Playing house is fun!

[Anonymous]

Nyutahi was poised precariously on a fallen log, looking around with an unusually cheerful smile on her face. She lept fromt he log and landed neatly, standing to her full height of perhaps five foot five, she stretched her arms over her head, brushing a hand through her dark hair which ended a ther chin, her bangs cut above her equally dark eyes. She tugged her jacket loosely around her and brushed off the thigh high black socks, and proceeded to brush off her skirt, adjusting it so it covered the shorts underneath.

She remembered the world she had come from and also noticed the accute differences between this one and her birth world. She smiled and tucked her hands into her pockets, but her eyes were attracted to the array of various sized sticks and they widened. She crouched and began to build a little house from the twigs, talking to herself all the while.

"Aha! And the house of the Fairies is created. Their refuge against all the elements of the world!" She declared, giggling as she finished off the miniture house, winking and wavnig too it she stood and resumed her walk down a very vague path.

While Nyutahi wasn't eccentric... well, maybe she was. But it was due to other reasons, and she preferred to speak aloud to herself, and she preferred to be funny or odd rather then the other options available to her.

But she heard something... Or had she heard it? She felt something? She didn't know what it was, but it instigated her to stop and stare upwards, perhaps trying to look at the sky. She knew something or someone was there.... Or, no... She didn't know anymore. She had some odd feeling crawling, creeping... But maybe it was just the silence she had suddenly surrendered herself too.

"Hello?" She spoke aloud, giggling and forcing her cheery smile until it became smoothed and natural.

Was she simply losing it?

[Anonymous]

No she was quite right really. There was someone lurking nearby. If she took the time to look amoungst a tree she would find a figure sitting amoung the branchs and leaves. It was a person it seemed; male. He was dressed in a tight leather vest with silver trim about the collar and the zipper. Above the zipper was a bright red emblem that stood out. His pants were also black, tight, and leather. Silver trimming wrapped about the waist of them and silver decorations were hanging about them aswell.

All about his body you could find black tatoos with weird unreadable symbols. Something that only he could understand the meaning of. Wrapped around his left arm was a white sleeve like cloth and over it was many black belt like bracelets. The other arm had only many black belt like bracelets; no sleeve. Over his hands he wore black gloves with sliver trimming, and on his feet he wore black leather boots with silver belt like straps. He seemed to like things covering his body, and decorations.

About his neck he wore a silver choker and his ears were adorned with many earrings on both sides; all the way around.

His skin was a yellowish complextion, his hair black and his eyes a dark brown. In his mouth a pair of vampiric teeth.

Something that might have been over looked, since he was facing forward, was that he had wings; dragon like wings. They seemed to have been cut half way down. The ends of them ragged. It was obvious he couldn't fly..prehaps glide and maybe a high jump...but no flying for him.

He had been watching the girl from afar; growing interested in her as she built her little house of sticks.
((reference picture
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/Y ... s/Luke.jpg ))

[Anonymous]

(Sasuke! He's hot =O)


She knew something was watching her. It was the fact she couldn't find it and how it conjured a sense of fear -it gave her the sense that maybe her life was being threatened by the mere hidden prescence. Her eyes widened and the irises of her eyes contracted. She staggered forward and clutched her head, gritting her teeth together. Nyutahi began trembling, her legs braced, hunched forward.

Stupid brat, look at the trees! Where else would it be hiding? She gasped as it subsided from inside her, sinking back into the depths of her soul once more.

Nyutahi's hands dropped from her head, shoulders sagging in relief. She tilted her head up and stared blankly at the trees for a moment before straightening, looking around to the trees. She frowned and made a 'che' sound and brushed back her bangs.

"I know you're there! Please, come out," Nyutahi said loudly, walking forward cautiously and glancing around herself.

Where was it? There was a prescence somewhere in the trees... Suddenly she caught a glimpse of red between the trees. She swivelled to the direction and stabbed her index finger in the direction and grinned triumphantly, her fear dissappearing once she understood and knew where the person or... thing was.

"Come out, come out! I see you," Nyutahi said, smiling brightly.

[Anonymous]

The figure wrinkled his nose a bit as he had been found out. "Right you are!" He said moving some of the branchs from infront of him. Now there was a much clearer veiw, making him easier to see. He stayed stationed where he was, and didn't speak anymore after that. This was the first person he had ever come into contact with; except for his parents, and he had never held a real conversation before.

His past suddenly came floating into his mind, but he quickly shook it out before it got a chance to linger. It was far to horrible to think about. He stared down at her and pointed to her small house of sticks. "Nice." He said in almost a whisper. His voice was always emotionless, giving off a feeling of emptiness and mystery.

((I've always thought it was a random person..that looks like him lol...welp that's fan art for ya huh? They even gave him cool tatoos..^^))

[Anonymous]

Nyutahi studied him. He seemed... distant. She had the distinct feeling that she could run after him and never draw the gap closed. Metaphorically speaking of course. She continued to study him, shamelessly so. What was the point of 'staring discreetly'? It gave an arise of suspicioun. She wasn't trying to hide her curiousity. Hell, why should she? She was beginning to notice some things about him, but smiled truly nonetheless. Everything 'odd' and 'peculiar' was a matter of perception and nothing more. But if only she could see him better...

Then he pointed at her very lovely stick house. She barely heard him, but she did. Her smile enlarged a great deal as she looked at the stick house somewhat endearingly. She sighed and scuffed her boot into the ground. She tilted her face to see him with her inquisitive dark eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks. For the fairies, y'know? Well... They may like pretty, more stable things, but its nice to dream," Nyutahi giggled slightly.

Even she had a sense of logic and common sense. It was a joke that fairies would use it -but you can't forget about the little people! Really, maybe one would see it. Or maybe something would step on it? Who knew! It was all a matter of possibility and the wishing what would happen and what wouldn't. Nyutahi was under the firm belief that she could very well believe whatever she wanted too would happen to the little stick house.

"Uhm, wanna come over here? I can't see you that well," Nyutahi said, smiling.

"Oh.. By the way... I'm Nyutahi. Who're you?" She asked tilting her head.

His voice... it was oddly emotionless. She wondered how someone could be so emotionless.. Or how they could get that way. She was a very proud person, wearing her emotions on her sleeves. She didn't mind it, either. Although it made her that much more vulnerable to manipulation or other emotional and mental attacks, she supposed, it'd make her stronger if she could bare her emotions to the world. At least in her opinion. Not to say that man was weaker then she... But usually, when people were trying to be emotionless, they were afraid of being hurt. Or that's how Nyutahi perceived them until more clues were given. Maybe he went under emotional training? Or has a strong sense of self-restraint? Or maybe he doesn't know how to communicate his feelings... Or maybe he doesn't understand them? Or maybe... Who knew?

There were so many possibilities, but she also knew the smart thing to do was not assume anything but calmly just accept this. Maybe she'd learn about it. Heck, maybe this was just some random meeting and he'd disappear after a short will. She didn't know.

Nyutahi looked around her, then glanced back to the log. She couldn't see him that clearly - allow much better now that the branches were moved - and she noticed his clothing. Very interesting attire, she had concluded. And it seemed he had many tattoos and she could swear she something behind him but at her angle it was hard to see. Really, it'd be much easier if he actually came down instead of her playing guessing games.

"Hm... We could sit on the log," Nyutahi suggested. "Or walk!"

It didn't take much for her to be satisified -hell, nothing that entire day particularly worht mentioning even happened and she was already quite cheery. But she didn't know what his reaction would be -maybe he'd stay in the tree. If that was the case she'd probably just sit right there and talk to him. That's if he didn't want her to leave him alone. Then again, depending on how he asked, she may stay right there anyway.

Loneliness didn't please her. Never did.

( :) The Uchiha Crest gave it away. And I wonder if the tattoos were supposed to be the cursed seal? )

[Anonymous]

((Yeah i thought that to at first. the tatoos. Hm... O well he looks cool and thats that lol))

A creeking of branchs echoed into the forest as he shifted his weight around; finding a more comfortable spot. Out of habit he ran his fingers through his spikey black hair, then returned his gaze to the girl. He listened to her completely before answering. "k." He said plainly. His left hand extended to his left side and pulled a bundle of what seemed to be black cloth to him. He folded it over his right arm and then went into a crouch like stance. He balanced on the branch like that for awhile as he picked out a spot along the forest floor to land at. His leg muscles tensed and he throw his weight forward sending him airborn. His ragged dragon like wings had revealed themselves as they came out to help him glide to the ground. Once he was close enough to the ground he put his feet down; it just so hapened that he was now standing directly infront of her. "I bet you can see me just fine now huh?" He asked his wings closing and flattening themselves against his back.

Most times he didn't show emotion because he didn't know how. His parents had deprived him of socialization, so he lacked the skills to be interested in a real conversation. They had also turned his soul into an empty shell, full of lies and hatred..pain..suffering. He could be nicknamed oblivion...a place of total nothingness.

He was constantly haunted but his past; he just didn't seem to be able to break free from it.

He glanced down at the girl in shame, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Kutsuu." he said, saying his name with a sense of distest. He hated his name. His parents had told him it meant pain in Japanese...and afterward had laughed in his face about it.

He then turned and walked to where the small stick house was. He kneeled down before it and inspected it; finding that it could use a bit of improving. "Hm." He grabbed some sticks from a nearby bush and began to strengthen the house's walls.

[Anonymous]

(Lol! Yup, hehe)


She listened to the creak and waited patiently -or tried too. She was naturally a fidgetty person. The kind that simply cannot stay still for long, if at all. She had been shuffling her feet and swaying from side to side but stood still, momentarily so, as he landed in front of her. Her eyes widened momentarily at the sight of his wings, noticing their ragged ends. He couldn't possibly fly with such wings... She wondered what had happened to them... Or was it possible that he had been born that way? But either way, she smiled genuinely. He seemed... darkly handsome. Or darkly beautiful.. You know, the kind you saw in paintings of those people you never imagined real.

But he was. He was very real. How about that? She had thought this day was going to be the generic normalcy. Usually she was simply pleased with that constant routine of lax days, but lately she had become excessively restless. There were days when she couldn't stand to sit, and she then she moved, she took walks that forced her to her limits. And only then was she satisfied.

"Yes, I can. Thank you for coming out," Nyutahi replied, her smile never faltering.

She was the kind of girl, that after awhile she made her firends turn giddy, and her smile became infectous. The one who always tried their best to please or make someoen else smile. You know that kind of person. The normal, generic everyday person. With a slight mix of craziness, randomosity, and perhaps secrets, you have just about summed up Nyutahi.

He didn't seem to like his name at all. She wondered why. To her it sounded nice... 'Kutsuu' was not something she heard at all. She wondered what language it was from. But then again, there were many possibilities for the detest in his voice. In any case, she continued to smile. Then he turned and her facial expression changed to one of curiousity and temporary confusion. She blinked her wide eyes and then smiled when she saw him kneel down by her little stick house.

She immediately trotted after him, leaning down and grinning almost abashedly. She watched him closely -like he was the most interesting thing in the world. Then studied how he strengthened the house's walls. Perhaps Nyutahi was strange -but she found people very interesting. They contained so many opinions, ideals, secrets, knowledge, stories, histories, perceptions and personalities that it just fascinated her.

"Hm. I may give you a nickname if you don't mind.. I don't know though. I mean, when I look at you no name in particular comes to mind -the names I know just don't fit you. They're pretty boring names anyway. Hah," Nyutahi remarked.

He was lucky. He got a warning before he got a possible nickname. Her's were usually simple, though.

"Your tattoos are pretty amazing," Nyutahi said, glancing at them.

She then turned her eyes back to the stick house. He seemed much better at the stick-house making then her.

[Anonymous]

His right eyebrow rose slightly as she talked. She spoke rapidly and it was almost impossible for him to keep up. After he had twisted another small twig into the exterior of the house he looked over to her and gave a light hand motion as if asking her to take a pause. He took this time to go back over what he had thought she was saying. He caught bits and pieces of it...something about his tatoos and something else about a nickname.

"Call me whatever you please." He said simply. He never seemed to speak more then a few words at a time. He had redirected his glance back at the cabin. It was starting to get larger from added on materials. He nodded toward it lightly and grabbed hold of yet another twig placing it carefully were there was a small opening. The hole was so small that a regular being may have overlooked it, but Kutsuu's sharp eyes picked it up quickly. Just think prehaps he'd be able to find a needle in a hay stack.

After he seemed pleased with the sticks placement he looked back to the girl who had never seemed to seize her smiling. It kind of bugged him the way she always was curling her lips up. It was kind of because he had never done it before...they almost seemed like complete opposites. Where as she would rather walk and talk, he would rather sit and stare. Talking never really had ever crossed his mind in the past.

He then looked down to his tatooes and rubbed a gloved hand over the ones on his shoulder. "Yeah." He said and then added a few moments later. "They are so I can remember." he said, his facial expression had yet to change..and the same with his voice.

[Anonymous]

Hah. It seemed he couldn't quite keep up with how fast she spoke. Oops.

Now this was where things got... tricky, so to speak. Nyutahi's facial expression changed to one of thoughtfulness, and her energy even seemed to subside as she stared at the fairy house. Remember? Remember what, exactly? She didn't quite know. And she wasn't sure he'd even tell her, even if she asked. But then again, it was all his own business, and her nose didn't belong in it to begin with. She contemplated on what to say. She had this habit of speaking in such a manner where it didn't make sense, or it conveyed something other than what she wanted it to say. And, combined with the fact she didn't particularly think about what she was saying beforehand, she always had to quickly correct herself afterwards to avoid further confusion.

"Oi. Remember what, I wonder?" She said aloud, but it didn't seem she was actually speaking to him, and her eyes took on a very distant look, lids lowering over them slightly. They were completely blank and she almost seemed to cringe but she soon shook her head.

"Ah! None of my business, right?" She said, her voice giving hint she was talking a bit to Kutsuu that time.

"I could call you 'sticks'. You're very good at making fairy houses," she said, laughing softly and smiling.

She stood almost immediately afterwards and trotted over to the leg, jumping atop and balancing. Nyutahi took a few steps, swaying slightly and just as easily as smiling was she rebalanced. She tilted her head, blinking her dark eyes. Was she hearing things? There was a rustle in the bushes, right? She glanced over. Probably a rabbit. Or even a deer.

"Thank you," Nyutahi said after some silence from her. And it was directed to Kutsuu.

[Anonymous]

"To remember." "The past." He said. It took a whole five minutes for him to actually say the whole line. He seemed to have had trouble thinking to say it or not and in the end it kind of slipped out of him. Even though he said it, it wasn't even directed to her. She could hear it but it was more of him talking to himself.

He also tried his best not to think of his past but it always seemed to be lurking in the back of his mind..eventually he'd have to tell someone; since it was always on the tip of his tongue. Everything about him: Why he acted the way he did, why he got his tatoos, wore such thick clothling; everything was a direct link to his past.

He turned to her hearing her voice again. She was thanking him but he was unsure as to why she was doing so.

"Thank you?" He asked, his head tilting to his right side a bit. "Uh...why?" Right after he asked it he was back to fixing up the house of sticks.

"Sticks..." He whispered before nodding, he had no real feeling about her calling him that. He just shrugged and nodded lightly as he placed another stick. The house was beginning to look like it could support life. The walls were strong and had twisted vines about them for decoration. He had also started to construct a porch.

[Anonymous]

He didn't seem to have much of a reaction to her calling him 'Sticks'. That was definitly a place for her to start. She smiled, more to herself then anyone else as she contemplated this bit of trivia about Sticks aka Kutsuu. He was an interesting individual. She seemed almost suprirsed when he asked why she had thanked him. She didn't quite realize she had thanked him. But this time, she didn't smile. She furrowed her brows and looked at her boots that were carefully perched on the log. When had she been able to perfect her balancing? It seemed a long time ago... Ah, why was she thinking about that place now? Maybe she should be looking for them. It was funny that she wound  up tossed into the right place, and them... well, who knew where they disappeared too?

"Yes. Thank you. It's nice to meet new people. Especially people that are completely unique. At least to me you are -I've never met anyone quite like you. And I value meeting people... It introduces me to different situations and sates me. It was very kind of you to willing do this," Nyutahi said, not minding if he didn't understand.

Hell, no many people did.

"Hm.. Sticks... You can't remember the past otherwise? You need those pretty tattoos to remind you? ....An inescapable reminder. But I suppose the past shouldn't be escaped, but faced," Nyutahi began musing towards the end of what she was saying, and for his benefit she had begun talking in a regular voice, and it seemed as her voice slowed so did the rest of her body.

Hell, it seemed she was becoming somewhat lethargic. She hadn't slowing down -this always happened. Once she slowed down her body went into a lull, moving slowly and sluggishly, and so did her mind. It was as if if one thing in her body stopped its high pace, it caused the rest to also slow. Why did sleep sound so good right now...? But she couldn't! Sticks was, at the moment, her main priority. And even though at the moment he wasn't a threat, it was always the possibility. How she hated doubting people. How she hated watching her back. Where were her friends to do that for her? Oh, sigh...

[Anonymous]

He looked at her intentively as he heard her call out his new nickname. He had thought that the whole thing was a joke and she wasn't really going to call him that; but he didn't care...it was better then his own name he told himself. He gave her his full attention this time...looking striaght at her; now that she had calmed down. He was sitting indian style with his clawed hands resting lightly within his lap. A thick black bundle of cloth rested at his side.

Maybe it was he who could infect people's overall being...Prehaps when people were around him they too would turn into empty shells of gloominess.

"No, they are not always used for that." One minute passed. "I could never forget." Another minute went flying by. "They are more for covering itthen anything." He said with a light shudder. The vison had started to come back to him again..how he hated it...the terrible feeling that always came with it. He lookd toward the ground slightly...it was obvisious that he was remembering something.

It soon passed, and he looked back up. There in his eyes...it was a look that could pass as sorrow and suffering. At last some emotion...so he did have a soul buried deep...somewhere inside him. It only needed to be drug to the surface and be sent free.

((word of the day is Gloominess snuggles the word))

[Anonymous]

She now had his full attention? How interesting. She preferred her high paced ways. She didn't like being lethargic. It'd take too long for the simplest of things and it was much easier to miscaculate in this condition. Nyutahi sighed and thought about doing a quick hand stand, and probably at any other time she would have done it, but Sticks didn't seem to like her energy. Nyutahi was just hoping that nothing from her past would make a last minute appearance. Could she make a high powered attack before they made one?

"Covering... it?" Nyutahi tried to puzzle this all out. It was time that SHE felt aggitated.

Sticks talked only a few words at a time -that's hunky dory. Then he had to go speak cryptically? If she wasn't truly interested, she would have packed up her bags and left this conversation. Probably at any other time she would have simply for the fact it was slowing down her body. But this was an interesting person...! You can't abandon an interesting find such as this.

And what was he remembering? Apparently he was remembering something.

And there was those emotions... Those same ones that seemed to be imprinted on everyone else. Sorrow and suffering... What were those emotions like again? They were emotions that broke you down from the inside out. Or they caused her to go numb, or something like that. They weren't healthy emotions. She didn't like them. But she couldn't tell someone to make those emotions go away, could she?

Where were the rest of his emotions hiding? Were they buried even deeper? Why were they folded back into the depths of his soul like that? Nyutahi didn't know what drew her now. Curiousity? The actual will to help? Or was it the fact that misery truly did need company? But she wasn't feeling the effects of his own sorrow and suffering. She truly was maintaining a happy mood still. But she was looking at him, something vaguely concern-related on her face.

[Anonymous]

He had noticed the spark of aggitation that had rose within her. He thought that prehaps it was from him saying things so broken. He took a moment to ready himself for a challenge. He would bring his past into his mind purposely and tell his story. It was about that time...he felt as if he were ready now. All his broken speech, would finally come together; he would complete the puzzle.

His mind was soon swimming in past memories, a shocked look crossed his face as he found it hard to organize them into any defiant order. Then as he looked back over to her, his thoughts magically lined themselves up, ready to be delivered.

His body had began to shake slightly and he grabbed hold of the cloth next to him. He shook it open, and flung the thick cloak over his body. He then slide forward a couple of feet until he was sitting directly across from the female. He let a light sigh escape and began drawing in the dirt with one finger.

"I'll tell you." He said finally. "Everything....as long as you listen to the whole thing...and don't interrupt. Hold all comments till the end." He said before glancing up to her and running a hand through his hair.

[Anonymous]

If she was with one of her misfit friends she'd have waved and told them to tell her another time or ask if the story was going to be long. Probably just to annoy them. Then again, she didn't think it wise to do that now. So she sat down on the log, adjusting her seat, skirt and her wind gun in the waistband of her skirt. She noticed that he begun to tremble and then unfolded and threw a cloak around himself. She took care to notice quite a few things -you never know what could save your life at any given time, right?

So, she was the chosen one to hear his story? Could she really hold all her comments to the end? That was one thing... if she found something stupid or found that she had to put in her own two scents she usually did. But with his speech and her memory and everything, she figured she could restrain herself. God damn, he was making her do alot of exceptions. Oh well -sometimes you had to sacrifice things for people.

"I see. I promise," Nyutahi said, nodding to encourage him as she tilted her head down to look at through her bangs.

Even if he told her everything, what was she supposed to do with that knowledge? Was she supposed to help him? Or just listen to him? She didn't mind whatever it was she had to do... Afterall, she didn't know where her friends were at the moment. They were probably scattered all over the place. She was sure she'd find them sooner or later -misfits always seemed to gravitate towards one another, and least they did.

Hopefully, without tragedy they'd find eachother.

[Anonymous]

He nodded and slide his body back onto the log. He allowed a deep sigh to escape and opened his mouth. The first try nothing came out. He was really struggling. He gave her a puzzled look as if saying that he didn't know what had happened. Taking a second try he acomplished what he was trying to do, and thus he began his story.

"Once upon a time there lived a small boy. He was quite different from everyone else; even his parents. He was half vampire..but also half dragon. A dragon, said to be only a myth had been mixed with the race of the night crawlers. How could such a thing be possible you may ask. This question, I don't even know, but yet he does exisit. His birth caused his parents to feel cursed...he was no more then an ugly being. Defected, one may even call him. They wanted nothing to do with him; but thier law stated that, they could not simply abandon it while it was but a child. So they were forcued to raise him...not a speck of kindness was shown. His mother's own instinicts proved to have failed in his case; neither cared about him. If he had died they would have probably thrown a party, rejoicing. What cruelity; for such a young creature to have to go though that. He'd cry for attention but no one came running to cradle him in thier arms. No hugs of warmth...no food when he really wanted it. Sure they fed him, but only enough to keep him alive. It was the law that really kept him alive though...without that law protecting him...and giving him the right to live he would surely be dead right now.

As he grow older...nothing changed; only grew worse really. Three years old now. Going to the stores in dirty ragged clothes, and returning home right afterward as commanded by his mother and father. He was a slave in his own home; and was just old enough to walk. Children his age should be playing with other children...not running errands. He'd make a mistake; prehaps bringing home the wrong type of blood...like a three year old is supposed to remember. Then out came the heavy leather whips and belts..striking against his small body. His back got the worse of it, then his shoulders...his legs...his arms." He paused a moment and shuddered before going on.

"Six years old now. The law leaving behind it's protective shield...now proven old enough to fend for himself. His parents had decided to keep him afterall..saying that he was a hard worker. He was only a hard worker, because any signs of slacking would earn him a harsh beating. The beatings had increased; since they had decided his body could take more abuse. He was to strong for his own good and needed to be broken, they had said. The six year old had began to question his parents now...why did they treat him this way. He had asked them that one day. They answered Pain is Love...and sent him off into his room. Ah, his room...a closet. Always dark and just big enough for him and a bed; if he had, had one. All he ever got to lay on was a small mat for the floor, and a thick pile of blankets. By now he had learned how to cook, since his parents were always odering him to cook for them. Everytime he failed to get it right...well you can just guess what happened. One day he had tried to fly away, but was easily captured and for his punishment his wings cut...he would never fly again...or even want to fly again. They had just held him down and tore them away from him. He bled for a whole day...of course no one comforted him or gave him a rag to clean up with.

Age elven. Life still full of lies and miseries. He had started to teach himself to read, write and speak. He never went to school...his parents had forbid him to. By now he was just a empty shell..with a ruined mind and heart. He know not of love or what it was like to love..or feel love. He pondered about it all the time...always finding himself stuck at a brick wall. The beatings had never stopped, they were just part of his day now.

At the age of thirteen he grow tired of his life. He had almost ended it himself, but decided to read one last book before doing so. It was called 'The Princess and her Prince' It was a very old book, probably from the Midevil times or something. The pages had long turned yellow and the corners were ragged and torn. The writing was in ink and not typed showing it's age. The cover as made of old oak wood and the tiltle was embroided with gold. It was a fairy tale; a love story, with a happy ending. A ending where everyones dreams came true. He had even smirked slightly after he finished reading it. Then a thought struck him...What his parents had been telling him must be wrong. This old book portrayed love to be something good..while his parents had said love was pain which was the opposite. He grew frustrated and ran away that every night; while his parents were out.

He would never return. He now anders from place to place..still in search for what the truth was. Was love truely Pain or was it something good."

He straightened himself as he finished and glanced at her; waiting for a reaction. "O his name...Kutsuu." He added. The story had took alittle more then an hour.

[Anonymous]

He couldn't truly know just how much she wanted to comment. Or how much she wanted to belt his own parents in the jaw. She was quivering, her arms folded around her and her hands hooked tight around her elbows, digging her fingernails into her skin. She thought about the horrible things, the lonliness, the pain, the misery... She tried to imagine being alone, she tried to imagine life without her little group of misfits. Every one of them, how odd or mean, or even stupid, she loved them with her entirety. They were the only ones SHE had left.

She couldn't truly relate to his past. No, not at all. Maybe for the smallest portion of lonliness, but she remembered that as excruciating. Being ignored... being cast out. She hated that feeling of lonliness, and now she understood his eyes. She understood him. But because of his story, she understood more than she wanted too. She released her iron grip on her arms and pushed her hands to her face, her throat tight. She almost choked on the lump of tears that threatened her, and they swelled at the corners of her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She brushed them away and gave a shuddery sigh.

"Sticks, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to grow through that, but I'm a few years too late.... But I'll tell you now, love is a wonderful thing. Sometimes its hurts, but with the good, comes the bad. But its nothing like that... All you received were lies with a weak facade of being love..." Nyutahi murmured, rubbing her face still.

"....Sticks, did you know you don't have to suffer anymore though?" Nyutahi asked him, looking at him through vaguely shiney dark eyes.

[Anonymous]

Atlast had he reached the conculsion of his quest? The quest to find the truth...did Nyutahi speak the truth? He would give her the benefit of the doubt. He glanced at her as her face seemed to fall apart before him. Water...was it?.. was falling from her eyes. He could hardly remember the last time that had happened to him...so long ago. Just think his years and human years were not the same. He would eventually get around to talking about that later. Now that he know she had the patience to listen..he didn't fear talking around her anymore. He felt as though he had grasped her whole being with the story and all her attention was plastered to him now.

Hearing her comments he replied. "No apolgy neccessary. I am only happy that you stayed to listen. I t..thank you." He said stumbling over the words thank you. He had never told it to anyone before, and it felt weird leaving his mouth. He even questioned himself; asking if it were he who had said it. He glanced behind him...yeah must of been him...there wasn't anyone else.

"I do hope you speak the truth..I believe that you do...but my mind does not want me to. I truely feel in my heart that you are right; and love is a grand thing..." He paused to think. "But I am nothing...but a shell. It will take forever to bring me back to life." He stated. He know that he was probably wrong but felt a though he needed to say it.

After another moment..and some fidgety movements of his clawed finger in the dirt he continued. "I don't have to suffer anymore?" he asked. "I am always suffering...nothing can stop that. What childhood memories do I have...most children have atleast one good memory that they always cherish. Prehaps a birthday...but I? Nothing. I tried my hardest to please them..to be accepted...but I was always turned down...everything stripped from me. I can never forget...it will always be lurking in the back of my mind. No matter where I go...or how long I live...or the happier memories that I create for myself from this moment forward...my past shall never be forgotten and them never forgiven.!" He said his voice raising into an exclammation at the end.

His emotions had broke free for another moment before vanishing again. So much bottled feelings were starting to unlock and reopen. A new thing for him, which made him slightly alarmed.

[Anonymous]

Nyutahi was silent for the longest time, sitting there with her hands clenched in her lap, listening to every single word, startling slightly even as his voice raised. She turned to him, quite fully, doing so much as to even straddle the log. She studied his face and his tattoos and then let her eyes lift to the sky. How could she express her feelings? How could she translate what she wanted to tell him? Would it matter?

"Its often that the mind and heart come into conflict. You must choose which one to listen too..." She said after what seemed like a long while for Nyutahi.

"...An empty shell? No. A person who is an empty shell would have nothing inside them, they'd be void, incomplete... Like a doll. But you, Sticks, are far from that. Your very body betrayed that statement. When your voice rose in exclaimation, you proved some emotion. Before ... your eyes held such suffering," she murmured, never looking at him.

"I guess you don't have to forgive them... But at least you don't have to suffer alone... I mean, you don't have to be alone. Doesn't that amplify every pain you feel inside? Doesn't the lonliness suffocate you?"

"I never asked you to forget them. It'd be a mistake to forget it. Forgetting it is like running away from it. And the past can never be run from. It's always there," she added.

"But I don't understand why you can't stop suffering. Why is it that you can't let go of it? I'm certain its hard... But wouldn't it be worth it? Or couldn't you at least try to heal...? Or try to dullen your pain?"

She spoke slowly, never looking at him. She had been looking somewhere, distantly. She winced sharply and her hand flew to her head, pressing against her skull and as she clenched her teeth against the rising voice. Nyutahi breathed outwards. She looked back at him and gave him a smile.

[Anonymous]

He throw his head upwards in thought. Prehaps she was right, maybe he could learn to leave his past behind. Block it out as best he could. Sure it would be difficult, but he felt it was worth a try. He looked at her for a long minute; studying her face...it always had such expressions and feeling to it. They startled him sometimes. "I guess your right. I can't promise anyone...anything. But I can promise that I'll try." He said before looking down at the small, still incomplete house. He know he'd finish it sooner or later. He felt connected to it. "My New Beginning." He said, his voice alittle above a whisper. "That's what I'll call it." he added, pointing to the house of sticks. "My new name...my new life." He gave a weak smirk...actually getting a warmish feeling inside him. It filled him for a few moments and vanished, but he know that after his journey to leave the past...that he could feel enternal warmth.

He condemplated something for a second or two. So would she be considered a freind or was it still to early to say? After hearing such a story...and being so kind. Would you not be a freind? So he finally decided to ask. "Freinds?" He asked simply. He asked in a soft timid voice...scared that he might be rejected.

Then afterward he quickly went on into a totally different subject, as if to cover up what he said. "You know human years and my years aren't the same?" He asked quickly...trying his best to hide his nervousness.