vatheon | (no subject)

Who: Ran Mouri and...? (read: open to all!)
Where: Outskirts near the forest.
When: After "Shinichi's" arrival, early morning
Style: Anything~
Status: OPEN!

Ran's usual morning jog took a little detour today. Instead of a refreshed and uplifted expression on the Japanese girl's face, her features were sharpened with a subdued rage. She breathed steady, channeling the negative energy into her legs, pushing off each step as her sneakers hit the pavement.

Beads of sweat ran down her face as she veered off her usual path and towards the forest, she she continued forward until, without warning--

"HaaAAAAAAAAHHHH!" A fierce scream pierced the peaceful morning, followed by a deafening crack as her foot connected with a tree mid-trunk. Her leg still raised, fists tightly clenched, Ran panted heavily, her bangs matted against her dewy forehead. She drew back her leg slowly. "Stupid...SHINICHI!!!" She punctuated her cry with a punch, followed by a roundhouse kick.

Stepping back, she let out a sigh, leaving the poor tree still standing, but with a sizable crevice now indented into its surface. Pushing back her damp bangs with the back of her hand, she smiled. "Well! That felt better!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ran turned around to look to the source of the voice, but then found herself having to look down at the--what was it?

"Oh." Was all she could muster out at first. Then she said what was probably the most face-palm-inducing thing ever next. "I'm sorry." She smiles as politely as possible, however awkward this conversation was headed. "Was that your home?"

Nack burst out laughing. Very boisterously and very unceremoniously. When he could contain himself he was still half doubled over and clutching his gut, and he looked up at the girl and said, "That's right. We just finished pruning and renovations. The treatment was still dryin' too, nice red glow. I had a wife and three kids you know, now what?"

Ran bought it hook, line, and sinker. She gasps, a horrified look on her face. "Oh--oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" She ran to the tree, picking up some of the bark which crumbled on the ground, and tries to put it back up on the trunk.

"Here, let me--I can fix it--!"

Under no circumstances would Nack have ever bet on the girl actually believing that story. He'd meant to patronize her a little, sure. But she seemed to be sincere with this and the weasel was eating it up.

"'fraid not. You can't just fix a tree, you know. The insides get all warped, it just doesn't fit together right. Ya gotta grow one from scratch."

"Oh, no! What do I do?!" Ran started to look around for another tree. "Aren't there any other ones around here that could work?"

She ran over to another tree with considerably more girth. She placed a hand on its trunk. "What about this one?"

No, seriously, where was a tape recorder when he needed it?

"I guessss.....That doesn't really solve the problem, though. You know how hard it is to dig out a tree?" Did he know how hard it was to dig out a tree? What did you even need, a big drill or something? "And that's just the basics, there. A lot of work went into that old place."

"Drill out? You mean you move the trees?" Ran really didn't know how this forest-creature business worked! Maybe coming in here was a bad idea..!

"No, no, no." Nack shook his head with a solid put-on of vexation. "You've just gotta hollow 'em out, you know. How else do you think anybody is supposed to live in it? Can't, if there's wood everywhere."

"Oh..." Ran looks up at the sky, blocked out mostly by the branches. "For some reason I thought you guys lived up in the leaves or something..." She nervously smiles to Nack, chuckling a bit. "I guess living in the trunks makes more sense! It's a lot warmer that way, huh?"

Leaves, huh? He hadn't even thought of that, but maybe it made more sense. Too late now.

"It's right cozy," Nack said, and then he shrugged, "Regrettably, I can't stick around to oversee the construction. I'm a busy little homeless tree creature. So you can just call me when you're done, 'right?"

"W-wait! I don't have the tools to--how would I even begin?" Ran sent a look over to the tree. Besides, couldn't she possibly ruin the whole thing?

"I've got faith in you" Nack called back through cupped hands, already putting some distance between them. "I'll check in inna few hours. Don't let me down!"

He couldn't help but grin. The weasel found himself feeling a good mood.

"But...!" She extended an arm. She had no idea where to even start!

...maybe she should see if Shinichi had any idea...