Avatar of Crumbs
  • Last Seen: 9 yrs ago
  • Joined: 10 yrs ago
  • Posts: 285 (0.08 / day)
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    1. Crumbs 10 yrs ago

Status

Recent Statuses

9 yrs ago
Current o h. s h i t. i t. k i c k e d. i n.
2 likes
9 yrs ago
what's good, yo?
1 like
9 yrs ago
got something in the works.
1 like
9 yrs ago
i am an ambivalence engine.
9 yrs ago
ahhhh, no. it never stops happening.
1 like

Bio

Hey, there. I'm Crumbs and you are you. I like that about us.

Most Recent Posts

Waiting around, mostly.
Leaving another bump here, since I'm gonna be gone most of the day~!
Posted up a fourth idea. Tentatively titled 's Wild. Check it out, if you wanna.

This is a bump, also?

Yes, probably so.
A moment...or no time at all? It was hard to tell how much time had passed, if any, since the fledgling Prophet had touched upon his shoulder and set an incomplete set of swords dancing about the air; held by specters Crosos Granz was not wont to see again any time soon, wispy and vague though their forms had been. The scene had since faded, leaving the Golem Knight and Prophet aspirant standing atop a distant mountain.

Luna was heavy, but not full, above them, her glow a malicious orange. A strange swathe had been cut through her center, and from that wound poured a liquid umbrage that swam in the night air...much different from the night its self. It was a seething serpent, wriggling free of the afterbirth of calamity. Panic swelled in Crosos' chest, as he observed. A gentle touch drew his single eye from the phenomenon. It was Alyosha Grey, his hands laced before him; his position seemed strange, given that Granz knew he had felt something.

"To the south, Ser Crosos Granz." Alyosha was quiet, as usual, but seemed unperturbed. Such, Crosos thought, suited his peer very well. Still, it seemed amiss. He did as instructed, slowly turning his head and pushing aside thoughts of Luna's silent hemorrhaging. They stood, he assumed, on Mount Tinilit; tallest of Gnara's Locks. Before him stretched a landscape of ruin and ash. All of Tantas seemed to be crying out in pain, the distant noise now apparent to him. Earth sundered and cracked open, belching out gouts of flame that rose like towers into the spreading darkness. "This is" he, too, turned to observe; as calm and collected as the Golem had come to expect, "the result of Strife's triumph. This," as if to accent his words, the very mountain groaned, "is the world he wishes to create."

He drank in the chaos, his Core aching with the sheer malign force that now permeated the world he had come to love. Were he able, he thought distantly, the Golem Knight may have shed a tear for his beloved home. For it was certainly Vaald he saw in the ruinous expanse, a conflagration that far surpassed the pyres that had once been various hamlets and cities. Despite the horror before him, something seemed amiss. The emphasis on the word 'he', uttered by the usually reserved Alyosha revealed an inadequacy. Suddenly, the Golem Knight turned and looked down on his companion.

Granz's gaze was met evenly, without the slightest shift in the Prophet's stance. The feeling of knowing was there, an instinct born from years of battle and playing along with Deladish politics; something he had honed with Serpera for what felt an eternity. "Who are you," came the question, raspy and metallic, as he pointed a finger at the figure, "and what is the meaning of-"

Alyosha's form did not shift, nor was there a great upheaval of the vision; but there was a distortion. A flickering of static around them, something akin to a dome that surrounded them. It was disorienting, but moreso was the chuckled that escaped the form of his new friend. Light and airy, completely uncharacteristic.

"You are correct! I am not the Prophet's son. I am someone else, entirely." The false-Alyosha unfolded their hands and opened them toward him in apology. "I did not mean to deceive. His was merely the most easily accessible face to portray in this situation." Granz shifted uncomfortably, sliding metal against slick ice, crossing his arms and letting his free hand slide to Headsman's hilt. "Please," said the other with Alyosha's voice, "allow me to explain."

"I would have demanded it of you. By all means, continue, stranger."

A nod. "I can not tell you my name, here. We are currently inside the realm of visions created by Alyosha. I have re-purposed his connection with you to allow us time to talk, before you must set about preventing the catastrophe at hand." The other took a few steps, closing the distance between them. Where Alyosha's eyes were normally a lambent blue, what stared at him were of a darker hue; gray and somehow uneven...as though the color sought to escape their halo. "What you see is not what he is seeing. You are here because you are of the few in Aedrasil who I can reach out to, in my current state. Your father knew that you-"

Crosos reeled back, letting his hands fall to his side. His Core pulsed with irritation and his body was beset by coarse, electric confusion. "What do you know of that old man? What has he to do with," he swept an arm out over the scene behind him, "the madness you say is to come?"

"You have not fulfilled your true purpose, Crosos Granz. What I know of Illixion the Mad is of little relevance, right now. Please, time is growing short." The impostor shifted uncomfortably and cast a glance around, as though something were to attack them at any moment. "I have borrowed you, denying you the visions Alyosha sought to impart. I have brought you here to warn you of what can not yet be seen." His face-plates ground together, small sparks falling to ash-strewn snow. "I have brought you here to tell you the truth. Elise, the Silver Glint, is in danger. You must make your way to the Crystalline Chamber. Take the unconscious Prophet with you. Along the way, you will find others. Others who..."

The vision began fading at the edges, the same strange static from before surging over them. The fake Alyosha broke into pieces, scattered suddenly to the wind as one scene overlapped another.

Again, he stood in his room. Alyosha Grey, the real one, or so he assumed, splayed across the floor; his swords slowly sheathing themselves...scraping across the ground. Frost had formed at his joints and on his armor...on the window. "Poor Nef," he whispered, stopping to gather the Prophet once his armaments were safely away. He lifted the Elf and placed him over his shoulder, grim determination settling in. Elise was in danger. Whatever it was that warned him...whatever it was that had changed the vision he was to receive...he did not know what to think of it. It had felt familiar. As though it, too, had been a part of him.

Thoughts of what it had said rampaged through his mind as he made his way out of his chambers and into the hallway. He would have to tell Alyosha what he had seen, and ask the same of the Prophet's son. First, however, came their trek to the Crystalline Chamber. Something undoubtedly dire awaited them, the Golem knew...yet felt emboldened. They had a chance to change things.
@Shoryu MagamiYeah, no problem! I meant to do it a while back, like I said, but been kinda busy when I'm on here. Catching up with posts for my various involvements. Thanks for invitin' me! I'm sure I'll get more involved in the discussions, once I feel comfortable jumping in. ^^
@tsukunePshehehe, the green is my thing. It ain't gonna chaaaaange~

EDIT: Sorry 'bout ya eyes, though. T_T
Hihihi, finally dropping into to check out this sick-nasty hangout thread. Sorry for not doing so, earlier. How's it going, folks? I'll probably be popping in from time to time to converse and maybe just generally fuck around!
Silence had settled in for the barest of moments, Tempa lifting her gaze long enough to start preparing the next in a line of myriad questions for the Druidess. As her lips began to move, half a syllable escaping before a dire warning echoed over the Serene Pools. The Firebrand turned and un-shouldered Alacrity fluidly, letting its hidden edge tap against the smooth stone at her feet; using the side of her foot to slide away the ragged cloth. Undead, as she had heard it from the Knight before her, were close by. The prospect of a battle was welcome, in this moment; especially against what she considered walking, albeit dangerous, kindling.

Tempa's lips curled upward as the man continued. "Nothin' unusual 'bout that," she muttered under her breath and started moving forward, "blasphemy's common in our world. I'll be goin' ahead." She steeled herself for what was to come, thoughts of her previous conversation scattered in the face of imminent danger. The air seemed tense for a moment before a thunder-clap that sent her reeling.

She shifted her footing against the shaking ground, stepping backwards to distance herself from its center; bracing herself against the force she expected to follow. It wasn't quite enough, when the Serene Pools erupted with a furious flash; stonework scattered to the sky and set to rain down in small chunks...accompanied by the mercurial flight of the sister-goddesses. Despite the spots left in her vision by the spontaneous explosion, Tempa Ghaun watched with a muted horror as they leapt upward. It was a thankfully brief moment before they crashed down, away from any of those gathered; sending another groan through the earth.

Her attention was abruptly commanded by the emergence of a ghoul, a girl screaming in response, a wyvern...and the sudden cessation of it all. She forced a sigh, shaking her head a little. She turned her head, looking at those gathered. Anne had been blown back, but caught by a tree. The other Iath was asking if everyone was well. The man in green was responding. The hooded girl was standing, even if her legs seemed to be near-giving. The Ewori responsible for the wyvern seemed to be in good shape, despite what she'd done. Tempa picked about for a moment, finding the kicked-aside rag between a few fist-sized pieces of far-flung stonework, and brought Alacrity close; silently lamenting the situation.

Tempa had swallowed the bitterness of not being able to act and let herself relax, realizing that the conflict was at least mostly over with. "M'fine," she replied after a long moment, over her shoulder, "That was somethin' else! Neva seen the goddesses so quick to get outta the way." The Firebrand chuckled and brought Alacrity back to resting against her shoulder.

- - - - - -

Isyph Al-Delad had no idea what just happened, and didn't bother hiding that fact. Her ears still rang with the initial force and her head felt unevenly placed between her shoulders. Her hood was still on, but dragged down far enough to almost completely obscure her vision. Had she done that, in the throes of confusion? It was impossible for her to know, but everything seemed calm now. The last thing she remembered clearly was seeing a piece of rock hurtling toward her.

Distant was the thought of outrageous prices offered by the Iath stranger. Distant were the thoughts of gold and greed; all at once consumed by the upheaval of the Serene Pools. Now, all that occupied her was a distant wonder. "Gods alive..." she ran a delicate hand along her face, adjusting her hood again and trying to regain her composure, "what...?" For once, words were almost completely beyond her. She hadn't wanted to be caught up in anything like this; even if it were handled promptly, the methodology was far too loud for her. She was simply glad to still have her life.

"Th-thanks for that!" the Uquii smiled feebly, giving a weak nod in turn to the Iath and Ewori letting her hand drop to her side. It was an amazing event, to be certain; but Isyph wasn't so sure that her heart could easily handle something like that, again, in the immediate future. She fell in beside Dodger, giving him a brief smile, happy that the other Thief was unharmed, nodding an affirmation to his latter questions; having absolutely no context for what exactly had transpired right in front of her. Still the potential of it was evident, though, in terms of a song...it would just take the Uquii girl quite a while to get the details right.
Your own shadow could be a perfect opponent; in the right light. A perfect mimicry of your motions, flowing to match their source with no qualms. The only problem Kazuko had with her shadow was that it couldn't strike back. Those thoughts occupied her now as she let herself strike without focus, aside from the litany echoing just beyond the reach of her ears. Right fist, right foot, left elbow, right foot, left fist, right knee, left knee- stop! Take a break. Kazuko obeyed herself, stopping on a dime; her left knee still lifted, toes pointed downward, as she grappled her shadow's head. Suddenly aware of the other students passing her outside of Aikaga Central High, she continued to breathe; slowly releasing the intangible imitation and uncurling her fingers.

Oh, they saw that...

Embarrassment was there, but distant. Kazuko might've colored slightly, but it was probably unnoticeable from the light tinge of her earlier exertions. The air was refreshing, today, at least. Alight with excitement and oozing an enthusiasm that could only be attributed to the start of a new school year. She crossed her arms and straightened her skirt, pulling up her socks a little bit, synchronizing with the world with a few quick glances. The time was uncertain, but judging by the increasingly dense throng Kazuko figured at least thirty minutes had passed since she'd arrived. She wouldn't be heading to class, just yet. Instead she simply watched her peers walk by, offering a smile or wave where appropriate. A nod, here and there.

I'm watching you, she would tell some, with a warning glance. True, she wasn't part of anything official in her dealings with what she might call miscreants. Maybe delinquents, thuggish churls, or ne'er-do-wells is what she would choose to call them in some situations. Strangely, she knew a fair amount of words to call evildoers; most of which she would admit were silly-sounding. Regardless, she dealt with those types from time to time. Yeah, I'm looking at you! Keep walking.

That particular aspect of her personality had earned her a few things, few of which were good. The attention of those who actually had the authority to do something about the problems at hand, but were rarely around when something actually happened. Others paid mind to her, as well; old rivals, acquaintances, her few friends...and her handful of enemies. The enemies were thankfully scarce, though Kazuko expected that to change before the end of the year. None of those faces had emerged from this small crowd, yet.

That's fine. I don't much want to talk, right now. She unfolded her arms and stifled a small yawn. How long have I been awake? Let's see...it had to have been around... she lifted her fingers, counting off the hours, at least three. A dream, maybe a nightmare, had roused Kazuko in the late hours of the night and she'd been wide awake sense. Kind of funny, I don't even remember what is was about, now...huh...what was-

"Kazuko-chan!" The voice came from her immediate left and was followed by a friendly slap on the back. The impact thudded through her chest, but Kazuko remained firmly in place and fought down the urge to give Saito Ai a light punch in the stomach. "Good mooooorning~!" Part of the other girl loomed at the edge of her vision, just below her shoulder; half of a smiling face. "How aaaaare you? Why didn't we hang last week, huh? You blowin' me off, again? That's rude~!" Ai started laughing and danced into view, all smiles; somewhat literally, the rest of her face was obscured by bangs that seemed to, by design, almost always be in the way...and the probably manic girl seemed to have an endless supply of big grins.

Damnit, she snuck up on me again! She's getting better at that.

Kazuko smiled, despite that thought. Ai had been her friend for a long time and, if anything, that warranted putting up with her eccentricities. Though it might be obvious to almost anyone that Kazuko didn't just put up with Ai. "Morning, Ai-chan. Doing pretty well, got to say! Sorry about last week, I completely forgot that we'd made any plans. Hope you can let that slide. I got caught up..." Ai's grin widened and she leaned forward, rocking on her heels.

"I know, no big deal! Training! Right, right, right. Wanna go get some breakfast?"

She thought it over and gave a gentle shake of her head. Going into the school didn't feel right, yet. There was still a fair amount of time before anything of note began. Eating a gigantic breakfast had also been a factor in making that decision. "How about lunch, instead, if we can? I think I'm going to enjoy the air for a while. Besides, I want to see if I've missed anyone." Ai nodded, completely understanding her true intentions, and gave her a thumbs up before darting off; yelling after someone else.

Kazuko smiled gently and resumed her watch.

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