and be careful for any approaching strangers. He would watch her of course, ensuring that the Wind Demon didn’t sneak up on her, or descend from the sky upon the winds themselves to take her, or something else melodramatic like that.

Then she began to sing.

It was tenuous at first, as if she were afraid of her own voice. Or perhaps the thought of potential listeners made her nervous. However soon enough she would let the song take her and she would sing as if no one was watching, no one was listening, and it struck Tamwyn in the chest like a sledgehammer. He felt his hand tighten upon the foliage on the ground around him. He felt himself grit his teeth. What had hurt her so badly? So badly that her own body seemed to have an unconscious electrical defense against physical contact? So badly that she could sing this song, this beautiful song, as if every word were a long lost friend. He steadied himself, before freezing. Because as she sang, a figure came out of the treeline not far from her.

He was tall, looked to be in his early to mid thirties. Had black hair with bangs hanging into his face. His eyes were an odd tawny colour and they held absolutely zero emotion within them as he started at Yenn from her blindside before taking a step. Within his hands he held a Katana, a slight displacement of air around it telling Tamwyn all he needed to know. The Wind Demon had indeed arrived, and he was coming to kill Yenn. “Move!” His voice would crack across the distance as he moved to his feet, lightning crackling into the air around him. Level One Lightning Release Armor would allow him to keep things non-lethal. It was the weaker version and should be more than enough to handle this. The sharp command would sound across the space between him and Yenn, about twenty meters, and there was no mistake about it. It was a [i[command[/i]. No one would be able to hear the tone and not hear it and have an instant impulse to listen. It wasn’t the order of a superior to a subordinate, it wasn’t the command of a sensei to a student. It was the direct order from someone who was telling one what they had to do to live.

Tamwyn would begin his dash across the distance, moving to strike at Yuan Ji, or to at least give him something to worry about besides a nice helping of Yenn. The man would turn his gaze toward Tamwyn and the sword would flash up, faster than the yellow eyed Chunin would’ve thought the man could manage. He’d stop his forward momentum instantly, the way only a master of their body could and let the sword that swept across the air miss him. Immediately a gash would appear on Tamwyn’s chest. Not particularly deep, in fact it bled far more than it was dangerous. ‘Wind Chakra Flow.’ He thought before he went to move before the sword came back, using one arm to block the Wind Demons sword arm, stopping it at the wrist. Lightning cracked around Tamwyn and Yuan Ji pivoted, turned, and forced Tamwyn to continue past him, effectively putting Yuan Ji, between Tamwyn and Yenn.

[Tam 12]

Yenn sat and sang, her eyes closed as she allowed herself to commit fully to the part she’d chosen to play in their charade. She didn’t hear the man step from the treeline, never heard the gentle whisper of the wind against folded steel. Had she been there alone she absolutely would have been the latest victim of the ‘Wind Demon’ right there on the spot. Mid melody she would stop her singing abruptly as she heard the command ‘Move!’ and she was already up and moving before her brain fully processed what was happening. Her wet feet made it more difficult to run along the grass, at least that was what she was going with since no sooner had she heard the command did she see him move past her. Leaving her both panicked and very confused. She had said she would run to him, but as she turned to follow the blur that she assumed must be Tamwyn as she saw a flash of lightning, she took in the full scope of what was happening. It seemed that her ruse had been successful, and she had in fact looked exactly killable enough to draw Yuan Ji out of hiding.

She felt a cold chill run down her spine, not from the weather since she didn’t feel that, from the fear as she saw the dark haired man stare with cold, emotionless eyes. He had a sword. Why on earth she thought he wouldn’t have a weapon she’d never know. But seeing the glint of the muted daylight along the weapons edge brought back terrifying memories that made her stop in her tracks. She could only watch, feeling like she was paralyzed as Yuan Ji swung his katana at Tamwyn. As Tamwyn blocked the second strike with his wrist against the Wind Demon’s own she would begin moving again, there was real danger here and she couldn’t just stand around and do nothing. In movements too quick for her to follow she saw Tamwyn end up moving past Yuan Ji, and spied the blood running down his bare chest.

Something snapped in her as she saw the sparkle of red liquid and instead of backing away or doing anything else even remotely intelligent she would channel Raiton into the palms of her hands as she held them out to the sides, her violet eyes glowing and sparking with dark purple lightning as she let her fury dictate her actions. Tamwyn had already been hurt by the exchange, all because of her stupid plan. She knew that this was her fault, Tamwyn had made a better and safer plan, and he’d still let her call the shots. It had worked, the Wind Demon had come out of hiding but it didn’t feel worth it. Her fear turned to recklessness as she did the only thing she could think of to draw the Wind Demon’s attention away from Tamwyn. Taking a defiant step towards the Wind Demon who was now squarely between herself and Tamwyn she would shout with all the ferocity of the storm that was beginning overhead. “Hey, you fuck! Over here!” Once she had gained his attention she would release the lightning she held in her hands towards the killer.

Tamwyn breathed in deep as the thrill of combat attempted to overwhelm his mind. His heartbeat began to pound harder and harder, creating the pace of the dance of death within his veins as his yellow eyes narrowed. First blood belonged to Yuan Ji it would seem. He felt the ruby drops streak down his chest, leaving trails of blood from the thin wound across his chest. It was a weeper, but nothing truly dangerous. It would end up closing up on it’s own soon enough. He wanted to kill this man, every fiber in his being wanted to release his inner predator, the beast coaxed into being by that blonde girl in the fort. He imagined her laughter in his head, coming unbidden to him as she urged him on. His breathing quickened as he felt himself slipping.

Then Yenn made herself known.

Her words snapped Tamwyn out of his battle trance. He forgot about murder and slaughter. Forgot about predators and prey. Forgot about blonde women, with sapphire eyes who awoke dark things within him. He forgot about them all for a singular reason. Yuan Ji, had turned toward Yenn, blade drawn back as if to swing with a massive strike. The Seraph of Lightning looked past him and saw Yenn, raiton coalesced within her hands, electrical sparks of violet energy within her eyes. He felt his heart stop beating for a moment as he realized the danger she was in. Yuan Ji began his swing right after Yenn released her lightning. The man sidestepped it, and swung, hard.

Tamwyn’s body crackled into electrical energy, his hair spiked up due to the discharge and like a flash he was gone. Shooting past the technique and turning, hands crossed in front of him to take the blow that would potentially kill the woman. He’d managed to beat it, his speed being nearly unmatched when using the higher level of Lightning Release Armor. However the blast of wind wasn’t what he expected. He’d thought it would be a sharp, cutting blade that could slice through anything. Even he wouldn’t be confident about handing such a thing with his lightning armor active, given winds inherent superiority of the element he favoured. But this wind blast was a physical blow instead. An incredibly powerful one.

Tamwyn just didn’t have anywhere near the strength necessary to keep his feet, as he shot back he’d probably impact into Yenn, as Yuan Ji fired another blast now that they would be off their feet. This blast would take Tamwyn square in the chest and blast him, and should he have impacted her, by proxy, Yenn, into the air like comets. The wind blew around them, in the impact of the blasts the scrolls attached to Tamwyn’s belt would fly off, there went his upper clothes, and camping supplies, and he’d feel the electrical surge of contact with Yenn. Wincing, he’d realize that if they were flying this far in the air. They would have to come down eventually, and he doubted she could survive the impact. So, the pale haired Chunin turned, grabbing onto the woman and hugging her tight, the electrical discharge he had felt from her earlier sparking off again and this time becoming much worse due to the prolonged contact. He continued to turn them so that his back was to their impact destination and she was cradled against him, protected. As the wind whipped their hair in the opposite direction he would see the off pattern of scars running up the nape of her neck. They seemed to continue down but he couldn’t see for sure. He’d have to ask later, if they lived.

His heart pounded like a drum in his chest in fear and panic. He should’ve gone for the kill on Yuan Ji, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. If Yenn died because of his actions, he doubted he would be able to take it. After what seemed like forever they angled down. They’d flown from their location for quite a distance. The dual strike of the wind blasts most certainly doubled up on one another, especially after their footing, his footing, had been disrupted by the first. It felt like they’d flown for miles and eventually he would begin to dread the incoming impact with the cold hard earth. The impact came, and it was just as hard as Tamwyn thought it would be. With an incredible smash, he slammed into a rocky outcropping, Yenn held fast against him to protect her from the impact. In the impact the rock behind him gave, somewhat. Most of it shattered, but a thin, sharp strip refused to do so and thrust itself into Tamwyn’s back right shoulder and out of the top of his pectoral muscle on that side, about halfway up toward the shoulder itself. He groaned in pain, before apparently deciding that it was too much and passing out. His form still on the rock, that was protruding from his chest and blessedly, missed Yenn’s head.

[Tam 13]