[Tutor] Facing Yourself (Req. Siu)

[Shieo]

It was night, once again. Shieo had found himself staring listlessly out the windows of his classroom, he had both feet kicked up on his desk, a hand on his lap and the other casually twirling a pen between his fingers. Truth be told, he wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there. He had classes earlier in the day and everything he needed to have accomplished had been completed many hours prior. Thus here he sat, drifting into the lull of doing nothing; it didn't happen often and not for very long, when it did happen.

For example; 'knock, knock, knock..... Knock' "Shieo-san, I'm entering!" Spoke aloud, a receptionist of sorts for the Academical Facility in order to help maintain order and organized specialty tutors to the slew of Teachers that settled in their rooms for their rudimentary jobs... Teaching. "Sure, sure; enter." He hadn't raised his voice, in-fact he couldn't be certain she heard him; despite this he knew she would come swinging in anyways to announce the new information of work. Or so he figured. Not that I'm wrong.

The sliding door made an audible 'thunk' as she had opened it fully. Stepped in and took a formal bow, with a stack of papers in both hands; often she would make her rounds to each Teacher all at once, rather than one at a time. It made sense, really; thus she spoke, without hesitation "There has been a request to continue education for Hikari, Siu; it appears results have been favorable and that this is to continue until either party is satisfied with the full-performance. -- Here is her dossier, although I suspect you have a few of them now." Merely replying with a nod, he let her place the page down on his desk and watched her scurry off to bug the next poor teacher.

'huff'

He eyed the paper and sat back into the chair, letting his head dangle past the top; giving him full-sight of the classroom's ceiling. To test the jutsu, or not to. He inquired to the air Better now than never, it isn't like she wouldn't expect it at this rate.

---

Then the next day came cawing to his window. He had entered the class room at a fairly early time, the skies were still pastel pink and blue. The air frigid and Shieo grumpy; all was right in the world.

The day before, Shieo; like usual had sent a notice to Siu indicating the time and place to meet. It was unlike usual, that he indicated rather early in the morning. And not at a classroom- Which is where Shieo had started heading to. A basement room, oddly enough; certainly not as grueling and dark as the location suggested however. The basements were quite well-lit and had a large selection of focus rooms, sound proofed and all that fun stuff.
Slipping the door open to his assigned room for the course; entering and peered around to get a grasp of the room. The walls were decorated with intricate designs, a small table at the center and two mats, one on either side of the table. Beyond that; the room had a small lantern hooked to the ceiling. It wasn't extravagant, but it certainly wasn't mediocre. So Shieo had wandered into the room, closed the door just enough to leave about an inch or two cracked so Siu could figure which room to go to in-case she got lost.
In the mean-time, the young Chūnin had placed a candle at the center of table. Lit it and turned off the lantern; dimming the lights of the room even more so. Giving the room a feeling of mystery, it lulled the eyes with the dancing flickering flame that burned away at the wick. Filling the room with a strange aroma, it seemed something between peppermint and pine. Not cutting corners. Nope...
This is the first time I'm really putting it into practice; I don't want there to be any serious risks to myself or the Academy grounds. He took the time to sit down on his cushion and closed his eyes, churning his chakra and began a rather lengthy process for the coming practice to be successful. What about her safety?

Peeking open an eye; to the door. Taking a calm, meditative breath. That's up to her.

[WC = 726 | Posts 1/5]
[Total WC = 726]

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

Though, the notice for training had been sent an entire day beforehand, it still didn't make getting out of bed so early in the morning any easier of a task. Siu had required quite an abundant amount of rolling around, before she was finally able to motivate herself enough to get out of bed in preparation for today's lesson. Requiring a rush towards her designed location due to her late awakening, additionally having to skip breakfast as a result, wasn't going to make the day start off any easier.
It was very likely that she'd regret such actions later, as she knew very well from her previous experiences, that training sessions with Instructor Shieo often required a strenuous amount of energy in order to accomplish, whether mentally or physically.

Today's designated location, was indeed somewhere quite unusual in comparison to their previous training locations together. Siu had actually never been to the academy school basement before, as she'd never required a reason, nor had she ever been asked to. That was, until today.
Initially, before her arrival, she hadn't been expecting much of the indicated meeting location, aside from a bland dark room with numerous storage supplies. Upon opening the door to the basement entrance, however, she would find that assumption greatly proven wrong. It seemed that, even the academy basement was suited for shinobi training purposes; Indeed, no part of facility was left to waste. Part of her was surprised, yet the other part of her somehow found itself expecting of such behavior by the academy by now, given their fervent mentality of training youth's to become the strongest shinobi in all the world.
There was unexpectedly, quite an array of various focus rooms, initially causing Siu to ponder if she'd even find the instructors location in time. After enough door peeking and lurking around, however, she'd eventually come to one door in particular, just barely opened. Peeking her eyes through the small opening, and squinting them in order to get a better view of the sight inside, she distinguished what appeared to be the familiar figure of her instructor.

"Erm..." The young girl began cautiously, taking notice of the rather dim and mysterious atmosphere. "...In--Instructor Shieo?" She carefully inquired, while slowly opening the door. The aroma of the candle immediately filled her senses upon entrance, somehow bringing an odd sense of calm. "I'm--I am here for my lesson today.." She continued, bowing politely, yet not yet taking a seat.

The room, while not intimidating, gave off a mysterious and almost mystifying aura, which made the young Genin further contemplate on what today's lesson could possibly be. Making observation of the dimmed light, aroma'd candle burning in the middle of the table, and instructor's meditative seating position, the young girl couldn't help but to ponder one thing in particular. "Is this a séance." She mentally inquired to herself, her widened eyes outwardly communicating her curiosity.

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[Shieo]

It was then, that his eye peeked open to see the young-Genin cracking the door open. "...In--Instructor Shieo?" She called in quietly; figuring it was about time to start despite her careful consideration of the area. He opened both eyes and acknowledged her presence with meeting her eyes with his; with no shine in his eyes just the dull black that seemed perpetually calculative in his simple motions and careless demeanor. "Yes, come in." His tone wasn't anything different than the usual, it carried it's senses and was spoken loudly enough for anyone listening to hear it.

"I'm--I am here for my lesson today.."

Clearing his throat. He adjusted how he was sitting, mostly to bring some blood resuming through his body after-all; sitting still for quite awhile can affect ones circulation tremendously. "Of course, close the door behind you and have a seat." Lazily gesturing to the cushion across the table, he was wearing his usual attire which comprised of his Shinobi Slacks and Chūnin flak this all came apparent as her vision adjusted to the dim-lighting contrasted heavily from the outside hall.

While she stood there contemplatively at the environment he had called her too; he studied the expressions for a moment and took a calmed breath, the audible 'phoo' from his breath was audible, and the flickering fire of the candles drifted to the disturbed air of his breath. "I suspect there is nothing to fear- compared to our last session, this one isn't designed to make you face anything you should inherently fear." Closing his eyes allowing her to decide her movements, he figured she might be a bit extra precarious to his presence; especially after what he aided her in experiencing last time. Truthfully, he didn't like having to do it; but the consistent results that bore favorable personality traits in people had encouraged the academical system to pressure him to use it frequently.

Up until she found the will to have a seat, he remained quiet. Considering the matter in which he had been preparing for quite some-time, it would be rather bothersome to have to redo anything in terms of preparation; making things difficult for himself were never terribly high on his priority list. Upon her having a seat however, Siu would come to notice that Shieo had been watching her with his half-lidded dour eyed expression; perhaps a conditioned reaction to this was he's conjuring Genjutsu. Despite the potential; such was not the case, this time.

Shattering the silence with a careful voice, it was soft like the dancing flames afore them. The room was gently filling with a carefully regulated amount of aromatic smoke and light- the vents were doing their job so neither of them could suffer of suffocation or otherwise. "I... Have been putting some thought into our next session; particular this one--" 'hmm' he sounded through his nose quietly. "Due to our last, I suspected it may have left an impression on you; and I hope it did. But it's also my job to aid students in not only accomplishing the goals of the village, but to understand themselves in a way too." He released his hands from resting on his knees slowly, and placed both palms atop the table closely together. As if expressing all of his cards are on the table. "You see. Like I have Bahamut, who represents a conflicted nature inside of myself. -- Everyone, too; has a ... Persona of sorts dwelling dormant within'. An expression of themselves that they struggle to come to terms or recognize with. And today, we will be drawing yours to the table." Pausing, he let the words take sentience in the room; a settled pressure was around them- Clearly what Bahamut was to represent and exemplify. "It is, of course temporary. And, I wish to indicate with grave importance; these... Personalities within' ourselves are very real, so when we meet yours... Be prepared; they aren't always friendly. -- I know first-hand." His voice while monotone, yearned to carry a weight to it; perhaps emphatically this was received, but such would be the only way.

"When you're ready." Unlike many other times, he was giving her a genuine time to decide when she was prepared. No tricks, no rushing, no dipping into her mind without consent.

Only when she was ready, did she feel something drift between the familiar and the unfamiliarity so commonly attributed to Shieo. The smoke of the room began to grow dense; the smell fading into a lingering desire that was stripped away. The two's muscles relaxed and the room they sat in, slowly drifted into a landscape of the village's interweaving streets that resembled much like a maze. Except not- It was laid out the same, but everything appeared shadowy and almost ethereal and the colors resembled an ink-stained painting... Perhaps the strangest of the lot, was the world drifted like a dream. It felt there, but not.

"This is the Mindscape... A place in our minds that resembles what we see in a unique perspective of the mind; forged off memories and vague interpretations. Generally speaking, we are safe here." The disjointed voice which didn't appear to come from anywhere slowly faded into her sight, in clear color unlike the world around them. And, Shieo wasn't alone- looming behind him some meters was a rather large draconic figure, he was certainly familiar and the orange orbs seemed set on Siu; curious, but not aggressive in the slightest. "The two of us will oversee, and intervene if we must. But this will be a development period for you... If you hurt to much, get too afraid or aren't ready to continue with your Persona-- Or shadow, stop your chakra like you would with a Genjutsu." The word Shadow seemed to drift with purpose in this landscape, it was then that Bahamut spoke. "He's neglected to warn you... But a Shadow might sprout from this too, a mindless embodiment of what your Persona represents; if it does.
You will need to defend yourself until you're prepared to use Chakra Cancel on yourself- or, if you're will holds on. You may draw out the Persona temporarily."

At that, Shieo cast a furtive gaze to Bahamut over his shoulder. Only after he spoke, did he resume his look to Siu and nodded to acknowledge what the Dragon said. From there, he stepped forwards slowly closing the distance between Siu and himself. "I will need contact for a few minutes... During this, you will feel something in your chest and mind that don't feel-- Right. You will need to permit them to exist while I draw it out." He had paused, lifting his right hand and waited a moment as if giving Siu the power to pause him until she was ready. At the time of such permission, he would press his thumb against her forehead- It was tight, but didn't hurt; just a great deal of pressure.
After about thirty-seconds of the thumb being pressed against her forehead. It began. A wealth of energy started to boil, stir and rock inside her body- it didn't force her movement, but it felt like at any given moment she could be thrown. Her mind clouded, her body slowly began to tingle and the growing sensation of essence stirred at an incredible rate.

A minute later, crashing through this feeling. She felt it dragging towards Shieo's thumb; his expression was that of ... Stress, beads of sweat slid down the side of his face and showed incredible strain on holding his thumb there as a guide. As the same sensation came in contact to her forehead where his thumb was; she felt an overwhelming pressure at the bone.

There. A blinding bright light erupted from her forehead- it manifested nearby... What came? Shadow--Persona?

Face Yourself!

[WC = 1,306 | Posts 2/5]
[Total WC = 2,032]

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

After enough silent and contemplative standing, the young Genin eventually followed the gesture to take her seat. Taking notice of her instructor's signature dour eyed gaze during the process, she couldn't help but to naturally feel cautious. After all, the last time the two trained together in a dimly lit room, Siu suddenly had found herself thrown into a nightmare realm where her parents were attempting to murder her, and she had no choice but to fend for her life; The outcome of which still remained strongly burned into her mind's eye. The instructor had ensured that this session would not be like the first, yet that didn't make her any less cautious.

The young girl listened intently, as the instructor began his explanation. He began to speak about a entirely new concept; personas and shadows. Furthermore, he revealed that the huge behemoth encountered during her Genin exam, was in fact a persona of himself. The information was quite surprising, considered the man's outward appearance and behavior seemed far from the colossal behemoth she'd witnessed beforehand. It made her both curious and also worried for the future ahead; would a similar entity reveal itself from inside her?

"When you're ready." At the statement, a red flag immediately went up in her mind. This wasn't the first time she'd heard those words. Yet, surprisingly enough, the dour eyed instructor truly meant it this time. While on one end, it should have been a relief, on the other, it made Siu even further concerned on what the future truly held. With a faint gulp, she nervously gave her consent, "I'm..ready." While the words verbally came out of her mouth, in truth, even she herself wasn't sure if she was prepared or not.

Prepared or not, the world suddenly shifted as the Genjutsu began it's work. The calming aroma of the candle disappeared, and the dimly lit basement shifted into a scene, both familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. While the scene was certainly not the most welcoming of places, it certainly also was not the most unwelcoming of places either; Especially In comparison to the previous realm of all consuming darkness, initially experienced through her last mind trip.
Furthermore, things would be a lot different this time; for Shieo and the massive behemoth looming behind him were actually together in the realm with her this time, in order to oversee and intervene if necessary. Yet again; that could have either been a relieving sign, or a worrisome one for the future ahead. Was there a possibility for something more dangerous than the manifestation of her own murdering parents?

Further instructions were given, yet not the most comforting ones. The idea of a shadow manifestation sounded more and more frightening each time, even if she didn't understand one hundred percent what it truly is. Eventually the instructor would make his initiating approach. Something was about to take place, and Siu was truly unsure whether she was ready to experience it or not. Still, somehow, she found herself nodding in consent, and eventually she would find a thumb placed on her forehead.
In the beginning, things seemed harmless enough. Yet, after about thirty seconds or so, events began to take a sudden turn as the young Genin felt a strong disturbance within herself. A strong energy moved about her body, and she couldn't tell whether this energy was her own, or a foreign energy all together. It was nothing like the energy felt when she focused her chakra for something; That energy she had control over. Yet, this energy felt wild, unrestrained, and it gravely worried her, even borderline scared her.
The young girl's worried expression looked up to her instructor, perhaps for some form of reassurance; Yet, to her surprise, he seemed to be just as in a difficult situation as herself from the whole ordeal, if not more. His greatly strained expression, as beads of sweat fervently ran down his face, was an occurrence the young girl had never witnessed on the dour eyed instructor's face before, even despite all their trainings together. What was happening?

A blinding light suddenly manifested from her forehead, as if a piece of her very essence had been ripped out of her. The youth instinctively jerked back in response, frightened, while holding a hand over her forehead in great shock.

"Wellll now," Suddenly echoed the unfamiliar voice through the blinding light, the tone of which exuded a great confidence, far more confident than Siu herself. "Who would've ever guessed that we'd be meeting on such an occasion as this?" The voice continued, speaking as if it were completely familiar with the young girl.

"Who.." The young girl began, bringing her hand over her narrowed eyes, as she attempted to gain a clearer view of the manifested entity. "W-who are you?"

There was a silence for a time, as the light continued to die down, slowly bringing the manifested entity into clearer view. "Better question, for ya kid." Came a reply, as the entity took a bold step forward. "Who are 'you'?"

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[Shieo]

After he had drawn back, Bahamut peered at the erupting light for a mere moment afore he batted his wings and took to the skies circling above like a vulture overseeing a dying prey. In the briefest of moments, Shieo had recovered to his standing position and observed between the two girls. Letting out a quiet sigh, perhaps it was relief; or discontent? Nevertheless he patted off his flak jacket and looked up to Bahamut giving an unspoken nod.

Then, he turned his attention to Siu; providing a furtive glance to the newly arrived girl. "For the most part; this is here on out all on you... Bare in mind, while the world around you is not real; that girl that stands before you is. She is something that represents a deeper thought, emotion or ideal in your psyche. -- Good luck." Coughing into his hand, he had hoped she remembered that in the course of all this. She had an escape, for even Shieo wasn't sure what he pulled out. Shadows were fairly clear with their haunting yellow eyes and deathly expressions; Personas on the other hand, are volatile. They can be good, bad, or anything in the paradigm of emotions.

Despite the moment of deep thought, it really only passed off as a moment afore he reached back, equipping a kunai and twirled it. Aiming and launched it sky-wards towards Bahamut; in that moment Shieo had blinked out of sight.

Landing atop his Persona, whom despite their emotional beliefs; knew they were two of the same. It helped them operate and understood each other- Thus they at this moment, watched below. Observing and taking witness of whether Siu could do the same.

[WC = 283 | Posts 3/5]
[Total WC = 2,315]

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

Leaving his final words, the massive behemoth and Shieo quickly took to the skies, leaving Siu to confront herself alone.

Luminous, almost ethereal-like green eyes, long black hair, and a long brown cloak; the manifested reality appeared rather older than her Siu herself, eighteen or so, judging solely from outward appearances.

The two continued to silently gaze at one another for quite sometime, as the white light slowly faded; Siu's surprised and bewildered expression, anxiously looking into a contradictory gaze of calm and confident eyes.

After a long enough silence and deep contemplation, Siu eventually began to speak. "Are you.." She began, seeming to be in disbelief of the fact that the manifested persona standing in front of her was her own. "..Me?" She questioned.
While the initial answer may have seemed obvious, the question itself was inquiring something much more deeper than the obvious. Noticeably different in appearance, age, and demeanor; such a manifestation was something which Siu found difficult to believe to have been a part of her own young and unconfident anxious self. The entity in front of her seemed like a foreign existence altogether.

"I could be you--Or perhaps, you could be 'me'." The entity nonchalantly replied, playing with the young girl's words. "Reality is a fragile thing, all seems eternally set in stone. Yet one simple abnormality, and the entire fiber of reality itself becomes a distortion. Wouldn't you agree?"

Siu continued to gaze at the unfamiliar entity in silence, as if deeply contemplated her statements. The phrase itself, while unusual, somehow still felt relatable and understood, though Siu had never remembering hearing nor deeply contemplating such words before.

"For example.." The persona continued, as if to answer Siu's unspoken curiosities. "One moment you're standing on solid ground, the next you're falling hopelessly beneath it."

The young girl slowly looked down at her feet after the comment, before looking back up at the persona, a rather baffled and innocent expression on her face. "I'm not----"

And at the moment she found the ground crack and crumble beneath her feet, herself falling down along with it.

[WC=351 l Post 3/5]

 

[Shieo]

While the two down below couldn't readily hear Shieo and Bahamut's whispers; they could hear the two girls. It was a bit amusing truthfully to be watching this occur for someone other than himself. Although this seemed comparatively much less painful than his experience. Given Shieo's position in all this was to pull out the Persona and let the girl sort out her feelings with an area that could withstand the structural devastation that a person could come up with; in-fact, he developed the Mindscape technique out of sheer retrospect from his encounter with his own shadow; it was destructive, violent and held no remorse for what waking chaos it created.
In other-words, his work was completed; all he had to do was maintain the two techniques and allow the Genin to face off with her other-half, the hidden half. Perhaps he himself would learn more of Siu in this event, but certainly the student and educator would be herself from here on out.

"She really does let herself go... She has virtually no resistances, even to the ploys of herself. It's a bit embarrassing to witness." Bahamut quietly mused those words to Shieo's ears only, while the young-Chūnin took his time to sit down cross-legged atop the Dragon. Peering down below with his half-lidded gaze, too like a vulture at the pickings of food. But instead of food; it was knowledge, a birds-eye on how the whole ordeal worked. After-all, he knew he wouldn't be the only one with the aptitude to a Persona's control; to understand them to a greater degree could not only aid him in defending against them, but to help others bring out their powers in a much less painful way. Hopefully.

'phoo' Shieo sighed; "Yup, but she will have to learn; only person who can make her overcome such weakness in diligence is herself. I can only set the stage-- So what do you think? Will she collapse under her own mind, or will she actually chin up and face her weakness with resolve. After-all, such exhumed confidence of her Persona means she has the will deep down within'. But can she tap it?"

The far-long crashing of Bahamut's flapping wings continued to fill the silent air of the Mindscape. Siu knew they were watching. "As we always say.

"Time will tell."

[WC = 388 | Posts 4/5]
[Total WC = 2,703]

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

Suddenly finding her once confident footing shift into a perilous fall, Siu's immediate reaction was to bring her hands together, in an effort to perform the necessarily handsigns to reverse her catastrophe. However, the moment she began initiating the process, a clasp was heard as Siu suddenly found a tight grip around her hand, preventing the task's completion. "How'd she..?!" The young girl desperately pondered, as she slipped further into her fate. The entity that had been observed standing some feet ahead of her just moments ago, was now suddenly staring her right in the face, a pleased smirk widely apparent.

"What are you doing?!" The young girl exclaimed in panic, both greatly surprised and alarmed by her sudden denial of escape. The Persona simply continued to silently gaze at her, observing as the wide eyed youth descended further into her tragedy. In the midst of her backwards descent, Siu's eyes darted upward towards the sky. There, she could witness the hovering image of the large behemoth and Shieo, observing her misfortune from the afar skies, finding herself rather surprised by their lack of intervention. And down she went..

"Let go!" Siu pleaded, as the speed of her descent increased, desperately attempting to jerk her hand free. Yet, her attempts were to no avail, as the Persona tightened her grip around the young girl's hand.
"I said, LET GO!!" The young Genin more aggressively exclaimed after multiple attempts, far more aggressive than her usual nature. Eventually seeming fed up with the Persona's antics, Siu resorted to throwing an offensive kick aimed straight for their head. Unfortunately, even that kick would find itself quickly countered, as the Persona's free hand quickly rose in order to grab hold of the young shinobi's leg before impact.
"What?! The young girl subconsciously exclaimed, baffled by what seemed like pre-predicted precision. Using her own free hand, Siu threw an offensive punch this time. Yet, once again, she would find her efforts coming to no avail, as the Persona immediately maneuvered her head in order to avoid the blow. The unhindered smirk continually written upon the Persona's face almost seemed to be mocking for the young Genin at this point. She neither seemed to be taking the young girl's words nor aggression seriously, almost like an adult would to a child. In fact, she seemed be toying with her.

As solid ground eventually came into view, panic in the young girl's heart increased. At what seemed like a desperate attempt for her own safety, Siu, at the last moment, quickly maneuvered her body in order to use the Persona herself as a human shield, in order to diminish the force of her own fall. Yet, not even a split second before they hit the ground, faster than the blink of eye, the entire scene suddenly changed.

Two shocked and widened eyes frantically looked about, in a desperate attempt to understand the sudden change in scenery. "Wha...what?" The girl mumbled, completely dumbfounded. She was right back where she had been standing previously before the fall. Darting her eyes downward, she observed the ground to be completely normal again, and looking forward, the Persona could also be observed standing right where Siu had first originally seen her. It was as if the fall had never happened..

"Wha--What 'was' that?!" The young girl frantically demanded.

"Reality." The Persona nonchalantly replied.

"But..we fell! Was that all an illusion?!"

"I already told you." The Persona began once again, "Reality is a fragile thing."

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[Shieo]

Shieo, as his usual in this sort of situation. Was cross-legged atop Bahamut, leaning over ever so slightly to witness the happenings below; he'd put his elbow on his knee and rested his hand atop a mantle made from his hand. It was all just a means to be comfortable while he witnessed the drama-show that was playing on ground-level. While ultimately, he wanted to be of more assistance in this situation; he truly was at a loss of what he could do to aid Siu in her domination and conviction of her own mind. Realistically, it was her domain to control and bid towards her own feelings; it was a matter of course, to ascertain this standing in her own mind... It was really up to her.

"She certainly has a tricky Personality.. Mh; you must be conflicted." The dragon's orange globes turned to leer back to his rider, curious to his response perhaps; or just eager to see him flinch under pressure. "You talk as if we don't share similar minds." His voice carried the droll of apathy, it drifted and dragged as if it was too much to make the words come out; why would he need to? They really do share the same space for their minds, in a sense- They were the same person, but not. "There's not a lot I can do I think, she's a mouse with the hidden heart of a panther." Sniffing, while the scene below unfolded with the two twisting each others perceptions of the mind-scape, perhaps merely because he was the overseer of the lands; he too witnessed their falling. Only for them to elastic back after their conflict; perhaps a strange phenomenon in the Mind-Scape, but Shieo and Bahamut both noticed that they too, shifted a few seconds back to where they had been elevated to. "Hm.. -- It is a stretch to merely tell them. 'Be a panther' overcome what you grow to know; besides, she's fragile in the mind and emotionally; some of which I suspect I'm to blame for. But in due time, I hope; she understands the intent of all of it-- This too." Exhaling heavily with his nose, his lips sealed a moment. Pondering if there was anything he could do, watching their clashes of will and personality.

"I already told you." The Persona began once again, "Reality is a fragile thing."

The two from the skies both seemed to smirk at the Persona's remark. "Well, whatever her anti-her is. Sounds like a suitable candidate for the mentality behind a Genjutsuist. Too bad she's not really made for it." With Shieo's free hand, he wiped his nose and cast a furtive glance to Bahamut's massive head. "I suspect you're using this as a learning for yourself too. Hm."

"Heh... Of course, I can't imagine she'll be the last that I put through this. Even if I cannot do much; they can learn a lot from themselves. And don't risk their lives doing it here." Waving a dismissive hand to Bahamut, the massive creature peered down once more. "Besides, I'd be a fool if I didn't take the education from them. Everyone wields a certain strength, a personality of power and focus in their respects. And it's dirt on them." Pausing, he gave a gentle shrug. "Thus we'll see where this takes her. And when she drops or needs out, we can swoop in like a terrible duo of heroes."

[WC = 575 | Posts 5/5]
[Total WC = 3,278]
[Tutor Portion Done]

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

"Hikari...Hikari, Siu; Tender, sweet, kind, seemingly innocent. That is, your current reality." The Persona continued, "Yet...even that reality can become distorted; Even that reality can change."

The young girl's eyes narrowed after the comment, as if becoming highly suspicious of the Persona's next motives. Her slow preparation into a defense stance for anymore possible aggression, would further communicate her distrust.

"Then what would you do?"

The Genin remained silent, continuing to observe the Persona with her hands held up defensively, either deeply contemplating on the question or neglecting to answer it altogether.

"You're afraid, aren't you? You're afraid of the possibility of what you could become."

"Shut up!" The young girl suddenly exclaimed back, becoming unusually aggressive again in her speech. It seemed her Persona was quite skilled at drawing this reaction out of the youth. "I know what you're trying to do." Siu continued. "And it won't work!"

The Persona released a slow and deep sigh in response; it was a sigh that seemed almost..burdened.

"Naive." The alter-ego solemnly spoke. "You are too naive. And it is your--"

Suddenly, the Persona's once distant image could be seen appearing in front of Siu once again. The young Genin's eyes widened with great surprise, due to the immense speed of the sudden distance closure, as she instinctively placed her arms in an 'x' like fashion, in an effort to block the next incoming attack. "...weakness." The Persona solmenly finished, as she threw a spinning kick; the impact of which would send Siu flying through the air quite a few feet, before the sound of her body forcefully colliding against one of the village building walls could be heard.

[WC=284 l Post 5/5]

[Tutor Portion Done]

 

[Shieo]

[From Here On Is Just Regular RP]

From his vantage point, Shieo and his companion observed as Siu was sent rocketing through the air with an audible 'fwomp' echoing through the still air. A shock-wave of force between the collision of the two psyches could even be seen as they clashed. While it was a bit of an exaggeration to how the real-world would have interpreted the impact, given the surrealism of the mindscape it was no wonder that Siu had gone as far and viciously as she did.

When the dust settled from the impact, the building itself that the girl crashed into was in-twine, leaving a wake of rubble of wood and stone scattered around like an explosion had just taken place where the central-point of her impact took place. "See this reminds me of us... I mean, they're not going too violent just yet. But the premise." Shieo from his seated position watched with intrigue, but there was a growing tension that seemed to build in the air around Bahamut. "It may be wise to intrude soon. The being she's facing has shown a significant amount of dominance over their wills unanimously; Siu may not be able to withstand the stresses." The dragon descended some yards closer to the ground, but still a ways from the two.

With an elbow rested on his thigh, and head mantled to watch rather lazily. "Perhaps you're right... Let's give it a few more moments and see where she takes it; if she starts losing control- Or calls out we'll intervene."

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

After the dust of the violent impact settled, the young girl could be seen lying in a chaotic mess of the demolished wood and stone. She had remained there motionless for quite some time, enough to make one even possibly question whether she were actually dead or not. The sudden sound of an aching groan, however, would eventually prove otherwise.
As the youth slowly struggled to recover herself from amongst the debris, noticeable bruises and scratches could be witnessed upon her skin, as her aching body struggled to stand. While a common reaction for any normal individual after such an event would have very likely been an immediate desire to retaliate in rage, or even immense fear, Siu felt none of these emotions at the moment. Rather, she felt complete bafflement.

"She moves way too fast.." The young Genin mused to herself in defeat, rubbing her soar head. "There's no way I can keep up with her.."

The faint sounds of footsteps echoing against pavement throughout the mindscaped village could be heard, as the Persona slowly made their closer approach. "You fear to become a monster." The alter-ego began again. "And this is your weakness."
"What is tenderness under harsh circumstances? What is sweetness in a bitter world? What is kindness amongst cruelty? What is innocence amongst corruption? How long shall you avoid reality?" The Persona continued, the expression of her once calm green eyes now growing more fierce as the solemness of her tone increased. "You fear that which is unknown, yet I have seen what lies beyond the darkness."

The young girl suddenly gritted her teeth; now she was officially irritated. "To become a monster, is that what you call reality?!" The young shinobi retaliated. "A heart full of cruelty, a heart devoid of emotion.." She continued, her hands now initiating the beginning hand seals for a jutsu. "Is that what you define as reality?!"

An array of papered shurikens suddenly could be seen emitting from the youth towards the Persona. Despite their intensity in speed, however, with a few nonchalant movements to the side, the Persona dodged the threatening barrage as it were no more than a volley of harmless toys thrown by an angry child. Yet again, her movements seemed to almost be mocking Siu.
The shinobi began to rush forward in an attempt to follow up with her assault, however, she found herself abruptly interrupted as her foot was suddenly felt to be caught by something. Looking downward, her eyes widened with great surprise. "No.." She suddenly gasped to herself in disbelief, as sheets of paper could be witnessed continually engulfing around her foot, rapidly multiplying and working their way up all throughout her body, binding her.
As the youth desperately struggling to free herself to no avail, the Persona could be seen continuing her approach, until they finally stood face to face with one another. Gazing at the paper binded youth, she suddenly learned forward. "Look into my eyes." The Persona continued, the power of her gaze becoming more intense. "What do you see?"

 

[Shieo]

From the windless expanse that the two sat from; he watched in idle silence with the plume of dust and debris from below he let out a droll 'sigh'; while she had reason to believe that one could make a connection of death and significant injury from such a blow like that. Shieo- and in turn Bahamut, both knew otherwise; based off the fact they existed in the place called the Mindscape, one could only really get injured enough that they passed out from shock-factor. Beyond that, Siu's life was for the most part all going to be in-tact.

"Wonder if even she knows what her internal conflict is; perhaps she isn't certain even deep down in her psyche." The dragon mused the potential, leaving an expression of contemplation on the Chunin's face. "I suppose there is the possibility, we've only really only just begun on this whole helping people face themselves." The massive behemoth slowly descended more, only hovering a few yards above their location now; given the size of Bahamut, it was fairly obvious that the two were pretty nearby.

Given the timing, they were witnessing the older-formed Siu making her calculated pace towards the distraught, and disorientated youth.

"You fear to become a monster." The alter-ego began again. "And this is your weakness."
"What is tenderness under harsh circumstances? What is sweetness in a bitter world? What is kindness amongst cruelty? What is innocence amongst corruption? How long shall you avoid reality?"

It was at that moment, that Shieo's brow arched; and he felt the intrigue pique for Bahamut. "And therein, lays the conflict; interesting." While he had his head rested on his palm, his other hand had scratched the base of his forehead. Contemplating the stance his student was facing, and perhaps what he felt she needed to fixate on. "Seems like she's conflicted with the troubles she's facing in life, and what we helped initiate; we displayed the realities of what a shinobi life entails... And she I'm sure, has issues with it; she isn't sure what to believe. And attributes what she's forced to as being a monster; she's having trouble accepting that she's destined to be a murderer." He bellowed a stiffened 'huff' as he peered down to watch as Siu retaliated. "She's going to need to learn, that as we grow; there becomes an area of twilight; being what you are. And holding dear that you are a person underneath the filth."

"Mh.. And that is the deciding factor. Between being someone in Kumogakure; or being another number. Will she fall to the corruption of her own mind, or will she wield what she really is. And live the life of something knowingly evil?"

Witnessing the clash below, between the wills and conflicting ideals that dwell within' the young-girls heart and mind. He couldn't help but stay in the distance, he knew she was struggling; but perhaps it was felt that she needed to overcome what was felt afore her. And watched as the Persona strong-armed Siu down, figuring that this was perhaps the part that separated a Persona from the Shadow of her soul.

"Look into my eyes.. What do you see?"

He could only smirk idly at the question of self, morality and doubt that flooded through the air all in action alone. The minds of the two, were certainly flaring with sparks of their own wills deep within'.

"I think... She seeks confidence and stability in herself, and the path she has to walk." "Perhaps, or is there more too it?"

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

There was a silence after the question, as the Persona deeply gazed at the binded youth. Siu eyes widened in a surprised facial expression, before she quickly turned her face to the side, refusing to look any longer into the alter ego's eyes. "I see nothing!" The youth defiantly answered.

"Stop being stubborn." the Persona calmed continued, raising a hand to place a light grip upon both sides of Siu's jaw, in order to forcibly turn the girl's head to face her. "Look." The Persona insisted as she leaned in closer, to the point where the two female's foreheads were now touching. Siu continued to rebel, closing her eyes. "I see nothing!" She repeated. A burdened sigh could be heard escaping from the Persona's lips. "You really 'are' stubborn." She validated.

After some time, Siu gradually realized that her rebellion was getting her absolutely nowhere, eventually influencing her to make the decision to finally open her eyes and give in to the Persona's demand. Two defiant pupils fiercely gazed at the alter ego's contrarily serene gaze. For quite a while, the two just stared at each other in this manner, as if locked in some form of nonverbal combat between one other, nothing too significant seeming to take place from an outside perspective. However, Siu's defiant gaze suddenly widened once again into a surprised expression, as images of her past suddenly flooded her mind.

​

Images of the fate changing knock upon her door one afternoon, in which the news was delivered to her parents that she'd been discovered to hold potential for chakra control, and therefore enlisted into the academy against her and her parent's will, images of the numerous scoldings received from her academy teachers and instructors during her multitude of failures in her shinobi trainings, images of her times spent alone in strong disappointment and deep sadness in her room, deeply contemplating thoughts her parents could never possibly relate to neither possibly understand; It was as if her entire life since her beginnings as a shinobi had suddenly flashed before her eyes.

"Anyway, do you know what happens to kids like me in this world?" A familiar voice suddenly played back in her mind. They were the words of one of her closest friends, Eishi, during their discussion about academy life. "They die. They don’t get to grow up. This world isn’t that kind”.

"The village depends on us to make decisions others cannot and perform the actions too difficult for normal people." Further repeated the words of Hoshi, the young shinobi prodigy whom she had also done training under.

"Might I be so bold.. But perhaps your fears are warranted; I think you should understand what your 'parents' were saying. And know, shinobi are not too far off from that." Concluded memories of Shieo's words during their previous training.

By the time these flashbacks and reflections were finally over, and Siu's mind was finally brought back into the present, her face was already soaked from the abundant tears steaming down her cheeks.

"But why...?" The young Genin sobbed, as the bind slowly released. "Why must it be this way? I..I don't understand!" She exclaimed, suddenly smacking the side of her fist against the pavement, displaying the intensity of her inner turmoil.
The Persona knelt down on a knee in front of the distraught youth, appearing completely empathetic to the crying kunoichi's emotions. "The reality that has already been set before you is useless to continually regret and avoid." The Persona continued. "The world around you has changed, the people around you have changed; Yet, when will 'you' change? They accept reality and move forward; Yet, how long shall you continue to remain behind?" The young girl continued to sob, providing no answer for her alter ego's inquiries.
The Persona continued to look upon the young kunoichi with eyes of empathy, giving her time to recollect herself. Through overflowing tears, something akin to words would finally reveal themselves from her lips. "I..." The crying Genin began, "I don't know how to move forward..." She finished, looking up at the Persona. A comforting hand was placed upon Siu's shoulder. "I will show you..."

 

[Shieo]

It felt as if time had passed at an incredibly slow rate. Shieo had been watching with waning interest- or perhaps it was fatigue. It was difficult to discern at the moment, but he had lingering suspicions it was the latter; given this being the first time he's properly actioned two unique jutsu simultaneously. It was a bit of a laboratory experiment with his student, but served as a valuable tool to help the young-girl find herself amidst a mess of confused emotions and thoughts about her place in the world.

"It really is like watching someone grow before you, huh." Shieo had cast a furtive gaze to the head of Bahamut that was dipped and observing down below as well. "I suspect there's more to what we're seeing. But that Persona you ripped out, seems to be a figment of more than just her inner-insight." This was met with an air of contemplative silence by Shieo, returning his attention below; giving only a nod to himself. As he did, a deft blow to his torso was felt- not that it was anything that was at the initiation of another; but more his systems warning him of the lingering sensations of a depleted reserve of chakra. "Hngh-- I feel that I may need to cut their reunion short. I'm not made of chakra, and this isn't the easiest thing to keep steady." With a motion below with his hand, Bahamut understood and begun to lower his form in a gliding spiral; it was a slow and controlled descent.

As they got about fifty feet from the ground, the dragon had whisked into energy and returned to Shieo. Coursing the young-man to fall the remaining drop; not that it was much to bat an eye at. Landing with a controlled roll; he had exerted an audible grunt as he braced for the impact. Coming closer to the two, he gave a momentary wave and dour-look; the lines underneath his eyes boring even deeper from the toll. "So-
uh, I'm --" Breaking into a light coughing-fit, he brought a hand to his mouth to cover it and slowly recovered his stance. During this, his control wavered and the world of the mindscape slowly curved, bent and warped under the strain. And too, did Siu's Persona; as it had just before made the statement of showing Siu- The chakra broke from Shieo and the Persona and it was left to crackle into almost white-noise of energy afore streaking into a bright-blue light and sifting into the young-girl.

Given the circumstance, he had only just returned his visuals to Siu. "Erhm... Sorry-- It's a bit much to hold for this long." Wiping a course of sweat from his brow. His expression wore signs of growing weakness, afore he fell to a knee. And the sight of the mindscape slowly fell into darkness- as their eyes would slowly adjust to the dim lighting of the candle; and the embracing darkness of the room they originally started in.

Shieo of course, sitting there as he did to begin. Although; with wary signs of chakra expenditure. First breathing heavily into his nostrils, and then his mouth inhaled even heavier; as if he broke out of a trance. And looked to Siu with glazed eyes that quickly adjusted to the shadows. Having cleared his throat, and gathered his bearings "Well... I hope that was enlightening-- I don't mean to disappoint; but I should be going soon ,
my body is screaming and my mind drained. It might serve you best to sleep on this too." With audible grunts, he slowly stood himself up- adjusting to the new sensation of a real equilibrium and wandered around the table, patting Siu's shoulder on his make of departure. "I uh- Hope you make due with the information you learned. And know the reality of your true feelings." Were his last words before weakly sliding the door open and exiting.

[MFT]
[WC = 656]
[Exit Thread]

Spoiler

Shieo
Bahamut
Anything Italicized is Thought

 

[Siu]

After all the chaos had finally been said and done, Siu's tear drowned expression gazed at the reassuring Persona, the two female's eyes locking in what appeared to be mutual agreement and deep understanding of one another. This intensely emotional moment, however, would unfortunately not have much of an opportunity to flourish, as Shieo would eventually descend in order to inform the two that this mental adventure would soon have to be brought to an abrupt closure.
A light fit of coughs would then send the world into a distorted ruckus of the sorts, which rather startled the youth, reminding her that she was indeed still in a Genjutsu despite how emotional and real the moment felt. As the Persona suddenly dispersed, Siu felt herself almost missing her alter ego's presence. Once the Persona had retreated back into her consciousness, the youth found herself remaining unmoved from her position, a blank expression upon her face in what appeared to be deep absent-minded thought. It was the kind of expression and absent-minded thought witnessed from a person when they suddenly received far too much information than they could mentally handle or digest at once.

Something suddenly felt quite different after the remergence of consciousnesses. The kunoichi's thoughts seemed to become more clear, and she felt more perceptive and aware, as if a mental blockage of some sort had finally been removed, or as if some filth in her mind had suddenly been cleaned. She felt a great sense of clarity never before experienced in her entire life.
Yet, before she had time to deeply process everything, Shieo's behavior and words further communicated that his current condition was far more serious than his usually calm and collected demeanor made him out to be, as he could be witnessed suddenly dropping to one knee. "Are you okey, Instructor Shieo?!" The now greatly concerned youth exclaimed at the sight, before the mindscape suddenly went dark, and the two were returned back to the reality of the room they had first sat in before this mental journey.
For some reason, after such experiences, the youth always seemed to require additional time in other to completely mentally readjust herself to sudden shift back into a reality. After such powerful mental experiences, it often became difficult to clearly distinguish illusion from reality even after the Genjutsu had ended. Rather than partake in her usual, blank faced mental recovery habit, however, Siu would instead quickly divert all her attention towards the older shinobi in front of her this time; Whom, even in reality, still appeared to be suffering heavy strain.
The young kunoichi's expression communicated one of grave concern for the instructor. She was just on the verge of inquiring the man concerning his well-being, before he had made the initiative to openly communicate his current condition to the young Genin first. Watching the man groan in his struggle, Siu worried if she might have to possibly assist him in his efforts. Fortunately enough, however, he still had strength left in him to perform the task.

As the instructor managed to make his way around the table, a hand then could be felt upon Siu's shoulder; an act which reminded her of the hand her Persona had also placed upon her shoulder before her departure from the mindscape. "I uh- Hope you make due with the information you learned. And know the reality of your true feelings." He farewell'd, before making his sudden departure and and leaving the young kunoichi to herself in the room.
Oddly enough, the youth continued to stare at the door, a baffled expression written upon her face, even after the man's presence was completely gone, as if in some form of disbelief regarding the events she'd just witnessed. "But Instructor Shieo..." Her lips eventually moved to mumble, as if his presence were still there. "You already said that..."

Dejavu.

[Thread Completed: Marked for Core Ability Application]
[Thread Exited]