Whistling Plains [Open]

[The Roar of the Falls]

Burying her face in her hands Isabella just soaked in the disarming words exchanged and took a deep, weary breath, moving around to stand in front of Kaoru and giving the other girl a dismissive wave. "Don't pay her any mind, I hardly know her myself so it would be foolish to take anything she says to heart, right?" Isabella had to stare directly up to even match Kaoru's green eyes but she was used to it by now. "Besides, it would be a tad absurd to call us lovers dont you think?" Isabella shook her head aand listened to Kaoru's seemingly uninspired comment and twisted up side of her mouth. "Every where I go, I would like to have you at my side, though I know thats childish."

She let of a relieved chuckled and turned to head towards the woods.

The hill they were on wasnt terribly steep and with a few skips and bounds she was already at the bottoms, moving fluidly towards the tree lining till she stood right at the beginning of it all and turned to check if Kaoru had decided to come.

[Chizuru]

I could not help but chuckle as I listened in on the exchange between the two women. They denied being lovers and yet they acted like nothing else, so puzzling, those two, but that was simply part of what made it fun. "Quite an interesting pair, the two of you. Claiming that it would be absurd to think of you two as lovers, yet you run to her to hold her tight and the other speaks venom upon seeing you close to another."

I paused again to subdue another chuckle, "And then you say something like that, Isabella, and claim that it would be absurd to call you two lovers. An interesting pair indeed." I continued my strides towards the forest, it was not far away and we would be there within a few minutes. You could see the treeline quite easily, in fact.

[Deleted]

[/b]

Relieved at this dismissal of the subject, for it had been venturing into waters that felt dangerous for no good reason, I chuckled at the reprieve. "'Chyeah." I agreed with a smile.

I was deeply warmed at the speech that followed that, and I could only look at her with a slightly less casual grin. "Well, I'm pretty childish. So I might as well abide by that anyway." I replied, rather softly... and then snapped out of yet another trance, the ease of which those claimed me becoming slightly worrying as Isabella chuckled and skipped away. Digging my hands into my pockets with a strangely content expression, I moved down the hill after her. As usual... After her, I mean. Nothing to do with hills. That'd be a bit weird. Or would it...?

"Quite an interesting pair, the two of you. Claiming that it would be absurd to think of you two as lovers, yet you run to her to hold her tight and the other speaks venom upon seeing you close to another. And then you say something like that, Isabella, and claim that it would be absurd to call you two lovers. An interesting pair indeed." I scowled at the back of the speaker, almost having forgot that that creepy-ass chick was actually leading us. "I'm surprised you seem to know so much about it." I retorted curtly in loud tones over Isabella's head, her standing midway between us. The implication of my statement was quite cruel in its genius, or so I reckoned, and mentally I grinned broadly and nodded in satisfaction.[/ul][/justify]

[The Roar of the Falls]

"In a sense you are correct, I do love Kaoru." Isabella strolled casually around as they reached the treeline and she peered into its darker depths to no avail. "But I love her in the sense we have a bond deeper than blood, like oath sisters or the sort." She shrugged slightly as she reached forward to run her fingers across the rough bark of one of the tree's, the bumps and pits contrasting in a rather interesting way to her skin.

"Chances are I wouldn't be alive without Kaoru at one point and time, we have been on several adventures since we have met and she saved my life." She let the silence coast out between the three of them as she picked absently at the bark at the tree, abandoned by her sister, her real family dead....just what was Kaoru to her now? Deeper than blood, but thinner than the love her new family had given here when Stella had drug her mud splattered unconscious body back to them? It was all so confusing and hard for her to take in but she shook her head and looked up at Chizuru with a fiery contempt in her eyes.

"The fact of the matter remains, I love Kaoru like I would a twin sister, a bond deeper than most understand. I am saddened for you if you do not know what it is like to love outside of yourself for another person for selfless and unromantic reasons, but I will not hold it against you." She flashed a quick look and and an almost nonexistent at Kaoru before turning back to the trees. "I think I saw something in there."

[Chizuru]

Such a mundane retort from the taller of the girls, I could not help but yawn in response to it. In fact, that would be the only response heard from me on it, it was unworthy of anything more than that. It was then that Isabella chimed in with her own response to it, such a look of contempt in her eyes as well. It was almost as if I had performed some violent feat against her instead of pointing out what their words and actions indicated. Yet what she said was what caused my eyes to grow cold and the air about me to chill.

"All drew their lot in life, I am no different, but I will not have you dirtying my lot in life with your pity." As I continued to walk Isabella would then point out that she thought she saw something in the trees. "There are plenty of spiders and other animals in there, most people avoid the place so I find it excellent for reading."

[Deleted]

[/i], I had once said to her, and I fully intended to make good on that promise. Whatever it took. My life wasn't really worth much to me, anyhow. Just as long as she felt the same way. If she was to turn around, she would see me returning the most sincere and contented of smiles. My longer and perhaps just habitually more powerful strides meant I slowly bridged the gap between us till I was walking along only a couple of meters behind her.

It was Chizuru's retort that angered me. "All drew their lot in life, I am no different, but I will not have you dirtying my lot in life with your pity."

God, how easily that snarl appeared on my face; it tore up the side of my mouth as I looked towards that little bookworm. Just what was her game? The fuck was she trying to do? "You'd better watch how you fucking speak." I growled at her again, the threat in my voice clear. I didn't really take much notice of what she had said, but it was her tone.

Fuck if anyone could speak to Isabella like that when I was around.

"I think I saw something in there." "There are plenty of spiders and other animals in there, most people avoid the place so I find it excellent for reading."

Spiders and shit? Well, I didn't like the creatures, but that's not what put me off. I got the impression Isabella somewhat despised insects... as in, I practically knew it. Actually... "Hold up." I cautioned quietly, having moved forward and placed a hand upon Isabella's shoulder. I would then speak far louder to the presumably still venturing Chizuru. "Oi. Why the fuck are we following you anyhow? Only, there's something kinda unattractive to me about being led into a creepy-ass forest supposedly full of all manner of crawling things by a-... well... you." I finished on a not altogether unintentionally suggestive note. My voice was suspicious; I didn't like the dark air this chick gave off at all. Brash, angry and stupid I could deal with; ominous and shady? Yeah, fuck off.[/ul][/justify]

[The Roar of the Falls]

Though Isabella wanted to lash out, the momentary loss lack of judgement made her realize it truly wasnt worth the effort against one she know's nothing about. Perhaps the commentary on how she chooses to react to a friend she hadnt seen in awhile would seem intimate to an outside viewer, and even then was that so wrong? As long as she knew what it meant between them no others opinion should have mattered in the first place. She opened her mouth to offer a simple closing sentence between herself and the girl but Kaoru pipped up as was expected.

Her words werent exactly harsh but she made her point clear in the tone she spoke in. Isabella had grown used to her brash behavior and did her best to preempt it, though seeming to fail from time to time. A hand belonging to Kaoru landed on her shoulder after the mentioning of spiders an Isabella gave a heavy shiver shrinking back at the thought. If spiders were big enough to register movement in her eyes this far back, she had no desire to go any further into that dreaded place unless she had to.

"If that is a treasure place you find to read, I can truly say you will be left alone here indefinitely." She shivered again, scratching involutarily at her skin.

[Chizuru]

"I will speak how I wish about whom I wish to, and your threats will not cause me to falter in my ways." The audacity of some people, thinking that they could silence me with a few simple words or threats. Beetles began to swarm from my body, a precaution against a possible attack from the vulgar girl that kept flinging threats at me. I moved well enough to hold my own against most others, and my beetles were quite the stamina drainers as well. If the girl wished to face off against me, then I was most certainly ready to do so.

I was facing the two at this point and I watched as the hand moved to the shorter one's shoulder at my mention of spiders. "That is not a question you should ask me, but yourselves. I told you where I was going and you chose to follow me, now ask yourselves why this is. Are you being pulled along by the strings of fate or do you truly have some interest in where I read my books?" Fate was quite the fickle thing, if you could not grasp her methods then you might find yourself walking blindly without realizing she guided you.

[Deleted]

[/i].

The girl had turned to us, and suddenly, summoned god knows how and from god knows where, bugs erupted from beneath the girl's clothes to creep about her skin in a thoroughly reviling display. My face showed my displeasure as I looked upon her, but my well-trained gut managed to prevent me from recoiling, or indeed shifting in stance at all. Wait... was this something to do with the aburame thing Isabella had mentioned before? I swear I'd heard about them and their bugs from somewhere or other... Guess I was seeing it firsthand, now. I'd never actually wanted to.

"I will speak how I wish about whom I wish to, and your threats will not cause me to falter in my ways."

Oh, that arrogant BITCH. My restraint was being eroded with every sentence she uttered; almost involuntarily, I took a long, challenging step forward - almost like a gladiator entering an arena - past Isabella. My teeth were gritted; I wasn't in a fully formed stance, nor were my gloves actually on, but my limbs were held at angles that showed one thing clearly - 'If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get.' "That is not a question you should ask me, but yourselves. I told you where I was going and you chose to follow me, now ask yourselves why this is. Are you being pulled along by the strings of fate or do you truly have some interest in where I read my books?"

Now what the fuck was she on about. Fate? Oh come on. I didn't believe in -

...I didn't have to glance back at her, but my mind did. Actually, yeah, I did, and that made me falter for a moment, when I realized that she had impressed that faith upon me. But then again, that was intertwined with why I was being so hostile towards this creepy bitch. I would not let anyone hurt Isabella. Ever. Not even if there was the slightest chance that they would would she be allowed near them, and this chick seemed to me to be luring us into some kind of trap - certainly, the dark treeline spoke ominous words to me as I flickered a gaze up and down it. The wind began to pick up in the late afternoon, brushing shadows across its deep green expanse, undulating the grass...

"If that is a treasure place you find to read, I can truly say you will be left alone here indefinitely."

Fucking good.

"...Isabella?" I said, loud enough for all present to hear, even though Isabella stood behind me, uncertainty showing in my voice as my bared teeth descended into an angle that was more concerned than anything. I didn't like devolving into the animalistic thing I became when combat mode was engaged around her, but... "...If she attacks with those bugs... I'm going to have to attack back..."[/ul][/justify]

[The Roar of the Falls]

Things were still shaky at best and Chizuru only seemed to be keeping them at a double arms distance at all times. That she didnt care about, Kaoru and her temper she did, and as her tall friend stepped in to intervene and have an exchange of words...once again, Isabella let her speak her piece. Once they han finished their back and Isabella walked around Kaoru and placed a reassuring hand on her back.

"This woman is just as much a shinobi of waterfall as we are, attacking would be silly on both accounts. So how about we all take a step back and approach this more level headily." She turned to chizuru with a knowing look. "Without coy snarks." she then turned to Kaoru "or rash statements, deal?" She had grown a tad weary of having to be every ready even in the safety of her own village, this was best quelled now.

Looking towards the forest, Isabella caught the strangest sight ever in her life. A large spider unfolded itself from the bark of a tree, at last 6-8 feet tall and looked directly at her, its beady eyes gleaming , before skittering off into the forest. Eyes wide and looked to Kaoru. "D-did you see that?!" She looked back to the forest quickly and then to Kaoru again for reassurance. "It's almost like...it was watching us."

The thought was creepy yes...intriguing to Isabella, and if there were such sentient creatures in Taki forest without anyones knowledge, then she should be the one to discover it! Take a few tentative steps at first, Isabella began to stride intot he forest, leaving the other two behind quickly.

[exit]

[Chizuru]

I listened as Kaoru spoke, treating me as if I were the hostile one when she was the one spitting venom and trying to pick a fight with me. "You are the one who is being openly aggressive, I am simply preparing to defend myself from your attacks, girl." I would not withdraw my bugs, especially not this close to the forest, the spiders were about and they could be aggressive if you dropped your guard. Isabella then began to step in and try to quell the situation with words, trying to get me to treat them as if they were special. "You may bend your ways at the mercy others, but I will remain who I am and respond as I see fit, Isabella."

When she reacted to the spider, I did not witness the event. My back had been turned to the treeline at the time. I was having enough of my reading delayed, so I turned back to the forest and began walking again. "You can decide whether you remain frightened here or go in and face what lurks in the shado-." Iwas interrupted by Isabella hurrying on ahead. I was quite interested in what path fate had in store for her, so I followed behind.

[Exit]

[Deleted]

[/i] broad sense, 'one of us', which in my case just meant that I'd probably get in trouble if I roughed her up a little bit. With one final sneer I stood up, letting my attacking posture die, though I still stood ahead of Isabella. Chizuru wouldn't be quite as gracious, continuing to let her multitude of little black creatures crawl over her skin. "You may bend your ways at the mercy others, but I will remain who I am and respond as I see fit, Isabella." She retorted. "Bitch." Was all I had to say.

...WHAT THE FUCK?!

My eyes grew wide as my attention diverted towards some horrible arrangement of spindly legs that unfurled from one of the high trees, the limbs splaying and twirling upside down, a body lowering on a cord of web that was impossibly thick. Holy. FUCK. I looked properly frightened for a moment as I looked upon the gargantuan spider, a creature far larger than myself. I was fairly fucking sure arachnids were creepy enough WHEN THEY WERE SMALLER THAN YOU. After a moment of peering at the two of us out of its eight gleaming eyes, it scattered, skittering off into the abyssal vegetation. "D-did you see that?!" Isabella appealed to me from behind, and I glanced at her briefly, nodding, before returning my stare to the deep forest. "What the fuck..." I breathed.

"It's almost like...it was watching us." She then remarked, and as I took in her statement, frowning after the great beast's disappearance, I heard Chizuru speak, and managed to look down at her. "You can decide whether you remain frightened here or go in and face what lurks in the shado-"

But it was then that I felt Isabella barrel past me, her curiosity driving her to the point where she was actually able to shunt past me a little. In my shock it took a moment for me to register what was occurring, and I had to peer at her retreating back for a moment to understand just what was going on. Then, as I did, I drew in a great rush of air and shouted after her, making all haste to follow as she, too, was swallowed whole by the dark forest.

"Isabella!"

I charged in after her, slowing only to turn through my strides to pass the bug woman, flashing her a violent glare. "You're gonna get it for this." I told her, before my pace quickened and I was once again hurrying to catch Isabella, also being swallowed whole by the woods.

She had better be fucking okay.[/ul][/justify]

[Exit]