Darkness falls.

[Apple]

It had been roughly a week and a half since I'd revealed to the team of medical staff at the hospital in Kusagakure of my condition, a week and a half since the media within the village had gotten ahold of the news, and somewhat less a day since I'd last siphoned chakra from the man who was to blame for all of this. As I walked now in the cool afternoon air, darkness already setting down upon the village that I called home, the clicking of my heels brought me to one of the main trading streets of Kusa. It had since closed due to the time that I found myself wandering the streets, the stalls closed and the only light available coming from the moonlight, and the few streetlamps which were dotted about the place. Gazing around at me, the same hunger radiating from my core, I had only hours ago been busying myself in my office, but I'd become overwhelmed, and needed fresh air in some attempt to remedy the craving that was merely becoming stronger and stronger which each passing day. Kouketsu was elsewhere at the moment, and as such, I had to make do with trying to get the cold, winter air to quench the desire.

Continuing my walk, studying each and every detail of the street as I did so, my arms hanging to either side of me, I managed to catch a few glances from a few villagers, who in turn seemed to be studying me, almost as if they were trying to disprove the rumors that were circulating. Merely by appearance they could tell that it was truth that they'd heard; but I'd put in no effort in hiding it for much longer, and instead, I glided freely through the village, the soft chiffon-like fabric of my dress being pushed against the breeze, a hand rising to gently press against my middle. It was lonesome moments like these that truly allowed me to think - and although silent and looming, I treasured them. When around people.. as of late, it merely caused more trouble than it was worth with the amounting hunger for chakra that my heritage had imbued within me. Oblivious to the whispers upon the lips of strangers, I kept moving, entranced in the dark as I curbed the demanding voices in my head with each step made.

[/font][/justify][/blockquote]

[spade]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;]"There's rumors going around that the Jōnin Exams are coming, I can't wait!" This news has literally kept me up for the past few days, how could I get any sleep when I'm anticipating something so much. The past few days consisted of me training, running errands for friends and family, and of course, being shocked by the news of Blanche having a baby! I honestly never thought that woman would ever find a man, she was way too serious for my tastes, but she was beautiful. This sudden turn of events propelled me to look out for her more than ever, I didn't want her getting hurt carrying the future of this village in her stomach. But, today I just wanted to relax, nothing less, nothing more. I needed to have something occupy me so that it'd take my mind off of the upcoming Jōnin Exams, but sadly I still haven't found anything to do. I was mindlessly walking through the village without a motive, taking the time to enjoy the scenery and even stop and have a few conversations with the civilians. "Blanche? What is she doing here." It was odd to see her outside of her office, she must have wanted to take a walk, or something. She was completely alone, besides for all of the people staring at her and her new lady bump. Being the kind person I was, I decided to accompany her, and hopefully cheer up her usual gloomy self. Approaching her from the side, I shot her a smile regardless of whether she was looking in my direction or not. "Fancy seeing you here! How are you holding up? More than half of the village knows already, ridiculous how fast information travels about our own leader." I cooed.

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[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]300WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

"Fancy seeing you here!"

Had it not been for my seasoned abilities as a shinobi, I surely wouldn't have heard him approaching me. Whilst I'd had no indication of who it was, his footsteps resonating against the ground was more than enough evidence for me to know that someone was coming quite close, and in response to this, before he could even have the chance to utter one word, my head spun slightly to the side, so that I could get a better look at the unknown assailant, both of my hands now having gone back to my sides. His voice rung through my ears, and it was revealed to be none other than Uchiha, Esei, the same chuunin of whom I'd conversed with merely a few weeks ago. Appearing to be his usual cheery self, I turned my gaze away from him as he began to walk alongside me, instead focusing on the path that I was making my way on. Of course, this didn't mean that I was ignoring him. I allowed his words to sound in my ears, and I prepared to respond a minute or so after he was done talking. And it wasn't that I was trying to be antisocial by speaking what would come next, but he'd caught me at perhaps not a bad time, but I could already feel the pang ringing hard against my spine merely through his company, my hands so sensitive to the technique that I now too often utilized. Whilst it wasn't as potent as it was when around Kouketsu himself - I could feel the chakra sweeping around the Chuunin's body, and I too could feel the pull that came from the desire to steal it.

"..It's getting late, Esei."

A pause, as fierce eyes met his own.

"You should go home."

I kept walking alongside him, my destination unknown to both he and I, my right hand now shifting back to its previous position on my stomach. As far as his own words were concerned, however, I knew all too well what he was speaking about. Where before I'd been given looks by people, as I traversed the streets of Kusagakure in the daytime sun, I could see each and every pair of eyes looking at me, and although I understood that I was to expect it, it was unnerving, even for me. I'd heard people question who had fathered the child, but as expected, I wasn't going to reveal anything. By nature I was a secretive person, and the majority of the village knew this by my mannerisms. It wasn't going to change just because of this, as there was so much more at stake if I was go let even just his name slip from my soft lips. Whilst I understood that I'd started off the response to our small meeting on a sombre manner with my less than welcoming tone, I only sought to use such a weapon against him for his own good. It was dark - and with such a lack of people in the streets, my subconscious self seemed to recognize this, pushing me forwards, prompting me to siphon the boy for all that he had. I fought against it, of course, not for my own sake, but for his. I wouldn't go as far as to say that we were friends, but being a chuunin of my village, despite the callous attitude I displayed so often, I only sought to protect him - to protect them. Whether or not he chose to heed my warning, it didn't make this any easier for me. I wanted nothing more than to be free of this - free of the chains that wrapped around my person, caught by the Akadou roots that that I came from, but I felt myself falling head first in to a sea of addiction, but I couldn't bring myself to shore, and instead blissfully found myself drowning in its confines.

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[spade]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;]This was sure getting troublesome, from the moment her eyes met mine I knew something was wrong. I was defeated in a battle of the eyes, me, an Uchiha, defeated by someone who had eyes that could pierce through the strongest souls. But, surely she knew I wasn't one to give up that easily. I knew something was wrong, and if I heeded her 'warning' and left right now and something had happened to her I would be ridden with guilt, something I didn't want to happen. I'd let her words set in while I continued to walk alongside her, taking in the entire situation as I gazed up at the darkened skies. "I love the dark, don't you? You could see each and every star in the sky, almost makes you feel as if you're at peace with yourself." In response to her saying it's too late, that didn't phase me one bit, I loved the dark and that was expressed with what I said. I wasn't going to allow her to be out here alone, troubled, walking around aimlessly. "You should loosen up, just relax and look up into the sky. If you look hard enough maybe it'll contain all the answers you're looking for." I whispered to her, as a smile creased my face. As a chūnin of this village my duty was to serve her with my life, and even if she didn't want me here, I wasn't going anywhere. She was the first real leader we had in years, and we couldn't let someone like her go to waste.

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[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]266 WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

His presence by my side seemed unrelenting, no matter how I'd warned him to leave, and that alone irritated me, although I kept myself calm and collected. I didn't think that I'd lash out at him out of the trait that kept nagging me, but I wasn't sure, and I didn't exactly want to test that notion. Although, at the same time, I couldn't admit to my weakness. There was already too many rumors circulating in the air in regards to the news that was revealed both by myself and the medical staff in the village, and that in itself was slowly becoming more and more apparent as I read a few of the village papers. The last thing I wanted was for this to be exposed, although as time went on, it was becoming as hard to hide as the child that I carried. Having spent so much of my time hiding behind a desk, it wasn't often that people usually saw me outside of my usual workspace - and so the change had become surprising to few. But - I could feel it in my bones - the smallest of twitches when I approached people, the way my brain felt as if it was performing somersaults - it all amounted to one thing, and I wasn't too sure if I wanted to admit that something was wrong, just yet. I needed this as much as I needed air, and what had begun as mere play had turned out to be an all-consuming lifestyle, and the only time I was given solace was in the depths of the night when I slept - and although I tried, even that was hard to come by sometimes.

But he continued, following my own steps as I moved deeper in to the streets, stalls to either side of us closed as the looming darkness hung over the village. Despite the desperate cries that echoed in my head, I kept my paces up, and listened to him as he spoke. From what I knew from my previous experience with speaking to him, he always seemed to be strangely.. happy, or at least, contented to some degree. I wasn't sure where this came from exactly, and although it was a good thing to see someone with such positivity, I didn't want him here. But his words - silence fell between the both of us and for a moment I found myself subconsciously taking what he said onboard, halting my steps, and allowing my head to gaze up at the sky above as it shined with the soft light of a thousand or more stars. And for a moment, I merely watched as the black inky sky gave way to diamond-like lights, and breathed.

Perhaps only for a moment everything disappeared.
But it wasn't long until it came back, skewering whatever peace I'd found.

"......."

Perhaps I hadn't noticed it, and perhaps I hadn't really appreciated enough the beauty that the night brought. Personally, I much preferred walking around at this time, or later, purely because of the privacy was given. But then - a soft laugh. Even I didn't know where it had come from. "..Esei.." I murmured, my words carrying a gentle tone, much unlike the one I'd previously used. My hair seemed to carry a beautiful golden sheen from the surplus chakra I forcefully injected myself with, and despite the waves of my eyes, they appeared tired. "..If the skies held all that I needed, then I'd have started looking up sooner." although I spoke so softly as I stood in place, my right hand unmoving from its position, there was a disturbing chime to my words, almost sarcastic in nature. It wasn't that I disbelieved him, but the darkness and all of its stars couldn't bring me back from the edge that I found myself nearing towards. As I simply stood near him now in our stillness, I couldn't help but feel inclined to rid him of his reserves, although it took all of the strength in the world to push the thought away. And even then, it was still there - it was there for everybody. "..As much as I appreciate your company, I'd rather be alone right now." a pause, as I fixed my gaze back on him. "..I hope you understand." I didn't expect him to understand, and neither did I expect him to leave. He was just that type of person to ignore my wishes and stick close even if it spelled his own danger. My hands twitched and closed swiftly in to fists before unwrapping themselves, the innate ability that I had been exploiting as of late seemed to in turn exploit me. I could feel each little bit of chakra in my body, and despite its impressive expanse, it wasn't enough.

It would never be enough,

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[spade]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;]When she came to a halt, as did I. It looked as if she was taking my words and making something out of them, and just for that one second I noticed her facial expression and it looked like she had finally relaxed for once. However, that ended in the blink of an eye. As fast as it had come, it left even faster. There was something going on in her mind, something that no one but herself could fix. I couldn't fight this battle for her, the best I could do is support her through everything. "Maybe you aren't looking hard enough." I joked, sticking out my tongue. I noticed she didn't want me here, she never did, for what reason though I had no idea. Soon than later my thoughts were confirmed as she told me she wanted to be alone, but truthfully I couldn't care less. "Well!" I began to spoke as I walked several feet forward before turning around to face her. "You won't be getting rid of me that easily!" What kind of man would I be if I left her out here all alone? "Now, where were you planning on going? I'll gladly accompany you."

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[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]— WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

His playful disposition - the fact that he still didn't leave as I had instructed him to made me feel ill, my stomach churning as I began to walk again, but this time, away from him, forwards in the direction that I had originally planned in going to. I didn't want to have to feel this way, as if the only way that I could satisfy and calm the burning, painful feeling within me was to feed. But it felt so right. And I knew that it worked - if only for a few hours, but it was worthwhile. Staying away from such a source as I was doing now took everything that I had, and he not willing to leave merely made it worse as I soon became attuned to the chakra around me. I could taste it on the tip of my tongue like some kind of heavenly meal. He was an Uchiha no less, which was perhaps one of the reasons why I struggled to fight against it - against this. But the more and more I stood exposed to him, and the further the I moved in to he more deserted part of the streets, my voice became audience to a choir of voices, each my own and pressing on me to draw all that I could from him when no-one was looking. It seemed so tempting, and the more and more I sensed his form coming towards me, the more the thin, barely-existent blanket of his chakra wrapped around me, suffocating me and drawing me in to its moreish grasp. I needed this - I needed it - I-

His words became nothing to me.

"LEAVE, ESEI."

I felt everything rush inside me. My hands became victims to my own subconscious, chakra beginning to flood to my fingers, although I tried to stop myself. I spoke such words, not with malicious intent, but with a firm desire to have him leave, and not look back. I watched as he landed several meters before me, and in turn, I swallowed hard, and turned to walk in another direction, my paces hastened as I tried to get away from him. I couldn't do this to him. He was perhaps one of the few most promising chuunin that could be found in Kusagakure, and I was merely jepoardizing it by allowing him to even stand alongside me at this point. I turned to move in to an alleyway, the shadows of either wall masking me slightly from view as I then stopped and looked behind me to see if he continued to follow me or not. I felt my ribs, my very heart become painfully heavy with hunger as his chakra played only as a tool to make me feel worse - to draw me in further. It danced on my senses and tempted me to rectify the feeling. My flesh howled beneath the craving it was being declined, the thumping in my head becoming louder and louder with each moment that passed with its rejection. It tore at me violently, making me wish that I'd never bumped in to him. Despite the fact that my body was already clearly seething with chakra, such an unnaturally large signal emitted, I couldn't stop.

"..You .. You don't get it, do you?.."

A soft, yet disturbingly dark laugh emitted from the shadows.
A twisted grin.

"..GET AWAY FROM ME."

I desperately cried out, wanting nothing more than to have this all disappear.

[/font][/justify][/blockquote]

[spade]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;]There was a long moment of silence before I noticed what was going on with her, the air around her began to change as her presence didn't feel like the real Blanche that I knew and respected. After the long pause she screamed out at me, prompting me to activate my sharingan. Each eye swirled until they came to a halt, three tomoe were in a pool of crimson while I now seen everything perfectly. I hadn't a need to increase the distance as I was far enough from her to be able to defend myself if I really had too. "What the fuck?!" I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing, her entire chakra system looked as if it was on fire. The amount of chakra that was bumping throughout her veins was ridiculous, no normal human should be able to withstand such a thing. Now I knew what was causing this, and I had a feeling I knew how to stop it, although I wasn't sure. As she turned tail and begun to walk towards the alley, I of course followed her. It felt as if I was inevitably getting myself into a sticky situation but I trusted my abilities in case she decided to go wild. As I stood in front of her, a few meters (7) separating us, the smile that I worn the entire day had vanished. My face bore no expression, I was lacking emotion at this point. "No! I'm not going anywhere! Not until you fucking stop yourself from whatever it is you're doing! This chakra, it's just not normal... you need to get help!" My voice boomed out of my very being, echoing throughout the entire alleyway and hopefully finding it's way into her head. I needed to stop her, I just didn't know how. Sharingan Stage Three — Active x2 low drain per turn.

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[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]303 WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

"No! I'm not going anywhere! ..Not until you fucking stop yourself from whatever it is you're doing!.."



"..I can't."

I groaned as I responded to his cries. To the majority of the world, my connection to the Akadou were unknown, given that my surname was rightfully taken by that of the Kikkawa, but the gene that triggered the mutation in my DNA was there, as it had been in my my brother and my parents. However, such a clan wasn't universally accepted. Whilst I'd never really paid that much attention to it in my youth, I'd come to know that across the world many people feared and hated my clan simply due to the abilities that we honed and the possibilities that could come from it. I'd heard a tale from my mother as a child that when she had been pregnant with my brother she had grown a fondness for chakra - but it wasn't nearly as close to the same scale as the one that I'd developed. I'd been nurtured by Samehada itself, fed chakra constantly on a daily basis, and having taken it away from me, my roots screamed beneath the change, calling upon my feral instinct to restore what chakra it had previously lost. Although I was sure that Kouketsu had only initiated it in good nature, the very moment that I had begun siphoning from him, the same burning fire had lit in my core, prompting me to succumb to the weakness that the clan brought to me, lest it burn out completely. It had become as necessary to my survival as breathing, and whilst I knew that I didn't need it exactly, I felt as if my whole body would rupture beneath the pain of hunger should I reject its needs.

But Esei - his naive mind suggested that I could possibly get help for this? No-one understood just how deep it ran, and I felt worse knowing that I was hurting those who seemed to care for me through becoming submissive to it. But not yet - I held on for as much as I could. All I had to was wait a little bit longer and Kouketsu would be back, and I'd finally be able to give in to the craving that had been plaguing me. Such desires weren't made for those with expendable chakra sources such as Esei. With no clear inclination of just how much he had, I feared that if I did lash out and allowing my instincts to take over me, then I'd potentially kill him. As I backed, making the distance between the two of us slowly larger, I kept my gaze fiercely locked on him. "For your own sake, Esei - please, go." The more and more that I pressed against the urge that was becoming pent up in my system, the more it hurt to ignore it, my knees becoming weak. In some desperate attempt to find harmony in this turbulent time, I lowered my right hand back down, and placed it to the side of my stomach, caressing it as I closed my eyes. The haze which had overcome me settled slightly, but it was still very much there in the forefront of my mind.

"..I.." I stuttered.

"..I've been feeding, for a while now." I explained. I didn't expect him to understand.

"And it won't stop."

I'd tried to repress it - I really did. With the stressful happenings in the compound, the immobilization of my best friend, and with such a feeling becoming stronger and stronger each and every day, I found my self-control lacking, but I embraced such weakness as the feeling that I was given when satisfied was worth the hours of endless torture that it provoked. With my eyes still closed, I stood and steadied my breathing as my heartbeat echoed within my mind. Perhaps the effects of the chakra I siphoned was beneficial to the child but this - these painful, agonizing feelings - was it truly worth it? I wasn't even sure any more, but one thing I knew, was that I couldn't stop. Not now. And one way or another, I'd get what I wanted. I simply prayed that it wasn't Esei who I chose to unconsciously target when it all becomes too much and my personality would become drowned by the feral urge to feed. I didn't wish it upon anyone, but it drove me to points that I simply couldn't bypass.

But what did he know?

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[spade]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;] She couldn't? I had a feeling something was wrong with her, and now I was getting closer to the truth. She had some sort of addiction, to what I'm not sure yet, but I knew it had an effect on her chakra. Even though I act as if I know a whole lot about this woman standing a few meters in front of me, in reality I didn't know much. But that didn't stop me from wanting to protect her, wanting to stop whatever was causing her pain, that's the least she deserved from the ninja she trained and entrusted her life with. "I'm not going anywhere, what don't you get! I don't care if it kills me to try and help you. I'm not letting someone who revived this village and did a god damn good job running it get taken over by something that we could fix!" My voice ringing throughout the alleyway, at this point I honestly didn't know what to feel. Deep down I understood that she couldn't control herself, but then again she's also not trying to find help. She's trying to shoulder this entire burden and that's not going to work, that mountain of stress is eventually going to come crumbling down and crush her where she stands. "Feeding?..." I thought to myself, what could that possibly mean—until something hit me! Was she feeding on chakra? I had heard of a clan during my times studying to pass the Chūnin Exams. They utilized their abilities to suck out chakra from others, what was their name? The Akadou! "You've been feeding on chakra? Are you a part of the Akadou clan? Regardless it doesn't fucking matter Blanche!" This was the first time I have ever used her first name in context, my words had to reach her or she was going to eventually hit rock bottom. "I need you. No, we need you. This entire village needs you, you who brought it back from scratch, you who sacrificed all her time and strength to get us back on the map, we need you! Please, just do it for the village." I felt so pitiful pleading like this, but the next option was worse, if this wouldn't work I'd need to use violence to calm her down; if I could that is. Sharingan Stage Three — Active x2 low drain per turn.

[/color][/style] [style=margin-top: 6px; width: 100px; height:100px; float:right; font-size: 7pt; font-family: calibri; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; border: 5px solid #fefefe]

[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]— WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

Couldn’t he see that he was merely making the situation worse by standing there and not listening to my pleas, and leaving me be? I’d been fine – I’d been fine before he’d showed up, which had merely sent my senses ablaze once more as they had in the atrium. The only problem was, I could easily escape from that place. He didn’t seem so intent on allowing me to wander. It wasn’t as if I was in any danger by doing such – I was surely one of, if not the most powerful shinobi in the village, and I could easily defend myself if it needed to come to that, even in the state that I was in. Why couldn’t he understand that this was something that he couldn’t fix? I was more than happy living in such a gluttonous state, as long as it was never-ending, with no moments such as the one that I was currently involved in. Siphoning had become my life, but at times when Kouketsu found himself busy , I struggled to live without such an endless source. I was out here in the first place, because I wanted to distract myself – so that I could tame the thoughts that were running wild in my mind. But Esei wasn’t a mind reader, Esei didn’t come from the same heritage as I did, and therefore, Esei didn’t know how agonizing hard it was to even stand here and just look at him, unmoving when all I could think of was chakra. And then another pang, breaking through my body like an excruciating shockwave. I could hear his words, and I wanted to reply, but I lost control over everything. I couldn't even sound a rasp, and instead, where there had once been words, my mouth began to open hesitantly, as if having prepared to speak, but cut across by something. I wanted to warn him; Because I knew better than any what would come ne-

”..Come here..”


She whispers so soothingly to him, revealing herself from the shadows of the alleyway.

Her hair seemed alight with not only her own natural beauty, but the chakra which seemed to seep across the expanse of her body, overflowing, and blue eyes now open, almost glowing beneath the darkness that the night had blanketed the village with, disturbingly focused on the Uchiha before her as her arms now hung lifelessly to either side. Despite appearing to be so.. beautiful and radiant, so gentle in her movements as she stepped out of the shadows slowly and made her careful way towards him, she was monstrous. As she merely moved the dress she wore moved in line with her, softly floating over the cool late-night breeze, her hair doing the same, its curls almost animated in appearance. The space between the both of them was crossed quite easily, and now she stood, her own height matching the one of the chuunin before her. But it didn't deter her. Nothing could.

..Except..

She seemed hesitant, still, a shred of herself showing through.
Each moment that she held herself back seemed to be a moment of pure agony.

It was easy to tell by the expression on her face.

"..I need you to do this for me.."

A pause.

"..Esei, please.."

There was no doubting just what she was asking him to do.

"..It'll all be over soon - I promise."

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;] This entire situation was getting out of hand, and at this point I was clueless on what to do. My crimson optics stared down her person, it still shocked me how much chakra one person could have in their body, and still want more. She wasn't the person I knew anymore, but still, I knew deep down that the old her was lying there waiting to be freed from this unrelenting want for chakra. I watched her come close, asking me to come forward, I knew what she wanted, and that was my chakra. "Why? How can something like that take over someone like you?" This made no sense to me, I would assume someone with her power had the willpower to control herself, but this evidently wasn't true. It looked as if she didn't want to take my chakra, but the want far outweighed what she really thought about the situation. As she begged me to let her siphon out my chakra and into her body I couldn't help but feel pity, but also, I couldn't let her out in this condition and attack some unsuspecting person on the street. I had to take this one for the village, just this once and no more. Next time I was sure to put up a fight, next time when I knew more about her "disease" and what was truly happening in her body . I wouldn't speak no more, my mouth remained completely closed as I began to take slow, long strides towards her. Once I stood in front of her I had given her my body, I waited for the moment she was going to leech off of me. This was surely an experience that would go down in my books. Sharingan Stage Three — Active x2 low drain per turn.

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[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]291 WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

All that could be heard from her position was a dull ringing as she succumbed, being able to see his mouth move as words were surely crafted, but his words fell on deaf ears as she slowly but surely moved closer and closer, blue eyes fixed on the target that they had been contemplating for all too long now. Being placed in a position where rejection simply wasn't out of the question, there was no way of pushing her past her goal. Almost like some kind of beast she'd caught the trail of her target, his chakra so tempting as it laced the air around her, and she wasn't willing to let her pray rush off in to the darkness of the night any time soon. Beneath the layers and layers of hunger which dominated her control, she knew that she'd warned him. She'd warned him all too many times and now that she could feel herself losing track of where she was moving or where her eyes were directed, she merely tried to convince herself that it was his fault for not getting away sooner whilst he had the chance. It wasn't long until the chuunin met with his kage. As he ceased his paces, she merely continued her own steps, unrelenting until -

Her arms wrapped around him in a warm yet claustrophobic embrace.



"..Thank you, Esei.."

Unfortunately for the chuunin, that soft, demonic whisper and her warm breath on his neck would be the last that he would remember before her hands began to glow with the innate ability of the akadou, and he'd find his chakra supply steadily depleting.

Fortunately for him, however, this entire process was completely painless - or at least, the beginning was. Having been so used to the infamous Uchiha being willing to give her the chakra that she desired at any time, perhaps she took for granted just how easy he took the entire ordeal, given that his own supply of chakra could be compared to an endless ocean as time stood. Esei's own was expendable, and as time passed, her peaceful, almost strangely motherly grasp on the chuunin growing tight, the more and more the haze around her was lifted, allowing her mind to open back up to the freedom that she had once reveled in. But it wasn't over. Perhaps he had expected her to only siphon a small amount and then free him, but - if he thought such, then he was incorrect. And if he thought that he could easily break free from her grasp, then he too was in for a shock when she could easily call upon the power of souin to aid in keeping him in her arms for as long as she required. With his chakra supply becoming drained, it seemed that there was little holding her back from capturing his entire resource and to leave him as nothing more than a hollow corpse. The chakra that she stole was merely tossed aside with the rest that she hoarded within her body, but the satisfaction that came from it was worth the strain that it was placing her through. However - as her hands pressed against his form, the innate blue strengthening in hue, it seemed as if she began to slowly regain control over the mind that she had previously lost, and whilst not entirely there, she seemed to recognize that she needed to stop before it was too late.

After a tense, almost endless few minutes, she slowly
broke herself away from him, the neon blue hue disappearing as she stepped away.

Her balance incredibly compromised and insecure, she sought to compose herself.

Extending her arm and holding on to the wall to her right, she anchored her body to it.

Finally, exhaling softly, her eyes slowly turned to gaze back up at the chuunin before her.

"........"

All that could be heard was her soft breath atop the late-night air.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0px,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][style=float: left; width: 250px; font-family: calibri; font-size: 8pt; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; height: 200px; overflow: auto;] I didn't know why I was doing this, was it pity, or maybe the fear of being killed if I didn't comply. Regardless, I was in her grasp, held between her two arms, embraced in her warmth like a mother would do her son—except this felt much more malicious. My eyes widened as the chakra began to drain out of my body, it didn't hurt as much as I thought it did, it just felt as if all of my energy was being drained out, much quicker than I expected as well. As minute that felt like dreadful hours went by, my sharingan deactivated from the lack of chakra to supply it to stay functioning. As she wasn't letting go, I really thought she was going to suck me dry and leave me for dead, but before I even got to finish that thought I was released from her grip. Having no strength to keep myself up I immediately fell forward, landing on my knees and palms with a hard thud. I was breathing especially hard, struggling to get myself back on my feet. I lifted my head just enough to see Blanche struggling to stand up, as she rested on the wall to her side. "Good to s-see you-you're feeling well." I struggled to speak as I still tried to regulate my breathing, trying hard to stay on my knees. Sadly, the strength to keep myself up faded as I collapsed onto the ground, however I managed to roll myself over and allow my face to stare straight into the sky. "How ironic..." I muttered to myself as my eyes struggled to stay open. I lost consciousness staring at one of the most beautiful things in the world; stars.

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[style=background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]TAG: BLANCHE[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]291 WORDS[/style] [style=margin-top: 5px; background-color: #dfdfdf; padding: 2px]© MOO OF OTE[/style][/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Apple]

And as I now stood, my arm allowing me to lean slightly against the wall to my side, I embraced the slow return to consciousness that began to seep in to my mind. And I watched, in turn - as I came from the brink that I can been so forcefully pushed over, that he now falls to his hands and knees in desperation, and I watched, immediately pushing myself away from the wall and kneeling down on the stained floor, my hands grabbing ahold of his face gently as I gazed in to his eyes, which explained everything. Having not siphoned from.. other people before, I'd misjudged exactly how much I could extract without it proving dangerous. But even then - it wasn't enough. It was enough to keep me sane for a little while longer - but I needed Kouketsu to return. I couldn't live like this, and I feared that next time, I'd go beyond the limits that I'd set and perhaps even kill somebody. But at the same time.. it was moreish, and as I held his skin now, I softly let go, the temptation to siphon more simply becoming more evident in my mind, although it was quiet - more of a subtle suggestion than the raging maelstrom it had become a mere few minutes ago. But now, as he fell on a crumpled heap on the floor, it soon came to me that I didn't know what to do. I couldn't take him to the compound - that was too risky. And neither could I take him back to his house given that I wasn't sure of where he lived. I could hear him murmur a few final words before his eyes closed, and instantly thinking the worst, in my kneeling position I then leaned over, and checked his breathing. It was ... slightly erratic to begin with, but it soon settled as he himself settled in to unconsciousness.

..You could just leave him here..

No. No - that wasn't an option to take. Calling upon the power of souin as I sent some degree of chakra to my arms, I allowed myself the extra strength to carry him with. Of course - given his frame I was sure that I'd be able to carry him just fine with my own strength, but I didn't want to strain myself. With the boy how carried in my arms, I'd pay one last glance at the alleyway, before beginning to make my way out - through a different route than we'd entered, the other end of the alleyway. Emerging on a side-street, I'd then look around - The hospital seemed to be the safest option. I digressed that had I not submitted to my hunger then he wouldn't be in the shape that he was in. But also, had he heeded my warning, then the situation would have turned out much better. Perhaps I was merely blaming him because I didn't know what to make of it all, but I felt at least a fraction more.. satisfied. Enough so that I could think clearly, at least. Making my way across the village, it wasn't long until I reached the village hospital, wherein I admitted his apparent lifeless corpse in.

"What happened to him, Lady Kusakage?"

"I'm not too sure - I was out getting some air and I found
him laying upon the ground in the western district.

I figured it best to bring him here."

"His.. chakra levels are incredibly low..
No doubt a victim of chakra exhaustion"

"Good.
I'm glad it's not anything too serious.

..Thank you."

"He'll be fine by the morning, I'm sure.
But are you alright, Lady Kusakage? You look a bit ... pale."

"-- I'm fine, but thank you for your concern."

And just like that, I left, leaving Esei in the capable hands of the medical team.

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