[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

T

he city was fairly light on crowds today. Unusual for the massive metropolis, but Farrin wasn’t about to complain. After running a few simulations in one of their shared heroics classes, Farrin asked Thea if she might want to grab some pizza out in the city. It was one of the things UAU’s cafeteria lacked, but he knew a spot off campus that actually wasn’t half bad. Sada and the budding friend group he and Thea shared were still in class. So it was pizza for two this afternoon.

“So I know yer’ from the Dominican Republic,” he started as they dipped between a few pedestrians, “but have yuh’ e’er been Stateside? Ta’ New York in particular?”

He was drilling for a most important life experience. Had Thea experienced the greatness that was NY pizza? It was unrivaled, this was beyond dispute. And while he hadn’t found a single spot in Tokyo that lived up, his preferred pizza joint “Dougie’s” was pretty damn close. Was it run by a Doug? Who knew? All that mattered was it ranked among quality pizza, and coming from Farrin, a pizza connoisseur, that meant something.

Clear skies wrote every reason for the city’s population to stream into the streets, but their luck had held out. Aside from the odd passersby, things were mostly quiet. UAU was fairly isolated, surrounded by some woods, but they had long passed the earthy threshold and entered the city proper.

“I dun know how they do pizza by you, but most ‘round ‘ere isn’t much ta’ write home about. Place I’m takin’ us to isn’t so bad though. Almost good even.”

Battle-brained as Farrin was, this was a serious point of conversation. He lived off pizza, fresh and otherwise, back home. It was his life fuel, and they were about to partake in some that almost reminded him of home - in a good way. He could only hope Thea could appreciate such things.

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Crowds always carried with them a distressing duality. On one hand, she hated the presence of so many people all at once. It made it difficult for her to tuck away into the corners of her mind and enjoy something else; anything else. But at the same time, they were a prime hunting ground for new memories, and as of late, the mentat was growing bored of her collection. [break][break]

Thea was more personable than usual as the duo made their way through the crowd. Gliding through the crowd like a pickpocket, gently tapping people on the arm or an exposed shoulder to get them to move aside. She didn't dip through the crowd as much as she seemed to slide through it, intentionally aiming for the densest parts. Not that anyone in her way minded. She made damn sure of that with a faux smile and an injection of happiness for the encounter.[break][break]

"I've never been," It wasn't exactly a lie. You'd be hard-pressed to find a place in the world she didn't have memories from. "Like, I know about it, obviously. A ton of Dominicans over there, but I've only. Only ever been to Here and the DR. Travel kinda, used to not appeal to me." She still didn't really care to travel much, but there were places back home she'd promised to show to Miroru.[break][break]

The already sparse crowds grew thinner, causing Thea to abandon her hunt as she was led to some gods-forsaken corner of Tokyo.
"I like pizza. I mean, it's not my favorite or anything, but I enjoy a good slice. We have a bunch of places back home that try to pretend they're 'New York Style,' but they're really just not." She didn't have the same enthusiasm for pizza as the time-turner did. Her tastes were more refined, or at least that's what she liked to think as she recalled the flavors of fresh cloudberries and old wine. [break][break]

"So this place we're going to, Dougie's," The name seemed silly to her as if no one would name a pizzeria like that in real life, "This some like new hole in the wall?" She searched her memory for the place, but it was nowhere to be found. The Japanese had a weird way with pizza, topping it with ingredients she found anathema to the very idea of the food. Several dozen Italian grandmothers in her memory were probably rolling in their graves at the mere thought of Squid and Mayo pizza. [break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:10px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

T

ravel was Farrin's reality for the first seven years of his life. Back and forth between New York and Dublin he went, visiting his nan and the rest of his extended family back in Ireland fairly often. Then he didn't travel at all. Couldn't afford the luxury of daydreaming about what his life would have been like elsewhere. He still had pizza though, and pizza was a gift from the heavens he never believed in. Cheap. Cheesy. Delicious. What more could one ask for? Tasted good even half-eaten, cold, and sitting in the bin for a few hours.

"How 'bout through those memories yuh' can peep? E'er experienced life in New York? N', if yuh' dun mind me askin', how does that work? Like, could yuh' taste what someone else tasted? Or is it like watchin' a movie n' yer just sittin' in yer seat while it plays?" 

Privacy was a curtain behind which many people hid their quirks. Farrin was no exception. He wouldn't lie, he just wouldn't really explain the entire nature of his quirk usually, or leave out a few details at the very least. He knew what it was to see the past of others, and their future too, but he experienced such things in glimpses usually and was more of an outsider looking in on their lives. He didn't live in their shoes. He observed. 

"Somethin' like that. It's a back alley spot, though not entirely small either." It was most akin to the Noyote, albeit smaller, but unless Thea had frequented the bar / cafe, there was no point dropping the comparison. "I heard it's owned n' was made by people from me own neck o' the woods. Explains the name." Though he still hadn't confirmed as much.

The mystery of the Doug would be solved another time. Navigating the crowds was easy enough, but what the two didn't know is that they were being followed.  

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: @people here
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]It always came down to the same question; people always wanted to know how her quirk worked. She never liked talking about it, though that was mostly because she didn't like talking to people in general. It's not like it was really a secret at this point. Enough people knew the details of how it worked to piece together all the details, and the time-turner had already seen what would happen if she lost control.[break][break]

"It's kinda like watching a movie, but I can stitch and cut it with a million other movies. Change the actors around, the set, and even the protagonist, but it all has to come from other movies." It was an oversimplification, as with so many other things when it came to quirks. She hoped Farrin didn't need any more explanation than that, seeing as he already knew she could do more than just watch memories. [break][break]

"Sound's interesting at least. I hear you New Yorkers are all about your pizza, though. Some stupid rivalry with Chicago because you don't like theirs." [break][break]

The mentat's mind was still busy processing the new memories she'd received along with the last few days' events. Time at UAU seemed to fly. Twists and turns she'd never have expected appeared to become the norm. Her typically impeccably sharp senses were dulled by the myriad of distractions. Their pursuer had all the advantage they would need to catch Thea unawares.[break][break]

"How about you?" Her voice sterned as she demanded an equal exchange. "How does your Quirk work?" She hated asking. If it was anyone else, she'd just take the answer, but circumstances forbade it. Farrin already knew how hers worked, so she couldn't surprise him with a benign touch. After the incident with Marlene, she was afraid to do that without some grasp of what a person's quirk actually did. [break][break]

"Sometimes you say things that," she paused, admitting she didn't know something was a terrifying prospect to her, "Things that I don't think you should know. It's uncanny."[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:10px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

T

rust was not innately transactional. Farrin firmly believed that. But, it would be foolhardy to argue such transactions weren't the most method to accrue trust. Farrin knew Thea was lying about something, knew as much since the day they met in the training grounds. He just wasn't sure what she was lying about. Her history was her own though, hers to dispense as she wished. Just as were the details behind her quirk. Even if she hadn't asked, he would have divulged a little of Chronokinesis's secrets at least. But first, there were far more important matters to attend to. 

"That's 'cause Chicago dun' have pizza. They've tomato soup in a bread bowl. We," he emphasized with all the seriousness that was the conversation of pizza, "do pizza. N' we do it ta' perfection. Somethin' in the water yuh' jus' dun' get anywhere else." 

The city slowly quieted as the two made their way to the edge of this side of town. Light crowds petered into a few passing faces, which in turn dulled to an even smaller handful of passersby. Lowly mutterings could be discerned between those few that remained. It was almost eery how swiftly the swarm, however small it was today, deteriorated into a few busybodies. Still, Farrin thought nothing of it, and so he played the exchange. 

"Me' quirk allows me ta' mess wit' time," he admitted, "n' sometimes that lets me see things too. I can't control it entirely, n' can't change anythin', but I dun' just see people's pasts, I can see their possibilities as well. It can be a lot ta' sort through n' sometimes, if it's strong enough, it can sorta loop inta' mind n' I may just spit it out." 

Few numbered those that knew of Temporal Resonance. Usually, when pressed, Farrin glossed over the more flashy aspect of his quirk. Move fast, slow other things down, but he required little in the way of resonance to understand how most might distance themselves from a girl who could play with their memories at the touch. Maybe this transaction may just become a lifeline down the thread of time.  

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]For the mentat, trust was a four-letter word. Transactional exchanges were exactly the foundation she based her ability to trust someone on. Though she always kept her hand on the scale for good measure. It was her prerogative, after all, if she wanted to trust someone or just take the truth. In every way, she preferred the latter option. Farrin's explanation of his quirk gave her a dose of her own medicine. [break][break]

"So you also don't have full control over your quirk?" The notion was reassuring to her. Seeing everyone else at UAU have complete dominance over their power always felt like a reminder of how she didn't belong here amongst the best of the best. She was just another monster shielding herself behind the law.[break][break]

She had only told one person that she couldn't control her quirk. And while the trust Thea received appeared unconditional, she knew it was only just a matter of time. Part of her wondered if she could trust Farrin about the same thing. Something in her stomach told her she could, while every other cell in her body told her she couldn't.[break][break]

"That must suck. Does anyone ever give you shit for it?" She probed, seeing if they received treatment in kind despite the differences in efficacy.[break][break]

"So you're saying there's like a timeline where I decided to learn Tire machèt for real," The idea was preposterous to her. Why would she use such a crude weapon when her hand alone could send someone to the psych ward or have them groveling at her feet?
[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:10px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

W

ell, not entirely," Farrin answered the first of Thea's questions. "I've a firm grasp on th' more straightforward functions o' me quirk. The stuff I use more in a scrap. But, time has quite a scope to it n' there are plenty things I"m still tryin' wrap me head around n' muster control over."

Move faster. Make them move slower. That was the easy stuff. It felt like swimming down rapids. Swim with the current and he could speed things up. Apply some controlled resistance and the world would do the same where he willed it. Resonance though, came from the deep. The cavernous recesses at the back of his brain. Diving to those depths required lung capacity and a preternatural resistance to pressures unmatched. He lacked the metaphorical equipment to truly touch on those powers, and he knew it. 

"Most dun' know 'bout it." It wasn't as though he had many friends back home. What were a few crackpots under the bridge gonna say? Most were too occupied in their own little worlds. The others never lasted long. "Th' few that do are close 'nuff that they understand I can't fully control it, n' wit' what control I do have, I dun' use it anyone who doesn't ask."

He and Sada shared much of their past. It was easier when the person was both close in proximity and willing to leave themselves open to him. Even then, it didn't always work, but there were few more intimate forms of connection than opening oneself entirely to another. Did Thea have anyone like that before UA? She remained mostly mum on her previous life still. 

"Well, I was gonna ask if yuh' have any siblings. Maybe a brother? That night, I saw a bloke that coulda passed fer' a siblin' or a cousin or somethin'. Tell me, can yuh see other people's dreams via their memories wit' yer own...." 

Farrin's words trailed off as the two passed an alleyway. Down the alley, he saw something. Someone - someone familiar, yet not entirely. Or, well, perhaps not only familiar, because it was more like looking into a perverse mirror. He saw - himself, but adorned in something like royal attire. Slightly taller, slightly larger in stature.

"Do - eh - do yuh' see that?" He asked, pointing down the alley. Then he took a step toward the doppelganger.    

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]She had countless more questions. It was the mentat's nature to want every piece of information possible at her disposal, so much so that it often manifested as a visceral hunger, one she strove to suppress. "Yeah, using that kinda power on someone without them asking would probably suck." a pang of guilt shot through her. But the simple matter was she lacked both the will and desire to hold back when the hunger struck. It was just easier to indulge in a crowd and keep it at bay. [break][break]

Family was a subject Thea would rather avoid. She had one in so much as flesh and blood begat more flesh and blood, but beyond that, there was no one in this world she'd genuinely consider to be her family. "No, I was an only child. Don't much talk to my parents either," she said briskly, hoping to avoid any further questions on the matter.[break][break]

"Dreams? Yeah, for the most part. Anything someone has the potential to remember is fair game. Dreams, repressed memories, things you thought you forgot, and even things people don't consider to be memory. If you ever wanna learn to cook, I got you." She spoke, unaware of whatever otherworldly presence had drawn Farrin's attention.[break][break]

"See what?" She stopped and took a few steps back to see what it was the time-turner saw through the crowd. At first, she saw nothing until her eyes made contact with those of another. Golden orbs focused their piercing gaze on her. The edges of her mind rumbled with the static of fragmented memories as she tried and failed to make out the rest of the body. Instead she only felt a visceral discomfort wash over her for a moment, as if she'd somehow stepped out of her skin. She looked down for a moment to see she was still intact, her body as it should be.[break][break]

"Who the fuck was that?" She followed Farrin into the allyway[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:10px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

L

ike moths to the flame. It was an effortless endeavor to make the duo dance to his tune. How interesting that it was only the two of them and none of the others. Interesting, and ripe with opportunity. Though the Fang was only meant to tail the time-turner, how could he resist? So, standing upon his stage, Melodist played and made marionettes of the young heroes-to-be. 



Their fears, the unknown, the uncomfortable. Through his music, it was made manifest. Whatever they were wired to avoid. Whatever saw them sweat with anxiety. Whatever unease turned their stomachs. They were all his playthings so long as his morose melody reached their ears. And so - they danced. 

The Fangs were tasked with following the boy, and his friends, to dissect and analyze their capabilities, without becoming overly involved. Magister had already voided that little law the big guy laid down, so why shouldn't Melodist have his moment? Besides, throwing a real threat the kiddos' way would yield far greater intelligence than a few lowly thugs. He was doing his job, committed to the cause and all that. So committed, he would determine who was superior once and for all. The time-turner and his friends of today, or those of yesteryear - those of the time Alpha had actually feared. 

Below, Farrin's gaze would lock with his mimic. It was like looking into shattered glass. A him that didn't belong here. "Careful, he's fast" he warned Thea, unaware that the demons she faced weren't the same as those in his eyes. His doppelganger's eyes were blank, devoid of feelings or emotions.

"Why are yuh' 'ere?" Farrin shouted the question as stepped down the alley.

The doppelganger was a blur. Even Farrin's mind could not keep up. His hand was locked around Farrin's throat.

"Weak," the doppelganger taunted, then threw Farrin into the brick building side that made one of the alley's walls. If Thea was paying any mind to what was happening just beside her, she would only find Farrin lifted off the ground, then sent flying into the building.  

"So, incredibly weak." 
      

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]Even the most well-laid plans are victim to circumstances beyond the wildest imagining of their creators. The melodist tested them. As was his task through countless repetitions of the same fel plot. Yet these actions served the purposes of a different master, one whose machinations laid dormant throughout the numerous timelines and iterations that this world lived through. To rebuild the world and the Abes was to rebuild him anew, stronger each time the recollection of a thousand lifetimes lived and a thousand more stolen in between. Thea could not see Farrin's doppelganger. Instead, she only saw a figure whose very image made her sick to her stomach. [break][break]

Before her, the mentat stood. His white gloves were delicately removed by tanned fingers. His lips moved, forming words that she could feel falling from her throat. "I don't think I've ever been a girl before," Mateo said.[break][break]

Every cell in her body screamed. Whoever this boy was, she needed to excise him like a tumor. She stepped up to grab at his throat and found shockingly little resistance as Mateo let it happen only to place a hand on her wrist. "I've never been this stupid before either." In an instant, both minds raced into each other, each doing their best to control, alter, and delete.[break][break]

Together they stood, one and the same in the mind space they shared, each viewing the other as if they were the uncanny valley made manifest. Around them, memories crashed and melded. They would come to understand each other in a way beyond what mere words were capable of. They could come to see there's no option for peace between them.[break][break]

"Who the fuck are you?"[break]
"I'm you, every previous version of you at least."[break]
"That's bullshit. Get out of my head!"[break]
"Our head, soon to mine."[break][break]

She tried to force the invader out, erasing every link to his mind she could find and yet only encountering more in their place. [break][break]

"See? You're wasting our time. Now I'll be taking my body back."[break]
"Your body? What the fuck does that mean?"[break]
"I told you, I am you, every you that ever was, fragments of countless pasts and minds stitched together at the seams across times and places that no longer exist. I don't think you understand just how persistent our memory is. Now if you're done, I'll be taking over now. You're going to resist, and that's okay. I know myself well enough not to expect anything less."[break]
"You talk too much."[break]
"You will too."[break][break]

Tendrils of thought exploded across Thea's mind. She fought against them as they grabbed at her memories, turning them one by one away from her and beyond her sight. Her sense of self began to slip as she felt the edges of her consciousness fading. Fear spiked as she tried desperately to grab at what few memories she could still see, Zenkai & Miroru, their faces fading away. She wanted to scream. She needed to cry. There wasn't enough left of her to do so.[break][break]

"I'm sorry. You can blame the alpha for this. It needed to be done, and we're always the ones to do it."[break][break]

From the outside, it would appear only to have been an instant. As Farrin crashed into the wall, Thea sank to her knees only to rise again a moment later. [break][break]

The mentat stood there examining his new body for a long second before taking in the situation at hand. [break][break]

"This is nice. I could get used to this." He said in a voice not his own.

[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:10px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

F

utility sprawled across the stars, across all of space, across all of time. Weak. He was weak. A reality he was reminded of with every turn of the day. How many times must he look into the broken mirror and find himself lacking? Why was he not enough? 

"Dance my puppets, dance." 

Farrin stared into the eyes of his other. Was it worth it? Was strength worth the steep price of life levied against Farrin across time? Was it always tipped in the dark's favor?

"Do it. Call upon it and it's yours. The threads will not be satiated otherwise." 

How could it not be? Without strength, without convergence, what could be done to deny the deaths his dreams foretold? The connections came at a cost. He'd seen it so many times before. It was a strength that demanded he surrender himself - and it was calling to him. Farrin's eyes warmed to their clock-dial stare. 

"Strings can be used in two ways," he struggled through the strangling grasp of his Alter, "to bind, or to control."

Farrin anchored himself to the arm squeezing the life from his throat, then balled defiance in his fist, and fired for the inside of his Alter's elbow. It budged, only just enough for the time-turner to kick the Alter away. He bought a minute pittance of time. None at all really. Only enough to call out to his friend. 

"Thea!" 

The Alter was on him again, its arms a blur even in his eyes. Farrin struck back. Point for point, match for match, where the two made contact there were brilliant flashes of emerald power. He was weak. The weakest of all his visions, but he was here. He was fighting. And he would never stop fighting. 

The Alter's fist landed like a shotgun blast at point-blank range. It carried Farrin across the distance between one of the alley's walls and the other. A reverberating boom echoed up and down the passageway and bricks broke and dust rained. Stony particles and dust tickled the throat and summoned a cough of blood from Farrin's lungs. 

"Why?" He coughed again, "why do yuh all choose ta' do this? Ta be villains when yuh could save people?" 

The Alter blurred between them, then reappeared just before Farrin. 

"We're always the villain - until we're not." 

"Th-" 

Farrin's words were cut off as the Alter grabbed him by the mane and pulled the time-turner down into his rising knee. Blood splattered the alley, and Farrin fell back against the wall. Why was she just standing there? Why wouldn't she respond? If she wouldn't help, he had to find another way. He was weak, and he needed to be strong.  

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]He looked back. Flecks of gold catching his eyes in the dim light of the alleyway. He watched as Farrin's body was thrown around like a rag doll in a hurricane. His heart ached as the Time turner called a name that wasn't his own, or at least it would if he'd allow himself to feel. The mentat stopped feeling lifetimes ago. He existed only to perform his duties.[break][break]

"I can't help you Farrin. It's what they want. Linking our minds under his influence is too risky." He turned to the source of the music. "I have to stop the Melodist. You have to stop yourself," he said, stretching his new body's limbs to get a feel for what it was capable of. "I'll say this. If you lose here, I'll pity Sada. The course of true love never did run smooth, did it, Oberon?" The words hang in the air. It was a coin toss, the first of many Mateo would make in this timeline. [break][break]

Fate balanced on a knife's edge with an infinity of variables to account for. He'd learned through countless failures that all he could do was stir the winds of change and hope for a favorable outcome. Each of the abes had to pull themselves out of the mire fate cast upon them, and it all started here, with an alleyway and a wish.[break][break]

He walked down the alley, following the sound of the music as it echoed. The mentat paid no heed to the sounds of thrashing behind him. He knew the melodist wouldn't let just let himself be captured, but he still had to try. "You know what'll happen if I catch you right? Just run away already. You always do," He shouted over the music in her voice. "But maybe you need some motivating." He stretched the new and unfamiliar legs before entering a sprint, muscles propelled by the pillaged memories of Thea. All she could do was watch from behind his eyes, caged in her own mind in a state of quasi consciousness. [break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:11px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

A

midst the storm, seething tides and raging winds ripped away at the time-turner's vessel. Farrin steadied himself before the vortex, stared the devil in the eyes, and swung. His fist flew wide, blood blinding his eyes, and a concussion fogging his brain. The limb fell limp, as the Alter fired his own cross-counter. The blow landed like bricks against the skull. An audible crack rang up and down the alley, as Farrin slumped back against the wall behind him, blood seeping down his face and into his attire. 

Thea spoke, with newfound confidence in her voice, but the words were little more than muted garble. Sada. Oberon. These were words, sounds, with which he was well acquainted. They occupied his every waking thought. Through all his dreams too. It was supposed to be them, but the dreams grew increasingly clear, Farrin would face his demons alone. 

"Sada," he mumbled beneath bloody breath, laying outstretched fingers on the building wall behind him. 

Farrin squeezed every ounce of pain, regret, frustration, and rage he had, balled the searing heat into his fist, snatched the unseen coin out of the air, and swung with all the strength he could muster. He was lightning in the wind. The blow cracked against the Alter's jaw and blasted the temporal copy back. He couldn't sift through the confusion. It didn't matter that it was Thea that uttered Sada's name. It didn't matter that he was practically bleeding from the brain. Nothing mattered. It was supposed to be him and his Sada for all of time, but he kept seeing some inevitable fate, one he would not allow to pass. He had to live. He had to see her again.

"I will survive!" 

From the rooftop above, Melodist watched the scene unfold. The newest, meekest addition to convergence finally found his fight. Was it too late though? Even if he succeeded here, there was naught but pain and heartache ahead. He would suffer. Then he would either become one of the many or perish. 

Meanwhile, there was a score to settle. One which required his immediate attention, because he did know. Or more accurately, he remembered. The Mentat's quirk wasn't some three lines scribbled across a dossier, it was a thousand fractures behind the composer's mask, million years of pain compressed into a fraction of a second, and let loose on his mind time and again. Not this time. Never again. 

"Of course, she is you," he sneered, playing his tune, and dancing across the roof, watching the Mentat sprint below. 

 "I'm surprised she stuck around this long. Don't you usually flee by now?" the Melodist taunted. "Heartless is he who casts away she who stayed. You never do." 

Rare were those times the Mentat made it beyond the first year, but one way or another he always left. He always lied. And he always failed. And this time the Mentat remembered. Only, such failure usually only befell them after they had removed Melodist from the equation. Not this time. 

"Deal with him," the Melodist uttered, two suited figures stepping from the shadows atop the roof.

"Scales," Ouroboros's foot soldiers. They were trained to the utmost degree in the art of subduing and destroying the serpent's enemies. Whether they possessed quirks or not, each was armed with SMGs or pistols loaded with rounds meant to take down the toughest quirks. Their suits provided satisfactory defense, and their knives could carve through stone. Both leaped below, just ahead of Mateo and took aim - ready to fire.  

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]

[Thea]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","skullhover"]

[attr="class","skullimg"]

[attr="class","skulltitle"]間違い

[attr="class","skulloverlap"]How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become?

[attr="class","skullbody"]"We all have our faults," Mateo spat back in faux confidence. The taunt was mainly for his own satisfaction. Acknowledging that the Melodist was the first of many pieces that had to fall in this game of chess he played across the aeons with an opponent he'd never seen and yet could never escape. "So, you remember now, do you?" [break][break]

[break][break]

Fear was an emotion Mateo had discarded so long ago and yet despite his best effort, he felt it now. His body was wrong, the Melodist was aware, and even the ages and context of the world had shifted far outside the margin of error he'd grown to expect. This wasn't just an outlier in the fabric of existence. This was a sign that it was falling apart at the seams. Time had been shattered and put together so many times that the fragments lost with each recursion began to show their marks. Soon, even god would not be able to suspend his disbelief. [break][break]

"I usually do, don't I?" He laughed in her voice. "The Mentat is always the first to leave, and we proclaim ourselves the mastermind for decades before dying. Do you know the wonderful thing about having a memory like mine that reaches through the ages?" Her eyes closed as he allowed their senses to expand. The compounding fragments of sensation build a picture as clear and bright as the sun. Their eyes opened. Her hollow orbs now the golden sheen of Mateo's will across the ages. "Even surprises can't surprise me anymore, and frankly, I've gone quite mad. In life, I was the mentat. In death, I became the mastermind..." Footsteps fell to the floor before him.[break][break]

"...In these strange aeons, I've become the king in yellow."

[break][break]

Simultaneous trigger pulls released a volley of bullets intent on ending this conflict before it could even begin. Ouroboros had done their homework. Range was his bane, but in preparing for Mateo, they'd failed to prepare for Thea. The mentat brought her arms up like a shield, sending reams of armored cloth along the trajectories of their bullets. He'd never used capture tape before but she was fond of it and so they had at least one way to defend themselves against these bullets.[break][break]

"Containment suits? Won't make this easy, will you?" He spat, closing the distance behind the cover of her capture tape. Ouroboros, unfortunately, trained their men well. Instead of taking action and countercharging, they waited, holding their position, forcing Mateo to make the first move. He was never one to set the pace, only ever one to outsmart it. Ouroboros knew that. Thea however, was not one to play second fiddle. From behind the tape, a fist found purchase against one of the figure's faces, though in turn, a round found its way into her side.[break][break]

"What? You didn't look into her?" He cooed. Knives flashed through the air as the figures pressed their counterattack. Two new wounds emerged on Her arms as he barely managed to pull away from what he presumed would be a lethal strike. He felt no pain as her nerves screamed. Their body was washed in memory and hallucination. His mind was racing with to formulate a plan as he fired another ream of captrue tape around the figures only to have the other respond by aiming their weapon. it was a game of cat and mouse played at the speed of thought. "Fucking speedsters," They thought. As another volly bullets fired and another would appeared on the girl's right thigh.[break][break]

[break]

[attr="class","skullinfo"]

[attr="class","skullcredits"]TAIKO!

[newclass=.skullhover]width:420px;-webkit-filter: grayscale(100%);filter: grayscale(100%);-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;-webkit-transition-delay:0.1s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullhover:hover]-webkit-filter: grayscale(0%);filter: grayscale(0%)-webkit-transition:all 1s ease;transition:all 1s ease;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullimg]width:380px;height:200px;background-image:url(https://i.ibb.co/nrVgLSZ/Untitlesdffsdd.png); background-repeat:no-repeat;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulltitle]font-family:verdana;font-weight:700;font-size:50px;position:relative;text-align:center;color:#168D93;margin-top:-36px;margin-bottom:0px;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skulloverlap]letter-spacing:1px;font-family:oswald;font-weight:200;font-size:9px;position:relative;text-align:center;margin-top:-0;margin-bottom:-5px;color:#e8e8e8;text-shadow: -1px 0 black, 0 1px black, 1px 0 black, 0 -1px black;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody]div-align:center;text-align:justify;width:380px;font-size:11px;font-family:roboto;color:#e8e8e8;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullbody b]color:#168D93;[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullinfo]width:380px;font-family:oswald;font-size:9px;font-weight:200;color:#767676;text-align:right[/newclass]
[newclass=.skullcredits]width:380px;font-family:roboto;font-size:8px;text-align:center;[/newclass]

[googlefont=Oswald]
[googlefont=Roboto]

[Farrin]

[attr="class","Farrin"]

[attr="class","KC1"]

[attr="class","FarrinBG"]

[attr="class","FarrinTop"]

[attr="class","FarrinContent"]

T

ime was turned and twisted, its essence malformed, perverted by those that bent it so. Though the Alter was the stronger of the two, Farrin's hands danced across unseen threads and tapped into unimaginable powers. A twist of the faucet and the sleuth unleashed its reserves, time itself flooded his veins. They were little more than flickering light, tearing the mouth of the alley apart. And when the blurs broke and the figures stilled, Farrin stood over the fallen Alter. 

"What is it yuh fear so much that yer willin' to lose all that we are?" He cursed the fallen foe. 

This was his first encounter with the madness that he became in other times, yet he was well-versed in the language of this enemy. He had seen it before, his other self, Oberon, fighting against these demons that wore his face. His fight, our fight, but elsewhere. Now, it had reached this time's shores. Whatever its answer, it wouldn't sate this time-turner, but he knew his Sada was at risk and he find out why.  

"It isn't fear that grips us, but death, and with every moment that passes by its grip grows stronger. Soon enough, it shall strangle not only us but everyone - everywhere, through all the vast infinities. Only the Alpha can change that now, which is why - things - have changed," the Alter replied, standing his height. "It is counting on your resistance." 

"We're always the villain - until we're not" was starting to make a little more sense, but where one question was nearly answered, a dozen more took its place. What was this "it" and if he was so weak in the grand scheme of convergence, why was it relying on him? What were the goals of these warring factions? And why was it left to him, the "inferior product" to figure it all out? 

"Hard ta' think you the goods guys when yer' attackin me n' mine e'erywhere we go," Farrin spat back, "if hurtin others is yer plan A, then yer just as fecked as yer this thing yer so afraid of." Farrin brought his fists to bear. 

"You must be willing to spill a droplet to save the sea."  

And so the temporal dance continued. Two blurs of movement crashed into one another, emerald sparks blasting between buildings and up the alleyway. 

Melodist, continued to play, watching the two battles unfold. To tear this Farrin's root from the earth and plant him in their forest so soon would please the Alpha, but his interference might have backfired. That would be problematic. Meanwhile, the rogue temporal rogue was meddling in their affairs once again. Their own agenda stifling the only real solution to the Alpha's, the entire world's, true enemy. Smart as they were, perhaps they didn't fully grasp the powers at play. Best to remove them now. 

"Then I shall prescribe regicide if only to cure you of your madness!" Melodist called, "finish him!" 

A third and final scale leaped over the edge of the building, landing at Mateo's back. 

"How many times have you felt it through your lives, rogue? Fear's many little deaths? Don't you tire of this game? Come now, accept the oblivion that awaits you!" 

[attr="class","FarrinLeft"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Symbol of Heroism [attr="class","fa fa-cog"]

[attr="class","FarrinQuote"]Even if it's already been decided. Even if it's set in stone. I'll smash that future!

[attr="class","FarrinBot"][attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Tags: Thea
[attr="class","fa fa-cog"] Notes: Write Notes Here

[googlefont=comic Sans][googlefont=Kaushan Script][newclass=.FarrinLeft]font-size: 28px; color: var(--AC1);font-family: Kaushan Script;text-align:center;padding:5px;transform: rotate(270deg); float:left;position:absolute;margin-left:-180px;margin-top:240px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinLeft i]font-size:20px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinQuote]font-size: 13px;color: var(--AC1);text-align:center;padding:5px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTrick] }@keyframes FarrinSpin { 0% { -ms-transform: rotate(0deg); -moz-transform: rotate(0deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg); -o-transform: rotate(0deg); transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { -ms-transform: rotate(360deg); -moz-transform: rotate(360deg); -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg); -o-transform: rotate(360deg); transform: rotate(360deg); }[/newclass][newclass=.Farrin]--BG1:#121212;--AC1:#4874a1;--LC1:#f8f8f8;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBG]width:500px;overflow:hidden;background-color:var(--BG1);padding:0px 0px 10px 0px;background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/n8HI7dC.jpg);background-size:cover;border: 10px solid var(--BG1);display:flex;flex-flow: row wrap;align-items:center;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinTop]width:500px;height:255px;background-image:URL(https://i.imgur.com/w8WWsMd.gif);background-size:cover;border-bottom: 10px solid var(--BG1);[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent]width:430px;min-height:400px; color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:5px 10px;margin-left:50px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinContent h1]width:30px;background-color: transparent;height:30px;font: 800 30px Comic Sans;text-align:center;margin-right:3px;margin-top:3px;margin-bottom:-2px;float:left;color:var(--AC1);text-transform:uppercase;padding:5px;border:3px double var(--AC1);line-height:30px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot]width:425px;border:1px solid var(--AC1);color: var(--AC1)!important;font: 400 11px Comic Sans;text-align:justify;line-height:12px;padding:4px;margin-left:55px;[/newclass][newclass=.FarrinBot i]font-size:11px;-webkit-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -moz-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; -o-animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite; animation: FarrinSpin 12s linear infinite;[/newclass]