Altered Tundra

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"You must truly not value the life of young Michel. What would your love think?" Though Zodiark was able to get that out, he grunted at the pain of the purification that was currently underway. Deep down, he knew this was a mistake. But his plan was worth the risk if he could get into her mind long enough to distract her from his true objective. It required a little sacrifice.

---

Wesley understood Emiri's hesitant reaction to keep secrets from anyone, especially Jaakuna. He knew that asking this of her would only put her in an awkward position, but what was plaguing his mind could no longer be kept from anyone. He needed to tell someone. He knew he couldn't bear to tell Nadeine and everyone else would not understand. She was the only one he could disclose this to.

"Since I woke up yesterday, I've found out things; things that were otherwise out of my reach. Knowledge-wise, I know certain things." Wesley understood he was making little to no sense. "Allow me to rephrase." He pressed his thumb to his lip, looking at Emiri with his darkened indigo eyes. "I had a dream last night that made a lot of things clear to me. The Word, while different for everyone, seems to give me clairvoyance. With this, I dreamt of something frightening." Wesley found himself unknowingly gripping Emiri's hand. "I know who the protector is. The man who is responsible for the tragedy that befell my family. The man who was also responsible for Nadeline's kidnapping. The very same man that.." unknowingly, Wesley was gripping her hand, "it's me, Emiri. I am The Protector. I am...Fandaniel, the Protector, spawn of Zodiark."

And as he spoke that, Wesley felt ashamed to even look her into the eyes.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Even though it was excruciating, Zodiark still stood there as still as water, letting Shion’s spell take effect. Though it had just started, he didn’t anticipate how much it would actually hurt. Purifying magicks truly were no joke. For his plan to succeed, he would simply have to endure. And as he would look at Michel’s skin, it was working. The body he was using was starting to decompose. “I underestimated you, Shion. Your hatred for me has blinded you to the fact that if you purify me, young Michel also gets purified. I wonder, what would Meli think of this?”

And so the mind games continued.

---

So Wesley’s fears to distrust Keiran were justified. If Emiri had her doubts to his sudden change of heart, there must be something that she worries that he’d do. Wesley knew that any spawn of Zodiark, no matter if they appeared to be one thing, there would be an air of doubt that no one could shake. But Emiri proposed the question of the century: what was he up to? If he truly was planning something, then what could that be? To understand what goes through the mind of a Spawn, one had to think like a Spawn.

“I..am unsure he’d do anything out in the open. Keiran might try to convince us that he’s idiotic, but any spawn of the Keeper of Precepts, no matter their outward persona, shares his vision. This Is something I know. However, since my awakening, I’ve been...I guess different.” Wesley stated, looking down at his legs--the legs that refused to move on their own. “Emiri, I find myself needing to confess something but..I need you to swear you will not disclose this to Nadeline nor Jaakuna. No one must know this.” Wesley emphasized on the urgency. “Do I have your word?”

Crooked Young - An Altered Lies Production

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Morning broke and Alexandros was fast asleep. Last night was intense for a lot of reasons. He wore himself out doing something he loved more than anything: entertaining a woman. However, this wasn’t just any woman. Thus far in his young life in which he had a lot of conquests, this was the woman to push him in a lot of different ways. Making it hard for him to just get her. Easily the most complex of women he tried to get, but at the end of the day, a Mossos got what they wanted. Though it depended on the Mossos, they always get their way.

And did he ever get his way. Five times in fact. So, of course, Alexandros deserved a bit of extra rest. At this very moment, he was dreaming of his many conquests and was about to relive them. However, someone close to him felt the need to interrupt that.

“Alexandros, open this god-forsaken door right now!” Ava’s crude tone woke up a sleeping Alexandros.

He groaned, moaning out of annoyance rather than pleasure. Alexandros rose up, hearing Ava persist in her knocking. It was as if she didn’t understand the concept of a locked door. If it was locked, then there was a reason for that. But to her--especially when it came to Alexandros--she always wanted to make sure that she didn’t care about that. Indeed, his sister would do anything just to spite him.

He sighed and got up, though he caught the sudden movements from Audrey as she hid under the covers as if out of fear or something similar to it. “There’s nothing to worry about.” Alexandros told her, getting up and grabbing a pair of dark blue sweatpants to cover up his extremities. He would then walk over to the door, unlocking it, and letting Ava come in.

“Who are you talking to?”

“You.”

“I mean just a minute ago.”

“A minute ago, I was sleeping. Thanks to your bothersome knocking, I am no longer doing that.”

Frustrated, Ava huffed and proceeded to stomp lightly into Alexandros’ room. She couldn’t help but notice a slight shaking from his bed. “Who is under your covers?”

“Sheets and a mattress.”

“You know what I mean. I can clearly see it shaking.”

“Oh. right, that’d be my lady friend.”

Ava turned around, looking at him. “It better not be that Vio-bitch!” Ava suddenly snapped.

Alexandros smirked, then laughed. “No, it’s not her. Though, I haven’t seen her in a while. Maybe I should ring her up.” Alexandros pondered on that for a serious moment just to further annoy Ava.

“Alex..no..”

“I’m just kidding. Relax, would ya?” Alexandros patted her shoulder, walking past her. “It’s just--well..” Alex reached over and revealed Audrey.

“You have to be kidding me…” Ava was speechless.

“I told you it wasn’t Viola.”

Ava took a moment to collect herself. Only when she let the realization set in that Alexandros had actually done it, she took in a deep breath. “Well, I guess it’s better than that blonde bimbo.” Ava looked at a petrified Audrey. “I guess, uh, welcome to the family?” She scratched her head, “there’s coffee downstairs. Dad and mom are out, so it’s just us and Georgie. Eli’s out. So, at the very least, you won’t have to face our parents.” Ava assured Audrey.

As she would walk out, Ava was mumbling something to herself. Alexandros couldn’t make it out, though he had to imagine it was how could Alex possibly have nailed it--he means Audrey. When he looked at Audrey, he knew she couldn’t be too happy with him now. “Don’t give me that look. Ava’s really observant. You should really work on the concept of ‘staying still.” Alexandros teased her, bopping her nose with his right index finger.

After a moment of letting her chew him out, Alex got up and reached over to one of his semi-clean shirts. “In either case, there’s some food waiting for us. I’m sure you’re just dying to meet Georgie. I promise he’s not as overpowering as yours truly, though he’s also not as awesome.” He shrugged, letting her decide if she truly wanted to go down right away.

Music Appreciation Thread

@FrankenDaughter
The beginning of this song is oh-so bizarre and weird. honestly, I didn't know what to expect going forward, but it's certainly a breath of fresh air. A lot of layers and elements that make it a refreshing listen. Not sure what that sort of whistling sound in the arrangement is but I ended up becoming a fan of it. Also, unsure what the genre would be(sounds like indie folk or something). Whatever it is, I certainly enjoy it.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable track with unique arrangements that worked well together.

9/10

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Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Zodiark had slowly descended to the ground as he saw Shion wail and cry out in pain as she was, yet again, unprepared for what he was capable of. For someone who boasted about how he wouldn’t one-up her, that’s exactly what the Keeper of Precepts did. Each time she thought he was a step behind her, he was actually one step ahead. Nothing she did could possibly take him by surrpise. This was because he was far more superior to her. Even in this vessel’s host, she was still no match for him. Perhaps if she had full use of her power, then maybe it would be a different story. Fortune favors fools.

When he touched down to the ground, Zodiark kept his eyes closed, knowing that there was nothing that she’d do that could get him...until he was proven wrong. A mistake on his part, Zodiark didn’t anticipate her using such a mundane trick like mist vines. It was unexpected because it was such a dull tactic. And yet, as both of his feet from the ankle to the knee were caught, Zodiark was beating himself up inside his mind for not stopping it before it was too late.

And now she had him caught in her web, ready to strike. So like he predicted, she came forth, ignoring pain, with her sword aiming to strike. Yes, this was all too predictable on her part, but Zodiark couldn’t materialize anything due to the purifying nature of her vines. As such, he would have to resort to something less flashy. As her sword came for him, Zodiark would once again prove that he was one step ahead of Shion. He simply did nothing. He held out his arms as if welcoming her to attack him.

---

What felt like hours, Wesley seemed to wander the halls of his great castle as if he was trapped in an infinite loop. Where he thought he had gone to a right, he went to the left. Where he thought he went straight, he turned. Every direction that he thought he had went, it was as if his body was forcing him to go in the totally opposite route. He went by the same rusted pillar ten times over and it would only increase three times more.

As Wesley passed it just once more, he heard a far-off sound of what sounded like laughter. Though, before he could make it out, the sound faded and Wesley then heard voices. They were familiar ones. He hugged to the wall, using a spell to blend in with the cream-colored walls and listened in on the conversation that he heard. It was definitely something heated and between one of his dear friends, Emiri and that Keiran fellow. It didn’t take long to realize it was an intense conversation. Based on what he was hearing, it seemed Keiran might’ve done something to Emiri. Or maybe she thought he was? Wesley was unclear on the details. He probably missed out on some of the finer details. One thing he did catch was that Emiri was not happy with him and now he was curious why.

In the exact moment that Keiran had left the room, Wesley, though unaware, had willed himself to go through the wall, surprising himself. Doing that had canceled his cloaking spell and would reveal Wesley in Emiri’s room. It only took a moment until he realized that Emiri saw him too. “My apologies for the intrusion but I couldn’t help myself,” Wesley said, rolling closer to the bedridden Emiri. He stopped at her bedside. “I wasn’t around when you apparently gained control over him, but since that interaction with him in the Dalmasca sands, I cannot, with absolute certainty, say I trust him. What I just heard further proves that.”

---

It was safe to assume that breakfast was officially over. Not only were the kitchen staff making their final rounds to take whatever remained of the plates on the table, but the current conversation would make anyone lose their appitite. Well, at least it did that for Cassandra. Honestly, these Rozarrians truly had no class whatsoever.

"Good luck finding him. I'm sure he's running for Giza Plains. Best ditch the baggage lest it gets too...packed." Cassandra said, eying Nadeline as she took a sip of her lemon water.

Iquenos: In Nomine Domini

Whether y'all choose to use them is your choice but I wanted to make these for y'all. :)
@Kal-El @inkarnate @Briza @Lemons @Jay Kalton @Raijinslayer

Naruto: Revival

^{Konohagakure | Chunin| NinTai-nin}

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^{TIME: Present Day - Morning | LOCATION: Konohagakure - Exam Stage, Earth Challenge Room | INTERACTION: Artist known as Kiku@Ladyinink Self-Appointed Senju Sensei@Reflection Our Almighty Protector@Syn}

Today was the day.

Jaakuna Hinoko had never been one of the smartest lads in the land, but he was passionate. Much like his father and mother and three siblings(2 older and 1 younger), he approached everything with an open heart, hopeful mind, and maybe just a tinge of a daredevil-like persona. It hasn’t always been a successful strategy. In fact, there have been moments where he’s gotten knocked down a peg or two either by his superior or his peers. Practically everyone who has been affected by Jaakuna’s antics--one way or another--made it clear to him that he should really cut his shit. Of course, he didn’t always listen to them.

And this was a rinse and repeat for a while until Jaakuna became a chunin. Well, not even then did he stop. All that happened was that Jaakuna amped it up and applied his “street smarts” to whatever he did. Now, mostly that entailed him acting upon the supervision of others while doing his own thing when the moment called for it. He wasn’t necessarily a complete dumbass in that regard, though. These street smarts got him this far. Hell, as he stood among his peers that often berated him, Jaakuna was placed on a team with some interesting people as he geared ready to take the Jounin Exam.

When the big man himself activated whatever jutsu it was, Jaakuna Hinoko, along with Shizuka Ishimi, the artist known as Kiku, and the Senju big shot himself, Kurin. Interesting teammates and it just so happened that Jaakuna would be placed on their team, huh? Well, at the very least it was earth. His fire and lightning affinities wouldn’t go to a complete waste. All the same, Jaakuna’s big grin was put to rest when the Senju of the team, who had assumed leadership duties, told Jaakie to ease up on the flames for now. Apparently, their surroundings were low on oxygen. And though Jaakuna would mumble and grumble to himself, he nodded. Even a hotshot like him knew the basics of science shit. Fire uses up oxygen; oxygen is essential to good breathing.

And so they went forth. Jaakuna would stay quiet as the group of four would go deeper into this temple-looking thing. Not much to note. It was torn apart(mostly) and earth-centric designs. Not really much to note. However, Jaakuna couldn’t help but notice the two big golems standing across from each other with their axes raised high. “Now that’s something straight out of a drawing or something,” Jaakuna noted, bracing himself for whatever was going to come their way. However, before he would, the self-appointed Senju Senpai handed each of them a radio transceiver. Just in case they got separated. “Roger that, boss man!” Jaakuna shrugged, saluting Kurin briefly before they ventured further into this..well, earthly temple thing.

And as they did, Jaakuna let out a sigh of annoyance as the next stage in whatever the fuck you wanted to call this showed itself. A timer, some weird poem(or was it a haiku?), and tremors felt below the ground. Anything else you want to throw at us?

When Shizuka gave commands for the artist to do and Kurin obviously going to do Kurin things, Jaakuna stared at Shizuka as if wondering what he should do. Of course, staying behind him was probably the best thing to do, so he would. “And what about me, eh? Just stand here and look pretty?” Maybe he was kidding or maybe he wasn’t. Only thing Jaakuna knew was that, given the chance, he just might show these guys that the Hinoko’s aren’t to be overlooked.

Iquenos: In Nomine Domini

@Briza D'aww and here I was hoping to get to know the kid with the large book better. :<

Iquenos: In Nomine Domini

@BrizaThat was my understanding too. Sure hope it is or else Zestasia gonna look pretty stupid jumping into an imaginary barge.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

After she had easily disposed of his onslaught of attacks with little effort, Zodiark retreated to the same position he was before. He then observed any movement she made so he would be able to figure out what she was going to next. However, that proved to be easier thought than done. She was a master at making sure her poker face was absolutely flawless. Only when she actually started and he saw what had surrounded them would he figure out exactly what she was planning. To anyone else, it would’ve been too little, too late, but for him it was a matter of gauging which glyph would produce which attack.

Encompassing the entire inner layer of the Seraph Cavern, about twenty light, and purification glyphs surrounded the two. In that same moment, beams and swords of light shot at Zodiark at the same time. Additionally, Zodiark noticed that Shion came darting at him. When she came at him, Zodiark switched auras from yellow to a combo of red and green, alternating between the two constantly. The outward appearance made it seem like he was like a tree during a celebration.

It came at the right time, too; for Shion reached him and the various blasts of light magick and swords of light came at him. He zipped through the air, floating as he moved like the wind. Each time multiple blasts and swords came for him, he zipped past them as each attack would collide with each other, resulting in a blast of light. This happened multiple times as Zodiark displayed a higher mastery over Michel’s gifts than the young man had himself; though Zodiark was overconfident. He missed three: two shots of holyga and one of the purification swords. They didn’t land a direct hit, but the blasts grazed the back of his neck and the sword got him in the front at his right rib cage. This caused him to lose his focus and start to freefall from above.

And of course, Shion seized the opportunity and seemed to go straight towards him and continue her assault. Just mere inches away, Zodiark caught himself and as Shion seemed to strike downward, aiming to end the fight early, Zodiark made a move out of desperation. His eyes flashed and he held out his arm. As if the blink of those eyes, a glyph quickly appeared and tentacles of black mist manifested, grabbing Shion by the waist. Zodiark rotated his body, bringing his arm around and as he swung it towards the ground below, Shion would be swung towards it too. Just before she would hit the ground, however, Zodiark used his other hand to cause the tentacles to explode while they were still wrapped around Shion. They would explode as soon as she made contact on the ground regardless if she somehow evaded the direct impact with the ground.