Finding Beauty in the Dissonance

[Valkier]

"... Uuuuggghh..."

Kotori lay slumped backwards in her chair, hands cradling her swollen stomach. The dinner party had finished a couple of hours earlier, and she'd thought to stay behind and help Akihiko, one of her Jinchuuriki peers, clear up. Naturally they'd done anything but, and proceeded to feast uninterrupted by the needless distractions of other people for some time.

"... Akiiii..." She groaned and leaned forward against the table, pushing away the remnants of two large platters, three ice cream bowls, a ravaged fruit arrangement, a teetering stack of tall tumblers, four smaller side plates, and a myriad of other leftover odds and ends. She needed the room to lay her head down, hunched forward over a thoroughly stained and rumpled tablecloth. Through one cracked eyelid she looked down the length of the long trestle table towards her pink-haired counterpart from Kumogakure. They each sat on the small sides of the long banquet mess, like a king and queen each at opposite heads of the oversized table, surrounded by the remnants of their excess. For an hour or more they'd sent the wait staff running back and forth down the length of the room between them, answering a series of increasingly absurd requests for refreshment, food, or favour. But eventually the numbers of staff had thinned, the flow of food had slowed, and the noise of the building around them lessened as the skies outside grew dim.

"So, what're... Ugh, I'm gunna hurl..." She clutched at the table cloth and puffed her cheeks out with a held breath for a long moment, then exhaled with a loud, rippling burp. "What're we gunna do?" She shifted in her seat and the whoopie cushion from earlier let out a pleasing toot in counterpoint. A moment passed before she roused herself enough to raise her head and look down the table. Then she scowled, picked up a nearby cream tart, and hurled it across the room towards Akihiko.

"Oi, Aki! Wake up!" She didn't pause to consider that she'd so quickly starting calling him by a nickname. Consideration was rarely among her best talents, and especially not so late at night. "I'm serious here!" And to prove it, she began fishing the strands of multicoloured silly string out of her hair.

[Texas]

*Burp* *BEELLLLLLCH*

Aki could hear the words coming from his friend's mouth... however he was dealing with not letting anything come out of his own. If his vocal cords allowed for any words or even caused his mouth to open up, there might be a fate worse than death protrude from his stomach. In fact, the child didn't even dare to move his body on the off chance he would pop from both ends and recreate his past actions as a baby. No amount of ninja training has prepared the pink haired delinquent of this kind of torture. Maybe this was a tactic other villages used in order to get information. Aki might sing like a mermaid trying to lure pirates if he was told to give information or become this full.

While battling his demons, the boy could hear a fart noise near Kotori. He would smile and give a "Ha. Ha." However the odd farting noise would get louder and louder until it eventually slapped his face. The fart noise fizzled out as the nearly empty bag covered his face for a second before falling down on the leaned up child. This caused the boy to laugh. How could this not be funny? Being slapped with a fart bag would always be funny to the childish...child?

He snapped out of it, when his jinchuriki friend Kotori called out to him. Oh she was serious. The boy would grunt slightly and lift himself up a little bit more. A position that was slightly better than what he was in. With a grunt behind his voice, Aki would reach out across the table. "Ko-tori... can't you tell I am suffering... I'm just glad to see you are alive." These were the final words of Aki.




Well, until he fell down on his back. He would grunt louder this time as if he was a 55 year old dad reaching for dropped food. The boy would give a guttery respond to her and his previous comment with a slightly heavier voice. "I am awake I am awake. I think the waitstaff is just waiting for us to leave. Maybe we can hire a big strong adult to carry me. How are you holding up?"

[Valkier]

"Uh, I think they already left." They'd been quite alone for some time now, she was sure, although she could hardly fault Akihiko for being so engrossed in the food as to not notice. The fare had been excellent. She let out a heavy sigh and began to haul herself up, holding the table for support.

"Yeah, I think we're on our own for the monumental task of getting up."

She staggered over towards where Aki was now lying prostrate on the floor, belly-up. She found herself grinning at the sight of him—and particularly at the bright pink fondant stuck to his face, just the right shade to match his eccentric hair. It made the hair look edible, and her eyes lingered for just a moment before she shook her head. No more thoughts of food, for the love of all that is holy! Instead she took hold of his arm and began trying to heave him up, but he was too heavy, and she was too full to exert much effort. So instead she flopped down to sit beside him instead. Another sigh.

"But, no, really. I meant, 'What are we gunna do about Ibuku?!' Obviously!" She'd said that, right? Surely it had come up during the idle chitchat of the evening. Yeah, she'd definitely raised the topic at some point. Probably. Whatever. She rubbed her eyes and let out another satisfied sigh.

"So like, obviously he's having some trouble from that muppet Taira. I swear that guy rubs everyone the wrong way at first, but you saw them together earlier, right? I think Ibuku's gettin' it worse than anyone." She rolled her head sideways and looked at Aki expectantly. When nothing was forthcoming, she rolled onto all fours and gingerly stood up, swayed, then slammed a hand down on the table for dramatic effect. Something squelched and she tried to wipe a fistful of soufflé away on a clean(ish) section of tablecloth without Aki noticing.

"So, we've gotta help him! We're a... What did Shinji call us? Well, we're a team here. Or family. Or something. That matters. Right? We gotta have his back and keep his spirits up—ha, get it?—even if no one else will!" She raised a chocolate-smeared fist and met Akihiko's gaze as if challenging him to disagree. A sparkle appeared in her eyes and she grinned before he had the chance.

"Oh, I got it. We'll go pay Taira a visit tonight." She gave up trying to wipe her hand and started licking her fingers instead, which was difficult to do while maintaining the sort of grin that clever villainous people did. "Well, not him directly. He'd probably beat the shit out of us if he knew. But we can probably find where he's staying and trash the place. Show him what it means to treat his brother Jinchuuriki with anything less than the proper respect! Right? Are ya with me?"

[Texas]

What were closed eyes opened up to squinted eyes. Was Katori... similar to Aki. The mind was fiercer than the sword... no the pen is mightier than the pencil. Akihiko couldn't even think of the right expression due to the borderline comatose that he was placed due to his own doing. The consequences of his own actions was a concept the boy probably would never figure out how to fix in any given situation.

The child would groan as he lifted his body up fully. He would take a cup of water and splash it on his face. However, he must have taken the wrong cup and splashed sake on his face. The burn in his eyes was real which caused the boy to jump up and dance the pain away. After a couple seconds of gutteral singing and footloose movements, the child would wipe his face and shake his head. I guess it was fair to say he was awake and alert at this point.

After his little episode, the child would listen to Katori. "Oh did you say Ibuku?" The boy muttered as he used his right hand to lift up his shirt and dry off his face, but specifically his eyes. "He does seem to be drowning in self harm. Since Kumo and Konoha are allies, I can go to the village and hang out with him. I am never against more friend!" mmm another friend in his collection. Whether people agree to these terms or not, the child puts people in that category... often without consent. It is better for Aki to assume most of the people he meets that appear to have good intentions are his friends. Being skeptical would bring a life of uncertainty that no person should have to fully deal with. Plus, think of all of the wrinkles that stress would bring onto a single living being. Ibuku is going to look like a bulldog puppy by the age of 20, at this rate.

Aki however had the ears of a bat but the attention span of a fish. He quickly shook his head and gazed at Katori. "Wait, that's a great idea. We should go hang out with Ibuku while we are all here! I am sorry I wasn't fully listening at first." The child smiled and got a little excited, maybe they could pull a prank and hang clothes on his horns like a coat rack. Maybe ev..... wait. Aki's expression went from happy to utter confusion. "Katori, who is Taira. Is that an actress or something? Why is an actress hurting our friend?!"

[Valkier]

Kotori stifled a laugh as Akihiko doused himself with rice wine and danced away the effects. She leaned back against the table and folded her arms to enjoy the show. But even stinging eyes didn't hamper his enthusiam for her plan, and she nodded eagerly as he spoke. When he lifted his shirt to wipe the last of the sake from his face, however, her own gaze dipped a fraction, towards his exposed stomach.

"Mmhm. Ibuku." Why wouldn't her eyes move? It was only a stomach. "Yeah, he could probably use a friend." She mumbled, only half paying attention, then finally dragged her eyes away to one side as he lowered his shirt again, and she became suddenly absorbed in some scorch marks on the tablecloth instead. Much more interesting. Definitely. But when Aki continued talking, her gaze swept effortlessly back to his.

And then her smile slipped and fell away. He got her name wrong. Doesn't he know it?! She tried to step backwards, but her hip hit the table with a clatter of silverware and she spun around, wincing and hiding the sudden rush of blood to her face. It didn't matter. They'd only met a couple of times, after all, and she was hardly the most memorable face in their eccentric group of peers. But, still. Why did it bother her? She shook her head, and snatched up a nearby pitcher to chug down some water. And naturally, perhaps because she'd once sworn at the powers that be in the sky, the jug she lifted was the closest one to hand. The same one that'd filled the cup that Akihiko was still recovering from. She spluttered and coughed as the sake hit her throat, panicked and gagged, cheeks puffed, then forced it down and gasped for air. The breath felt hot on her raw throat and she shook herself. Then took another gulp and turned back around.

"Yo—" She spluttered again and looked away. She was fine. Totally fine. "You know, the other Konoha guy. Grey hair, about yay high? Has a weird obsession with phasing through stuff?" She hesitated. Was she right? She took another thoughtful sip. It actually wasn't half bad. "I didn't know he was an actress too. I wonder if he has a wardrobe full of dresses?"

[Texas]

The boy couldn't help but laugh at Kotori's misfortune. He would laugh with his hands on his knees and bent his back a little bit. He hasn't had this much fun since him Suzuko and Shiun stole Lord Raikage's Tidy Wities. Once the boy settled down from laughter he straightened his back and listened to her. The child couldn't help but gaze into the similar aged girl's eyes. It was too bad their countries were enemies. Aki would have loved to go on missions or simply get into shenanigans with Kotori. Ugh if only there was a way they didn't have to grow up. Often times the child would think about his seniors that were too serious and feared that one day he would be just like them.

The longer he listened to her explain Taiga, the more the boy figured out what was going on. She meant Taiga! That poopy attitude ogre. He did put hands passionately on Shinjiro, but Aki didn't understand what that was. Maybe there were just close friends that liked to wrestle. After all, that is how is parents explained how they met. Adults wrestled a lot, that's how him and his brother were born. So maybe some day Shinjiro and Taiga will have children, if they wrestled enough anything could happen. That was the ninja way.

What a... wait. Aki, swung his hand over his chin. The child would stick his tongue out slightly to the right. If he was in the bathroom it would appear as if he was battling his demons, but alas he was standing in a semi public room, so it was clear he was thinking. "Wait, you have been saying his name wrong I think. It's Tyger." This additionally wrong way of saying his name caused Aki to laugh a little bit. The child simply couldn't help himself. The child would slowly stop, and smile towards Kotori. "Wait, I have been saying your name wrong! I'm sorry Kotori. I think that adult apple juice got into my blood stream. I was told I could drink it when I could handle it. If it tastes anything like it burns my eyes, it might be a while."

Aki would then skip over and sit down next to Kotori's location. "I think you should do the same, that didn't look like it went down well Kotori!" The child would giggle some more, maybe if they were loud enough too the wait staff would come over and be resummoned. Although at this point in the night they most definitely went home.

[Valkier]

"Oh.. Ohhhh!" Kotori cocked her head thoughtfully, then grinned as realisation dawned. Then found herself laughing aloud when she realised Aki had made the same mistake with her name that she had with Tyger's. She could hardly hold something against a guy when she'd done it, too.

"My bad, my bad. Tyger. Got it." She sipped again at the bottle of sake. It really was quite good, and this mouthful went down a lot easier than the last. She looked away as Aki approached and sat nearby, then, feeling suddenly clumsy, took his invitation and edged slowly down to sit beside him. He was close enough now that she could feel the warmth from his skin. Or was that hers? She cleared her throat, and then for something to do with her hands, offered the bottle back to him.

"Well, uh, practice makes perfect. It gets better." She winked—actually winked!—and gave him a playful nudge. Her fingers only brushed his shoulder for a half second, but that moment felt like it stretched out to minutes in her mind. Then her eyes met his, brown to green, and she inhaled sharply... And burst into awkward laughter again.

She laughed for a good half minute before sliding down to a slump, her stomach still jiggling with silent mirth. She wasn't even sure what she was laughing at, but it kept coming of its own accord, and it felt good. Really good. Somehow, the super-serious meeting of Jinchuuriki about which she'd been stressing and anxious for days had come and gone without a hitch—but it was this part, the quiet aftermath, that felt like the highlight. And she didn't want it to end. Slowly the amusement faded and a moment of silence settled between them. What should she say? She didn't want Aki to think she was boring, but the truth was she wasn't as quick witted as he. But as she glanced sideways at him, another thought surfaced: How?

"...Hey, can I ask you something?" She spoke again at last, but this time her voice was quiet, even a little sombre, as if heavy thoughts had washed away her prior amusement. Her head felt like it was starting to spin. How do you stay so positive? How do you always have a smile on your face, like life couldn't be easier? She wanted to ask, but stopped herself at the last moment. The last thing she wanted was to appear weak. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin atop her knees. One calf rested lightly against Akihiko sitting beside her.

She tried a different approach instead, searching for a way to ask. "...What's your Genma like?" She felt the urge to squirm even as she asked; it didn't feel right to ask such a thing. But before she could second-guess herself again, she ploughed ahead anyway. "I just, well... Mine is always right there—" she put a hand to her breast, not meeting Aki's eye any longer, but staring idly downwards, "watching, judging, expecting. Wanting me." And So. Much. Pressure. "All the time. I figured they were all like that. But Hiroko always seemed so carefree, at least until near the end. And now there's you." She trailed off as she glanced sideways at him again, then away. That smile was infectious, and she was trying to be serious. Heat rose in her cheeks all the same. In a much smaller voice, barely audible: "...How do you do it?"

[Texas]

She fell for it! She has no idea fully what Taiga's name is! Akihiko couldn't help but laugh in his head, which caused him to smile and actually laugh a little bit. However the laughter dwindled down a little bit when she winked at him. What the hell a wink? Aki only did that when he was going to trick someone. Did she put one of his whoopie cushions near him. The boy looked around behind him to check the ground, it seemed to be safe? Aki would whip his head back at her when Kotori had a question for him.

The boy tilted his head slightly. "Sure Tori, what's up?" The child was trying to get better at reading the room a little bit. The softness in her voice combined with almost like a weight behind held against her face made it seem as though it was somewhat important. Wait that's the right saying right? The child internally thought about what the correct saying was, which caused what could only be described as a monkey play the cymbal... almost as if nothing was going on but at the same time, everything?

Other than thinking in gibberish, Aki would mentally focus and shift his eyes to meet hers as she continued with her question. What an odd question. One the child himself had never asked anyone, nor has anyone asked him. Most of the time they are told to master the genma within them and that's pretty much it. Aki has been dealing with a different situation than Kotori. The boy had mastered his genma early on, but by proxy the Genma Ryeunso has been molding his chakra with Aki's in a way that is covertly influencing his behavior. Although mostly natural, there are times the child takes jokes or pranking too far, only to realize a little bit after what he had done. Almost like he is being heavily influenced without fully understanding it.

Aki's expression of listening got lighter and more upbeat than the situation called for. The boy would reach across the table to the drink that Kotori was sipping on, "Do you mind?" he asked with no intention of listening if Kotori had any qualms about Aki taking a sip of her drink. He would lift the cup in the air take sip and then put it down on the table. By the nectar of the gods it tasted good! Much better than tasting it with his eyes. With his upbeat tone, Aki would smile. "Well Tori, it simply is a nightmare. I spent the majority of my genin years in isolation trying to keep Ryeunso in place. It was worth the time because I am in a good spot but I think I did something wrong. More often than not, even though I have complete control, I find myself doing things slightly over the edge of what I internalized as the line. I am hoping his constant badgering and nagging with suggestions aren't a distraction of what he is really doing...." Aki would lift the cup again and finish the drink with a big gulp. He thought it would go down smoother like juice, but it was the opposite. Did he ingest fire?

With the throat getting set ablaze, Aki coughed a couple times. Oh no, did he lose control? The coughing slowed down but he sneezed, causing him to launch himself back and the erect his back up in a way as if nothing had happened. "But who knows, maybe it's just paranoia. I honestly can't tell, I think part of the reason why I was chosen was because of my lin---" Something clicked in Aki's mind. His guard was a little too down, he almost divulged his familial ability by accident. With a quick pivot, Aki would skip that part, "well mostly Ryeunso and my personalities probably mesh the best as far as Genma to Host. Don't get me wrong, he is still a pig in pig skin, or however that saying goes."

[Valkier]

'Tori'. She mouthed the word silently after he said it, and smiled. The effortless way he shifted into using a nickname came with a swelling wave of contentment from within. It felt simple, natural. But she held her tongue and simply listened, nodding and happily letting him have the last of her drink. Another smile as he coughed it down, but she kept from laughing aloud as she took the cup back; she still wanted to hear him out, not distract him by indulging in mirth. But her resolve cracked and she let out a guffaw of laughter at his final comment.

"A what?! A pig in a pig skin? You mean a poke?" She rocked backwards til her giggling subsided, then waggled the empty cup with an appreciative grin. "Hold on a sec, I think there was another... Somewhere..." She stood, swayed a step, then began rummaging through the carnage they'd left atop the table—she really didn't envy whoever came to clear it all up later!—until she found what she was looking for. Some type of fruit wine. 'Strawberry' she read, mouthing the strange word, and shrugged. Whatever that was. Probably some southern thing. She plopped back down beside Aki, only a little bit closer than before, and screwed up her face as she fought the cork in the bottle. It gave way with a loud pop! and shot up to hit the ceiling.

"Here, try a splash. But put it in your mouth this time." Her eyes flickered across to his lips for a fraction of a second as she sloppily poured him a cup, then she put the bottle to her own and sipped. Immediate sweetness filled her mouth like a tingling wave, and her eyes went wide. Wonderful. It went down smoother than anything, and the aftertaste left her feeling warm and dizzy, like a child who'd been spinning in circles until they fell down to lie in the sun. She enjoyed it for a long, quiet moment before eventually remembering the topic at hand.

"Actually, that makes a lot of sense. You being isolated and training alone with Ryeu-chan for so long, I mean. I did wonder why you're... Well, you know," She grinned and wiggled an outstretched palm, "a little weird. But in a good way!" She hastened to add that last bit, flushed, then lay a reassuring hand on his arm. Despite her words, she was grateful for his honest reply. That he'd not only taken her seriously, but answered in detail, felt important. No one else alive had the knowledge and experience that he had with a genma, who was also willing to share it. She needed this, and was hungry for more, for anything he could tell her. But beneath this ache for salvation was a growing pool of anxiety about the risk of pushing too far, of asking too much, too fast.

She tensed and withdrew her hand at last. Agh, this is hard! I need this, need to know more, but this is all so personal. With a tingling of self-awareness she was suddenly reminded once more of how close they were sitting, of how she'd been leaning just slightly towards him. Into his side. Of how their hands were just a span apart. Stranger still was how that felt fine—nice, even, to have such a friend—but that asking seemingly simple questions about the one thing they actually had in common, the monsters sealed within, felt so much like taboo. Some invisible line that was not hers to cross. But, damnit, when else would she ever have a chance like this again? She took a deep breath. Had to force onwards.

"Matching to your personality makes sense. Apparently they picked me for some sort of compatibility, too, though I've no idea how they could've known that. I was just a kid fresh outta the academy. But they didn’t really have much choice in my case, so maybe it was just luck.” The words kept coming once she'd started. The nerves were still there, but she made herself continue. “Can I ask, what’s his power like?” She hesitated, then decided to give a little more. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was only here to grill him for secrets, sent as some sort of awful, obvious spy.
“For me, it’s… Well, it’s a lot. When I draw on Nolosha’s chakra, the whole world comes alive. I can feel it living—everything around me—and almost make myself part of it. Change it. Control it. It’s…exhilarating, but overwhelming.” And above all, terrifying. “A rush of wondrous chakra. It’s like I’m bracing myself against the walls of a slot canyon against a flood of water crashing down around me. I could so easily get swept away in the euphoria of it at any moment.” She shudders. A mere human shouldn’t be able to wield such power.

“As for the others, I know that Hiroko can—could—force her will onto others, giving commands that others can’t help but obey. Pretty scary. I didn’t like it. And we’ve seen Shinjiro fully shapeshift into a bunch of things, or just change parts of himself, like the antlers earlier. Tyger is always phasing through stuff, so that’s gotta be his genma’s power.” She glanced sideways at Aki, meeting his eyes again. “But I don’t know anything about Ryeu-chan. Or, well, any of this, really. It’s all new to me. But I’d like to learn.” She smiled hopefully, then looked away and took another long pull on the bottle in an attempt to settle her nerves. Even a simple explanation might help her, but if not, perhaps she'd find some relief at the bottom of the bottle too. But a wave of regret hit her for prying anyway.

“Sorry. You don’t have to tell me, I know this is.. Kinda personal.” She squirmed, hoping that he wouldn’t be too put off. But she didn’t know what else to say.

[Texas]

Aki reached for his cup and nodded his head towards Tori. However, he didn't speak. The child simply listened as Kotori explained further about her Genma within her, what her village did to select her, and everything around it. An interesting sequence of situations, both were young children when they decided they would fit with their selected Genma. Aki didn't have the heart to tell her that the only reason why he was chosen... was because too many hosts died. Him being selected was primarily because of his chakra canceling clan. If he didn't have his familial ability, Aki probably wouldn't have been chosen as the experimental Genma host. It was only icing on the cake that his personality meshed well with the Genma that was now sealed within him.

While Aki was internally dealing with a new found existential crisis, he was quickly snapped out of it by Kotori's question. Normally Aki wouldn't show his genma ability. He had spent so much time mastering it to the point where he wouldn't show it off fully to foreigners until he was a bit stronger. Alas, this was a comrade! Another host and slowly becoming a close friend of Aki's. The bar was never set high, but that was by Aki's own design.

What Kotori said peaked Aki's interest. It seemed they both had somewhat similar feelings, although while Kotori could feel the world around her... Aki could feel his Limbo constantly around him. Wait... did she just walk into a...

Akihiko laughed a little bit as he tapped Kotori on the back. "So you get me all lubed up to share my deepest darkest secret huh Tori!" The pink hair bobbed as Aki shot up in the air. He held his drink, with minimum spillage on his shirt as he shot up in air and landed on his feet. He would start to take a couple steps back while channeling his chakra. The chakra itself would begin to fill the room with a calming and trusting feeling. It was a weird balance of chakra. Ryeunso's chakra naturally gave out this trusting reassurance behind it. It wouldn't convince anyone of trusting the person flexing the chakra, but it was meant to give off this feeling to lower doubt. All of which was an illusion before a prank would be committed. For Aki, Ryeunso's chakra sensing was all but a form of trickery too. Maybe the essence of chaos personified.

Aki would release his chakra and form a portal behind him. Now, there wasn't much to see because it was invisible. The boy would smile devilishly and cackle before announcing his intentions. "You see Tori," he announced as he pointed his right pointer finger at her like she picked her nose in school and Aki was telling on her to the teacher, "You got tagged, so you are it!" With a sip of his drink, Aki would continue to back up until he completely disappeared from being visually present. Would she follow him?

If she did, she would seemingly enter into the same place she was currently in. Nothing would change. The feeling of the calming, reassuring, trusting chakra would be stronger. The room however would look drastically different. Everything in the room would be the same. However, it would look as if they were in a manga book. Black outlines with white filling, as if the space they were in wasn't quite colored in yet.

Jutsu UsedShow

Limbo • Passive Touch - Tagging
E-Rank Ninjutsu
Due to extreme exposure within the Limbo Realm, Akihiko as a slight bit of chakra located on his hands and feet. When touching an inanimate object (or inorganic) or a person, Akihiko leaves a slight chakra signature on it. By tagging an item and willfully leaving a slight bit of his chakra, it gives the selected organic or inorganic object/being the capability of entering and exiting the Limbo Realm.

1st Layer • Full Entrance
C-Rank Ninjutsu
By channeling chakra or weaving the proper hand signs, Akihiko focused on creating a crack in the Present Realm a few feet larger than himself. This entrance allows Aki's full body to enter into the 1st Layer of the Limbo Realm. Aki can stay within the Limbo Realm for [Control/2]. To leave the limbo realm the user must move himself through the same place the jutsu was cast, run out of chakra forcing himself out, or using the [1st Layer • Exit] technique.

[Valkier]

And just like that, she needn't have worried. She'd just raised the bottle to her lips again to fill the pause after speaking with more sweet wine when Aki slapped her on the back and brought on an uncontrollable fit of both coughing and spluttered laughter at the same time.

"Damnit, you— Hey, hey! Get back here!" She tried to lunge after him as he tagged her and stepped away, only to find herself suddenly alone. She staggered to a halt, face creasing in confusion. "Uh... Aki?" Had he been channeling? She rubbed her eyes, unsure if the blur of chakra had been real, or just part of the way everything was starting to spin whenever she turned her head. Was he gone, or was this just one of his more intricate pranks? Only then, when she stopped to consider that idea, did she begin to notice the new aura in the room, the soothing presence that was steadily gnawing away at her earlier unease. What was that? Whatever it was, it felt good.

She peered towards where he'd been a moment before, then turned slowly and scanned the room. "No fair, where'd you go?!" The tinge of alarm in her raised voice caught her by surprise, then she began laughing again. Everything seemed very funny all of a sudden, despite—or maybe because of—the rather odd situation. The comforting veil of Ryeunso's chakra eased her worries, brought down her guard, and helped her relax more and more with each passing moment. She was stepping backwards carefully, unknowingly just missing the hidden portal and trying to watch everywhere in the room at once with an intent stare, when she stumbled into something behind her. Someone? She spun and shot her right arm out to find purchase on what felt like the fabric of a sleeve... Only to look and find her hands clutching nothing. But she could... feel something there?

Her eyes went wide, then she gasped in realisation. "Aki?! This is your power?!" Relief washed through her and she grinned stupidly. "So, you're still actually here, just hidden? No way, that's wild! Wait," instead of letting go she moved her hand upward, feeling the firm muscle running up his invisible arm, and tugged on the sleeve lightly. "Can you even hear me?" Further upwards and her hand found what felt like the soft skin of his neck. This was so weird! And she must look so stupid! But, she had to admit rather honestly, it was also pretty cool too. She continued to explore with one hand, closing her eyes to try and remove the sensation of strangeness, to be feeling something—someone—right in front of her that she couldn't see. She felt blind, confused, but intrigued. Excited. One finger found and then lightly traced the line of his jaw. Was drawn seemingly by its own will around to the nape of his neck, then up into his hair. That was softer than expected, and she smiled and visualised the shocking pink locks. She took a half-step forwards and inclined her head, touching her forehead to his. Anticipation and anxiety bubbled within, drowned beneath the comforting veil of chaos chakra.

"...Can you feel this?" She whispered, barely audible, and before she could stop to think, her lips found his. An explosion of conflicting emotions slammed into her, among them an intense burst of giddy excitement. She did her best to ignore the rest, focusing only on the kiss. The soft wetness of his lips on hers, the heady, wine-sweetened mixing of their breath. She leaned onto it, bringing her left arm in and around his hidden shoulders. Then another feeling came; still a warmth surging up from inside her, still a sort of eagerness, a hunger... But not hers. Nolosha.

And before she could stop it, without any conscious intent on her part, golden chakra began leaking from her skin, rising like a mist of dew over early morning grass. The irides of her closed eyes bled to luminous gold, and Akihiko came alive in her mind. The sheer strength and intensity of his lifeforce cut through everything else, dominating her senses, and she finally broke away in panic, staggered back, wild eyes flying open as she gasped for breath. What the hell was she doing?! Her vision swum as she looked around, desperate, the room wobbling dangerously with every turn of the head. She could still feel him in her mind, a beacon of life, even as she stumbled away.

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop. Nolosha!!

The beast stirred, churning in her gut, but Kotori blocked out the voice. Not now, not now, not now. She lurched towards the door on the opposite side of the room, and unknowingly, finally, passed through the portal and into limbo. The world shifted, losing all depth and vibrancy, suddenly stark and bare against the radiant glow of Life chakra surging within her. Behind her. She staggered forward towards a black-and-white sketched wall, gasping, bewildered, confused. She needed air. Had to get out! Everything was suddenly too much, and she squeezed her eyes shut, putting her hands against the wall and sinking down to the floor to try and steady herself, but all to no avail. The warmth of the room, all its scents and smells, hit her enhanced senses like a hammer to the skull. She could feel everything, an awareness of all life nearby; not just Aki, but the guard outside the door, the last few staff waiting downstairs for them to leave, and countless unseen others in nearby buildings and away up the street outside. Everyone nearby crowding into awareness within her pounding head. Her mind wasn't her own. Too much, too much. All. Too. Mu—
And she sprayed a line of vomit all down the wall.

[Texas]

Akihiko held in his laughter as Tori began to be confused by his Genma Ability. Ugh, other than the raw power that it provided, Aki truly loved utilizing the Limbo Realm in the wrong ways. However, by practicing pranking people and utilizing it in his own unique way, Aki has developed some form of a mastery over this type of Genma Ability. When the child stepped into the Limbo Realm with the portal, The world itself turned black and white. A manga that wasn't colored in, it truly was a unique space that the pink haired brat had made his safe place.

Upon entering, Aki watched as Tori panicked. Oh it was so glorious! He thought she would follow him which would have been a great prank, but for her to freak out on where he was, was even better! As the child held in tears Ryeunso spoke to him within the confines of his consciousness. Unfortunately for Aki, he wasn't realizing the consequences of mastering the Genma within him early on. His mind and spirit had been relaxed to the Genma which has allowed Ryeunso more influence upon the boy than he could truly understand. This, unfortunately for Aki, would just be a future him problem, to be frank, he had no idea what was going on and figured all of his actions were his own anyways.

"You know Boy, It would be funny if you made her think she was near you." A snickering followed the statement, but Aki was so used to it he didn't really hear it. Although, what a great idea. The second Tori reached out and asked where he was, Aki weaved a few hand signs. The child created a silhouette of himself made purely from the Limbo Realm (1st Layer). So although it was invisible to her, it was still capable of being touched. It really was a close enough replica of the boy. It was created and formed extremely fast and with Aki's chakra all over the place, it probably wouldn't have been sensed as anything other than him.

The child walked around the table away from where he put the silhouette in his place to giggle when she would go into the limbo realm. Maybe she would think it was the real deal! Oh no... Aki couldn't help but notice Tori finding the Silhouette and thinking it was him. He watched in awe as she felt the silhouette's face and kissed the creation. Aki was both mortified and found himself slightly jealous. His cheeks turned pink like his hair and the only thought that ran through his head was 'wait... was that for me?'

As Aki was trying to figure out fully what was going on, Tori ran in the direction of the portal entrance. Since she was tagged by Aki, she went in without realizing it. He watched on as she entered into the black and white space. However, he reaction was similar to Shiun's and even Suzuko's first time in there. Was this a result of entering? Granted she wasn't having a panic attack but she.....

Before the pink haired delinquent could finish his thought and observation, Kotori spewed chunks over the wall. Aki put both hands over his mouth and laughed. For what felt like a minute, but was really a few seconds. Although, like the situation called for, it became sobering to Aki. Wait... his friend was puking! The child quickly jumped over the table and to her side quickly going to her side. He swiftly placed his left arm around her side gently caressing her body. His finger slightly hit the lower part of her breast which caused him to adjust very quickly. His right arm would move to her forehead and slide her hair back, holding her hair together to make sure she doesn't puke on herself. Since the puke was in the limbo realm... there might be a smell in this room without the staff knowing where to clean up!? "Tori! Tori! Are you okay?!"

Jutsu UsedShow

1st Layer • Akihiko Silhouette
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Create a Limbo Realm being, not to be mistaken as a clone, although it does share size and features. This is a silhouette that attacks and defends based on commands given mentally upon creation. The silhouette's speed and strength stats are dictated by the [Control] stat.

Asashin to Supa - Faster and Silenter
C-Rank Dicipline
A quieter version of Basic Silence. By honing his muscles in his legs, and adjusting his feet slightly, Aki can run in a silent manor without being heard unless the person seeking him out has a higher perception technique.

[Valkier]

Kotori gasped for air, pausing only to spit the remnants of vomit from her mouth and wipe it with a sleeve. Distantly she was aware that she was panicking, overreacting, confused; but all of that was too difficult to concentrate on for the moment. Instead she kept her eyes closed, felt the solidity of the wall infront of her, and focused on her breathing. In and out, in, and out. She heard Aki's voice by her side, his hand easing back her hair and holding her. Oh, god, Aki. She instinctively pulled slightly away as embarrassment joined the parade of emotions swirling in her mind.

Just... Breathe...

On top of it all she felt Nolosha's influence reaching up from within. That familiar, soothing, poisoned embrace. She surrendered to it, allowed it to wash away some of her panic and settle her mind. She let herself sink back into the circle of Aki's arm around her waist, and gradually the hammering of her heart began to ease. Her breathing grew less laboured, and she opened her eyes. It took a moment for the stark black-and-white surroundings to register as odd, but when it did she grew rigid. What the hell was going on? Did she hit her head? It was certainly pounding as if she had. She felt a spark of caution as her shinobi instincts kicked in, and she turned her head to scan the room behind her. Instead she came face to face with Aki—or rather, what seemed like a black-and-white pencil sketch of him, staring at her with concern writ clearly across his features.

"I.. Ah.." She tried to shuffle away, remembered he was holding her, then flushed, put her hand to his, and gently lifted his arm away. She didn't let go immediately, becoming distracted instead by the rest of the room. All of it was the same colours, a staggering picasso of lines and depth, without a mote of colour to it. Like they were standing within the pages of a manga. She put a hand out to the wall and shakily rose to her feet, feeling the texture of the wood panels beneath her fingers. It still felt real. The lighting was still as it had been, but... just white. The shadows, an amalgam of hatched lines.

She stepped over to the banquet table and picked up an orange, her eyes growing wide as she drank in more and more of the details. She felt the softness of the fruit, the sweet smell of it, and yet it all looked so foreign.

"Aki, this is your power? This is... insane!" She spun back around to face him, her voice tinged with excitement. "So you vanished, but were actually here all along?" Still very much here. She could still feel the memory of him up against her. She quickly looked away, scrambled for a different line of thought. Anything but that. Maybe he wouldn't pay too much attention to her foolishness. She clearly hadn't been herself. "What, uh.. What do you call it?"

[Texas]

Laughter echo'd throughout Aki's mind. If only it was his own. Ryeunso was cackling, laughing, giggling, howling, basically every type of laugh echo'd like bad audio throughout Aki's mind. This was the first time in a long time that Ryeunso was actually hurting his brain. He hadn't felt like this in a long time and it caused the boy to wince outwardly as he tried to help his new found friend in Kotori. What was this pain? The child thought he had mastered the genma within him, so how was he able to effect him physically? Could there be more to understanding the Genma than just utilizing raw power to withhold him inside?

The child slightly shook his head and followed Kotori's lead as she tried to separate, but utilize him to get a better position. When she spoke the laughter began to soften to the point of silence. He was once again alone in his mind, or at least he had hoped. The once pink hair bobbed as he stood up with her. He watched as she stepped over the table and picked up an orange with nothing but intrigue and questions littered all over her face. The state of confusion was funny to the boy, but he knew there was a place and time to laugh. So he smiled wholesomely as he stepped forward complimenting his power. The child took a step forward and reached out his left arm to grip the portal they stepped through. He would pull it towards them and have the portal go through first Kotori, placing her back in the present realm. He would then pull it towards himself. All while pointing with his right hand at a bottle of water. As the portal went through him, Aki's silhouette ran over to the bottle of water. Both Aki and Kotori were back in the present realm able to see the world as it normally was, outside of the Limbo Realm. The child had made a point to not show others ALL of the capabilities of the Limbo Realm. He had even lied and only showed limited amounts of it to keep the rumor of his power seen as something minor instead of what it was fully capable of. Limited leaks would probably be the capabilities of the limbo realm and that he needed to snap his finger in order to poof people randomly into the realm. All of which were limited lies. Or as Aki likes to call them, "soft truths".

He gazed upon Kotori's poop brown eyes with his own as he listened to her talk about his power and ask about it. With his smile still in tact, the child would explain his simple soft truth. "Well, it is neat at a glance but it is limited compared to what the other hosts can do. However, I call it the Limbo Realm. Ryeunso has some long word he calls it, but I can't remember it."

Aki would take another step forward as Kotori held the orange. "I'm sorry Kotori, I have brought other people into the Limbo Realm before and it is a lot to take in at first even when I warn them, I should have at the very least given you a heads up." The boy swung his right hand over the back of his head in an awkward manor and gave a half chuckle. All while a bottle of water floated to Kotori and seemingly was being handed to her. "Here have some water," he politely said with a smile. Now with the attention back on Kotori he would ask her the same thing, "So Kotori, what can you do with your genma?"

[Valkier]

Kotori was still staring around wide-eyed and inspecting random monochrome objects as the portal wove around her, ejecting her back into the regular, full-colour world. Seeing the scene before her flicker abruptly from manga sketch to full vibrancy was jarring, though less so than the first time. At least this side of the unseen portal was familiar, if less fun. It was, ironically, the more mundane of the two realms. She caught sight of the motion Aki had done and connected it with the change; so he could evidently reach out and 'touch' the other side, and freely manipulate it. So effortless. The ease in which he used his powers made her head spin; why couldn't she achieve such mastery? It was all she could do to shrug and wave away his apology.

"Don't worry about it. I did ask, after all." Back in this world she felt much more herself again, and regained her smile for all that her stomach was still recovering. "Though seeing all of that was a bit more than I expected! I, uh.. Thanks, for showing me. And, uh... Sorry for throwing up in your special place." She wrinkled her nose at the admission and turned away while he continued talking, embarrassed and wanting to find something to rinse her mouth out with. Then she jumped half out of her skin as she came face to face with the eerily floating bottle. She shot Akihiko a scowl, but a grin quirked the corners of her mouth upwards and spoiled the effect, before seizing the bottle from the air, opening it, and drinking away the taste of vomit. But as she was chugging down the water, perching on the side of the table and considering how to answer his question, her arm brushed against the limbo clone. She hesitated and reached out, felt a hand where the bottle had been, felt a face and soft hair, felt an invisible arm recede.

"Aaagh!" She recoiled and spluttered in panic, then a moment later spun back to Akihiko, aghast, as understanding of what the other figure's presence might mean. "Waitwaitwait! That wasn't you before!?!" The horror was plain in the uncontrolled screech of her voice. "Who—what the hell is that?!" She leapt away from the table to put some distance between herself and the unseen presence, but her foot snagged on a table leg while she was twisting around to try and catch sight of the limbo being. She stumbled directly into the real Akihiko, her head colliding with his, and felt herself begin to fall. She lashed out wildly with one hand in an attempt to prevent it, and her fingers closed around the table edge. Her grip steadied her for just long enough to impart a sense of hope before the whole white tablecloth whipped free in one quick smooth motion, like a magician's trick, and she ended up collapsing into a tangled pile of limbs on the floor. An ear-ringing clatter and clamour of falling cutlery and smashing plates and foodstuffs rained down around her, the cloth settling gently over her like a spoiled cloak. Over both of them, actually, since she'd fallen directly into Akihiko.

[Texas]

Aki giggled a bit when Tori apologized for puking in his "special place", was it really special? Sure it was a layered realm within the one they resided in.... but, if anything she should apologize to the waitstaff. They are going to smell puke and have no clue where it would be coming from. Meh, maybe Aki will clean it up later... although it would be funny to come back in a couple months to hear them complain about it.

The child gazed upon her as she wrinkled her nose. "No no, it's fine. That's what it is there for! It will be hard to find, but that's the fun in it!" What was he even talking about? The child truly couldn't think properly, did what he said even make sense? It didn't matter, he almost laughed again when the shock on her face turned to a scowl as a bottle flew to her side. However, Aki was shocked that Tori was shot gunning the water. He instinctually spoke out as if he was a 40 year old dad with 4 kids "Whoa slow down Tori, you might drown yourself!"

The child's head tilted as she yelled almost like she was a mouse getting chased by a living mouse trap. "That is me?!" Aki's hand reached to his chin with his other arm folded, it seemed as though he was attempting to think... for the very first time. "Well, it is an extension of me I guess. I don't know how to say it right. Actually now that I think abou---" before the pink haired delinquent could really start thinking out loud Tori's head collided with his own. Honestly, it was for the best at this point. His words were going to bore the paint dryer. As the child reached out with his right hand to feel the loony tunes sized welt on his head, he watch as Tori spun around as a ballerina and took literally the whole dinner table with her. As she spun and flailed, she brought the house down and fell on to Aki, causing him to fall with her. What followed was several large thumps and several shattering glass sounds. Aki tried to hold it in to the best of his ability. "Tori are... are... a-" As the child being invaded by the Chaos genma himself, he couldn't help but break out in utter and complete laughter. His laugh echoed through the room as he just roared with laughter. While tears ran down his greenish yellow eyes, the child muttered some words "Tori, you might be the funniest person I have ever met" which of course followed with laughter.

However, what they didn't know was below them was the restaurant staff who were finishing cleaning up. They wanted to do the upstairs room last, but hearing all of the commotion caused three of them to begin to walk up the stairs. Their thuds were followed by groans as they began to make their way up the multiple levels' amount of stairs.

[Valkier]

At some point during the tangled mess of a fall, while trying to work out which way was up and how the hell to even begin extracting herself, Kotori decided that Akihiko, for all his frustrating charm, was having far too much fun at her expense. They were lying splayed out amid the carnage together, with the tablecloth covering them like a collapsed tent, and god-knows-what now smeared all over their clothes. The ground beneath them crunched with broken plates and glass, and they were thoroughly drenched. Most people would be livid. Aki was ecstatic, flailing around in sheer, uncontrolled guffaws of laughter. Tears ran down his face and she thought he was clutching his stomach as the waves of mirth became unrelenting, growing stronger and stronger. And, damn it all, if she wasn't laughing along with him. Vaguely she could remember a time when she could make a passing attempt at being civilized, respectable, in control of herself. Tonight that was a very, very distant memory.

Eventually, as the air beneath the cloth began to grow warm and the ground too uncomfortable for their rolling laughter, they slowly regained control of themselves. Kotori began searching for a way out from all the carnage, but only with half a mind to actually escape. Instead she was plotting revenge for being laughed at, for suffering such humiliation tonight, time and time again, where someone could witness it. And him, of all people! And so when Aki finally managed to get to his feet and take a shaking step, she deftly swept his legs back out from beneath him, and dove at him to drag him back down to the floor. They rolled, still tangled beneath the vast tablecloth until it was almost cocooned around them, and this time it was her who began crying with laughter.

When that finally faded, she was still lying on him, her legs splayed off to one side and pinned beneath fabric, her hands around his stomach, and her head resting sideways on his chest. She could feel the thudding of his heart, felt her own match its pace. Perhaps the night wasn't so bad, after all. She looked up and found his eyes, shifted her grip a little to move upwards. Nose to nose, she waited, not daring to move any further and disturb the moment.

I could...

And then the door to the room banged open, and several voices screamed in horror at the utter devastation within. She thought she heard someone faint, another fall to their knees—were they crying?!—and several vibrant and alarming streams of swear words that even she hadn't heard before. She was dying to laugh, but concealed beneath the mess of tablecloth, she didn't dare make a sound. Instead she very, very carefully extracted one hand from around Aki, and raised it to press it to his lips in a 'shush'ing motion. She tucked her head in beside his, so she could whisper quietly into his ear. And she hoped none of the staff would be able to make out the shape of them, or their movement, beneath the ruined tablecloth on the floor.

"...What do we do?!" Her lips quirked upwards, and soon she was shaking with silent laughter, tears pouring down her face again.

[Texas]

Getting up was much more difficult than getting down. Something that if Aki didn't realize, truly felt as he took much effort to get himself standing up. Only for Kotori to swing her leg and launch the child south down to the ground. In mid-air the boy realized that she completely snuck in an attack without him realizing. Typically he would have reverse limbo'd his limbs so she would miss, but he did feel slightly dizzy. Maybe it was the alcohol that was absorbed in his eyes, or maybe it was being covered in food and drinks. Regardless, the child tried to wrestle Kotori off as she maniacally laughed back at him and pulled a reverse causing him pain and suffering.

Although pain and suffering was dramatic, Aki began to enjoy their "wrestling". However Kotori found herself victorious and this caused Aki to also laugh with her. Both of the laughing and slowly settled down. Then in one moment, as if the world stopped, Aki could feel the warmth swapping between himself and her. It was nice getting attention, especially from someone like Kotori who knew how to handle him. It was also nice being with someone he could just goof around with. Often times his shenanigans would either cause him physical or verbal harm from his friends. No one every tried to really give him a taste of his own medicine. Within that moment, within that realization, within the sheets, Aki actually felt comfortable. Not just comfortable, but he was happy.

In life, all good things must come to an end. With that in mind, before Aki could try to make the moment last longer, a slamming noise and screaming in horror entered the room. Aki examined Kotori, like him she was still in a giggly mood. However, both of them knew that making too much noise would result in them getting caught. Which would also result in them getting in trouble. Just the thought of the Raikage giving him a sarcastic, pan, stern, long, painful, dull, boring, boring, boring, as Aki was thinking of adjectives to describe how terrible it would be to get another lecture from his Kage the boy's brain broke into brilliance. The pink haired child would shift his right hand a little bit and point it towards the kitchen slightly. With his left hand, he would lightly place his hand on Kotori as if to tell her to stay still.

As the village idiot pointed to the kitchen, his silhouette ran into the room and began to grab an assortment of different items; pots, pans, dishware, etc. started to move around by themselves to the naked eye. It caused loud clanking and crunching noises throughout the kitchen. These noises would peak the interest of the already startled staff members that came upstairs. Both Kotori and Aki laid there still waiting for them to walk into the Kitchen. Maybe the both of them could spring out of there when they walked into the Kitchen. The true question was... how would they know when they were close enough?

[Valkier]

The feel of Aki moving beneath her, and the touch of his hand on her waist, only made Kotori shake with more barely restrained laughter. The situation was ridiculous, but also exciting, and the nerves she felt—even more than the wine and their mutual carnage—made it all the more unbearable. Surely the wait staff would see her shaking beneath the drapings of the cloth, see the outline of them lying there together? She was struggling to hold in the laughter when the new clamour from the kitchen drew everyone's attention. Her laughter slowly cut off and she gave Aki a confused look before she put what was happening together.

"The other you?" She mouthed silently to him, then paused and closed her eyes for a moment. She delved inside herself and called to Nolosha, unlocking a part of the Genma's power. When she opened her eyes again a second later, they glowed with a soft yellow light. Gold chakra began leaking faintly from her skin as she channeled briefly, illuminating their cosy tablecloth-tent from the inside and turning Aki's hair from pink to a warm shade of rose gold. Although her eyes were still looking in his direction, she was no longer focused on him, instead searching outwards with her mind for sources of life within the room. By unlocking this sixth sense, their lifeforces appeared to her like beacons in her mind, and she felt as they left the room to investigate the kitchen beyond.

"Now!" She dragged her attention back to Aki and, somewhat reluctantly, began pulling herself up and away from him. Leaving the circle of his arm was disappointing, but this might be their only chance, so she gained her feet and started trying to pull away the tablecloth and begin running at the same time. Unfortunately the cloth was tighter, more tangled, and still covered in more tableware than she realised, and within three steps her legs were snared and she fell heavily back to the floor amid a clatter of more breaking plates and bowls. Shit. That would draw the staff back, for sure. There was nothing else for it.

Reaching down to the floor she found a shard of broken wine glass and with three rough swings, slashed a jagged opening through the tablecloth to finally gain her freedom.

"Hey! Hey, you! What the f—Hey! Get back here!" She flashed one brief look over her shoulder just in time to see three staff members come crashing back out of the kitchen and starting to sprint towards her, before she took off running for herself.
"Stop her!"
"Gah, shit! Oi!"
"Come ON, Aki!"
She yelled over her shoulder as she made it through the doorway, tripped over the remnants of a spinning bowl of fruit on the floor, then went flying head over heels down the stairs that led up to the second floor. Another staff member at the bottom of the stairs, hearing the shouts from above, tried to grab her, but she managed to scurry sideways on the ground, kick one of his knees out from beneath him, then she was up and running again...

Jutsu UsedShow

Reverberation
D-Rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Ukiyogenma Form 0
The user emits a gentle, imperceptible pulse of raw Life energy radially outwards around them that can detect sources of Life within 30 metres. The user can determine the direction and approximate distance of each source, and from the size and complexity of the source can differentiate between plant, animal, and sapient sources of energy. This detection travels through physical obstacles and is not blocked by chakra barriers unless they contain Tenkujutsu specifically designed to block spiritual energy.

[Texas]

The wild child nodded as she mouthed "the other you?" For a second, Aki couldn't help but think about what others would perceive his technique. The pink haired delinquent showed forbearance from mansplaining what his technique was. In fact, he just nodded politely giving her a non-verbal platitude instead of shaking his head to explain it further. No one liked a well actually guy and Aki would only find himself doing that if he knew it really got under someone's skin. Well, it was also not the right setting as Kotori got up to run, which made Aki follow her footsteps.

However, a few steps in Kotori got stuck on the table cloth. Aki naturally looked at the table cloth and just focused on his chakra to phase through it. In the heat of the moment, it probably would have just looked like he didn't get caught in it. As she yelled, maybe she didn't notice that the boy was following right behind her. She seemed to be fully capable of thinking on her toes and adapting to situations.... was Aki's last thought before he watched her turn into a cannonball down the stairs. The boy jumped down with laughter, landing down with agile foot placement and watching as she knocked the staff member down. This was so much fun!

The child once again channeled his chakra as he ran down the stairs and grabbed the portal that was upstairs, with one motion of his arm, Aki threw the portal to the exit of the door way. "Tori take the front entrance!" He shouted in between his laughter. However, his laughter was drowned by screaming, hollering, and angry words echoing through all of the staff. Sheesh they were rather truculent or at least Aki thought. In truth they were perfectly rational in their anger towards the two knuckle heads. As they both made it down stairs there was a mawkish smell of shitty sake and cleaning products.

Hopefully Kotori would listen to Aki and run out the front door. If she did, she would enter back into the limbo realm. To the staff that were yelling and chasing them, would see the two run through the front door and seemingly disappear. Now, Aki knew that if they chased them, they probably could follow the noise of their foot steps, but the child was gambling on them being utterly confused upon seeing the two of them visually disappear from existence.

[Valkier]

Kotori blitzed her way through the building, upending tables and scattering staff in her way as she ran. Aki told her to head for the front door, which was fortunately the way she was heading, because she hadn't been aware there was even another option. But the feeble shred of shinobi instinct that remained to her this night warned her: The front door would be an easy and obvious place to trap and catch them. But, as she careened around a corner, fell through a coatrack, staggered against a wall and knocked a mounted painting off of it, she figured there wasn't much else for it. She could hardly turn back.

As she passed a table she seized a chair and lifted it away—much to the annoyance of the off-duty cook that had been sitting in it—and thundered towards the door, thinking that she could use it as a simple battering ram to shunt anyone away if they tried to block her route out. But she underestimated her own speed and was pleasantly surprised to find the escape clear of obstruction. She darted through and whirled around, staggering in surprise as suddenly the world turned back to the black-and-white sketch of the limbo realm. She recognised Aki swooping out of the door and into limbo behind her all the same, then she regained her senses and slammed the front door closed behind him, then finally used the chair as an improvised wedge to hold the handle up, blocking any easy pursuit. A firm shove or two would break it, certainly, but it might be enough to deter further further chase from the staff lest damage their own property.

She whirled back to Aki, eyes and face alight with mischevious laughter, then grabbed his arm and took off running down the street. The cool night air reinvigorated her and she revelled in it, in the thrill of the chase, in the company running beside her. The town felt entirely different by night, quieter, closer, as if it were there only for the two of them. Once they were safely a few streets away she eventually staggered to a halt, hauled Aki sideways into the close confines of a doorway alcove, then glanced back the way they'd come and watched warily for any sign of pursuit. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. All seemed to be silent. Slowly her breathing steadied, and she realised how tightly she'd been holding to Aki's arm, and lessed it slightly and turned back to him in the doorway. They were hidden well enough here for the moment. She caught a shocking sight of her own reflection in one of the dark panes of glass in the door.

"Gods, I'm a mess!" She flushed, and began trying in vain—and far, far too late—to regain a semblance of the foreign concept known as dignity by combing her hair out with one hand and wiping some of the more obvious stains away from her top. Neither attempt made much effect, and she gave up with another rosy-cheeked chuckle, shaking her head. She nudged Aki.

"But, hey, this was fun, you know." She hesitated, meeting his gaze for just a moment longer than necessary. She bit her lip, considering, then blushed deeper and looked away instead.
"Walk me home?" She asked, then flashed him a more mischevious grin, slipped her arm through his, and began walking slowly away through a world of black and white...