TSUYUKUSA

[foreversweaterweather]

Comments

[foreversweaterweather]

Pffft, what's that got to do with anything?

[branches]

... Yeah. But there's nothing we can do to change that.
[The conflicted yet resolute look of someone who's had to grapple with this before.]

[branches]

[Weidly he flinches at this? Huh.]

What?? No, just like, just like any animal with sharp teeth would use them to defend themselves?

[branches]

[Hm. That reminds him of something.]

... You're a lot like Toki, now that I think about it.

[foreversweaterweather]

What are you defending yourself from, other trees?

[foreversweaterweather]

Huh? Who's Toki?

[foreversweaterweather]

Then...then what are we supposed to do?

[branches]

[LOUD, TENSE SIGH.]

I guess... I think my father would say we should make sure to remember them. And to live well, to do what they would have wanted us to do.

[... Looking down.]
I guess I have to wash my feet.

[branches]

He's my... friend... I guess.
[Tsun...]

He's really friendly and loud and weird the same as you are.

[branches]

From humans.
[HE KNOWS MABEL IS TELLING A JOKE BUT THAT WON'T STOP HIM FROM RUINING IT.]

week 2, Wednesday

[branches]

[Wherever Mabel is, Tsuyukusa has come to find her.]

Hey, Mabel, are you still being weird today? I want to show you something.
[THE CURSE....]

[foreversweaterweather]

Oh! No, I'm fine today.

What do you wanna show me?

[foreversweaterweather]

Wait, why are you biting humans...?

[foreversweaterweather]

Huh! Well, he sounds great!

Is he also a tree?

[foreversweaterweather]

[ that almost makes sense, almost sounds like something Mabel could believe...

but then he drops the bit about his feet. ]

...w-wha...?

[branches]

Lila was on my case about it, I mean.

[Sigh.]

I don't think it matters that much but... it's something.

[branches]

No. He's also human like you. Sometimes I think there isn't a single thought in his head. But...

[Looks away.]
I'm lucky that he's my friend.

[branches]

Because sometimes they come into the forest and threaten the ayakashi that live there.
[Sighs.]

I know now that not all humans are like that, but I used to hate them all, because I didn't know.

[branches]

Oh, good.
[He reaches inside his shirt, and pulls out whatever weird picture he drew for Mabel in that other thread, and hands it to her, as promised. Lets say it's a sorta rainbow colored snake creature with pig legs that's firing a beam out of its mouth. Also it has wings because why not.]

I wanted to show you how to braid grass. Something handmade, you know?
[For tasks.]

We could make a headband? You're always wearing those.

[foreversweaterweather]

[ she gasps as she takes the drawing and looks at it, before hugging it to her chest. ]

You saved it!!

Oooh, a grass braided headband? That sounds fun! Can we add some flowers to it too?

[foreversweaterweather]

Is ayakashi what you call all the other tree people...?

Well...now you know better! And technically, I'm a tree person too, you know--my last name is Pines!

[branches]

I figured regular Mabel would have wanted it.
[Huffs.]

And yeah sure, it's pretty easy to weave flowers in too. You'll have to pick them out though.
[He doesn't know what flowers she would like!!]

[foreversweaterweather]

Awww! See? Isn't having friends the best?

[foreversweaterweather]

She was mad at you for having dirty feet...?

[branches]

[Blinks, then actually laughs.]

I guess that's true, you are a tree person. A tree human instead of a tree spirit.

But no, tree spirits are just a kind of ayakashi. My father was a snake demon and my brother is a bird demon, they're ayakashi too.