Self Control [Solo/Open]

[Morishige]

---

I looked down into the street laden with red lights and all sorts of neon that's only purpose was to entice people to enter specific shops or parlors. My arms rested on the railing of a balcony I had blatantly trespassed upon, while my mind was taxed with thought. It was easy to see that something was on my mind: my lips were taught with stress, and my jaw line rigid from clenching my teeth subconsciously. I would take deep breaths, often emitting a small humming sound as I exhaled. And last of all, my usual blinking turned into prolonged periods of self induced blindness. The sound of civilization below me was hardly muted from my breathing and humming, but it was my mind that helped to make them vanish from existence. Inhale... "Ho." Exhale... "Summ."

My eyes reopened once again, only to slowly focus on the streets beneath me. My eighteenth birthday had come and passed just like any other, and there was no party. I didn't want one. I had a job. I had stability. Yet, I felt lifeless. I felt like a failure. I had done nothing with my life so far, and had only fulfilled one goal and that was to make it through the academy. What was my next duty? Go out and die in service to the village? To protect those whom I knew nothing about nor cared for in the slightest? I couldn't help but sigh and clench my fingers into a fist. "What happened to me." I questioned.

I felt as though I was regretting the decision to become a shinobi, but at the same time I wasn't. I didn't mind it, but I suppose I was jealous of the life of others. The simple life where you only had to worry about cancer and old age and making ends meet. The life where you were your master, and there wasn't always an authority you had to submit to...theoretically. Being able to have a family, friends, co-workers who weren't killed every couple of weeks.

And suddenly, it struck me... "Ambition. So that's what the old man meant."

I released the grip I held with my hands and took another deep breath. This entire time I had no ambition, no goal for myself. I mean, advancing in rank was all well and fun, but I had no reason to do it. I didn't actively seek missions like most shinobi did, but I also had a steady job that didn't really require it. But that's beside the point. I needed to really ask myself want I wanted for my future. Retirement was a ways off, and it was highly improbable that I would make it there. But it was a nice thought. Perhaps I should start saving, and seeking out missions so that I could secure a future should I ever live long enough. My parents future's as well... another sigh.

When my thoughts turned to them and couldn't help but smirk. They had told me they were proud, but I had nothing to really show them. I took part in some missions here and there, all of which was classified and could never be revealed. No glory in that line of work. So they took me for some average ninja, patted me on the head, and we went on about it like it was nothing. Even with my new found power, I was but a normal man. "Ugh..." I groaned. I was actually making myself feel more depressed with each thought.

I looked down at the street below, at the people moving to and fro. Provocatively dressed women with men in suits, the shady homeless guy looking to score, and the feral cats screaming down alleys; all of which seemed quite interesting at the time. My eyes often wandered to women of course, glazing over with envy and lust. My mind grew foggy with carnal thoughts, a natural escape to the depression I was digging myself into. I fought with myself... and then decided to do it. With a lithe step, I was over the edge of the balcony and on my way down to the street below, planning to stop myself with sand when I neared the ground.

 

[Hashashin Tensai]

---

"Infinity Appears"
Buckethead​

To some, the idea of having an entire few blocks to themselves would have been a dream come true. However; for Tensai, it was apart of his nightmare. Time had passed since that fateful day in which he had woken to silence and loneliness. He had told himself day after day, that eventually his mother and siblings would return, along with the rest of the community, but it had been almost two weeks. Everything had been abandoned, as if the entire populace of foreigners had simply disappeared without a trace. Naturally, word would reach the appropriate people within Kumogakure's hierarchy, and Anbu along with others had begun investigations. Not a single thing turned up though, and it was common sense that so many people couldn't have left the gates unnoticed by the village as a whole.

It was a wonder and a complete mystery, as to why Tensai didn't vanish like the rest. Rather than be grateful, agitation and frustration began to fester. He wanted to find his family, and he wanted to know that they were okay. No answers revealed themselves to him, and the mysterious blue-haired woman with the horns atop her head had yet to return. The food in Tensai's fridge was running low, and being so used to buying within the community, the idea of shopping for groceries elsewhere didn't sit well with him. Of course, he remedied that by walking to the shops and leaving money on the counters of the unoccupied establishments. Every time he returned, the coins would lay undisturbed where he left them days before and still he continued the practice.

He had tried to return to his old habits, studying quietly atop his home's roof or philosophizing about notes. His thirst for knowledge hadn't left, but a restlessness crept into his soul as time passed. Except for the occasional Anbu to re-evaluate the clues, or lack thereof, no one would see the times in which he simply sprinted about. The whole area was becoming a training ground, and he could be seen leaping from one roof to the next to hone his skills in all sorts of ways. Not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts, Tensai took to wearing headphones his folks had made but were never able to give to him. You see, his birthday was some time in the moderately near future, and while scouring the home for clues he'd come across them.

The cultural garbs he had become so used to wearing lay crumpled in a pile somewhere in the corner of his room, angry in some way with his people. They had started to change, becoming steadily materialistic and drifting away from what made them who they were. Rationale began to waver as he considered the mass disappearance as perhaps some sort of punishment, but quickly waved off the notion. Now, he wearing a long-sleeved shirt, black boots, neck warmer, and overalls with the shoulder straps hanging at the side. On the right side of his face were markings upon his cheek and under his eye, much like when he had shown up for his second class, and first real class, of the academy. The circles and lines that connected them had been drawn upon his face on that day by one of his younger siblings, and with their absence he continued to re-draw it whenever possible.

On this particular day, he'd just finished shopping at one of the abandoned stores, dropping off the groceries before heading out. He needed to get away, to go somewhere that distractions were abundant and would dull his unsolved problems for a while. The idea struck him to venture into the Cronopolis, a place he'd been to and already witnessed the uncouth nature of. However; it had been in mere passing both times, and more through the broken down slums than anything else. As he cut through the village, he found himself heading for the Cronopolis at a different angle, one that would lead him to a more lively part of the Cronopolis.

Never before, had the young man seen so many bright lights and sights as he did upon crossing over into the Red Light District. Crimson lights and neon signs flashed from every direction, and people hustled through the streets without care for their fellow men. The way in which some of the women were dressed would leave the boy's mouth slightly parted, and nagging urges he wasn't used to experiencing wracked the pit of his stomach. His pupils darted too and fro while he moved through the crowds, while his expression returned to a default stoic look. Women weren't going to help him find his family, the bright lights and sins offered at every corner couldn't give him the strength to pull them back into his reality. As he listened to the life around him he'd be able to conclude that not many had any knowledge worth absorbing to share either.

It was ironic really, the way that his eyes seemed to settle more on a vibrant shade of scarlet while they reflected the bleeding lights. Normally his eyes were sporadic, shifting their coloration without rhyme or reason, but they were apparently becoming more static. While walking, his eyes would take notice of the sand that began to form and rise from the earth. Quickly two-stepping out of the way, he'd avoid the sand's ascension just in time to see an older man seemingly fall from the sky. With his irises darting about for a moment, he quickly pieced together the location of the balcony among other things. All the while, his expression seemed quite tame and observational. Would the man notice him, or would the blond simply continue on whatever journey he was about to embark upon? Tensai wondered whether or not he'd be blamed for almost being landed on, remembering the attitude of the skinheads from before.

(Hope you didn't mind the edit/modification to your posting format. I thought it was so awesome that I couldn't help but fool around with it. I've no plans to use it all the time without your permission or anything, but I thought it was fitting for this first post at least.)

 

[Morishige]

---

As the ground beneath me seemed to approach quickly, it was within the few last seconds that I notice the stranger quite close to my landing pad. Out of courtesy, I simply willed the sand to carry me opposite of where he was standing so that I would land a good few feet away instead of nearly beside him. A short slide later and I was grounded, the sand seemingly dissipating into the cracks of the ground or into thin air. While in my current state I might have walked away without a word to the boy I almost landed on, it was the fact that it was a young teen that stopped me. What's a kid like this doing here? I asked myself.

I was still new to the feeling of actually being in this area myself. After all, by some peoples standards, I was barely even a man by age. But this young sir was far younger than myself, and seemed to be walking about like he wasn't lost. At least his expression didn't seem that of a whimpering school child who had got lost following his father to 'work'. No, this teen was a mystery. And if there was one thing I hated leaving unsolved, it was an intriguing mystery like this.

I approached him with a thoughtful glance, trying to figure out how I didn't notice someone such as him from the balcony above. But I attributed that to his very passive demeanor; I must have been focused on the backsides of one too many woman. But that is besides the point, and I would scold myself later for my lack of attention.

[Topic Left - Sorry Got do what got do]

 

[Hashashin Tensai]

---

Every detail about the blond man descending from the balcony was being registered at manic speeds within the youth's mind. It wasn't intentional, but rather something he had done out of habit for a number of years. He often watched the body language of others, and since he was usually the one keeping his mouth shut, listening was a good trait of his also. The bright spiky golden hair was hard to miss for any reason, hazel eyes, and a height of about six feet or something like that. The figure was tall, but lithe suggesting a weight of around one sixty give or take the weight of clothing. He didn't seem in the slightest to be like any of the others walking around, and time seemed to almost slow around his invisible aura momentarily.

Tensai's expression remained unmarred as he noticed that the blond man was headed his way. Suddenly, the sound of a feminine giggle from somewhere nearby that eerily pierced the crowds chattering contrary to its soft nature. His pupils moved quickly, locking onto various directions for but fractions of a second each, but saw nothing of interest. Practically no time had passed before his gaze went back to the location of the hazel-eyed young man, but he was gone. He'd give a little sigh before shaking his head, as if to wave the incident off as nothing important. After a sudden gust of wind, he'd see something glimmer in the distant alleyway, and glowing blue locks of hair for an instant before they vanished around the corner. "That's her!"

Without hesitation or previous concern for the whereabouts of the blond-haired man, he quickly sprinted across the street. He was barely able to avoid crashing into the district's regulars, only managing to slip and weave through due to his small size. Leaping out of the crowd and into the dark alley, his boots would slide across the gravel until he stopped himself with a hand on the grimy wall at the end. He could see around the alley's corner now, another long and dark path, but with a fading blue light at the end of it. "Wait!" He shouted out, pumping chakra into his legs and speeding off into darkness. Each footstep he took sounded heavy and echoed through the streets, sounds bouncing off the buildings and ascending upwards in an almost twisted fashion.

If she was who he thought she was, then maybe she'd have the answers that he sought. Maybe she could tell him where his family had gone, she seemed to know something about his Granduncle some time ago, but then he seemed to have left of his own volition. He couldn't imagine his mother doing the same thing, not without telling him. This three-eyed woman, this blue-haired ghost, was the only lead he had anymore. Why was she running away from him? Was she teasing him? Maybe it wasn't her after all..But, that possibility was shot to Hell once Tensai reached the end of the second long pathway, being able to see a scantly clad form dancing and glowing softly further ahead. "Oi! Stop fucking with me!" He cursed loudly, desperate and angry but holding himself together somehow.

Every night for the passed few weeks, before going to bed, he wondered whether or not the only people in the world whom he knew loved him were even still alive. There was a large fence between him and the floating woman, but with his adrenaline pumping and urgency flowing through his veins, it only took him a single bound to clear it. He would land roughly, tumbling into a forward roll and quickly getting back to his feet. He was getting nearer and nearer, until he realized where she was. Where he was...There was a large intersection, in the center of which was a large man-made lake that reflected the urban surroundings atop its surface. The Chakra flowing through his body was abundant, and had unconsciously been focused around his entire body, feet included to allow for the feat he was performing then...Standing on water, looking up.

His gaze remained hardened, and his lids narrowed more than usual as the winds that swept through the Cronopolis became stronger. The harshness of the mother nature's current mood kicked up dust and debris, as well as caused the water's surface to ripple within itself nonstop. The sudden change in weather forced many of the night-walkers and street regulars to find shelter, but that was elsewhere...For at Tensai's present location, there wasn't a single soul there, none besides the glowing form of the young woman he had been chasing for perhaps a good ten minutes. His heart was pounding against his ribs, but he kept his breathing slow and through his nostrils. "Where's my family?" His now raspy voice spoke out loud and clear, causing the feminine form surrounded by her blue aura to turn around and look his way.

[Full body image.]​

"Why is it that you think I know every thing about everything? Huh, Ten? You can't even say Hello, or greet me like a gentleman would do for a young lady an-" She cheerfully complained, grinning broadly in his direction but was sharply cut off by the impatient seeker. "Shut up and tell me where my mother is." Nine words tainted by a vicious disposition were but a momentary prelude to the assault that followed. Two streams of water shot up from either side of Tensai's position, both with pointed tips that crashed into one another as the woman seemed to phase through the aquatic attack. He witnessed her form become transparent and then fade back to opaque fullness as she sped towards him.

She was frighteningly fast, and it made some of the windows of the few abandoned buildings nearby shatter violently. Jets of water trailed behind either of her sides while he toes skimmed the water's surface, and he knew that dodging her would be absolutely impossible. His teeth clenched and his muscles tensed as he prepared to experience a whole new dimension of pain, considering that the momentum this mysterious three eyed woman had. The big bang never came, and there was no crash that caused an explosion...Nothing of the sort happen, for she stopped on a dime less than an inch away from the boy's body.

"Devil May Cry"
The Weeknd​

The water that trailed behind her would quickly catch up, misting over the two figures while he stood there...His clothing rippling uncontrollably in the wind caused by both nature itself and this woman's ridiculous speed. He could could feel her breath against his lips, with less than an inch between them to spare. The mist and droplets of water that rained down fell over them both, and she'd whisper with a voice that sounded somehow loud inside Tensai's mind. "You're rude..." Her voice was sweet and melodic, but clearly mocking and incendiary despite the alluring anesthetic of her physique and tone. His right fist clenched, as he prepared to defend himself but what happened next truly went unexpected. Her lips touched his. She...Kissed him.

Her lips were soft, and warm. The connection he felt momentarily was soothing, but he couldn't relax. His eyes remained open, and lingered upon her third eye, the multicolored iris seemed the flash momentarily...At the same time, she slipped him some tongue. It was a sensation he'd never experienced, and he felt his body trembling slightly from the confusion mingling with the sensual feelings. Almost as if against his will, he began to suck on her tongue just a little...But quickly caught himself, and tried to move back. She giggled, and pressed forward, deepening the kiss even more. Then suddenly and without warning he felt something practically slither from her tongue, and into his throat.

He tried to squirm away, but the young woman's grasp was powerful as she held him close. He could feel what must have been a swarm of sinewy insects or creatures of some sort, crawling down his esophagus and into his stomach. Inside his his body, the parasitic entities practically raved down the lining of his stomach on the way to the pit of his stomach...He attempted to gag and push the woman off him, along with plans to vomit out the creatures she had begun putting inside his body. He wasn't able to though, and breathing was a problem too. Finally pulling away, she gently let go of him. "Next time you should be more polite, or I'll do more than kiss you next time." She said hauntingly while Tensai fell beneath the water's surface.

By the time he climbed up and out of the water, crawling out and onto the filthy streets there were no signs of the strange woman. However; Tensai wasn't looking for her...He was clutching his stomach, and throwing up creatures that looked like some sort of alien hybrid leeches. In the process, he would also be throwing up blood...For the parasites appeared to have ruptured his insides to some extent or another, and pain shot throughout his entire body. Breathing heavily, he laid there on his knees and forehead, clutching his stomach and trying to steady his breathing.

It was hard to tell just how long he remained like that, but eventually he fell back onto his bottom and then pushed himself up onto his feet. Blood dripped down the corner of his mouth as he swayed like an unstable building and walked back towards the Red Light District, empty handed and without a single answer. Behind him, the leech-like entities seemed to fade away, slip out of reality perhaps...He practically staggered through the rough storm-like winds, and as thunder broke the silence rain would descend to accompany him on his way to sanctuary...Weighting his every step.

[Topic Left]
[Marked for Dojo Training, using 200 words out of this for Deflection & Called Shot.]