Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Shion nodded in response to Wesley's request, and as the pair headed towards their destination, Shion threw aside her sword as it faded away. She didn't seem fazed by the multitude of clashes from Jaakuna and Rio, although she would stumble slightly. To her surprise, Emiri caught her arm, helping her stand again. It seemed to have been on instinct, as Emiri couldn't tear her gaze away from the fight. Despite her earlier claims, she truly hated how helpless she felt at the moment, clenching her fists tightly. Shion seemed to catch on, though she chose not to comment on it.

On the other hand, Rio was pleasantly delighted at just how far Jaakuna had come. Matching him blow for blow was quite the accomplishment, though he would surprise him by asking why he was enjoying himself. Was he now? The thrill of battle always gave him a rush, so he genuinely hadn't noticed. The Prodigal Son had an abundance of strength, offering Rio a challenge he didn't know he was craving. It was a nice thought, his blue eyes sparkling as they looked at Jaakuna's green ones. "It's been some time since I've been able to let go," He admitted, smirking to himself. "Even your little girlfriend didn't give me as much of a challenge as I would have hoped. It's not her fault--her time manipulation is something I figured out a while back. She's skilled, but weak. With a little more time, maybe..." He trailed off for a moment, a thought occurring to him, though he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, as if laughing at a joke. "I digress, I'm rambling--though I won't deny if, I'm having the time of my life right now!"

As he swung, more power was in it, and as the two clashed, an eruption of mist flew past them. Shion's eyes widened, and she pulled Emiri out of the way as the mist collided into the wall behind them. "They really will destroy everything at this rate..." She couldn't help but mutter, displeased.

"No, it'll be fine," Emiri reassured her. "It sounds weird, but Rio's putting a lot of effort...Jaakuna will win."

---

The vines struck against Nadeline's makeshift ice pillars, making every attempt possible to get through to her. As she sent a cure over her wound, her body felt heavy. Running on fumes, was she? How she wished Savayna was active, but after the little stunt with the Zodiac Spear, she had no idea when the ice general would awaken. If only she had experience with spears, perhaps it could aid her! No, that was a desperate move, as she was in no condition for a physical fight. Her fingers rapped against the ground as she remained seated, ignoring her oncoming fatigue. Fumbling through her bag, she was ecstatic to find an Ether. As she brought the bottle to her lips, however, a terrible cracking sound caught her attention. The ice was too thick to see through, but a very thin crack had begun to form.

Scoffing slightly, Nadeline downed the Ether, sending a stronger Curaga to her arm, and as she pushed herself to her feet small bits of ice began to shimmer down. Alright then, what were her options? Direct confrontation went poorly. Perhaps she could grab Savayna and run? Ren seemed faster than she was. As the ice began to break, vines slowly started seeping in, and she bumped into one of the racks of weapons, reminding her where she was. Hmm, this was the armory, there had to be something of use! Her eyes scanned the rack, ignoring the majority of blunt weapons and landed on the bombs. Dangerous, but a momentary distraction, and she took the closest one. Well, she would just have to hold her own for the time being.

Dismissing her spell, Nadeline broke into a run, though she threw several bombs at the vines. They disintegrated rather easily. She must have grabbed a fire elemental bomb. As she ran, she kept looking around at the assortment of weapons. Something useful, something that could give her an advantage--anything! A light flickered close to her and Nadeline came to a halt, her hand reaching up towards the feather she kept. The Rod of Faith was reacting to something. Looking around, her eyes landed on a very long, plain looking staff with a bud at its top. There was something very eerie about it, but it looked familiar.

The rack of weapons close to her suddenly fell over, the clanging of metal snapping her out of her thoughts. Without hesitating, Nadeline took a hold of the staff, her feather shining even brighter. The flower lit up, blossoming on the sigil, and the light surrounded her before fading away. "This is the Staff of the Magi...!" She realized, though she sported her usual mischievous smile as she turned towards Ren, holding the staff tightly as her rapier disappeared. Spinning the staff in a circle, a bright light appeared. "Scathe!" She called, though she let out a slight shriek of surprise as her spell exploded forward, demolishing everything in its path. It had come out so much stronger than she had anticipated, and Ren herself quickly went on the defensive.

Are we in need of going back to basic spell casting? Ultima couldn't help but scold her. Nadeline ignored her as the vines returned with a vengeance, though she didn't even have to call out the spell's name for her Firaja to take care of them. You need only stall, I can feel Hashmaal and Zeromus approaching. Finally, some good news! Reinforcing the barrier around Savayna and Jaakuna's Zodiac Spear (knowing she would never hear the end of it if something happened to it), Nadeline began to run again.

---

Wesley was right on the gil as usual, though Grant's concern was likely obvious at this point. He could only hope that Savayna was with Nadeline, but the lack of ice magicks confused him. If there was a fight, his bloodthirsty bride-to-be was usually one of the first to jump in. But there was no familiar chill in the air, and even if one argued it was Rio's influence, their skills were to the point where any of them were discernible. There was no point in lying to Wesley either, so instead, Grant nodded to affirm Wesley's thoughts. "Even weakened, Nadeline's magicks still have their presence," The long haired prince explained. "If I'm being honest, I'm just as concerned that I feel nothing from Savayna." He didn't even have the chance to ask Jaakuna why he had come alone. Shit, he felt so stupid.

The walls around them quaked as a result of Nadeline's spell. "How reckless...who will bring the ceiling down first, Jaakuna or Nadeline?" It was meant to be a joke, but he couldn't help but whine slightly.

Where is your "writing sanctuary"?

At work. No family for constant interruptions and we have enough downtime where I can get everything I need to do and also goof off on RPG until they catch on and block it.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

Nothing to do...

Current Mood in One Gif

The Sands of Time

---

---

Despite being twenty-six years old, Grant apparently did not know his siblings as well as he should have.

His earlier complaints had dropped on deaf ears, as once again, Grant was left with the brunt of the work. He hadn't drank much, knowing he needed to get up early, but apparently no one else had gotten the memo. And so once again, it was up to him to make sure the caterers had the right order, double checking the decorations hadn't been damaged, reviewing the DJ's list of music, triple checking their permits were good to go, and of course ensuring the bartenders weren't stoners who would hand out alcohol to minors. Because, you know, getting busted for distributing to minors was a party-killer.

So one could say Grant was a little stressed.

Grant went over his checklist a good dozen times, rapidly tapping his pen against his notebook. If something was forgotten or left out, he could easily make arrangements to bring it during the party. As the thought crossed his mind, his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. If it was Lorenzo showing off yet another one of his conquests, he swore he was going to strangle him the next time they would see each other. But to his fortune, it was Marlie Castillo. Their friendship was an odd one, but it was a welcome relief considering the amount of crap he had been dealing with.

As he walked to his car, he hit the voice message button. "Come down to my family's party, there's always something to do there. I'm heading home to change now but we can meet up," He spoke, hitting 'send' once he finished talking. Letting out a small groan as his phone buzzed again, he completely ignored it as he noticed this one was from Lorenzo. Instead, he sped off, making his way back to his house. As he went to park, he noticed Elliot's car. Once he parked, he entered his house, ignoring his mother's amused laugh as she noticed how stressed he looked. "Glad to see my misery delights you," He couldn't help but huff, though he stopped as he heard snoring. Alice motioned towards the living room, and Grant knew he was going to make good on his previous promise as he stomped over.

Lo and behold, there was fucking Lorenzo snoozing away. Sprawled out on the couch, his head leaned back, and completely oblivious. The sight was too much, and Grant whacked him upside his head. Lorenzo let out a yelp, scrambling himself to a seated position. "Olivia don't take that picture--oh, thank God, it's just you," Lorenzo sighed in relief, stifling a yawn as he would stand. "Okay, so, I'm a little out of it, but I'm here to help!" He beamed, positively proud of himself as he grinned at Grant.

Unbelievable. Grant didn't know whether to be annoyed or touched that Lorenzo wanted to help. "...I finished everything already, do you have any idea what time it is?" He asked him slowly.

"What?! But that's why I got here early--oh, shit," Lorenzo facepalmed as he realized that he had passed out. "Okay, so, I got here early, but I must have passed out. But that counts! So you can't be mad!" He defended himself, puffing his chest out.

Grant was completely flabbergasted by Lorenzo at the moment. The urge to kill was definitely still there, but knowing he had made a genuine effort to show up was still somewhat surprising. The younger brother slowly shook his head, letting out a sigh.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

It seemed Kai had taken her words to heart, or at least he was putting them in practice. The Heartless were disposed of in a manner of seconds, leaving a confused Kai and a pensive Cielle. As much as she wanted to chalk it up to him finally listening, there was more to it, wasn't there? "That was better," Cielle stated slowly, although before she could comment any further, a horse's neighing caught her attention. It looked oddly familiar, and as Cielle squinted, she realized why. "That's the horse Princess Anna took..." She said out loud, wondering just how long it had been without Anna, The realization hit her, and she stepped forward, her boots crunching the snow. Something must have happened if the horse had no rider, though as she looked around, there was no sign of Anna anywhere.

The coast was clear for now, though it seemed to get colder by the minute. The previously summer weather had vanished, replaced entirely with winter. As much as she believed they shouldn't mess with the world order, this was definitely not normal by any means. "Alright, our first task is to find the princess and accompany her back to the castle. We can continue our search for the keyhole once she is safe," Cielle stated, shaking her head. "I don't believe she has any combat ability, and the heartless are crawling around."

After receiving his confirmation, the pair set off, Cielle doing her best to follow the frantic horse's trail. It hadn't gone terribly far, which was fortunate, though the tracks led to a small, still running creek. She didn't see anything beyond, and for a moment she got worried until she spotted a small cabin with steam rising out of it. "If this is where she lost her horse, it's safe to assume she went there seeking shelter," She pointed the cabin out to Kai.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Nadeline dropped her hands onto her knees, the remnants of her magicks slowly fading. All of Savayna's physical injuries had been healed, so at the very least the general wouldn't be in pain when she would awaken. Nadeline herself wasn't exactly in top form either, her magicks completely depleted at this point. Rest would be best, but as time went on, she actually found herself getting slightly antsy. Staying behind and tending to the wounded was one thing, but being away from the conflict was a foreign feeling. She looked towards the direction Jaakuna had headed off to and let out a sigh. Nothing too out of the ordinary had changed, as she was certain Ultima would have informed her by now, but sitting here and doing nothing was killing her.

Before she could contemplate the possibility of trying to find out what was happening, she felt another precense nearby. Her legs protested as she forced herself to stand, gripping her rapier as she looked around. Hearing a pair of footsteps behind her, Nadeline turned her head and spotted the brown haired girl that she had seen with Shion before--Ren was her name, if she recalled correctly.

"High...Seraph..." Her voice was slightly distorted as she spoke, an all-too familiar darkness permeating around her.

Of course an enemy would appear with her weakened state and an unconscious Savayna behind her. The tip of her rapier touched the ground, a quiet barrier forming around the general, and Nadeline raised her weapon upwards. "Possessed by the Creature, are we?" She identified the source of darkness rather easily--there was no way she could forget its foulness after their encounter in Dalmasca--and readied herself.

Cleansing Mateus' chosen took a majority of your Mist reserves, Ultima chided her.

Well, Nadeline wasn't going to just sit there when a threat was clearly right in front of her, though she had no time to retort as Ren raised her arms, dozens of vines springing from the ground. Nadeline jumped back, though she was glad her barrier protected Savayna. As the vines closed in on her, she placed two fingers on her rapier, flames following her touch. "Firaja!" She called, whipping her spell out. The fire collided with the vines, burning a majority of them to a crisp. Without waiting for Ren's next move, Nadeline dashed forward, although she skidded to a halt as she could sense the clash of magicks happening. It was Jaakuna, and...the Creature?!

The distraction only served to impede her as Ren reached her first, swooping her leg up and kicking Nadeline. All of her air was involuntarily taken out of her, though Ren sent her crashing into the wall closest to them. Once she slid onto the floor, Nadeline could hear Ren chuckling darkly. Hmph, cocky little thing, wasn't she? But Ren had the advantage here, and as she summoned her vines again, Nadeline would stab her rapier into the ground. "Blizzaja!" She called, several icicles shooting up around her. Pushing the spell further, the ice managed to form a small wall, protecting her as Ren's vines bounced off uselessly. A solid defense, though she was temporarily trapped. It was a blessing in disguise, though, as she found blood lightly running down her left arm. Ouch, Ren managed to get her after all.

---

Jaakuna was rather confident in himself, and Emiri actually found herself smiling. There was that old confidence back again. She nodded in affirmation, taking a few steps back as the Mist would gather around him once more. The resulting clash between Jaakuna and Rio nearly knocked her off her feet, the brunette raising an arm to shield herself. The very foundation of the library shook beneath their feet, though as she watched, it seemed Jaakuna definitely had a point: Rio was certainly affected by Jaakuna's attacks. The man never flinched once, though she spotted several burns from near-misses. Of course, none of that seemed to deter Rio, if anything it seemed to make him push himself further.

Grant let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. Shion's light had thrown Jaakuna on another level entirely, and his skills helped him match Rio blow-for-blow. Rio was more experienced, obvious by the way he moved and would strike, but in terms of raw power, it was clear that Jaakuna had the advantage. At this rate, the rest would probably be more of a hindrance than help. When the thought crossed his mind, he could feel a separate darkness a distance away from them, and he looked towards the hole where Jaakuna had barged through. It was only now that it occurred to him that neither Savayna nor Nadeline were anywhere to be seen, the two having accompanied Jaakuna previously.

Already knowing that Wesley had likely sensed the same thing, Zeromus would manifest and Grant would hop on its back. "Let's hurry, then, that feeling is never a good one," He told Wesley.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Rising like a phoenix from its ashes!

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

The amount of destruction Jaakuna was capable of bringing was both awe-inspiring and a true nuisance.

Despite making Rio a priority, Shion was secretly dismayed at the crumbling library. It didn't help that this restricted section housed many books that were either originals or ones that were long lost to history. The warmth of his magicks was rather foreign, dancing in the air long after he had used them. For a moment it was as if Rio's darkness was nonexistent, and that alone managed to bring a smirk on her lips. Despite the short amount of time Jaakuna had transcended, his power was steadily climbing. His control could use some refinement, but the fact that he hadn't burnt Emiri to a crisp was progress. Shion's eyes darted between the shadows, the battlefield's dynamic changing slightly with Jaakuna's entrance. Rio himself hadn't moved, his back to the wall he had crashed into, though it was his silence that was disturbing her.

Grant skidded to a halt, rolling his eyes as he realized what had happened. Always having to arrive in a flourish, did he? It was only then that he noticed the poor state of the library. "Good gods...I can only hope Shion doesn't bill us for the damages..." He muttered, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Emiri's breathing regulated, and she let out a slight groan. Clutching at her wound, she tried to concentrate, rewinding her time. Wincing slightly, she managed to sit up, throwing Jaakuna a small smile. "We've run into a little trouble," She couldn't help but quip, though her expression became serious once more as she heard Rio's rather loud laugh.

Bringing himself to his feet, the dark haired man dusted himself off. He had gotten a little too carried away with things, it seemed, although just as he had hoped, there was the Prodigal Son himself. Clapping his hands somewhat sarcastically, Rio walked towards the pair, his eyes focused on Jaakuna. "And so we finally meet," He stated, rolling his shoulder lightly. "You've got an additional spring in your step! Transcending beyond that or any ordinary mortal, holding power people couldn't dream of comprehending, surpassing those naturally talented--" At his last comment, his eyes would briefly flicker to Emiri, who couldn't help but scowl at him. "--and whose limits are unfathomable. But I digress, I suppose. The most brilliant light to shine only serves to cast the greatest shadow."

"How poetic," Emiri couldn't help but comment.

Rio either missed or ignored her sarcasm, nodding in agreement. "It will be. Now then, Jaakuna," He would lift his hand, his sword beckoning at his call. "I'm curious to see just how far you've come."

Getting to her feet, Emiri stood next to Jaakuna, her hand on his arm to stop him from charging forward before she could warn him. "His darkness allows him to regenerate, nothing seems to phase him," She told him, holding her own weapon in her other hand.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Now it was Cielle's turn to be surprised. What did Kai mean 'how'? It was magic. There was no possible way he could be that dense, could he? He didn't seem too surprised at her elemental magic, but then again, he did touch his own Aero and hurt himself. Magic must not be common where Kai was from. That thought made Cielle think to herself for a moment. Usually people who could cast magic were from places that had it even if innately. Then again, Merlin always said anyone could learn so long as they had the will. Despite Kai's question being relatively simple, coming up with an answer became very complicated.

Cielle placed her hand on her hip, staring at Kai for a moment. "It's magic; changes the appearance of one's clothes, though I got lucky in getting something to your liking," She decided to keep it as relatively straightforward as possible. "Many worlds have different climates, species, appearances...it's always best to fit in as well as you can. I don't think this will be the last time I'll be using this, but unfortunately it's a little too complicated for you to learn right now. Maybe when you're a little more experienced." Experience was definitely what Kai needed. His magic was actually well above average, as was his strength, which was...strange. Once again Cielle couldn't help but stare at Kai as her thoughts ran wild. With enough experience, he could easily match her level--and that thought was an alarming one.

More importantly, she was gaining more and more evidence to her previous theory.

Clearing her throat, Cielle dismissed her weapon as she crossed her arms. Refining Kai's skills should be relatively straightforward, all he needed was to rectify his mistakes. "You have a decent handle on swinging the Keyblade around, but you must have more self awareness. The Heartless run on instinct mostly, but the larger and more powerful do have minds of their own. You'll have to remain one step ahead of them at all times, lest they catch you off guard," She informed him, letting out a small sigh. She really wanted to go on, but considering it wasn't exactly safe, the best thing to do was to keep moving. "Of course, the fact that the Heartless are around means that Princess Anna could be in danger. Come, we'll search for her and make sure she is unharmed."