A Fresh Caught Meal (Open/Kiri)

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

It was a fresh spring day and nothing could seem to bother Kikei she had just gotten off the local train while traveling as a civilian and had arrived at the port in which just days if not weeks ago she had visited for the first time. Why was she here you ask? The answer was quite simple actually she was here to partake in a wonderful meal that she could only find here. Fresh straight from the ocean fried fish, she had tried to eat a few fish meals in the village but nothing seemed to beat the flavor that she had received when she ate at a local tavern. Tracing her footsteps from the day of the mission it didn’t take her long to catch wind of the local bard outside playing their tune. It was a sign she as not far from her destination in fact she could smell the frying fish already. Of course what she was actually smelled was just one of the stalls located on the side of the road.

Arriving at her destination the young girl quickly dashed inside and found her place at and empty booth not far from the dreaded kitty table that she had been confined too before. She glared in its direction with such malice you could say it was obvious to everyone around her. As suddenly as she had turned to a frightful glare the girl’s demeanor returned to its happy state as she looked over the mean for what would be the special of the day. It just so happened to be a fish battered in fresh bread crumbs and fried in sesame seed oil. It also came with your choice of sides which included a cornbread like delicacy called hushpuppies or fried rice. Having been asked by the waitress what she was to drink and if she was ready to order the young girl quickly replied with a yes and requested the special with a cup of fresh tea with two sugar cubes for sweetness.

“Today is a good day, no work, no kohai to bother me. Nothing will get me down today, well nothing but this damn handsign nonsense. I still don’t get it I have all the formations correct but I still can’t seem to properly mold chakra.” She whined quietly as she looked down at a book she had just placed on the table. It was her handy notebook from the academy in which she had written down a cornucopia of knowledge of the subject but still could not seem to master the proper technique for it.​

 

[Kiri]

Spoiler

It was quite strange. Kiri had felt as though the world had changed. Walking down the streets of Port Cirrus, he would notice that even his inner soul was rather silent. It was almost as if the beast that often than not stirred with inexplicable excitement was tame. To add to this confusing moment, he stopped on his tracks when he realised that he could not even remember how he came to be in Port Cirrus. All he could remember was that he was supposed to buy something from somewhere.

Sighing, he would turn to look at the glass to the side, hoping to spot anything worth of note among the items for sale along the racks arranged by the window. Surprisingly, he was more perturbed by the reflection that looked back at him. It was a man, well, a bit older than he was and slightly taller, but it was not how he looked like before. He raised his hands and was surprised and also amazed that the reflection followed. He then turned around and adjusted the happi (traditional kimono overcoat layer) that he wore. Most importantly, he looked down held the sword on his obi and knew it was Nakigitsune. This was real.

Or was it? He can’t be sure but he could have just been busy to the point of exhaustion lately that he had somehow had a memory lapse, but he was certain that this was his body and his sword. Not to mention that he looked only as if he had forgotten to get a proper hair cut. Ah, but this was also okay. Still, if only he could remember what he was supposed to buy.

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

Looking out the window Kikei noticed a young man in the window of the inn who looked quite lost, almost bewildered even. Standing she walked out the door without a word to anyone and stood before him a mere 4’11.

“Sir, you seem lost? If so you should come in and have a seat you should.” She said happily as she reached out to grab the man by the hand and drag him to the table she had just been seated at before her meal was to be brought. Her touch would be soft and light and very endearing the only problem was she seemed different then the faceless masses that were around them. As if the world around them was made specifically for the two of them.

“Now then should we get you a meal, yes we should I think. What would you like their special here today is a very wonderful fish dish.” She giggled as she looked at him in the eyes, her own a very perplexing swirl to of red and black. She knew not who he was but didn’t care she had found herself a new friend and was planning to keep them busy for as long as she could. Maybe she would even be able to help the man find what he was looking for, but it was highly unlikely that would come to pass.​

 

[Kiri]

As Kiri would walk aimlessly down the road, he would suddenly be met by a girl. He paused as he listened to her talk, a bit taken by her appearance, especially her red eyes. And before he could say something, the girl was now dragging him into the said shop. Trying his best not to appear confused, Kiri would nod at the girl’s insistence since it could, indeed, help him figure out what was happening and perhaps remember the chore he was supposed to accomplish. But as they would slide into the shop, he couldn’t help but notice that aside from this girl, the rest of the people around them seemed dispensable, leaving no trace of facial features that he could latch on.

Coming into the shop, he would be presented towards a table where he took a seat. And then, the girl would proceed to introduce him to the shop’s famous dish. Still a bit wary, Kiri would glance about him, taking in the unusual decor of the shop though it did seem like a normal restaurant, before he turned his attention back to the girl before him. Resigning his fate to what was before him for now, Kiri would speak, “I don’t really eat fish much, but I suppose it would be a waste not to try it.”

Then he would, leaning closer to the girl, eyes looking sharply at her every feature, “Do I know you? If not, then why are you insistent on me?”

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

Kikei smiled from ear to ear as the young man agreed to follow along with her odd demands. A frown formed upon her face though when she heard he didn’t really eat fish all that much, but the smile quickly returned when he expressed he would at least try it. When asked if the man knew her she just chuckled for a bit before leaned in just as closely to the man that her lips would be next to his ears.

“Nope!” She yelled before letting out a mad crackle of laughter and almost falling back on her chair.

“You just seemed so interesting walking around in such a hurry I just felt I needed to slow down your day and let you take in the sights.” She stated as she stopped her chair from tipping over with the tip of her foot against the table. The blank expressions of those around her seemed to be staring at the two of them but no one could honestly tell.

“So tell me about yourself Mr. MAN.” She laughed as she looked him dead in the eyes once more, her gaze was like that of a child staring at a new toy that their parents had just gotten them as a present.​

 

[Kiri]

As he leaned in to listen to what the girl had to say, Kiri was surprised when she suddenly shouted. He almost fell off his seat as he pulled back from her eccentric theatrics. But he would quickly gain his composure as the girl slid back to her chair comfortably. It didn’t take long before she would open up a new conversation with him. And though her reasons for picking him seemed rather instantaneous as opposed to being particular, Kiri could almost feel as though this world was strange.

Leaning against the chair, himself, Kiri would look back at the girl and observe her for a few seconds before he would speak. “It’s rude to ask for another’s identity when you can’t even present yours,” he would say. Just then, a waitress would arrive and set down some complimentary tea for the two. “But even if I seemed in hurry, it would be nice to know what that is so. And you, on the other hand, seem to have enough time on your hands. That’s a bit dangerous for a young girl.”

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

“Oh well you know being rude is of no consequences here. Dreaming is such a wonderful thing after all, but I’ll be nice enough to allow you the pleasure of knowing just who. I. AM.” She stated placing major infancies on the last three words. ‘Oh how I haven’t had this much fun since I ran into Hoshi that night by the tree only then all I could do was win a simple game of rock paper scissors while here I can do so much more.’ She thought in the brief pause between her statements.

“I Am Riki Kikei, premier shinobi wannabe. I hail from kumo, born and raised.” She said as she jumped up quickly, one foot on the back of the chair the other on the brim of the table. Her leg on the table slightly bent and had landed in such a way that the plate below the tea cup sent it flying upward for her to catch and sip from perfectly. Such a feat surely would impress as it was meant to even if it was physically impossible, but here anything was as long as she wished it.

“Now as is customary I would like to know your name, and trust me you don’t want to lie here the folks around these parts don’t take kindly to liars.” She whispered the last bit as she lowered the cup from her lips and looked out towards the distant wall in such a way one could expect she was waiting for something to come busting through it. ‘A boat? No to mainstream, a wild animal? No that’s just as lame. A random jutsu that could level the entire building? Yeah that works but what jutsu I don’t know anything besides genjutsu!’ she moaned inside her head as she continued to look out towards the wall.

“Oh and to your question as to what you were doing I do not know I just had the whim that whatever it was could wait because you needed some nice old fashioned me time. Also not the kind you can’t tell momma about ether.” She laughed with a grim from ear to ear as she turned towards him and returned to her chair slightly defeated because she couldn’t come up with anything to suddenly change the venue into a mess of chaos and calamity.

“Yeah forgot to mention it is quite dangerous when a girl like me has too much free time.” She laughed as she began to fade from the chair completely, her laugh slowly fading out like some corny villains would as they vanished from the scene.

“But I’m only kidding I would never hurt a fly.” She said as she literally popped back into view in the same chair she had begun to fade away from. She was having fun at someone else’s expense at this point and knew darn well she was but she had never been taught the difference between right and wrong by her parents only recently did she learn such things so they hadn’t really stuck to well.​

[Word Count: 513]

 

[Kiri]

As the girl began her piece, Kiri could feel a certain mischief and malice in the air. It wasn't hard to see, not when his beast could so easily tell it as well. Then when the girl slipped into thin air and reappeared once more, he knew there was much more to be had than this game of hers. A game?

He thought for a bit. He knew that his chore was important but he could not remember what it was. And this girl who seemed to have a clue of it, was being rather cheeky in hiding it. No doubt that he was the target from the start but it seemed to late to realised he was caught in a strange trap. The only way out, it would seem, was to force it from the girl per se.

"Listen, little girl, I'm not one to play games like this, but you're not one to simply leave it be, it would seem," he began as he stood up from the chair. "And if I remember correctly, I'm rather in a hurry. So you best release me."

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

“Tsk, tsk!” She hissed between her teeth as she faded out of the scene quickly as if to leave the poor boy without a clue to what his duty was or if he would ever be free. ‘My for someone so pent up you would think he wouldn’t forget to give his name after making such a fuss over me not giving mine.’ She thought to herself as she reappeared near the stairs that lead up to another part of the inn.

“You know you’re the rude one now, keeping your name all to yourself.“ She stated as she walked up the stairs backwards with each step she faded more and more from view. If the boy was to follow after her up the stairs his body would also slowly fade from view and reappear in a large blank space that was nothing but white as if someone had taken an eraser and removed all details from the world.

“If he doesn’t follow suit I’ll just drag him here by force.” She thought with a laugh that crackled through the blank space and could be heard in the inn where she had left the boy alone. ‘I wonder what game should we play?’ She thought to herself as she floated upside down in the space as if it was the normal thing to do.

“HEY! If you win my game you are free to go but if you fail you swear your loyalty to me!” She cried out suddenly, her voice transferred through every villager that was in the inn who were all now staring very blankly towards Kiri.'That should get his attention if he was hesitant to come.'She thought as she grinned from ear to ear her eyes shimmered some as she twirled her finger in the area as if it was how she was controlling the entire play.​

 

[Kiri]

Suddenly, the girl before him would disappear. Alarmed, Kiri quickly stands and glances about to find any trace of her. At that point, he sensed a trail of her chakra and immediately followed. Up from the table and towards the landing of the stairs. Looking up, he saw Kikei reappear once more. His clicked his tongue in annoyance before he responded, saying, “Fine. It’s Kiri. Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

Sometimes it would be a lot better if he didn’t follow his instincts. It often got him into trouble. And as much as he would want to get away from there right now, he was compelled to follow as he felt as though he was missing something. That girl definitely stole something from him. Perhaps a reason, perhaps a goal. Whatever it was, his mind wanted to get it back. But it would be too late for him to turn around when he noticed that the further he climbed the stairs after her that the world was slowly changing. And finally, he was engulfed by a white void.

Almost instantly, his entire being became slightly enraged. It resembled so much of his soulspace so he thought that his world was invaded. And while the other’s words resounded in his head, he could tell that he was still of his own. And such taunting words were laughable if only his was more certain of his surroundings. But this was clearly not a normal space anymore.

“Game, huh? Well you better be ready to lose,” said Kiri, his voice slightly altering as his beast, too, echoed its roar with his. At once, in the middle of that white void, Kiri would let loose his demonic chakra together with a kinetic shockwave with his roar that would rupture and send cracks along the unknown spaces around them. “Because the only game I know is a good hunt.” At that point, the red energy would surround his body and already he could feel the destructive urge in it.

 

[Sei]

Sei sighed as he pulled the little pig-wallet from his pocket, opening it to make sure he had enough for a good meal or two before he left back for the estate. He hadn’t had a plate of fresh seafood for a bit now, and his mouth was nearly watering with anticipation. He looked up for a few seconds, making sure he was still walking the correct way. He hadn’t been this way in a long time, and getting lost…. Well, that wasn’t on the agenda.

He was just closing the pig-wallet and about to slip it back into his pocket when he felt a sharp pain as his wrist was twisted, a sharp blade cutting a line into his palm so that he reflexively relaxed his group to see what the hell was going on. He shouted as he was rudely shoved forward to stumble, a dark-clothed figure running past him, money in hand.

Sei ignored the pain as the split on his hand almost immediately closed up, the pain in his wrist fading quickly as his blood went to work healing him as fast as possible (which was quite fast, mind you). He ran after the perp, intent on catching him and taking his money back - fuck if this guy was hungry, he could’ve just asked!

The pair of them ran and shoved civilians aside as the criminal was intent on leaving Sei behind, using his knowledge about the local area to find quick pathways and easier ways to get through the more trafficked areas - if Sei hadn’t been training to get back into shape and correct his frayed reflexes, he would’ve lost him long ago.

It was when they were passing by a restaurant, one Sei found to be especially good, when he was hit by a massive pulse of chakra - and not a good kind of chakra. The blast didn’t seem to affect anything at all, except maybe him - nothing exploded, nobody was blasted off their feet. The pulse had been so quick that, while it definitely registered in his own senses, he never stopped running.

He turned the next corner, eyes fixed upon the target, when he blinked and suddenly - he wasn’t where he was before. The change had been so instantaneous and unexpected that Sei stumbled, tumbling to the ground and getting back up with a roll. He was about to shout, as he was used to doing in odd situations, when he thought against it. Whatever the hell had brought him to this… White space, had been powerful. Enough to catch him in the middle of a high-speed chase (which was something he actually loved doing).

He turned on his heel a few times, looking around for absolutely anything that could help him. He was still wearing what he had been, and still felt as if he’d been running for a good twenty minutes - he could feel it in his chest and calves. The young man brought his right hand up to run through his hair in exasperation, utterly confused, when he noticed the man surrounded in red energy, a smaller girl not that much farther from him.

He’d obviously stumbled into something he didn’t want to stumble into. Something most people shouldn’t stumble into, but that was just his luck…. Knowing people with these types of abilities (he was one of them), this would get a little ugly. He was caught between saying something or just waiting it out, until whoever had cast this Jutsu was knocked unconscious or released him upon their free will. Which was probably not his best bet, considering it was one of them that brought him already.

”Who the hell brought me here and who the hell is going to set me free?” He asked, already summoning power into his blood and ready to use it to attack. He’d been practicing, after all.

[MFT - 649 WC]

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

With a laugh and clap Kikei floated around the area of blank space, which took only seconds to regain its composure as a pure white arena. ‘Oh what a lovely color, it reminds me of the color of my eyes!’[/color] she thought to herself happily as she slowly dropped to the floor and landed upon a single foot with much glee.

“Not much of a hunt now would it seeing as we are face to face.” She said with a laugh and a grin, which soon faded quickly as she felt a disturbance in her world. She turned quickly and took sight of the young man who appeared randomly. ‘Who in the hell….how…why….HE SHOULDN’T BE HERE!!!!’ She screamed inside her head, which would transpire with the world around them to begin to shake violently.

“GET OUT!” She bellowed with just as much force as Kiri’s demonic howl the power of which would be made known as the world seemed to enlarge as the distance between Kikei and the two men grew exponentially. Soon she would be a mere speck in the distance of the area her voice still booming though loud and clear.

“You’re not supposed to be here! This is my domain!” She cried out frantically as walls began to fall from the sky quickly forming a maze like structure. At the center of the maze Kikei would sit frantic and afraid as her sanctum had been violated by an unknown variable. The walls themselves were created from a black material that swayed and moved quite freely, as if it was a living thing.

“The game has changed!” Her voice ran out inside each of their heads, her eyes could be seen in the sky above as to signify they were to be watched from here on out. ‘They can’t get me here…..they won’t get me here….my world, my rules.’ She kept repeating to herself as she sat curled up in a very extravagant chair.

Upon one of the floor a fire would erupt near them and began to spell out something; Fear the walls they are quite hungry. Brave are those who seek the air, their tombstones will be quite fair. As it finished with its notation the flame died out and a tick tock began to fill the air.​

 

[Kiri]

With the sudden appearance of the white void, the beast couldn’t help but be confused, stirring up Kiri’s own thoughts. “Be careful. While this is not your mind, it also is. It’s a rather interesting predicament, if you ask me,” said the beast, prompting Kiri to shake his head in disagreement. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in something problematic. Besides, if this white space was trying to imitate his soulspace, it was clearly irking him. Still, there was a glimpse of hope as he noticed that even in his cloak form, his beast’s power was not hindered at all. “I told you. This is existing in the same manner as your soulspace. So let me handle this and I’ll protect you well.”

“I understand,” answered Kiri as he calmed his mind amidst the echo of the girl’s clapping and taunting, and felt the surging of the demonic aura. Though not as malicious and evil as before, more controlled now than in the past, it was still frightening to say the least if one would encounter him. But for Kiri, all doubts of the past had been erased. He had already come into terms of accepting his fate, and in fact, molding it to his own judgment. And that particular path didn’t involved turning into someone’s plaything, especially when he could clearly feel that this body of his was somehow different. He’ll have to get free somehow and return to his own form.

And it would be in the middle of this when someone suddenly came into the white world. Kiri spared a moment’s glance to look at the intruder, catching a glimpse of tall redhead who seemed just as confused and irked as he was. But he could easily tell he was no ordinary man as he felt the chakra that was swelling up inside the other as well. Despite his call, Kiri would not have an answer for now. Not until something unexpected happened.

The appearance of this unknown man had caused Kikei to lose it. “She’s unstable,” said the beast as the world around them began to shake and morph for a moment as she seemed to set out an outburst to the stranger. With an eruption of some unknown power, Kiri couldn’t help but move by instinct as he could tell that the unstable force was hostile. He quickly went towards the redhead and grabbed him, pulling him out of the way just in time when a tall large slab of black wall dropped in on where he stood. More began to fall and Kiri had to manoeuvre themselves away from the falling walls. By the time it was over, he had the redhead close to him as he glanced about them, seemingly surrounded by all these walls. And from above there was a large eye that was seemingly peering down on them.

“No, there’s a path. There’s an energy source. Her chakra is emanating towards the centre,” said the beast again. Kiri clicked his tongue in annoyance, letting the man go for a bit as he stepped towards the centre of the pathway. He felt like this trap was becoming all the more troublesome. And then, some flame would erupt from the floor that contained a message. “A rather cheeky invitation. The hunt has only begun.”

With a nod, Kiri examined the walls and saw how they moved and sway, almost as if they were ready to eat them up. “A living maze, huh?” said Kiri before turning back to the redhead and added, “Looks like your arrival somehow spurred her to be unstable. While I can sympathise your confusion and frustration to some level, fortunately for us, we could use your presence to our advantage.”

And so Kiri would pull out Nakigitsune from its scabbard, the uchigatana’s blade reflecting the visions of the demonic aura of its master. Held in one hand, he would appear to be ready as he glanced back to the redhead. “Apologies for getting you caught up in this, though I have no idea how that happened. But I assure you, seeing as you don’t seem to be an enemy, that I will end this soon. Well, not an enemy… yet.” A quick swing of his sword, imbued by the aura of his beast’s demonic energy, three slashes would leave from the edge of the sword and cut across the nearest wall that moved to block his way. Then he would glance up to the giant eye on the sky and said with a tease, “We’re coming, princess.” Obviously, the beast– his brother’s soul and personality– were already beginning to influence even his own speech as he was now melding soulspace with this unknown world and giving rein to his beast.

 

[Sei]

Sei knew he'd screwed up when the world about him shook, causing him to shift into a lower stance so as to keep a more stable center of gravity during the girl's..... Episode. Now, at least, he knew who had brought him here. He glared at the girl who seemed to have a slight attitude problem, screaming herself to a distance away from the both of them. Well, if she wanted me out, why doesn't she just release me, he thought, disgruntled. He bet the thief was long gone by now, using every bit of his money for some nefarious purpose. Which only served to make him even more mad, and he was already hangry.

He stared up into the sky as the walls began falling, seemingly random, as if she just wanted to crush them to a fine dust. And that, to be entirely truthful, sounded like a terrible way to die. Sei was just about to begin moving himself out of the way of these following slabs of dark material when he felt the other man's hands close on him, forcing him to move in a way entirely odd to him - Sei nearly tripped trying to keep up with the other fellow's different style of dodging, attempting to discern the pattern to a competent degree.

By the time Sei was damn near done with the fellow and ready to shove him off, the walls had finished setting themselves down, settled and made all the odder by the presence of the eyes of the girl - yet enlarged and hovering above the new structure around them. With the lack of the need to continue to be close to the blonde, the young Shinrya was about to push him away when he was distracted by the fire and the message within. He glanced to each wall around them, frowning in almost disapproval. He hated brats.

With him now released from his "savior's" grasp, Sei brushed his shoulders off, tugging and pulling his slightly disheveled clothes into place. He gripped his hands into fists, the start of a weapon beginning in the palm of his hand as a dark red liquid began shaping into a bar, gripped in his fist. "Well, it's not my fault. She brought me here for whatever reason and now I'm missing a meal. Brat," he said, almost sneeringly as the sanguine liquid finished shaping itself into a small mallet, already wielded in his hand. He merely watched and listened to the blond go on, increasingly getting angrier at his newest entrapment.

After the man concluded his tidbits of information, slashing at the walls, Sei's nostrils flared. "Why in Raiden's flying finger are we even here? What the hell are we supposed to do?" He asked, glaring at the walls. He didn't wait for answer before he swung the small mallet at the wall - as he got closer, the mallet grew increasingly massive, until he was holding a weapon with a hilt nearly three times his height, the faces of the head of the weapon taller than himself and just as wide. The weapon smashed into the wall with a deafening boom, the liquid becoming a stalwart solid. "What did you mean, my presence could be an advantage? The hell do you know about this girl?" He asked, though still waiting for an answer to his previous questions.

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

The wall seemed to become fluid like as the blade plunged inside of it only to become stuck inside, the dark material began to slowly creep down the blade in a very ravenous fashion. Yet for the hammer it became solid as steel causing the large boom to echo even louder, and yet the hammer remained firmly attached to the wall as it too began to be eaten by the dark material. Heat could be felt as the darkness crept ever so closely towards the hands of those wielding the weapon that had attempted to cause it harm.

From the wall two exact all black copies of their weapons sprouted forth and attempted to return the favor of the damage they had inflicted upon it onto them. The only difference was the speed and strength behind the swings was doubled. By now the weapons that the two had used upon the wall were already completely consumed by the dark material and slowly being absorbed into the wall.

A small wisp like creature soon appeared near the two and began to make soft noises as if beckoning to follow it. While a flame on the floor erupted once more and began to write down a few things for the duo; P.S. Strike not the wall or be prepared to fall . It wrote out underneath the other burnt down words, and yes it went as far as to add a smiley face at the end.

Meanwhile at the exact same time Kikei was curled upon her chair slowly swiveled around as her heart beat began to slow and she regained composure of herself. ‘He’s just some fool, he didn’t break in he stumbled in somehow. He must have made eye contact with the real me outside in the brief period the world got unstable….I think….maybe…I don’t know…’ she thought to herself as her mind began to race once more along with her heart beat. The incisive tick tock of a clock continued to echo through the maze as she contemplated just how the young man had entered into her domain. It was then she checked upon the two through her vision from above.

‘They already disarmed themselves, wonder what mistake they will make next. Let’s see if I can get them to follow this.’ She thought to herself as she spawned a black flame wisp that would beckon for the two to follow in a cute way. With that done she left one more tidbit of information for the two on the floor. Of course there was much more that had yet to be revealed to the two.​

 

[Kiri]

Kiri was a bit fascinated when the redhead suddenly made a weapon out of his… blood. That was something unexpected, especially since he only knew of a few who could do such a thing, such as his mentor, Osu. Wait, now that he thought much into it, there was only Osu. And as such, he couldn’t help but be mesmerised for a minute. Was that even the only reason? The way the other moved, the way the mallet enlarged, and pretty much the way the other talk. It was just, unexpected and his beast had to internally knock some sense into his soul with a ephemeral flick to his mental mind just to get his thoughts back in track.

And in a brief exchange in his mind, “What’s with the doki-doki?” said the beast in an annoyed voice in his head. “I don’t know. Excitement?” he answered.

In any case, he would soon return his focus on what’s at hand. “No, I don’t know her at all. Though from the way things are, she means nothing but mischief. I was of the mind to kill her before you arrived, but it seems as though there’s a hole in her plans. Something unexpected jolts her. Rather intriguing, I must say,” he answered the redhead. “Before I end up having to offend you, is there anyway you would want to be called? Lately, I’ve been forgetting my manners and would rather not have to deal with two trivial matters at hand. My name is Kiri.”

Soon enough, things turned serious as his blade was stuck against the wall, as was the hammer. Despite his efforts to pull back Nakigitsune, Kiri could tell that the weapon was being absorbed by an unknown strength. And soon enough, the handle of the sword began to heat up and he was left with no choice but to release his hold over it. But danger didn’t seem to want to wait as from the wall would form their very weapons and out to strike at them.

With his demonic senses tingling at the intent of the strike, Kiri quickly moved. But his eyes glanced upon the redhead and he knew that his sword’s strike would also affect the other, and as such, he knew he had to do something. If they wanted to get out of this place, they would have to work together and protect the other. As such, he reached the redhead with his increased speed and pulled him away from the incoming attacking weapons. Even if these copies were faster, they were still just targets, preys. And instantly, the beast’s instinct took over as a sudden surge of demonic energy would swell up around Kiri before blasting around them. Thankfully, while holding on to the redhead, the latter would not be affected, as the blast sent a kinetic shockwave that would deter the assaults from the weapons, forcing them to drop to the ground in recoil.

At that point, a wisp would appear behind them, giving another message. Kiri narrowed his gaze at the wisp, a growing beastly snarl coming from him before he clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Only a fool would fall for such a trick,” he said, still holding on the redhead as if the other was something so fragile or that perhaps he would get lost somehow. “But it’s not really giving us any other options.”

 

[Sei]

He frowned, looking to the blonde and listening. "Children are nothing but mischief. I'm done with the lot of them," he said, frowning as his mallet remained touching the surface of the wall for some odd reason. The games were getting tiring already. Being a shinobi truly had its terrible moments.

Raising an eyebrow at the man, he shrugged, shifting his grip on the hammer-handle. "Sei," he responded to the request of his name, pushing the other's name to the back of his mind. After this, hell if he'd find himself within another minute of their 'company'. Fuck, was his hammer getting suddenly hot?

He grunted almost savagely as his hammer remained stuck, despite his every effort, physically and mentally, to wrench it free. Sei was contemplating putting his foot against the wall to try and get some leverage to pull it out, when he stopped and watched as the blonde's sword was swallowed whole, sucked in and destroyed by the wall. He gave a last, final tug before sighing and releasing the blood-weapon, watching as it was slowly consumed by the little girl's nefarious maze.

He was just moving back to move out of the way of his hammer's swing when he felt hands grab at him yet again, pulling him in a direction than the one he was going to take. He shouted in renewed anger, about to lash out at the other man when he felt another wave of chakra, this time aimed at an attempt to deflect the weapons. Ultimately successful, Sei was yet still angered. However, this seemed a place full of distractions as a wisp of flame sprouted, beckoning to them as another message wrote itself in flames.

Couldn't think to mention that earlier, dungeon master, he thought to himself, before shoving Kiri off of him, almost rudely. "I can take care of myself." He frowned at the wisp, twisting his neck in a way that it cracked comfortably. "Like hell if I'm going towards that thing. Feel free to die," he commented with a slight, "Hmph." He started off in the opposite direction of the flame wisp thing.

He had taken only a dozen steps before he stopped, turning his head back around. "You don't follow cute shit, even if it seems like your only option. You must want to die. Come," he commanded Kiri, glaring up at the eyes in the sky. "What's next?"

 

[Kikei]

Outfit of the Day!​

Watching the scene unfold before her Kikei grinned as she watched the red headed man begin to storm away from the wisp. Show them the way and they will most likely think it a trap, especially if the way is marked with adorable little wisps. ‘Good on you for not following the wisp.’ She thought to herself as she watched the two. It was even more entertaining as the red head turned his attention directly towards her eyes in the sky. ‘Oh you shouldn’t have done that…..oh well have fun with this.’ She thought as she cast a power genjutsu to the young man. One that would plant a seed of doubt that would take root inside the red headed man’s mind causing him to start to grow suspicious of the other man’s authenticity as a prisoner if the dungeon master’s game.

“Let’s see if I can get him to start believing that Kiri is just another one of my mischievous tricks.” She crackled as she laughed at their misfortune from her spinning chair. Spinning around the girl seemed oh so much more comfortable now that she had the two within her grasp. Her outburst seemed like a thing of the past. This was the sort of thing she enjoyed having everything play out according to how she thought it should.

“Oh that would make a wonderful surprise for them, but have to wait for them to at least get further in before I play another trick so soon.” She said to herself as she watched the two walk the halls of her maze with a grin from ear to ear. As she saw it she was going to win and have herself to new loyal subordinates from which her reach of power would grow. ‘I’ll show that brother of mine that I don’t need his constant supervision and I can be just as successful as he is in my own way!’ She thought to herself not realizing that maybe his supervision was not just to protect him but to protect others as well.​

[WC: 344]

 

[Kiri]

He felt like frowning as the redhead who seemed to hate having to reveal his name as Sei was angry. Not like he should care because he was most certain it was not his fault. If anything, he, too, should be angry at his current predicament. But really, cute shit?! Actually if there was anything or anyone being cute at the moment, Kiri would almost say it was Sei.

“No, no, no. Get your head back into the game. This is no time for this,” said the beast with an ephemeral Osu-chop on his ephemeral head. “I really need to get that crash course done with you.”

“I wasn’t thinking of anything,” retorted Kiri, though it would only appear as though he frowning in real life when internally he was having a brief banter with his beast. “Besides, he really does look cute when he’s angry. Is that bad?”

“No, but please, not now. Look, just sit back, relax, and let me handle this.”

A nod.

Kiri seemed to have reconsidered looking back at the wisp that was being persistent in its beckoning, but Sei was definitely not having any of it. And since it was better to move in groups, seeing how he had already mentioned how Sei’s presence had somehow alarmed the girl beyond the norm, Kiri would go along with it for now. “Aw, even when taunting, he look cute.”

And so, he and Sei would continue down the path that the redhead chose, though Kiri kept a careful and watchful glance about them, making sure nothing else would want to attack now that they were on the move. Besides, if the walls continued to sway and move, they might suddenly shift and change. They’ll have to be cautious.

 

[Sei]

He frowned, feeling a sudden slow, dropping in his stomach as he looked up at the eye. This... All of this was an illusion. The girl's illusion, and it was..... Massive. Too massive for a novice to conjure. How the hell was his coming not supposed to be, how was it an accident? He looked back over to Kiri, the blonde-haired boy who had supposedly been trapped in this illusion before him, and was ready to kill the girl...

He sighed quietly, running a hand through his hair. He looked up to the eyes again, before shaking his head. "Fucking place," he said quietly to himself, mostly banishing the feeling of the other man's true purposes within this realm. Yet....

Sei continued walking, a slim bo staff forming within his palm, made entirely of his own blood. He began idly spinning it, waiting for the next test. "So, where are you from, Kiri?" He put emphasis on the man's name, almost as if he was testing it out. As if he wanted to test its standing in reality. Even then, he didn't wait for the man's answer as he started off as if Kiri had asked How about you?

"Shinrya Estate, Kumogakhure. I've been living there since I was born, never been really out that far, though I've always wanted to visit Sand." He pointed to his eye, the one hidden behind the dark eyepatch. "My mother stole it when I was younger, tried to replace them with her eyes. This one,", he tapped his cheek under the eye with the bo staff, the blood it left behind immediately absorbed by his skin. "Actually survived, so I'm not fully blind. My sense of depth is screwed, however. The other was just messed up, placed incorrectly." He shrugged, looking around as the two of them walked on, Sei acting as if he were comfortable around.

He kept the bo staff in a ready position, however, the spinning keeping it ready to strike at a moment's notice. "I'm getting tired of this little girl. Can you track chakra, Kiri?"