Middletown Dreams (Open RP)

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Sprawling on the fringes of the city in geometric order between the posh mansions of the Seki District and Cronopolis lies a sea of nearly identical houses divided by parallel and perpendicular streets. The middle class subdivisions of Kumogakure are quiet this late at night, or rather, this early in the morning. The orange glow of evenly spaced street lamps lit the sidewalks and streets, banishing the sight of stars with their illuminating pollution. The night sky was not completely empty though. On this night the moon was a slender crescent, the angles just right to make it’s outline show in a ghostly glow, it’s shape marred only by the occasional cloud passing over it.

In the looming silence of the lighted streets on this quiet night not a single creature stirred. Even the crickets lay silent, as if a spell had been cast over the entire world and everything and everyone was commanded to sleep. Well, almost everyone. The quiet steps of one lonely soul gently shattered the silence. The rubber soles of his black steel-toed boots made little noise as he strode purposefully down the sidewalk; but in the near silence of the night the modicum of sound was like a roll of thunder bouncing off the walls of the cookie-cutter houses lining the streets.

Narashi Jo tried not to make a habit out of being up this late (or early, whichever you prefer), but he just couldn’t get to sleep that night. So, he reluctantly donned his boots, jeans and a plain black t-shirt and quietly left the house, leaving a note for his parents in case he didn’t get home before they awoke. His journey had no destination, and he was ok with that. After all, the point of a journey is not to arrive. The night was a comfortable temperature anyway, and the fresh air (as fresh as one can get when surrounded by asphalt and concrete anyway) might help him relax enough to go home and go to sleep.

As he wandered, he contemplated the possible reasons for his restless flight. ”What’s eating you, Jo?” He muttered to himself under his breath. The monotonous wall of houses was broken by one of the many playgrounds that dotted the landscape of Kumo’s suburbia, each one different, yet exactly the same. ”Well, you’re starting at the Academy in a couple of days. I guess that could keep you awake… but why?” He turned and wandered into the park, leaving the glow of the streetlamps and descending into darkness. He passed teeter-totters and carousels his mind wandering like his feet. ”Could just be nerves, I guess. It’s a big step, the start of the rest of your life.” He wandered past the swings, a gentle breeze (or perhaps something else) leaving one swinging slowly, its chain squeaking quietly with the motion. ”New school, new life. Maybe I’m just nervous about all the change that’s about to happen. It’s a lot to take in.” He didn’t notice that he was walking onto a baseball field until he stepped up onto the pitchers mound. He stopped, looking around him at the emptiness of the field. In that moment he felt completely and utterly alone. The reason behind his anxiety finally became clear. ”I’m alone.”

He didn’t know anyone at the academy, and he wasn’t much of a social butterfly at his old school. The few friends he did have were more like acquaintances. In fact, he hadn’t heard from any of them since he told the class he was going to join the Academy at the end of the last semester. It was like he had vanished from the face of the earth. He looked up at the moon, his face bathed in its radiant glow here where the streetlights couldn’t reach him. ”I’m alone”

 

[Seiken Noroshi]

Moonlit strolls are always so relaxing. Noroshi had no reason to be out and about this late, but he felt an small desire to familiarize himself with this confusing village under this veil of darkness. He figured that if he could learn the city at night, there would be no excuse getting lost during the day. And the boy was always one to act on these small desires, as if an outside force whispered to him. Some people only listen to the loud voices of fate, but Noroshi preferred the more subtle ones. However, this village hardly had as much beauty in the dark than in the light. He hadn't told his mother he left, which he reflected on as probably not the wisest of decisions. He wore a white collared button-down shirt and jeans along with a light brown jacket, the hood of which draped gently over the back half of his head causing his bright red hair to poke out in front of it. Only the snowy tips of the looming mountains were visible under the dim shimmer of the crescent moon. The light from the evenly spaced street lamps prevented any more from being seen. It was because of this that Noroshi took to the rooftops, where hopefully he could see more of the peaks that made him love this place. Since that as of yet the boy has no idea how to jump any higher than a normal child, he had to climb. And climb he could. The time spent at his previous homeland taught him how to climb, and low buildings proved no different than tall trees.

Unfortunately, the view proved to be no better here. Even without the glare of the lamps, their light still robbed him of enjoying any views outside the village. The boy stood still and instead looked around him, surveying this residential area. It seemed as if someone mastered a technique for cloning small buildings rather than himself. Perfect symmetry in all direction. At first the layout intrigued him, but as he lightly hopped from rooftop to rooftop, the enjoyment was lost. There seemed to be nothing in this sea of monotony. Nothing but himself and the darkness. Or so he thought. He heard a voice on the opposite side of the house he happened to be standing on. As he walked up to the apex of the building, with just his eyes peeking over, he saw a figure walking alone mumbling to himself. Upon closer inspection, Noroshi saw a boy of around his age with deep brown hair that grew lighter as he approached the next street light. Curious, he quietly crawled to the opposite side of the roof. He then realized that the glare from the orange light in between them most likely caused Noroshi to appear as black as the night sky. As he got closer to the roof's edge, the mumbling became audible. "I'm alone. At this Noroshi smirked, thinking of several ways to either spook or approach the boy. I'm alone. The boy appeared melancholy under the moon's glow. At this realization all thoughts of trickery left Noroshi's mind. He thought for a moment. He didn't know much of anyone here either.. The crimson haired boy stood up and smiled again, lightly leaping on top of the lamp post obscuring their views. He sat down and let his legs dangle, purposefully blocking out some of the light and undoubtedly giving away his position. Not quite, he said with a large grin, his white teeth showing. Whatchu up to down there?

[MFT]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

”Not quite,” The sound of another voice broke the silence of the night, the sudden surprise sending a tingle up Jo’s spine and making his heart jump in his chest. He turned atop the pitchers mound and saw the figure of another boy sitting atop a street lamp, his dangling legs distorting the light. The brief flashes of darkness gave him the opportunity to take in the young mans features in a glance, but every time the light was uncovered he descended into shadow once more. ”Whatchu up to down there?”

”Not much,” He said, turning and walking towards the figure. ”Couldn’t sleep, though not for a lack of trying. Figured I’d go for a walk, clear my head.” Jo grinned back at the boy, only his smile was just a slight smirk of the left corner of his mouth. ”I could ask you the same thing, not to mention ask you why you’re up a light pole.”

The appearance of another person disrupted his downhearted thought train, and made him wary. He didn’t know who this guy was, only that he had somehow gotten to the top of a lamp post. In a village full of shinobi where such feats were daily occurrences, he could only assume this kid was either a student, or otherwise extremely agile.

 

[Seiken Noroshi]

Noroshi watched as the figure below him transferred from illuminated to darkness, all being governed by the light and unguided swaying of his legs off the pole. It responded to his sudden appearance the same way he would have, cautious and serious but at the same time lightly. Noroshi laughed at the boy's retort, Very true you could, he said after a few "Ha's." What I'm I doing here? he said aloud, half echoing the boy's question half questioning himself. Trying to get a better view I suppose. Though there's not much to look at. Noroshi went and looked over the rooftops again, still being unable to see the glorious mountains beyond.At this point Noroshi had been dangling his legs in such a way that the light would no longer inhibit the street-walker's vision, doing him the courtesy of revealing himself. After a short pause, the red haired boy looked around quickly and noticed another thing; he wasn't quite sure how to get down. Jumping back to the roof wasn't an option because it was higher than the pole. If it were a tree branch, he would be able to hang down and from his legs and fall down fine, but rough tree bark is much different than cold smooth metal. What am I doing up here? Well, that's because I don't quite know how to get down, he said with another grin. Name's Noroshi. The pleasure is all mine, he said while extending his arm as if to give a handshake.

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

And, just like that, the wariness was gone. How pathetic was this? Here he was in the middle of the night talking to a kid stuck up a lamp pole when he should be sleeping and getting ready for his first week at the academy in a couple of days. Then again, what was more pathetic was him sulking and whining to himself about not having any friends to speak of, then judging someone who needed help. Jo sighed before waving at the proffered hand in acceptance from fifteen feet down; ”I’m Jo, nice to meet you. Why not try and shimmy over to vertical part of the poll, then slide down it like a fireman’s pole?” While he waited for Noroshi to figure out a way down (hopefully without hurting himself), Jo pondered and responded to the other boys reasoning for his midnight stroll/climb.

”As for the view, you won’t get a good one up there. Not unless you’re looking for endless rows of cookie-cutter houses connected by perfectly parallel streets.” His words sounded too jaded and cynical for one his age. ”I get the necessity and functionality of subdivisions, but it’s just so monotonous. It’s like we’re all bees in a giant hive, detached and subdivided in a mass production zone where we can work our puny lives away. Our opinions all provided, and our futures pre-decided. Nowhere is the dreamer, or the misfit so alone.” He paused. "I guess that's why I joined the Academy. I don't want to fritter away my life here."

 

[Seiken Noroshi]

Noroshi blinked as the boy below spoke again. Shimmy down the pole? He turned around and saw that in fact the street light was not just floating in midair, but indeed connected to the ground by a pole. He chuckled at himself quietly for being so unobservant and proceeded to do just that, shimmy. He slid himself over to the edge of the light, and with one hand holding on and the same side foot to guide him, he slid to the ground. He landed with a bit more force than expected which caused him to stumble forward slightly to catch himself. Good job. Very ninja-like, he thought to himself sarcastically. He stood fully up straight a few feet from this boy, Jo. He turned out to be slightly shorter than him, but around the same age. Noroshi listened to the boy as he spoke of the same aspects of the neighbor houses that he himself had just noticed before their meeting. He seemed very hung up on the layout of the town and relating it to the layout of life in this village. He continued to speak until something interesting caught his ear. Jo mentioned the Academy, meaning he was a student just like him. This just got more fun.

Well then you'll be frittering away your life in the shinobi system, Noroshi said with a grin. Your future as a ninja is pre-decided; it's death. He let that comment sit for a second, reflecting on his own words. Would he want to throw away his life to a system that basically guarantees his demise? Well, everyone does die eventually. But I guess that's why I'm following the same path. I'd rather have more fun than this "cookie-cutter" life would provide. Noroshi definitely reflected on this. More fun? He guessed being a super powered shinobi would be more fun, but he knew that that life was no game, that death is not fun. What was his real purpose? To find power, to discover himself, to make a difference, or D all of the above? Of this he was not yet sure. But this is where Noroshi's "cross that bridge when I get to it" dogma took over. Why am I doing this? I guess I'll figure that out once I'm done.

[MFT]

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

Jo contained a snigger at the boy as he stumbled down from the pole. Who was he to laugh? He’d probably do no better if he’d been in the same situation. ’Then again, I’d not get stuck up a light pole in the first place.’ he thought to himself. He listened to Noroshi speak, not at all surprised to find that he was a student as well. Though, honestly, he never would’ve guessed that the reason he joined the Academy would be to have fun. ”Everyone dies, it’s just another part of life; Time is the infinite jest. When I die, I want to know I lived my life to the fullest, and that I touched the lives of others as well. For us chakra-sensitives, that means being a shinobi. It’s be a waste of talent to ignore the gifts we were born with; not to mention an irresponsible act of negligence to those who can’t do what we can.” He realized that he was starting to sound a little preachy, and chuckled to break the awkwardness. ”Besides, blowing shit up would be more fun than sitting behind a desk all day.”

’Damn, I sound OLD!’ he silently reflected. ”We’re way too young to be worrying about the meaning of life like this. Isn’t it enough just to live it?” He looked around at the suffocating monotony of the subdivision. "All I know is, I can't live it here. When I see all these houses in their perfect little rows, they remind me of gravestones."

 

[Tsuyoshi Takeo]

The two students stood in what Jo thought was reflective silence. After a few moments, “reflective” changed to “awkward;” then “awkward” to “annoying.” Jo coughed just to break stifling silence. ”Well, I guess I’d better head home. Got a long day ahead of me tomorrow.” With that, Jo turned and walked into the halo of streetlight, waving over his shoulder to the other boy before disappearing into the darkness of the shadow between the orange glows of the streetlamps.

Jo contemplated not only what he had said, but also what Noroshi had vocalized. It wasn’t as if either of them had any real choice. Everyone was tested for chakra sensitivity during childhood, and if you tested positive, you had to join the academy. Maybe it was their willing acceptance and enthusiasm for their inevitable fates that gave them an edge over the competition; or, perhaps their refusal to see the truth as it was could be their biggest weakness.

{Topic Left Due to Inactivity}