old world blues. ( private flashback )

[Apple]

After perhaps a less than flawless transaction however, the money was exchanged, and the sizeable amount of food well on its way. I could briefly hear the sound of frozen chips hitting the blisteringly warm cooking oil in the back of the restaurant, and as the smell rose in to the air, I gathered the thought that merely through smelling such artery clogging food could you surely gain a few pounds. Shaking off the thought, dismissing Atlas for a moment or so, I’d then move over to the table that the rest seemed to be making their way to. I’d been here previously before- but for a much shorter time than the current situation, and it had been shown clearly by the reaction of the asshole chef. I was sure that such an outburst would cause problems, and as we moved over to the table silently, the only sound being Chaima and her temporary leave, I didn’t have high hopes. But no matter whether I’d anticipated a spill or not, I’d made a mistake of being led here- why hadn’t I changed direction or asked to go elsewhere? I was beginning to slip up, and it didn’t look good. Sitting down quietly with my legs crossed, showing ample flesh, my legs uncovered and somewhat muscular, befitting for any kunoichi of wartime, I’d turn my attention back to Atlas as he then began to speak. Pushing my blonde hair back, I found it hard to control my reaction.

"You're much more than you appear to be... aren't you?"

"..Ah."

I couldn’t quite hold myself in as my mouth, almost unsure at first swiftly turned in to a devious grin, although, I was aware that perhaps through that single movement, I’d have shown myself up. But it was clear from merely moments after being introduced to him that I wouldn’t get much from this sucker. He was.. intelligent, unlike the majority of saps I managed to meet on the streets of Kami no shima. And now that he’d twigged, I doubted that I’d be able to release myself, so instead of digging myself an even deeper hole than I’d already created, I bathed in it, stretching my folded leg slightly and crossing my arms before me, in a twisted, almost too confident manner- much different to the bubbly girl I’d portrayed previously. I mentally affixed my mask, and even now with a single form having been dropped from the list and the mask dissipated, it was dubious as to whether I was still acting. Glancing at him with bold blue eyes, the grin would turn to a smirk as I clapped slowly and almost sarcastically to his words, preparing to answer his question. Opening soft, pink lips, I'd speak;

"My, my my..

..The great secret has been revealed.."

[/b][/color][/right]

I'd pause for only a moment, my tone silent but at the same time, over-dramatic, my mouth bearing the same wicked grin. I felt.. lightheaded as my entire being was overcome by a foreign source, permitting myself what felt like no control over my body.

"..And just what did I appear to be, Atlas?"

I inquired, craving his response- his attention.
I felt liberated to act this way.[/center]

[/blockquote][/justify][/font][/size]

[Estilo]

Double Indemnity

---

I smiled at her reaction, and narrowed my eyes with amusement at the sight of her devious grin. It seemed like I'd hit the proverbial nail on the head with this one. As she proceeded to answering my inquiry with a series of soft claps, I would promptly respond with a slight bow in my seat, even going as far as fluttering a single hand in the air simultaneously. This was a game for two, after all. And I was most definitely a player. Surely, she was aware.

"Why- exactly what you wanted us to believe, Blanche. 'Bubbly genin girl from the grasslands' ring a bell?"

I had answered. My tone was smooth, and calm, like a stream of gentle mountain water. I wasn't trying to portray an image of intimidation, or anger, or even disappointment. To anyone who happened to see us from afar, it would appear as nothing more than two friends enjoying each other's company. Albeit, the female bearing a considerably nefarious quality to her broad smile. I considered letting her know that my suspicions had existed since the moment we'd met on that street, but found it premature.

"You know," I abruptly started, eyeing the luminescent Kami no Shima strip through the periphery of my vision for a moment. The clear glass window beside our table was large enough to frame an idyllic scene of the setting we had just come from: the casino lights, the crowds of finely-dressed people, the neon mascots that stood over forty-feet tall, and hung off the sides of buildings. "I was once like you. Going from town to town, swindling people for their cash and possessions, not giving a damn and looking out for myself. Like a leaf that blows from one gutter to another." I paused there for a moment, my mind briefly wandering to those years after I'd left Kuma no Kuni. The traveling, the adolescence.

My eyes, pools of emerald green, gazed back into Blanche's baby blues.

"You're not good; you're not bad. You're a chiseler, out for anything you can get. But, trust me when I tell you that it can change." I continued, my arms crossed over the table, my amused gaze unfaltering.

"Don't you think so?"

---

Author's Note: This is a "mask-less" Atlas, as this is taking place before the Great Disaster~ Blanche will be one of the few to remember him like this!

[Apple]

As my back dug in to the less than plush seat that I was sitting on, as he began to speak, explaining what he had once perceived me to be, the grin on my face would only intensify as I listened- and engorged on the information that he was giving me. To only know that my guise had worked was fulfilling and sent a thrill down my spine, further increasing my actions and the adrenaline that pumped through my veins at this very time. However then, instead of keeping my distance, I’d simply move closer to the man, my elbows leaning against the table with my hands supporting my head beneath my chin as I watched on in the very close space that parted us both. As far as I knew he could easily slice my throat as I sat here given the proximity, but- I lived for risks. They felt so.. wild- as if anything could happen, the fate of which I couldn’t exactly decide upon my self- chance- it wasn’t fate that had lured me to kami no shima. The land of the lost- preying on those and sucking them in to the fake, luminous regime that took place there. I’d walked for so many miles just to get away from Kusa no kumi, but I couldn’t escape my thoughts. And through blindingly bright lights, too much to drink and constant adrenaline rushes I found my solace from the world right in the gutter of kaminari no kuni, happily laying in its filth.

I’d do anything to forget those days.

..But guilt overwhelmed me for doing so.

To alleviate; drink, theft and gambling.
And then I’d remember..

..And the circle began again..

But no- I was a testimony for strength. I didn’t need people like the Atlas before me to tell what I appeared to be because it changed- all the time. Revolving like the very idiots who came in and out of Kami no Shima each day. The grin on my face having disappeared, I’d watch and follow his eyes as he’d look over to the outside world, men tipping their drinks and stumbling over in the streets, a rain of beer washing the hair of another. They were all pathetic. Sneering in response I’d then turn my eyes back to Atlas as he claimed that I was much like a former version of himself, that I could relate and that his words could easily bring me away from this place and give me hope for a new beginning- a new life outside of the confines of this makeshift hell. But it wasn’t the place- where the real hell lay was in the back of my mind and if I could erase such, perhaps there would be a chance of change as he so pleasantly spoke of. Raising my right hand from its position under my chin and leaning back again, my blonde hair proving as a makeshift cushion for my head, I’d smirk and almost let out a laugh at what he said. His deduction was wrong.

Opening my mouth, I'd lean my head back further, my hair obscuring my image and rendering my eyes undetectable beneath the soft shadow my blonde hair casted.



”..The entire world changes and all we can do is watch..”

I spoke, this time, my voice almost unrecognizably gentle.

"But if change is inevitable..

..why are we all still fighting?"

"Change means nothing right now, Atlas.
At least not for us."

[/b][/color][/center]

It was perhaps more.. intelligent than he'd have expected, to say the least. War had destroyed everything, and although I skipped about now with my title as a Kusagakure shinobi, unknowingly to many my village was being burned to the floor by attackers, my fellow shinobi- my friends killed and wounded by strangers who cared nothing for change. I.. just wanted to go back home to my family. But that was impossible now. We weren't the ones to make decisions- if I could stop the war, I would, even though a small part of me enjoyed the blood and the trip that came from viewing such gut-wrenching situations. I'd killed and I was sure that Atlas had done too - but we weren't the same .I had watched as carcasses slid down the blade of my weapon lifelessly, blood pouring through either end of them and on to my pale, shaking hands and trodden earth. Watched how my only hope for change shattered in to pieces, and now watched on how he, a man from a larger village, a gang of friends and with a wife and- and.. -a son, preached to me about how everything could change.

I narrowed my eyes to him.

He knew shit about change.

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[Estilo]

Wartime Rhapsodies

---

My eyes evaluated the beauty before me calmly, orbs of green framed by a wild mane of cardinal red. Considering we had both been leaning forward on our seats, one could describe the proximity in which our faces were aligned as 'intimate'. We both knew, however, that it was anything but. The reason why would become clear as she leaned back, and responded to my previous statements. Something came over her then. A sense of hopelessness. And my smile fell, my eyes quickly following suit.

"Change means nothing right now, Atlas.
At least not for us."

That eternal silence reigned over between us for another moment then, my eyes downcast on the shiny table-top before us. A beautiful hue of bright red adorned it, rimmed with sunlight yellow. Specks of salt appeared scattered upon the epicenter of its surface. I was disheartened with her stance on change, that much was clear. It showed. And, after all that I had gone through, it was hard not to agree with her at first. Who was I to talk? Nothing more than an honest man's conscience stuck in a murderer's body.

But, no. I couldn't succumb to her pessimistic way of thinking. Although I had lost many people to this god-damn, senseless war, I couldn't let it change what I stood for, and who I was. There were others counting on me to be strong for them. My family, my friends. They were the reason behind my commitment, the validation behind my actions. If I had to, I'd kill thousands. For them. For them, I'd change the world. But the option to give up, like she had, would get me nowhere. If only Blanche could understand.

Already straightened in my seat, ignoring that slight discomfort that came with the stiff booth, I proceeded to try and convince the blue-eyed beauty to see things differently. Calmly, I'd continue, eyeing the bright city outside for but a moment. "We all want to change the world, Blanche. But what most people don't consider, is changing themselves first. To not let the circumstances- as awful and vile as they are- to shape who you are. Because when you do... you're just as bad as them. The politicians, the generals, the assholes who wage this war. And continue to do so, because they can't change- trapped in their own repetitive hell."

We were all, in a way, trapped in our own hells. I realized that. But the difference between me and them, was that I didn't drag entire countries into the matter. "This world, what it is now, this is where they belong. And they may think that my way of thinking is foolish, but that's okay. 'Cause at least I can say that when the world went to shit, I didn't let it take me down with it." My strawberry soda, still untouched, fizzed with a light hiss on the table. My eyes, sterling pools of green filled with purpose, met Blanche's own. "I, alone, cannot change the world. You understand that. But I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."

I held hope that, at the end of this, she'd end up being one of those.

[Apple]

The atmosphere in the small enclosed space the both of us found solace in grew rife with tension after I’d spoken, although truly, I wondered as to if I’d really meant what I’d said. It was.. hard to change the things that were decided by people so much more powerful than us. I had made some bad decisions, and mistakes that I had to suffer through to this day, tearing at my consciousness. The blood, and the pain. I could even feel it now, but no excruciating pain could compare to loss, which although numb, was painful on so many more levels than the physical feeling that it had originally evoked. Uncomfortably shifting my position slightly through then lowering my arms and placing each hand on the table before me, grasping the edges, I’d keep my gaze fixed on the kumogakure shinobi as his partner surely fussed about in the ladies bathrooms. His words rung through my mind like some kind of sarcastic chant, despite the collected and calm done that he used. And through what little control I had, I found myself increasingly agitated.

”..Atlas, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” I smiled, almost laughing.

”..You are fighting this war for your family- for your wife and for your son.


You have plenty left to protect and nurture.”

”..But.. Some aren’t so fortunate."

"It’s too late.”


I exhaled heavily.

They were three, simple words- and yet the power behind them was unfathomable. With the smile on my face, it was hard to tell whether I was using it for dramatic effect as I had all of these last few hours, or if it was genuine. It was.. a strangely positive notion between such hate that I had spoken of. But how could he relate? He had everything which I wanted, which I needed, and after weeks of living alone in the dirty strip of Kaminari no kuni my jealousy knew no bounds. I could feel it- the rush of anger flowing through my body from his ignorance- how was I expected to learn from him? Did he really think that he could change me? It was too late for it all- too late for change, too late for anything. He would go back to Kumogakure tomorrow to the arms of his wife and the presence of his child whilst if I was to return, all I’d be faced with would be carcasses and memories that were currently too wrenching to review. My expression over the last few minutes soon shifted from the smile which I’d displayed, to a much more twisted smirk, as if I was trying to bring some positivity to the situation, but such efforts were blinded by the overpowering darkness which had overcome our conversation. He had the nerve to even compare the both of us earlier, and that’s what enraged me the most, and as moments passed, this fiery disposition was starting to make itself known in the way that I glared and the silent supply of chakra which was involuntarily making its way to my hands, which were now hidden from view.

”..I was a daughter, Atlas. A sister, a friend, and due to be married to the man that I loved more than anything in this entire world.” I spoke, beneath the table my hand instinctively seeking to gently brush against my now almost unnaturally thin stomach- only for me to remember it all. My tone poignant and yet at the same time, distortedly happy sounding. I kept my gaze on the red-haired shinobi, almost as if I was trying to gauge the thoughts that were running through his mind, penetrating in to the very depths of his mind with my icy blue eyes. I couldn't handle the ignorance he displayed much longer.

"So please, before you preach about people needing to change themselves;"



"..Consider that the circumstances have have changed things enough already.."


And with those wrathful, painfully bittersweet words, I rose from my position at the table.
But not before giving him one last, fury-fuelled glimmer of my blue eyes.

Wordlessly, I then left the booth and headed towards the entrance of the restaurant, pushing my way past the somewhat stained glass doors and in to the cold night of Kami no Shima once more. With my blonde hair bouncing up and down with each step, it reflected the neon lights of the various buildings beautifully, but I didn't care. Looking back at the diner itself, some recollection of my self felt guilt for leaving, but I couldn't take it to heart- he'd deserved losing my beautiful self as company. But it was for his own sake- and for my own reputation. If I hadn't left, then I'd have undoubtedly charged a chakra-boosted punch right between his eyes had I not gathered enough strength to leave, blinding him at the least. I longed to punish him- to show him exactly how wrong his judgement was, how incorrect he was to claim that I was as bad as the people who caused this fucking war in the first place from being victimized by their own actions. With nothing left to live for, and no-one left to care after, such feelings of positivity and kindness were only used to taunt and trick the ones who still had so much going for them. Buried deep beneath the extravagant neon lights, the crowds of drunken citizens and the dirt-ridden gutters of Kami no shima, there was no use for hope here much longer. I swam in my sorrow, and hoped to drown.

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[Estilo]

Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall

---

”It’s too late.”

Her repugnance with what I had said was palpable. I could see it in her eyes, and no matter how good she was at masking it, I could feel it in her stare. She had lost people, too. That much was certain, and not at all surprising. The war was like that. A mass of destruction and depression that wormed its way into the lives of everyone affected, like the black tendrils of an octopus, reaching and snatching and drowning and devouring. I understood- perfectly- where her standpoint on change was coming from. I had lost people, too. My sister, my mother, my comrades. But the difference between me and Blanche was that I didn't become a victim to those circumstances for very long. Because she was, absolutely, right.

I still had Vera and Sam.

What I would become, should they ever be taken away from me, was something I couldn't imagine. Or, at the very least, didn't want to. But if there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that they wouldn't want me to- "..Consider that the circumstances have have changed things enough already.." As she stood up, and took her leave from the diner, I reminded myself that Vera and Sam... they were all I, truly, had left. Oh... Blanche was like me in so many ways, ways that she could never guess at. Except for the fact that what I dreaded most, had already happened to her. How old was she? Nineteen? Twenty? I was only four, or three, years her senior... yet she had endured things that would break men decades older than us- the complete loss of one's loved ones. I was dangerously close to that reality.

When I imagined it, I saw myself hanging from the edge of a chthonic realm. A single arm, providing the aching muscle for that single hand, which clung on for dear life with a mere pair of fingers- attempting to delay the descent into that infernal, dark abyss below. I didn't want to fall. Ever.

It was at that point that I shot up out my seat, and trailed after the girl from the grasslands. The girl that had endured so much, the girl that had fallen into that pit of despair I dreaded to enter. I wanted to save her. But I didn't know why. It wasn't out of some self-righteous indignation or complacency, no. It went much deeper than that. Because... when I saw Blanche... I saw a part of myself. And, against all odds, I wanted to make her understand- to stop being a victim to this war. To quit putting the pain aside, to at least try. Run, that was all we ever did. I was tired of the god-damn running.

"Stop!"

I had burst past the diner's front doors, stopped at its forefront approximately seven meters away from the girl I pursued. The boulevard we had reentered, riddled with lampposts and meshed trash cans and drunks, was all the remained between us and the bright casino afar. One of the soda can's littering the asphalt street had involuntarily been kicked towards a nearby trash can by me. But I didn't care to notice the fluke, my eyes focused on the blonde-haired woman before me. "You can't just... you can't just let it end like that! You can't just give up!" I bawled, steely eyes suddenly filled with vexation. "The people you lost," I continued, my tone of voice lowering in volume, as my gaze relaxed slightly. "Do you think they'd want you to live this way, Blanche? You can do better than being a thief. You can be the change that completely transforms the world."

[Apple]

[OOC: Sorry, scrappy post! ):]

I tore through the streets in what could only be described as my warpath, unwilling to slow down for anyone who came my way. As I moved forwards, I naturally collided with several people, but with such anger having built up my arms fully with enough strength to beat off an entire army if needed, I simply charged my way through, causing various drinks to be spilled in the process. Moments passed and I kept moving, although it would all soon come to a stop the moment I chose to turn my head and look back towards where I’d come from. I saw people- so many people. I couldn’t tell who was who but, currently stalled in my place and with nothing to see, I began moving again to escape the prying eyes of Atlas – the man of whom I simply wanted to see gone from here. He had irritated me to no end with his ignorant comments, and I couldn’t bear pay him another glance without the undying need to make him suffer for what he had said to surface. He hadn’t felt what I had – He hadn’t gone through the things I had to suffer, he had been sheltered to some degree as his family lived closeby in the neighbouring shinobi village to Kami no Shima, and I had been too, back then. I couldn’t- I couldn’t have wished it on anyone. But at the same time, I wanted them all to understand on a depth that couldn’t be realized through simply hearing stories. I wanted them to feel it- feel each little bit of devastation that had hit me not once- but twice in the last few months. But most of all, I..

"Stop!"

As my almost obsessive train of thought broke at the sound of an all-too familiar voice sounding out loud against the varied sounds of Kami no shima, I’d turn perhaps too dramatically to face where the noise came from, to see that same crop of long red hair pushing out from the crowd like a sore thumb. As I glared at the figure from afar, my blonde hair in the flickering street-light almost like some kind of beacon – although not one that Atlas would ideally want to reach, for his own sake. I easily felt the quaking in my fist as I tried to stop myself from regretting what I could feel was coming on. Of course, as Atlas dramatically shouted across the crowd, it wasn’t that much different to any average night on the strip with the theatrics of our reunion, so there wasn’t all that many who actually took notice of the both of us. However- as time went on and as he spoke, the same shrill voice rushing through my head clawing and clawing, I found it harder and harder to resist the fate that would bequeath upon us both – the finale of our meeting. Tonight had been nothing more than a waste of my time and now as he preached to me almost as if he pitied me- I couldn’t let him win. He needed to fuck off back to Kumogakure before he made another mistake.

”..You can be the change that completely transforms the world."

”..The.. the change that completely transforms the world?

Baha..hahaha…ahahaha!!”

”Oh Atlas..

..Your naivety is adorable"

A laugh, twisted and deranged as I approached him, one step at a time.

I chose to disregard his comment about the people I'd lost and how they would feel.

"This world is doomed.

..Fate cannot be averted."

By now, our distance had shortened to a mere three meters through my own strides and his own pace. I eyed him down with my last sentence; Did he really believe that much in hope? That this world could be turned on its head by a single being? We were opressed- put down by those who thought they believed best, the same people who had led us blindly in to the war itself, and only through their lead could we return back to civilized society. And even then- we were shinobi. Weapons bred to kill and destroy any good thing that others had for the sake of negating any competition. I'd misjudged the scale of our- my commitment to the regime in the past, and perhaps that had been my downfall. By swearing to the shinobi life one sweared oneself to the war, to protect the village they belonged to with their life, but with no village or family left, what was I to protect? Myself. Away from Atlas, away from the attacks that raged on behind the sheltered yet claustrophobic walls of Kami no shima, and most importantly, away from reality itself. Trapped in my own little bubble, I was content living in this dirty place and thieving to earn just enough to eat - the only other career prospects I had was a soldier for another village which I simply couldn't commit to. I wanted to go back - I wanted to feel the torn, pulverized flesh running down my arms and my face in a sea of blood, but at the same time, I refused to lose myself in the war.

But even that was too late, as even now my hand was rife with offensive chakra.

Blue eyes staring down his green, I'd wait for a reply - for a reaction as I cruelly stood in my burdensome mist of negativity, provoking him to admit - there was no hope for humanity.

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[Estilo]

Call Me Irresponsible

---

There wasn't much that I hadn't seen during the course of this war. The corpses, stacked upon each other in immeasurable piles, blotting out the horizon. The stink of rotting and burnt flesh poisoning the sky, choking the throats of any who entered those ghastly, post-battlefield realms. Men, women, and children were either killed, enslaved, abandoned, or enlisted into the armies that had ravaged their lands. It was, all, so terrible.

As the girl from the grasslands approached me, her swanned strides urging me to take tentative steps backward- until I was forced to a stop against a trash can- we soon came to a pause within a distance of a mere three meters. My viridian green eyes met her own, my gloved hands clenched into fists, though my stance remained poised as always. I... I was disappointed, more than anything. My gaze showed it, and my gloved fists betrayed the sense of frustration that came from it. I was failing her, I was failing myself.

War. It was mankind's most terrible blight. For the atrocities committed during the span of such a tumultuous time didn't just strike at the flesh and bone of human beings. No, it shattered their spirits, too. And that, he supposed, was the worst of it. "It is only when the people, who once stood a chance of rising up against the death and destruction, lose their faith- in themselves, in humanity, in the future- that the world is truly doomed, Blanche." He'd answer, in almost a growl. "My hope... it isn't a sign of weakness. No. It takes everything I have to keep believing in it. And everything I have to keep trying to convince you!"

He had met many people before her. People he had tried to convince. People he had tried to inspire, and restore faith into. He was tired of it all. All the glum, all the death, all the paralyzing fear, all the depression. Like war, he had his fill of it all. Humanity was failing themselves. And there were good people in this world, he absolutely knew it. People who could, together, bring an end to it all- before it ended them. For what more did evil need to succeed, than good folk to stand around and do nothing?

[Apple]

It was so.. overwhelming as the haze of negativity seemed to surround me, touching at each good thing that it could find. I could see the strain in Atlas’s eyes after I’d spoken and the way that he’d reacted, much unlike the way he’d laughed jovially previously. Although so destructive my words proved to be, I felt so.. justified, so relieved to have released them to him. If he truly did believe that mankind could come back form the brink of self-destruction then I found him a fool – things had changed too much already and as the larger villages sought to oppress others, it was every man for himself. Out to protect families, out to protect friends, out to protect the village, the excuses went on and on, but in the end it was nothing more positive than self-confessed slaughter. I’d given in to my urges and struck off several lives already but now I sought solace and wound up in the gutter of the world, hidden from war in its joyous reputation, but bitterly aware of the destruction that occurred behind the strong walls of Kami no shima. However – I too confessed to have become one of them, warped by war and loss, but no one could compare to it, especially not the man before me. How did I expect him to understand what I said- to understand me when he had everything which I’d wanted in the world?

Chakra poured in to my right fist.

As I heard a metallic clunk as I noticed that my strides forward had backed up the man enough for him to collide with a trashcan, I stood at this new distance of three meters, my appearance and body language so much different to the jolly girl he’d met previously - now in its place a very dangerous stance and almost trance-like with my eyes staring directly at him, not exactly meaning to intimidate, but I managed to inadvertently make it appear to be that way. But even now, as the dark grasp of my hatred spanned through the area and so softly touched Atlas’s mind, converting him - forcing him to understand the depravity of humanity, I felt.. wrong. So wrong. I felt torn apart by these different standpoints, and that’s what irritated me to no end. I’d been so sure – I’d felt so right to feel like this, to allow my anger to overcome me and sink in to my very core, but now I wasn’t too sure. I.. somehow bitterly admired his determination to find what little good that was left in humanity and the state of the world and to drive himself based on those, but at the same time, I felt corrupted by his words, and it was uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable to the extent that it was ravaging my very idealization of life.
The life I’d led, and the life I led now within this murky abyss.

I slammed my right hand in to the wall to my right which was easily within arms distance.

BOOM!

Upon impact, the wall smashed, causing intense cracks to the plasterwork, the hit causing bricks to make themselves apparent from the hefty dent I’d created.

Such a display was used for intimidation purposes, although through releasing my pent up anger in such a way, it relived me of having to collide such a potent fist with atlas’s body, and through the sheer sound, several people turned to see what was occurring. From the blow soon came a large amount of white mist, which escaped from the shoddy plasterwork and descended upon us; it was a testimony to the damage dealt, but it didn’t hinder much as far as we were concerned. My bitterness still rife despite all that he said – despite all of the change that I deep down so desperately needed, my eyes, never leaving the green-eyed shinobi, became astoundingly dull. As I stood in my shorts and standard gear, I was sure that my sudden and powerful blow to the wall would have stirred him to some degree, or I was hoping, that it would be enough to emphasize what I’d say next.

"..Leave, Atlas.

You're wasting your time."

[/U][/B][/COLOR]

Oukashou (Cherry Blossom Collision)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S + additional B-Ranked damage from souin mastery.
Type: Offensive / Medical Nintaijutsu / Souin
Range: -
Handseals: -
Chakra/Stamina: D - Low, C - Mid, B - x2 Mid, A - High, S - x2 High. x1 mid with medic mastery.
Special: Can destroy barriers equal or lower to the highest rank known.
Description: Basic yet lethal, an immense amount of chakra is kneaded inside the body, and a moment later all of it it is gathered into the fist. That chakra is then released into the target, which does a great amount of damage. With the damage done dependent on the amount of chakra used, it is also possible for a skilled shinobi to amass it in their fingertip. When the ground is hit it is pulverized into minute pieces by the excess shock, which are then scattered like flower petals, giving rise to the name "Cherry Blossom Impact".
Domain: Souin.[/ul]
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[Estilo]

Ain't That A Kick In The Head

---

BOOM!

A cloud of white dust burst out from the wall nearby, a loud snap signaling the smashed state of the cement surface that had been assaulted. She had just displayed an immense amount of physical power, on par with the abilities possessed by Chaima... and my wife. And I knew exactly what it had stemmed from. Needless to even second-think, I did not want to be bashed by one of those strikes. Those chakra-powered fists packed a whallop.

Though the strike- and the sight of the woman who had issued it- carried quite the malevolent and "intimidating" aura, I remained unperturbed. The turmoil under which our land was plagued had numbed me to those psychological war tactics. I was ready to die, at any moment, but I wouldn't let something as debilitating as fear be the cause of it. My emerald green orbs brimmed with a determination that cut through the ploy, my stance remained unmoved and unruffled as the dust settled around us.

"Your people... your fiance... they would be ashamed."

I spat the words out of my mouth, disgusted by the tactics that I was using, but seeing no other alternative. If she was going to tread down that path I had seen so many go down before, if she was content with resigning herself to such a life- such a doomed fate- then I wasn't going to hold back any longer. The frustration I felt fueled this alternative... I had given her the ugly truth, to an ugly situation. And unless her fiance was a sick, evil sadist who reveled in receiving love from a woman he didn't much care for- then she couldn't deny that I was right. They would be ashamed- of her filth.

[Apple]

It angered me to know that he hadn’t left scene. Why couldn’t he just go, and stop messing in the business of others? Why did he insist on trying to save me from my own chosen lifestyle? I was sure that it was a different way of showing that you cared, but personally, I didn’t care. Stepping back a single pace, I’d turn my back on the man and again attempt to escape back in to the night and allow myself to hide somewhere where he couldn’t find me, so that I could sink back in to my routine. As I paced, I kept my head facing away from him, and instead towards where I was going. My heels clicking against the floor, I’d have happily continued for miles had I not heard something from him that I simply couldn’t forgive. His words echoed through the alley, although it wasn’t something that I wanted to hear. In fact, the very moment that I heard him finish his bold statement, I found my hands unconsciously balling in to fists, the leather-like fingerless gloves I was wearing making a faint cracking or rubbing sound as I did so. Just who does he think that he is? Did he believe himself so high and mighty because he had something left to protect? Did he think that because of that he could judge those who had lost everything?

"Your people... your fiance... they would be ashamed."

Stopping dead in my tracks, I’d then turn my head towards him, my arms still mid-level before my chest as I’d do so, silently beginning to form a string of seals. Such a glare- Atlas had already seen so many degrees of emotion visible in my eyes but none as powerful as this. I was enraged, to a greater extent than before. How dare he place words and thoughts in their mouths in order to blackmail me? They were dead, each and every one of them. And then- With such lithe hands having created but few seals, the creation was complete and turning around, I’d then inhale, and then release my breath to him, a grand creation of wind being expelled in his direction. The alleyway would prove little leeway for him to escape, although rougly four meters behind him was a chain-link fence, a standard division material for the alleyways of Kami no shima, dangerously topped with a string of barbed wire. Whilst I didn’t doubt that it would cushion the blow, the painful slam against it would surely get to my advantage. Of course- if he managed to fall prey to my trap, of course. He having provoked me, I didn’t doubt that he’d be more than willing to try and retaliate- but would he? His attempt at provoking me had served its purpose.

But now he'd pay for it.

”Atlas, I will make you regret those fucking words.

Don't ever speak about my family again."

"Or..

..I swear..

..I'll kill you

[/i].”[/right][/B][/COLOR][/center]

Although I spoke these words in a hushed tone, there was no hiding my wrath for his ignorance. Even in death I was protective of them - protective of their memory which was to be crystallized. I wouldn't be able to cope knowing that they looked down on me. I couldn't cope, and so I pushed the man who implanted such an idea in my head away, willing to destroy him if it meant that I could negate such concepts. I wanted him to be hurt- to be maimed for what he presented to me, for trying to give his so-called help whilst at the same time badmouthing my family. Blonde hair aflame with anger and my eyes similarly burning with so much hate for the person who stood before me, I didn't expect a mere apology, I expected him to grovel, to beg on his knees for forgiveness. My body language very much on edge and filled to the brim with malicious and rageful tendencies, I gazed on at him, awaiting his response so I could in turn show him just how big of a mistake he made by crossing me.

[/U][/b][/color]

> 6 meters away by start of jutsu.

Kiroku Gaijuu (Blasting Wind Domain)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Type: Supplementary / Fuuton Ninjutsu
Range: 0 - 20 meters.
Handseals: No
Chakra: --
Special: Allows the user the ability to create, control and move Fuuton (Wind) chakra of their own for multiple purposes, as well as control that produced by nature. Highest rank known determines the range of the user's techniques.

D: 5 meter range.
C: 10 meter range.
B: 10 meter range.
A: 15 meter range.
S: 20 meter range.

Description: Though powerful, Fuuton can become uncontrollable even in the hands of the experienced, forcing its users to focus first on controlling their power in small areas, and then, over time, expanding. As one's experience with the wind release and its control grows, so does the range at which they can become deadly with it.
Domain: Fuuton.

Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)
Rank: C, C, [B-Ranked total damage]
Type: Offensive.
Range: See special!
Handseals: 3.
Chakra: Mid.
Special: Distance at which blast can travel depends on the user's Kiroku Gaijuu range, halved; it is also half as wide as the user's he maximum Kiroku Gaijuu rank, as well. Each time retrained, additional 'C' ranked blasting wind damage is added. However, for every 4th one obtained, chakra consumption for this technique will go up by one! Can be learned a maximum of 8 times.
Description: A staple Fuuton technique, Daitoppa allows the user to blow a single strong current from their mouth, expelled in a cone like fashion forward which carries enough power to knock anything in its way down. This technique is very simple to execute – the user makes the right seals, simply takes a deep breath, and let’s go!
Domain: Fuuton. Kiroku Gaijuu 'C'[/ul]
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[Estilo]

Gee Whiz!

---

She had stopped, and turned, as I had expected. What I had not expected to see was the length of her dainty arms rising, going from their previously vertical positions to the horizontal alternative that indicted the formation of hand seals. She was angry, that much was clear, and she was going to let me have it. I was only given a moment to react. It was war all over again.

She exhaled, and what followed was a gusty- and powerful- gale. By then, however, I had already switched places with the trash can behind me, via a substitution technique. I flickered to safety just before the disguised trash can was hit, masked by the shadows of the alleyway. She would witness the brunt of her seven meter (and a half) attack knock the fake "Atlas" into the barbed fence afar. It was only after a moment that the fake "Atlas" would discard it ruse, poofing back into the trash can that it was, causing it to spill all of its foul, discarded and reeking contents onto the cold asphalt.

I had only narrowly missed her attack, evading it only a fraction of a second before the airborne trash can managed to knock me away with it. Although the ploy I had performed was easy enough to perceive within a moment's time, it had given me sufficient time to reposition. Through the shadows that the building's cast, I stayed out of the beacons of light that the lamp posts lining the boulevard flaunted. By the time she had ended her latest remark, she would find me standing on one of those very lampposts to her left.

"Then stop disappointing them. Change."

My tone of voice was sincere this time, but the faint gleam of emerald that were barely discernable betrayed a sense of frustrated conviction in my eyes. To Blanche, my body would appear as but a shadowed-silhouette against the backdrop of the bright Kami no Shima casino lights. Perched upon the lamp post, I looked down. Expecting another attack, but hoping- against all odds- for another answer. A different answer. However, in the back of my mind, I knew I was losing my patience. My discontentment over her failure to rise up was the culprit. If she wanted a fight, she was close to getting one.

---

Theme: "Sing, Sing, Sing" Orchestrated by Benny Goodman.
Techniques:

[/color], E, E, E, E, E
Type: Supplementary / Ninjutsu
Range: 0 - 5 meters
Handseals: No
Chakra: Low
Special: Switch is near-instantaneous. Kawarimi can only be used once per thread, plus one more each time retrained. However, the technique itself can only be used once per turn, regardless of retraining. Requires the user to switch with objects that range from equal in size to as small as half their size. Cannot switch with other living people or animals.
Description: This jutsu lets the user quickly switch places with another nearby object, such as a plant (normally a section of a log) the moment an attack hits. This creates an optical illusion, making the enemy think the attack was successful. The user can then use this confusion to escape or launch a counter-attack - i.e. exploding tags can be attached to the replacement for an added surprise.
Domain: Academy Ninjutsu.

Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)
Rank: D
Type: Supplementary.
Range: 0 - 10m.
Handseals: -
Chakra: Low.
Special: Despite popular belief, this is not an ability that allows an individual to teleport, or even move incomprehensibly fast. It simply combines high mobility with some disruption of visibility to conceal those movements. That in mind, if you can conceal your movement, it is common for this technique to allow very long-distance dashes before enemies may notice you.
Description: Shunshin no Jutsu is a basic ninjutsu technique used across the shinobi world by all, ranging from the most basic shinobi to the legends of lore. Considered is a high-speed movement technique - to an observer caught in the optical illusion, it appears as if the user has teleported. This allows the user to escape or attack suddenly, should they need to. However, while a high-speed movement, if used in broad daylight, one will still be quite visible and as such, easier to be defended against. In order to achieve maximum effect, the user must to combine it with a distraction.
Domain: Universal Ninjutsu.[/justify][/spoiler][/ul]
Author's Note: Only about 75% of effort put into this post. =C Sorry! I'm working on something on the sidelines, and it's got me muddle-headed.
[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/font]

[Apple]

From the great wind that my attack had spawned, there had been so much of a haze following it. Pieces of trash which had past rolled contently on the floor had been raised and carried in the strong current, along with several other variations of debris. It looked almost.. hypnotizing in some way, although despite this, I couldn’t lose my concentration now when I required it so much to show the red-haired chuunin the mistake he’d made my crossing not only me, but my family too. Had it been something said about me, then I’d have surely ignored him in an albeit angry manner and left, but no- how could he stand there and speak to me like that? That I brought shame to them? What did Atlas know about people in my situation? Nothing. My mind flickering back to reality swiftly, I’d watch as his body would then be carried away in the gust, before landing unnaturally on the barb-edged fence, causing a smirk to creep to my face upo- ..He-!? As I’d waited for- as I’d hoped to hear the disgruntled groan of his pitiful self having his skin torn open from the fence, the only thing that could be heard was an incredibly metallic clang which ruptured through the entire area as it dropped to the cold floor. A stench suddenly too erupted with the ploy of the trashcan, making the area reek of abandoned and surely putrid food. It was, however, not enough to drag me away from my objective. At this point, I doubted anything could.

"Then stop disappointing them. Change."

His voice suddenly appearing to my left, I turned sharply to face him.



”You can’t disappoint those who no longer exist.
My decisions are for myself- me-and nobody else.”

My bitter words were spat as I prepared to lunge him.

Standing atop a street lamp, his figure illuminated slightly in the little natural light, I snarled at his attitude and with the lamp in such close proximity, I would, without pause and with so much chakra seething between my fingertips, suddenly make a move for the lamppost, my hands grabbing tightly on it and ripping it from the earth in one single, elegant movement aiming to unbalance whoever was upon it. And, appearing so seamlessly I now held the lamp in my hand, wires running out from the earth and snapping beneath the tension, causing the light to flicker quite considerably before ultimately breaking. Had he still been on top of the object by the time I drew it close to me (which I doubted, Atlas wasn’t that dull of a man) he’d then be sent flying alongside the large object itself, as I moved sideways only for a moment, to build momentum for what became a great

CRASH!!

As the entire thing was released from my careful hands and out elsewhere to the street, colliding, luckily, with a wall and not the window of an unsuspecting business. Nonetheless causing external damage from the collision, allowing glass from the lantern to spray everywhere, showering the floor with its hazardous shards. Having torn the lantern from its foundation the very moment I saw the figure perched on its top, it was clear that by now, simply my anger was leading me to such disastrous actions – although, in hindsight, I could have done much worse to him then send him flying. Regardless of whether or not my movement had effected him my eyes would follow him and his response – why wasn’t he fighting back? It.. irritated me somewhat. I needed his reaction as much as he wanted me to change.

"Why can't you just understand and let us be done with this, Atlas?"

Unless he had some intervention, silence fell upon the both of us after I spoke those few careful words. If he hadn't pried- if he hadn't worked his way through and insisted that I change myself, we wouldn't be here. To a degree.. it was my fault for choosing to try and dupe him and his friends in the first place but I couldn't admit defeat. Standing now with my hands held to my sides, body language aflame with perhaps as much sadness as it was angry, I awaited his response, tired of throwing punches here and there with no response from him. It was.. unfulfilling. Where was the risk to this all!?

[/U][/b][/color]

Katainigiri (Giant's Grip)
Rank: D, C, B, A, S.
Type: Supplementary.
Range: -
Handseals: -
Chakra/Stamina: D - Low, C - Mid, B - x2 Mid, A - High, S - x2 High. x1 mid with mastery.
Special: Sending a sudden surge of chakra to one's hands, the Medic can produce a sudden bout of strength, capable of lifting objects much heavier than themselves over their head. Highest rank known establishes lifting capacity, as well as the distance the Medic may toss said objects.

D: Lifting capacity = Twice one's overall body-weight / 5 meter tossing range
C: x3 lifting capacity / 10 m tossing range
B: x6 lifting capacity / 15 m tossing range
A: x9 lifting capacity 20 m tossing range
S: x12 lifting capacity / 25 m tossing range

Description: With a steady stream of precise chakra fed to their muscles, the medic is capable of a sudden boost to their lifting and throwing ability. Masters of this technique have been rumored to be capable of lifting and throwing large trees, boulders, and even buildings.
Domain: Souin.


[/ul] [/size][/justify][/blockquote][/font]

[Estilo]

Begin the Beguine

---

Would she have me believe that her family was cruel? That her family cared not for her well-being? That she felt no shame for living outside of their expectations, and their hopes? Her decisions, did she take pride in them? Did she really think that her family and friends would have approved of such a failure to sustain hope, to continue fighting? I wasn't here to convince her an afterlife existed, although- considering the nature of the world, and many of its forbidden techniques, and the mere existence of chakra- there was an almost concrete certainty that it did. No, I had other aspirations.

If she could not fathom the thought of her loved ones existing on another plane, and watching every decision she made with downcast eyes, I hoped that she would at least carry on the principles that they surely had in mind for her. That she was much better than she thought she was, and she could do better if she put her mind to it. But her rage, her denial, her hopelessness was clouding her judgment. Just as it had clouded the judgment of all those I had attempted to support before her. She... she couldn't end up the same. I wouldn't let it. Should I fail Blanche, I'd be failing everything I stood for.

SKREEE!!

I had seen her coming, but I couldn't actually believe she was doing this, uprooting the lamppost up from its concrete base! The sound of wires tearing, and metal grinding, and bending, and scratching against asphalt was near deafening. I struggled for balance, clutching to the side of the lamp when my foundation swayed violently to one side. Realizing what would happen should I remain on the post, I leapt off backwards, propelling myself forcefully with a push of my feet. I landed nine meters away from Blanche, with the boulevard leading through the casinos only a mere six meters away, just as she threw the entirety of the streetlight at a nearby building.

"Why can't you just understand and let us be done with this, Atlas?"

As the sounds of all the crashing, and smashing, and shattering slowly settled down- albeit, replaced by the gasps of bystanders who had witnessed it- I stood resolutely in place, glaring at the blonde-haired woman whilst issuing a sequence of hand seals. The silence that followed after her most previous statement was thick with tension. Pedestrians were starting to take notice of us. And, as I neared the end of my hand seals, I responded.

"Because... you're worth trying to save. And I won't let this world ruin you! Not until you understand!" I held the last seal, prepared.

---

Techniques:

[/spoiler][/ul]
[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/font]

[Apple]

The destruction of the area’s light source seemed to effect our little game quite devastatingly. Whilst I could clearly see him from the other street lamps that littered the area, it nonetheless made it considerably darker than it had previously been, our figures illuminated by the moonlight in a dramatic embrace of light, the buoyancy of my golden blonde hair glistening beautifully in response, especially so as the lamp was dragged from its base and thrown so dramatically. As I’d guessed, Altas had avoided the brunt of the attack just in time as I watched his form glide from the shadows and back towards the ground, narrowly avoiding being smashed in to the wall alike the post that he’d previously been so content to be sitting on. My hands rife with chakra, nowhere was safe. I could gladly tear each building from its foundations and render Kami no shima a desolate wasteland much like other places in the shinobi world if it meant that I could get rid of him, and through the previous display I’d done which made tearing the lamppost from the ground seem like a piece of cake – I was sure that he knew this. So why continue? Why risk his livelihood over me when I’d previously been ready to rob them of everything he and his friends had? I tried to convince myself that I wanted to hurt him – for what he’d said but he seemed so.. so forgiving in a way that I felt nothing short of pure guilt for hanging on to such an angry notion.

But it couldn’t be helped, and neither could I.

"Because... you're worth trying to save. And I won't let this world ruin you! Not until you understand!"

I had lived- I had survived for so long without people. During my days working in the hospital, I'd lived, terrified for the wellbeing of my family and friends, and I'd lived in what felt like hell with so many demands of me physically and mentally. Now that everyone and everything was gone I'd sunk back in to the routine of looking out for myself only, and to say the least, it was much less chaotic and it gave me so much more time to think about myself. But I couldn't simply forget them, no. As he now said that I was worth saving, I slowly began to emit a laugh, my expression well and truly entertained by what he had to say. I'd barely known him a day, let alone my entire lifetime. In such hard times, selfishness wasn't something that was always looked down upon, but to see that someone was still willing to face danger in the hopeless attempt to so-called save another, it was.. slightly disturbing. As he stood roughly nine meters away from me, I gazed on angrily, unable to understand why he was acting this way towards me.

"LEAVE! Go home!"



"I don't want your fucking charity!"

I screamed.

Why could he just leave? Step. Why didn't he just go away and leave me to myself? I understood that he assuredly wanted the best for me but in this chaotic life, what was the best? Being thrown elsewhere with no home and forced to start a new beginning on such broken, crumbled foundations? Step. I felt.. overwhelmed with the anger that was slowly beginning to take over me, having previously faltered by his words. I didn't need saving, and I didn't need his pity. I didn't want him fucking about and saying that he knew best because he had so much more than me. I didn't want him to claim that he understood either, because there wasn't a single night in Kami no Shima that I didn't desperately yearn to hold my own - my own precious child in my arms. I dreamed- Hadn't I failed the one thing I had left to save, the two of us would have left this hell for elsewhere in search of solace from the war, and we'd be happy. I'd look after him, and allow him to grow up to become as much of a gentle, chivalrous man as his father had been. But, no. Birthed to a cruel word and without much hope for survival from the start, such a simple request was declined to me and I had been given nothing more than a bruised, hollow corpse in the place of the smiling, healthy baby boy that I'd been hoping for, that I'd needed.

There was no god.
Not any more.

From the corners of my eyes, which had now permitted an intense amount of tears to flow freely down my pale cheeks, I could see him form seals. Standing almost seven meters before him now, I'd quickly form a single seal in response, a near translucent blade forming in my right hand as chakra charged to my feet, allowing me swift travel as I held the blade outstretched wide to my right dramatically, before drawing it back close. Flickering further in to the boulevard, the small alleyway we'd both confined ourselves to not large enough for the devastation that I anticipated to happen, that I, selfishly wanted to happen. With my shifted position, I basked in the unnatural light of another untouched streetlamp, the stream of tears hidden beneath the shadows of my golden hair, as I waited for him to make his move, a mere seven meters away, angled to his own northwest, the crowds now audience to whatever drama they believed to be occurring between the both of us. It was almost like a show- a mere play for them to gaze at and be entertained by.

It couldn't be further from the truth.

.

TECHNIQUES USED / THINGS DONE

[/u][/color]

[/B][/COLOR] Roughly seven meters away. Dangerously nearing the boulevard!

Kaze no Yaiba (Sword of Wind)
Rank: A, A
Type: Offensive.
Range: 1 meter blade of wind.
Handseals: 1.
Chakra: High Mid due to medic mastery.
Special: Creates a sharp, near invisible wind blade in one's dominant hand. Standard blade length maximum is 1 meter. Can be retrained once to stack an extra 'A' rank damage. However, after every second retraining, the consumption will go up by one.
Description: A very deadly Fuuton technique, the Yaiba is as its name implies – a pressurized sword of wind forms at the user’s appendage, long and sharp, able to cut through almost anything. This is because unlike a real sword which can face resistance, the wind blade will be able to slice with little difficulty.
Domain: Fuuton. Kiroku Gaijuu 'A'.

Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)
Rank: D.
Type: Supplementary.
Range: 0 - 10m.
Handseals: -
Chakra: Low.
Special: Despite popular belief, this is not an ability that allows an individual to teleport, or even move incomprehensibly fast. It simply combines high mobility with some disruption of visibility to conceal those movements. That in mind, if you can conceal your movement, it is common for this technique to allow very long-distance dashes before enemies may notice you.
Description: Shunshin no Jutsu is a basic ninjutsu technique used across the shinobi world by all, ranging from the most basic shinobi to the legends of lore. Considered is a high-speed movement technique - to an observer caught in the optical illusion, it appears as if the user has teleported. This allows the user to escape or attack suddenly, should they need to. However, while a high-speed movement, if used in broad daylight, one will still be quite visible and as such, easier to be defended against. In order to achieve maximum effect, the user must to combine it with a distraction.
Domain: Universal Ninjutsu.
[/ul]
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