The Treehouse

[Inamorata]

Damien had nodded vaguely to the other guy, he hadn't exactly caught what he'd said before laughing and getting distracted, so when Kayse came over and interrupted, he was a little grateful. "Yeah, just took a few wrong turns." He said quietly. His mood was already fading, being pushed to the back of his mind. Though the hard edge in his chest was still there, it wasn't as gripping as it had been, and his expression softened a little. Checking back to make sure that Ash was alright, he moved to follow the others back to the house. What kind of house was set so far into a group of trees in a suburb, he didn't know.

The mood was a little awkward, so he was grateful when Kayse called for someone to carry things. Lifting heavy objects was sort of his forte. As they walked through the trees heading back to the forest, he kept his silence, mulling over the events of the night.

At first, when they stopped, he didn't understand why. He looked around, but there seemed only to be trees - very large ones - infront of him. He looked questioningly back at Ash, before noticing Kai's gaze, as if she were waiting for something. Confused, he looked back in front of them. Maybe he'd missed something.

And he had. He noticed, upon closer inspection, a ladder dangling from the tree. As his eyes tracked it upwards, he saw a door in the floor of "A tree house?" His eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened. "You live in a tree house?" he asked quietly of noone in particular, his deep, warm voice tinged with surprise and slight amusement. He lost the train of his earlier musings in wonder at the large structure in the trees, noticing that there were rope bridges leading to other tree tops, just barely seen from their vantage point on the ground. He supposed, shrugging, that as far as homes went, if it had room and shelter and you could keep yourself warm in it, it was as good a house as any. The reasonings of a hobo, he supposed - he'd spent intimate time on the concrete streets proving that theory.

[lexi luthor]

Ash listened silently as Damien spoke. Unconciously she hugged him tighter around the waist, as if she didn't want to get sucked into the scary images of his past. It didn't sound very pretty. She felt not exactly sorry for him because she knew by the tone of his voice that that wasn't wasn't what he was trying to get out of her. She felt less alone though, and she thought that was what he wanted.

"Damien." She said slowly thinking of her next words, "I appreciate you sharing your story with me. You didn't have to do that."

Another tear fell down her face, this one though was for Damien instead of herself. What he had told her opened up new feelings. She felt alot closer to him. They both shared something, and that that something might be a similar unhappy past... But it was something that made her feel more comfortable around him.

She was finished thinking as the motorcyclepulled up to the entrance of the forest and she could see Kai, Kayse, and Logan. She got off the motorcycle and pulled off her helmet. She could feel her face, it was still red from embarrassment and her eyes were puffy from crying. crap. she hoped nobdy noticed, or atleast didn't say anything.

She shifted her gaze over to Logan he seemed like he was oggling over Damien. Instinctively she wanted to face palm and then go slap him on the back of the head but she didn't. He seemed really suprised. Kayse really must not have told him.

She wasn't sure if she was the only one who heard it or not but as Kayse past Logan she could have swore she said, "Don't be a flirt. I'm pretty sure he's straight." Logan's response made her want to giggle, but she just wasn't in the mood yet. Ash followed as they walked into the woods, close behind Damien because she wasn't very fond of the idea of getting lost again.

When Damien looked back at her she gave him a wry smile. She watched his reaction once he finally noticed that the house they had been talking about the whole time was a treehouse. She walked over to the ladder and and looked up at the treehouse before turning to Damien and saying, "Come on!" she smiled a genuine smile, and finally she let go of the bad mood she had been holding onto as she climbed up the ladder.

((Sorry If I left any spelling errors, I wanted to hurry up and post before I got too far left behind))

[monk115]

Logan still watched Damien as he walked. It was interesting to watch his butt move. When the reached the treehouse he looked over at Kayse. "And just how exactly is all of this stuff suppossed to make it up there. Whats your briliant idea to do this?" He was really mad at her for saying that when she didnt even know what Damien wanted.

[ravebloodnymph]

(Just so you guys know, I wanted to clarify this. The ladder isn't a rope ladder, it's planks drilled into the tree and the bridges in between are very long (about 50-60 feet) and they are solid, not ropes. It's like a big long walkway. *Rope is about 60 ft long (yea, it's a lot of rope.)

Kayse glared at Logan, catching his snappish tone. "I told you to grab that clear box for a reason." She pulled the rope out of her pocket and handed it to Ash before she went up the steps. "Here, Ash. Go across the walkway into the kitchen and bathroom and out the door to your right. Dangle the rope* over the balcony. I'll attach the box to the handles and we can put the boxes in that and have the boys haul it up." She smiled at Damien. "You don't mind, right? I just think that you guys are probably stronger than us."

She laughed. "At least, you're DEFINITELY stronger then me," she said gesturing to her very small stature.

Kayse grabbed some of the boxes she had put in the wagon and took the box out of Logan's hands. She put the boxes into the larger one and walked around the trees, her feet crunching softly on fallen leaves, dead pine needles, and broken twigs. She squinted up into the moonlit branches until she identified the balcony and waited for the rope.

[Inamorata]

((sorry, wasn't sure if it was planks or what, must have missed that descriptor))

Damien had to smile as Ash rushed off, his mood lifting a little. As Kayse spoke he nodded, his expression normal again. Grinning, he replied "Yeah, sure. Gotta pay the rent for tonight some how, hunh." He placed his load of what-ever-it-was down next to the box she intended to use to bring it all up, and moved to climb up the ladder after Ash, to help haul everything up.

He felt like a kid again, on the rare occaisions he'd had the chance to play in tree houses with his brothers and their myriad friends. Unable to supress the amused, kidlike smile that flirted at the corners of his mouth, tugging them up, he clambered up through the door in the floor, pulling himself into the main hut. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked around at the well furnished, sturdy building. It was nothing like the kind of tree house young kids would have, more like an actual house built into the trees. As he walked through, looking for the place Kayse had mentioned the rope would be dropped down, he saw fully stable suspended bridges forming walkways to other similarly built huts. Shaking his head, he found the place he was looking for and waited, ready to start hauling whenever the word was given, idly running a hand through his mussy black hair in wonder.

[monk115]

Logan had followed Damien up the ladder into the room. When he caught a glimpse of his face he laughed. "This is the girls room. We have another one exactly like it on the other side of the kitchen and bathroom." He waited for the rope to be lowerred and to help haul everything up. He knew that everyone but him had something to bring up. It was annoying when he realized that he could have gone and gotten a few things. Oh well i guess ill just have to get them tomorrow sometime.

[lexi luthor]

(( I wont be able to post till tomorrrow sory))

[Inamorata]

((I'll check in again then, but I'll be gone from noon until sunday evening so I wont be able to post. Just a heads up~ It's the last of the weekend long LARP events. BWAHAHAHAHA!))

[lexi luthor]

Ash took the rope from Kayse and began climbing up the ladder. It, he relized was the first time she actually climbed up the ladder, it scared her a little, especially since it was still so dark out. penguins penguins penguins penguins she thought to herself as she made her way up the ladder. It was a technique to keep her from thinking about how high up she was climbing. Insane? maybe.

After she pulled herself through the hatch with the rope she waited for a Damien and Logan to climb up into the treehouse as well. She watched Damien's expression carefully as he pulled himself up through the hatch. The smile he made cause her to smile widely. It pleased her to see him smile.

"It's neat, isn't it?" she asked him as she also walked to the balcony. She looked over the edge, and then backed up. It seemed even higher than when she was climbing up the ladder. She took a second to regroup then moved back over to the balcony with the rope and tie her end tightly to the balcony railing with a bowline knot, simple knot but deffinitely not coming undone. Then she dropped the other end down to Kayse.

"Here it comes Kayse!" she yelled down to her optimistic treehouse mate.

[ravebloodnymph]

Kayse yelped as the thick rope bonked her on the forehead and she laughed, rubbing the spot. "Thanks, Ash!" She tied the end of the rope through the two handles on the clear box. There were four other boxes in there. That was as many as they could fit in the box.

"Alright, guys, haul her up! Time to move into our new home!"

New home. Finally...a home, Kayse thought and she smiled into the lantern-lit darkness.

The forest that night was alive with the sounds of laughter, calling voices, leaves and twigs crunching, boxes being hauled up and down the new carrying device. It was light-hearted and rather merry.

Kayse couldn't help thinking that she wouldn't have traded her new, messed-up, silly crazy family for anything. She barely knew these guys, but here, in this forest, in these treehouses...it felt like a home. It felt like family.

Kayse continued to load the boxes into the clear box as it came up and down. It only took about a half hour for everything to be hauled up.

"Great! We'll leave the truck out there for tonight, but someone can go get the motorcycle and bring it out here," she said to Kai, who was still down below helping load the box. Kayse quickly went out to the truck and shut the back firmly. She grabbed the keys out of the ignition and slammed the door shut.

Kayse jogged back to the treehouse and climbed up the treehouse into the girl's bedroom. She decided to look around the room for something for the futon. It had no sheets or pillows on it.

She lifted the duster around the bunk bed and saw a clear box, similar to her own. She pulled it out and saw inside two pillows, a silver silk sheet, and a comforter just like the ones on the beds, navy blue with a silver phoenix design. She smiled and put the box just behind the futon for whoever slept on it tonight to make up their bed.

[monk115]

Logan was getting really tired of hauling up all the stuff. When he heard Kayse say that they were done with hauling things up. He sat down in the kitchen. "OH EMM EFF GEE. I am soo tired. Im going to bed man."

Logan stood up and walked across the bridge heading over to the room. He opened the door, walked over to the futon, and then he just collapsed onto it. He looked behind him waiting for Damien to come in. "Hey are you coming in here. You can sleep on the bunk beds. I already claimed the futon bed thingy." I really hope that he isnt a homophob. Or that he at least isnt afraid of me testing him on some thing. Oh well. Im beat, I need to get to sleep. That was the last thing that he said for the night. He didnt even see it when Damien came into the room. He was already snoring.

[killerkitty]

Kai let out a wide yawn. She climbed up the treehouse and crawled into the bottom bit of the bunk-bed. 'G'night, guys,' she said. She didn't even bother to change into her pajamas.

[Inamorata]

Damien shook out his arms as they finished hauling up the boxes. He watched where Logan went - that must be where they'd be sleeping - before calling "Yeah let me go bring in the bike." in reply to his question and climbing back down at Kayse's mention of bringing in the motorcycle for the night. As he wheeled it back to the tree, he let his mind play over the events of the night, and the easy camraderie he'd found with his housemates - treemates? - of the evening.

His thoughts were just starting to get muzzy and sluggish when he arrived at the treehouse and parked the bike. Climbing back up the ladder, he dropped the keys on a table and bid the others good night, before quietly making his way to the hut he'd seen Logan dissapear into, grabbing his leather jacket and duffle bag, which he'd discarded while hauling up the boxes, on the way. Quietly opening the door, he noticed the other boy had already passed out on a futon, leaving the bunk beds untouched.

Running a hand through his hair, he snorted quietly at the sight of the other boy, spread out in sleep on top of the covers, fully clothed. Shaking his head in tired amusement, he rummaged around for the blankets and sheets. Finding some, he used a blanket to cover the other boy before making his own bed on the bottom bunk. The sheets were soft to the touch, when he pulled back the covers, which was nice after sleeping on gravel and concrete for so long. Stripping down to his black boxers, he tossed his clothes into a pile ontop of his bag and slid in to the bed, figuring he'd fall asleep easily.

After about an hour or two of tossing and shifting, exhausted but unable to sleep, he realised that the bed, for some reason, was uncomfortable. He couldn't find a position on the soft mattress that suited him. Sighing in resignation, he took a pillow and the blanket and slid to the ground beside the bed, stretching out on the hard floor instead. Finally, he fell asleep, the muzzy thought that he'd grown accustomed to hard ground instead of soft mattress echoing tinnily through his mind as the deep, emptiness of sleep claimed him.

[lexi luthor]

Ash was about to offer to bring the motorcycle back but Damien beat her to the punch. It was probably better that way anyway. She really hoped that he would teach her how to ride a motorcycle like he offered earlier. That would have to wait for a later day though.

As everyone retired to sleep Ash was one of the last still awake. She wasn't really tired though, considering earlier that day she had taken a rather long nap. But, it wasn't only that. Now that she had time to think memories of her mother ealier that day flooded into her head. Ash shook her head and tip-toed into the girl's hut not wanting to wake anyone. She looked around for her drawing pad and when she found it, carried it with her into the little kitchen part of the treehouse.

She sat down at the table and began to draw. She let her mind roam as she drew. She though about Damien.It was really dishearntening to hear about his past, She wanted to hold him close and whisper to him that everything would be better now. That couldn't happen though. Why? Probably because it would seem weird considering the fact that she had just met him and such. Plus she didn't know if she could ever work up the courage too.

Ash shook her head again and focused on what she was drawing. It had started out as a picture of her brother teaching her how to ride a motorcycle but ended up become a picture of Damien teaching her brother how to drive one. She tilted her head and smiled. It was one of her better drawings There was no mistake that the man on the motorcycle was Damien. The man on the ground looked like how she remembered her brother to look.

With careful fingers Ash ripped the paper out of the pad. She wanted to show Damien but was to shy to show him in person. What would he think if he knew she drew pictures of him. He would surely think that she was over obsessive or something.

Ash got up fromthe table and tip-toed towards the boy's room. As she walked in she was careful not to make any noise. Confused, she looked around not spotting Damien. It took a couple seconds before she found him lying asleep on the floor.

A smile played on her lips at the look of his serene expression. He looked so peaceful in sleep. No worries, nothing. She made her way across the room and placed the drawing on top of his things, then left.

After she left the boy's room she went into the girl's trying to find a place to sleep. She noticed Kayse making up the futon. "Are you going to sleep there?" she asked-whispered. She really didn't want ot sleep on the top bunk because she was already freaked out enough from being high up in the treehouse.

[ravebloodnymph]

Kayse turned, slightly startled, at Ash's soft whisper. "No, I was thinking of taking the top bunk. Unless you want it, of course."

Kayse wouldn't mind sleeping on the futon, but it didn't seem that it was going to be a problem. Ash had looked a little disheartened when she saw her making up the futon.

"Here, I'll be right back. Get yourself settled in wherever you want. I want to make some tea. You want some?" Kayse recalled the cookies that she had never made. Oh, well. Maybe she could make them now and they could eat that for breakfast.