Hanging Around [Req Sota]

[Inuzuka Keiyaku]

What the civilians might've thought, seeing someone jump from rooftop to rooftop with a young teenager slung over his shoulder...

Keiyaku held tightly onto the paralysed Sota, carrying him fireman style as he darted through the village. In time, they came to the stairway leading up to Hokage Rock. Morutobu followed behind the two of them, still in his Beast Clone form where he appeared as the ANBU officer's perfect double, mask and all. After a short journey, the three of them reached the summit where Keiyaku finally put the boy down, watching him cautiously as they stood atop one of the Hokage heads, overlooking the vast expanse of Konoha.

"Think you bit off a bit more than you can chew this time, sunshine," the ANBU officer smirked, though looking down at his bandaged hands and wondering if this was the right thing to do. The kid wasn't gonna be in danger of course, he just wanted to scare him a little. Without needing to perform any hand signs, Keiyaku simply held out the palm of his hand and raised it up, causing Sota's body to raise into the air at the same time, lifted by some kind of unseen force. Gingerly, he drifted over the edge of the rock, at which point, Keiyaku dropped him except for his ankle, so he was dangling, upside down, over the sheer drop of a mountain. By this time the paralysis would have worn off, with both the ANBU officer and his identical clone, watching the boy imperiously through slit-pupilled eyes.

"Oh, kid, so nice of you to drop in! I wouldn't look down if I were you though."

It was impossible not to hear the smirk in the man's voice.

"Wanna tell me what all that stabby-stabby-fun time was about back there?"

 

[Akamine Sota]

It had all been over just as quickly as it'd started. Perhaps before anything had started. Some rough treatment was due. Sota couldn't protest even if he wanted to. Thinks he doesn't, but there's no telling as to why. Despite the visceral images that had flashed through his mind just moments prior, he now felt the unexpected feeling of relief. As if he'd escaped horrors of his own making. And, well. He had. Thanks to a member of the ANBU.

No thanks are given. Instead:

"Not this shit aga — AH!" The sudden flip of his worldview has his words cut short. Not enough to put an end to the myriad of insults he'd prepped for the man and his dog, but just enough for about a moment's worth of panic.

"Hey, listen, you're an Inuzuka, right? How about I give you and your friend over there something you two could chew on? I mean, you brought up chewing. You're hungry, no?"

Was a rumor circulating among the higher ups? Something about Sota being afraid of heights? Why were all these high ranks choosing to punish him over the edge of the Hokage's rock?



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[Inuzuka Keiyaku]

"Again?"

Keiyaku was a little taken aback - had someone already done this to him? He wondered who that could have been.

"Well with an attitude like that, it doesn't surprise me that you've been dangled upside down off the side of a mountain before now," he smirked, watching the kid struggle. The comment about him being an Inuzuka and needing something to chew on didn't seem to make him too happy though. Giving a low growl, he moved his hand down and caused Sota to fall perhaps 4 feet downwards before catching him again, just to rattle him a little.

"Cut the shit, kid. Just tell me what's goin' on with you, what's made you go all knife-happy, and I'll let ya down safely."

 

[Akamine Sota]

Sota ignores the questioning voice. Ignores the sadistic remark that follows after. Continues to flail about as if that'll somehow get him down (to safety?) faster. It doesn't, of course. Nearly cripples his senses when he thinks he's succeeded and feels his ankle slip out of the ANBU's grip. "WAIT! WAITWAITWAIT — "

Except; the guy's got jokes. Sick but understandable jokes. Sota's feeling generous so he cracks him a smile. Not at the scare of choice, but at what he'd just learned. "Dog talk make you mad?"

Regardless of what's quipped back, his face would fall and his focus would flit towards the distance. Running his mind back to what had happened doesn't offer the same excitement as running his mouth, so he decides against speaking up. Hardens his walls, and lets his shoulders jerk in a rough shrug.

"Just defending myself. That wrong or something? Do you even know the law, Mr. Dog ANBU?" Deflecting comes easy.



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[Inuzuka Keiyaku]

"Hmph, defending yourself? Against an unarmed kid with his arms folded?"

Sota would be punished for the lie in the form of the strange anti-gravity keeping him aloft disengaging for a split second, dropping him another 3 feet or so before the invisible force caught him again.

"Keep makin' all the dog-cracks you want, kid. I might repay it with a trip downtown, if you get my meaning. Some of the other inmates can be preeeeetty mean. It'll make this...." Keiyaku dropped him another foot or two, "...look like a tickle fight."

Sometimes he had to remind himself not to have too much fun with this - maybe he was getting a little too jaded by his job.

"Tell ya what, swear on something you care about it ain't gonna happen again, and I'll let ya down."

 

[Akamine Sota]

Except, Kino's arms weren't folded. "Wait, are you sure you can see through your mask?" A pretense of concern softens the question. Or, better yet, maybe the dog ANBU needs a reason to keep toying with Sota and feels as though he needs to season his intentions with a lie or two. Because he's quickly dropped again, and again, and this time — after the second jolt of fear finishes a lap around his mind — Sota's adrenaline begins to die down.

"A trip downtown?" he deadpans. "As in, down this cliff? Oh no." The mention of inmates isn't half enough to ring any bells.

And then, for the million dollar question: what the fuck does Sota care about? The face of a younger girl pops in his mind, and he nearly rolls his eyes at himself.

"Alright, alright," comes a huff. "I swear it won't happen again. Whatever it is that I did wrong."



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[Inuzuka Keiyaku]

Keiyaku heaved a sigh, figuring he's not going to get anything any better than that. He gave a 'come here' motion with his finger, and immediately, Sota began to drift, still upside down, back over the top of the cliff, to safety. Only to be unceremoniously dropped flat onto his back, his head cushioned by some sort of unseen force.

"See? That so hard?" He asked, crouching down closer to Sota, watching him carefully. Strangely, the ANBU's voice seemed to soften, and all tension seemed to drain from his limbs. He even extended a hand to help Sota up, even if the kid was unlikely to accept that, "listen, kid, you're pretty damn brave, I'll give ya that. Just... you know, make sure ya can tell when to be an ass, and when to turn on the charm instead. And smile a little; it's good for ya."

 

[Akamine Sota]

The whole telekinesis thing wasn't growing on him any time soon. When Sota finally begins to drop over solid ground, his eyes tighten shut and he steels his muscles for the incoming pain. It never does. Leaves him with a question mark written across his face. And, Sota stays on the ground — feels as though he has to seeing as the dog ANBU decides to shove his concealed face in Sota's space.

Finally, he's allowed back on his feet. The unexpected help of a palm is, expectedly, ignored. Pulls himself up on his own with nothing short of a glare offered for the other.

Then, an obnoxiously loud scoff bellows from his lips. "Smile? Yeah, I would. If you fuckers would just stop bothering me, that is." He'd once had his fun on this cliff right here only for it to be ruined by that manga-obsessed freak. Don't get him started on the sennin-freak whom, despite being the kindest of all three, was the worst. For reasons that Sota wouldn't want to untangle. Was starting to hate this dog ANBU in a similar vein.

Sota lets a moment pass before he feels the need to pipe up again with the following question: "so..... do you actually like dog treats and stuff?"

(Needs to know if he can bribe the Inuzuka in the future.)



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[Inuzuka Keiyaku]

"A lot tougher with your feet firmly on the ground, aintcha?" Keiyaku teased, a smirk evident in his voice as Sota pivoted the blame, and started asking degrading questions. Although, at the mention of the word 'treat', Moru's eyes did kind of flick shiftily from side to side before he could stop himself. Keiyaku looked tempted to remove his mask so he could rub his temples. He didn't though.

"I'll turn you into a dog treat in a minute if you don't quit runnin' that mouth."

"As long as you ain't gonna try turning anymore folks into deli meat, I don't think you'll ever to worry about me bothering ya too much," he said with a cheeky wink, then with a look to his clone, the two of them flitted away, almost instantaneously.

[Topic Left]

 

[Akamine Sota]

If Moru is in dog form when he perks to the mention of treats, then Sota shoots him a grin

Alas, the ANBU can't seem to put an end to his threats. Showers Sota with yet another one that Sota simply scoffs back at, then tries his hand at yet another shitty joke. "If I ever feel the urge to, you'll be first on my list." Threat for threat — now that Sota could get behind. No smiles here, though. Wouldn't want his words to be mistaken for a joke.

But they part ways not long after, and Sota's left with a breath he'd been holding. Trails back down the cliff in silence. Sees bloody webs of what used to be bones; decides he needs a new distraction.



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[TOPIC EXIT]