Practice Makes Perfect [Training]

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 60 TP

Training - Part 6

If he couldn't add more air to the Jutsu, then it was just impossible. Just as that thought came to him however, Zuruel smiled to himself. This time, the teen stretched his chest to breaking point as he allowed his lungs to fill almost to the brim with air. With what little space remained in the organ, he would then fill with Chakra before twirling the mixture together like a blender to ensure that the air was as Chakra enriched as possible. He would then get into position by anchoring his foot onto the ground before cupping his mouth. While adding more air into the Jutsu was impossible while breathing out, adding more Chakra into it wasn't.

As he breathed out, Zuruel focused on mixing Chakra into the air as it travelled up his throat and out his mouth. This process never ceased until the Jutsu would escape his lips, releasing in the form of a black cloud of smoke. Unlike before, Zuruel had enough air in his lungs to really put pressure into his breathing, allowing him to fill a full twenty meter radius full of ash and dust at quite a swift pace without ever having to worry about running dry.

As the area in front of Zuruel blackened, he braced himself before clicking his teeth together, the act of which causing the cloud to light up for a split second before returning to its normal state. Something was wrong. Bracing himself, Zuruel clicked his teeth together once again, causing the cloud to light up like before, though only for a split moment. With a vein of anger slowly forming on his forehead, the teen opened his mouth wide before slamming his teeth together, an act which would send an echo of pain howling throughout his jaw as the Jutsu lit up in a fireball for a few seconds before dying out fairly fast.

Hardly impressed with this, Zuruel performed the hand seals before breathing out another cloud of hot ash whilst all the meanwhile infusing the Jutsu with Chakra as it travelled up his throat much like before. Once again this allowed him to fill the open space with darkness at quite a quick pace without having to worry about his lungs running dry. Curiously, Zuruel decided to infuse his teeth with the slightest amount of Chakra in hopes that perhaps clicking his bare teeth together by itself simply wasn't generating the needed spark on its own.

Having forgotten to brace himself after the numerous failures previously, Zuruel clicked his teeth together, causing black sparks to shoot out his mouth as the resulting Jutsu detonated into a mass of fire and smoke, the force of which causing the teen to raise his arms in an attempt to shield his face. As the heat died down, all that remained of his poor garden was ash in the place of the tree stump and blackened blades of grass. Rather than seeming sorrowful of this fact however, the teen simply smiled to himself as he performed the Jutsu once again.

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 60 TP

Training - Part 7

Like a robot, Zuruel would then say his actions in his mind, just to ensure that he fully understood them. First he began by breathing, before mixing the air with Chakra. He then formed a protective layer of Chakra around his throat and tongue before breathing outward. As the air travelled up, he infused it with even more Chakra before it left his lips in the form of a cloud of ash and smoke that would fill the area in front of him. As the Jutsu approached completion, he then infused his teeth with a tiny amount of Chakra before clicking them together to generate a spark, the act of which causing the Jutsu to light up as it detonated, destroying more of the teens fencing.

[The Roar of the Falls]

Learned.

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 10 TP

Maw Savagery
Rank: C
Skill: Taijutsu (Supplementary)
Effect: The size of maws increase.
Special: ----
Drawback: Enough body surface must be available on the user's choice location to fit an increased size maw. Same draw backs as "Legion of Maw". A single maw with "Maw savagery" applied to it is considered 2 active maws, instead of one.
Description: Picture The user can command the size of maw's to increase in size. With training, the cells of the body can manipulated in such a manner as to produce a larger maw; proportionally increasing the deadliness of every bite. The user can prep their bodies to provide a huge singular bite, tearing huge chunks of flesh in one swift move. When first learned, a maw can be grown to 30cm in length. When learned a second time around, a maw can be grown 60cm in length. When learned a final time, a maw can be grown to 120cm in size.
Limit: Kedōin Blood Line. Must know "Legion of Maw"

Zuruel extended his arm outwards so that it hovered parallel to the ground. He then shut his eyes and allowed Chakra to focus around his arm. He had done this thousands of times before. The Chakra reacted with his Kedoin cells, causing each individual cell to shake in excitement. It was a sensation that was familiar and comforting to him despite having no real control over it. Much like how someone would get goosebumps in reaction to the cold weather.

“Focus.” He told himself as he commanded the cells in his arm to begin morphing. Suddenly, Zuruel’s arm began to distort. Bone-like objects began to bleed through his skin and wrap around the outer exterior of his arm like scales. In reality, however, these were no scales. They were fangs. Fangs belonging to a fully functioning ‘maw’. “Not good enough.” Zuruel hissed at his craftsmanship. The maw appeared to be thirty-centimetres in length and stretched all the way from his shoulder to the start of his wrists.

“I can do better.” Zuruel focused more Chakra into the maw, the act of which causing his cells to tingle even further with excitement. At first, the maw appeared to visibly stretch slightly and grow extra sets of teeth, causing it to pass just past Zuruel’s shoulder. However, the more he forced this technique, the less control he had over his own body. After a few moments, the young Kedoin appeared to completely lose control over the maw, causing it to melt away and dissolve back into smooth flesh.

Hardly impressed with his efforts, Zuruel let out a ‘tch’ before once again pooling his Chakra into his arm. Effortlessly, another maw appeared to replace the one that had just dissolved. He then stretched out his other arm and did the same, causing another thirty-centimetre maw to form. Whilst maintaining these two maws, the Kedoin pinched his shoulders together with force. He then focused his Chakra on the two maws, causing them to stretch further and further apart until they joined at Zuruel’s spine.

Rather than overlapping or rejecting each other, the two maws fused at the moment of contact, much like two droplets of water meeting. The result caused Zuruel to grin. Slowly and carefully, he relaxed his shoulders whilst maintaining control over his Chakra. As opposed to two streams of Chakra, it now felt like a single flow. “Good.” He chuckled before forcing the gigantic sixty- centimetre maw to open its jaw wide before closing again in a snapping motion. This continued for a few minutes until Zuruel felt satisfied with his control over the maw. What felt like a stiff joint earlier, now felt smooth and relaxed. The maw was now an extension of his own body.

[Madame Loki]

~learned~

[Skulking Shinzu]

Singing
Rank: "E" (5 TP at all times)
Skill: Skill
Effect: A skill that turns a character into an accomplished singer.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The Character with this skill is an accomplished singer and can use this ability to entertain others and perhaps earn a small living. No skill check is required to sing in most circumstances. The character can also create choral works on a successful skill check. Use Musical Instrument Task Skills to see what a user can do and the difficulty checks as Musical Instrument Task Skills are similar to Singing. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

0 | 5 TP

Zuruel wrapped his fingers carefully around the cold glass before downing half of its contents into his mouth. “Brilliant.” He thought to himself as he twirled his tongue to allow the refreshing water to collect at the back of his throat. At that moment, he then tilted his head back slightly and began to gargle the liquid in an effort to simultaneously moisturise his mouth and exercise his vocal cords. “And now the tough part…” After a good minute or two, Zuruel leaned forwards and emptied the liquid into his sink. He was now ready.

Whilst glancing at a book labelled ‘singing for beginners’, Zuruel opened his lungs to a fresh rush of air before expelling it all by holding a ‘la’ sound. Once he could sing no more, he repeated the process by breathing in until his chest was fully expanded, before finally emptying his lungs by singing that one note again. “How monotonous.” Zuruel realised that his voice felt stiff and uninspiring. He would be quite the failure of a Bard if he was limited to only being able to sing in one tone.

“Laa~” He held the note for a while to get a better understanding of his voice. Once ready, he breathed in once more whilst this time pressing the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Laaa~” This time, the note came out much more high-pitched and feminine than previously. “La~” With a bit of practice, Zuruel even managed to make the note hit a very deep pitch that came across quite masculine and powerful. It was an interesting thing to experience. “So this is how people create music?”

Notes: I have Able Learner.

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner

Rank: "C"

Skill: Social Trait

Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.

Special: ---

Drawback: ---

Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.

Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 5 TP

Zuruel filled a glass with lukewarm water before adding a teaspoon of salt to the mix. Once dissolved, he emptied the contents into his mouth before holding a gargle for several minutes. Not only did the act further warm up his vocal cords, but apparently the salt would also somehow help clear his throat of mucus. “Done.” He confirmed to himself as he spat out the liquid and adjusted to the lingering saltiness in his mouth.

“Humm~” Gently, Zuruel exhaled whilst making a ‘hum’ sound. As if he were sighing, he allowed the pitch of his voice to carefully glide from low to high. Once all the air had left his lungs, he simply inhaled once more before continuing the process. It was easy to understand the differences between an extremely low and high pitched voice. The subtle differences in between however? That was only something Zuruel could gain a better understanding of through his practice of gradually alternating between different pitches.

“Huuuuuumm~” Once the routine began to show little progress, Zuruel made use of his Kedoin abilities to increase the size and capacity of his lungs. With a bigger reserve of air, he was able to hold the ‘hum’ for a much longer time. “Huuuuuuuuuuum~” He expelled, over and over again whilst each time slowing down how quickly he would shift pitches. Through this practice, he was beginning to gain a better understanding of the different pitch ranges his voice was able to reach.

Notes: I have Able Learner.

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner

Rank: "C"

Skill: Social Trait

Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.

Special: ---

Drawback: ---

Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.

Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

[💀]

+72 sp and +10 tp

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 5 TP

With a newfound control over his vocal cords achieved, Zuruel decided to test his new singing ability by whistling a tune. Following the instructions on a small worn-out booklet on his counter top, Zuruel puckered his lips before blowing air out quite violently. “Nothing.” He scowled as he inhaled before repeating the processes only to once again achieve nothing. “Perhaps…” Realising that he may have approached the situation a little too eagerly, this time, he simply allowed the air to escape his lips in a more slow and controlled manner.

Immediately, this new approach seemed to produce a sound. Albeit, not the one he was hoping to achieve. Carefully, Zuruel licked his lips in order to moisturise the areas that had become dried and cracked. He then puckered once more before carefully exhaling, which produced a weak whistling sound. Although he was doing it, something was lacking. To find out what, Zuruel grabbed the booklet and scanned through its contents to see what his technique was lacking.

Once he had realised his flaws, Zuruel set to work. He moisturised his lips and puckered up once more. However, this time, he made sure that his lips weren’t touching his teeth. Apparently, there needed to be a gap. He also pressed his tongue firmly against his bottom row of teeth in order to keep the passage clear and free from obstruction. Once ready, he simply exhaled sharply, the act of which producing a strong whistling sound.

Notes: I have Able Learner.

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner

Rank: "C"

Skill: Social Trait

Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.

Special: ---

Drawback: ---

Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.

Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 5 TP

Having achieved the ability to whistle, Zuruel decided to try out a more advanced technique. As he puckered and got into position to whistle, this time, he curled the edges of his tongue upwards slightly before exhaling. This slight difference seemed to produce a different note, which was a fact he tested by slightly curling his tongue upwards more each time he practiced in order to get a better understanding of how the act was effecting the tone of the whistle. “How intriguing.” He thought to himself as he took in the different sounds his lips were producing.

Once this was mastered, Zuruel decided to experiment with his tongue a bit more. As he whistled, he pushed his tongue forward slightly. Immediately, Zuruel picked up on the fact that this was starting to push his whistle into a higher note. Curiously, he attempted to do the opposite in order to produce a lower note. However, as far back as he pulled in his tongue, nothing seemed to drastically change. “Perhaps…” Upon realising that something else was needed, he began to move his tongue in random directions whilst practicing until something worked.

Eventually, Zuruel picked up on the fact that pushing his tongue downwards seemed to be what he needed to do in order to produce a low-tone whistle. To confirm this, he went as far as to lower his jaw slightly which seemed to increase the distance between his lips. Somehow, this process worked and produced a low tone as intended. “Excellent.” He grinned as he took in some water to soothe his sore throat. Just to cement this new skill into his mind before stopping to rest, Zuruel got into position before alternating between a low and high pitched whistle every few seconds to produce a wave-like melody that went up and down smoothly.

Notes: I have Able Learner.

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner

Rank: "C"

Skill: Social Trait

Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.

Special: ---

Drawback: ---

Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.

Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

[Skulking Shinzu]

0 | 5 TP

“Now the difficult part.” Zuruel now wanted to incorporate his singing into his whistling in order to turn the melody into music. After a short rest, Zuruel moved himself into a whistling position before once again exhaling alternating low and high pitches like a soft wave. Whilst doing this, he also adjusted the shape of his tongue in order to produce even more varying notes. In the end, the whistling ended up coming across as a jumble mess of sounds. However, despite this, the young novice was pleased. He was successfully creating different sounds.

Grabbing the booklet he was using earlier, Zuruel flipped straight to one of the practice songs. After carefully memorising the notes required, he set to work. By adjusting his mouth and tongue, he was able to follow the instructions to produce a tune of sorts. “Interesting.” For several more minutes, he repeated this tune over and over again. The process was monotonous, but not without result. Eventually, Zuruel found himself able to whistle the song without the aid of the booklet. He had even mastered it to the point where he was able to add his own twists and variations to it.

Eager to create something of his own, Zuruel pushed the booklet aside and glanced out of his dingy window for inspiration. Carefully, the produced a low pitch that burst into a melody full of melancholy. It was as if he wasn’t controlling his mouth anymore. On its own, his tongue seemed to instinctively move to the right location and shift to the right shape in order to produce the exact tunes that were in Zuruel’s head. Even though it seemed impossible and awkward for him at first, now, he could produce all the songs that he wanted with nothing more than his lungs and mouth.

Notes: I have Able Learner.

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner

Rank: "C"

Skill: Social Trait

Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.

Special: ---

Drawback: ---

Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.

Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

[Madame Loki]

rolls

+15TP

125/125sp

[Skulking Shinzu]

Algorithmic Decipher
Rank: C-rank
Skill: Ninjutsu, supplementary
Effect: The user understands sound made by writing or various forms of tapping (Morse code). He or she can also mimic the said sounds as well.
Special: ---
Drawback:---
Description: The user can comprehend and decode sound waves emitted through tapping. This is done by hearing a string of sounds, measuring there pitch, flow, consistency, etc. Any forms of writing/tapping, will now be understood and reproduced by the user. This is extremely useful in spying on opponent or even sending messages back and forth. From the sounds of writing they can discern what has been written and pinpoint morse code messages.
Limit: Art of the Bard, must unlock Auditory Comprehension

0 | 10 TP

Zuruel stood amidst a crowd of people as he left his apartment and entered the busy street. He glanced around his surroundings for a moment, before eventually, focusing his gaze on one random civilian in particular. The man in question was dressed in rather vibrant clothes; a fact which made him quite easy to spot amongst the crowd as he slowly walked away from Zuruel. “He’ll do.” Smiled the assassin as he closed his eyes and focused on the man.

As darkness enveloped his world, Zuruel’s finely tuned ears picked up on the pitter-patter of hundreds of feet stamping along the ground. Simply, it was a bombardment of sounds that failed to serve any real cause or purpose. “Tch.” Frustrated, Zuruel opened his eyes to regain his bearings on the man’s location, before closing his eyes once more and focusing. Calmly, he attempted to search for the tapping of the man’s feet as he slowly walked away into the distance. This attempt, however, was no more successful than the others.

Sensing that mastering this technique would require a little more than just willpower and focus, Zuruel opened his eyes and studied his target. As the man walked away, Zuruel gathered as much information about him as he could. His height, weight, body shape and even the material of his shoes were all things that Zuruel carefully considered. The assassin began to paint a picture of what he assumed the target’s footsteps would sound like and how they would different from the numerous other civilians in the area.

“Ready.” He chanted to himself as he shut his eyes once more and focused. As sounds bombarded his ear drums, Zuruel began to realise that it was impossible to home in on one particular sound amidst a sea of noise. “Wait!” As his hopes crumbled, an idea was born. Zuruel began to compare his estimation of the sound to everything he was hearing. Although it was difficult to find anything similar, it was pretty easy to hone in on the sounds that starkly contrasted it. Sounds that were irrelevant and pointless to his aim.

As Zuruel picked up on these ‘incorrect’ sounds, he began to eliminate them from his mind. Like they no longer existed, Zuruel’s ear drums began to stop picking up on them in order to better focus on what remained. This process went on for several minutes, until eventually, Zuruel was only focused on several sets of footsteps. “There…” While most seemed to paint the picture of a hurried pace, one set of footsteps were quite slow and controlled. A pace which seemed to match the description of the man Zuruel had memorised earlier. “Him!” The assassin opened his eyes. Despite having had his eyes closed for many minutes, instantly, his vision was focused on the target. Successfully, he had managed to track the objective with nothing more than the tapping of his feet.

[Deleted]

ooc: Took you two years to return. lawl

[💀]

+10

[Skulking Shinzu]

Know Direction
Rank: D
Skill: Supplementary
Effect: Allows the bard to know which direction is north.
Special: See Below
Drawback: You may become lost again within moments if you do not find an external reference for direction.
Description: Bards are known travelers and wanders. After enough time spent traveling they are innately tuned to where North is. By taking the time to stop and look around the Bard can easily tell where north is. This allows them to travel to specific locations without worrying about losing their way. This skill only works outdoors.
Limit: Art of the Bard. Must have 250 TP into Art of the Bard.

0 | 10

Casually, Zuruel stepped back inside of the comfort of his dingy apartment before focusing his attention on a compass laying awkwardly on his table. He took note of the direction of North before shutting his eyes. He wondered if he could somehow ‘sense’ the location like the compass. The attempt, however, was to no avail. “Tch.” He cursed as he attempted to figure out the secrets of the contraption by focusing once more and trying his best to get a feel for some sort of strange force that might possibly lead him towards North.

Having no luck so far, Zuruel decided to grab the compass and take it outside into his garden where he hoped that the lack of walls surrounding him would somehow aid him in his efforts. “Let’s see…” Zuruel shut his eyes and focused. Like before, he searched for some sort of strange magnetic force that would pull him towards the direction of North. Initially, no such force seemed to make itself apparent to the young assassin. The more he tried, however, the more he seemed to feel some sort of faint inclination towards a certain direction.

“How?” Zuruel scratched his head as he contemplated over how to make the feeling grow stronger. Instinctively, he decided to hone in on this faint sensation before turning away from it slightly. As the feeling began to vanish, Zuruel moved back towards what he assumed was North, which caused the sensation to spark back into life. He then repeated this process of facing and turning away from North for several minutes in order to allow his body to get used to the strange and almost otherworldly force that he was learning to sense.

Once confident with his ability, Zuruel focused on the sensation intently. Immediately, he felt a strong force acting over him. Like a magnet pulling a needle towards a certain direction. What was once a faint inclination was now a strong vibration in the air that hinted at North. With this in mind, Zuruel decided to spin on the spot several times before stopping. Once he felt dizzy and had completely lost his bearings, he searched for this sensation once more whilst his eyes remained closed.

Almost as if he was reaching for a rope in the darkness, eventually, Zuruel finally latched onto the strange force and turned towards it until it felt at its strongest. Once done, Zuruel opened his eyes and stared at his compass. “North.” He snickered as the compass revealed that he was pointing in the correct direction. To test this slightly more, Zuruel closed his eyes once more and spun around again. This time, however, he faced towards the direction where the force was at its weakest point. He then opened his eyes and started at the compass to confirm that he was indeed facing South. The opposite direction to North. “Success.”

[Madame Loki]

-learned-