Lily Koi Daze

It was a wonderful Ball. Meant to coincide with the winter solstice, the event was certainly a high profile affair. All the major clans of Kirigakure were in attendance to some capacity. Some, like the Hozuki, who happened to be hosting this year at one of their many extravagant estates, came in full force, with as many clan members as they could field. Others, such as the Yuki or Kaguya, had some attendees, though not to the same degree as the hosts. They sent children to interact and be entertained, more interested in seeing them paired with another aristocratic clan so as to keep their high status and position of privilege. Through all the extravagant clothes, kimonos, and drink, the subtle art of courtship was floating through all the young people in attendance. As small and seemingly-mindless as high-profile outings like these could seem, they were in fact testing grounds to determine suitable matches that could secure the future of their clans, as was their duty, as was their honor. The Uzumaki, too, were present at the Ball, a minor contingent of an already smaller-clan on the look out to regain influence through marriage to the larger and more wealthy clans. There were some young lads and ladies of Uzoshogakure, except for one... One red head with an altogether different disposition.

Yoru Slim slav-squatted in front a koi pond, eyes meticulously watching the fat koi fish he had dragged up form the water to flounder on the ground. It was an interesting and beautiful animal, it was a tragedy for it to be contained here in these grounds. It had caught his attention unlike any of the people in the ballroom, and so he had slipped out when his fellow clan-members weren't looking to inspect it further. He squatted in a secluded grove, enough to be out of the eyes of any passerbys unless they walked across the small bridge to the islet he was on. The gardens here were quite large. Ahh, but yes, where was he? Yoru grinned as he pulled out a small bell, gently ringing it whilst channeling yin chakra through it, creating an audio genjutsu. It took some time for him to get the frequency right, but once he did, he became thrilled at its effect. The koi fish thrashed about in desperation, confirming both that it his attempts to learn a new genjutsu had worked, as well as proving that fish did indeed have ears of some kind. Doubly exhilerating, these experiences always had a profound effect on him.

What about the eyes, though? He had studied the human anatomy extensively. How similar may they be to lesser forms of life? The proposition intrigued Yoru, and so he acted on his curiosity. After all, with what limited time he had before the Chunin Exams, he needed every opportunity available to train. The man formed seals with one hand, restraining the poor fish with his other, taking his time until he began to find a release of Yin chakra that had some tangible effect on the creature. He didn't know what it was a fish could be afraid of, but with his focus on trying to manifest that in an organism's mind's eye, Yoru was certain that the creature was afraid- and realizing that felt almost arousing. "Fufufu, you are delicious." He teased, tightly holding onto the animal as he momentarily dipped it back into the water, allowing it to get some water back in it. "What do you see, little one?" He asked, pulling it back out and putting it back onto the stony ground. "I know you see me, I know you can see everything we humans fail to acknowledge." Yoru whispered, forming more half-seals with his free hand, grinning slightly as he practiced another visual genjutsu, this time focusing on the sense of sight itself rather than just abject fear. The koi had stopped thrashing around, instead blinking rapidly, as if tracking a number of different blurry shapes all at once. Yes, yes, Yoru was on the right track, his discoveries knew no limits!

"There now, that's a good little thing. I will care for you." He said, his curiosity sated for the time being. He had obtained some much needed training on an all to willing guinea pig. It was time to repay the favor. Yoru hummed, placing his hands down over the small koi, focusing chakra along his palms and into the creature's body. At first, nothing too interesting happened, the animal didn't react much at all. However, as Yoru continued to adjust the potency of the early-stage jutsu, he began to see the life and vigour begin to return to the animal, this time for the better. Some of its minor imperfections and scrapes from years living in this small koi pond disappeared, repaired by the growing proficiency of the Genin's Ijutsu. The sight brought a smile to Yoru's face, even if it was a small one. He moved his hands along the creature's body, adjusting the composition of yin and yang chakra enough to focus more on healing ailments than injuries, burns and the like. "Hmmm, much better." He surmised, watching as the creature was returned to tip top shape- albeit with no small amount of mental scarring from being used as a genjutsu training tool. Surely it was a fair trade-off, right? He slipped the animal back into the pool before standing, watching as it swam deep to the bottom, away from the invasive human.

Ahh, well, such was life. It was not as if there was much else about this party that intrigued him too greatly...

[Training Bell Ring Genjutsu, Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing, Mist Servant Technique, Chakra Palm, Healing Hands. 941/600 WC]

The Winter Solstice Ball was an event that began to hang in the air long before the actual event would take place. Preparations started months in advance, and so did the incessant blabbering about it. Decorations would be hung out far too early, and every shop of worth in Kirigakure’s market districts would be buzzing with excitement over the upcoming dance. Every tailor in the city would be hard at work on beautiful new dresses and suits for the wealthy clans, as wearing the same attire for two years in a row would be anathema to the upper crust of Kirigakure. And with the tailors and bakers and everyone else of any note in the city up in a buzz, it was difficult to ignore everything that was happening. Even Chigetsu, usually isolated up in their room in the Hozuki District, found it hard to drown out the noise that preceded this event. The Hozuki Clan, having the honor of holding this years ball, had transformed its home into a picture of even more extravagant excess than usual. While she normally needed no excuse to hide away up in her room, the excitement that the Ball brought made for an especially compelling reason to just hide under the blankets and go to sleep early tonight.

It wasn’t as if she was compelled by her family to stay away though. Despite her general status as an embarrassment and a waste of space that her parents did their best to hide away and pretend didn’t exist, it wasn’t as if she had been formally excommunicated. She was more than capable of just walking down there and taking part in the event, at least if she was willing to endure the glares and whispers. Of course, her attire would be lacking. It was way too late to find any sort of appropriate dress, assuming she would even be able to find someone willing to sell her one. It was frustrating in part because of this reason, as Chigetsu would love nothing more than to go down and take part in the dancing if for no other reason than to have the excuse to wear something so extravagant and frilly. In her earlier moping, she had pressed her face to a window to watch some of the women on their trip to the ballroom. It was entirely masochistic, and just served to let her continue to seeth in jealousy. Still, it was easy to rationalize it away. If put down in that situation, with the spotlight surrounding her, Chigetsu knew she wouldn’t want anything more than to retreat back up to her room and hide anyway.

Being wound up with nervous energy made it hard to sleep as she had planned to, and even tearing her eyes away from the window was difficult. She had been too anxious lately. Everything was changing now, and this disturbance only served to create another ripple in the pond. There was only so much that pacing back and forth in the confines of her apartment could do for her, and so in her fit of nervousness she would do something that she was engaging in increasingly frequently- That is, leave her apartment. A number of justifications ran through her head as she did. Chigetsu just wanted to get some fresh air. There were some groceries that she needed to pick up and it would be rude to call for a servant deliver them on a night like this. She needed to go find another simple mission to take to earn a bit of extra cash. All the while she would head in the direction of where the ball was being held.

It would only be as she actually approached the building itself that she would falter, and her spinning mind would begin to slow down. She wasn’t dressed for the occasion. She didn’t have any sort of fancy clothing, and was just wearing her usual hoodie combo together with a light skirt and some thick black stockings that went up to her thighs. The chilly breeze of the frigid winter air was beginning to prickle at her, especially her lighter-dressed lower half. The hood of her hoodie would be pulled up, her braid stuffed in, and her hands quickly stuffed down into the hoodie’s central pocket. There was nothing else she could do, except wish that she had been smart enough to think to wear pants. The prospect of turning around and going home was beginning to creep into her head as well, especially as the building’s brightly lit entrance came into sight. Faced with the sudden prospect of actually having to cash the check that her ass had written, Chigetsu’s earlier frustrated energy would melt away. Diverting course immediately, she would twist down a path crossways from the building. Familiar with the area, her legs would carry her there without having to think, and it would only take a few moments before she would end up in the midst of an expanse of gardens. They were attached to the building as a sort of accessory, made to provide a pleasant piece of eye candy that would be rarely used or enjoyed. While not one to appreciate the wonders of nature, the seclusion that these gardens could provide made them an attractive place to hide for someone like Chigetsu. Despite being so close, there was nary a soul that Chigetsu could see within them. No big fluffy dresses or sharp suits that she could see. In the darkness, with her hoodie up, there would be a good chance she wouldn’t be recognized here, and could perhaps continue her masochistic peeping on the ballroom dancers from a closer location than through her window when she regained a bit of her confidence.

A gentle creaking sound would leak out from each plank of the bridge she stepped on. The little islet that was on the other side was one of the most secluded places in the garden. Chigetsu had come here with the full intention of being alone, to recharge what strength that she could, and because of that single-minded unthinking focus she would nearly fail to notice that she wasn’t the first person to come here for that reason. In the darkness she would almost miss the other individual who occupied the island. It was just as he stood that Chigetsu would arrive off the end of the bridge, and so she would be caught by the looming shadow that the taller man cast down over her. With the light of the moon behind the tall stranger, the appearance he would give off would be nothing more than a sudden silhouette, stretching up into Chigetsu’s vision like a quickly animating shadow. The girl would hiccup in her step as the giant rose, and she realized she wasn’t alone. Faltering back onto the last plank of the bridge her only greeting would be a squeak of surprise. Startled, she would sink into the depths of her hoodie and stare out from under the safety of the fabric with eyes as wide as a dinner plate. This would be until, in her wobbly stance, she would slip right off beginning of the bridge into the frigid depths of the pond. Her descend would be marked with a blast of percussion coming up from the water, and the immediate scattering of every koi in the pond.

The sound of water splashing nearby caught Yoru off guard a tad. Had someone been spying on him? It wouldn't do for rumors to make their way back to the Uzumaki clan, he was selfless to the extent that he didn't want to bring too much shame at least. The well-dressed teen stood up to his full height, slowly walking over to the wooden bridge that connected the small pond-island with the rest of the garden complex. "Hmmmm" He hmm'd, looking down at the stranger who had slipped into the water. They didn't seem like another party goer, they were dressed in fairly casual wear. But alack, it would not do to stand by and stare while a stranger drowned themselves, now would it? Yoru rolled up his sleeves, squatting down and reaching into the water of the pond, offering the pink-haired-person a hand to pull themselves up with.

"Only the koi are supposed to be in the water, silly woman." He said, standing back and letting the new arrival pat themselves down. Yoru tilted his head as he looked the stranger over in the better lighting whilst they dried themselves off. It was a man, he could tell that now that they were standing up here with him, yet they appeared exceedingly feminine. How fascinating, was there a medical reason for this of some sort? Being a scientsit (some may call him mad and they were right), Yoru could not help but step a little bit closer, his dark eyes scanning the stranger's features almost like a mortician about to cut into a cadaver whilst on the lookout for possible causes of death... Ah, well, maybe that was too grim of an analogy.

"Did you find what you were looking for? The koi must have stolen something from you that was precious. They are treacherous fish, I am certain. What did they take from you? Did you retrieve it?" He asked, hands behind his back, eye raised. Those fish were beautiful, but so were poisonous creatures who used their beauty as tools of death. Regardless, once the pink-hair would speak, Yoru would try and give a more sincere smile of welcome. Right, he was hiding out here to avoid the rest of the ball-goers. "I'm afraid you've found my hiding place. The ball was too boring for me, so I have been conspiring with the Koi to drown the whole palace this coming fortnight in revenge. My name is Yoru Slim, of the Uzumaki." He introduced. Loathe as he was to admit it, tossing in his clan name would have smoothed things over a tad for their meeting. It certainly would have been harder to explain how a clanless commoner was squatting out here by himself playing with exotic fish... Well, a bit harder anyways.

"Come, we should find you a change of clothes and a towel. It won't do to leave you freezing in the cold night all alone."

Chigetsu hadn’t even had the time to scream before falling into the pond. Their body would still reflexively try to, but the delayed reaction would just result in them getting a good mouthful of gross pond water. Flailing a bit in her panic, it would take a moment for her to actually resurface again. The pond wasn’t even that deep, but getting out was a lot harder than it would seem when it was dark out and you had just taken a surprise nose nose dive into it. The mysterious stranger’s assistance would help a lot in Chigetsu maybe salvaging what little pride she had left. Even though her clan was already embarrassed of her, finding her drowned in a koi pond would probably be a bit too much even for them. Gripping Yoru’s hand, Chigetsu would find the strength to slowly pull herself out from the pond, although it would be mostly by the virtue of Yoru’s strength and not her own.

Chigetsu take a deep breath as she found herself above water gain, panting for a bit as she recollected herself. Turning down to the ground, bits of the pond water that had found its way into her mouth would be spit out. Gross. It was absolutely gross. She could still feel some of it in her nose, but that would be harder to get out. She had been naive to not expect that this night would get worse. Already cold before, Chigetsu was absolutely freezing now when covered in all that water. Her shivering was what made her almost not mind how close this stranger was getting to her, looking over her in a way that would normally have made her want to hide behind someone else.

“The only thing the fish took from me was my dignity, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to get that back.” She would grumble a bit, her free arm huddled tight around her chest for warmth. Her normal timid nature had melted away from the shock of the water to leave behind only bitter self-loathing. The wet hood would be pulled down to reveal her equally soaked pink hair. The braid she was normally so proud of would feel something like a big wet noodle as it fell down her back. “I’m Chigetsu H-H… Chigetsu.” She would stop quick before accidentally revealing her clan name. There were too many implications that could be made with that, and opinions that you couldn’t help. They were in the middle of the Hozuki District, but still, that would only raise the question of what Chigetsu was doing here in casual clothing and not out at the ball. Not a question she wanted to answer.

“I was just out here… I wanted to watch everyone dance… I didn’t mean to...” She scrambled quickly to explain, even though he hadn’t asked. The words came exasperated, before she could even think about what to say. She hadn’t let go of Yoru’s hand yet either. It was far too warm for that, and with what he had said about finding her a chance of clothing and a towel, she probably would have followed him just about anywhere right now.

The gears were gradually turning within Yoru's mind. This Chigetsu certainly was more than the average wanderer who had strayed into the gardens, if that were the case, they would have surely admitted their last name as part of casual talk. No, this pink-haired-pal was someone who must have possessed some level of name recognition, the likes of which would have reflected badly upon his family. Yoru had his guesses about the most probable clan, but held his tongue. He would respect the stranger's privacy, until he had found something truly fascinating, that is. "Mhmm, very well. We'll sort you out right." He hummed, holding Chigetsu's hand idly, half-guiding her and half-pulling her away from the gardens back toward the mansion.

As the duo would get closer to the mansion, their first obstacle would appear. It seemed as though the large double doors were teeming with party-goers who were keen to escape the heated ballroom by stepping outside. Yoru narrowed his gaze, poking his head around some shrubs. He'd been in the mansion for a fair bit before slipping away, he knew that if they could slip past unnoticed he'd be able to hightail it up to to one of the guest rooms that were left vacant for those staying overnight. He'd bet there was some kind of bathroom in there to be used. "You don't want to be seen. I can tell that much, young lily. So, do you trust me?" Yoru would ask, looking over his shoulder at the pink-braided shinobi.

Assuming Chigetsu said yes and trusted his fate to this slightly eccentric stranger, Yoru would turn his attention back to the small crowd of partygoers loitering around the side entrance to the mansion. Utilizing the principles he'd been experimenting with on that koi he dragged out of the water, the teen would focus his gaze on the area the loiterer's were standing in. It would take a minute or two of experimenting silently, re-doing the hand seals and tinkering around with different ways of manipulating Yin chakra, but in the end, the result would pay off. "OOooooooh, now that is delicious." Yoru said to himself, feeling an exhilerating rush of Yin chakra leave his body and silently, invisibly, fill the area that the party goers were standing in. All of a sudden, one of them would point up to the sky, spotting a ball of fire seemingly descending from the sky. Of course, if one of them was an actual shinobi beyond the rank of Genin, this little ploy wouldn't really be able to accomplish much. Thankfully, by the way that the surprised teens fled inside, it seemed as though that they had fallen for the deception. The coast was clear!

"Run, run very quickly now. Run." He whispered, both to himself and his newfound accomplice. This whole pseudo-infiltration was proving to be far more entertaining and fun than what casual socializing this night would have otherwise been centered around. Yoru would guide Chigetsu across the small courtyard and into the warm and brightly lit building. Memorizing the layout of the mansion from his tour upon first arriving, Yoru would haul himself and the cold Chi up a side flight of stairs to one of the vacant guest rooms. Once the duo were in, Yoru would close the door behind him for a moment, waiting to sense if the coast was clear. "Phew. I can't remember the last time I tried to smuggle someone into my chambers. City folk are strange beasts of no name." Yoru said, looking again to Chi.

"Feel free to dry off and freshen up. I'm sure I can find you some clothes. What are your measurements?" He asked, pulling himself back up to his feet after sitting briefly. He'd drift over to the door, about to slip out and go on a hunt to procure clothing whilst Chi freshened up and took care of herself. A thought popped into the man's mind then, largely from realizing, only then, how the pink-haired teen had come all this way just to watch the dresses and pagentry of the ball. "Hmmmm, what is your favorite color, young lady?" He asked, looking Chi over again, the idea in his mind gradually growing into a hopefully well-meaning ploy.

[Training Descending Hell Technique, 202/150 WC]

Chigetsu’s sputtering excuses ran dry quicker than normal, her panicked and freezing brain unable to to keep up with her fast her mouth was moving. Luckily, it seemed that this mysterious Yoru Slim was willing to overlook her excuses on the matter. The way he hmm’d and mhmm’d and hummed made it seem as though he understood completely, like there wasn’t any need for Chigetsu to make excuses. He would begin guiding her away before she would have time to think of any sort of convincing excuse. Maybe she had been silly to think that she even needed one. He had been out here alone too, after all. Everyone had their reasons. Maybe by assuming that he would judge her, she had made a judgement on him. Chigetsu would trust the way that Yoru guided her, even as they approached the mansion that she had earlier turned away in panic from.

The whispering voices of fear crept into her mind as the large, double doors came into view. The fear of being seen was perhaps written on her face, as it was something Yoru was able to pick up on immediately. If people saw her, there was a chance she would be recognized, and that would be… As Yoru looked over his shoulder at her, Chigetsu would only hesitate a moment before nodding. “If I get seen...” She would shake her head, not wanting to think about the consequences. “...I trust you. ” Desperation made for strange bedfellows. The man was charismatic too, especially with that ‘young lilly’ comment, which made it easier to trust him to take care of things.

Not being able to see the hand seals that he was making from her position behind him, Chigetsu’s eyes would light up as she saw the genjutsu activate. A massive ball of fire descending down from the sky. Not familiar with the genjutsu, she was nearly about to panic in the same way as all the party goers were. The teenagers who had loitering around the side of the mansion would all have rushed inside, but Chigetsu had been anchored by Yoru’s presence, and she would only run once he gave the command to. Yoru’s calmness regarding the oncoming ball of death would steady her nerves a bit, especially as they ran across the courtyard as if it didn’t exist. That he might be some sort of magician fluttered into her mind, until the more reasonable answer of genjutsu came to her. They would run and run after that. Into the mansion, up the stairs, and into a room. Only when the door was closed behind the two would Chigetsu have a chance to breathe.

“My measurements?” She would look up to Yoru, having collapsed on the ground out of breath following their little escape. Having forgotten the prospect of new clothing, the question had initially seemed strange. With a slight flush coming to give her cheeks a rosy tinge, she would turn away from Yoru and slowly begin to take off her soaked purple hoodie. “I’m hoping you don’t mean my three sizes… I wear smalls? And purple is my favorite color, I guess. Or pink.” The color of her hoodie and hair maybe spoke for itself on what sort of colors she preferred. She wasn’t sure if she answered the question Yoru was asking. If he did mean her three sizes, well… He would have to pry that information out of her. It was much too embarrassing to say that sort of stuff outloud. In an effort to rid her mind of those thoughts and to also keep warm in her soaked clothing, she would crawl over to huddle in the corner of the room, pulling one of the uppermost blankets off the bed to cover herself in. “And… thank you for taking me up here. I think I would have had a heart attack if anyone saw me down there. Everyone would have started talking about it afterwards if they saw me soaked up in an outfit like this…” She would sigh, staring down at herself.

Yoru watched as the sad water sponge named Chigetsu sat in the corner of the room, pulling their knees in and trying to somehow feel both warmer and less embaressed. It seemed to be a tall order for him. There was a moment of conflict in the Uzumaki, on the one hand, he had ever intention of eyballing the girls in their dresses downstairs, roophie them via genjutsu, strip them to steal their dresses whilst discarding their bodies somewhere in the garden, and present said dress back to his newfound friend to use- but boy, Chigetsu's pesky feelings were getting in the way of that plan. This simply would not do! "Hey now, little lily." He said, moving away from the door and squatting down in front of Chi, tilting his red head slightly to the side. "I respect your wish to not be seen, truly I do- but are you so fearful of what others think of you?" He asked, trying to speak both as kindly and as blunt as he possibly could... It was, uhh, it was kind of hard to do. Truth be told, he'd shed the kind of feelings that the pink-haired lady-boy had long ago. Stripping down on stage to your undergarments and singing a power ballad amidst a kabuki show could do that for your body confidence. That and a rampant nihilism that saw the futility of life and caring what others thought. However, Yoru tried to keep in mind that most people just didn't function that way.

"Think of this, my friend, a tale if you would..." Yoru started, standing up and doing a swift backflip, standing triumphantly on the bed in the middle of the bedroom. "Behold, the tale of Mr Cheese!" He started, speaking loudly from his stomach. "As a young boy, Mr Cheese was always afraid what the other children of the village would think of him if he said that he didn't like fighting- and so he forced himself to do become a warrior, a shinobi. This was his way." Yoru started, on his knees, doing his most childish voice that he might do for a young kabuki actor or puppet. "As a man, Mr Cheese became afraid what the men and women of his family would think of him for not marrying, instead dreaming of travelling the world- and so he did so with a woman he did not love, just to make his clan proud. This was his way." Yoru continued, getting up from a kneeling position to stand up fully on the bed once more, speaking with bravado as he did so, like a man in the prime of life. "In his old age, Mr Cheese was fraid of admitting that he was lonely for fear that the young people would think him senile and creepy- and so he wallowed away as a widower, not doing anything new nor making new friends or stories. This was his way." Yoru said, hunhing over in an exaggerated way, his voice croaking, like a man who relied on a cane to get from place to place.

"Finally, Mr Cheese lay on his death bed, looking back at the life he had lived. As he drifted between this world and The Pure Land, he realized something that he had not realized before..." Yoru continued, laying down onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. He inhaled slowly through his nostrils, holding the breath for a moment before exhaling gradually through his mouth. "He realized that his life was not his life. That it was not his way... And so, he resolved upon doing so when he was reborn in the next life. I wish I could tell you whether he did so or not, for my story ends there." He said, crossing his legs together and tilting his head sideways to look at Chigetsu whilst laying on the bed. "You cannot please everyone in life, little lily. The only one who you can truly ever do that for is yourself, let those who disagree with you have their entrails disemboweled by oni and burned in the fiery hells of Naraka." He said with a small smile, betraying the graphic imagery of his words.

"I think you deserve a rather nice dress and a rather nice dance, my friend. If I gave these things to you, would you take them?" He asked, turning the tale back to the present. He wondered his his story had reached the pink-haired stranger or not.

Having Yoru squat down so close to her would make Chigetsu instantly flinch back. There wasn’t anywhere she could go backed against the wall like this, and so she would simply scrunch up, like a turtle retreating into its shell. It would be more than a little pathetic, especially considering she was retreating away from the person who had just saved her.  She would kind of squeak like a mouse, half in response to what Yoru was saying. There was nothing she could say in response to his sudden question, and even if she could speak giving the truthful answer, that she was fearful of what others thought of her, wouldn’t be something she would want to admit outloud. Still, the squeaking of the mouse would go silent in awe as Yoru displayed his athletic skills, backflipping up onto the bed. Having never been to a circus or kabuki show before, the sort of acts and behavior of the young Uzumaki were completely alien to Chigetsu. And as such, Yoru would immediately have the young girl’s complete enrapturement. The way her eyes reacted at each part of the story would clearly indicate that she had fallen under Yoru’s spell, especially with each shift of his voice.

As Yoru’s story ended, Chigetsu would still be in her original position, soaked and curled up against the wall. Although, she had dried slightly in that time. Silent until prompted for a response, Chigetsu would slowly release their hold on themselves.

“I don’t want to be like that…”

Even though the name ‘Mr. Cheese’ was used, Chigetsu understood exactly what Yoru was getting at here. She wasn’t stupid, or unaware of what was going on with herself. The fact that someone else could strike at her so easily into her insecurities was maybe itself a little concerning in itself, but she was much to consumed in that inner turmoil at the moment to feel exposed.

‘It’s hard though…’ is what Chigetsu wanted to say. She was used to making excuses for herself. About what her family would think. About what her clan would think. All the whispering. That maybe the few friends that she had somehow managed to make would hear about the rumors, and then leave. She wanted to do things her own way, but she also didn’t want to be alone. More than anything, she still wanted to reconnect with her family. To be able to maybe sit down with her parents again and pretend that things were normal again. That was why it was increasingly looking like she was going to enter the Chunin Exams. The fact that Chigetsu had been noticed by Hana, the new Mizukage, was enough for her mother to acknowledge her presence again. If she performed well, maybe she would be able to move back in, or talk to her father again… The thought of doing that made her skin crawl. It felt like it was too late.

“I’ll take them if you give them to me.” It took a bit of deliberation. She wouldn’t be able to refuse a gift anyway. “That’s… That’s why I came here. I really just…I really just wanted to imagine wearing a dress.” It was too honest. Admitting it brought a certain redness to her face, as if she had some sort of fever. Chigetsu had been defeated by that story, and now she would just slump against the wall.

She was more than a bit shy, and only a tad less strange, but it was more apparent to anything else that beneath her waterlogged exterior, Chigetsu had a heart of gold- at least in his eyes. What more could a young person ask for than the freedom of escaping societal constraints for one night? Where they could dance, they could sing, they could be free from the norms of life! It was a joy, and more importantly it was something that all the stuffy adults were obsessed with taking from them. Yoru's account of the story of Mr Cheese seemed to have struck a nerve with Chi, perhaps a little too heavy-handedly, in a way that had captivated the fellow teen and gotten the overarching message across. He watched as Chi admitted that most of all he wanted a dress to wear. That, combined wit his earlier statement that he didn't want to live the lives others wished of him was enough to prompt Yoru to hop back up to his full hegiht. "Right, that settles it! Fufufu" He said before chuckling, his mind already scheming. He gave a soft headpat to Chi before walking back over to the room door, speaking as he did so. "Dry off and maybe take a shower to warm up. I'll be right back. Life isn't a show unless it has a few quick costume changes to keep it interesting- fufufuf" He said before laughing again. Yoru closed the door to the guest room, walking away.

Some time would pass for Chi after that. Things would be quiet. Nobody would come in and accidentally stumble on him in the room, nor would any heavy footsteps trounce up and down the hallway. It would be enough time for him to dry off and tidy himself off whilst Yoru... did Yoru things, or whatever it was he might've been doing. The night was growing later, certainly reaching the height of the party. Just as Chi might begin to wonder just what had happened to the strange performer, Yoru would open the door, poking his head through. "Psst, close your eyes, spider lily... That's right, keep them closed..." He started, waiting for Chi to follow his instructions before he stepped in to the guest room, closing the door behind him once again. "Aaaaaand, open sesame!" He instructed.

Chi would find a purple ballgown dress, complete with sequin gloves and princess-y tiara being held and presented by Yoru. "Not bad, eh?" He said, waiting to see what the teen's reaction would be. Finding a dress that fit Chi hadn't been too hard, particularly when all he had to do was go around and find the girl with the flatest chest at the party. Actually getting said dress and outfit had been a, uhhh, harder ordeal- one that was better left not being discussed, save for the important point that the original wearer was perfectly fine and unharmed, the opposite in fact... "What do you think? I bet you'll be quite the eye-cather if you enter the ballroom wearing this, young spider lily." Yoru hummed, sitting down on the bed and hiding the red mark on his neck from Chigetsu. He would look away if the pink haired enigma began to change, rolling onto his stomach on the bed, still wearing his suit and ball-outfit. "Of course, a dress is only good for a princess if she is to dance in it. This is the way these old stories go you see. Now, would you wish to take control of the ballroom or find a more quiet venue?" He asked, perfectly comfortable with upstaging all the other teenage angsty aristocratic couples in attendance, though recognizing that Chigetsu may have a harder time of manifesting the confidence to achieve such a feat.

What could he say? Sure he was sad often for no reason, but that didn't mean he could just stand by when other people were sad themselves!

Admitting it was hard. Exposing vulnerabilities was one of the hardest things to do, especially when already in a weak, vulnerable state. Especially to strangers. This was something she had taken a lesson in not too long ago, with another little girl just outside of a classroom. But this felt a little bit different. She didn’t have the same problems as Kitsuki, and didn’t get a chance to see the ultimate confrontation that happened, assuming that one even did. Worrying about political situations and wars felt like such a more significant thing to be vulnerable and upset about when compared to wearing a dress though, and the comparison here inevitably made Chigetsu feel guilty. She couldn’t help but think about how unimportant this all was, and how vain she was for caring. It was so important to her, that she cared as much as she did made her feel more than a little pathetic. It hurt to care so much.

Following the little head pat, Chigetsu would watch Yoru leave. Once the door closed shut, she would take a few more moments of wallowing in her self pity before getting to work. Her clothing was all soaked still. Luckily the room had an attached bathroom and shower where she could take care of things. But first… She would search out for a spare change of clothing. Chigetsu had the foresight to not just take a shower immediately without finding something new to change into. Pulling open a few of the bedside drawers, she would sadly find nothing. This was probably to be expected, considering this was a guest room for someone to spend the night in. The best she would be able to find would be Yoru’s clothing then anyway… She wasn’t sure if she wanted to wear the same clothing that he did. After a bit of fruitless searching, Chigetsu would give up and head to the shower. Her clothing would all be taken off and carefully dried and folded to the best of Chigetsu’s ability, although even after ringing them out they would still be slightly damp. Once they were carefully set aside she would begin to experiment with the shower settings. Hot and cold would be mixed and tested several times before she got a combination she was comfortable with, and then she would step into the shower.

She wouldn’t take too long, even though she wanted nothing more than to soak in the shower or tub for hours. Showering in another person’s room was just too awkward. She could feel the anxiety the entire time just swirling around her. The idea of someone else walking in on her while she was in the shower… Well, she’d rather die. So that would end fast, and she would do her best to dry herself off with the closest towel that she could find. That part was pretty easy, considering her Hozuki blood. Drying yourself was just as simple as sucking up the water directly into your skin. That was fine when it was shower water, and not so fine when it was murky muck pond water though. She didn’t really like the idea of having fish pee in her veins, or anything along those lines.

She would be sitting on the bed, waiting in her old, still somewhat damp clothing when Yoru returned. One of the towels would be wrapped around her shoulders, just to give her a little more warmth. At Yoru’s command she would close her eyes, even though she was more than a little suspicious of the situation. The authoritative manner in which he spoke made Chigetsu instinctively follow his orders though, and she would do as he said. Once he gave her the go to open up again, she would blink her eyes open and stare out at what he had brought her. The moment she saw the dress her eyes would light up, along with her entire face shortly afterwards. A genuine smile would spread across her cheeks, although the blush would quickly take over as the dominant emotion on her face. It was absolutely beautiful. The fact that Yoru had managed to find a dress in her size that was this nice and her favorite color was a pretty incredible stroke of luck as well.

“L-Lets…” She didn’t want to disappoint Yoru, especially after everything that he had done for her already. The idea of dancing out in public was still a little bit too much for her. “Let’s go somewhere more quiet… If that’s alright with you.” She would rub up at her cheeks, as if she were trying to rub the blush out. If Yoru would accept, Chigetsu would take off to the bathroom again in order to change into the dress to the best of her abilities, before allowing Yoru to spirit her off again to wherever his whims took her.

Ahh, well, how could Yoru not smile at the reaction he managed to eek out of Chigetsu upon showing him the dress he found. There, that was much better. After a long night like the one he'd had it was only fitting that the pink haired teen have something to pick them up after the chaos had died down. Plus, the way that she rubbed at her blushing cheeks was only more endearing. "Fufufu, I think your rosy cheeks are starting to match your hair now!" He commented, watching as the other shinobi got themselves back under control. His request was easy enough to agree to, and not something that Yoru could really fight against. Just because his flagrant nihilism allowed him to do what he wished without caring for others perceptions didn't mean he was ignorant of how that standard didn't apply to most people. He'd watch Chigetsu hobble over to the bathroom and get changed, immediately beginning to conspire his next steps in his mind.

Once Chi emerged changed, Yoru would give a small smile and look the pinky over. "There she is, mhhm, a spider lily in bloom. You look very beautiful." He'd say before offering his partner his arm to hold before escorting the two of them to the guest room door and out into the hallway. He'd taken some time to get a general plan for the night. It was starting to get late, which meant for them that it'd be a tad easier to sneak around without getting noticed by other partygoers who were leaving. More importantly, he had a spot all lined up for them to use for a short while. "So, you are a shinobi?" Yoru asked, though his gut told him that they both already knew the answer to that question. Call it a hunch. "Do you plan to enter the Chunin Exams? They seem so scaaary, I don't know how a person can enter them and know a hawk from a handsaw." He commented in his usually oblique and one-in-a-kind way.

"Genin work is easy and the pay is reliable but alas, bigger projects means a bigger paycheck to finance them all. Danger is a prescription drug for increasing your income as a shinobi..." Yoru said, bemoaning a tad the man D-Rank missions he'd been taking over the past few months purely to find the necessary Ryo to create his puppets. Lord, if only he had the kind of wealth these Hozuki did. He could have so much fun in his little workshop, maybe get a cat or two. "Have you been in danger yet, Chi? I should hope not... Or should I? I suppose fear of death is similar to beig prescribed a love of life. The latter sounds invaluable!" He said with a small laugh, his own ramblings droning on as he led Chi down the stairs back to the main floor. They'd make their way outside again, this time to a different garden courtyard. A large wooden gazebo would sit surrounded by fields of lowers, lit by a few modest lamp-posts. Thankfully, it was bright enough to see easily.

"Right, right, music. We need music to dance- Chi, please be a darling and stand aside for a moment. I must speak with the conductor, fufufu~" Yoru said, turning away and performing a few hand signs. Honing in on his and Chi's chakra signatures, a benign genjutsu would fall upon them both. After blinking once and opening their eyes, the two would find themselves standing in an extravagant ballroom, the kind that would somehow put the already-extravegant Hozuki one to shame. An old musician would be standing in front of Yoru, though a crowd of envious shades and faceless partygoers would stand to the sides of the ballroom floor, watching the man and woman of honor. "Listen now. We'll be doing a basic box step waltz to start. Give me something smooth, something with legs, something that is conservative enough to play at a wedding but exotic enough to play for a stripper in silky lingere." He said, at which the conductor nodded and waddled off to where the band was seated.

"Come, come, spider lily. You know how to waltz, yes? It's the easiest one. I shall teach you if you do not." He offered, extening his right arm to hold Chi's while his other was opened at an angle to rest against her waist once she assumed the dancing position with him. As they started, the band would strike up a tune.

Yoru’s words would immediately made the young girl freeze up. It was true now, that her face was as pink as her hair. This had been something Chigetsu had been fantasizing about earlier in the day, and even in those idealized scenarios she wouldn’t have dreamed of anything like this happening. That she would just by chance bump into someone who would take her away and find a dress for her to put on and take her to dance was beyond even what she could imagine in her dreams. She would reach up to rub at her cheeks, pouting a bit at the blush that had completely taken over her body now. Holding her cheeks like that did nothing though, especially not with Yoru dropping the b-word. Chigetsu would squeeze her eyes shut, squeaking at that. There was no way she would be able to respond to him right now, and so instead she would just silently take his offered arm once she regained her composure. Even if her face was so pink that it was beginning to feel like she had a fever, she felt comfortable now letting Yoru take the lead.

“S-Shinobi?” She would squeak out as they left the guest room. The question came as something of a surprise. Yoru stated it with confidence, even though it was asked as a question. Was it that obvious that Chigetsu was one, or did she give it away by mistake? After a few seconds of those thoughts, she would nod her head. “I a-am…” She was still a bit shaky now, stuttering from the heat in her head. “I-I… I was thinking about entering the exams. People keep on telling me I should, at least… Are you going to? Enter the exams, I mean...” Off kilter, she didn’t really know how to speak. Yoru had apparently read her mind again, talking about how scary they were, which had been something which consumed Chigetsu in the past. She would go silent as he continued on about the nature of genin work, and danger. Chigetsu didn’t really know what to make of his rambling, although she listened intently. The words about danger sparked a bit of an itchy feeling inside of her. Truly, she never really had been in danger before. The idea of continuing down this path and risking her life for an increase in pay… well, talking about it now just made it seem all like a stupid idea. She remained silent.

Inside the gazebo, Chigetsu’s eyes would light up as Yoru made a few hand signs. She had seen him perform genjutsu earlier, and now again. It was an interesting thing- She couldn’t feel the chakra entering her, although she knew just from intuition that it must have been already inside of her. The world would change as soon as she blinked, transforming from the outside gazebo into the interior of a massive ballroom. The mere sight would make her eyes light up, and she would find herself gazing around in awe at the illusion. Even if it was all fake, it was special, and meant a lot to her. They weren’t alone in here, but… knowing that all the faces and voices were just a part of her mind took away the pressure that normally would have weighed down on her. She would breath easily, letting herself be at ease.

“I do know how to waltz, a little bit. It’s been a long time though...” She would bite her lower lip, glancing down at her feet for a moment. Taking Yoru’s arm though, and with his other angled to rest against her waist, the movements would come easily. Memories would come flooding back of when she was groomed to be a proper member of the Hozuki Clan, years and years ago. Even more, with Yoru taking the lead everything felt natural.

“Why are you doing this all for me…?” The question leaked out without her thinking about it. She had been swept up by Yoru’s Prince Charming impression as soon as the talk of the dress came up, but now bits of self-consciousness were beginning to drip back into her mind. The idea of someone so benevolent, who would do all this for her like in a dream was just… It seemed too good to be true.

Yoru hummed to himself, a slightly glazed over look in his eyes as the music picked up and the waltz began. Ahhh, to be young again- well, perhaps a few years younger at least. Life in the circus was a liberating thing, particularly to the drama that went on with all these noble clans and their back-room politik'ing. No-no, he had no need of them. Right now he was dancing, and so he was free. Perhaps he could have this young spider lily join him for a tad: somewhere free that is. As the music picked up and the string section of the band filled out the tune, Yoru would give some more 'oomph' to his movements, leading the two-person dance more decisively, spinning his partner and quite nearly sweeping her off her feet as they went along. It was only natural she asked him the question that mattered most, why he did all this. He hummed again, his eyes looking ahead for a spell as he continued, "Hmmm, now that is the question of the evening, isn't it?" He asked himself rhetorically. It took another moment for him to speak again, looking down at his dance partner as he did so.

"I do all this because it is freedom, my dear." He explained, humming the tune to the waltz whilst his words rang through Chi's mind a tad. "The world is cold and cruel and dark, there are wicked things that lurk in its shadows. People wish to shackle me in their different ways, just as they wish to shackle you. When they try, all I need do is dance- dance until their chains corrode and rust away." He explained, his voice speaking with a tad of a sing-song melody to it. He extended the arm holding her hand, twirling her in front of him. "If I worry about the future, I know it will certainly be my end here in the present. And so, I do not. This tonight is the only thing for me, dear. When my eyes close, when the curtains fall, when I sleep, the show ends only to begin anew with the dawn." He added, wondering if anything he was saying to the woman was reaching her at all. This was a wonderland, who knew if she was making sense of it anymore.

"As for you? Well, the easy answer is I find you to be a beautiful young woman, my dear... But I believe we both know that's never quite the real reason, isn't it? Flowers are pretty, but they grow in clusters. One can find them anywhere in the springtime of youth." He said, box-stepping with Chi again and twirling her once more before pulling her close to repeat the 4-step cycle of the waltz. "No, the truth is, I think I find you reminiscent to me before I first learned to dance. Cold and in the dark dampness of the night: all alone... Gah, loneliness is the true killer of men." He said holding her against his chest briefly, but firmly, their faces close, "I feel for you, my dear. Let me help you learn to dance again." He whispered softly as the waltz died down, the song ending.

He looked across the ballroom to the conductor, watching as they patiently waited for the two guests of honor to decide their path. "I plan to participate in the exams, yes. I plan for many things that may or may not come, even as today's show remains the only one on the program." He said softly, looking back to Chi, his eyes meeting hers. "So, now, young lady. What song shall we dance to next?"

Chigetsu wouldn’t have to struggle with remembering how to waltz for long. Yoru taking the dominant role in the dance would allow her to follow his lead. It was easier this way, with him leading and her following. It was an attitude that Chigetsu perhaps fell into too often, but right now being led around by the free-spirited Uzumaki felt right. Being swept up in the current of his fast moving personalty gave her little time to think, but maybe that was for the best? Overthinking things so much just tainted the experience with anxiety and worry. The sudden pick up of the music and the extravagant spin caught her off guard though as she considered these things, cutting off her train of thought and leaving her with an excited smile in return. She had been having some doubts and worried about this, and Yoru, but there were parts of herself that didn’t care. If Yoru was the type that wanted to take advantage of her, or to lead her away into the night only to do something terrible- Well, Chigetsu was beginning to think she might be okay with that.

His words about how cruel the world was, and shackles and chains rang around in her head, although the twirl wouldn’t give her very much time to think. The way he spoke, together with the melody of the music and the rhythm of the dance were hypnotic together. Chigetsu couldn’t help but wonder if this was another facet of the genjutsu that they were in. Was it just that he was that hypnotic, or was it from an illusion? It was impossible to tell. She found herself melting into the dance, and melting into his words. The words Yoru would say would bounce around off her mind like the beat of a drum, with her both understanding and not understanding them at the same time. Perhaps it was that when her eyes glazed over so did her mind.

She would press herself against him as he held her to his chest. It felt natural. With their faces this close, the warmth of his body was even more pronounced, and she could feel it radiating against her. With their eyes meeting like this she couldn’t help but melt against him. Not literally, at least not yet. Chigetsu wouldn’t be able to do much more than nod, obviously enraptured in his charm.

The question came and went, going unanswered as Chigetsu’s mind swirled like goo. Rather than answering she would lean forward, slowly breaking the eye contact, and returning to his chest. Being that Yoru was so much taller than she was, Chigetsu at her highest just barely met his collarbone, and so pressing her face into his chest was natural. She would take a deep inhale through her nose, letting the scent of the Uzumaki male flood into her. After holding like that for a moment, she would snap back to reality.

“D-Dance?” She would blink, confused for a moment. It was as if she had forgotten for a moment where she was, and what they had just been doing. The realization would hit after a moment, and Chigetsu would return to a bashful, although genuine smile from it. “I… Anything. Anything. We can do anything you want. I don’t mind whatever you want.”

He could tell she was drunk on him, he'd seen that face she made enough times on other women to know what she was feeling in her heart even when those confused and stubborn lips wouldn't admit it. "Ahhh, there there, spider lily, all will be right." He said as Chigetsu leaned in against his chest and slowly inhaled to take him in. Was she so not used to receiving affection? Yoru hummed as she stood there with him, letting her emotions try to sort out whatever it was that he was trying to say to her right then and there. He swayed a bit as she reeled in silence, enjoying the moment even as she didn't fully understand it. It was only when she spoke though that some emotion would spread up onto his face, a small smile appearing the corners of his lips.

"Anything? Hmm, if I were a few years older I'd test how earnest those words were in bed. For now, I'd be happy just to keep doing this until the ball ends." He said softly, the hand at her back keeping her close and up against him as they gently swayed and danced together. The other faceless apparitions began to disappear, along with the orchestra, seemingly leaving the duo alone in the ballroom with nary a soul to bother them. "In our line of profession, it is a miracle to live past 30. Finding things to fill the soul is important, or else when we inevitably die, we find that there was never anything that truly mattered in the first place." He said aloud, looking ahead, his chin resting on top of Chi's crown of pink hair.

Yoru sighed, his eyes half closed as he thought for a while in silence. "Finding people to fill the soul is more important, I find. They last longer, and unlike the glitz and glamour, are irreplacable in every aspect." He continued, a soft smile returning to his face as the warmth of the dress-wearing Chi's body warmed him again. Ahh, that was much better. With the Chunin Exams coming up, finding soulful things to fill him even if he should fail was important. Time was a resource that, no matter how hard they tried, a puppetmaster could never fit into their arsenal. He'd still become a Chunin and rise up, he had no doubt of that.

"What do you want, Chi? What things, what people, fill your soul?" He asked, still holding her close as they glided along the ballroom to the sounds of an invisible orchestra. She was rather wonderful, wasn't she?

The heat had gotten to her. All the anxiety had melted away from her, dripping down into the ground below, but without it Chigetsu was left dizzy, giddy, and lightheaded from the warmth of the male against her. She couldn’t think. Maybe that was a good thing, considering the way that she usually thought. There was something reassuring about it. Not having to think and allow yourself to be trusted entirely to another person. That she had been reduced to this state so quickly after the dance had just begun perhaps might have been worrying, but this would be Chigetsu’s first experience with this sort of magic. Without any resistance to the man’s charms she had already been rendered drunk and glazed over.

She hadn’t realized the implication exactly of what she had said. Even now she really didn’t, and the words of Yoru referencing being ‘a few years older’ would be stared up at with glossy naivety. Chigetsu didn’t understand, but in her enrapturement she nodded as if she did. She was perfectly content in listening to him even if she had no idea what he was saying.

What came next, with his chin resting into the crown of her hair, was something she was better able to understand. The soul. The question would swirl around in her head for a moment, like a goldfish exploring around a bowl. She had been so focused on the sound of her heartbeat and the warmth of her breath.

“To fill my soul…” She would repeat the question, and through her voice it was clear she was still in a dream. The rest of her answer wouldn’t come, even as she tried to force it out. She didn’t have an answer, was why.

“I don’t know.” It eventually came out, and the haze would lift from the girl’s eyes. “I don’t know… I just don’t want to be alone anymore. I want to…” To fill a jug with water, first you had to patch up the holes. There was so much that Chigetsu wanted but at the same time nothing felt obtainable. It was the sensation of something slipping through your fingers. She wanted so much, but more than anything it was to be a different person. Nothing else would be able to happen until she changed first. But that wasn’t something she could just say right now, when they were together like this.

Having someone so close like this made her realize how empty she felt.

The dance would continue into the night, and as the music and genjutsu progressed Chigetsu would finder herself increasingly melting into a dreamlike state. As the haze in her mind increased everything would seem to blur together. Soon she could find herself barely making out the words of the man before her, or her own as she responded.

As the haze retreated Chigetsu's eyes would slowly open. She would be greeted by the ceiling above, snug and tightly wrapped in the blankets of her bed. It would take her a few moments to process it all.

Had it all just been a dream...?

[Exit]