Altered Tundra

Iquenos: In Nomine Domini

Shit man...yeah, take as much time as you need. Do what you have to. Hope everything works out for ya, though.

How do *you* get into your characters' heads?

All of my characters are an extension of myself. For better or worse, they are me, so I have no problem drawing upon their essence, and thinking like them. Of course, some of them are easier to write for because some are direct representations of me, while others are just a small percentage of me. That being said, given I'm inspired enough to write for them and get into their minds and mannerisms and practically anything and everything that makes them who they are. They also are a compilation of tropes and various concepts I think would work for them. Sometimes it falls flat, but sometimes I get an idea that works.

I think music helps a lot as well. As Lady A had pointed out, music is inspiration. Again, for better or for worse, music can literally help define a character when they're their best or break them apart by rendering them to their worst. I may not always find the best theme for my characters right away because I struggle to find that right song for them, but once I do, I end up finding ten more just like it. This ends up with me building a small playlist for them.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Man those are great clothes. And that guy has great hair. I’m so jealous. Why can’t I have clothes like that?

Will you focus? He’s insulting Emiri. Do something, you idiot! Belias scoffed at Jaakuna, getting him to pay attention to what was going on other than what Jaakuna wanted to wear.

He shook his head, looking at Igeyorhm with a nasty expression. “Yo, don’t be dissin’ my Scion--I mean Emiri--like that, ya hear me, bozo!?” He yelled to Igeyorhm, his hands pointed at the Martyr in front of him. His fists had blazed up, making it seem like Jaakuna was ready for battle.

“What a fucking dumbass.”

“Well, at least he’s back with us.” Michel let out a laugh.

He still couldn’t believe this was the guy who was supposed to save them all. Though, in all the time he had known Jaakuna, he always did end up surprising him one way or another. He still remembered how no one thought Jaakuna would amount to much, but he ended up being the most gifted innovator of modern technology since the days of Larsa, first of his name. What he lacked in common sense and overall intelligence, he made up for in heart and pure intuition. His gut feeling often led him down the hardest path but never steered him wrong. It took a special, unique man to make it work for him. When one route failed, he went for another. Truly, foolhardiness truly was the trait of the stubborn.

And as Michel was deep in his own thoughts, he didn’t even notice how Jaakuna charged straight for Igeyorhm, moving so fast tha tnot even the Martyr would see Jaakuna coming, his fists planting themselves in the false Scion’s stomach, sending him through the building behind him.

“YAHOO!” Jaakuna let out a war cry, chasing after Igeyorhm.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

And like always, Jaakuna stuck the landing. Honestly, the more he used that form of transportation, the more Jaakuna found himself not really missing the Ifrit. First off, it was way more exciting flying via the use of his own mist and secondly, there was a rush of adrenaline that Jaakuna had when he flew through the air. Feeling the wind on his face and the slight uncertainty that he might die filled him up with such exhilaration that he was always high on energy when he landed.

Thankfully, there was someone to take his energy out on. However, as it would appear, this...Igeyorhm? That was his name, right? Jaakuna shrugged, looking at him. Aside from being evil and someone who Jaakuna had to defeat, he dressed rather stylish. He could definitely tell why everyone compared the two. They had the same, glorious fashion sense.

“Hey, cool digs man. Really stylish!” Jaakuna gave him a thumbs up, completely ignoring what Emiri was saying to him.

“You idiot,” Savayna said, appearing right beside Jaakuna.

And not long after, Meli and Michel came out of a portal next to Emiri. “Igeyorhm, I’ve finally caught you.”

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

As they all spoke, there was only one thing that Jaakuna could think about and that was the constant comparisons to him and Igeyorhm. They kept saying that Jaakuna wasn’t bright and this one wasn’t bright, and then how they were both reckless. Was he really that careless? Sure, Jaakuna tended to get carried away from time to time, but he wasn’t nowhere as rash as this Igeyorhm seemed to be. And yet, as he looked on from the balcony, it was obvious that this guy wouldn’t let up. There was already four towers of smoke but throughout the city. However, Jaakuna noticed something rather...odd.

“Is he...no, he can’t be serious?”

“What?”

“I might be mistaken, but I think he’s going further away from us with no possible direction whatsoever.”

Michel laughed, but he noticed what Jaakuna noticed. “you’re ... right, Jaakuna. He’s actually moving away from us.”

“Guess you and he aren’t so different, after all, Jaakie” Savayna patted his shoulder, to which Jaakuna flinched. He still was fresh on the memory of Savayna beating his ass.

Jaakuna pounded his fists together, flame mist sparking from them, and grabbed Emiri by the arm. “Last one there is a rotten Chocobo Egg!”

And without so much as a single warning, he jumped off the balcony with Emiri in a single arm, and he flared up, fiery mist surrounding him as Jaakuna had used it to propel him towards where the towers of smoke were going.

“What an idiot,” Savayna shook his head, “though, he has the right idea.”

Savayna snickered and she too would follow suit, doing exactly what Jaakuna did, but in her own style. As she had jumped off the balcony, ice beckoned her feet and she left a path of ice in her dust as she was right on Jaakuna’s tail. Michel would also do the same, taking Meli’s hand as they would jump from portal to portal.

Crooked Young - An Altered Lies Production

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There was quite the awkwardness as the Mossos family and Audrey of the Huntsberg family stood in the doorway. It was almost as if she was expecting anyone else but the Mossos’ to arrive, though as the matriarch and patriarchs of the respective families would start to engage in some kind of small talk, effectively taking Baltazar and Adrianna Mossos inside and away from the kids, Audrey had completely made a 180. She went from saving face to revealing her true feelings about the Mossos’ children, specifically Ava and Alexandros.

“Understood.”

“Fine.”

“But…”

However, as she landed on Eli, she had a different tune to play. She didn’t know him, so she had no real reason to say anything specific or act a specific way towards him. However, he knew her and who she was. He knew what she represented and that was everything that he hated. However, as much as he hated those types, there was someone he knew would be bothered by what he was about to do.

“Maybe we should change that,” Eli brazenly suggested, eying Audrey from head to toe, all the while ALexandros was giving him a subtle, yet scathing, glare.

And even as Audrey went back to her “saving face” mode, Eli seemed to be up to no good. Alexandros more or less confirmed this as he saw his brother watch Audrey as she led them into the house. Specifically, Eli was watching her ass sway side-to-side. Lord knew that Alexandros still felt a type of way about her. And Eli knew that, so what he was thinking was just to spite him.

As they would stop in a room where the other guests were, Audrey would leave them be.
Alexandros took Eli by the arm gently, glaring at his brother. “What are you doing?” Alexandros whispered to Eli.

“What? You two are over, right?”

“Yes..” Alexandros reluctantly admitted.

“Good, then everything’s fair game, brother.” Eli simply stated, taking a drink from a passing waiter and left Alexandros to his devices.

Despite knowing that Audrey and he were no longer involved, it still got to him and Ava seemed to notice it as she approached him. “You’re not seriously going to let him steal your woman, are you?”

“She’s not mine anymore.”

“Well still, you can’t let him do that.”

Alexandros turned around, scowling subtly. “You’re the one that made it possible for Eli to make some kind of move.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault she couldn’t handle the truth.” Ava shrugged, s she following Eli’s suit as she took a drink and would go mingle with the guests.

Meanwhile, as Audrey had been in some kind of conversation, Eli had taken the bold approach and joined her with what looked like someone she was familiar with. He more or less ignored Audrey’s friend(cousin?) and directed all of his attention on her. “Well, aren’t you quite the rude host. I was in the middle of saying something and you didn’t even bother to give me an answer.” Eli said, feigning a hurt pride, interrupting whatever conversation that Audrey and her equally-attractive friend/cousin/relative/guest were having.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"The only thing I'm going to respect is that idiot's face under my heel." Savayna snarled at Emiri, turning around as Shion had demanded absolute silence as she told them Michel had something to tell them.

The latter coughed, giving Shion a nod. He then looked at everyone as he had their undivided attention - even Jaakuna who, despite his condition, was paying attention. Once Michel saw that he would begin speaking. "While you all have been dealing with the treaty business here, I was tracking one of Venat's Spawns. He calls himself Igeyorhm, the Martyr. As some of you know, from the legends of the Scions, this specific one is the opposite of my Esper, Shemhazai, the Whisperer." Michel stated, coughing as he continued. "He went to Rozarria as he was tracking someone of his own. He was well aware of my presence, which was why he lost my tail somewhere in the Sandsea. So, I lost about an hour I had on him, which allowed him to set up a plan to find who he was after."

"And who was he looking for?" Jaakuna asked.

"Well, after a failed attempt to subdue him, Wesley and Grant - mostly Wesley - decided to appeal to his not-so-intelligent mind and passively state that Venat would kill him." Michel laughed at the thought of that. "Wesley's quite evil when he wants to be. Some of the things he implied really made me feel bad for Igeyorhm," he shook his head as he returned to his thought. "With Wesley's confusing rhetoric and GRant's quick mind, he figured out that it was neither of them that he was after. In fact, it was a woman the Martyr was sent to retrieve."

"A woman huh? So, Venat wants me dead, huh?" Savayna didn't seem surprised.

"Actually, it was not you who he was sent to kill."

"Then who? Emiri?" Jaakuna automatically looked to his beloved, worried.

"Again, that's not who." Michel shook his head to both Jaakuna and Savayna, though he drifted his eyes to someone else. "It was you, my mistress," Michel said to Shion. "Igeyorhm comes for you--"

BOOM

Suddenly, almost as if out of nowhere, an explosion not far off from where the Emporer's Tower was location could be heard, causing citizens in the area to scream. "What was that?" Jaakuna asked, rushing to the balcony. He saw a tower of smoke coming from the Market District.

"He comes."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

As always, his mistress was as intuitive as she had always been. He hadn't even been in her presence for a full minute and she already could sense that he was here more than to see how she was doing. "You are correct," Michel confirmed her supsicions. "As you know, I left on a--wait, there's someone missing." Michel noticed this right away. Among them, there were two key Archadians missing, not to mention a brunette who needed to hear what he had to say. "Where are Jaakuna, Savayna, and Emiri?" Michel asked, though some of them seemed reluctant on telling him. However, he would notice that the Dalmascan Knight, Alistair, who was enjoying tea as he sat next to Reia, point inside the building.

Michel stepped through and what he saw was, if nothing else, shocking. Blood sprayed all over the formerly-flawless desk that was handcrafted by the first Archadians. and that wasn't the only thing he saw. Savayna was beating the holy Ultima out of Jaakuna. He didn't quite understand, but as he saw her grab him by his blond hair, she would use her monstrous strange as she would flip him up like a ragdoll and slam his body into the ground, alternating from left to right but not seeming to cease her actions. Honestly, what had Jackson done to incite such rage?

"Uh, Savayna.."

"What is--oh, Michel, it's you."

Michel didn't know what to say, "yeah, I need to speak to you and Jaakuna."

"can it wait? I'm in the middle of beating his ass."

"It'll only take a moment, then you can continue your justified beating." Michel said, hearing Jaakuna moan in surprise. "Oh, where's Emiri--"

Michel heard something that sounded a lot like a banging from the closet door. He heard it multiple times, actually. Curious, he went over to investigate. The lock was jammed it seemed, so he would work his magic, and as he would open it, out came Emiri running straight towards him. Out of reflex, he quickly side-stepped as Emiri ran straight for Jaakuna, who was on all fours, and Emiri's rather large knee had made direct contact with Jaakuna's hard head, knocking him out.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

“Grant, I must apologize, but I must side with my darling. Despite Archadia looking to be a center point for battle, Nadeline proved herself to be more than capable during the Black Night. Despite her bearing our child and despite everything that was telling her to quit, she didn’t. What was even more, she stood her ground and is the reason my--I mean our--city didn’t fall to the spawns of darkness.” Wesley took Nadeline’s hand, gripping it lovingly, and giving her a similar gaze. “I will not leave her behind. So, either you go by yourself or we go together.”

And, as a turn of events that Grant should’ve predicted, Wesley laid out his ultimatum.

---

Stepping through a portal and landing on one of the skyscrapers of Archadia, from the view, Michel had forgotten how beautiful his homeland was. Just based off of appearances along, even for Michel, he had to admit the wonders the city had. Buildings that were slick and had a certain design that really made one respect those who laid the foundation for what the modern architects had been able to achieve. Not to mention the several floating buildings powered by state-of-the-art cores that were just another reason for the praise that went towards Archadia’s technological breakthrough. It’s no wonder people often refer it as “The City of Wonders”.

“Do they really call it that?” Shemhazai asked, not seeing what Michel was actually meaning.

He shrugged, “all I know is that we are often given praise for our breakthroughs.”

“Sound kind of dumb.”

“I agree, but we have to learn how to take the praise when it's offered.”

This time, Shemhazai was the one who offered a shrug, though she rolled her eyes. Michel wouldn’t say nothing after that. He simply gave her a nod and she would fade back into the void until such a time came when Michel required her assistance once again.

Looking out at the city once more, Michel took in a deep breath, and took a step off of the building. He aimed his head down towards the ground, feeling alive as the wind began to pick up and his green hair was so far behind his face it almost seemed as though his hair was being sucked away from his head. But, just as it seemed that he was going to crash on the floor and become part of the ground floor in a permanent way, Michel extended his hand and Void Portal appeared below him. He went through it only to appear through a different one in that same moment just a few paces away and he took to a casual walk as if nothing had happened.

Michel knew where he had to go. As soon as he had stepped foot into the city, he could sense her mist. Of course, of all places, he would find her in this tavern not far from Old Archades. It only took him about ten minutes to reach it, but once he did, he walked in with his typical, low-key swagger that most in the Imperial Army knew him for. And much like how he won her over, he saw his darling sitting at a table all by her lonesome. Gods only knew that if some poor sap tried to make a move on her, she wouldn’t hesitate to kick his ass.

Let’s just hope she doesn’t do that to men.

He approached her table, sitting across from her and seeing her radiant, feisty eyes just looking back at him. A waiter came over to him. “What can I get you?”

“Whatever’s on tap is fine.”

After the waiter had come and gone with his drink, setting it on the table, Michel just stared at her. Surprised as ever, she wasn’t wearing her usual digs. She was more...conservative than what she usually wore. But that didn’t say anything for how angry she looked. Time to say something clever, Michel.

“I hear my father is doing well with the flowers.”

Meli let out something that was half a scoff and half a laugh. Without responding, she would down the rest of her drink before slamming it onto the table. She turned in her seat, eyeing him rather suspiciously. She crossed one leg over another, almost looking like a lady, though the scowl on her face would send even hardened soldiers running.

“That’s your brilliant one-liner?” She asked him, her voice venomous. “For fuck’s sake, you had how long to come up with something, and that is it? Fucking--HEY!” She stopped her tirade long enough to snap her fingers at a passing waitress, startling the poor woman. “I’m going to need another five of these to get me through this conversation.” She told him, placing her empty cup on the table and grabbing the drink she already had. The waitress fled the scene immediately, leaving Meli to return her attention to Michel.

She nearly got halfway through her second drink before she would place it down, giving him her attention once more. “Michel. Darling. Sweetheart. Where the ever living fuck have you been?” She went straight into it.

“That’s a long story.”

“I didn’t ask for a long story, I said where the fuck have you been!” Meli replied.

Michel let out a sigh, downing whatever crapshit ale he was drinking. “The better question would be to ask where haven’t I been.” He stated with another sigh. “Let me start over; I’ve been following lead after lead for our mistress regarding Zodiark - or who was parading as Zodiark. I’ve been from the most northern pole to the ruins of Pharos. It was only in the past few days did I finally get what I needed, so I’ve been with our Blue Rose for the past few days.” He told her, hoping she was satisfied with his answer.

“Is that why you ditched me out of the blue?!” She asked him, throwing herself back in her seat. “You just up and walk out muttering some crap about ‘the dark one’ then you go who knows where and now--you know what, I have been worried sick about you, no message, no ‘hey babe I’ll be back’, nothing.” She huffed at him. “You understand why I’m so pissed, right? Right?”

Michel reached over to touch her hand, attempting to stroke it gently. “Of course, I understand. And you don’t think I haven’t been keeping tabs on you. I know you have been doing a wonderful job. No words could describe how great of a job you have done with my responsibilities.” He spoke to her tenderly. “But I’m here now, so let me make it up to you.” He said as he kept rubbing her hand.

She threw him another scowl, taking her hand from his. “No sweet-talking your way out of this one!” She scolded him, placing her hands on the table. “Tabs, but not a damn message to be seen. Unbelievable!” She let out a small whimper, suddenly putting her head in her hands. “It’s like I don’t even matter! I’m not so clingy I need to know your every movement every second of the day, but…”

“Technically, I just told you where I’ve been.” Michel said as he shrugged.

Slamming her hands onto the table, she glared at him. “That’s not what I mean!”

Though everyone else seemed fearful of Meli as she raised her voice, Michel would only smirk at his dearly beloved. “You know I love it when you get angry.” He teased her.

“Honestly, it’s like you’re not even listening to me!” She whined. “I’m being serious!”

“Oh, I can tell,” Michel nodded. “You’re angry at me for being gone. I am at your mercy, my beautiful goddess.” Michel feigned an understanding tone, faking a whimpering expression as she was still glaring at him.

As the waitress returned with her drink, she immediately downed the one she had stolen easier, taking the second drink. The waitress took the empty cup as Meli took a swig of the third drink, though she let out a shriek as Meli would slam that one down as well. “Fuck off already!” She barked, sending the waitress to--once again--flee. “Mercy my ass, you just think you can bat those eyelashes of yours and I’ll immediately forgive you. It’s not happening, Michel!”

“Gah, you saw through my master plan!”

“Fine, be an ass, go disappear again and see if I care,” She snapped at him as she would stand. She turned to leave, only to see the same waitress, who froze in place. Rolling her eyes, she fumbled through a small handbag and piled a collection of gil on the waitress’ tray, and promptly stomped away.

“Gods, I love that woman.” Michel snickered, giving the waitress a smile as he followed Meli out of the tavern. It only took him half of a minute to catch up to her, to which he put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her into a forced embrace.

“Michel, stop it,” She told him, pushing him away.

And yet, despite her protests, he persisted, bringing her closer, using his free hand to tickle her sides. “Oh come on, you know you like my surprise hugs, babe.”

“I’m not in the mood,” She told him, swatting his free hand away.

“That’s what you always say and yet...” Michel would snicker, giving her a mischievous look. He would go for round two of the tickling.

A laugh managed to escape her before she would grab his hand. “I mean it this time!” She told him as she wriggled her way out of his embrace, continuing her strut. “Is that all it is, Michel? You’re entirely convinced I’m just going to forgive and forget about this?”

“Of course not,” he stated simply, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a set of diamond hair clips, and handed them to her. “Maybe this might help you see to my way of thinking.”

She hesitated for a moment. Damn it, how long did he have those for?! Oh, they were so pretty--no, no, she was pissed, and she was going to stay pissed! She had half a mind to throw them at him, though before she even realized what she was doing, she had placed them in her hair, taking a moment to admire herself. Where the fuck did herself control go?! Okay, fine, she didn’t have to stay mad,but he needed to understand why she was mad--and actually understand, not ‘yes I heard you’ understand.

Turning towards him, she tried very hard to ignore his very confident expression. “Michel.” She said his name.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

“Michel!” Her temper seemed to flare up, but for once she managed to calm herself down. “Could you please stop being an ass, I’m really upset right now!” She pleaded with him.

“What? Are you not pleased with the gift? I should’ve got you the matching bracelet, huh.” Michel stated, feeling a tinge of regret.

As much as she was dying to know about the bracelet, she resisted. “Michel, after you left, Lola went missing, too.” She told him, frowning. “And with our Blue Rose going off on her own, I feel abandoned.”

On the mention of Lola, Michel could tell just by her somber expression that she truly didn’t know the truth about Lola nor did she about anything about what has transpired. And how could she? As she said, they all left her hanging dry with only her and his father to take reins of Utena. It was no wonder she was so damn pissed at him.

He let out a sigh, now understanding. In the moment that followed, Michel took her hand and they both disappeared into one of his Void Portals. Though surprising to those on the ground floor, they’d be gone from sight in a matter of seconds, and their forms appeared on top of the Emperor’s Building.

“I take it back, I’m going to need some details of that story,” She stated.

There was a moment of amusement from Michel as he gave Meli a slight chuckle, though he could see the look on her face and it was obvious how she was equally intrigued and confused. “I suppose a lot has happened. Fine, let me begin at the easiest to explain. I’m what they call a Chosen One. As you probably know, the Espers bond to one special Hume and once they find them sufficent enough, they are able to unlock their Inner Seals. I’ve done this twice over: once to become a chosen one and another to be an Ascendant of the Void.” Michel explained, hoping she was still with him at this point.

“That explains why your ego’s inflated moreso than usual.” Meli nodded in understanding.

“It’s not my fault that I’m more special than the likes of Savayna and Prince Grant, who by the way, totally sounds like a teenaged girl.”

“What?!” She paused. “...Is Grant the blonde one…?”

“No, he’s the one that whines a lot. Savayna calls him Pussy Grant.”

“Oh, that one...I don’t remember him. Maybe I confused him with that dark haired chick…”

“Well, he is a bit feminine. With his new voice, he’ll be even more confusing than she--I mean he--was before.” Michel let out a laugh.

Meli nodded, though she would pause once more. “So...you’re super special then? What does that mean? Like, what are you chosen for?”

“Special things.”

“Specifically…?”

“Specifically things that are special.”

She pushed his shoulder. “Michel!” She whined. “See, this is what I’m talking about, I’m trying to be serious and you’re joking around again.”

Michel just let out a shrug. “My bad, hun, but I’m trying to lighten the mood because what I have to say next is something you’re not going to like one bit.”

“Why?” She asked him suspicious. “Are you...trying to tell me something?”

Michel eyed Meli, trying to think of what’d be the best way to say what he knew she needed to hear, but how did one go about it? Just tell it to her straight. Shemhazai suggested.

Yeah, I know.

Taking a long moment to carefully consider his options, he knew what he had to do. “It’s about Lola. She’s not who we think she is.”

“What do you mean?”

Michel had began to explain it the best that he could. He told Meli exactly what everyone had told them when they got back from Henne Mines. They started with how Lola was with the Dark Seed, Keiran, the one that Leviathan had put in Emiri about two months ago and how his motives had been very ambiguious at best. Michel mentioned how he had been acting supicious as of late until his real motives were revealed and that he was working with Levi and Lola, the goal still remained cloudy at best, but what seemed obvious was the three of them were working -- in secret -- to revive the real Zodiark and that Lola was actually not what they knew her as. “Lola” was a cover name; her real name was Nabriales, the Majestic, the famed Scion of Light opposite to Cuchulain, the Impure.

And when he told her that, it was obvious to Michel that she wasn’t prepared. And how could she be? The person she thought as a sister in arms was actually the sworned enemy of Ivalice. Not only that, but Lola and Meli seemed to have a bond closest out anyone of Utena, so he knew that this was a shocker for her.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Meli demanded to know more. “Are you trying to tell me this entire time we’ve been fooled?”

“That I can’t say with absolute certainty. Maybe she did actually care about our cause.” Michel sighed and shrugged. “All I know is that, at some point in time, she became this false Scion of Light.” He said, touching her shoulder with his hand comfortingly. “If you need more answers...well,” Michel opened a portal to the left of them. “Let us step through and someone may be able to provide more answers for you.”

Michel took Meli’s hand as the two of them would once again go into one of his Void Portals and they’d find themselves out on the balcony of Roman’s office where he and the others were enjoying some tea. “Madame Blue Rose, how wonderful it is to see you walking.”

Naruto: Revival

^{Konohagakure | Chunin | NinTai-nin}

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^{TIME: Present Day - Morning | LOCATION: Konohagakure - Forest of Death(#winning) | INTERACTION: Woodworking Wonder@Reflection | Team Bitch-Ass: Usagitits @Project, Tsukikock @j8cob, Sakana-not-a-man-a @Odin, Kamuivi-otta-da-way @Spanner}

Contrary to what most in the village and even those in his family like to believe, Jaakuna could take a hint. Despite what he usually did in these kinds of situations, Jaakuna placed his trust in Kurin. He didn’t steer him wrong during the first exam and he wouldn’t do that to him now. So with that being decided, on the first chance that provided an opening for Jaakuna, he’d use it to take off to a sprint, darting and dashing through the trees.

There really was only one thing on Jaakuna’s mind and that was protecting the scroll. Kurin, despite how fatigued he might’ve been, could at least hold them off until Jaakuna secured enough distance between them and the scroll he now had in his possession. For safe keeping, of course, he stashed it close to his vest. The scroll itself wasn’t necessarily large nor was it small. Its size presented a problem of hiding it, so Jaakuna had to get creative with it. Regardless, he had a decent headstart before the others would catch onto him. He figured, based on how soon the others came out of hiding, he had about ten seconds. Math and numbers weren’t ever his forte, but even he could surmise that much.

“Just keep fleeing. Just keep fleeing. Just keep fleeing.” Jaakuna chanted that to himself almost like a mantra to keep him going. He was tired and exhausted. His legs were burning more than the fire that danced inside him, but for his team’s sake, Jaakuna had to keep moving. He had to keep the scroll safe. But more importantly, if he stopped, he knew he’d be fucked. That isn’t something anybody wants that would bring displeasure to said person.