ѕ н α ∂ σ ω ѕ є є к є r • н ú η у ι ѕ т í r α ɢ є :: 1 1 ▌ɢ є η ∂ є r :: м α ℓ є ▌נ σ υ η ι η ▌к ι r ι ɢ α к υ r є ηιηנυтsυ ▌ρυρρєтєєr ▌υкуσ cℓαη ▌ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ r y σ :: 両 2 9 8 0 α c :: 9 4 0 0 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ c н α к r α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 7 5 0 / 7 5 0 ѕ т α м ι η α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 2 5 5 / 2 5 5 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
-----ι emerged from the tunnel to darkness above. Night had fallen again while I was in the tunnel. Sighing inwardly, I made my way as silently as I could toward the center of the island where Jack's home stood. I'd been through here enough to know where I was going even in the dark, so finding the ancient house was no problem. The door was closed, which meant it had probably locked like every other door in the village, but I'd left my window open--which probably meant everything was soaked from rain or something. The only problem was getting up to the second floor. -----Vines, conveniently, grew up the side of the house my window was on. Climbing was difficult, but they supported my light weight pretty well. Moving on loop at a time, I eventually managed to pull myself through the window and lay on my bed just inside, gripping my right shoulder, trying to catch my breath. That had hurt a lot more than I expected; I decided it best to stay where I was for a few minutes. -----I jerked awake a couple minutes later, not having realized I'd fallen asleep. No, this was no time for sleep, as much as I wanted it. Groaning, I dragged myself from the bed and stumbled across the room to the door, which was still slightly ajar. Slipping through it to the hallway, I stood now in front of Jack's door. This one was shut, so it was entirely possible there would be scenes behind it, like I'd seen at the academy. But these were things I'd never seen before. I'd never gone into Jack's room. He'd never vocally said it, but I hadn't been allowed in there. But if something he had held some sort of answer to anything, be it the disaster that had befallen the village or about Jack himself... It was a risk I was willing to take. Grabbing the handle, I turned it to pull open the door.
Indeed, the door popped open to reveal some scenes:
Ⱦhat was all Jack needed to have before he raised his flute to his lips. Smiling, his mournful notes flooded across the island a moment before ash began to rain from the sky. Sighing, Jack and Shadow were picked into the ash and dispersed.
Ryou arrived at the shores of the mist territory, to overlook the island that he was told, was his sensei's. Jack Snipe, he mysteriously disappeared from the village after the prison escape and hasn't returned. Ryou looked across the water's with his Sharingan and look onto the island, as well as the shores around, and the horizon -if one was visible-.
The haunted looking forest was as dreary appearing as ever, with many insects crawling over the island incoherently. From the far shore, the only discernible effect noticeable would be the jutsu that was delicately draped over the tall trees. Along the coasts of both sides, many colored mushrooms grew, though that could be said of any place with water these days. Fishermen sad upon a grouping of rocks along an insert to Ryou's left, where the tides were not so quick, their poles cast well into the pool's center.
I-It was infested with bugs?! The island was covered in bugs, was this normal? Was Jack Snipe one crazy guy? No one would tell him anything about him. The mushrooms were everywhere again, Ryou sighed and looked out to the waters, towards the prison. Ryou smirked widely and brought up his hand signs, he was performing the Water Walking Technique. He closed his eyes and activated the First Gate, The Gate of Opening. He dashed onto the waters surface and began to run to the prison across the water.
It felt like it had been forever again since the last time I came here, and the first thought that crossed my mind was sleeping. No, there wasn't time for that. Besides, I could only imagine how crazy the creatures on the island were going from the mushrooms and the insane day/night cycles. Theoretically, though, they wouldn't be able to see me. Or at least I hoped so. -----I had put Tosai away on the trip there and now Samajii would have to go; he wouldn't fit through the tunnel. Disconnecting the chakra strings, I slid carefully from the bear's back to the ground, wincing slightly. I unraveled the scroll and quickly sealed the puppet back inside with the other two. Pushing myself back to my feet, I approached the shore, avoiding the mushrooms as much as possible. The entrance to the tunnel was a bit higher up than the waters had reached, leaving it safe from flooding for the moment. The other side was similar, I knew. Jack had done that purposely to keep the tide from flooding the only way to and from the island. -----I pulled myself awkwardly onto the small rocky outcrop and placed my hand on a patch of dirt there. Glancing around briefly to make sure no one could see, I pushed chakra into the door. It recognized my chakra and popped open, revealing the dark hole that led under the channel. Swearing quietly under my breath as I realized I didn't have a light again, I descended into the tunnel, closing the door way behind me. -----It was only when I was down in the darkness that I remembered that scenes played when doors opened. I wasn't sure if this was the same, since the door was chakra activated, but it was too dark to see anyway. At most, I would hear things be said. Which wouldn't be much either since Jack and I rarely spoke when walking through here. Then there were the spiders. Jack had told me at some point they didn't eat anything, so they shouldn't have been affected by the mushrooms. Their small glowing eyes watched my as I felt my way through the tunnel, waiting for the light that would signal I reached the other side.
Left unattended, or if Shadowseeker kept himself physically out from the other side of the door, it would either repeat or close on him, respectively. Even if he was only part way into the scene's area, the door would try to close. Only if he was fully within it would the repeat continue.
ѕ н α ∂ σ ω ѕ є є к є r • н ú η у ι ѕ т í r α ɢ є :: 1 1 ▌ɢ є η ∂ є r :: м α ℓ є ▌נ σ υ η ι η ▌к ι r ι ɢ α к υ r є ηιηנυтsυ ▌ρυρρєтєєr ▌υкуσ cℓαη ▌ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ r y σ :: 両 2 9 8 0 α c :: 9 4 0 0 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ c н α к r α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 7 5 0 / 7 5 0 ѕ т α м ι η α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 2 5 5 / 2 5 5 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
-----so much for getting into Jack's room. But still, I'd assumed that scenes from the room would be played. That evidently wasn't the case, which was a bit of a disappointment. Jack's room would remain a mystery until this whole mess was over. With that in mind, and knowing that the door would shut as soon as the scenes ended, I took a deep breath and stepped into the scenes. -----The first scene that played was Jack and I as we left last time we were there. Then I recognized Ryou from the shore on mainland, staring across to the apparently tiny island Jack and I called home. It wasn't really that small, just looked it. I hoped he wasn't going to try to cross the water, but given he'd been at the prison ward when I left, I assumed that wasn't the case. And, to prove it, he sprinted off another way--across the water--around the island to where the ward stood. Finally, I followed myself through tunnel to the island in what I had done only a few moments before. The scene ended in the darkness of the tunnel, and I waited, beyond the door, for what would happen next. -----What happened next was a repeat of the scenes I had just seen. That told me it would just keep repeating unless I did something. But what was something? Following through it ended in darkness once it caught up with me, and then it repeated itself. I didn't think there was anything in them that I was missing. But then it occurred to me that I'd opened a door to get to this point. What if I opened another door? I wasn't sure it would work since the only scene with a door was the first one, which happened before everything went weird. Would it still work? Moving quickly, before the scene could change from Jack and I vanishing, I grabbed the front door of the house and pulled it open.
Current Depth: 2. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir.
Opening the front door within the first set of scenes produced another set of scenes, pausing the first set until they completed. Shadowseeker would be able to enter these as well, if he so chose, which would keep the first set nearly paused, with all of its inhabitants.
ι scowled at Jack as he turned away from me, but quickly turned my attention to the food. It didn't take long for me to shovel half of it down--I'd finally realized that I hadn't eaten anything after we returned to the village the day before. I'd never trusted Jack's cooking before, but this was delicious. Or maybe I was just that hungry. It was only then that I realized I should probably wait for Jack, and I slowly set the plate down. Unfortunately I knew him too well and knew he would take forever cleaning the dishes. Every speck had to be gone before he was satisfied. Which was funny considering the house was covered in dust. Couldn't he at least eat first? -----I continued to watch him for a few moments, tucking my hands back inside the blanket and pulling it tighter around myself. I started swinging my legs back and forth in the awkward silence, which made the air whoosh around them and the chair I was sitting in complain. Besides that, the only sounds came from the running water and morning birds twittering outside the window. It was a chance to let my mind wander, thinking about where I wanted to go next. -----Where did I want to go next? -----I suppose I did have an idea. While I hadn't been able to sleep, I'd looked around at the pictures littering my walls, and among them found one I had drawn of Rhom'Vegra. I had no idea where the massive cat had gone, but he'd just disappeared one day. I'd considered modeling a puppet from him, one for offense rather than scouting like my first puppet. -----The only problem was the supplies and money it would take to make it, plus I would feel bad dragging Jack around, since I was sure he would want to come with me. Maybe, anyway. -----Besides that, I had so many techniques to learn that they would keep me occupied for quite some time. -----I looked back at Jack and finally decided to speak up again. "Hey, Jack? What are your plans for today?" I paused for only a brief moment before continuing. "Because I've been thinking that I want to go back to Takumi and have another puppet made."
Ɉack was busily scrubbing dishes, happily, when he heard Shadow finally speak behind him. The question was a simple one, yet it was also one that had yet to be given an answer, both to himself and to Shadow, for Jack had yet to consider the day ahead. But then Shadow brought up something, an idea, perhaps, for the day's events that seemed at the same time quite thrilling and yet intimidating. Not to Jack, or course, for Jack was not intimidated by the thought of travel. No, it came from the thought that travel would mean being further away from their home in the off chance whatever the village was planning to do would happen while they were out. If it was an attack they suspected would happen Jack would not be able to help protect everyone! At the same time, it would mean that Shadow was safe, and both were good things. This left Jack in something of a bind as far as his options and decisions went.
-----But then he remembered that his priority was training and "hanging out" with his closest friend. Too often he became lost in thought and lost sight of what it meant to have a friend. Smiling to himself before turning around and looking at Shadow, Jack let his dishes soak for the moment. His eyes glowed softly a moment before he spoke, something a bit odd but had everything to do with him checking to make sure he wasn't accidentally activating any genjutsu upon Shadow. "Idea grand and swift be done, perhaps leave clean anon?" He gestured to the piles of dishes he had behind him, an indication that there was cleaning to be done but it could wait till after their journey. Besides, maybe being away from the village would do Shadow some good, especially after being cooped up here, being forced on mission after mission, for so long.
ι reconsidered what I said. Was it really such a good idea to leave now? I had to get other puppets in order to become stronger. At the same time, I had enough trouble carrying around the puppet I already had, and that one wasn't built for fighting. Along with this, because I was now a jounin, I had more jutsu available to me to learn. I was still so far behind, and I had ended the last fight by sheer luck that I wasn't found. What if I wasn't so lucky next time? -----Finishing my food I gathered up my plate, letting the blanket fall onto the chair, and added it to the pile of dishes that needed cleaned. I looked at Jack. "If we're going to go you should get packed. It's a long way there, and it'll take a day to put the puppet together. Sypher won't be too happy that we're leaving, so we need to hurry back." Without waiting for Jack, I started cleaning off the dishes myself. I just had to grab my bag and I'd be ready to leave. Jack had a tendency of taking longer. I would have taken his suggestion and left the dishes, but they would start to smell pretty quickly if we did.
ϩmiling towards Shadow as he moved to begin cleaning, Jack moved towards the stares and towards his room. It was where he kept his hidden stash of money, the Ryo from the old Mizukage. But also, it was where he kept drawings of his friend, Rhom'Vegra, whom had vanished not long ago. He remembered well the giant cat's last day, following them towards the outpost, when suddenly he had vanished. Having felt the loss of connection, Jack knew that either Rhom'Vegra was dead, or had bonded something, or someone, else. He could not blame the cat had that been a choice, for it was his choice to make, but he feared for the life of his friend were it the former reason. Sighing slowly as he reached his door, he moved within and began rummaging about, especially for the money he kept hidden behind the jar of Spiderlisks. He remembered capturing them here on the island, and he remembered he was going to give them to Sebastian as a peace offering. Taking the money and leaving the tiny monsters behind, Jack moved back downstairs.
-----Watching his friend finish the dishes Jack smiled to Shadow and hefted his cane in his hands. "Go we be?" He wanted to get going, and intended to teleport them the entire way there. Oh, it would take most of his chakra, but it would be worth it.
Finishing with the dishes I nodded to Jack. "I just need to get my bag. I'll meet you outside." Drying off my hands on the blanket as I picked it up, I headed upstairs. -----In my room, I quickly pulled my shoes on and slid my still dirty jacket. Grabbing my bag, I took a glance around the room, at all of the pictures littering the walls. I had to find a way to do something with all of these creations of mine, but what? Maybe I could make my own jutsu for them? Either way, I didn't have time to deal with them. I fished through my drawer for the small stash of ryo I had and hurried out the door. Hopefully this would be enough to cover any costs. -----I planned on, for now, just getting a custom made puppet, but eventually I was going to purchase one of the premade ones, such as Karasu and Kuroari. Reading through the many puppet techniques, I'd noticed their names were mentioned quite often, and if I could figure out how to use the techniques with them, I would be able to use them with my other puppets, possibly. Along with that, I needed a more efficient way of carrying them around. The one I had was fairly light for a puppet, since it needed the ability to fly. I wanted to get a scroll, maybe one to store up to four of them for now. In the future if I needed any, I could purchase a bigger scroll. -----I headed down the stairs and out the front door to wait for Jack. I shifted my bag and bow on my shoulder, and turned to look back at the house.
ѕ н α ∂ σ ω ѕ є є к є r • н ú η у ι ѕ т í r α ɢ є :: 1 1 ▌ɢ є η ∂ є r :: м α ℓ є ▌נ σ υ η ι η ▌к ι r ι ɢ α к υ r є ηιηנυтsυ ▌ρυρρєтєєr ▌υкуσ cℓαη ▌ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ r y σ :: 両 2 9 8 0 α c :: 9 4 0 0 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ c н α к r α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 7 5 0 / 7 5 0 ѕ т α м ι η α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 2 5 5 / 2 5 5 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
-----remembering the scene before me quite vividly, seeing the me from before everything spiraled downward was almost painful. I wanted to tell my past self to be careful, to warn him not to let Sypher send him against Hashgroth. No, this scene was even earlier than that. This was before I went to Takumi to get my second and third puppets, before I was named leader of squad zero... I'd never heard what happened to Chibutsu, and who knew where Aria was. What kind of leader was I to let my squad fall apart so easily? -----I waited until the past me went upstairs to get packed to leave before stepping through the door. I only had a couple of minutes. Jack would be able to grasp what was happening, but that me wouldn't. I also wasn't sure if these specters of the past would be able to see me without touch like the villagers, so, in order to get Jack's attention, I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jack." I could only hope he wouldn't freak out at how I looked, jacket tattered and covered in burns and my own blood. Not to mention I was missing half of my right arm, but that was mostly hidden underneath the jacket draped over my shoulders. -----I opened my mouth to speak again, but hesitated. The last time I had spoken to my friend, I had told him to leave, and hurt him badly because of it. I had to admit that I was still angry at him, even if this Jack had no idea what was going to happen. Besides, how could I explain what was happening? "There's not a lot of time to explain." I scoured my brain for a comprehensible response. "Something's happening in Kiri, and opening a door let me see things that have happened in the past. I-I need your mind to help me figure this out." The words played out again in my head and sounded like some cliche adventure story. I grimaced slightly, but waited for Jack to answer, all the while keeping my eyes on the stairs in case the past me returned.
xxJack Harren Snipe xxxx xxRank :: Jounin // Village :: Kirigakure no Satoxxxx
Chakra Pool: 925/925______AC: 13,550 Stamina Pool: 415/415______Ryo: 6700
-----Ⱦhe eyes of the past Jack widened slightly, but for a moment it seemed he didn't quite grasp what was happening, hear the words that had been spoken to him. No, in fact Jack actually started to raise his cane in defense, yet the voice, the tone within those words, told him that he had to stop and listen. His mind rewound, relistening to the words that had been spoken, and the light of understanding met Jack's inverted eyes. In fact, those same eyes would likely give Shadow a sense of euphoria, as the eyes had been golden the last time he had seen the mad carny that was like his brother. Jack's eyes snapped upstairs, and when he looked back they were glowing, and each word dripped with the weight of his genjutsu. "I gather from your words this requires my jutsu. I wish I knew how...but no matter. Illusion and mystery are both law and reality here, so I cannot question. From your look, too, I suspect it has been some time from now that you've seen me like this. Hurry, Shadow. Tell me. What can I do to help?" His words were still stiff, formal, unused to speech. Though little time had passed since the last time they had been here, merely a month or so in fact, Jack's speech remained archaic even through his jutsu for he had yet to practice much with it.
►► O. O. C. ◄◄
"I Must Drag Truth Kicking and Screaming into the Light"
ѕ н α ∂ σ ω ѕ є є к є r • н ú η у ι ѕ т í r α ɢ є :: 1 1 ▌ɢ є η ∂ є r :: м α ℓ є ▌נ σ υ η ι η ▌к ι r ι ɢ α к υ r є ηιηנυтsυ ▌ρυρρєтєєr ▌υкуσ cℓαη ▌ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ r y σ :: 両 2 9 8 0 α c :: 9 4 0 0 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ c н α к r α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 7 5 0 / 7 5 0 ѕ т α м ι η α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 2 5 5 / 2 5 5 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
-----єxplain? Again, that word. I didn't have the mental ability left to think of a good explanation for what was going on. At most, something lame would come out of my mouth like 'there are mushrooms growing everywhere, days are moving really fast, and every morning everything resets. By the way, I also haven't slept in what feels like a week.' -----On another note, I was comforted seeing the real Jack, the calm, level-headed one who hadn't yet lost control of himself. It helped my tired mind focus on what needed to be done, such as what to do in this situation. What was I supposed to do? I only had a matter of time before the scene would reset itself--would it, since I had interfered with it? Right, the doors. The doors held the key. I had opened a door within an open door to arrive in the past, so opening another door should take me back even further. It would be easier to simply show Jack than attempt to explain it. So, grabbing his arm I dragged him to the nearby front door and pulled it open.
Current Depth: 2, unless y'all go into it, then it's 3. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
Lanfaer
Welcome to the fun~
The front door opened to show the two friends their new scenes. Without entering, the door would shut after playing. With entering, they would both be able to keep the door open, which would also pause the second depth's scenes.
Practice made perfect. I had to remember that, no matter how painfully repetitive this was. Breathing slowly, I focused my chakra again. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 1/4] -----Holding my hands over my head, I ran through the seals. Bird, boar, dog, dragon, ox, tiger serpent, rat, horse, monkey, hare ram. I repeated this about five times before moving on. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 2/4] -----I closed my eyes and began to move my chakra through my body. This time I switched the direction I sent it first. I pushed my chakra down through my legs, right first, and then left before returning it to my core. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 3/4] -----I brought it to the upper half of my body and proceeded to send it down my arms, this time one at a time to ensure I could send it anywhere it was needed. I moved to the other arm then returned the chakra to my core. Returning to the core, I let the chakra spread through all my limbs at once. I could feel my pool of chakra deepen. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 4/4 COMPLETE Permanent Change: + 25 Chakra + 25 Stamina]
Settling into a more comfortable position on my bed, I moved onto the next part. Concentration was key to this one, so I allowed my mind to fall into itself. I focused on the pure energy of chakra and how it flowed throughout my body. I felt it pulsing in my veins, like its own life force. [Advanced Training: Concentrate 1/3] -----Part of the exercise was to focus as much chakra into a single point as possible and hold it there. Since I used my hands for most of my chakra, I decided to use them. I moved the flow of my chakra specifically to the tips of my fingers in my left hand, the hand I generally used for my puppet, since right was dominant. [Advanced Training: Concentrate 2/3] -----I held the chakra there for an amount of time, though I'm not entirely sure how long. The sheer force of the pure energy made my fingers burn, but I pushed through it for a moment longer before allowing it to flow throughout my body again. [Advanced Training: Concentrate 3/3 COMPLETE Permanent Change: + 30 Chakra + 30 Stamina]
-----The chakra rushing through my body again was shocking but relieving. My veins throbbed with the deepening energy. Thanks to this training I would last much longer in a fight. But I wasn't finished yet. [Advanced Training: Concentrate 1/3] -----This time I focused my chakra into my right hand, physically the stronger of the two, but the less used of the two as far as chakra went. I redirected the flow into the tips of my fingers. There I held it in place to see how long it could last. [Advanced Training: Concentrate 2/3] -----The burning flared up much faster than with my left hand, and I wasn't able to hold the chakra in place more than a few minutes. I released my chakra again, letting it rush back into the rest of my body. Once more relief flooded through me and with it I felt more empowered. [Advanced Training: Concentrate 3/3 COMPLETE Permanent Change: + 30 Chakra + 30 Stamina]
-----Finished with chakra training for the moment, I laid staring at the ceiling for a while as exhaustion swept over me. My mind was restless but I was so tired. I had to get at least a little sleep before we started up with missions again. Sighing, I rolled onto my side, pulling the blanket over me, including my head, and settled in to sleep. It took all of a few seconds for my exhaustion to take over and my mind sunk into darkness.
The morning came early for Jack, who had slept only barely the night before. In all honesty, sleeping had become difficult for him since the day Shadow had been hurt by his Genjutsu, though he had hid it well. He remembered delving into the mysteries of the world, into the occult and into hidden mysteries for a way to help his young protégé. Sighing at the long list of thoughts floating through his mind, Jack remembered that one of his goals, one of the mysteries he had long ago found to be true, required more chakra and stamina to use properly. Well, just in case he ever got his hands on it, he would need to get to work maxing out those particular aspects of his spirit. So, placing his hands together, he began slowly drawing in chakra. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [1/4] :: Incomplete] Chakra flowed immediately into his hands, and all around the whispers began. What was it that so brought forth the dead and dying to his soul? He remembered well the mystery of his entrance to the village, the day that men saw Death Itself hand him to the shinobi on duty and whisper to them to protect him, and his name: Jack Harren Snipe. Of course he had not been aware at the time, due to him being younger. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [2/4] :: Incomplete] Chakra flowed through his hands, into his lips, out upon the zephyr of breath that came from between them. Chakra played across the surface of his inverted eyes, dancing and flickering in and out of existence. The whispering increased, reminding Jack of the day he had become aware, the day he had realized that while he had had the physical form of an infant he had, in fact, been into his early teens. In a short time he had grown, and thus was he as he was now: small, weak, pale and ghostly. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [3/4] :: Incomplete] The chakra settled within him, but it was not done. Perhaps his chakra knew this, for the whispering did not stop, but increased. However, he knew, in a detached sort of way, that his mind was far more at peace than it had been upon starting. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [4/4] :: Complete]
But repeating the training came next. It was simple, but time consuming. Holding his hands out above his head, Jack began to hum softly. His instrument of choice was his flute, but in truth anything that played music was usable by him. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [1/4] :: Incomplete] Chakra welled up into his lips once more, his low humming coming out as some sort of eerie ballad music. It didn't make sense, honestly, for him to sing this kind of song, or use this as a training method. But it worked. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [2/4] :: Incomplete] Sighing as the music slowly faded from his mind, Jack continued to hold the chakra in his mouth. He savored the power there, knew that with one of his Voice techniques he could inspire strength or fear into any who heard. Yet somehow, this didn't give him the happiness, the strength, he hoped it would. [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [3/4] :: Incomplete] Finally, the chakra began to fake. His mind slowly retreated from his odd thoughts, the thoughts of sleepiness, and headed towards his next training. What technique would he use for the next part? [Intermediate Training: Meditate :: [4/4] :: Complete]
He decided to go with a basic technique. This one time he would pick to make his hands, his body, stick to the surface of a tree. It wasn't something he used often, and just getting it down right at first seemed impossible. [Intermediate Training: Performance :: [1/4] :: Incomplete] The second time was proving just as fruitless. Unfortunately, forming it when not within the situation to use it seemed difficult for his mind. Well, that was fooli-got it! [Intermediate Training: Performance :: [2/4] :: Incomplete] His chakra stretched over his body, especially around his feet, and inside he chuckled. To the outside world he would only show his normal smile. Well, his normal smile, plus a little bit of odd clicking noises. [Intermediate Training: Performance :: [3/4] :: Incomplete] He reached upwards, reaching for the couch head behind him. Finding it, he focused his chakra, and found himself unable to move his hands. Good.[Intermediate Training: Performance :: [4/4] :: Complete]
Sighing with the simplicity, he knew what his next technique would be. Inhaling slowly, he began to hum. This humming was quite odd, actually, for it moved from side to side, up and down, but as he did so his chakra began to build. [Intermediate Training: Performance :: [1/4] :: Incomplete] A moment later the reason became obvious. A light mist began to kill the room, and about him the whisperings of the dead became louder, more insistent. They felt their call being answered.[Intermediate Training: Performance :: [2/4] :: Incomplete] It was at times like these that Jack questioned his own sanity. Why was he able to hear their voices, the supposed dead, when none else could? Were they really dead, or a figment of his imagination? Either way, he continued to him, his tone becoming more insistent. [Intermediate Training: Performance :: [3/4] :: Incomplete] It was the last thing he had to do to complete the technique. Hidden Mist jutsu. It created a light, cool mist, but he made sure to keep it within the confines of the couch in which he slept. He did not want to risk Shadow again. [Intermediate Training: Performance :: [4/4] :: Complete]
Before Jack continued, he knew he had to focus his mind. And so he did, beginning to form chakra right between his eyes, right where his focus would always go when trying to reach the minds of others. Well, this time there was no one, but other times. [Advanced Training: Concentrate :: [1/3] :: Incomplete] The shadows slowly began to move. It was the usual sign, meaning his chakra was slowly spreading out from his body. Well, it wouldn't harm anyone that he knew of, just scare the pants off of them. Or, if they were weak of heart, it might kill them. [Advanced Training: Concentrate :: [2/3] :: Incomplete] His mind was clear as the humming began to slow to a drawl. Not knowing why, Jack always felt that he could not continue that note. If he were to do so, something told him that there would be dire, dire consequences. [Advanced Training: Concentrate :: [3/3] :: Complete]
But now was the next part. He began to raise his hum, just not in the same way. The tune danced and writhed, like oil, something unseen beneath the tremors of his voice. Almost like a...haze...[Advanced Training: Performance :: [1/3] :: Incomplete] That was the point, of course. Within moments, he felt his chakra pouring into the shadows they had spawned, fueling them to life, fueling them to service. A service they would not know they were in. [Advanced Training: Performance :: [2/3] :: Incomplete] And they rose, all of them, faceless blobs without emotion, feeling, or action. They were nothing but reflections, designed to become what another most feared. In truth, what another most needed to see. [Advanced Training: Performance :: [3/3] :: Complete]
And at last came the finally. Opening his mouth at last, Jack sang a soft, gentle song in his rich tenor voice. And with it the wails of the dead became audible to more than just him. [Advanced Training: Performance :: [1/3] :: Incomplete] The voices rang out within the fog as faces slowly shimmered into existence among the mirror faces of his Haze Clones. Their faces became distorted for him, however, as he had no one to fear, no one he knew. His memories were gone, so what could his jutsu find purchase upon? [Advanced Training: Performance :: [2/3] :: Incomplete] But just as it completed Jack let it go. He felt his chakra release and come back to him, stronger than before, but that meant nothing at the moment to him. For at the last second, one of those mirrors had begun to develop a face... [Advanced Training: Performance :: [3/3] :: Complete]
Morning came early to Jack, so early in fact that he witnessed the sun rising out from behind clouds to beam its wrath upon his unprotected face. Chuckling softly to himself he sat up and yawned, stretching until his toes and back popped before finally standing. Heading to the kitchen he began cooking breakfast, being homemade country fried steak and eggs with bacon.
ι watched the sun rise in the morning, and was none too thrilled to see it. I'd slept maybe an hour or two during the night, and for a while curled up and silently cried because I couldn't sleep. The rest of the crawling hours, I either rolled around or stared at the ceiling. I hated my mind, the whisper of a voice that seemed to keep me awake most nights. I was so tired. I just wanted to sleep, but sleep rarely came. -----Shuddering in despair at the red orb floating in the sky, I pulled the blanket over my head again and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would come again. -----I might have fallen asleep for a few minutes. I'm not sure, but I woke to the smell of cooking wafting through the house. The scent of bacon made my stomach growl and mouth water, and I knew I wouldn't get anymore sleep this morning. Groaning, I rolled out of bed, pulling the blanket with me, and wrapped the woolen sheet around me. I didn't feel all that great, but it was to be expected. Maybe food would help. I made my way slowly downstairs, taking care not to slip on the way down, and shuffled into the kitchen. -----Within, Jack was standing over the stove, cooking breakfast. I didn't think anything of it and sat down at the table, letting my head fall, rather hard, against the wood. After a moment, though, it occurred to me that Jack was in fact cooking, and I looked back up. "Since when can you cook and why is the house not on fire...?"
"Dirt face table dirty, Shadow."
That was the first thing Jack commented out, especially due to Shadow slamming his face against the wood so strongly. But that of course was not the only concern on his mind, no. It just happened to be the funniest comment he could have made at that time. Somehow, after all that training, he was in a much better mood. But after turning just slightly and looking over his shoulder he knew that Shadow would not be in a joking mood. The young male was hurt, very much so, and from the looks of it it came from his lack of sleep. Dark shadows under his eyes showed that sleeping was not something that had occurred any time recently for him. Sighing inwardly in sorrow for the young male, Jack turned back to his food, grabbed it, and brought it to the center of the solid oak table. "Cooking unknown till try be done. Bite and chew, having be some." And with that he plopped a plate down before him, and loaded it with fresh food. From there, Jack moved to the sink and began cleaning the dishes.
ѕ н α ∂ σ ω ѕ є є к є r • н ú η у ι ѕ т í r α ɢ є :: 1 1 ▌ɢ є η ∂ є r :: м α ℓ є ▌נ σ υ η ι η ▌к ι r ι ɢ α к υ r є ηιηנυтsυ ▌ρυρρєтєєr ▌υкуσ cℓαη ▌ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ r y σ :: 両 2 9 8 0 α c :: 9 4 0 0 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ c н α к r α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 7 5 0 / 7 5 0 ѕ т α м ι η α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 2 5 5 / 2 5 5 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
-----тhe scenes that played after opening the door I remembered as being mostly chakra training. I hadn't realized Jack had done his own training then as well, but apparently he had. I remembered then that I had grabbed the Jack from the previous scene, and wondered how he was taking all of this information. Glancing back at him, I pulled him forward and into the scene, where Jack waited for me to come down the stairs from my room. I hadn't slept that night, really, and wasn't inclined to let Jack see how miserable I had been then. It probably didn't really matter; I doubted this was in any way actually linked to the past. But Jack would scold me for not telling him, probably. -----Within the scene now, I continued forward, more out of interest in eventually reaching something before I came to Kiri and met Jack. I wanted to know what he was like then. If anything else came of this journey through doors, that would just be a bonus. I opened the next door, hoping the Jack I had pulled from the previous scene wouldn't freak out. I'd never seen him freak out though; he was always so level-headed about everything.
Current Depth: 4. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
Lanfaer
More in the interest of Alice in Wonderland, the same types of events occurred once more, giving the travelers some more depth into the looking glass. (metaphorically speaking, of course) What would happen if they went as far back as time could allow?
Jack listened intently to Shadow's words, for the moment appreciating the wisdom his younger friend had. As much as he was young Shadow had faced things no normal eleven year old should have. Shinobi in the past, yes, but not these days. In that time he had slain exactly one person, and that had upset everything the younger male had ever understood or done. His whole life had changed right then. And now, here he was, giving Jack lessons on how to feel and what to do. He was grateful for his little friend, more than he could ever say. Sighing, but not willing to wide and hide his tears, Jack looked to Shadow with a weak smile. "Go shower and relax. Thanks you, Shadow, for your words. I will take them to heart."
ι wasn't sure whether or not to trust Jack was 'alright' like he claimed. I most certainly wasn't. I didn't like any of this. The only thing that had helped me decide to take the path of the shinobi is to keep someone else from dying because of me. My parents, the one things I'd ever treasured, had died because someone came after me for something I may or may not have had. What was it that man had wanted anyway? -----Watching Jack for a moment longer, I nodded slowly. "Make sure you get some sleep, too, Jack. We still have missions to finish." With that, I turned away, picking up my luggage again, and headed up the stairs. -----I tossed my bag in my room and made a beeline for the shower. I quickly discarded what was left of my clothing and hopped into the hot water. -----I must have spent at least twenty minutes scrubbing my skin free of dirt, or at least long enough to turn my skin bright pink. I shook my head and ears free of water, toweled off, and wrapped my torso in said towel. Back in my room, I searched my drawers for a clean set of clothes. I'd never realized how little clothing I had until I lost a set, but I managed to find a pair of dark gray shorts and a red and gold sleeveless shirt that still fit. Comfortable finally, I flopped onto the bed on my back with a huff. -----My mind was finally allowed to wander. A lot had happened in the past couple days. Jack finally understood why he had hurt me, though unintentionally, and then the mission. Just thinking about it all was exhausting. I suppose it was bound to happen. It wasn't the first mission I had done and wasn't the last I would do. -----Not to mention now I was a jounin. -----So much was expected at the rank. We were considered full fledged shinobi, able to handle our own but expected to work with others, especially to help new and growing shinobi. I hardly believed I deserved the rank. I still had a long way to grow, both physically and mentally, before I could accept such a title. -----A shudder passed through me and I wrapped my arms around myself, rolling onto my side. What was I getting into? There was a voice in the back of my mind, constantly telling me to look for a power I didn't want. How far would I go? Perhaps it was an honor. Actually, I supposed it was. But it wasn't an honor meant for me. -----No. I had to get stronger. To protect Jack. To protect the village. I was tired of the world protecting me. -----But where should I start? -----I had an idea: chakra and stamina training. The more of both I had, the longer I would last and the greater abilities I could use.
Though Shadow had long gone to bed by the time Jack finally decided to physically move, his mind had continued to work. For the moment he did not consider what had happened before, but more what he had to do now. He knew that his future would require him eventually leaving the village, becoming attached to none, but the 'how' of that was more difficult to ascertain than he had originally considered. Having spent more time around Sypher and Inka, understanding how their minds worked and anticipating their moves was becoming easier. Oh, there was always the element of randomness that came with those two, who frequently proved that his understanding of humans and people in general needed work, but overall he knew. Breaking the news to Sypher would be difficult, and require not only timing, but proof that his beliefs were no longer compatible with any one village. That would require trust, which meant more time spent with Sypher. Sighing somewhat in frustration at the situation, not for the first time cursing his method of communication, Jack turned himself to lay upon the couch.
This whole scenerio bothered him. He needed to become better, to study and learn how to best test an individual to help them find their Truth. And to stop others from falling so far into their own darkness that their Truth is lost forever. And that required sleep. Yawning, he closed his eyes, tilted his hat over his eyes, and went to sleep.
ι turned onto my back again, staring up at the ceiling. The majority of the chakra training either required meditation or physical use of chakra. For now I would focus on the meditation. Taking a deep breath, I raised my hands above me and began to run through the twelve hand seals. [Basic Training: Meditate 1/5] -----The twelve hand seals were representations of the twelve animals of the zodiac. Bird, boar, dog, dragon, ox, tiger, serpent, rat, horse, monkey, hare, ram. This order I repeated four or five times. They were something I knew by heart, knew without having to think. [Basic Training: Meditate 2/5] -----With that finished, I closed my eyes, my hands falling back to my side. I took a couple of deep breaths to center my chakra. I could imagine it swirling around me, small tongues of flames warming my body. I had always known that my chakra had an immense presence, but always felt so small. A shadow. [Basic Training: Meditate 3/5] -----I focused on moving my chakra, bringing it up to my arms. I moved it slowly down my arms, letting it empower every inch of muscle. It spiraled down to my hands, and then extended to my fingertips before I returned it to my core. [Basic Training: Meditate 4/5] -----From there, I moved it down my legs, stretching to the ends of the limbs and returning once more. In my mind's eye, I could almost envision a physical form of my chakra. I could feel its pool deepen slightly. [Basic Training: Meditate 5/5 COMPLETE
-----I opened my eyes again, staring up at the blank ceiling. One was done, so now I could repeat the process to expand my chakra pool even further. Once more, I raised my hands above my head to run through the hand seals. [Basic Training: Meditate 1/5] -----I went through them quickly, repeating their forms quietly to myself. Bird, boar, dog, dragon, ox, tiger, serpent, rat, horse, monkey, hare, ram. I repeated them over and over, just to be sure. A wrong hand seal when casting a jutsu could result in losing concentration. If I could do them without thought, there would be less of a chance of that. [Basic Training: Meditate 2/5] -----Finishing, I dropped my hands back to my sides. Chakra flow was also essential. The faster one could move and manipulate it, the faster they could probably save someone's life, or even their own. [Basic Training: Meditate 3/5] -----I moved my chakra to my upper torso and then down my arms swirling it through every inch of flesh before it touched my fingers and came back up. It was relaxing almost, more than it was work, and given I was already tired, it was hard not to fall asleep. But I had to finish this. [Basic Training: Meditate 4/5] -----Returning my chakra to my core, I moved it downward into my legs and down to the bottoms of my feet. As it spread back through my body, I once more could feel the pool of chakra deepen. It was kind of like watching rain fall on a puddle. A few drops did nothing, but if enough accumulated, the puddle would grow into a flood.
The next stage of the chakra training was very similar to the first. In fact it was virtually the same thing. But practice made perfect. I opened my eyes again, keeping my breath steady. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 1/4]-----Holding my hands over my head, I ran through the seals. Bird, boar, dog, dragon, ox, tiger serpent, rat, horse, monkey, hare ram. Just like before. I repeated this a few times before moving on. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 2/4]-----As before, I closed my eyes and began to manipulate my chakra, moving it around my body. I brought it to the upper half of my body and proceeded to send it down my arms, this time one at a time to ensure I could send it anywhere it was needed. I moved to the other arm then returned the chakra to my core. [Intermediate Training: Meditate 3/4]-----I moved the chakra down each of my legs individually, first the left then the right. Returning to the core, I let the chakra spread through all my limbs at once. The pool deepened, but with it came an odd welling. I felt almost as though I were encroaching on a dangerous force. But why would that be? [Intermediate Training: Meditate 4/4 COMPLETE
xxJack Harren Snipe xxxx xxRank :: Jounin // Village :: Kirigakure no Satoxxxx
Chakra Pool: 925/925______AC: 13,550 Stamina Pool: 415/415______Ryo: 6700
-----What was going on here? To Jack, living on the island had brought to him a feeling of doubt for all he saw, even off of the island at times. Yet never, in all the time he'd been there, had he ever known himself to see these kinds of illusions. Shadow, missing an arm? That alone wrenched his gut, bringing bile into the back of his throat, yet Shadow opening doors to reveal lives constantly repeating themselves? The first time was bad enough, but the second...there he was, sleeping on the couch as the final part of the illusion progressed. How was he there, and here? How was this Shadow hurt, while another practiced his jutsu above? There was more to this than he felt he would be able to ascertain in the time frame alotted to him, unfortunately, or so he felt. Yet this did not stop him from considering what could be causing it. Was there fuin placed on the doors? Could it be that this was an illusion, a very in depth one? His own jutsu concept, one he had yet to try out or work on, allowed him to travel into the past of individuals he came in contact with, though only for a short duration. Could this be something...wider? Larger? Could this simply be a more powerful variation of this? It...there were variables he did not know, and he knew he would need to find out before much longer if he were to help this Shadow at all. With a squeeze to the boy's hand to give him some sort of support, Jack looked towards the door to his room. Could they enter there? He was uncertain, but he felt that the knowledge that might answer some of their questions lay there.
-----His personal library...his own room...there were things there that defied reason, logic, and sanity. There was knowledge gathered from dark places, rituals and witch craft supplies that he had spent years gathering from black markets and dealers. Books of forbidden knowledge, or lost knowledge, were the most treasured of all, and mayhap with those he could be useful. Turning, Jack moved towards the stairs, ambling up them as best he could with Shadow, hopefully, in tow. It was when he got to the top and stared at the door that a realization came to him: he'd never shown Shadow his room. Perhaps in the future he had, but as of yet...Jack's eyes turned to Shadow's, their depths glowing with his Kekkei Genkai, and an expression of worry came into them. "I will open the door, but touch nothing." It was dangerous, yes, if this were an illusion. Much worse if it were the case. Taking a deep breath, Jack lifted his cane and flipped it around, so that the skull on the top faced outwards. Placing the skull into the keyhole, he turned it, and from behind the door would come much clanking and rattling, but worse would come the roar of something inside, something like an animal, that quickly cut off into snarles and then, at last, silence. With a poke, Jack forced the door open, hoping Shadow was truly ready.
►► O. O. C. ◄◄
AandOE
"I Must Drag Truth Kicking and Screaming into the Light"
"I Will Show You What You Truly Are"
"The Savior... or the Beast..."
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:28 pm
Tao-Benshin
Current Depth: 5. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
Lanfaer
Instead of clanking, rattling, or animal roars, Jack's opening of his door led further back in time.
ι stood to follow Jack, pushing the chair back into place until it clinked against the table. Apparently we were leaving the food where it was. Hopefully nothing was living in the house that would have a feast off of it. -----Picking up my bow and quiver from where I had dropped it beside the table, I glanced after Jack, but gestured for him to go ahead. "I'll catch up in a minute." With that, I headed upstairs. -----Up in my room, I grabbed my bag, as well as an extra bottle of ink, just in case, which I stuffed in the bag as well. Likewise, I grabbed my jacket, pulling it on. Moving for the window, though, I realized I forgot something, the addition to my regular wardrobe. The symbol that showed me as a shinobi of Kirigakure. Dropping my stuff again, I hurried back over to the desk to grab the metal plate. I stared at it for a moment, remembering once more what the life I had chosen meant. I might not have known what I wanted to do with this new life--all it did was open up even more paths for me to choose from--but it meant that I had been accepted by someone, and now I was to protect others. As this mission was to show. -----I pulled the still-tied headband down over my head so it hung around my neck again, grabbed my things, and slipped out the window of my room. Moving quickly to catch up with Jack, I headed for the exit to the mainland.
Jack made his way through the passages that led them to their home, towards the house that, for whatever reason, had stood up to the test of time. Despite all the storms, the raging winds, and rampaging animals, it had not once fallen. ANd that was why when faced with the inner turmoil he now was he found himself unable to go anywhere other than here. In reality, this place had been a gift, to give him sanctuary against the many people outside. It was his haven, where his secrets were hidden and where he would sleep. Today, though his hands itched for work, Jack would use it for the latter purpose. Petting the spiders as he made his way by them, Jack exited the underground passage, happy that not a single alarm had been tripped in his absence. Entering his home was like shedding a layer of skin, making him feel clean and ready for anything, including bed. As he sat on the odd couch he stared into the air, thinking about everything. To this point he had said no words, nothing at all, but had simply strode here with a smile on his face. Yet it was quite obvious that there was still something on Jack's mind, more than one in fact.
silent as ever, I followed Jack as he led the way home. It felt like so long since we'd gotten a chance to come back and relax here, and that's exactly what I planned to do... right after I washed all of this mud off of me. I was just going to throw my clothes out--except for my jacket--instead of bothering with cleaning them. They were starting to become threadbare anyway. -----Once we were past all the house's defenses and inside, I was going to go up to my room. However, the way Jack sat down despite his own exhaustion told me something was wrong. Dropping my bag and bow next to the stairs, I moved over to stand beside him. "What's wrong, Jack?" It was strange hearing my voice again. Speaking was another thing I hadn't done in quite some time.
For several moments he didn't say anything, not a word, though he continued to stare into the distance. Then he spoke, and from the odd feeling Shadow would get was that it was the use of the Voice of Persuasion, though with so much less chakra involved that it would not effect him. Whatever Jack had to say, it required he speak normally. "I...I walked into their minds, Shadow..." His expression turned haunted, shadows forming on his ace where normally there were none. He looked...tired, exhausted. "I watched their memories, walked and felt every emotion that had, though at a distance. I felt their movements, watched their sanity shatter into pieces uncountable. I saw someone who took my art, my purpose, and altered it into a hideous mimicry of itself." He closed his eyes, remembering it all. He gripped his cane before him, leaning his forehead against the stout wood and clenching the top in his hands until the knuckles turned white. Silent tears slid down his cheeks, and so alien were they to his face that it jolted his eyes open.
His right hand, trembling, moved to these trails of hot water down his face and touched them gingerly before continuing, the horror increasing in his eyes. "I remembered my mission, Shadow, and for the sake of this village I knew I had to take them back alive, and able to answer willingly, for their sake. And thus did I move into their deepest memories, their heart of hearts, and there used my Voice of Persuasion to enchant their memories. I changed them, Shadow, and forced their minds to register my voice as something that has been with them forever. They trust me as they would trust no one else, like a mother, a father." He choked back a sob, his hand moving to the cane and twisting the top in a savage grip. "I...I changed them, Shadow. I rewrote their memories to fit me. I changed their Truth, to fit my own ends, to fit the ends this village needs. By saving them pain, and helping us, I corrupted my own purpose." His voice was low, barely more than a whisper, but even that whisper was filled with an anguish that mirrored the agony he felt, the torture in his own soul. He shuddered with each breath, fighting back the dread within himself, as he tried to explain away his actions. It had been necessary, right? The only other option was to kill them, but his orders had been clear.
What, then, was the best answer here? Was what he had done ethical, was it just? Or was it merely all an explanation for the evil he had committed? He did not know, and this tormented him, for this was the first time his beliefs, his purpose, had come into conflict with orders he had been given.
The effect of Jack's Voice of Persuasion was becoming far too familiar to me. Perhaps that would serve me well in the future, but if Jack was using it, he wanted to make sure I understood what he was saying. I don't think I had ever seen him this way. As he spoke, he began to tremble, and I realized he was crying. That shocked me more that his behavior. -----Even after he finished speaking, I didn't know what to say. Unlike me, he had found his purpose, and that was to find the truth in all living things. It didn't make much sense to me, but it meant everything to him. For him to have been forced to ignore his calling must have torn him apart on the inside. -----My ears fell slightly. I wanted to comfort him, but I knew this was something he would hold onto for an eternity. I couldn't say nothing though. "Jack... I don't know what those bandits were planning to do, or even if they were planning anything, but by stopping them you may have saved many other people's lives, along with theirs." I realized with my own words maybe I did understand, to some extent what he was going through. I'd been devastated after I killed the plague bearer over a year ago, but I'd saved the population of the village, and maybe beyond, in doing so. "Besides, changing their past doesn't change what they've done since then. Maybe they'll try to repent for their crimes." -----That was all I had. I had neither the knowledge or the experience to help him.
ѕ н α ∂ σ ω ѕ є є к є r • н ú η у ι ѕ т í r α ɢ є :: 1 1 ▌ɢ є η ∂ є r :: м α ℓ є ▌נ σ υ η ι η ▌к ι r ι ɢ α к υ r є ηιηנυтsυ ▌ρυρρєтєєr ▌υкуσ cℓαη ▌ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ r y σ :: 両 2 9 8 0 α c :: 9 4 0 0 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ c н α к r α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 7 5 0 / 7 5 0 ѕ т α м ι η α • ρ σ σ ℓ :: 2 5 5 / 2 5 5 ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
-----ℓeaving Jack to open the door to his room led to just as much, if not more, disappointment than when I had tried. Apparently not even them from the past could open the door. Maybe in their own time frame they could; the past me would have had to open a door to get to my room. Either way this was getting frustrating. We weren't going to get any answers from Jack's room. I had neither the patience or energy to deal with this. So I grabbed Jack's arm again and pulled him into the scene, making a beeline for the next door I found. I released Jack's arm to open the door only to grab it again and pull him through once more. This, I would keep doing until I reached something I didn't recognize or something different happened.
Current Depth: 6. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
Jack nodded slowly, watching the pot boil for a moment before nodding and opening the oven for a peek. It looked like it was crisping up nicely, and he reached up onto the counter without looking to take several handfuls of herbs and tossed them onto the glazing rabbit. Closing it with a sigh and straightening Jack turned to Shadow with that knowing smile of his, the one attribute that always frustrated or weirded people out, and answered in a typically sing-song format. "Interests be all. Rat meet Jack, enemy wary, for loose plague shall vamoose."
In Jack's own odd way his answer made sense. He was interested in every single one of those missions, but some more than others. The Rat woud meet Jack at some point, but clearly not at first for they had to be wary of another enemy. The plague would be first target, for it would cost most lives to leave it be. He knew this, and tried to communicate it as well as it could be to Shadow, who among any he knew would understand him the most.
мy gaze return to the paper lying on the table in front of me and again I had to sigh. If I had more affection for the villagers, and they more appreciation for me, I wouldn't be dreading the missions so much. They would probably be convinced one of use caused the plague, illness, whatever you wanted to call it. -----Maybe, though, doing these missions would change their opinions in the long run though. Or maybe I was being too hopeful. As much as I didn't care what people thought, I really did. -----My mouth twitched to the side in thought, though my gaze didn't shift. "So... shouldn't we have done this as soon as we got the mission, if it's such a pressing matter, instead of making breakfast? Because, you know, lives are apparently being lost or something." Not really. At least, I assumed not. If this illness was bad enough to kill, we probably would have heard about it by now. And what if we got sick? I probably would, given my health record. -----Now, if people were being murdered or something, I would have jumped right on it. I don't know how much use I would have been outside of a distraction, but after... -----After... -----No. -----That wasn't something I was going to let myself think about. But either way, I couldn't just stand by and watch people get slaughtered. -----However, that wasn't the case now, so it wasn't worth thinking about. So said my stomach as well. I leaned forward, placing my forehead solidly against the table.
Saying little at first, besides to sigh as he looked at the rabbit, Jack reached into the oven with his mits to lift the now roasted, delicious smelling meat from the pan he had placed it in onto a board. He began to dice as he considered the boy's words, and just how true it was. With many likely even now suffering, what was he doing here? The question truly troubled him, for it questioned his motives, his thoughts, that had once been so neat and orderly, that had many scrambling for cover at the opening of his mouth. Now shinobi disrespected him, as shown by the genin and chunin from before, or seemed to look at him as if they did not know him, as Sypher did, despite him being here for years. Sighing in resignation over these facts, he quickly finished dicing up the rabbit and threw it in the stew and stirred.
He only then realized it was done.
Taking the pot and displaying uncharacteristic strength, Jack brought the pot to the table before fetching a single bowl and slightly smaller pot. The pot he put before Shadow, along with a massive spoon and form, and handed the boy the ladle to deal out the food. Jack might have cooked it, but it was Shadow's turn to dish it out. As he waited, however, Jack pointed to the paper. "After, yes?"
-----ℓifting my head, I stared blankly at the pot. I was supposed to eat all of that? Then of course I had to glare at Jack. He couldn't lift a hammer if it meant work, but when it came to food, he pulled this strength out of nowhere. -----After food it was, though. I wasn't going to abandon it after I'd gone through the effort of catching it. Plus then there would be some left for later. If 'later' was indeed still today, anyway. Or if I was still healthy enough at that point to eat. As stated, my health had always been abnormally low. Though that was thanks to lack of sleep for the past entire ten years of my life. -----I ladled out a scoop into Jack's bowl, almost overfilling it in doing so, and then looked at the pot Jack had given me. If he was trying to be funny, he wasn't trying very hard. Pushing myself to my feet, I retrieved another dust covered bowl from the dust covered cabinet, sneezing in the process, and cleaned the bowl out with my shirt as I made my way back to my seat, where I poured myself some stew. -----I dug quite happily into the stew, savoring its unprocessed-ness. This was what all food should be like: healthy and and natural. It was a lot of work to gather, but worth it in the end. Especially for Jack, because he never did any of the work. -----Finishing the first bowl, I had a second, but that was all for the moment. If we were going to be running around, I would just feel sick if I ate too much. And given that we were helping sick people, that wouldn't be good. I looked back at Jack. "Are you ready?"
Jack had finished shortly, never truly eating much. This was likely why his body was always small, frail, and sickly? Mind you he never seemed to get sick, other than a sniffle now and then, but this would likely all be fixed with a simple dose of additional food. Trying to tell that to Jack, however, was like talking to a brick wall. As it was, he stood and took the dishes, taking the twin bowls to the sink to wash. Done, he removed his apron, hung it up, and moved to the pot to sniff it. Smiling he shook his head and looked to his younger friend, smoothing his coat with his pristine hands. "Go we now?" Jack was ready to begin their missions, to help those who needed it. Something told him the illness was progressively getting worse, and if it were not stopped soon many would die.
And so he gathered his cane, his tools and supplies, all designed to help him understand what it was that was going on. Looking to Shadow he nodded, turned, and made for the exit to his island, though slowly, in case Shadow had something to say.
Current Depth: 7. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
αbout all I could do at first was stare at this massive...cat, that could apparently speak. From what I could see around the edge of the frame of the window, it had arms instead of forelegs, and huge at that. In fact, I was pretty sure I could see a second pair of shoulders. Four arms? -----I gave the thing a nervous smile, given it looked more like it was snarling than smiling. Cats didn't have the same facial structure, so they couldn't smile like we could. But I got a feeling of security from it... him. I felt he wouldn't harm me. -----It was still a bit much for so early in the morning, however, and I needed time to process this new strange creature of Jack's. "I... um... I'm going to go get breakfast." Turning on my heels, I headed back for the stairs. -----Up in my room, I pulled my boots back on and grabbed my bow and quiver, sticking the arrow from the table in the leather casing. The academy had taken the wire I used to traps, saying I stole it--which was more or less true--along with my skinning knife. I had kunai that I could use in place of the skinning knife, since the Mizo was too long, and there were willow trees on the island that I could use to make a rabbit snare in place of wire. It wasn't as easy to hide, but it still worked as long as it was set up right. -----Not ready to face the cat thing again, I left via the window instead of going back downstairs, climbing easily down the side of the rickety old house. Sometimes, I was amazed the house didn't fall apart every time I touched something. -----Dropping the rest of the way down to the ground, I glanced around to make sure the cat, named Rhom'Vegra, apparently, hadn't seen me, and headed off into the surrounding forest. -----I didn't have to go far before I found a small stream that cut through the island. It came from a rain catcher near the northern end of the island, so it was fresh water, unlike the salt water surrounding from the ocean. It was the prime location for the small population of animals on the island to get water. -----Finding a willow tree wasn't too hard, its long, slim branches reaching down as if trying to touch the water below. I pulled on a few of these branches to get more of their length and cut them until I had three branches, each about three feet long, just in case. -----I headed north to the rain catch, following the stream with little difficulty. As I could expect, nothing was to be found on the way; they could hear me long before I heard them. Unfortunately, unlike real cats, I didn't have that great of stealth. At least, not as far as animals were concerned, especially since a mouse could hear a breath, a heartbeat...
-----An extra heartbeat, ever present, but from what? I do not know. You are foolish for wanting to know.
-----...What? -----I paused for a moment, unsure what had made my mind veer off the path it was on so suddenly. It didn't even make sense. But, shaking it off, I continued on, setting up my snares on several sides of the large pool of water. Satisfied with my work, I headed off into the forest to wait, to see what else I could find that was edible. -----Heading back downstream to where the water slowed down a bit for a good stretch, I found several things that could be eaten, though the majority of them involved wading into the water to get. The first was watercress, rounded leaves common in streams that grew in large amounts. They were used in salads and vegetable juices, for the people who drank it, and very nutritious if not the best tasting thing in the world. I saw it everywhere in Minu no Kuni because no one knew that you could eat it. I was more than certain it was in most other countries as well, begging to be used as a free food source. I grabbed several handfuls of the bright green leaves -----The next thing I found worth harvesting was arrowhead. This one was avoided because it had a close relative that was toxic. If you knew the difference, however, they were very easy to tell apart. Of course, this was the messy one to get. I knelt down in the shallows, scaring a few frogs away in doing so, and felt around in the water for the bases of these tall, arrow-shaped plants, uprooting them after a bit of digging. The tubers at the base were small, but as edible as potatoes. Actually, that's what they closed resembled as far as how they were to be eaten: cooked, peeled, and smashed up with some butter and salt. They could also be dried to make flour for baking bread. These, I only bothered digging up a few. -----Finally, wandering a bit away from the stream found me a treat in the form of small, dark berries well known as elderberries. These ones were entirely edible, so I gathered several handfuls of them as well. -----That done, I headed back for my traps. -----The first trap had been tripped, but nothing was in it, and the second hadn't been touched. So the third was my only hope. And, as luck would have it, there was a rabbit caught within. -----The hardest part of hunting is always killing your catch. I had long since gotten over the squeamish part of it, but I still felt bad. Giving thanks to whatever deity might be watching, I snapped the poor creature's neck so as not to damage anything that could be usable. And I would use everything. I refused to kill something and let it go to waste like normal humans. Sometimes the thought that I was associated with them left me disgusted. There would be enough here for Jack and I; the cat thing would have to get its own food. -----Seeing as that was about all the luck I was going to have, I headed back to the house. -----The house wasn't particularly difficult to find through the forest; I knew the place well enough. I headed in through the front door at my return, dropping the plants and berries I'd found on the table in the kitchen for Jack to take care of whenever he wasn't busy, and went back outside to worry about my catch. In other words, the gross part of gutting and skinning it that I was sure Jack didn't want to watch.
Jack watched Shadow move out, obviously afraid of Rhom'Vegra. The giant cat had given him quite a fright when they had first met, but through his natural gifts he had learned that this creature was harmless to those who treated him well. Thus he had no fear, but Shadow would know nothing of it. Looking at Rhom'Vegra Jack sent an image into the cat's head, a gifted bond that he would soon relinquish. He had learned that someone else was going to be looking for a group, and one of them was now at the waterfall, awaiting, despite her not knowing, for her other members. He nodded to the cat, also giving more information on how to get her passed the traps and defenses of the tunnel to his home, before promising food after his return.
Needless to say, Rhom'Vegra was focused, hungry, and more than a little determined to bring this new sheep to its flock.
When Shadow returned Jack barely looked up, for instead of cooking, as he likely should have started doing, he was reading a strange book made of some sort of black material. With the herbs placed on the table Jack put the book down and moved to the table, taking up the supplies and returning to his stove to begin readying the stew.
тhe messy work went pretty quickly. I stretched the skin out to dry for use later, gathered the fat into an empty bowl I found, the organs into another to be washed off, and headed back down to the stream to wash my hands and the blood from the rabbit. That way, if any predators were on the island, which was entirely possible, they wold go the opposite direction from the house. -----I returned to the kitchen perhaps twenty minutes later, bare rabbit meat in hand, and various other items from the rabbit in my arms. I placed it all on the table for Jack to decide what to do with it. -----I glanced out the window the huge cat had been staring at earlier. The window was still open, but that cat thing was gone for the moment. I wasn't particularly curious where it went. "Hey, Jack." I turned to the older boy, changing my mind's subject before it started wondering. And wandering. "You said something about starting missions today... Did you ever get any news back about them?" It wasn't necessarily that I was interested in getting started, but the subject was bound to come up, so I decided to initiate it.
Jack nodded, throwing the rabbit onto a pan and tossing that into the oven. He hadn't added anything to it yet, though his eyes were thoughtful, so likely something would come of it. The stew was bubbling happily away on the stove, a ladle stirring itself where Jack had left it to spin in its flow. Turning to Shadow, Jack revealed he was wearing a black apron over his clothes, which showed a voodoo doll with a needle just next to it, "p***k the Cook!" embroidered above it. Reaching into the apron pocket he withdrew a piece of paper and tossed it to Shadow before returning to his soup. "Missions."
ι had to frown at Jack for that. Apparently the older boy wasn't in much of a conversation mood. Well, I had tried, so no one could say that I hadn't. -----Pulling out one of the chairs at the table, I sat and looked at the paper Jack had handed me. Part of the paper had a hole in it for some reason, but knowing Jack he'd used some unconventional method of actually getting the paper. I ignored the hole for the moment and focused on the words on the page. -----The first blob of words on the page had something to do with enemies having infiltrated the village and were gathering information. Ok... So why were they handing off something so urgent to a genin and a chuunin? Who are these enemies its talking about and how do we locate them? And if it was so urgent, why were we still sitting here cooking breakfast? We should have gone the moment we got the mission. -----The next down had a similar issue. There was a rat somewhere in the village that needed found. Again, if this was urgent, why wasn't it given to someone else? -----I scowled at the page as I continued down it. The third mission too, seemed urgent. A sickness in the village? Oh no! Why was that our concern out here on the island. Besides, I hadn't seen any particular illnesses in the past year I've been living out on the streets of the village. -----The next mission was a bit more reasonable. It was a training mission that just involved spending the night out in the wilderness training. I did the living in the wilderness part on an almost daily schedule. Then the fifth and final mission involved going to get a report from one of the other villages. That sounded fun, and like we could do the fourth mission along the way. Well, given that we reached the mainland in a day anyway. Mizu no Kuni was kind of in the middle of the ocean, after all. -----I looked back up at Jack, leaning back in the chair and setting the paper down on the table. "So... Any idea where to start? Because some of these seem like they should have been taken care of already..."
Current Depth: 8. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
Jack watched his young pupil make his way to his room, a mere hair-breadth away from touching his own door. The boy was tired, certainly, and from the snoring that came from his room his sleep would be undisturbed. For a long time the sounds of the boy sleeping had never bore any difference to Jack's ears, but Jack, despite being unwise to much that people took for granted, what others called "common sense", was fairly attune to what people thought and felt, the nuances that defined them. One such nuance was Shadow's snoring, oddly, just as one of Jack's was his ability to make friends of what others called monsters.
Speaking of monsters, the door was rattling lightly.
Turning about he gestured for the door to open, not even blinking as he was obeyed and the heavy door opened smoothly. Outside stood the giant feline form of his newest companion, who watched Jack's everpresent smile with a form of childlike amusement. "Hello."
The cat grinned. "HI! smilies/icon_biggrin.gif"
Wincing, Jack waved the cat to speak lower, touching his throat and pointing down. When the Rhom'gar nodded so did he, showing he understood him understanding. Sometimes thinking like this truly confused Jack, but not this time. Reaching out with one hand he awaited what he knew the cat had: a return message.
Rhom'Vegra nodded with enthusiasm and handed the letter over, looking sheepish at the hole it one side. "I sah-ee... :< "
Jack shook his head and reached out to pet the feline gently. "Fine is it, messenger o'rare. Storming Thunder be welcome." Touching the great cat's nose he set aside his cane in a holder nearby and grabbed the paper with it. "Nourish and rest, Storming Thunder."
Rhom'Vegra smiled before turning and lumbering off into the woods, already sniffing for food.
Sighing, Jack turned to his living room and moved to the old, faded blue couch that often served as his bed away from his bedroom, listening carefully for the snick! of the door closing. As he heard it Jack laid back onto the couch, resting his head against a scarlet red pillow that lay there: his personal favorite, like his hat. For once Jack actually reached up and touched the black felt of the device, unconsciously stroking the feather there and the jewel that held it. His eyes unfocused as he considered his day, considered all he had learned in the last year, the sights he had witnessed. With a bit of necessary force Jack removed his hat to let his soft, black locks fall to his head, allowing the cold chill of the house to caress his scalp.
The fire roared to life in the fireplace, made by a whispered command from Jack. This place had been built by two Mizukages to help him live comfortably, though the "why" of those actions still never sat well with Jack. He was certain those two Mizukages had known more of him than they had let on.
For the moment, though, those were idle thoughts that were simply distracting him from more important issues, such as the letter in his hands. Lifting it to his eyes to read in the dim light of the fireplace, Jack's smile never wavered, but his eyes began to light up.
ι woke with a start, as usual, looking around in confusion. I'd actually forgotten for a moment what happened the day before in my half-woken state. But then I remembered Jack and that I was back in the house on the island. -----Lifting my head required some effort, but I raised it enough to look out the window. Gray light filtered in, but sunlight did not, which meant it was morning, since my window faced west. I dropped my head back down and rolled over, unwilling to get up now that I'd, apparently, gotten a full night's sleep for once. -----Of course, rolling over meant I put my face in the dust covered pillow. Which meant a moment later, I sneezed. Groaning, I rolled the opposite direction, up to my feet. -----Rubbing my eyes, I made my way over to the desk, where I had discarded my stuff the night before. It occurred to me that I had lost an arrow the day before, but I made extra since I used them in hunting and it was possible for them to break. Returning to the bed, I knelt before it, reaching under it for the box I knew lay beneath. -----It took a moment of groping around, but my hand caught the edge of the box, and I pulled it out, lifting the lid in the same movement. There were a dozen or so arrows within that remained. Grabbing one, I shoved the box back under the bed and stuck it in my quiver. -----Discarding the quiver once more, I pushed myself back up to my feet and headed for the door with a yawn. Heading down the stairs beyond the creaking hallway, I sought out Jack in his usual place: the couch in the living room. He more often than not slept there than in his room, for whatever reason. Looking around the doorway into the den, I called softly into the room. "Jack?"
There was a grumbling noise, a shriek, and then a thud as something struck the floor in the den. A moment later Jack's voice came from that direction. "Come."
A moment later Shadow would hear Jack in the kitchen, muttering something about "Hungry" and "Thunder", and that was followed by the familiar scent of Jack knocking over a jar of spices. This happened often, quite often in fact, but he was so used to it that he took it in stride. Of the two of them he was still the better cook, though not by much.
He stood before the stove and ignored the face in his window for the moment, considering what to eat. For the moment there was nothing in the fridge that would work for food, but there were grains and canned meals within the pantry. Jack sighed theatrically before looking towards where Shadow would eventually stand, hoping that a look would convince the boy to go catch a rabbit.
ι followed after Jack toward the kitchen, rubbing my arms subconsciously, bare feet slapping against the wooden floor. I heard a sharp crack and the smell that followed showed he had once again knocked a jar of some sort of spice over. Sage, by the light pine smell of it. There weren't many pine in Mizu no Kuni, but the wood was used often enough, so I recognized it. -----It was almost...funny how normal this all felt. It felt so normal that something felt off. Like he hadn't been gone for a year and I was still ignorant--well, more ignorant--to the shinobi ways. I couldn't help but wonder where Jack had gone that he would want to return to normal life so quickly. -----What had happened to him? -----I paused just inside the doorway to the kitchen, where I was met with Jack's gaze. I frowned back at him, knowing perfectly well what he wanted. I hadn't even thought about the fact there would be no food. -----I recalled the light outside my window. It had still been early, though I'm not sure what time exactly. There might still be rabbits out and about--most things, with human presence, had learned to only show themselves at dawn and dusk, since people weren't usually out and about then, especially not in the forest because it got dark. Besides, no one else was on the island. Or, there shouldn't have been. -----I noticed one of my arrows on the table then, though I wasn't sure why it was there. Not really thinking much on it, I grabbed it to put with my quiver. -----Sighing, I turned to leave again, but had to do a double take at the window. There was a face, something big and furry, catlike, staring at me though the window. I froze. "J-Jack?" I turned my head toward the older boy, but didn't take my eyes off of the massive creature. "What is that...?"
The giant creature poked the window open, incidentally breaking the latch that held it in place before turning his amazingly large smile to Shadow. "Hi, Butter! :3"
Jack looked back at the pantry before moving over to the twin wooden doors and pulling them open. "Vegra'Rhom, back to front. Friend mine made far in year." His eyes were wide as he looked at the oats that had something growing in them, his expression registering amusement at the prospect. He would have to take it out into the garden later and give them a chance to grow, to see what choices evolution would take in their development. Looking back at Shadow, he gestured to Rhom'Vegra. "Friend to thee give I."
Rhom'Vegra smiled to Shadow and showed his teeth. "HI! smilies/icon_biggrin.gif"
Current Depth: 9. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
Jack's memory of his home was perfectly mimiced by the life version of it before him. Honestly, being gone for a year had not drastically changed his island home from the beautiful, haunting paradise it was. The mist still streamed off from the inside, covering much of the forest from sight; the wind was still moaning in the trees, the noise the only sound that could be heard at any time of the day; the tides continued to stir and rapid across the many thousands of rocks and reefs between the shore and the island itself.
Glorious, glorious home!
Jack moved to the hidden entrance, a patch of dirt that hid the trap door beneath. It was cleverly hidden by several seals made by the old Mizukage, ones that would cause any who touched it to suddenly fight a mimic of themselves should their chakra not immediately be recognizable as Shadow's or Jack's. Anyone else would unleash a hell upon themselves that they would not soon forget. Jack, of course, simply tapped the ground and shunshin'ed into the hole beneath, onto the platform that led into the narrow, twisting caverns beneath the home and the Land of Water. He knew Shadow was behind him, and thus Jack did not panic.
Checking the many, many wards and jutsu in place in the tunnel, Jack continued through the dank, damp darkness that was the path to his home. He barely registered the explosive notes that would bring the ocean above crashing down midst fire and earth to kill whomever did not bear his chakra or Shadow's. He did not even blink at the myriad webs of the spliced spiders an old friend of his made, spiders with teeth of chakra steel and webbing that was as hard as the hardest steel and as malleable as true spider silk. Their beady, fiery red eyes that glowed in the shadows watched him warily, their insect senses registering him as a friend and Alpha. Shadow, as another Alpha, their eyes just passed over without incident as well. When they came to the Unending Cavern, where everything was shadow in every direction that one looked, Jack stared into the darkness without concern, as if greeting an old lover who had been away too long.
And through this room was the other opening, a single doorway that led to a ladder that went straight up into the gardens around Jack's house where plants, fully alive and man-eating, laid in wait. Here, though, there came a loud clicking as thousands upon thousands of spiders with bodies made of diamond scrabbled into existance, moving to Jack's side and pressing against him in welcome. The same was done to Shadow, the fur of their monstrously long legs, for each stood nearly two feet tall each, soft to the touch despite their diamond bodies. To Jack they were no threat, nor to Shadow or the Key Holder, but to any other their venom destroyed chakra and paralyzed their victim while their pincers, razor sharp, had yet to find a meal they could not bite nor digest.
Jack moved through these with a loving nod and touch, his pets all and family of sorts. He moved to the door and they scattered back to their defensive posts, leaving Jack to ascend to his garden home. Here he waited for Shadow amidst tall plants with gaping maws that pressed against him in greeting, each intelligent beyond what any plant should ever have. He waited at the top of the ladder, smiling.
ғollowing behind Jack silently, I just stared for a moment where he had been. He had always been one of those people that liked flashy entrances, exits, and everything in between. I personally thought it was unnecessary. -----Shaking my head, I knelt down beside a bare patch of dirt where I knew the entrance lay. After all, I lived in the house officially, so I had to know how to get into it. Anyone else might have forgotten how after a year, but thanks to perfect memory, it wasn't a problem. Bringing a bit of chakra to the palm of my hand, I placed my hand against the patch of dirt and moved back. -----The dirt peeled away and a door flung itself open, revealing the passage that led underwater to the island where Jack's home stood. The door closed tight once more as I passed through, and I was thrown into darkness. -----I never enjoyed the darkness, despite it being my namesake. Unless that darkness meant sleep anyway. Then it was always welcome. Normally I brought a light with me when we traversed the tunnels, but Jack hadn't seemed to have thought of it. As a result, I stuck close behind, my eyes wide despite the fact I knew they wouldn't adjust. -----If the glowing eyes of thousands of spiders weren't enough to raise every hair on one's body, then perhaps finding out they were huge and crowding around you would. It was something I'd never gotten used to and the main reason I kept trips to and from the home as minimal as possible. I knew they wouldn't harm me, but it was something my wild mind refused to accept. That was because I couldn't help but wonder what they ate to stay alive. Not much lived there, so either they weren't really alive, or people wandered down there more often than I thought. -----Swallowing roughly, I hurried on after Jack. -----I was thankful when I was blinded by the daylight again, and by daylight I meant the overcast drear that always hovered over Mizu no Kuni, the Water Country. Rain was still more welcoming than the darkness. -----That was another thing. Why did the tunnel never seem to flood with how much rain we received? I shuddered to think about meeting my end in a watery grave going home. -----All the more eager to get out of the tunnel, I climbed the ladder quickly and heaved myself out of the hole, where Jack stood waiting for me. Looking down at my clothing as I brushed the dirt off, so as to hide my embarrassment and fear, I turned to look at the old structure that I called my home. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of it. And, of course, the thought of the bed that lay within. -----I glanced at Jack curiously, and then headed forward, tail waving happily behind me, eager to reach said bed.
Jack looked after the boy with a grin before sitting on the leaf of one of the previously mentioned enormous, intelligent plants. A moment later he was being carried through the foliage by their leaves and vines, each thick and heavy, designed for this purpose. At the same time a vine snatched at Shadow, lifting him along Jack, who was laughing with glee as the plants whisked them towards their home. They passed trees with gaping mouths that bade them greetings in the way of horrific, windy moans, rabbits with three ears and one eye, each bolting in blurs whenever they noticed being noticed. Birds both tiny and enormous cried out greeting to the pair, and even the insects played a symphony, though disharmonious, that said quite clearly that they were missed.
As always, Jack felt at home here.
At last the plants set them down, having traveled farther than the entire island was supposedly long just to do it. Here they stood at the porch, the many mechanisms that would have sent a call throughout the forest of an intruder to be eaten disarming at their approach. The insects and bugs that had taken up refuge for defense vacated slowly, each chittering in an almost silent way as a greeting. For ten years Jack had been here, and for ten years he had cared for everything here. In an odd way, the island itself was his pet, and Shadow brother to everything living here.
Touching the door, which seemed a sort of charred black for some reason, was made of heavy, stout wood with the density of steel that was as easy to move as a wooden door for those it was meant to allow in. In this case, Jack and Shadow. It creaked open, revealing the dark interior littered with dust and artifacts of magic that most sane people would have thrown out. Jack, though, wasn't often considered sane by even the most crazy of people. Stepping in he took a deep breath, his smile increasing at the feeling of rightness that came with being here. "Home."
α warning would have been nice so that I could prepare myself to be thrown in the air and through the trees by a bunch of plants. But, no, that was too much to ask for as I was lifted off of my feet and suddenly the world was hurdling past me. Had I been able to catch a grip between being tossed, I would have held on for dear life and probably stabbed the next thing that tried to touch me. -----Plants could feel emotion, right? Well, I hoped they felt how unappreciative I felt about the scenario. I would have much rather walked. -----When I was finally released onto my feet, I stumbled forward and fell to my knees, sinking gratefully to the ground with a groan. Jack opened the door, though, so I pushed myself back up to follow him. "Jack... Never again." -----Satisfied with my answer to him, I headed up the stairs within, throwing a "Goodnight." over my shoulder. -----The floors creaked dangerously underneath my feet as I made my way to the door to my room. I shoved it open, since sometimes it got stuck and wouldn't open, and flicked on the light within. Of course, I wasn't surprised when one of the light bulbs fizzed out with a pop. -----Ignoring it, I looked around at the drawings that littered the walls. There had to be hundred of them, covering every inch of the room. They were pictures I'd salvaged before I ran away from home, and I had drawn more since. And I remembered every one of them, and their stories. People often wondered why I zoned out. Well, it was because my brain was storing so much information that it had to process it all occasionally. -----Dropping my back and bow by the desk, I sat down in the old oak chair, simply gazing about the room for a moment. Then I pulled my boots off, threw my jacket over the chair, and took the headband from around my neck. Yawning, I made my way back to the light switch, flicked it back off, and flopped into bed. -----Exhaustion washed over me the moment my head hit the dusty pillow--I watched in the little bit of light streaming into the room the cloud of debris gleam--and my eyes sunk to be met with the darkness known as sleep.
Current Depth: 10. Occupants: Shadowseeker Hunyistir & Past Jack Harren Snipe.
If'n y'all decide to go back this far, the way further into the past lay dormant. Instead, the door opens upon a black void. Inside, a currently produced scene exists, which the narrator will direct a post link to if so desired, as well as what exactly will be entailed. (it will be slightly different than what the other occupant is going through)
