(Closed) To where we don't know.

*shrug*
"I don't know. I mean, the storm is supposed to pass by about 50 Kilometers to the west going north, you can kinda see the clouds already,"
She points towards the horizon where the clouds are slowly closing in on the sun.
"But when they'll begin producing lightning strong enough for us to see, I have no clue."

"Down to the thunder timing trick then, except that's more toward how close lightning is rather than when it strikes." The sun had begun to bow out by way of cloud cover, which would bring us to the other event this day. The lightning storm, the likes of which have an affinity for trees. As long as the distance was accurately measured, there would less concern. "I am close to sixteen and still haven't actually seen lightning, yet I know how to time it." That, that was his main concern, which is more telling of where he was now.

It is obvious that Chiharu's curiosity is piqued when she tilts her head to look over to Izumi with ever so slightly raised eyebrows as she asks "Thunder timing trick?"

"There's usually a maximum distance from where one can hear thunder, about 16 kilometers. Which makes the usual practice of sound difficult to use, however the math follows a pattern. Every 3 seconds signifies a kilometer. The storm is by your count 50 kilometers away right now. From here there would be a case of lightning every 2 minutes and 50 seconds if it starts from where it is."

"So you use the difference between the speed of light and sound to measure the distance. Never heard of that before, but it makes sense."
Chiharu resumes a more relaxed posture for a moment before a cool breeze passes by causing her to shiver slightly in the absence of the sun. She then wraps her arm under Izumi's and rests her head against his shoulder.
"To be honest, me and thunder have never been good friends."

"I am uncertain of your range, but at this distance, I'd be surprised if you could hear even the faintest crack of thunder." Izumi knew the reason why she couldn't tolerate sound. Having that much sensitivity would cause adverse effects that would render her unto immense pain if a sound was loud enough. "I can understand why you wouldn't find it welcoming." It would take a while before the storm enters auditory range and at minimum distance it's not impressive. Nevertheless, Izumi did wonder how much those headphones cancel out outside noise.

"Well, we all have to face our fears one way or-"
She interrupts herself as she points to the clouds in the distance,
"Oh, I think I saw a flash"

"We'll be facing it soon enough. There's a pause between each flash, let's make the most of it." Clouds were about to clash together for violent artistry. The day which once was bright was to be lit by strikes to matches the vapors became. All the creatures below knew that these could spell the end of house and home. The trees were doomed to their insentience. They were in for a show the likes of which were rich in their novelty, as children again fascinated by common things. He held her just a tad bit closer to him just relax himself a bit. Couldn't afford to be anxious now.

There was little excitement for quite some time as the clouds hid the storm within itself. Flash after flash, each behind the cover of the clouds, each indistinct from one another. That is, until the wind turned, bringing along the flourish of light that reached out from the sky and touched the earth below it, calling forth branches of electricity throughout the tempest before the students sight.

"Whoa..."

Commanded by the combined force of dueling clouds, strikes of vicious rays of light forced their way through the sky. An arrow darting across the forest burrowing its way underground. Izumi sprung up at the sight with a childlike gleam in his eye, holding back any outburst that would conjure up embarrassment. He still had to compose himself enough in the presence of another. Nature's matches were lit in an attempt to send the sylvan greens below ablaze. Strikes of unknown magnitude hailing forth whatever the storm wrought. Izumi wasn't sure whether any rain would besiege and follow in the steps of the maelstrom preceding the charge. Izumi for our detail was too caught up and entwined with the lightning that the thought passed through as quick as the next surge clattered.

"To think I've been deprived of this all these years..."

Engrossed in the spectacle before them, Chiharu began to lean forward, but failed to notice the lack of anything but air in front of her. What followed was a very short shriek and the next thing she knew, she was hanging on to a long green branch with an Iron grip that miraculously kept her attached despite the branch bowing to a near vertical position. She began to quickly look around for something else to grab on to but made the mistake of looking down to the ground 6 meters below her. Her mind began to flood with fear and her palms began to sweat along with the panic, causing her to slip just enough to force her to close her eyes, hug the branch with all her strength, and let out another cry.

"Izumi!!!"

Izumi seemed to awaken from his enchantment as he attempted as quickly as he could to assess the situation. With his height not exactly being the catalyst for a great wingspan, he had to find some way to get to Chiharu. He crept from the branch as soon as he found a decently sturdy enough perch within distance. "If anything just do all you can to look up, think upwards, focus upwards." As he states this, she starts slipping even more and decided to simply make it to the farthest end of the perch, reach out and attempt to grab on to her. "If you could, reach toward me, there's only one real chance at this." He reached out to the furthest extent he could without tipping over his own self. "If you can just grab on, I'll will you up if I must!" Izumi's calm demeanor faded into a determined look to fade away his worry, if she could just reach him, he'd be able to have a chance. Memories of the day the raft team crashed into the unseen stone returned to him as he grew increasingly anguished.

Chiharu opened her eyes for but a second, long enough for her to see the world come in to existence and disappear repeatedly from the flashes of light in the distance, and long enough for Izumi to see the shear terror in her eyes. She forced her eyes closed again and choked the branch between her arms as her legs attempted to find purchase on the trunk but to no avail.

"I can't!" <If I let go, I'm going to fall, if I miss your hand, I'm going to fall, if you grab on to my hand the branch is going to break and we'll both fall. I need to get ahold of myself and think damnit! What's the point, no matter what I do->"I'm going to fall!"

Those words didn't compute, the odds weren't in favor of success if this lasted any longer than it should have. At this pace, there wasn't enough time to further rationalize the action. Izumi leaped to an adjacent branch that would not have enough give for more than a few seconds, he knew what he was to do from there. If this branch snaps, this one will swing, if she falls, I might be able to swing this fell branch in time to fall very much more calmly. "If you are, you might want to get on, if we fall, we do so together!" His branch closed in on hers as she was about to descend. "You have a choice! Either you stay within your fear and take what you will get or allow me to help you. Again, there's just but one chance at this, and for every second you say you can't, time passes deciding for you!"

<Die together or Die alone... I will NOT let the universe take that decision from me>

It took all of her mental fortitude to form a moment of composure long enough to take a hold of Izumi's fore arm. What happened after that was a no more than a blur in her mind and soon they were on the forest floor and Chiharu's first act upon solid ground was to wrap her arm's around Izumi tightly. She didn't care if she was shaking, or that he could undoubtedly feel the sweat from her panic in her hair as she pressed her head firmly between his neck and shoulder. All that mattered to her in that moment was that they both made it down alive, that the moment of a flashing nightmare that felt like a thousand was finally over, and the thing that mattered the most of all was that Izumi gave her the strength and control enough to have a moment of willful triumph over the anarchic pandemonium that was her mind in moments like that.

Izumi took one more glance toward the sky, as a crack of lightning careened toward the ground far from their final resting place. The branch they were on snapped back in a winding motion severing off in the bushes ten paces off to the east. Izumi took a deep breath taking in what was real. Chiharu was in his arms, free from harm if completely shaken as a result. Himself bearing a few new scratches for the trouble. That was the first time he could admit he held some level of control over a situation since his arrival. "To be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight", the pledge of being a scout hadn't sounded any less than a cliche the first time he heard it, the meaning all too clear right now. Knowing that she is recovering from panic, Izumi begins to set her down to sit after parting. "Whenever you feel as though we can head back, let's, for now we should simply let emotion pass over."

Chiharu leaned against the bottom of the tree, breathing very purposefully, while her hands were still restless, and her heart still pounded swiftly in her chest. Realizing that the moment to fear had passed, yet her body refused to accept it, Chiharu fruitlessly reached for her scarf which she had forgotten was still in her dorm.

She broke the moment of silence with a slightly nervous tone in her voice

"So this is going to sound really weird,
*Breath*
"but.."
*Breath*
"Can I borrow your shirt?"

"If it would help." Izumi lifts off his shirt and hands her the article, not exactly sure of the reason. This was helped along by not having any sense of prevailing embarrassment, he was particularly well built for someone as small as his frame appeared to be. Couldn't of afforded not to have been having been on the frontier as long as he has. The definition was mostly defined in his core rather than his chest and was uniform in leanness throughout. He wasn't cut, rather lean in structure and looked more agile than strong. He didn't allow himself to be seen for what he was for too long as he knelt down across from her and kept an eye on her condition, all he could decide upon doing. "Not going to ask why if you aren't privy to tell, just breathe."

The moment Izumi's torso became unsheathed, Chiharu exhaled more forcefully than she had anticipated and the sight wasn't doing anything to calm her fluttering heart. So she took the piece of cloth and closed her eyes as she began a seemingly pointless task of repeatedly folding and unfolding the shirt. Soon the trained motions synced to her breathing, and progressively the actions became slower, her breathing quieter. Only a few moments passed before she opened her eyes and looked into Izumi's as she began to explain.

"It helps me focus and calm down. You can have this back, if you want... I wouldn't mind if you didn't though."
She held out his shirt to him and looked at him as if she was expecting an answer to a question she never asked.

"I would, thank you." Izumi took back his shirt without much ado. After a slight moment of getting it back on he took a few paces on back toward the entrance. Pausing to see if Chiharu was following. "I suggest we head back now if just to get ourselves away from the scene. Storms bearing in and it's been a rough few minutes." He hadn't eaten in a while and whilst it was a strange time to be mindful of that, with the storm gradually making its way in, he wasn't about to be caught in it unprepared. Less so with Chiharu along. "It would be a much needed rest once we return. One we should be thankful for."

With only a hint of hesitation, Chiharu picked herself up off of the forest floor and brushed her legs clean of the dirt before catching up to Izumi, following at his side but still slightly behind. She scoured her thoughts for words to fill the silence as it was beginning to close around them, but the only thing that came to her was a simple, "Thank you."

"I did as I should, you're welcome. Those situations require a sharpness I thought I left long behind. I am just glad you're safe." Izumi smiles reassuringly as he slows his pace. "I haven't eaten yet, if you're willing, once we return I should have a few snacks holed up somewhere we could share." Before silence had its grip around the air again, Izumi noted just then that something was off. "Your scarf, you've left it. For all of what I did pay attention to, I missed that. Was that what you use to calm yourself when panic strikes?"

Her hand rubbed against the back of her bare neck absentmindedly as she said, "Yeah, usually. I didn't bring it today because I didn't think I would have anything to worry about, and because I feel a lot safer around you, so I didn't think I would need it."

She looked off to the distance thoughtfully as she ended her statement.
"I guess that was a bit of a mistake, wasn't it."

"I am flattered, truly, you still should try to cover as many possibilities as you can. Grave matters become more grievous when caught unawares." Izumi brought emphasis on that last note holding out a twig that followed him once clinging to his shirt. "Hello, hello, it seems our sylvan friend is here to remind us of what has passed." Izumi knew it was just a piece of debris yet it was customary for him to use whatever he could find to build a point. He'd make a discussion out of the drying of paint if he must to reinforce details. The silence that crept in and out was disconcerting and so even if this went poorly, it was more than naught.

"I say we take it as a keepsake."
Chiharu lightened up as she took the stick from Izumi playfully and walked ahead of him as she wove her words carefully before the Forest.
"Through trial and triumph we have come out with a trophy. Let us keep this piece of the day to hold as a symbol of our tremulous survival, so we can reflect and realize that despite the tribulation we faced, it was outweighed by the tremendous and terrific exploit we experienced."
She attempted to hold a grand pose, holding the twig toward the heavens, a foot upon a log, and her fist firmly placed against her hip.