120 E. Houston Brownstone-#4

There have been some additions to the once barren room.  There's a new mattress up against the far wall with new bedding.  An oriental rug covers the scratch marks that Toroki's left on the wooden floor, and there are dishes and a new mini-fridge in the kitchenette area.  There's an old vintage trunk at the foot of the bed that holds spare bedding and Mina's clothing.  Underneath the window that faces south is a pile of borrowed library and textbooks as well as a couple of notebooks and stray papers arranged in a slightly chaotic fashion.  The door to the bathroom faces the window on the north wall, usually firmly closed.

 

*BangBangBangBangBang* "Mina-girl..." Chase singsongs from without. He waits just outside the door, arms dug deep into the pockets of his pants as he waits for her to come to the door. "Come on... I'm double parked."

 

"Hai, coming," Mina calls quickly, checking her backpack once again.  She think that she has everything that she needs.  Slinging the large-framed pack onto her back with an *oof* she heads for the door, rummaging in her pocket for her keys.  Swinging open the door, she doesn't invite Chase in, but instead steps out into the hallway, closing and locking her door behind her.  Her pack isn't that large, all things considered, but it looks to weigh a good 50 pounds or so.  "Let's go cowboy."  There's an invigorating sense of anticipation that wraps itself around the girl, she's been away from the woods for far too long.  "Exactly where are we going again?"  Please don't be one of those sacrificial 'campsites' that let those city dwellers who like to think that they're roughing pull in and set up a tent on a barren patch of ground with their neighbors just a few claustrophobic paces away.

 

Chase draws back a few steps as she comes outside, reaching a hand over to offer to take the pack from her. "Upstate... Someone told me about this place, and I'm trusting his judgment. It's a little bit away from the place I take Anana to when we go riding. /Plenty/ of wilderness to play in. And hopefully the night air won't get to cold for you, sand kitty." He eyes her pack again, considering, "Sure you got enough stuff in there?" Sarcasm. "All your makeup. Hairdryer." More sarcasm. And he leads her away.

Shaking her head and shifting her pack again to a more comfortable position, but not fastening her hip strap, she beams.  'Brilliant.  You're going to eat crow, turtle-boy."  At his comment on her pack, she screws up her features and sticks her tongue out at him.  "Try a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, two-quart bottles of water, a tarp, rope, some food in Ziplocs, extra garbage bags, and a fishing pole."  In case there's a stream.  Oh, and a clean change of undies, but Chase doesn't need to know that.  Letting him lead her down the steps, she grins and adds, "But keep underestimating me, Chase-kun.  It'll make beating you so much easier."

 

Chase flashes her a bright grin as they move out onto the street. And, indeed, the vehicle is double parked. A minivan at that, and not all that recent of a make. He unlocks and opens the passenger side door for her before moving around to the driver's. "Hey, fishing pole. Nice. I haven't got one of those, at least not here in the city." He gestures to the back seat area for her to toss her things. "Now, I don't underestimate you, Mina. I'm hurt that you would say such a thing.  I'm sure you're quite competent when it comes to being outdoors."

 

Mina just pauses at the curbside, eyebrows raised, as she studies Chase's mode of transportation.  "A minivan, Chase?  How... domestic of you."  And yes, now she's sniggering as she tosses her pack into the back seat.  She's got a few more surprises stuffed in that bag of hers as well.  "Hai, a collapsible one.  My parents air-mailed me a lot of my old camping stuff when I mentioned that I was getting away this weekend."  Seems that they're happy she's not becoming an uppity city-slicker due to her time spent in the big city.  Slipping into the front seat and buckling up, she shoots the Genbu a disbelieving smirk.  "And how come I don't believe a word that you've just said?"

 

Chase is rolling his eyes. "Well, when you hotwire a car for a joyride, best not to make that joyride into anything more than a few hours, Mina-girl. I'd have gotten us a fine Jaguar if I knew you were going to start crabbing about my ride. Do you have any idea how much cleaning I had to do, errands I had to run, to be able to get this thing from my grandparents? Want to see my dishpan hands?" He puts the vehicle in drive and starts out. "I'm completely believable. And if I wasn't such a responsible driver, I'd lean over and sock you one on the shoulder. Behave or I'm turning this van around and taking you back home."

 

"Hotwire a car?"  Mina starts to frown disapprovingly as she surreptitiously checks the ignition for keys.  "A Jaguar's not a fit car to take into the mountains.. and how is it you know all about joyriding?"  She glances sidelong at the other teenager.  "And I don't crab," she adds with a sniff, nose turning up in the air.  "So this belongs to dear old grandpapa, huh?"  Settling back into her seat as Chase heads out into the New York traffic, she quirks up her lips.  "Dishpan hands, huh?  Obviously you weren't wearing those pretty floral latex-washing gloves, were you?  You'll get no pity from me.  Though if you'd told me this back at my apartment, I could've given you some lotion for them."  As it is, the closest thing she has it sunscreen, and it's too oily to be really effective at remoisturizing skin.  "Bah, I'd call you a chicken, but the Suzaku might get offended.  Hiding behind being a responsible driver.."  She just shakes her head again, blue curls bouncing.  Chase and responsible are too words she's never really put together.  Though the same could be said about her and the 'r' word.

 

Chase flickers her a glance, chuckling, turning the van out onto one of the more major roads out of the city. "No, but it'd still be fun to drive with. And just imagine how quickly we'd be there." He leans back in the seat, getting comfortable, "You call me a Suzaku and /I'll/ get offended." Best not even to mention those followers anywhere near him. Not unless you want to get an earful about what a bunch of idiots they are. "I am a responsible driver. When I rolled dad's Explorer, I made sure to turn off the ignition before climbing out and walking back to the ranch. See. Responsible."

 

"You still owe me a story of why you made their miko strip, cowboy," Mina notes dryly.  At his mention of rolling the Explorer, she's clutching at the 'oh God' handle above her head, eyes widening as she looks towards the Genbu.  Oh dear Byakko, what has she gotten herself into?  "You're not helping, Chase," she growls low in her throat.  "Just how far away is this campsite, again?"  Because she's going to be praying to the big white cat in the sky every long mile of the roadtrip up.

 

Chase bursts into laugher at her sudden appearance of panic, glancing at her for a moment before eyes return to the road, "No? And here I thought you'd be more reassured. Oh gods, Mina... I'm not going to splatter us all over the road or anything. I swear. And definitely not in this beast." He grins faintly, "Usually more than an hour, but the way traffic is going right now, it could even be less than that." And, yes, once he gets out onto one of the main arteries it doesn't take long at all to leave the city behind.

 

Mina's hold refuses to relax on the handle, which is terribly uncomfortable as all the blood drains from the appendage.  "Yeah, you say that now, turtle-boy.  I'll believe it when we get there in one piece."  In truth, the Genbu's driving isn't that bad, but telling a passenger that you've rolled an SUV with such calmness, as if it's an everyday occurrence, is not a good way to try to generate confidence.  Still, the roads seem to be fairly straight here and she makes herself ease her death grip.  Because there's a fine line between teasing and being rude.

 

Chase is a good boy. He might drive a little over the speed limit, but he isn't about to start whipping in and out of traffic as if this was the Daytona 500. Further along, he takes an exit off of the main road, crossing onto a secondary one along the outskirts of a suburb. "Being a skeptic doesn't become you, Mina-girl." He reaches down into a bag between the seats, blindly groping about, and then tosses what looks to be a chocolate bar in offering at her. That ploy never fails to sweeten Anana up.

 

Ah, but Mina's not Anana.  Still, she releases her grip all together in a reflex as she catches the chocolate with both hands.  "Ah, but that cowboy is the root of all my problems, I'm not skeptical enough," she admits with a rueful smile.  The candy bar is placed in her lap, one hand holding it in place.  She's not really hungry at the moment, but she knows that if they're going to be hiking, there'll come a break in their trek where the chocolate will seem like the most divine thing on earth.

 

Chase grins, making another turn that this time takes them away from the lights of the road, hills and trees closing around them. Residences become a little more rare, and the last convenience store/gas stations was a couple of miles back. "Sure, but you don't have to be one with me. Come on. I get enough of those looks and that tone of voice from the others."

 

"And I'm starting to think that you deserve them," Mina counters with a teasing grin.  "Fine, fine, just no more mentioning rollovers or any other vehicular accidents that you have participated in.  Sheesh, everyone's right.  I should look before I leap."  And in Chase's case, she should have had Lee print out his driving record for her before she agreed to let him drive her anywhere.  Leaning back into the back of her seat, she looks over towards Chase and wonders, "Anou... speaking of the others, how did things go with Brice?  Did you get everything worked out?"

 

Chase is making another turn after some contemplation and a couple of close looks at this intersection and that one. This time, he turns down a dirt track. But while it looks as though it is being maintained, the trees come in all that closer to occasionally brush against the sides or roof of the vehicle. "Speaking of, Brice certainly is going to be working with Lee now, so that'll definitely make things more interesting. Hopefully not for the worse either." His smile broadens for a moment. "Oh yeah. Bonding experience in the dojo where I kicked his arse. Knocked him to the floor. We talked about this and that. Technically, I'm still grounded -whatever that means, but I figured now would be the perfect time to get out of the city and let him cool over this next thing when he finds out." Beat. "Talked to Dylan at all today?"

 

"Brice and Lee'll be working together?"  Mina just blinks, staring over at the Genbu in disbelief.  "Oh dear Byakko, New York's never going to be the same again."  NY's finest?  Turning her attention towards the trees as something that'd been coiled up inside her is released and she watches their sun-speckled route through the encroaching trees with avid anticipation.  "What sort of this and that," she asks curiously, wondering just how much Chase'll share.  As for Dylan, she shakes her head.  "Not today, but I did call him right after I got off the phone with you, to let him know that he probably should change his phone number."  She needs to make her way down her own personal phone list and let the others know as well.  "He... he wants to go after Adrie."  There's another pause, and she adds, "Not for my sake, but for Cat's.  Seems I was the second Byakko that she tried to toy with."

 

"And considering everything with Kenny now... having a couple of cops in the seishi family should even things out -or make stuff really, really awkward." Chase flickers her a glance smile wry, "Oh? You haven't? That means I've got another story for you." And a chance to relay to Mina events as he saw them -completely biased as well to downplay his participation. "Adrie went after Cat too?" Okay, now that causes him to frown slightly. "What'd she do? Give her a head cold or something? Kidnap her too?" This boy clearly has no clue as to what Gouka's other pursuits would be. And it is now when Chase is pulling off onto yet another road, this one just a pair of ruts in the ground that lend to all kinds of jostling. It doesn't take long though for it to end, and he putting the vehicle into park off to the side. "Here we are... well,... besides the walk to wherever we want to go, that is."

 

"Kenny?"  Sheesh, Chase is going to be telling Mina stories way into the wee hours of the morning if he keeps referring to things that she's missing out on.  That's what she gets for sequestering herself in her room when she's not at the university.  "And what's this about Dylan?"  Mina's all but growling and it's lucky that Chase is driving and she's still unsure about just how safe he is, or else he'd be getting a smack in the shoulder.  Byakko and curiosity never mix well.  Look what happened with Malachai.  "I'm not sure, I haven't talked to Cat," Mina admits softly, looking out of the passenger side window briefly.  She's not quite comfortable with talking about Gouka and her powers.  "I heard it from Adrie and Dylan confirmed things."  Turning worried eyes on the Genbu, she adds softly, "You watch out for her, too, Chase.  She has it in for you, and she just as good as revealed that you're an open target now that Lexie's no longer the miko."  Jostling is put up with, and in truth, she's seen worse roads.  With a barely restrained sigh of relief, she opens her door and hops out of the van, spreading her arms wide.  Taking in a deep breath of the pristine, forest air, she spreads her arms wide and flashes a grin over towards Chase.  "Now this I missed!"

 

"Yeah, Kenny. You might have seen his mug get flashed on the TV the last couple of days. The Genbu have got a real convict now for a seishi -the honest to goodness Inami this time. Or, at least it /should/ be. And it's kind of a funny story how I found him. I'm sure you'd appreciate it. And... I'll tell you about Dylan later." So many stories to tell, so little time. As Mina gets out, Chase is rustling around in the van. First Mina's bag gets tossed out, and then his. He climbs out as well, reaching into the back and finally, /finally/ get a chance to shoulder his quiver and bag, and cross his bow over his chest out in the open and in the state of New York -instead of carrying the durn thing around in that long bag. He turns to Mina, smiling at her reaction. It isn't a smile of amusement, but actual happiness at seeing her enjoying the surroundings. "Okay. That pretty much well clinches it. We're heading for the hills more often." He turns about to lock the van tight. You know... hoodlums. He reaches into a pocket to pluck out a map, giving it a single glance, flickering a look up to the sky for a moment, and then he is tucking the map away. That's all he needs to figure out where he is going. "Ready?"

 

Heading over towards her pack and shouldering it easily before fastening the hip-strap so that most of the bags weight rests on her slim hips and not on her small shoulders, Mina frowns at the sight of the bow and arrows.  Okay, she grew up on a ranch and knows all about killing animals for meat and hunting every time September's autumnal harvests began.  But it doesn't mean that she agrees with it.  "Anou, Chase, what's the bow and arrows for?  Gonna pelt some innocent trees?"  Better the forest giants than the creatures that live within their shade.  Oops, did Mina forget to mention that she's a vegetarian?  She eats fish once in a while, but that's a very rare treat indeed, usually only when she's camping.  Taking stock of their location and any landmarks that she can see from their position, she nods her head in affirmative.  "Hai, let's go."

 

"Actually I was planning on going after rocks. Those sneaky things. They just jump right on out at you to trip you. Thought I'd hit a few before they got to us first. It's to show you how to shoot, Byakko." Chase taps the other bow about he chest as well, this one looking a little more lightweight than the other. He frowns at her for a long moment though, before sighing as he comes to conclusions. His smile looks almost resigned, but he is bobbing his head in understanding. "You /do/ still want to learn how to shoot, right? I didn't bring the rifle, and Kenny's got my handgun." He starts off on a north-easterly track, footsteps already finding their way to places on the forest floor that offer the least noise despite the fallen leaves from the autumn previous.

 

"When I said shoot, I meant with guns," Mina confesses as they start out, her progress through the woods almost as stealthy as Chase's, though she has the added weight of her pack to hinder her.  "But I suppose the targeting's similar with a bow as well, ne?"  The light bow is given a skeptical look, but considering the fact that she has no non-magical means of defense, learning to use any weapon's a big improvement.  "And well, Legolas looked hot wielding it in the last Lord of the Rings movie, so I suppose that it's not too bad."  Take that as a yes, Chase.  Slinking up behind him, she makes note of their direction, the sun's positioning helping her determine the general direction if not exact specifics.  "All right, tell me the Kenny story while we hike.  Unless you're thinking of beginning the contest now?"

 

Chase chuckles. "We'll visit a gun club then back at the city, if you want to use a handgun, but I need to at least get mine back from Kenny before then. At least it isn't registered... because if he decided to rob a liquor store with it, I'd be screwed." And then he bursts into laughter, "Saaaa, Legolas jokes again? I'm not some frolicking elf that surfs down stairs on a shield with his girly golden locks flowing behind him." If he gets compared to that Hollywood version of a elf one more time... "See, I was chasing Anana down in Chinatown, you know. I was intending to pay her back for clonking me on the head with that pan. She darted down this alley, I followed her and /wham/... all of a sudden I've got this knife to my throat and this guy is trying to mug me for my clothes."

 

Mina looks happier at the mention of learning to shoot something a lot less wieldy than a bow, no matter how light it is.  "Good, no welching," she adds with a teasing grin, though Chase probably can't see it considering the Byakko's grinning at his back as she follows him through the woods.  Her ears are attuned to the forest sounds and her skin just tingles with the abundance of life, rustling in the undergrowth hinting that a curious fuzzy or two are shadowing the pair.  "And hey, what's wrong with Legolas, Chase?  That's one hot elf.  In fact, I'd take it as a compliment to be compared to him, because he's droolalicious."  Ah, the joys of being a hormone-wracked teenager.  "This is the thug that was passed out on John's couch, ne?  You obviously survived the encounter... but did he succeed in getting your clothes?"

 

Chase rolls his eyes once again, "I'm not a welcher. I'd like to think that by now I'm as good as my word -never mind pink-haired teenagers that smack me on the back of the head to stop me from making it though. Yeah, he is still a little disgruntled about not being able to follow through on that 'rescue'. "Yeah, but I'm not him. Just because I've got myself a bow, and I never miss either... that still doesn't..." He sighs and gives up. "Why can't the girls go more for the scrappy look, than some long-haired girly-men? I swear... it makes it even tougher for me." Brice gets all the longing looks, and it rankles.  "Exactly so. Same thug. We argued, Travis came along, swung a sword at him and he lit up all green like a good and proper Genbu. So, we brought him home and made him glow again. He felt different than John did. More... familiar. Inami the escaped felon."

 

"You could always try to grow your hair long, Chase," Mina teases laughingly.  "I think I remember seeing some prosthetic elf ears down in one of the shops at the village.. and you might look good blond.  Then you wouldn't have any trouble-" Her joke fades away as she's suddenly reminded of something and she quickly turns the conversation towards something less dangerous, less painful.  "So then you've found your Inami?  I'm glad, cowboy.  Means you're a full fighting force then, doesn't it?  We're only a miko away ourselves.  Tatara showed up the other day.  He's a professor at NYU, actually.  Though we didn't have to hit him over the shoulder and see if he lit up like a Christmas tree light."  Yeesh, if that's what they do to their seishi, she's rather glad she's not a member of their twisted faction.

 

"Now you sound like Travis. I /like/ my hair like this." Chase reaches a hand up and combs fingers through the chaos that is his dark locks. "Blonde? Are you insane? Have you ever seen a blonde half-Chinese/half-Sioux? There is a reason there aren't any. Mine actually makes me look different compared to the other Genbu, and I don't have to spend a good hour in the bathroom messing with... Oh, how in the hell did we get on this topic?" Chase mutters, rolling his eyes. Talking about hairstyle in the middle of the forest. So /not/ right. "Yeah, this should be everyone now, and for real this time." He blinks back over to her at the mention of Tatara, looking rather impressed. "Well, hey. That's great. Then maybe Catherine won't have to make up being responsible for the rest of you." The bright grin that follows is pure teasing. He steps over a slight incline, and then smiles with triumph. "How about that?" Finger points to indicate a place a little further off, fairly level and interspersed with trees like the rest. "There should be a pretty good sized stream just past those rocks over there." And if you listen real quietly, you can probably hear it.

 

"Half-Sioux?  Are you serious Chase?  My godfather's full on Cheyenne," Mina keeps up the soft pace of the Genbu, though her breath's coming in soft pants.  It's been a while since she's been out hiking, and unlike the other seishi, she doesn't make frequent trips to dojos to kick other seishi butts, thus she's not as in shape as she'd usually be.  And it shows.  "Admit it," she adds with a giggle, "You're a vain thing, that's how we got on this topic."  Frowning, she narrows her eyes to stare at Chase's back, huffing slightly up the incline.  Must remember to exercise more.  "What do you mean make up for being responsible for.. just what are you implying turtle-boy?  Because I don't think you have room to throw stones, there."  Pausing at the top of the ridge, Mina studies the proposed sight and nods her head in agreement.  "That'll work."

 

Chase flickers her a glance and answers simply, "On my dad's side." His smile warms though, "Amazing how many similarities we seem to have, isn't it?" He teenager is bending over though, reaching down as if doing something on the ground, possibly checking his shoelaces, and then he is coming back up once again. He leans over towards her at the vain comment, making as if to murmur in her ear, "Vain? Me? Hate to see you get a little dirty too." And with that comment, he is making as if to reach over and smear a bit of dirt that is on his finger across her cheek. If it is accomplished or not, he is already darting down towards the slight clearing with a quick bounce to his step.

 

"Rather weird, in fact," Mina blinks, does that mean that she'll be stealing cars next.  Oi.  What a thought.  As the dirt's smeared on her cheek, she frowns and would go racing after the Genbu, but there's that pack on her back.  So she'll pace towards their campsite slowly and shrug out of the bag, and /then/ she'll attack.  "Low blow, turtle-boy.  You're so going down," she adds with a growl, going after Chase with amazing lightness, her body still readjusting to not having an extra 50 pounds weighing it down.

 

Chase is dropping his own bag, and moving to pull both of the bows from around his back. He reaches over as well to unstop the quiver in the time it is apparently taking Mina to slowly make her way down the hill. Guess she should have ate that chocolate bar to get all of that extra energy? Another bit of heckling begins to form on his lips as he turns to look at Mina, only to find the young woman launching at him. An almost delighted grin alights upon his features soon after the one of amazement that she actually is going to carry through. Unable to restrain a chuckle, he tries to twist away from her, only to have his foot catch in the strap of that quiver he just put down, which is enough to distract him for a moment.

 

Mina's not lacking in energy, or at least not yet.  And thus, while he's distracted by a foot in the quiver strap, she's snaking out evil fingers to tickle him.  Because she knows that tickling is his Achilles heel, and she'll make use of that information every chance she gets.  "Cry uncle, and I may go easy on you.  Otherwise, it's going to be bad," she threatens with a grin, needing to just let go of life back in the city and soak up the calming presence of the woods around her.

 

Chase's green-irised gaze flickers down to his foot to shake it free, only to have in the meantime the worst fate imaginable happen to him. Tickling. "Mina!" he gasps, eyes already lighting up at the situation as he watches her with disbelief. His hands are reaching down to try to ward her off as he bursts into laugher. He pushes forward into her, only to have his foot still catch on that durn strap. Oi. First he couldn't wait to get that thing on him, now he can't seem to be rid of it.

 

Mina's pushed into, hard to get away when you're focusing on tickling someone, and then pushed down as she loses her footing, landing on her butt with a thud.  "Hey, pushing's no fair," she grumbles, at least the loamy earth is a lot softer than concrete, but there's laughter in her eyes as she watches the Genbu and his struggles.  "Problem there, cowboy?  Are you sure you're a good tracker, you seem to get tangled up in things rather easily."

 

Chase does his level best to look scandalized, or something awfully close to that as he tugs down on his shirt. He hopes about upon one foot for a moment before managing to pull his heel free from the strap. And what does he do while she lays there. Instead of offering a hand up, he moves as if to actually stand over the young woman... and then there is the intent sit on her. "Only when I'm being distracted by a girl with wandering fingers. Shame."

 

"You make it sound so bad, Chase-kun," Mina sweatdrops as she looks down at the soft earth in front of her.  Hrm, turnabout's fair play.  Especially when she's suddenly squished by a Genbu in her lap!  Grabbing for a handful of dirt, she makes to shove it down the collar of his shirt, sprinkling a liberal amount on herself in the process.  No one ever said camping was a clean form of entertainment.  Good thing there's a stream nearby.  If she's lucky, they're be a pool there too.  "And my fingers didn't wander," she adds with a prim sniff, now that her revenge is complete and pushes at the other teenager.  "Off.. you're heavy!  Too much junk food, methinks."

 

Chase cringes as now it is dirt finding its way under his clothes. "Ahhhhh!" Shoulders hitch upwards, head comes down and he makes a rather good impression of a genuine turtle for a moment there before he is rolling off of her with a chuckle. Laying upon his back on the ground, arms and legs spread eagle, he looks up at the canopy far above, "Hey, don't blame me for that. If everyone else has garbage in their fridge, that's their fault. Not mine." He plucks a leaf from something, balls it up and throws it at her. "Distraction is something that can be baaaaaaad in certain situations. Remind me to show you that when I teach you to use a bow."

 

Raising a brow at Chase's comment, she laughs.  "What're going to do to distract me?  Pop up and say 'boo'?"  Giggling at the thought, she leans back herself, propping herself up on her elbows as she stares about the wilderness around them once again.  She'd missed this, the open air, the security of the trees that loom above them, and the easy camaraderie that one finds when there's nothing else about but nature in all her glory.  "I suppose we should get up an make camp," she notes idly, looking over at the Genbu in hopes that he comes up with a good excuse not to.  Because she's disinclined to move at the moment.

 

Chase laughs, his voice answering in something of a drawl, "There are ways. Trust me." His head turns to the side, a few dry leave pieces having found a fine nestling place in his hair, "I suppose... we could do that." Although, seeing as he noticed that she isn't moving to fast, he isn't going to move either. He chuckles at the look on her face, eyes glimmering in amusement at their lack of enthusiasm.

 

"A little bit of a rest couldn't hurt, though, could it," Mina offers up casually.  She's not really that lazy.  Unfit, yes.  Lazy, not normally.  "And you can entertain me by telling me what you meant by asking if'd I'd called Dylan today."  Because darn it, now they're out of her service area.  "Did you happen to call him, then?"  Waggling her hiking boots backwards and forwards idly, she lifts her face towards the sun as it suddenly breaks through the shadowed canopy above them, the end of her braid trailing in the dirt and leaves behind her.  Casting a sidelong glance over towards Chase, she giggles and notes, "You have something in your hair, Chase-kun."  And she'll watch to see if he really is a vain thing.

 

Chase must resist temptation... Must resist temptation. Durn it. He is forever a sucker for temptation, no matter the form. And so he is reaching up to pick fingers through his hair. "Hrm?... Oh yeah. That... that would also be the reason I bumped up our trip to so soon." All the better to get out of town and let tempers cool. "You know, I mentioned Kenny, right? Well, we need to get him a new ID, but we needed the cash, right? Costs a lot to get a professional fake ID, and I know this guy who is real good at that. Anyway, so Kenny suggests a way to get some money, and I'm not about to have him just leave on his own, right? I mean, we just found him. Not about to lose him. So, I tag along. And we get to Central Park... and there is Dylan. In the park, the middle of the night. And we... ask him for money." Something like that.

 

"See, you are vain," Mina teases, watching him pluck the leaves out of his dark hair.  "In fact, I'd go as far as to call you a girly boy."  And isn't that a ego-bruiser?  Closing her eyes as she enjoys the sun and listens to the Genbu's story, her brow starts furrowing.. and then her lashes flick open as she just /stares/ at the other seishi.  "Oh great Byakko," she whispers, horrified.  "Please, please, please tell me that you didn't ask in a 'not-really-asking-but-robbing' sort of way."  No wonder Chase is hiding out here with her.  "And you left Kenny to deal with the fallout, didn't you?  You truly are a chicken, Chase.  Hrm, wonder how you'd look with a big bunch of red feathers plastered all over you."

 

Chase would very much like to blend in with the background right now. "Hey now, I suggested that we mug a drug dealer, but he didn't like that idea for some reason. And there was Dylan and... well, you should have seen Dylan's face when he ended up in the turtle pond, soaking wet. I'll bet you would have loved to have seen that." Yes, must change the mien of the conversation. He is blinking though at her words. "You didn't just say what I thought you said..." First girly boy and then... red feathers. She just loves to hit his buttons, eh? He is rolling over and immediately scrambling after her. "Mina!" Leaves in hand, revenge in his eyes.

 

Dylan in a turtle pond.  Mina can't help but laugh.  Yes, she would've loved to have seen that.  "You're going to be in so much trouble when he catches up with you, cowboy," is all she'll say on that.  And she's sure that the other teenager'll deserve everything Dylan does in retaliation.  Because Chase's a bad, bad boy.  Shrieking as Chase scrambles towards her, she rises and races behind a nearby stand of trees before crouching down suddenly and moving through the underbrush, trying to be a silent as possible as she attempts to circle around the campsite.  And thus begins Tracking 101.

 

"Yeah, he threatened to tell Setsuna." And Chase has being doing his level best to avoid him. He has a pretty good idea that quite a few lectures are in his future, and the more he stays away from that one, the longer he'll have to sit through them. He climbs to his feet, leaves being tossed to the ground with a growl. He bellows out, "No power use, Mina-girl!" Seeing as with his experience with the Byakko, they start using their powers at the drop of a hat. "And when I catch you... you are so mine."

 

No power use?  Not fair, it's her power use that gives her the edge in the forest.  But considering that Chase's a chi detector, it'd probably be like sending up a flare anyway.  Slinking back through the underbrush, she places each foot carefully.  She'd do better if she'd worn her leather moccasins, but she hadn't exactly planned on their tracking challenge taking on this form.  Ears primed for any change in the forest sounds around her, she carefully makes her way further into the woods, casting quick glances around her to check the position of the shadows and the many landmarks that mark her path.

 

Chase waits for a moment, reaching down into one of the packs to take a drink from the canteen.  Once sufficiently hydrated -or just waiting so that she actually has a bit of time to get away to make the game a little more fun and challenging- he stretches once and then slips off into the woods as well. His gaze flickers over the area, footsteps carefully placed as he moves quickly over the ground to perch upon a rocky outcropping near the rather wide stream.

 

Slinking further away, crouching low and watching the placement of her feet, Mina makes her way further into the woods.  She's used to the ground being a bit harder, not so loamy, so she winces slightly as a partial print is left in her wake.  Perhaps Chase'll overlook it.  And perhaps turtles will fly.  Stepping back on the print, placing her foot exactly over the indenture, she back steps and doubles back on her original path, circling around until she's following it back but more to the left.  She briefly considers heading back towards the stream and letting the water wash away her trail.  Or heading towards the rocky outcropping that's just east of her position.

 

Chase remains upon the rocks by the stream for another moment, gaze drifting over the area as he tries to listen for more than just the bubbling of the stream. "Come out! Come out! Wherever you are?!" Sing-song. Okay, that's enough time spent just messing around, communing with nature. He moves back at a line towards where he last saw Mina dart off, gaze flicking from the ground and back over to scan the distance. Noting that no leaves have been overturned, he simply moves in the direction he last saw her move, remaining as quiet as possible while he listens for her.

 

Veering east, it seems that Mina's going to head towards the rocky outcropping.  It's slow going, she's careful not to leave any other telltale markers of where she's heading, slipping easily under a branch.  Whereas the forest birds would give away a normal mortal's position, they mask the slight rustling as her jacket brushes against a bush.  Slipping easily over an overgrown log, it's some minutes later that she finds herself at the base of the granite outcropping.  Beginning the climb, she follows a fissure line in order to shadow her ascent as well as wedging herself inside it to minimize her chances of falling.  It's not a big outcropping, no higher than a three or four story building, and there's a ledge halfway up with a crevice that looks promising.

 

Chase continues along a little further, until finding that mark in the earth. That rather obvious mark in the dirt and those others that follow it. The boy rolls his eyes, stifling a grin. He looks on after the direction of where those slight footprints were to have gone, but instead moves the other way. He waits for a moment, listening for any silence of the woodland creatures, but isn't quite sure that'll happen with someone like Mina and her... talents. Any grin from before is now a smirk, starting back towards the east as well.

 

It's a good thing that Mina doesn't know how easily Chase bypassed her first trick.  Slipping up over the ledge with a grunt, she cocks her head, not sure if the sound was heard or not?  Although the forest creatures don't react to her presence, they indicate his and the fact that he seems to be heading in her direction.  Backing into the small crevice and crouching down like a fearful kitten, she just waits, cocking her head and listening to the Genbu's progress.

 

And the sound of silencing critters is about the only way Mina would hear Chase, as each and every step is picked out with careful intent -and as few leaves or sticks to crackle. If only there were more pine trees out here. Eventually, he is making his way back towards the rocks, booted feet stepping atop them. The boy frowns for a moment, eyes narrowing as he scans the horizon. Briefly, he considers another taunt, but the glimmer in his eyes at the thrill of the chase is more than enough for him at the moment. He stands just shy of the ledge Mina was just upon, considering. "Where..."

 

Mina's heart thuds painfully in her chest, but she makes a conscious effort to keep her breathing slow and shallow as Chase hovers so close.  She closes her eyes, letting her hearing pick up where her sight leaves off as she listens to the soft rustling of his clothing below her.  Her muscles are relaxed, but the position's not the most comfortable one, and thus all she can do is pray that the Genbu moves quickly onward.

 

Chase makes a circuit of the rocky area, eyes trained down at the ground and a little ways off to try to find where she might have gone to, and is apparently not finding  a damn thing.  The teenager turns about and begins to scale up the rocky outcropping and on the opposite side of where Mina is perched as quietly as possible. Making his way to the top, he crouches up there for a long moment, hoping the long shadows of the day are good enough to keep him from standing out against the horizon. Again, a scowl at the lack of success. He reaches over to pick up a stray pebble and toss it out into the trees in frustration.

 

Will. Not. Giggle.  Mina needs to keep repeating that darn mantra in her head, especially after hearing the pebble whistle over her head and thud dully in the trees beyond.  A few birds raise an offended clatter at the audacity of the human to be tossing projectiles at them.  What did they ever do to him?  Wincing as her crouched position causes the circulation in her legs to weaken, and thus she can feel the fact that they're slowly falling asleep, she silently urges Chase to go away.  Go.  Shooo.

 

Chase considers for another longer moment, sighs and then looks off in the direction of where he saw those tracks of hers. "Maybe she is that dumb..." Ah well. He bounds his way back down the rocks and to the foot of them again, and then the boy starts off in that direction.

 

Hey!  Mina'd protest, but she's winning.  Waiting until she judges that he's far enough away for her to slip out of her hiding place, she wiggles out and then groans.  Oi... pins and needles everywhere.  Ouch.  Ouch.  Slipping down the outcropping, she pads her way back to their campsite and pulls out her tarp and the rope, beginning to set up camp.  And then she'll just wait for Chase to return.

 

And it will be a very, very long time before the boy actually does return. Sundown. When he is forced back by the lengthening shadows and encroaching evening. He doesn't look all that happy, and even a little bit worried at not having found her. "Flashlight. Maybe some..." he is murmuring, trotting back towards the campsite area. But it is the sound of life at where they last left their packs that has him hesitating, frowning, and then breaking into a run towards there.

 

Cocking her head, Mina turns from where she's setting up a fire ring and arranging the kindling to grin towards the Genbu.  "Chase-kun, what kept you," she asks innocently, their campsite mostly arranged.  Sauntering over towards the other teenager, she taps a finger against her chin.  "Anou... get lost cowboy?"  At least she doesn't have to worry about undressing him.  "Now hrm, what was it you were saying about me being that dumb?"  Eyes twinkling, she turns back towards their campsite and makes her way back towards the ring of rocks.  The Byakko's already cleared an area around the small ring of stones, and she picks up another slim twig as she kneels before the setup.  Fishing out the waterproof matches from her pocket, she strikes it against a rough rock and lights the strategically placed paper.  "Hungry?"

 

Chase blinks at the sight of Mina, and then almost seems to sigh with relief. Nope, won't say anything about being worried about her welfare. Features are immediately schooled into something of a wry grin, not looking quite so smug as before. "Looking for you, obviously. You were a lot better then I thought, admittedly." He reaches over as if to tousle her hair before continuing on towards the fire ring, crouching down near to it, "What?... No dinner. And here I was away long enough for you to not only have made it, but a four-course one at that."

 

"Nothing doing," Mina shakes her head at the hair tousle, but at least she doesn't have to worry about him mussing her hair.  Braids are good things.  "I set up camp, so that means that you get to cook, cowboy."  She flashes him a wicked grin as she places another, larger log on the small fire, encouraging it to grow.  "Looking for me?"  Laughter dances in her eyes as she turns and baps the Genbu on the nose with a finger.  "What did I tell you about underestimating me this morning, Chase?  Just because I can't track worth beans in the city doesn't mean that I'm helpless in the country."

 

Chase rolls his eyes as he draws his legs around to sit cross-legged, forearms resting upon his knees, "Yes, looking for you. Wasn't that the whole point of this? Obviously... I'm getting a little rusty or something." And he is looking awfully worried about that too. He sighs dramatically, speaking as he does so, "Suppose that means I'm going to have to start laying off all of the messing around I've been doing and get back to business again." He doesn't look all that happy about it, but there are still priorities to be had here. "Yeah. Yeah. I get the picture. I won't underestimate you any more, Mina-girl."

 

Mina hands a light, aluminum frying pan towards Chase.  "Cook boy."  She's slightly offended at the fact that her winning the contest means that Chase assumes that he's rusty.  Hrumph.  And here she was just thinking that she was the better of the two.  Adding another log to the fire, she leans back and watches the orange flames entranced, sparks rising ever so often like fireflies dancing within the smoke.  "There's a can of beans in my pack, and some fried tofu.  You're welcome to share unless you brought something?"

 

Chase arches her a glance at the pan, but really doesn't mind it. He can cook, when the need strikes him. "Beans?" There doesn't sound like a whole lot of enthusiasm in his voice. "Just because we're camping doesn't mean we have to go completely traditional." Beans. Rolling his eyes, he leans to the side to drag his bag over to him, rummaging inside, and then coming up with... chili! No, actually he is dropping a bag of marshmallows and graham crackers to the side, and then pulling out a bag filled with complete potatoes. They were supposed to go with some rabbit, but somehow he thinks that isn't going to happen on this trip. "Fresh is best."

 

"Hey, I like beans," Mina grouses, but she's not turning down fresh potatoes.  Yum.  And marshmallows.  Crawling over toward the bag, she tears a small opening in it and takes out a white, fluffy confection and pops it into her mouth, chewing delightedly.  "All right, I forgive you," she decides magnanimously.  After all, you can't be mad at someone who brings two-thirds of the ingredients for s'mores?  Letting Chase take care of the cooking, she presses her back up against a strategic log and wonders, "All right, you owe me stories.  I know about Kenny.  And Dylan now."  Sheesh, baka seishi.  Only, she's forgotten what other stories he owes her are.  Sigh.

 

Chase isn't about to bring out the chocolate yet. He already gave her one chocolate bar, and he doesn't want the rest disappearing before they get a chance to make them. He squints at her for a moment, does his best to look foreboding, and then pushes the marshmallow back to the other side of him. He pulls out a knife and begins slicing potatoes, skin and all, and then dropping them into the pan that is pushed over the fire. "When I managed to make the Suzaku no miko strip? I think that is the other one you are searching for. Sure you want to hear it?"

 

Wah!  The marshmallows are on the other side of Chase.  Briefly she ponders actually climbing over the seishi for the pure sugar puffs.  "Hai, that's the one, cowboy.  And yeah, I want to hear it.  Even if it supports my theory that you're a hentai in disguise."  Or perhaps it's just the other teenager has Lee to raise the bar when it comes to defining exactly what it is to be 'hentai'.  Looking over at the dark haired seishi, she teases, "Admit it, you just wanted to sneak a peek."

 

Chase scowls, threatening Mina with a potato slice. "Don't even compare me to him." Alas, slice is dropped onto the pan to burn with all of the others. He considers a moment, and then reaches over for Mina's can of beans, opens it with the knife and then pours the contents into the pan as well. That'll work. "Last lifetime. Only, I wasn't really alive at the time. You know, spirit form, although maybe you don't..." He flickers her a considering glance for a moment, and then shrugs his shoulders. "Anyway, it's like this, Hikitsu and I were dead and all, but we remained behind to guard the shinzaho. As spirits. It was... it was just something that we had to do, to protect it -in the temple. I suppose you could say we were there awhile, keeping raiders and such scum from trying to get it. Over two-hundred years, I suppose." His smile is faint and he does his best to downplay it. "Now, things can get awfully boring in that amount of time, with just Hikitsu as companionship -and the occasional raider to dissuade. Remember it is me... and Brice... for two /hundred/ years. In a temple on the top of a snow-covered mountain. Alone. Boring."

 

"Yeah, yeah, excuses," Mina mock-frowns.  "Guarding the shinzaho... as spirits?  Anou, Chase-kun, what the heck did you do to tick Genbu off so?"  Good thing that Suzuno's shinzaho is lost and... ooh, she so doesn't want to go there.  Shaking her head, she forces herself to return to a lighter subject.  The evening's going so well.  "And why was Brice stuck with you, too?  He must've really made the great turtle god mad."  Pulling her knees up to her chest and clasping her hands in front of her ankles, she prompts the boy to continue, "And... ?"

 

Chase laughs, giving the pan a good jostle to move the contents around. "Not quite, Mina. We did it willingly, Hikitsu and I. It was just... something that needed to be done." His smile actually grows a little fond for a moment there before it disappears and he is continuing on, "Anyway, I'm sure you've got the picture now. So, this one day, guess who should show up on our doorstop but those idiot Suzaku, wanting the shinzaho. So, we run them the whole spirit act, basically make them look like idiots for even trying to get past us. Because that is what they are... idiots. Anywho, Miaka tries to convince us that she is the Suzaku no miko. So, to make her prove it.. I... sort of made her strip and then I froze her solid." Wait for the reaction.

 

"Something that needed to be done?"  Despite herself, Mina casts a look of respect towards Chase, because she can't help but respect that level of commitment, of duty.  And yeah, she can see Tomite being a real pain in the Suzaku backside and getting his jollies from it.  "You /what/?!?!?!"  Gaping, whatever respect she had for the Genbu goes flying out the window.  He almost had her convinced that he was a good seishi.  Though she's one to talk.  But that's this lifetime.  In the past, Amefuri was a /good/ seishi.  Picking up a handful of dead leaves, she tosses them towards the other teenager.  "Sheesh Chase.  You couldn't be happy sneaking a peek, but you had to freeze her for posterity, too?  Yeah, definitely hentai."

 

"Watch it! You'll get that in the food," Chase gasps, turning his head to the side as the majority litter across his hair and shoulder, but thankfully the pan is left clear of more 'greens' for the diet. "The whole point was to freeze her, Byakko. But... there is nothing against a little entertainment, and Hikitsu never said no." He snickers though, "And that girl actually did it. She also broke out of the ice too, proving herself. So, we gave her the shinzaho, and that released Hikitsu and me to finally rest only..." *growl* "The woman could barely step outside of the damn doors when she is already loosing the thing. Two-hundred years in there and she can't even keep a hold of it for five minutes." Now /that/ rankles. "Nothing like seeing your after-life's work blown to smithereens by that miko." Any wonder he dislikes the Suzaku so?

 

"Loses it," Mina repeats, starting to fall into her retarded parrot habit.  "As in dropped it down a crevice or something?"  Remind her never to get on the wrong side of the Genbu.  Sheesh, having to break out of giant ice cubes just to prove yourself.  Shivering from just her imagination, she clasps her hands around her ankles again and studies the other teenager.  "Well, who was the goof who gave her the shinzaho in the first place, huh?  You guys coulda pretended that it was gone, or something."  Course they might have gotten sick of each other after two hundred years... "Anou, Chase, is the food ready yet?  Because I'm starving."

 

"A dog showed up and took it from her, neat as anything. Stupid Suzaku," Chase mutters. He gives the pan another good shake and then removes it from the fire, the contents steaming away and the potatoes looking well and browned with a few burnt spots here and there on them. Perfect! "All done! They needed it to summon and... Oh, whatever. They're still idiots. Well, except maybe for Hiroshi. He is pretty cool. And Nuriko. We have plans for a poker game soon. But that is about it."

 

"Tasuki's not too bad either," Mina adds.  "Though he needs to think before he opens that big mouth of his."  Course at least all he does is talk.  She actually needs to think before she oh... goes to check up on the enemy to see if they're doing okay.  Sigh.  Still, hard to beat oneself up too much when there's food, and so she rises and brushes stray leaves off her jeans before joining Chase by the chow.  "Mmm, looks good," she takes a deep breath, letting the scent of the beans and potatoes start the salivating process.  Somehow eating out under a star filled sky makes the meal all that much more appreciated.  "Anou... forks..."  And sigh, so there is something that Mina forgot to bring.  "Do you happen to have utensils?"

 

"Aaaaah, Tasuki is one of the worst. I heard he is around... I wonder if he has met up with Brice yet," Chase muses aloud. He sets the pan down on the dirt between them, shoots Mina a wry grin, and then leans back and around to reach into his pack and produce a little store-bought box of plastic flatware. Side is opened and he plucks out a fork, and then offers her the little box as well. "Very good. And if you eat all of your dinner, little girl, I'll let you have desert. S'mores." He delves his fork into the mixture to take a bite. "So. Your turn to tell a campfire story."

 

Mina plucks out another fork and hands the box back to Chase.  Taking a bite of the warm beans and potatoes, she smiles happily.  Divine.  And there's s'mores at the end to boot.  The mention of 'campfire story' has her pausing guiltily as she looks over at the other seishi, licking her lips worriedly.  "Anou... did I say I'd tell a story, cowboy?  Funny, I don't remember that being part of the deal."  She has to forcibly relax her hold on the plastic utensil else she might break it in half as she stares at the dark-haired teenager.  There's a reticence in her demeanor, and she all but exudes the fact that she's hiding something from the Genbu.  "Why ruin a lovely meal with erm... stories?"

 

Chase is happily enjoying the food as well. Sure, it would taste so that much more better with a little meat in it. Oh, the things he must sacrifice... "Oh, come on. I can't sit here and gab away about this story and that one. I'm running out of the good ones. Unless you want to hear about the time Brice and I went out and got tattoos. Although, now I don't have it anymore. Stupid gods.... Hey, maybe you can help me pick out a new tattoo to get. Brice didn't like the other one I got... or maybe I could get you to..." Okay, better to leave that unsaid. He pokes the plastic fork at her, smile as crooked as ever. "Don't look at me like that, and you do look like you've got something to spill. Come on, Mina-girl. Speak."

 

"Tattoo?"  Mina's nose wrinkles slightly, she's never been a fan of body art, although Kai has a rather interesting Chinese dragon on his arm.  Backing away, she shakes her head.  Okay, backing away and then scooting forward again, because hey, there's food.  And it's perfect the way it is, sans the carcasses of dead animals.  Her fork keeps dipping as she frowns at the Genbu.  "No tattoos for this kitty.  Perhaps Cat?"  Because the Subaru in the past might just've been up for getting one.  Trying to switch the subject, because darn it, she's revealed herself, Mina shakes her head.  "What sort of tattoo did you have anyway?  And why wouldn't Brice like it - I thought he got one too?"  And ooh, is the line of questioning working as a distraction technique?

 

"Yeah. Brice and I went out drinking, and then I showed him the Pink Pussycat. Reese showed that place to me to begin with and let me tell you this. That woman might be an oni, but she can sure wear leather well." But, yes, back to the distracting topic. "Oh, it was right here." And the teenager shifts. He leans back a bit, flattening out somewhat so he can pull up his shirt a little and then push down the waistline of his pants. Gee, Mina is going to sure get an eyeful of skin now. Skin in some rather scandalous places at that. "Right here." And he taps at the front of his hipbone. "I think it hurt, but I don't remember because I had quite a bit of alcohol in me at the time. It was a pair of women's lips. I thought it was a great idea at the time. Remember, I was drunk." As if that will excuse things. "It was great fun, although Brice had to carry me home." He sets his fork to the side, apparently full of beans and potatoes. "But no, come on now. Speak. You look like you've got plenty to say."

 

"Pink Pussycat?  What's that?  Some sort of clothing shop?"  Mina's never been there, and never even heard of the place.  "Sounds interesting.  Think I'd find something there?"  Any place with the name 'pussycat' in it has her vote of confidence.  But all thoughts of the store are blanked from her memory as Chase's pulling down bits of clothing to reveal... his hipbone.  Eyes widening, she flushes and starts focusing on the food more intently.  Oh, look at that oddly sliced potato bit!  So much safer than Genbu who is far too comfortable around her.  "Women's lips, huh?  Why am I not surprised, cowboy."  And now Chase can let that waistband of his spring back to where it's supposed to be, because darn it, he's not supposed to be flashing her.  At least not without a weasel as an excuse.  It's that flash of skin that has Mina off balanced enough to mention the former Yin no miko, though.  "I spoke with Rathan, Chase... and Lexie.. Lexie's not coming back.  Ever."

 

Chase chuckles faintly, shaking his head from side to side, "I'm not about to show you that place, Mina. I've gotten into trouble for quite a few things before... but I'd get shipped out of town if I showed you that place. Sorry. Maybe some time though." That and he'd really rather not have Rathan reap the benefits of her education. But yes, he is releasing his shirt and such, instead reaching over to bring out the marshmallows and crackers, and then pluck out the chocolate from his bag. Reaching for a likely stick, he whittles the end sharp, passing it to Mina... and then does the same for another stick for him. "Yeah. I've pretty much well figured that," Chase responds with something of a sigh. "I haven't found anything... and with what you told me before -I hope she's making a good life for herself now. It's all right though. We had fun, but... if she is free of the Yin, then I'm happy for her. And I couldn't wish better for her."

 

Frowning and cocking her head to the side, Mina pouts prettily.  "Demo.. why not, Chase?  And why would you get shipped out of town?"  She's confused, but she lets the matter drop because ooh... there's chocolate.  She'd forgotten about the bar he'd tossed towards her before.  Yay, s'mores!  She'll just ask Rathan about the shop.  He dresses pretty trendy, so he'd probably know it.  Her appetite diminishes as she blinks at Chase's response.  Hesitantly, she broaches the subject.  "Anou... Chase, you know what happens to the onisenshi if they ever turn their back on their gods, right?"

 

Chase impales a marshmallow with the stick, and then sticks it out over the fire to get promptly set on fire. Best when burnt. He lets it char for a bit before blowing it out. A few puffs to the remains and then he is plucking it off to shove into his mouth. "Ohhhhhh, hooooot." Hard to say when your mouth is full. Breathing around the marshmallow, he finally chews and swallows, much to his delight. Yum. Okay, so another goes on the stick, this time to be carefully browned. "Because... Oh, just forget it. I'll take you there if you ever want to get a tattoo. Or you can go with me to help pick me out a new one." Carefully turning his stick, he flickers a look to Mina. "Hrm? I don't know... They are onisenshi, they're kind of are necessary to summon their god. You aren't talking about Lex, are you?" His voice darkens just the slightest. "You said they released her so... she is released."

 

It's not fair that Chase gets to enjoy the marshmallows, especially the burnt kind and Mina has to be stuck with the nasty business of bursting the Genbu's bubble.  "They die, Chase," she states simply.  "It's why I've never tried to convert Rathan, never tried to seduce him away from his god.  Because the Yin gods aren't forgiving, they don't appreciate their 'blessings' to be turned against them."  Rising from her position, she goes to settle right next to the other seishi, placing one consoling hand on his arm.  "Chase... when I called you, I'd forgotten.  I didn't know... but the same thing holds true for the miko."

 

Chase frowns slightly, flickering her an almost confused glance through the overhanging fringe of his hair. "I never asked for her to leave her gods. Never. She told me that they gave her reason, just as I gave her..." He is trailing off though, his words loosing substance until they disappear completely. Stick holding the marshmallow droops so that the treat on the end inevitably catches fire, but his attention really isn't on that at the moment. His voice finally returns, reluctant, "Mina... you aren't saying that Lexie is dead, are you?"

 

"The Yin gods don't let their own go, Chase.  They'd rather kill them first and start all over."  Mina can't bring herself to actually state that Lexie's dead, not in such a cold fashion, and so she lets the Genbu come to the conclusion himself.  Instead, she wraps her arms around him in a gentle hug and just holds him in a comforting embrace, letting her actions and her inferences speak for themselves.  "Chase, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I should have realized earlier... I should never have told you... Gomen ne, Chase, gomen ne."

 

Chase stills at her words once more, that frown from before softening until there is absolutely no line to his lips other than deadpan. But it is his eyes that show the majority of what is lurking within, staring blankly at the fire before closing to shut everything out. His head bows forward, long bangs overshadowing his face despite the odd lighting from their campfire. "It never... I mean, I thought about it once, but I didn't want to think about it again. I wanted her to be alright."

 

Mina snugs him tight, holding on and rubbing his back with one of her hands.  She doesn't say anything, just stares at the other seishi worriedly as she offers him her silent comfort, her silent support.  It's a long moment before she whispers softly, "There's a lot of us who wanted her to be alright, Chase."  Biting her lower lip as she leans her head on his shoulder, she murmurs gently, "I'm... I'm sorry that I'm the one who had to tell you.  I... she was my friend, too," she adds huskily, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.

 

"Someone is going to have to tell her family. She talked about them to me quite a bit. She's got a pretty big extended family. And Benito. I'm assuming Rathan is taking care of him. If he doesn't want to, I'll take the dog. I always got along well with him," Chase mutters, rambling slightly. As he speaks though, a hardness begins to grate into his tone, imbuing the words with an almost edged quality. He grows silent again though, simply dropping the stick in the fire and then giving Mina a pat on the knee as if in reassurance. "Don't be sorry. At least I know now."

 

As Chase's voice changes, as it becomes harder, Mina leans back to stare at the Genbu, the worry evident in her stormy eyes.  "Chase," she whispers softly, uncertain.  "Are you... are you really..."  She doesn't know how to put her question into words.  In fact, words were never her forte, and she was never able to use them properly, make them work for her in situations where they're needed the most.  Instead she gently places one hand over his.  "I.. perhaps you should talk to Rathan about contacting her next of kin.  And about Benito."  Because Rath doesn't have much use for animals.  Her heart just thuds dully in her chest and she tightens her hold on the other seishi's hand.

 

Chase finally opens his eyes again, but doesn't quite seem to be seeing anything in the immediate area. "Tell Rathan that if he finds a talisman, that I'd like to have it. Her father's spirit is bound against its will to it, and if there is one thing I hated most, it was that damn thing. I want it destroyed."  He seems to take a moment to gather himself together, a long and shuddering breath that Mina can more than likely feel. The next breath is a bit more smooth, resolve now showing itself. His hand slips from hers, and the teenager is pushing himself to his feet.

 

"Hai, Chase," Mina replies softly.  She remembers seeing the spiritual servant when Lexie was doing laundry, thus she has an inkling of what the Genbu's talking about.  She just holds onto him as he collects himself, lets him silently know that she shares his pain, if only in a small degree.  She rubs a hand across his shoulder blades in soothing circular motions, halting only when the other teenager pulls his hand from hers and stands up.  Rising tentatively after him, she blinks nervously, "Chase-kun...?"  That look of resolve has her worrying.

 

Chase moves over, giving his pack a firm kick to knock it over. He is then rummaging inside, the jingle of metal briefly sounding as keys are removed. "I'm headed back to the city," he mutters. "I know you can take care of yourself out here, so I'll send someone back for you tomorrow. Give them directions. Have a few s'mores for me." In one smooth movement, he is picking up his bow and the strap at his quiver, turning about, and moving as if to leave the camp.

 

"No you're not," Mina counters, moving to stand in front of the Genbu.  "You made a promise to me, and you're going to live up to it.  No welching, remember," she uses her chin to gesture towards the other light bow.  "And you're not abandoning me here alone."  Crossing her arms, she looks stubborn, her chin jutting out.  "And Chase," she adds softly.  "I don't think you should be going back, not just yet.  Don't do anything impulsive, please."  She still remembers his words about living fast and dying young.  Reaching out a hand to touch one of his wrists, she turns her worried bluey-green gaze upwards to look at the other teenager.  To plead.  "Please."

 

Chase would typically be swayed by such a feminine look, unable to resist such. But this time is way, way different. "I need to go back. Now. Please, move." He moves to slip his wrist from her hand, only to drop the keys to the van in the palm of her hand. So, instead, he checks his bearings and strikes off in another direction. "Keep the van then. I'll head for the road."

 

"Damn it, Chase," Mina counters, stuffing the keys into the front pocket of her jeans as she makes to jog after him.  Only, there's the fire.  Sighing, she dumps the bucket of water that she'd set aside for just that purpose on the flames and stirs the slush around with a stick to make sure that she doesn't accidentally leave an ember burning.  But being responsible means that she's a good fifteen minutes behind the Genbu.  Good thing he's not trying to hide his trail.  But to make sure she doesn't lose his track, she summons up a timber wolf and uses him to help track the other seishi.  "Damn it, Chase," she calls out again.  "What're you going to do, walk back to the city?"  Yeah, now she knows that he's not thinking clearly.  "You big, flipping idiot," she growls, keeping up her long jogging stride.  "I knew you were more good looks than brains, but you don't have to reinforce the idea..."

 

Chase could have got rid of that fire with hardly a thought, but seeing as it preoccupies Mina for the time being, he is more than able to continue on. "Hitchhike. Steal a car. Jack someone. Doesn't much matter," he mutters. "I'm going oni hunting. Those fucking gods like killing their own so much, I'll be happy to oblige them. Might want to warn your boy away from me though. I'm not very charitable at the moment."

 

"Oni hunting?"  Mina gasps and rushes to catch up with the Genbu, her breath coming more ragged.  She really should pick up jogging in the park.  Her own resources are draining quickly after the hike in and then their little game of tag.  "Chase, wait up, damn it!  What the hell are you thinking, going oni-hunting?  You're flipping insane."  And if he won't stop, she'll just have to try to do something to stop him.  Envisioning the other seishi, she concentrates on trying to get him to stop, and unfortunately, the only thing she can think of is that stupid movie Anaconda.  Thus a rather large snake makes its appearance and coils around the teenager's lanky form, holding firm but not quite squeezing.  Huffing as she catches up to the boy, she reaches out and smacks him upside the head.  "That's for being an idiot."

 

Chase tenses at the spike of chi that causes his senses to tingle. If it weren't for the fact that his mind is obviously elsewhere, he probably could have had a chance to avoid being wrapped about by a snake. Instead, he winces at the binding, immediately topping over with the momentum, and right into the undergrowth. "DAMMIT!" he curses, that carefully controlled temper finally showing through. Poor anaconda is going to get awfully cold awfully quick. Icy eyes affix upon Mina, "Unless you want me to freeze it solid and shatter it, I suggest you get rid of this thing."

 

The snake vanishes only to be replaced with Mina as she sits on the Genbu's chest.  "Fine, there, gotten rid of," she counters crossly.  "Once again Chase, you're not going anywhere."  She grimaces down at the other teenager, placing her hands on his shoulders to try to keep him pinned.  "What do you think you'll accomplish?  Spit in the Yin gods eyes by killing off a few of their oni?  As if they care, baka seishi.  They'll just find replacements.  They always do.  But if you die, you big gallump, the Genbu'll be missing one of their seishi, they'll be weakened until they can find you again.  Because they need you to summon, and summon is what we all have to do.  We have to bind the Yin gods to their Yang counterparts."  Raising one hand and smacking it against his chest for emphasis, she notes, "And all your rushing off to get yourself killed won't help us win."  Her voice softens, her eyes swimming with unshed tears as she adds softly, "And it won't make things better, Chase.  It won't bring her back."

 

Chase glares up at her. Ohhhh, how he glares. "I really don't give a damn, Mina. I want them dead. Every last one of them. Replacements or not, that'll take awhile, and it feel good. Ohhhhhh, will it feel good. I've killed plenty of Kutoese before, but I've never got myself an oni. Mina... they have to pay for this. I'm not... I'm not just going to let their gods kill her and that be that. I can't let that happen. They are going to hurt for what they did. They /have/ to hurt for what they did, Mina." His voice shakes just the slightest, before he is swallowing it away once more. "Now get the hell off of me and let me go!" he yells, reaching to push at her, hard, to try to get her off of him so he can climb to his feet once more.

 

"Every last one of them..."  Mina's voice trails off, stunned.  Not a good thing to say to someone sleeping with an oni.  "So it feels good, until it gets you killed.  Damn it, they aren't mortals, they aren't so easy to kill.  They have powers, strong powers, hurtful powers," she adds with a shivering tremble.  "You think that they'll just roll over and say, 'Okay, I understand that you want to get back at my gods, so kill me?'  Damn it, baka, they'll fight back.  Fine, we'll make their gods hurt, Chase, but we'll make them hurt because we'll win.  We'll bind them and then they won't be a threat anymore.  /That/ is what we need to focus on, not some damn suicidal headlong rush in the name of vengeance."  His anger is met with hers, but sadly, he's stronger and it takes little to unbalance her, to knock her off.  Scrambling, she rises after him only to launch herself towards his back, hoping to knock him down again.  "I don't care what you're reasons are, I'm not letting you go!"

 

"All the better to be rid of them and their powers. Do you think I care if they fight me? I've been lashed to within an inch of my life before. It doesn't matter. I want the fight... or I can make it real damn simple and peg each and every one of them right between the eyes." Chase isn't known as something of a hunter for nothing. Just making it to his feet, he is only drove to the ground once more as she hits him in the back. Good thing the ground is soft. "Mina, they have to hurt. They /have/ to lose something too. I... I can't take having one more thing taken away from me. At least this time, I can get those that did it."

 

"And then what, Chase?  You start all over and do it again and again, because there's going to be more oni, killing them doesn't change anything.  The only way any of this'll change is if we all stay alive and summon our gods.  That's all that we can do."  Mina looks away at the mention of the whipping, her white teeth once again biting down on her lower lip.  "They have lost something, they've lost Lexie too, Chase.  They've lost their miko and you know what, I think that was damn short-sighted of them."  Placing her cheek on the soft spot between the Genbu's shoulder blades, she tightens her hold as she closes her eyes.  "I don't want you to be taken away, Chase.  I don't want to lose you, I'm finding that you're very important to me.  You've become my family.  Please... please..."

 

Chase remains as is, lying upon his stomach upon the ground with Mina atop him. His head turns to the side, cushioned still by the dry leaves from the autumn previous. "Mina... I just want to take something from them. I... I can't handle having anything more taken from me. I can't. My life... and Hikitsu's as he tried to save me. Takiko before I even had a chance. And now Lexie. I can't take this anymore. I just want them to hurt." His voice is a low thing though as he speaks, pleading in his own tone as well. He draws in a breath, then another, and sighs, and this time his voice is a little more even, "If I go back to camp with you, will you stop trying to stop me."

 

"We've all had to face loss, Chase," Mina sighs against the lean lankiness of the Genbu's back.  "Tatara-sama and Suzuno... they... they weren't allowed to be together.  That was Suzuno's only wish that Byakko couldn't grant, and she had to return back to her world.  This one.  I know it hurts, Chase.  I know that its tearing you up inside, but going after the oni, hunting them down will change nothing.  Because it won't make your hurt go away, it won't bring Lexie back, and it... it won't hurt the gods.  It'll be a nuisance, yes, but it won't hurt them like they've hurt us."  She doesn't rise, or release her tight hold on the other seishi.  "No, I'll never stop trying to stop you from doing this, Chase, because I don't want to see you throw your life away so easily.  I don't want to see you get hurt.  And yes, you'll probably take some of the oni out, but they're going to figure things out.  How long before they come after you?  That's not acceptable, Chase."

 

Chase sighs softly, listening quietly to Mina as she speaks. "Then what am I supposed to do, Mina? Just suck it up and keep going as if everything is all sunshine and roses?" There is a hint of anger to his voice, but reluctance as well. A breath later thought and that all leaves, his voice now soft. "I... thank you." He tries to twist about, so that his back is to the ground so that he can finally look at her, sadness obvious still in his expression filled eyes.

 

"Iie," Mina shifts enough to let Chase turn around before leaning down to hug the Genbu close again.  "You don't need to suck it up, don't need to pretend that you're not hurt, that everything's fine.  You're allowed to mourn, Chase, with me you're allowed to mourn.  And you can use this, all of this, to use against the Yin gods, so that when we finally win in this conflict, we can rub their noses in it.  We can hit them directly, make them see that people are not just disposable tools that they can throw away on a whim.  This I promise you, Chase, we'll get vengeance on them for Lexie, but in the right way."  Pushing back, she softly touches the other seishi's cheek, her gaze softening at the sadness in his eyes.  "There's no need to thank me.  You're my friend," is her simple reply.

 

Chase draws his arms around Mina, taking this moment to hug her in return. He remains so for a moment, again quietly allowing her words to make their way into that thick skull of his and possibly even make sense. "I'll try to, Mina? Okay? I'll at least try to." He sighs softly before bringing his hands up to try to angle her head so he can give her a kiss on the cheek, murmuring softly, "No, I do need to thank you. I don't suppose I do that enough. I should try to do it more. It's... alright."

 

"Good," is Mina's relieved reply.  "That's all I can ask of you, Chase.  As long as you'll try."  And he'd better try harder to stay out of trouble than she does, because she knows where he lives.  And if he gets into trouble, she'll hunt him down and make sure that he's terribly, terribly uncomfortable.  Flushing wide-eyed at the kiss to her cheek, she hastily scrambles up off of the seishi and offers him a hand up.  "Now I believe we have some s'mores waiting for us.  Although..."  Wah!  She put out the fire!  "Why couldn't you be a fire starter," she grumbles towards the Genbu.  "Really, what good is ice?"

 

Chase winces just the slightest as she scrambles up, the movement causing that quiver to dig into his back. Ouch. He squints up at her, a smile actually making a half-hearted appearance at her flush, but then he is reaching for her hand as he comes to his feet. He reaches a hand over to try to brush leaves and such from him with a few pats, before nodding his head, "Daiquiris. Crushed ice is good in daiquiris." That should be reason enough. He then takes a step back towards where they last left their stuff.

 

Mina follows, not because she doesn't trust Chase not to run away, but because darn it, she's tired.  It's been one heck of an eventful day.  And so she's lagging somewhat.  "Bah, daiquiris.  Those are girlie drinks.  Figures," she giggles, stalking after him.  Erg, did he have to walk so far so fast?  It's only the temptation of melted marshmallows and chocolate over graham crackers that keeps her going on their trek back.

 

"And ice skating in the summer in the convenience of your own home. And there is actually quite a few things with ice you can do in bed too," Chase tacks on as well. He slows though, waiting for her to come up next to him before he moves over as if to drape an arm over her shoulders. "Tomorrow I'll pay for my debt. And show you how to shoot, before we head for home."

 

"Ice... in bed?"  Oooh, don't Mina's cheeks flare red at that comment.  That's what she gets for ribbing the Genbu.  Change of subject, change of subject!  "Debt...?  Good," she nods her head happily.  And she's going to warn all the animals away from wherever they decide to practice, because she's already got this sneaky suspicion that Chase is going to lose quite a few arrows to the thick undergrowth of the forest.  She punches him lightly in the shoulder, as she notes, "You almost welched, Chase.  Don't think I'm going to let you forget that."  And woohoo, she has the van keys.  Does that mean she gets to drive home?  That thought causes her to grin as they break through the forest's last barrier and into their little campsite, only to stop and gape.  "Damn you," she raises an arm uselessly towards the woods.  "You couldn't have even left one marshmallow?  Just one?!?"  Because their camp's a mess... trash strewn all over the flattened ground.  It's obvious that the forest creatures took advantage of their absence to help themselves to a free meal and dessert.

 

Chase is a frickin' elf, didn't she say that before? He doesn't just lose arrows -well, maybe if there was a bunny in the area, because rabbit does taste awfully good roasted over a spit. "I don't welch on a promise. I'd have kept it, someway," he answers softly. But then he is blinking at the state of the campsite, and then blinking some more for good measure. "Uhm.... guess you're going to have to get up bright and shiny tomorrow to fish for us." And so he begins the task of picking up this and that.

 

But Mina does, and probably will lose quite a lot of Chase's arrows in her attempt to learn how to shoot.  And it's a good thing that she doesn't possess Karasuki's abilities to read minds or else the Genbu'd find out what it's like to be inundated by cute, fluffy bunnies.  "I was planning on fishing tomorrow morning," she notes, grimacing as she picks up strewn bits as well.  "I hope they didn't eat too much of the plastic," she worries as she studies a torn piece of the material.  "They can't digest it and sometimes it clogs up their digestive tracks."  Grimacing, she notices that her pack is turned over and that its been pillaged as well.  So much for her trail mix.

 

Chase glances over to her, nodding slightly. He finishes picking up this and that, shoving it back into his pack. The teenager then moves off to find more kindling for a new fire. He drops it all into the pit and gets starting trying to make a new fire for them. Naturally, it takes him quite a bit, considering his talents don't exactly go to the fiery. He nods vaguely to her as she speaks, adding a bit more to the fire  to make it grow to a comfortable size. "You might as well try to get some sleep then... I swear I won't try to run off on you in the middle of the night."

 

Darn it, and she wanted s'mores, too.  At least she got one marshmallow out of the whole experience.  "Hai, g'night Chase," she calls wearily as she crawls into her sleeping bag without even changing her clothes.  She's too tired.  And in seconds, she's drifting off to dreamland.

 

Chase smiles faintly, even fondly, glancing after Mina as she is quick to find her bag and head off to sleep. As soon as she is settled though, he draws over to set out his own bag, but he doesn't move to enter into it quite yet. Sitting upon it, one leg is drawn up to rest his forearm. Instead, he'll just stare at the fire and the darkness of the wood for a while.

 

Waking early, Mina grimaces at the cold dawn air.  Ugh.  Pulling her fleece top over her t-shirt after she crawls out of bed, she casts a worried look around for Chase.  Seeing him snuggled into his sleeping bag, she pads over softly and leans down to brush that ever-hanging fringe off his brow tenderly.  Poor boy, he's had a rough week.  Straightening up, she makes her way to her pack and pulls out her collapsed rod.  Assembling it quickly and running the line through it from the reel, she picks up her jar of bait and then heads over to the stream.  She looks over her shoulder towards the campsite as she briefly ponders on whether or not she has time for a quick dip.  She's feeling quite grubby.

 

Chase is a sleepy head. Yep. Sure, he can get up early in the morning if he was so inclined. But, you know what? He doesn't have to get up early, and so he is snoozing away, soothed by the fresh air, the warmth of the bag, and sheer exhaustion keeping any of the nightmares at bay. At the brush, he shifts in place, only to burrow deeper into the bag, muttering, "Not yet, mom. Just a little longer."

 

Mina nibbles on her lower lip and then sets her pole and bait on a rock before moving a bit further downstream in search of a deep enough pool.  Stripping quickly, she slips into the cold water, yelping slightly at the chilled water.  Okay, this is going to be a quick bath.  Because the spring run off has the water close to freezing.  Slipping underneath the rippling surface, she swims easily against the gentle current.  This is another thing that she's missed.  Concrete pools are never as good.

 

Chase is shifting again, apparently finding a rock under his hip. And so the moving has him rolling over and thunking his head into his pack. Okay, now he is blinking awake. Squinting, with bed-hair, he peeps from within the confines of his sleeping bag to question first where the hell he is, and then what time of day it is. Once those are straight, he sits up, yawning. "Ohhhhhhh, Mina, I..." Wait. She isn't here. Noting the absence of the Byakko's presence, he frowns, head tilting to the side to try to sense her now very familiar presence. *ziiiiiiiiiip* Out he emerges from the bag, shuffling it off to the side with a few kicks. Time to wander.

 

Cold water.  Cold.  Brrr.  Thus Mina hurries through her morning ablutions, rubbing her face and limbs with handfuls of water before stepping out.  Darn it, should have brought a towel.  Not willing to try to slither into her jeans while still wet, she pulls on her t-shirt and sits on a log, watching the sun rise as she waits for the rest of her body to dry.  Unbraiding her long hair, she runs her fingers through it as she tries to comb out the inevitable knots.  Ah the joys of having curly hair, it gets tangled even when braided. :P

 

And here Chase is accused of being an exhibitionist. That is nothing compared to a Mina, perching on a rock, wet with a clinging t-shirt (you know how being cold can get), backlit by the sunrise, and playing with her long hair. This is precisely the scene that greets Chase as he emerges from the campsite, looking a wee bit rumpled. Oh my. Ohhhhhhhh my. It takes him a moment and then comes the moment where he clears his throat, rather obviously at that -you know, to make sure that she knows he is there.

 

Blinking at the cleared throat, Mina turns to look over her shoulder and offers Chase a bright smile.  "Chase!  You're awake, good!"  Nope, she doesn't realize what sort of picture she's creating for the Genbu.  "How'd you sleep last night?  Are you... are you okay, this morning," she asks, letting her voice drop into a worried whisper.  She knows that he stayed up late, because she remembers waking only slightly from her dreams to be greeted with the sight of Chase staring into the fire.  Her heart broke for him then, but she was sure that he needed some time alone, some time to come to terms with things.

 

Chase flickers a glance away from her for the moment, studiously trying to keep his eyes anywhere but on her. Baaaaaaaaad. Gradually, he makes his way a little closer to her before dropping down into a crouch upon the same rock she is perched upon. Idly, he tosses a rock out into the water, smile wry, "I'm fine. Don't look so worried." He looks back over to her, and then the mess of her hair. "Uh... I've got older sisters. I know how to braid. If this seishi thing doesn't work out for me, I could always be a hair stylist. Need help?"

 

Wincing at the mess that's her hair, Mina yanks on a wild curl and grins.  "It's usually not this bad," she admits self-consciously.  "But a lack of conditioner and a couple of romps through the woods has it crying mutiny."  Still, if the other seishi's willing to help, she won't complain.  "Please," she asks with another smile.  "I should have brought my brush..."  So she forgot forks, and now her brush.  Wonder what else she's forgotten to bring.  "If you want to take a bath, Chase," she adds, motioning to the pool before them, "The water's a bit cold but it certainly wakes one up."

 

"Are you saying that I stink?" Chase replies, with a smirk to his features. Boots are kicked off of his feet along with socks. The rest remain on though as he moves to sit behind Mina, reaching for her hair. "Damn, girl... summoned up some rats to live in this mess?" A faint teasing tone touches his voice at that. Fingers try to comb through her hair to try to pick out some of the knots. "Guess having older sisters is worth something. Been up long?"

 

"Hey, if you're going to make nasty comments, I'll do this myself," Mina sniffs, jerking her head away.  Oooh, hit a nerve, Chase?  Running her fingers through the tangled length, separating out a portion to untangle, she shrugs her shoulders and grins.  "I've been up for just a bit.  Enough for a quick dip," she notes honestly.  "And Chase," she turns slightly so she can look back at the Genbu, "I'm glad you're feeling better today."  Her eyes alight with mischief as she leans close to him and sniffs before screwing up her face and laughing.  "And yeah, cowboy, you stink."

 

Chase rolls his eyes at her, straightening another bit of her hair. "We could try to comb it with a peeled stick or...." He hesitates, glancing around for something to use, "Or I would have just given you a hat to wear, but I haven't got one at the moment." He hesitates again though at the sniffing, quirking a glance to her. "Oh? You think?" And so, without further ado, the kid peels off his shirt, removes pants -boxers, my dear, remain. And what does he do next? Why... he reaches over to try to grab Mina and try to tumble them both right on back into the water, naturally.

 

Mina screams bloody murder because a) Chase is stripping and b) she's being tumbled back into the cold water.  No fair!  And she was actually making progress on her hair, too.  Hitting the surface with an inelegant *splash* she gasps and swallows a mouthful of the chilled liquid, surfacing and sputtering.  "Oooh, you are sooo dead, cowboy!"  This means war.  She creates a wave of water with her laughing splashes towards the Genbu, hoping to soak him even more than he is.

 

Chase would cackle if he had it in him. Good thing that he doesn't. Instead, he snickers in triumph moments before he falls into the water as well. Feet plant upon the bottom, and he pushes back up to break the surface of the water again -only to be greeted with more yelling and a splash. Spitting water from his mouth, he slaps his hands against the water to try and get her back, "Ain't dead yet, Mina-girl! Bring it on!"

 

Oh, so Chase wants to play it that way, does he?  Mina quickly darts towards the Genbu and placing her hands on the crown of his head, attempts to duck the other seishi underneath the cold water.  He's going down.  Only perhaps later, because darn it, the water really is cold.  So out she tramps from the water, her only shirt wet.  Grumble.  If she gets sick, she's blaming it on him.  She bends over and twists the excess water from her dark blue locks before straightening up, her nose in the air.  "Don't forget to wash behind your ears, cowboy," she tosses over her shoulder as she gathers up the rest of her clothing and heads back towards the warmth of the fire.  She'll work on disentangling her curls there.

 

Wait! She is climbing out of the water already -of course this is after he is submerged by the woman and forced to return to the surface gasping and basically looking like a drowned rat. "Brat!" he bellows after her, even if a smile has returned to his features. He takes his sweet time in the cool water before finally climbing back out. Shaking himself off, and apparently not caring if she is there or not, plucks off those soaking boxers and is tugging on his pants again. He pads back to camp as well, boots in one hand, shirt and boxers draped in the other. Stuff is dropped onto his bag, and he looks over to her, "Well... now that I can't push you in the water, I can still fix that." Her hair is pointed to.

 

Chase in nothing but boxers = bad.  Chase in jeans = good.  Yet another reason Mina escaped towards safety.  "Sure cowboy," she invites, patting the log next to her.  "I think I have all the tangles worked out now."  No more rats nest comments.  Flipping a strand over her shoulder, she grins.  "Have a nice swim?"  At least he's looking less bedraggled and there are no longer leaves and sticks stuck in his black hair.  "Are you still thinking fish for breakfast," she asks curiously.  "Because now it's getting a bit late.  We might be able to catch a few, if you haven't scared them all away with your splashing," she adds with a giggle.

 

Chase reaches around to smooth back her hair, combing his fingers through it to make sure it is, indeed, free of tangles. "Hair ties," he requests, already beginning the braiding process with nimble fingers. Disturbing how well he does this, isn't it? Sisters. "Fish will be fine. If you can catch them. Although, I'll bet you anything I can get myself a grouse before you can land a single fish on the line.... Oh! Even better. Bet you anything I can get a fish before you and /without/ a fishing pole."

 

Leaning back and almost purring as Chase runs his fingers through her hair, she closes her eyes and hands back a hair tie.  "Only have one," she notes happily, admiring the fact that the Genbu doesn't tug too hard or leave her hair too loose with his efforts.  He blames it on sisters.  She adds it to her 'Reasons Chase is a Girly Boy' list.  Right under daiquiris.  Opening her eyes, she turns to just stare at the other seishi.  "Okay cowboy, this is /me/ that you're talking to.  You know, the girl who can summon shikagami, can talk to animals, etc.  Are you sure you want to make that bet with me?"  At least the fish are better targets than the grouse.  Though there will be the required praying up to the Great Spirit to accept the souls of the fish into his bosom.  And thanking the souls of the unlucky creatures for their sacrifice.

 

Chase makes quick work with the braid, tying it off at the end with the one given. He gives her back a slight pat before nodding, "Yeah, but... Oh. Alright. Fine. I'm really not in the mood to lose another bet to you while we are out here. You go and catch your fish if you want... and I'll find a likely spot for you to learn how to shoot the proper way."

 

Rising easily, Mina flashes a grin at Chase before patting him on the head.  "That's a smart Genbu," she teases before heading over towards the spot where she left her pole and bait.  "Find a spot that's out in the clearing," she calls over her shoulder as she perches on the rock.  "Because I don't want to lose all your arrows and they'll be easier to find that way."  She may be at home in the woods, but that doesn't mean that she's a good hunter.  And chances are her arrows are going to go everywhere /except/ towards the target.  Baiting her hook with cheese, she waits a few moments for the fish to once again become confident and move out of their unseen hiding spots before she expertly casts her line upstream, letting it drift down with the current.

 

Chase rolls his eyes at the pat on his head, glancing after the girl with a wry grin. Combing fingers back through his damp hair, he tugs his shirt back on, working socks and shoes on as well. While she fishes, he actually moves about the camp to tidy things up, putting their sleeping bags away and the like, boiling water for tea, and then moving off to find a likely spot to set up a few more things. While he goes about the work, the teenager naturally slips into humming whatever tune naturally comes to him, followed not all that long after by actual singing. He can sing too, passably though.

 

Mina's torn between telling the Genbu to stop singing because he's scaring the fish and keeping her mouth shut because she's actually enjoying the sound.  Because he sings better than she does.  She decides that eating comes in second to actually learning something else about Chase.  She takes out her line and with a flick of her wrist, casts the line again, her grasp on the pole light as she waits for any sign of a nibble, or better yet, a full on bite.

 

Chase is scaring off woodland creatures and the things that swim in the water. Nifty. He paces off a distance to a tree off in the distance, coming back to a point and then dragging a foot across the dirt. He stands there silently for a moment, feeling for the wind, of which there is near to none where they are at. "Too easy..." he mutters. Hitting stationary targets is boring, except maybe if there is something of a gale going on. "Catch anything yet, master fisher?" he calls out before dropping to the dirt to pick through his arrows.

 

"No," Mina retorts huffily.  "Because some silly seishi I know is singing and scaring all the fish away."  Yeah, that's her excuse and she's sticking to it.  She could be a smart fisherman and pick up and wander up or downstream until she's out of earshot from the Genbu, but really, what fun's that.  "But that's because I'm not cheating."  Fish are creatures of instinct, easy to command.  But just as moving would be no fun, so would just commanding the fish out of the water.  Thus, she sticks to the old fashioned method.  "Though, you know, I think I saw a bit of a paunch developing back at that pool, Chase.  Perhaps you would do well to skip breakfast all together."

 

"Paunch?" Chase blinks for a moment, frowns, and then yanks up his shirt to look at his stomach. "Now wait just a moment there. I just came back from home to listen to my mother announce that I'm skinnier than ever, and you say I've got a paunch. This coming from the girl that was heaving and gasping for air while we are /walking/ through the woods." Yes, he protests, licking a finger and running it along the line of the fletching on one of the arrows. Wait. "Were you ogling me, Mina? Checking me out?"

 

"I had a heavy pack," is Mina's defensive retort.  He'd better not even suggest that she's getting fat, because then she might have to go Namame on his butt.  "And mother's always say that their kids are getting skinnier.  It's what they do."  She frowns and studies the water before grimacing.  "All right, fine, I'm unfit.  Still managed to kick your butt."  Well, Chase wasn't really fighting back, but hey, she pinned him twice.  That means she rocks.  "As I told you before Chase," she calls over her shoulder, teasing.  "I don't ogle, I admire."  And that's all she'll say about that as she slumps and wills away the embarrassed blush.

 

Chase ignores all of the rest and latches onto that last bit. "Admire?" Ohhhh, and the way he speaks it is almost in a sing-song voice, clearly teasing. He drives a handful of the arrows into the dirt, keeps one in hand, and then moves to stand. As he crosses over to where Mina is, fingers pulling out a string from a pocket and he is knotting one end about the notched back of the arrow He moves to stand just beside Mina eventually. He glances down to her, flashing her a wink before following with his crooked smile, and then he is looking down at the water. Arrow is nocked as he looks at the surface for the shadowy flash of a fish through the water. Two can fish like this.

 

"Bah, I admire lots of people," Mina retorts.  "Don't get too full of yourself, cowboy."  Still, she can't help but quirk up her lips as she once again recasts her line.  Still nothing.  It's the Genbu's fault.  It has to be.  Sniffing at the wink and looking away at the crooked smile, she can't help but cast a sidelong glance towards Chase curiously.  She's never seen anyone use a bow and arrow to fish before.  And darn it, isn't it time for that blush to fade yet?  C'mon fishies, you know you want the cheese.  Yummy cheese.

 

Chase chuckles at her response, but not overly long. He doesn't really want to get whapped alongside the head with that fishing rod particularly. Curling the other end of the string about a finger, he moves a little closer to the water's edge to watch the fish within. "Don't look at me like that. Haven't you ever seen bow fishers at work. They usually use things a hell of a lot smaller than this, with all of those stupid gadgets. Nothing but a waste. Just like harpooning. Bet you I'll have my dinner before you do." His eyes never leave the water though, waiting for a fairly good-sized shadow to show. The tip of the arrow follows once such movement, compensating the angle this time not for wind, but because things in the water are angled different than they appear. He draws back and releases, and with a twang the arrow slips into the water, string slipping out after it. He winces at the tug on his finger as the string is a wee bit short, but there is the inevitable splash as the trout within struggles. "Hah!" Pull. Tug. And there flops a landed fish, shot through with an arrow.

 

"Ack!"  Chase's success has Mina springing into action, and dropping her pole, she hops off the rock and over to where the poor fish is suffering.  Grabbing her bludgeoning rock, she ends the poor fish's suffering with one quick motion.  "Poor thing," she murmurs softly, kneeling in front of the carcass and sends her thanks up towards the Great Spirit with the fish's soul.  She also thanks the fish for it's sacrifice, knowing that its selflessness will mean that it will be reincarnated as a creature higher up on the hierarchy of life until it reaches the elevated state of becoming a human.  "No," she shakes her head as she rises and brushes the dirt from her knees.  "I've never seen anyone fish with a bow.  Though it looks like you do a darn good job with it," she adds in admiration.

 

Chase wrinkles his nose, lowering his voice to something of a stage whisper as he leans towards her, "Just so you know... I can't fish worth beans." And he means it. Thus, an arrow will do the same trick. So, he cheated, sorta. He eyes his arrow for a moment, wondering if it can be salvaged, before sighing, snapping it in two, and then pulling it out of the trout. The tip is kept but the rest will be discarded. "If you clean it and put it on the pan to cook, I can show you how to shoot an arrow while we wait."

 

"So then how'd you catch this thing," Mina asks, lifting up the fish by the tail and waggling it towards the Genbu.  First time she's had holy fish.  Sorta looks like Swiss cheese.  Pulling out her handy-dandy Swiss army knife, she cuts a small triangle in the bottom of the fish near the tail before slicing upwards.  Gutting the fish is messy work, but quick, and soon the cleaned out fish and the Byakko are heading towards the campsite.  "Can you get my pole, Chase," she asks, stopping to turn and grin over her shoulder.  "And make sure you don't snag it on anything."  She won't warn him about the hook.  Hopefully he's smart enough to know to worry about that bit.  "Hai, sounds like a plan."

 

"Skill at something other than fishing?" Chase comments, chuckling. He shoulders the bow and then goes to retrieve her fishing pole like the dutiful seishi that he is, or something. "Wonder if I can catch me a Byakko with this. Maybe just a few casts. Put a little chocolate on the hook...." he muses, teasing. Following after, he sets the rod to the side, smiling to Mina, "Hurry up. I still want to get back home today, and I'm /hungry/, woman."

 

One needs more than chocolate to hook a Byakko.  But ten-to-one he could catch Hatsui that way.  "Hai, Chase," Mina nods, heading towards the fire.  Wrapping his catch in the tinfoil, she buries it in the ash and lets the ambient heat slow cook their meal.  Standing up and dusting off the knees of her jeans, she looks about for the light bow.  Picking it up awkwardly, she looks expectantly towards Chase.  "Lead the way, cowboy."  And prepare to lose some arrows.

 

Chase draws her towards the little clearing. Or, at least fairly clear. He reaches into a pocket and looks to her, "I sure hope you are right handed. All I've got is a right-handed glove with me, to spare your fingers." He moves to stand at where he drove some arrows into the ground, turning to look back at Mina. "Give me your hands."

 

Mina follows easily, laying down the lighter bow while she holds out her hands for Chase at his direction.  "Hai, I'm right handed," she tells him, looking towards the arrows and then out across the clearing.  "Anou, Chase, what's the target?"  Because everything seems quite far away.  "You remember that I've never done this before, ne?"

 

Chase points his finger at a tree not all that far away, and fairly wide. "I don't know if you've enough strength to actually pierce the bark, but we'll see." He takes her hands, shoving a glove with open fingers on one hand and then sliding a leather strap over the other. "The other is to protect your arm from the string biting back and hitting you." Plucking one arrow out of the ground, he hands it to her. "Lets see you string it first. Watch me." He moves into his stance, standing a little sideways to the tree, lifts the bow with already nocked narrow, draws back to just beyond his ear and lets the arrow fly, to strike the wood of the tree soundly. "That simple." Makes it look easy, right? He drops his bow to the ground and then waggles a couple of fingers to her in beckoning. "Come here."

 

Oh sure, it doesn't seem that far away to Chase, but it looks pretty darn far to Mina.  Wiggling her fingers in the glove as she tries to get used to the feel for it, she just watches him pull back and let his arrow loose.  Whistling, she shakes her head.  "Niiiice."  If the Genbu doesn't watch it, he's going to be getting more Legolas comments.  Shifting over towards the other seishi as he beckons, she stands loosely, waiting.  Posable Byakko, in stores now.  "Somehow I don't think it's as easy as you make it look, Chase."

 

Chase flashes her a broad grin, "That is why I am here to teach you. This is just for fun. I'll take you to a shooting range in New York for the kind that is a bit more... updated." He moves around and behind Mina, not even asking for permission as his hands reach up to grab her shoulders and turn her to the side, and then reach down to her hips to do the same thing. "Feet a little bit apart... there. Now, you can pull back with any fingers you want. There isn't a /right/ way to do it. All of your fingers, just a couple, whatever is more comfortable for you. And when you draw back, you can pull to your cheek, ear, or past that. Again, with what you are comfortable with."

 

Mina lets herself be manipulated into position, frowning towards the target.  "Cheek, ear, or past it," she repeats, nodding her head and trying not to look trepidatious.  Raising her bow and fitting an arrow against it, letting the string nestle within the notch at the end of the arrow, she attempts to pull back on the string with two-fingers and grimaces as the arrow adeptly slips from its resting spot and flops to the ground.  "I think I'd prefer the more updated form of shooting, Chase."  Sighing, she picks up the arrow and attempts to arrange it properly again.  Of course now she's lost her stance.

 

Chase sighs a weary sigh. You know the kind. "Wait. Wait. Wait," he calls. Still standing just at her back, hands reach to place her into position once again, and then he simply curls fingers around her hand holding the bow, and then her hand over the string. "Here... I'll show you." And so, that is exactly what he goes to do. "I'll help you pull back to, so you can get the feel. Okay?"

 

"Hai," Mina agrees happily, letting herself be pushed and prodded into the correct stance again.  Grinning over her shoulder at the Genbu, she teases, "I bet you used this excuse to get close to all the girls back home, Chase.  You hentai, you."  Somehow it seems easy when he's helping her out, directing her actions.  Using two fingers braced on either side of the arrow's butt, she pulls back and then pulls back some more, the effort it takes surprising her.  And then there's a satisfied *twang* as the arrow's released and the bowstring snaps back into place.  And the Byakko can't help but grin because darn it, that's one satisfying sound.

 

Chase's grin grows ever wider at her words, "Of course I do. And can you think of a better excuse, eh?... I don't have the ability to stick weasels down someone's clothes as some twisted way to flirt." And so to add to that, he makes sure to press his front right close to her back. "Hey... pretty good," he admires as she actually gets the arrow of fly. "Although... now that you've figured out how to keep the arrow in place, you might want to try aiming now. There is next to no wind... so gauge yourself."

 

"I don't flirt," is Mina's huffy response.  Yeaaaah.  "And even if I did, I wouldn't stick weasels down people's clothing.  That's just wrong.  I stick weasels down your clothing because you deserve it, Chase.  And," she adds with a slight growl, "If you're not careful, you're gonna get another one someplace unpleasant."  As for him pressing close, Mina blinks but doesn't step away, assuming it's all part of the lesson.  Darn smooth operators.  "What do you mean?  I /was/ trying to aim," she grimaces.  True the arrow went flying somewhere to the far left, nowhere close to the tree that's her target.

 

Chase chuckles. "Just me, eh? Gee, I suppose I should feel lucky or something." Or something. "Could be worse. Could be something that isn't cute and fuzzy, with claws and are really good at tickling in places no weasel has any right to be and..." Okay, he'll trail off now. He backs off of her for a moment to reach down and pluck another arrow from the ground and nock it upon her bow himself. Resuming his position, he takes her hands again to help her pull it back just right. "Aim. Squeeze an eye shut if you need to. Look at the tree and try to hit it." Never mind that he is doing the aiming for her right now. And to add insult to injury, the teenager is going to try to set his cheek against hers to get just the right angle. Bad, bad Genbu.

 

"Exactly," Mina grins wickedly, "It could indeed be worse."  Squeezing an eye shut, she attempts to line up the arrowhead with the tree.  Or at least she was until Chase presses his cheek against hers.  Jumping slightly at the contact she turns her head to stare at the other teenager, raising a brow in question.  "Do you do that to the girls back home, too?  You're a naughty, naughty seishi," she chides, tsking with a finger movement.

 

If it is possible, Chase smiles even more. "Watch out for that distraction. Didn't I tell you about that before, Mina-girl?" He ignores the waggled finger and tries to draw her back over to resume things. "And no, not all the girls back home. Just you." He offers her a wink before continuing. "Hurry up. I can smell the fish burning, and I want to see you try this one more time before we go back."

 

Just her?  Mina frowns slightly but steps back into position.  Byakko save her from Genbu flirts.  It's not as good when Chase arranged it, but hopefully it'll do.  Mentally telling herself not to be distracted, in fact, creating a mantra somewhat to that effect, she licks her lips nervously.  "I wasn't distracted, cowboy," she retorts, sniffing.  "I was.. erm.. testing you."  That's the ticket.

 

Chase could really, really distract her if he was so inclined, but would prefer to just save the girl from any further acts. He has some mercy. Well, some. "Testing me... Yeah. That goes both ways." He helps her pull back once more, waiting. "When you think you've got it aimed just right, go ahead and release." But, he is known for being naughty from time to time, and seeing as distraction was mentioned, he is going to be really, really puckish and give her a kiss to the jaw as she fires -including dancing away awfully quick afterwards, otherwise retribution will hurt.

 

"Aiya!"  Mina's shot goes high and wide because Chase is a bad, bad boy.  "Aurgh, you did that on purpose!"  And so he's getting a fuzzy present under his clothing.  Again.  "Cheater," she huffs, stomping back towards the fire to dig up their fish.  She's so not helping him with the fuzzy, and she's given it a carte blanche on what it does to the other seishi.  The Genbu can dance away from retribution all he wants.  She prefers to inflict punishment another way.  "And I'm so telling Brice."  So nyah.

 

Chase's triumph is short lived. Durn. Double durn. As Mina marches off, she can probably hear his high-pitched squeals and cursing. Quite some time later, and looking very much worse for the wear with rumpled clothing and leaf-sprinkled hair, the boy returns with bows, arrow, and in something of a sulk. "That I gave you a smooch on the neck? He'd probably congratulate me and then yell at me for not giving you a proper one on the lips. And he has better things to yell at me about. Go ahead and tell." Mmmm. Fish. "And you are driving home. I sure hope you remembered how to get back, because I plan on napping."

 

Mina had unearthed the fish and split it up, giving half to Chase as she licks the oil off her fingers.  "No, that you lure innocent young girls out into the forest and make moves on them under the guise of teaching them to shoot," she returns with a laugh.  She's also packed up their camp and her pack is sitting haphazardly against a log.  "At least if he knows, he can warn others not to be fooled by that baby face of yours, Chase."  Rising and putting out the fire yet again, she nods, shouldering her pack.  "I remember how to get back."  Navigation's a good skill to have.