There were few times when he had previously woken up to noise in the morning, though now it seemed to be frequent, well not particularly noise, but rather a consistent poking occurring on his right arm. He knew who it saw, due to the creature consistently wanting to go outside and do something each and everyday since he found the critter. Suichi, the flightless bird, a penguin, seemed to always want to bother the newly named clan leader, both events; finding the penguin and being named clan head, occurring within days of each other. Motioning the penguin to relax for the time being, that he understood what he wanted, Suichi immediately hopped off the bed, still in his traveling form; which he preferred to be in most of the time, and proceeded to quickly run out of the room, probably heading straight for the kitchen to grab something to eat.

It was probably later than he should have woken up, but being swamped with issues concerning the clan, he had to stay up later than normal, resulting in waking up later than he would. That, and his preference to avoid paperwork seemed to kick in, causing him to finish later than expected. Knowing that Suichi would probably want to head down to the center of the village, not that he minded, Yuudai proceeded to get dressed and perform his daily rituals; getting dressed, brushing his teeth, eating, before wanting to do anything further.

There wasn't anything spectacular or out of the ordinary Yuudai did each morning, the only thing that ever changed was giving Suichi his preference of food; something that seemed to change on a daily basis. Today, Suichi seemed to not be as picky with his food as usual, but instead waited by the door for Yuudai to finish eating and then proceeding to wait by the door, jumping from foot to foot. Things seemed to be relatively at ease this morning compared to others, though it was something that was clearly welcome, as things concerning the clan would eventually calm down after a while. Exiting the house and proceeding towards the center of the village, with Suichi in tow. There would always be a crowd around there during this time of day, but he was slowly getting used to more people being around him, something which was triggered by having to deal with members of the Aisu clan on a daily basis for the past week or so.

There weren't many individuals whom he recognized on the way, walking a bit behind the small penguin, so that he wouldn't lose track of the flightless bird. Noticing three large figures walking by amongst the hundreds in the village center, Yuudai thought nothing of it as of it. Suddenly, he noticed a quick motion by Suichi before the penguin began to dash off straight ahead, then take a sharp turn. Sighing in resignation, knowing he'd have to follow Suichi, Yuudai picked up his pace, so that the penguin could not get out of his sight. When he took the turn, he noticed something that he didn't expect to see today; a female slouched over, still standing and leaning against the wall of the building, with food scattered all over the place. Suichi was already by the females side, trying to offer any comfort he could, while Yuudai was beginning to approach the scene. While he couldn't see what occurred to her, he had a feeling of what may have happened. Letting his presence be known before he got too close, Yuudai spoke softly, knowing that people usually preferred to speaking about such situations, "I know your not alright, so I won't bother asking, but is there anything I can do for you?" While he was getting used to talking to more people, he still did not know how to act under certain situations, this being one of them.

Everything. Ached.

Tenmei turned her dull gaze to one of the many puddles on the ground, and briefly took in her appearance, though only for a second
Her cheek was already starting to swell and had taken on a slight bluish shade with a hint of purple and a dash of yellow, a strange mixture of colour that perfectly matched the marking on her opposite temple. With every subtle turn and shift of weight, she could feel the pain in her abdomen, and that was not even the worst of it. After taking in one, deep, agonizing breath, Tenmei knew that two of her ribs had definitely cracked, and the rest had no doubt been bruised in some way. How was she supposed to focus on her breathing now when even that had become harder to do.

Still, it was a miracle that Tenmei was even standing.
After the blows to her head, ribs and everything below, she should have passed out from a concussion by now. But here she was, looking down with the sick feeling in her gut, the only thing stopping her from passing out. And that's when the female remembered how she fought off this feeling....

It was the same reason why she still could not pick up her books and the multiple pieces of paper that were slowly degrading from the left over rain. Even the food would have been ruined had she touched them. The bread would have toasted, the milk boiled. Even the fruit would start to cook had she attempted to pick it up. Only the dried tea leaves, wrapped tightly in a cloth bag was safe from her unnatrually heated skin, so the dark haired female knelt down to grab at that first, trying to salvage what she could of her shopping day.
But no sooner had she struggled to bend down....it occurred to her that she was no longer alone on the street.
Someone else was seeing her in this disgusting state.Someone else was realising how much of a danger she really was.

"D....Don't touch me" she managed to whisper out, her eyes turning to where she had been touching the wall, a black charred mark making the perfect silhouette of her hand. "I'll hurt you...I mean, you will get burnt. The same way that they did. So just....don't touch me"
Oddly enough, saying those words hurt more than any of those punches did. After having the only person that she had made physical contact with, within the last six months be constantly busy, pushing people away became that more exhausting. So despite the pain in her stomach and ribs, she slid down to the damp ground and rested there with her head resting back against the wall. The most comfortable position she could be in at this time and place.
She didn't need to worry about her clothes getting wet, half her trousers had burnt off as had the bottom of her shirt. Everything else had already dried the second it got in contact with her skin.

"My book" Tenmei said, once more thinking of the main reason why she came out here in the first place. Why she risked this happening again.
   "I can't pick it up. Please, before it get's wrecked by the water"
Even as she said this, Tenmei had to laugh at how ridiculous it sounded to her own ears. Why would she want to protect a book that she couldn't even read. And it was not because she couldn't make out the words, that ability was perfectly fine. It was again, the same problem that she was suffering from now. If the Genin touched and of the pages they would go yellow and faded, and even burn up depending on how she was feeling. So many books she had stacked up on her shelf back at home, and she had not been able to read one of them her self.

As she waited for his answer, and while the aching had subsided enough for her to think straight, and wasn't concentrating too hard on remaining up right, Tenmei finally could get a proper look at the one that offered to help. Naturally, the first thing she noted was the small penguin that stood dutifully at his feet while looking straight at her with black bead like eyes, almost as if it were silently asking if she was okay. But he on the other hand, had the most striking blue eyes. Eyes that he had recognised on the two other people she had come in to contact with while being here. And though he didn't have the same blue hair as the other two, the male in front of her did bare some sort of resemblance to both other members.

Or maybe it was just her imagination. Her weird sense of wishful thinking. Despite how Tenmei tried to fight it, the beating did deal quite some damage. Her equilibrium was all off and now that the feeling in her stomach had eased, she was finding it harder and harder to focus on him, and more tempted to close her eyes and allow her mind to slip off in to the after effects of concussion. 
It didn't matter where she was, sleep always sounded like a enticing idea.

"You. You are of the Aisu clan.....like Solstice?" Tenmei asked to try and force her mind to stay active
"Why is it that people from the clan that is renowned for being cold is so warm towards...."


But despite her fighting, the result was inevitable.
It had started off being a good day but that wasn't enough to make up for the rest of the week. Five hours between three days was not enough to stay healthy and eating nothing but rice was just as bad.
The beating those thugs had given here was just another pressure placed on her being and in the end....well the ending was always going to be the same. So, her eyes slowly dropped closed and she allowed her body to fall limp against the wall, not knowing where or when she would wake up.

It was initially supposed to be a day free of duty, ever since his appointment to clan head, the news travelling fast throughout the village due to the resignation of the position from the newly anointed Mizukage, Solsitce, Yuudai had finally seemed to find a day where he could relax and do as he pleased; though this turn of events was not something he expected, he did not mind one bit helping another person who clearly needed assistance. He knew she was injured, that was a given based off the laboured breathing, the general atmosphere gave it away from the initial glance. There wasn’t much he could do himself to aid her, he wasn’t a medical shinobi, though he was raised by one his entire life, for the past sixteen years, his awareness of the field was minimal at best. Others clearly knew more about the field than he did, though it did not particularly matter as the basics seemed to fit most of his needs; though practical awareness was needed just for following the line of duty he wanted to follow. The trickle of raindrops never seemed to bother him, in fact he enjoyed the rain, and it seemed to bring about a sense of peace for some odd reason.

Seeing her scramble for the something on the ground, his attention turned to the object of her focus, a single cloth bag was what she seemed to be scrambling for, with everything else ignored. Before he could step forth and offer any sort of assistance, a clearly female voice spoke out, asking him not to touch her, or that he get burnt otherwise. He knew of his clan’s tendency towards fire, it was an inherent nature, though that clearly did not seem to faze him at this particular moment. His own preferences did not take priority over someone who was clearly struggling to breathe, though being clearly told not to touch her. It would be odd to do so, knowing the result of her actions was clearly imprinted behind her, on the brick wall of a building, something that someone would eventually have to clean up.

Stepping forward, regardless of not being able to touch her, Suichi immediately rushed to her side, not daring to touch her due to her prior instructions. The creature could only do so much, and in this current situation, he was incapable of doing anything to relieve the pain she was feeling. Stopping just two steps ahead of her, Yuudai head another sound escape from her, something about a book. The book that was lying just near him, it seemed silly to worry about such an object in her current state, but it probably held significance to her, such that the object clearly held significance to her person. Reaching down for the book, the puddle of water that was there moments ago now frozen and the book fairly safe from the damage that could have potentially been caused by the water, Yuudai did not bother once to inspect the book and instead turned his attention to the female.

"The book will be fine." The girl however, he wasn't too sure about. As she looked towards himself and Suichi, Yuudai finally got a proper look at the unnamed person before him. Grey eyes; with a silvery look to them, seemed to be dulled as they looked towards him, clearly signs that she wasn't feeling well, but then again, who would in that condition? He clearly suffered minor injuries a few days prior from his training session with Isamu; though his shoulder hadn't healed completely, as he ignored medical attention, it clearly wasn't as bad of an injury as what she had just previously went through.

Hearing her voice once again, it was clear that she was struggling to remain conscious. Hearing her speak of Solstice, and of the kindness possessed by the members of his clan, he knew that he wouldn't have to fear for anything if he let up his senses. "I am. And kindness is dependent upon individuals." He knew she probably wouldn't hear the entirety what he said, though he spoke anyways. Watching her head begin to droop down, her eyes slowly shutting, and then her body falling limp against the wall, Yuudai knelt down to face her. Knowing that it wouldn't be safe or healthy for her to remain here, Yuudai promptly readjusted the book in his grasp and proceeded to lift the female, one hand support her head with the other supporting her legs.

Getting back to his own two feet, though with a partial struggle coming from his right shoulder, the book remaining in the grasp of his right hand, he turned towards Suichi briefly. "Suichi, can you carry whatever that is still usable back to the house?" A prompt nod was given by the creature, before a poof of smoke appeared and Suichi was now in his larger form. "I'll go ahead." As a clan leader, he had appearances to keep now, but at the moment he could care less as he walked back towards the main street, and trekking back to his home.

-----------------

In the presence of his kitchen, well rather his mother's, Yuudai proceeded to warm up some tea for the moment, not sure when the woman would wake up. His experience with females wasn't the greatest, only being restricted to his mother, Solstice, and Tsuneko whom he had previously spent time with. Suichi had deposited the salvaged leftover groceries on the dining table before promptly changing to his smaller form and dashing to the guest room, where the injured individual was laying upon the bed that rarely ever been used, with Suichi probably sitting by her side with a chocolate bar in hand. He had placed the book she was worried about on top of the nightstand, should she worry too much about the object.

"What have I told you, over and over again, Tenmei? You can't win this way. You burned those people, you hurt them. What will you do if they hate you? You will have no where to go"
The young genin covered her ears to block out the voices but they kept slipping through her fingers and reaching deep in to her mind and playing at her thoughts. Doing this had never worked in the past, so why did she try the same thing every night? Maybe it was the same reason why she would try to confront the voice while knowing full well that whatever she said, it would fall on deaf ears no matter how she tried.
  "I will find somewhere. Like I found here. Father I love you but why can't you have faith in me? I will be okay. Why can't you believe that"
  "Silly girl. It can't be helped. There is nothing I can do. There is nothing you can do. Just let go and you will be okay. I'm sorry. I am so...so....sorry.

My little candle"


---------------------------------------------


It was not the first time Tenmei had woken up in a place that was different to where she had fallen asleep. It wasn't the first time she had woken up in a great deal of pain either. This however, was the first time the young female had trouble recollecting the events leading up to the time where she lost consciousness. Usually, the dark haired female's memory was impeccable which made her all the more worried.
And when Tenmei got worried, her body temp grew...which only served to make her nervous and would continue to draw her in to a vicious downward spiral....one that was hard to get out of.

But unlike every other time, Tenmei had a little bit more control.

Between muffled groans of pain and a slightly suppressed whimper, the young Genin pushed herself up in to a sitting position with one hand aiding the movement while the other supported her injured ribs. But none of that helped the thumping in her head that came from the possible fractured cheek bone and multi coloured bruised temple. Still, it was only a matter of time before her vision cleared and the ringing in her ears quietened. It was after the room had stopped spinning and she could focus a little better, did she finally look around the room, only to discover that yet again, she was not alone. And then the steel eyed female remembered what happened and who offered to help her. The very man that was still sitting and waiting patiently beside the bed for her to wake up.

"What...happened?" the Genin had managed to bring herself to ask after a long few moments of putting together her thoughts and what few memories she could recall about what happened. "How long have I been out for? I hurt those three people.....didn't I? I didn't mean to I swear. They just grabbed me and I....I didn't know what else to do. I am so sorry. Am I in trouble? Will I have to leave...again?
She couldn't help the questions that shot from her lips, no more than she could help the anxieties that welled up inside her like an out of control tornado. She had been without a home for so long the fear of losing this one threatened to bring tears to her eyes. With her knees to her chest and her hands over her eyes, she tried to focus on the painful breathing and steady her emotions before she burned the sheets right off her, along with whatever was left of her clothing.

But that was the least of her problems right now.
Tenmei never felt the cold as it was. In fact any temperature change barely registered within her core. If she tore her clothes during battle, or if she stepped in to a colder area. If Tenmei wasn't concentrating, she wouldn't even know the difference. What was worrying her however, is how she could get home when the coal-black haired female barely had the energy to stand up, let alone walk the unknown amount of blocks back  to the comforts of her own home.
Her eyes traveled around the room until she found the book on the bed side table. Almost instinctively she reached out....but her hand fell short and she withdrew it back to supporting her ribs and stomach. She wasn't ready to test out touching paper yet.

"You saved my book" Tenmei stated more than asked, a shadow of a smile lingering on her lips for only a moment before falling as her hand had done just before "It was written by Haruto Sotsuji, and it's about the founding members of my clan. Haruto was my father. Was. I...haven't been able to read it yet. I haven't been able to read anything in over a year. I always worry that I am going to burn the pages and there is only one of these in existence"

Yes, that was right. Her father, on top of being a skilled ninja was a writer with a passion for history. Particularly the history associated with her clans and those that associated with them. This was a passion she secretly shared and had taken on herself the moment she could comprehend what her past was about. But since she had never got a good enough handle on her chakra control, every time she tried to read and got engrossed in the books, her emotions got out of hand and the pages disappeared beneath her delicate touch, turning in to ash before she could memorize the words. The one thing she was supposed to be the most proud of, was the very thing that made her so ashamed.
And it was like this from the moment she understood how dangerous her kekkei genkai was.

"Stories....are my most favourite thing in the world"

After preparing the tea, he had taken two cups; one for himself and the other for the stranger laying down currently in the guest room, to the very same room, drinking his own while the other was placed upon the nightstand, currently an empty cup as the thermos with the rest of the tea remained by his side; keeping the tea relatively warm. He had shooed the penguin off once he returned to the room, letting the creature do as he pleased and hopefully not making a mess of the paperwork he would eventually have to deal with. Really, there wasn't much he could offer in terms of helping her recover, the only one with medical knowledge living under this roof was currently working at the hospital, and thus it was just him, Suichi, and the stranger he had come across an hour or so ago.

While he had been waiting, his train of thought had eventually proceeded to fade towards nothing, he really needed more rest as the past few days had been far too hectic for his personal preference, and adding Suichi's antics, he knew the creature would cause him trouble until a certain point. Hearing a quiet, muffled groan, his attention shifted towards the unknown person laying down on the bed stationed in the often void guest room. As a jounin, he knew that letting a person's guard down was an action that should be avoided, though he preferred more lax environments, and from the look of things he had nothing to really fear at this particular moment. As the house seeemed rather quiet, more so than most days, he was able to pick up the faint noises that escaped the sleeping figure and sounds that entered from outside his abode.

The question that shout out of her mouth where what he had expected and not expected at the same moment. The first two he'd be able to answer fairly easily, the rest, however, he lacked the proper understanding of the situation to properly respond, though he'd have to answer to the best of his abilities. Waiting for her to take a moment and take in their surroundings, Yuudai calmly place the thermostat on the nightstand by where he sat, laying it directly next to the cup. He'd have to wait a bit longer before he wanted to speak, allowing her to take in everything, as it wasn't technically normal to wake up in a strange location. With her now taking a curled up position, still sitting straight up, Yuudai turned his attention to just above her shoulders, as not to stare, but still keeping an eye on her.

Shortly afterward, he noticed her motion towards the book and the the hesitance to grab it, or rather touch it. He listened to her speak of the book, of how it related to her history; her clan's history, all written by her father. Quietly listening to her as she spoke, he soaked in the information about her past, though it was quiet a short summary, it was still informative.

Deciding it was best to inform her of her location and to answer her previously asked questions, he spoke with the calmness he always displayed, his eyes still just floating above her shoulder. "We're at my home right now and you've been passed out for roughly over an hour and twenty minutes. As for you hurting other people, I did not see anything that happened, just the results. And, as far as I'm concerned, you won't have to worry about leaving." Knowing it was silly that he hadn't introduced himself, seeing as how he had taken a complete stranger in to the place he felt the safest, he knew that a proper introduction was necessary. "I am Yuudai. Yuudai Aisu." It was a simple introduction, but it got the point across, if more information was needed, he would supply it if asked.

Now looking back at the female, he spoke a bit gentler than he had previously done so, though there wasn't that much of a change in his tone. "Can I know what happened? In case their are repercussions, I'll be able to help you if possible." He knew he was speaking of a promise he would be able to keep, though it would pile on to the work he already needed to accomplish. Adding on his own chores and training, he knew that taking on more would put himself in a difficult position, though he was always one to help some when they needed, and this was an opportunity that provided as such. As he spoke, he noticed Suichi prod back in to the room, probably checking himself to see if she was alright.

As she listened carefully to the answers he so kindly provided, the female reached out with her unsteady hands to carefully pick up the cup and bring it to her lips. Before the lightly bitter mixture even touched her tongue it had gone from where it was a once luke-warm mixture to a steaming concoction once more.
It seemed that even now, she still had not calmed down to the point where she was safe enough to touch....which made her wonder how he managed to get her here without getting burned. It was always worse when she was unconscious too....
With these negative thoughts running through her mind, Tenmei placed the cup back on the night stand where she found it and allowed her arms to wrap themselves protectively around her torso, her steel like gaze fixing itself on the bed in front of her.


It was a relief to hear him say that she didn't have to leave this place. She had grown far too attached to the musty scents and the quietly cramped spaces of her own little home. The idea alone of parting with this place was difficult. Even more so than her old home back up North in the snow. But that place had become uncomfortable and empty when her father disappeared, which left her no choice but to find a new haven. She had been to many villages before settling in Kiri. Out of all the lands, here was the only place where she knew she could be safe; where she knew if it came down it, she could be stopped and put out before any real damage had been done.

But in the end, the moment of relief was only a temporary respite as he had not seen what had transpired and was still unaware of what she had done. Tenmei couldn't be sure. Would he still be singing the same tune when he knew that she burned the skin off with just a touch? There was only one way to find out.

The dark haired female began her explanation of the events with a slow steady breath and another attempt at having some more of the steaming, sweetened brew. One sip to calm her nerves. The next to absorb the warmth. Them Tenmei just settled to holding the mug down in her lap as her cool eyes turned to her rescuer.
  "I think....I remember you saying that you were in the same clan as Solstice. My name is Tenmei. Tenmei Sotsuji. I came here a few months ago with Mr Nakamura: the old Merchant who used to live towards the outer part of the village. He moved back to live with his family and allowed me to take over the house"
Mentioning Solstice's name brought a faint, shadow of a smile to her lips as she recalled having a similar conversation the day that they met. Back then, she had been the head of the Aisu clan too...and now she was Mizukage of all things. Never in her life had she thought that someone of that power would take an interest in her of all people.
Not when she had spent her life living alone and shunned from any human contact. A practice that seemed to follow her here too.

With those memories pushed back to join the voices in the pit of her mind, Tenmei continued, while trying to focus on balancing out the chakra in her body to control the heat that coursed within.
  "I was out getting groceries and picking up my book when three people....I can't remember their faces, stopped me in my tracks. They said I didn't belong here, that they wanted me to leave or they would throw me out themselves. I didn't want to so I didn't say anything and tried to get away but they....."
For a moment there, she stopped to have another sip at her drink and renew the calm she had forced on to her nerves, steadying both her hands and her mind. All because, even though most of the details of an hour and a half ago, were blurry or surrounded in haze, she remembered every blow and could still feel them as if the fists had come off and were just digging in to her ribs and in to her stomach, stealing her breath away and her ability to focus. To control.

"They pinned me to the wall by my arms and started punching me. And they wouldn't stop until I promised to go away. But then I..."
Again another pause, another drink, as she got to the part the female had been regretting till now.
  "I couldn't stop it. I started to burn the people that were holding me. It was pretty bad too. I didn't see how bad it was but they were furious. When the one that had hurt me tried to knock me out I....I burned him too. That one....I am pretty sure that it was quite serious. And then you showed up. I didn't mean to hurt them that badly. I swear I just didn't....I was scared"

Tenmei slowly looked back up from her now, near empty cup and risked a look at his reaction, trying to read what he was going to say so she could prepare for the lecture she was so used to having. Like the one she had received from her father that day she snuck out to the village that day. She had hurt someone then too. Back then, they did have to leave. So the young female hoped and prayed that this time would be different. That she could walk down the street without feeling the hate from people's eyes and the sneers on their lips.
The fear that caused them all to stand back away from her and look on in disgust. She would rather die than face all that again.

"I never meant to hurt anyone. I just wanted to get what I need and go home....where it's safe. I can't hurt anyone if I'm alone"

Soaking in all the information she had provided, he was able to piece together exactly what may have occurred, though the minor details would surely not be as accurate. From what she had offered, she clearly had no control over what was done, but he also did not blame her at all. Anyone in their right of mind would try and defend themselves, yet from what he gathered, she did not retaliate due to her own will, but rather her lack of control. He couldn't blame her for injuring those individuals who wanted her to leave the village, it was her own right to protect herself; be it intentional or not, she should have defended herself.

Placing his empty glass on the floor, he noticed Suichi plopping down on the floor next to him, curious yet bored at the exact same time. He honestly was surprised by the creatures behavior, as it usually ended up causing trouble for Yuudai, though the circumstances around today happened to be different than normal. There had been incidents in the past the made others wary of staying in the village, for various reasons, though with the new Mizukage, the previous Aisu clan leader, Solstice, Yuudai knew she'd have her own stance on this entire situation, and he felt their mindset would be similar to one another given the situation that was present; if it ever go to the point of being an issue. He noticed the faint trace of a smile that appeared on her lips at the mention of the name, though did nothing of it, just noting it inside of his mind.

Getting her name, and the events that occurred earlier during the day, Yuudai felt there was no threat to be determined from her; it was an instinctual thought pattern. Hearing that she wasn't able to control her ability to burn people; probably her Kekkei Genkai, Yuudai was able to understand a bit of it. As a member, clan leader now, of the Aisu clan, Yuudai had a different understanding than Tenmei. His was of ice, where as hers was of the nature of katon. Deciding to answer in a chronological fashion, Yuudai knew he couldn't comment on every minor detail. "It's nice to meet you Tenmei. Solstice was the former clan leader, she stepped down shortly after being named Mizukage." The first order of business had been to deal with a minor detail, something which would probably spark a bit of curiosity, though that wasn't the main concern at the moment.

Now shifting his focus to the main concern, of the attack that happened to her being, Yuudai slowly shifted in his seat, pondering about how to approach the situation. He clearly had some pull with Solstice, though he doubted he would need to fret over that if what he believed to be true, was true. "As far as I'm concerned, you have done nothing wrong. If anything, the other three should be the one's to fear leaving the village. I can personally vouch for your freedom to stay in the city, if needed. I do have some pull within the village as a clan leader. Though, what does concern me is your control over your abilities, though I doubt I'd be of much help." He wasn't the greatest of teachers, nor could he truly understand the difficulties she faced with her powers, but he'd be of assistance wherever applicable. "You won't have to worry about anything really. Suichi here managed to salvage as much of the groceries as possible." As he said that, he reached down and patted the head of the quiet penguin. "And, if any future troubles arise, your welcome to visit here, I'm sure if your already acquainted with Solstice, she wouldn't mind your company in the Mizukage's building. Probably could provide her an excuse to avoid paperwork as well."

Displaying a kind smile upon his face, Yuudai turned his attention back to the wall, speaking to himself, and to Tenmei as well. While he was still a teenager, often times he didn't feel he was his physical age. "Everyone has to face difficulties at one point in their lives. Some later than others and some not as signifcant as others. But, that is what shapes us. Or, at least that's what my mother told me." Sometimes he wished we was different, more open, but then he wouldn't be himself; he'd be someone else. He had difficulty trusting more than the few he already did, though it did offer a form of security of sorts. "Is there anything else you need? You are welcome to stay until you're able to safely get back to your home, or I could escort you. Though, I do suggest not moving for quiet a while with your injuries and all. He really didn't know what to say at this point, as it was rare for him to be alone, in his home, with a complete stranger.

Control.

It was the one thing that she had struggled with her whole life.
Starting from when she was little and was learning to live in a world full of things that could catch a light with a touch of her dexterous burning fingers. But she learned how to handle things without damaging them so she could get through the day. But oddly enough, the fear of hurting others and damaging objects was not the thing that made her the most worried. Yes, she was always concerned about that, but what most worried her was the fate that the rest of her family line shared. And that was something she would rather die first than have to go through.
After all, the pain she was feeling now, it was nothing compared to what she was going to suffer one day....

And even though Solstice had helped with that and maybe stopped the process, there was always the chance that she could regress in to what she was like before. Go back to the way she was and end up like her father had.

"Yeah...My dad taught me a lot of things, but he....well, he died before he could teach me proper chakra control" Tenmei said, carefully, not all that willing to disclose the fact that dying was a relative term and what she really meant was something far more devastating. But that was not what she wanted to think about now.
  "Solstice....she has been teaching me to control the heat, but it's slow. I mean, we have only had two lessons so far and I am worse when i get scared and upset. But, I am trying to get better. Really....it's just not that easy. But I know its really no excuse for hurting those boys. Even if they were the one's at fault, I shouldn't have let it get that far"

His words, though kind brought little comfort to her anxious mind.
Even though her actions could be easily justified, and what she did was in self defense, Tenmei couldn't help but to worry about if he was wrong. Maybe she could have controlled herself, maybe they had been right all along. His calm and confident voice brought some clarity but the one that spoke in her head spoke much louder and much clearer.
It was hard to overcome something that screamed inside your mind on a daily basis, telling you that one day, you are going to...
Solstice and her father had always told her, that her own self doubt and low self esteem would be her biggest downfall.

But for the time being, what he said, was enough to cool her down and she found herself settling in to a cross legged position where she could relax in state where her injuries did not ail her as much. Her hands stilled around the now empty cup but her eyes never left the bed. Despite how her father had told her, how Solstice and now he told her despite how people kept telling her that she was welcome here, the feeling of being ashamed of who she was, still sat with her.
And you can't easily change years of feeling the same way, when everyone reminded you of it where ever you went.

"Thank you, I don't think I need anything else, unless you have something I can take for the pain" she joked lightly, another smile coming to her lips. "Would it really be okay if I stay here for a little while? I don't know how far home is away, I haven't been living in the village for very long"

As odd as it was, Tenmei was used to being around strangers. First, it had been the old man that she had traveled around with, and he had picked her up off the street and treated her like she was family. Then Solstice showed up on her door step and that same day, took her in as a student, saving her from herself. And then, here this Yuudai Aisu was, taking her in to his home without knowing who she was or what danger she posed, offering to help her out with anything she needed.
Good or bad, she had no one familiar around her anymore so this was her life. The unknown faces and strange voices was her life.

"I don't mean to sound rude or ungrateful. But, how did you get me here? I must have been hot so surely you must have got burnt. I can't sleep in cotton usually, I can't read books. I can't enjoy cold drinks. I haven't really...touched anyone but Solstice in a little over six months.
Did I hurt you when you got me here....?"

There weren't many things that Yuudai felt he should be concerned with, most of them fell amongst relations he had with other people; established, that he worried about more than anything, besides his personal training which he tends to sometimes get out of hand. Though, today seemed entirely off to him, but he also couldn't have left her helpless, even if she was a stranger. Her words brought his attention circulating, first having to hear of her chakra control, then of how he had gotten her here.

Thinking of exercises to control chakra, he knew mainly of the essentials, the basics, which could be applied, though he wasn't entirely sure. He knew there were different approaches to different chakra natures, but each would have a basic concept they would focus around. Taking another moment, momentarily closing his eyes, to ponder, the conclusion he came to was simple, though he had no clue if she had practiced it; though he felt she would have at least attempted to do so by now. As for how he had gotten her here, it was fairly simple, he carried her here. Though when he had carried her, her body temperature was hotter than he expected, which was also amplified to the nature of having a generally colder body. He thought nothing of it when he carried her here, though maybe something had occurred that he never paid attention to. Taking a quick glance at his hands, he noticed the colors were certainly off, and that he had to circulate a bit more chakra to his hands to keep them at his normal temperature.

"I just carried you, there's nothing to really worry about. I doubt if I did get injured, it'd be miniscule compared to what you had to deal with. Speaking of, I should be able to find some painkillers if you wish to have some. It's just finding them that would be a bit troubling." He knew of the general area where his mother kept a stash of medicine, though the trouble would be actually finding the correct container. Personally, he usually avoided medicine at all costs, even medical attention to some of his own injuries, such as his right shoulder which still remained a bit frayed; not truly recovered, but he could manage without any attention to it. "Stay as long as you wish. I can also walk you back to your home once your feeling good enough to walk on your feet, though we'd have to find a location where you can find your way back as well."

"Though I think you already tried quiet a few methods to attempt to control your chakra, I believe meditation would help, unless you have already given that a shot. There are various ways you can attempt to control it, though I believe that the method would be entirely up to you, as what works for myself may not work for you." There were other things he could come up with, but he doubted they may apply, or that they may have seemed offensive, so he offered a single technique that helped him control his own touch, and what helped him circulate the chakra in his body, being able to keep his body cold in even humid weather, though Kirigakure no Sato's location didn't give him much opportunities to use his chakra control. "Meditation worked for me, along with practicing chakra control. The ability to direct hyouton chakra throughout my entire system would aid greatly when traveling to a place like Suna. Though, I'm not too sure if the same would apply in your case, since you seem to give off heat. Since you are already getting lessons from Solstice, I may as well impart some advice, though she'd probably get to it eventually. And don't blame yourself for hurting them, you merely scared them off. If anything, they could have potentially be saved from greater repercussions." He took a short pause, to mainly gather what he was going to say, as he was not entirely sure himself. It was different, dealing with something that was the exact opposite of his kekkei genkai. "I know saying is easier than doing, but sometimes gaining other perspectives also works. There's always a limit that one can control their own abilities to, after that it'll be entirely up to you to control it. Even with Solstice teaching you, there's only so much she can impart. The battle to control it is entirely up to you."

Really, he had no idea why he was informing someone of things they would probably already know about, and someone most likely older than himself as well. Though, it couldn't hurt either.

As Tenmei listened to his explanation, she couldn't help but to peek over to his hands herself and see how much damage she had really caused while in her unconscious state. When those boys had touched her back then, she had burned the skin right off the bone, leaving weeping red welts and dead flesh peeling off the muscles. But the skin on his hands was only slightly red and dried, some minor discolouration at worst.
This in itself was confusing to the young Genin. Either she had cooled down while sleeping or he had something similar to what Solstice had and could control his body temperature with his chakra. Either way, the damage was much worse than what it should have been.


It took her a moment, but she finally pulled her eyes away from him and looked to the bag of groceries he managed to salvage. With one arm around her ribs, she leaned forward to retrieve her belongings and opened up the the woven carrier to see what was left inside. 
Most of the fruit was fine, though albeit bruised here and there but nothing so bad that she could not easily cut it off. Most of the paper was gone with the exception of a few sheets but the milk, bread and other smaller items were fine. It was one of these smaller items that Tenmei was looking for and reached in to grab it out of her bag.
For a moment there, she just twisted the small green container about in her fingers, before silently placing it down and reaching out for his hands. He did something for her, it was only fair she returned the favour.

"If it's too much trouble to find the medication, then please don't worry about it. Believe me, I have suffered worse than this" Tenmei had explained, briefly glancing to the extensive scar on her side that started up the side of her neck, before stretching down one arm to her elbow and then further to the base of her ribs. What she felt was painful alright but nothing compared to what happened that day nearly a year ago. And even then, that was not the worst thing she had experienced in her short life time.  "Here, may I see your hands" she continued politely, nervously. "I uh...I don't think I will burn you. I think I am okay now. Please, it's not much but this will help with the burns. I have used it before so its safe"

Tenmei waited patiently for his response, whether it would be to reject her offer or accept it. But in the mean time, the dark haired female thought back to the training her father put her through and to the contradictory exercise that Solstice had lead her through not a week ago. Though one had been more effective than the other, both had worked to a degree and she still practiced each on a daily basis.
After all, fear was a powerful motivator and her self doubts and anxieties were near crippling. More so than the bruised ribs and damaged abdomen that she was sporting at this moment.

"I don't think there is much I haven't tried. My dad taught me to focus my chakra in to one area, my solar plexus to keep it maintained so it would not spiral out of control. But that wasn't working as well as it should have and led to other risks so Solstice taught me how to release my chakra in little bits at a time so the constantly building pressure doesn't get too bad and so I don't end up like my father and....."
Tenmei paused for a moment to shake that thought from her mind. Ever since that major release of chakra and hear, she had done with her new sensei, the steel eyed female had tried not to think about her fear as it was supposed to be have been made redundant. But still, her doubts were always there, mixed in with the ominous voices and so to quell her anxieties she kept the idea from her mind by suppressing it with the rest of her fears. 
  "Anyway, I meditate every morning and do my best to release my chakra when I can but sometimes I can't control how much I lose at a time. Especially when I get upset....which, is what happened this time."

Though Tenmei believed that she did something a bit worse than scaring them off, he was right about one thing. Getting advice from someone else other than the newly anointed Mizukage was a good idea. Everyone had their own ways of handling their chakra as everyone worked differently. Everything that she had tried was like a bandaid. A temporary solution that would eventually stop being effective in time. If she wanted to finally be at peace with herself, Tenmei needed something that would work long term.
And until she found what this was, then she was willing to take whatever help she could get.

"If you know of a way that can help, then I would love to hear it. I don't want to keep hurting people every time I touch them. I can't read books myself, my father always read to me. Solstice is the first person I have touched in just under six months. I would do anything so I don't have to live like this anymore"

It was hard to keep her voice controlled as she spoke about what her life had been like, even though she was only scratching the surface. Living in complete isolation for all her life, not touching people, barely talking. It was a wonder she had even come this far on her own.
But still, here she was living on her own and kind of okay even after losing all she had. What little that was to begin with.
But with a roof over her head, and with these people to help her, there was still hope for Tenmei yet.

He gave a questioning look as she asked to look at his hands. He thought they were perfectly fine, something he could easily work around; avoiding to aggravate the burns, though he knew that he would be lying at that point. There was a moments hesitation, thinking if he should accept her offer; though it was more of a request to look at his hands at the moment. His personal aversion, though minor, to being touched by unfamiliar people was something he hadn't taken in to account when he carried her prior, though it also applied in this case, but he allowed her to look at his hands, as he slowly put them out in front of himself, palms facing upward. "It's nothing, it'll be fine after a day or so." Though he was muttering, he knew Tenmei clearly had heard what he said.

Possessing a feeling that it'd be better to accept her help was the main reasoning behind allowing her to take a look at his hands, though he felt a bit silly just sitting there doing nothing. But, he couldn't outright refuse, it just went against what he stood for as a human being; though a career of a shinobi clearly dictated to always remain aware. He listened to what she had to say next, mainly relating back to her control over her powers and the different methods she was taught by Solstice and her own father. The two different methods that she had tried clearly did not work out, though one was clearly only being used for a brief period of time, so maybe that would also come to be.

One method that came to mind once she asked for his own advice was relatively simple; a release. From what he could gather, she tried hard to keep the heat she exerted suppressed that it probably wasn't too healthy of a method to conduct. As he waited a few more moments, thinking about he had been able to control his touch to feel relatively normal; though it would remain somewhat cold as well, Yuudai felt the methods should be somewhat similar in theory.

"There's not much I can really come up with, and I think you'd have already covered most of your bases. I don't have a clear grasp on what you've attempted, but the only things I can really come up with are basic things, which you have most likely attempted so far. Think of it this way, the heat you possess seems to be exerted more so in situations where you feel different emotions this case, you were upset. I know enacting situations would not be the proper form, but maybe if someone with abilities in genjutsu, or even thinking of things that upset you could possibly help." Though it was obvious he lacked background information to the problem, he thought his solution was just; unless Tenmei had already attempted to do so.

Turning his attention back to his hands, Yuudai thought of any other methods that could apply, though the one he favored most he had already offered, though a different method would probably be more suited to favor Tenmei's personal control. "Again, I have no knowledge of all the methods you tried, so you may have already attempted it, or it may not work out. Just try finding a way that suits your personal style. You could also do a mixture of different methods to see if that works as well. For example, meditation while exerting the heat. Find a safe location and an object that can burn easily, meditate for a while and then see if the object takes in the heat." He was clearly feeling a bit out his own comfort zone; being close to a person he didn't quiet know, talking more than he usually did, and being in his home with someone who wasn't there for official business. Though, it was like he was teaching someone; something he had a brief experience with, though nothing he was entirely proud of.

He didn't need to say anything, Tenmei could see his hesitation just by looking at the way he held himself.

In fact it reminded her of herself. Back when she was younger, Tenmei would only be comfortable with making contact with her father; the only person she knew that ran as hot as she did. Anyone else, she would burn with the slightest touch so he became the only one who would comfort her at night. But when her father left, there was no one and the young female retreated from society altogether, abandoning all sense of friendship and connections.
It took her months before she worked up the courage to make contact with another human again. And naturally, it was Solstice that pulled her from that hole she had dug herself in to. But even then, it was only because Tenmei could touch her without her getting burned by what only came natural.

Since then though...she still was hesitant and the only reason why she would offer was because Tenmei couldn't stand to see people hurt because of her. And if they did, then she would do what she would could to make up for her mistakes.


With careful, and soft slow movements, Tenmei took his hands in hers and examined the burns she had inflicted. At this point her skin would be hot to the touch but not hot enough to burn. Like when you put your hands on a cooling heater. Hot, but not boiling. 
With one palm supporting the back of his hand, she popped open the container lid and scooped out a small amount of the sweet smelling lotion before applying it to the burnt areas with gentle circular like motions that helped the cream to sink in to his skin and sooth the areas. Tenmei knew that in a matter of moments, whatever pain he may have been feeling would ease and the discoloration would fade. The girl knew because this was what she had used when she was suffering from a similar, but more severe ailment. A burn where she had to use nearly three times as much ointment as he was using now.


As she softly applied another layer of the lotion, Tenmei listened to his ideas, her silver steel like eyes fixated on the task at hand. 
He was a clever. She had tried the idea of suppressing her chakra for many years but that only  worked out as a temporary fix for a long term solution. Only when she had released all that chakra that day at the well, and saw the devastation it had caused to the surrounding area, did Tenmei realize how bad it had become. 
From then, she had changed her ways and focused on releasing her chakra a little at a time to stop the build up like before, but when she tried, it came out too fast and again, she was hurting people. Damaging anything she touched. It was demeaning and once more, Tenmei had retreated back away from people.

Which was why, she had left the house at a time where there was not many people about. This was never supposed to happen.
And yet....here she was.

"I....never really thought about that" Tenmei said, voicing her thoughts about his theory with her emotions, being the main cause of her getting too hot and losing control. "I was upset when it happened...maybe even a little scared too. But I can't help like feeling like that sometimes. No one can. I just keep....hurting people"
Despite the brave front she put on most of the time, Tenmei wasn't afraid to admit that she was scared of those attackers. She didn't want to leave this place, she had become so fond of, especially after she had finally made a friend that was willing to hold her and help her, teach her what her father should have if he had not have died. 
But aside from that, she was afraid of hurting people and ending up like her father which was still a possibility, which was why she had not fought back before they pinned her against the wall and started laying in to her. 

"I don't know anyone here that is skilled in Genjutsu. The only people that I know here is you, the Mizukage solstice and Strafe. 
Even if I did find someone, what if they don't want to help me? They don't even know me and I can hurt them too"
Tenmei knew that it wasn't her words that she was speaking, but the voices that constantly whispered in her mind. But no matter how she tried to ignore them, their reasoning out classed her own.
But lately, what she was hearing outside, started to drown out constant berating of the inside. And the voices hold, started to slip that little bit each day. 
   "So chanelling the heat in to an object as a release, huh? I don't think I have tried that. What sort of object do you recommend me use then? I know a place that would be safe....I am pretty sure" 
Oh, yes he was clever. For many mornings she would sit there with an origami object in her hands to see if she could sit there and not burn anything which worked some mornings, but she had never even thought to try and work the other way. It seemed so simple though. Maybe even too simple. But easy or not, it was worth a try.
After all, Tenmei would rather die than hurt someone and end up like her father had those many months ago. 

After a long moment of contemplation, she pulled her hands away from his, allowing him the opportunity to see the improvement made of the skin on his hands. All this talk of new ideas and opening doors, it was making her tired. She knew that home was still too far for her to walk to on her own, and without having eaten anything since yesterday, Tenmei knew that even trying to get up was a bad idea.
Instead she just concentrated on thinking up what item she could use and when she could go out and try this idea of his.

The feeling of having someone else touching him; a stranger no less, seemed to irk him a bit, it was in his nature. It wasn't the person, but rather not knowing anything about them, besides knowing her name, a bit about her past, and seeming to help her. He had his barriers, barriers that he felt the need to keep up at all times, though there wasn't a particular defining moment in his life where such could be used as the primary reason for his defenses. He felt a slight burning sensation in his hand, prior to Tenmei's touch, though he was able to relieve some of the feelings with the use of his Hyouton chakra which he seemed to be using a lot more of this particular day. He was used to the touch of others, though this particular one was hotter than the others, though it was expected due to the nature of her chakra, so that wasn't the reason why he felt uncomfortable with it, but rather due to the effects it had on him, though he seemed to be able to compensate for the increased temperature with his own chakra reserves.

When his hand were in hers, the heat he could feel radiating off them wasn't as intense as before, causing Yuudai to relax; not having to worry about the heat, or getting burnt. It certainly was hot, but nothing that he wouldn't have been able to handle, though it did feel a tad bit strange to him. The feeling of the lotion, slightly warmed, seemed to not have any effect on him, as he allowed her to apply it on his hands.

As she spoke, he could understand of not knowing any people that specialized in the field of genjutsu, but then again, he didn't know of anyone in Kirigakure no Sato that had knowledge in the field as well. He had always thought of the possibility of expanding his field of knowledge in a different shinobi field, genjutsu being one of the options he considered viable to learn and aid him. Though it would take quiet a while for him to learn and become relatively useful in the art, if he sought to go down that path. By then, Tenmei could possible have learned to control it, so that didn't seem like an option that would be available, and with the lack of genjutsu specialist, he knew it wouldn't be too great of a chance of going down that path. But, maybe, one day, there would be one to come along.

After she finished applying the lotion, retreating her hands away, Yuudai slowly lifted his own, to inspect them, but not expecting any results to come about at this moment. He knew that they wouldn't heal immediately, nor would the sensation disappear in an instant, but one could only hope. "Well, for the object, something that is affected by heat can easily be used. Water, ice, plastics, something along those lines could work. Flammable objects as well, but I'd advise against those." There wasn't much to that method, and he supposed that she could have easily used that method without him informing of it, though he supposed sometimes people forget.

As for his other suggestion, using genjutsu, he may as well inform her of the difficulty of getting someone to aid in that field. "As for using genjutsu, I also don't know anyone who specializes in that field, but I always thought about learning more about it, possibly even specializing in it one day. But, that would probably far too late to aid you, so I suppose that suggestion was completely useless." He supposed, if he could somehow manage to become adept in genjutsu, if he wanted to learn it, he'd be able to help Tenmei, but by then Solstice's lesson probably would pay off for the female, thus rendering it useless, but he still considered learning genjutsu for his own personal benefit as well.

He guessed it was useless at this moment to offer her something to eat, considering the lotion on his hands shouldn't touch food, but he figured he may as well offer, considering she'd probably be hungry, though she also needed healing, and painkillers if he could find those. "I think I'll go and search for those painkillers for you. Do you want anything to eat? And, I suppose you should attempt to bandage and heal up your injuries if you could. There should be a first aid-kit in the nightstand next to you. I'd have done it.... but it seemed improper of me to do so." That was his being, he would have easily aided her, but since he did not know her well, he'd let her do it herself, unless she asked for his assistance. He'd wait a bit, to hear her reply, and then head out of the room to find the medicine and possibly get her some food, if she asked.

"Tenmei. What are you doing? Can't you see what you are doing?
Leave him be. Leave this place. Leave."
"I can't just leave. He saved me. It would be rude"
"You would risk hurting them again? You already burnt him once. How many times do you have to hurt someone before you just let go?"
"But....I....."

-----------------

The young Genin watched the subtle shifting of his expression, as he looked over his damaged skin, seeing the ever slight effects of the lotion. Naturally, the healing abilities would not be instantaneous. No cheaply bought medicine was. But after applying it a few more times, the moisture would return to his skin and discolouration faded until it was like nothing had happened. But that was only if he continued on with applying it three times a day like he was supposed to. But seeing the way he reacted when she applied the lotion the first time, Tenmei couldn't help but think, even if she did leave him the rest, he would not use it after this one time and let his hands heal naturally, the slower and longer option. She had tried that herself once.....
It ended like she thought it would. With pain and more isolation.

Her train of thoughts got interrupted when he continued to list off ideas of what she could use for these objects. Ice, plastics, paper was another one that came in to her mind. Everything burned eventually. It was just a matter of how much heat you applied and for how long. Flammable things were not so much of a good idea. What if she were to lose control and make whatever it was explode. What then? It was just another way of hurting people. Something that she had been doing an awful lot of lately. And it was not just because of her uncontrollable heat, burning everyone she touched.
This young dark haired female learned a long time ago that you didn't need to do much to cause another pain.

"I don't know about that" Tenmei said quietly, her silvery grey eyes falling to her own palms. "I have been trying to learn the art of controlling my chakra since I was nine. And even now I still haven't got close to achieving that goal. So, I wouldn't count your idea out yet. This still could take time. And besides, I don't know if I will even be able to control it. No one else in my clan could do it, so I don't see how I could be any different?"
Her father had told her many stories of what happened to the other members of her clan. What they did, how they tried and tried and tried again, only to fail in the worst possible way and meet their inevitable end. It was just a childish fantasy to the young female. A dream. In all her sixteen years, she had always wanted to be the one to finally survive when no one else did. But in the end, Tenmei knew that she would have to wake up from this blissful delusion one day.
She just didn't expect it to be so soon.

As one thought drifted to another, Tenmei found her silvery grey eyes, wander around the room and really take in her surroundings for the first time since she had woken up. A few weeks ago, she had woken up in Solstice's place under similar circumstances. Back then, she had been more attentive, noting straight away the comfortably simplistic design and the cool  breeze that kept the temperature at a comfortable level. It was hard to forget a place that was so different to her own slightly cramped, musty memory filled abode.
But this place...it was different again.

"Something to eat?" Tenmei repeated, not actually having thought food since earlier that day when she had considered getting some more groceries when she headed over to get her book.
  "If...if it's not too much trouble, food would be great. I haven't eaten  since yesterday...or maybe it was the night before. That cream should have absorbed in your skin by now, so it shouldn't contaminate anything. I'm sorry if its caused you any...inconvenience. It's just....i thought it might help"

Her voice was a little distant as she replied, but her gaze found his once more before she glanced to the floor once more.
As soon as he had left to seek out the pain killing medicine and the food she was now secretly craving, Tenmei slowly stood up, stretching the aches and stiffness from her legs. For a moment there, she waited with one arm protectively around her chest, the other holding solidly against the wall while the light headedness and dizzyness passed. As soon as these cleared though, Tenmei took the few steps towards the window and gazed absently out the opening. Her home wasn't as far as she thought....but like this it felt further than that.

As she stared absently out the window, the Genin saw roofs that looked the same and walls that looked different. Maybe she had been past this place before and just not recognised because it was still daylight outside and whenever she had gone out to train or just for some air, it had been during the hours before the sun came up.
Either way, as soon as the sun sunk low enough in the sky for the shadows to become familiar to her once again, she would know where she was and which would be the way home.
No first aid, no help. It was clear how uncomfortable it made him with her being here. As soon as she could walk without assistance, Tenmei would be gone.

The voices. His voice had been right all along.
It didn't matter where she was, Tenmei hurt people. And the dark haired female would rather disappear forever than hurt someone as kind as him, again.

At least the cream had been absorbed in to his skin by now. Yuudai knew about his own behavior, of being avoidant, but he couldn't help it, he was the exact same with everyone he encountered until he considered them a friend. There were few and far between, thus he wasn't exactly comfortable in her presence, though it could potentially give off a different meaning to those who interpret it. He would be more friendly towards her, but he wasn't exactly comfortable with her presence, nor would he be for a bit longer, but then again, it could potentially come at any moment. He had been comfortable in someone else's presence, whom he had only known for a few minutes, and then ended up spending the majority of the day with said person. But, that was also an entirely different matter, though somewhat similar in some cases. Though, he just didn't feel the same. He was more comfortable in his previous experience.

The first order of business would be finding the painkillers. The location he knew, just the exact spot that his mother kept her stash of medical supplies, the exact spot of the container remained unknown to him, but nothing a little digging couldn't solve. Entering his mother's room, knowing she wouldn't mind given the situation, Yuudai went straight to the nightstand on the right side of the bed. He noticed a few containers, one of which would be the painkillers, a few scalpels, bandages of varying sizes, and a few other materials he didn't bother placing a name upon. Ignoring all other items, excluding the containers, Yuudai began to pick one up, inspect the label and then return it to it's original position. After going through 7 or so different labelled containers, Yuudai found the one he clearly needed. Swiftly putting the container in his pocket, noting the location he'd have to return it to, Yuudai gently closed the drawer and made his way out of his mother's room and back to the kitchen.

Food, that was the thing to worry about. At the current time, his cooking skills were limited, so he couldn't exactly make something great, but then again, he probably wasn't expected to do as such. Besides, he doubted she'd be able to stomach anything too hard, something that required excessive chewing. Something simple, plain, and easy to make would do. That, and he really wasn't too willing to experiment with different ingredient to come up with a new concoction. Rice would have to do. Steamed rice. Grabbing enough rice for Tenmei, and some more in case she proved to be hungrier than he believed, Yuudai emptied the amount swiftly in to the rice cooker, something he was able to do without much effort, then again, anyone would be able to do as such. He knew it'd take some time, some fifteen odd minutes, that he had nothing to do. Guessing it was best to give her the painkillers, Yuudai reached to open one of the cabinets, grabbing a clear, simple glass that would be filled with a simple liquid. Water. Pouring the contents in to the glass, until it was just a centimeter or so below the rim of the glass, Yuudai stopped the flow of water into the glass.

Grabbing the container of painkillers in his left hand, with his right occupied with the glass of water. He'd make his way back to the room for now, knowing that he'd have to return back to the kitchen in order to get the rice, but that would have to wait a bit longer. He couldn't speed up time, yet he also couldn't stand here knowing she needed the medication to relieve the pain. Thus, without further thought, he walked back towards the guest room, knowing that Tenmei would still remain there, after all, he still sensed a presence from the room, and he doubted she would leave, not that it bothered him, Yuudai slowly entered the room, allowing her to become aware of his presence and not become startled. "The rice is currently being cooked, shouldn't take too long, 15 minutes or so and it should be ready. I also managed to find the painkillers for you, and a glass of water for you as well." Walking up towards her, he gently lowered the contents he was carrying on the nightstand closest to her. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Yes, she could see it now.

As it turns out, Tenmei may not have been as far away from home as she thought. Looking out the window, the dark haired female could just see the very tops of the white wooden fence she had absent mindedly ran her fingers along that morning. She could see the sweet smelling roses that had distracted her from her her trip, the pebbles she had spent a few minutes kicking around before continuing on.
Down that road and around that corner, she would probably find the scorch marks left on the stone wall where they had pinned her and put her in this mess. It seemed like so long ago now that she was just waking up with the mind to brave the daylight world. What a mistake that had been.


While she had been looking out the window, she didn't see him come in. If it had not been for the soft, genteel voice announcing his presence then she wouldn't have even noticed him there. Still, she turned around just in time to see him place the medication she had been seeking out, and a glass of fresh water on the night stand.
So, being careful not to shift her balance from the wall too much, she leaned over and took two small tablets, placing them carefully on her tongue before washing them away with the cool liquid, that felt like heaven on her parched throat. Without so much as a thought she downed the rest of the glass before placing it carefully back on the table, matching the water ring perfectly.

And then he mentioned food....
The last time she had anything to eat was before Tenmei could remember and even then it was only a couple pieces of fruit and some toast. Even with a sides of tea, it wasn't enough. Her stomach seemed to agree as it let off a deep grumbling. This was enough to bring a darker shade of pink creeping to the lightly tanned skin of her cheeks, causing the young Genin looked down and back out the window, hoping he had not noticed the flash of embarrassment that added to the already colourful marks that marred her features.
 

"Thank you. I know I may have already said that before but you don't even know anything about me. I am a complete stranger to you and yet you take me here, injuring yourself in the process, cook me lunch care for me as a proper guest. Everywhere I went before here, people would either ignore me or drive me out. No one cared. I just.....if it weren't for you I don't think I....well if you had not come along I would be stuck out there for a while"
A light smile crept across her lips and touched her eyes, the first honest expression she had displayed since she had met Solstice for the first time a few weeks back, when she had started her training and began to finally control this Kekkei Genkai.  When she first came here, Tenmei had not expected to meet anyone quite like who she had come across. Naturally, she had expected the bullies of earlier today,
but other than them, she had come across three different individuals who welcomed her despite her differences.


She had her doubts when first arriving but maybe this place held hope for her yet. Maybe she would be able to call this home for more than a couple of months.


"No, I don't need anything else. You have done more than enough for me already. I wouldn't want to impose on you any more than I already have" she replied, answering his final question honestly while allowing her cold gaze to drift back out the window, to the scenery she had been looking at before he returned.
"My home is four blocks that way. I usually go out before the sun comes up so it takes me a little while to figure out where I am. I think....I will be okay once I have had something to eat. As I said, I don't want to be any more of a bother"

More often than not, Yuudai came across people who intrigued him, but never enough for him to want to form a connection with them. Today, was a day that could fall under that category, but also not at the same time. Tenmei, the person whom he had found earlier today in terrible condition, whom he carried to his own home, was someone he felt he could form a friendship with, but with how much he had piling up on himself at the current time, there wasn't much maneuverability for the purple-haired Aisu clan head to go out of his way and get to know others. Maybe another day, sometime in the future, when he could finally get a grasp on his workload and be able to work through it with ease. For now, he'd just offer whatever he could, if asked, of course.

As she took the medication that would relieve her of her pain, along with the glass of water that was cold; due to his touch of the glass, his mind trekked off to figuring out what other reasons could have possibly arisen that would cause a sole individual to be attacked by a group of three males. He'd have to look further into it if he wanted an answer, but for now he was satisfied with her safety, just hoping he wouldn't have to find this stranger in a similar situation in the future. He was halted in his thought process from Tenmei's voice, his eyes slowly wandered over, taking notice of the smile as she spoke. He did what he felt was right. The right thing was to help her, to at least offer some form of assistance. If not, he would fall under the same category as those who targeted and attacked her. He would consider himself in the same category as them. That would definitely not sit right with the Aisu clan head. Though he did not experience the same things as she did, Yuudai could somewhat relate to the feeling of loneliness. While he had people around him, there was no one truly around him that he could feel like himself, to lower his guard, to be human. He would let the fates decide when that would be solved, but his wasn't like hers. She experienced loneliness in the sense that she truly never had someone there for her, something which he had to a degree. He wouldn't be able to relate.

Watching the female's gaze turn towards the window, he made a small note of what she said, though he probably wouldn't be able to recall it in the future if he was asked. While it may aid her, he felt it wasn't his area to pry nor wonder. His gaze fell back upon her, as he decided once again to speak. "There is no need to feel like you are imposing, I am, after all, the one that brought you here. Though, since it seems you have made up your mind, your free to go after you eat. If any future troubles arise and you need help, I'm always willing to help." An honest offer, one he had concerns in whether she would actually use it in the future, but it was best to leave it on the table. While it hadn't seemed like much time passed, Yuudai shortly excused himself to get the rice.

Returning to the guest room, the bowl of rice in hand with chopsticks, Yuudai brought the items to Tenmei, slowly and gently lowering them until she would accept them in to her own hands. He tried not to let his touch linger on the bowl for too long, though his cold touch would probably be void after her hands were placed upon the bowl, easily warming up the contents. "It's not my place, but I feel like I should say it anyways. Accepting help, whether its from me or someone else, could help you overcome some obstacles you face. It may be against your beliefs to accept, but you won't know where you could end up if you don't take chances."

Tenmei couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. 
Just watching the flashes of emotions dance across his features; it reminded her of how her father used to look when he was deep in thought. Back then she would peek at the older male through half closed eyes as she sat there and tried to meditate through the late hours of morning. Only when he started talking again, moving around the house to shake the loose thoughts away, did she even consider building up the courage to ask him what had him so conflicted.
Naturally Tenmei was not game enough to do it this Yuudai. She barely knew him and it would have rude for her to pry, after everything he had done for her in the last couple of hours. She just hoped that one day, they could become friends and she could finally figure out what caused him to look so perplexed. 

But deep down, Tenmei knew that this probably would never happen.
He was very different from the people she was used to being around but it didn't mean that deep down he just wanted to be away from her, like everyone else did. Whatever happens, only time would tell and the young ebony haired female would be content to wait until then.

The rice he had brought in later came with a pleasant scent that brought forth another growl from the ever growing pit in her stomach.
It was clear that he could not have chosen a better food to give her at this time. Though simple and a little bland, the rice would provide her with just enough energy to walk the couple blocks to her house, and not be too strong as to upset her stomach which was still left a bit sensitive after the ordeal. And compared to what she had been eating lately, it was the most substantial meal that she had, had in over a week. So no sooner had he placed it down in front of her, she struggled in to a seated position once more and picked up the chopsticks. Then, with well practiced hands, she picked up every bit of rice devouring every little bit until there was only a few small grains left in the bottom of the bowl. 
As soon as she had finished a couple minutes later, Tenmei replaced the chopsticks on to the bowl and bowed her head in thanks.

"You know....for the first few months of being here. I always wondered how long I would be staying and where I would go next. But meeting you and Solstice, getting to know this place better. I am glad I stopped asking myself these questions" 

For the final time that afternoon, Tenmei struggled in to standing position and steadied herself using the wall once more. As soon as she was sure of her balance, the young female drew her hand from the wall and took a few steps towards her bags, picking them up with her good side as to not hurt the other. As much as she wanted to stay and get to know the older Shinobi, Tenmei had been away from her home too long and Tsukeru was probably starting to worry. Without her there, the temperature in the house would drop and the small lizard would suffer, as would the herbs she had picked the day before.
Before she headed out the door, Tenmei turned to the male once more, the same honest smile gracing her lips.

"If you ever need anything. Anything at all. I live a few blocks that way, just look for the house with the red ribbon on the railing. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you helping me. You have helped more than you could possibly no. I just hope that....one day I can repay the favour....and that maybe, we can be friends"
One more step, one more pause and she turned to see him for a final time.  "So....I will see you around then. Take care Yuudai Aisu"

And there she was gone with the only evidence of her being there was the warm patch on the ground where she had been seated and the empty bowl and glass, left forgotten on the night stand. 

--End of Thread--