Creaking Joints [Private - Stylx/Aori]

The weather, cold but bearable. The mist, thick around the ankles. And the forest, silent. Roaming through the Mist Village and on his way to pick up a Jounin's corpse from the Sand Village, Stylx decided to take a rest. Stylx's ominous body lay by a tree. His legs, crossed and his fingers, jittering violently, working with some needle and thread - sewing a human's flesh onto a sturdy piece of bamboo. A new puppet. The forest was so silent, that each chilling creak echoed through out the dark green woodland, sending a shock through any spine that drew near.

A sudden lightning storm began to occur, from no reasoning that could or couldn't be pointed out by a naturalists opinon, let alone even human opinionation. From one of the lightning bolts, in the blink of an eye - Drew down the Sage of Mirrors, Aori Centella. High Special Jounin of the Leaf Village. Her power, may, or may not have been known; but for fame she didn't care for. Only training, perfecting herself in all aspects of combat. She noticed a figure that looked shady and had an ominescent appearance to it, so she figured it may have been a human - Enemy, or ally.

She stood upon a tree, her eye still covered. Yet, her exposed eye - began to glow with a darkened black tint. She sat upon the tip of the tree with amazing balance, not even moving the slightest inch. She kept her eye on the unknown presence, and only that.

[Please forget that first post, Stylx - for now - is a human, not a puppet]

"And you may be?" Stylx said, getting up cautiously. The only way the storm could've been conjured was from this figure. An ANBU out to get him? Perhaps... For now he would have to stay on his toes, for he didn't want to release the power of the sacred bloodline out of sheer cockiness. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of Stylx's infamous 'PaK O' Ciggz', undoing the small lip and retrieving a cigarette, Stylx snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the cigarette was lit. Inhaling the fresh tobacco, Stylx looked up at the figure again, "You're not the superiority out to get me are ya'?"

Aori looked upon him, her cold and lifeless appearance took in effect as she stood with her arms crossed. "No, I am not here to hunt - Nor kill you." She smiled under her mask, pointed teeth giving a slight imprint in the outer exterior of the cloth. The storm raged on, and in an instant - She looked up, and in the blink of an eye, a lightning bolt seemed to mask her appearance. An illusion? No. She appeared directly beside the boy. And looked at him, standing up slowly. "I have come to test you, actually. I was told by a specific party to see if you are 'ready'." She states, standing completely still.

"Pfft... You're not gunna' get me to come back to that pathetic village... Besides... I have something... Inside me... That..." Stylx turned to the lady, peering into her lifeless, yet beautiful eyes. Noticing how close he was to the woman, he backed up and took another hit from cigarette. "Nice eyes..." Stylx said to her, smiling impishly... "Anyway... This 'test' you want to do... I'm out of it... Just wanna' travel. No harm done..." Stylx turned to to the woman again and handed her a smoke. "Want one?"

Aori simply smiled as the thunder boomed loud and sound-breaking crashes. The trees around them, didn't move however, as no wind was to be found. She smiled under her mask as he complimented her eyes, although he couldn't exactly see her other eye since it was hidden under her headband. "No.. I do not wish to get you to return, for that is not what I was sent for." She took the cigarette, and lifted her hand to her face - Removing the bottom half of her mask. Her flawless skin gave a lightened shining tone as it was exposed. She opened her mouth, revealing a row of perfect teeth, minus two extremely sharp fangs found on her mouth like that of a vampire. As the mask was put into her pocket, she took the cigarette in hand - Blew on it, igniting the tobacco. Her jaw revealed a symbol which was the given symbol of anyone who possessed the curse mark of Xarias. The circle with a triangle in the middle. It could be seen on the left side of her neck - just under her jawline. She took a large puff of smoke, inhaled - And exhaled, unraveling a large cloud of gray blur. "Thanks." Her voice wasn't muffled at all now, and her beautiful voice rang out.

Stylx's body froze up as he saw the vibrant curse mark of his mother's. Not knowing what to do, he tried to play it off like he didn't know what it was - Ignoring it completely. Biting his lower lip and gulping down hard, Stylx decided to take another hit of his cigarette, blowing smoke into the form of a disfigured heart, his normal smoke trail left from whenever he exerted smoke. No one knew why this was, but many would guess that it was from the separation of his father, mother, family, and village. Stylx then stepped closer to the woman meeting her eyes again, "So... Why were you sent, then?"

Aori took a large drag of the cigarette, and finished it off with a final inhale. Blowing the smoke out, it literally resembled that of a picture of a skull. She threw the cigarette butt aside, and stepped on it, rotating her foot to put it out. She noticed his insecurity that was present, yet she ignored it because she was curious. "Well. I came here to see if you were ready. But seeing as how I can sense your chakra levels, determine your power and strength, and even acknowledge your specialties just by taking a full glance at you, I can tell you are." She smiled, her fangs being fully revealed now. Her dark glowing eye was tinted. Ah.. Thats why he was acting that way.. She remembered. Her curse mark. "You know who gave me this gift, don't you." She says, knowing he did - Although she just wanted to make sure of it. As she lifted her headband for a first ever time, she opened her second eye. The eye revealed that of a swirling Doujutsu that envoloped the center, and three tomoe like that of Xarias` old sharingan. But, this was blue. Her face was fully revealed now, and she lifted her hand, and pointed it at her sharingan. "And you know who gave me this, too.." She then crossed her arms, and shifted her weight, leaning on one foot and letting the other loose.

Stylx sighed and backed and turned away once more. "Yes... I do know... In fact..." He paused to take a long draw from his cigarette, each draw long yet innocent and quiet. Stylx turned back to the woman, observing all the curse's features. The power being exerted, the fangs, everything. But he didn't know she was given her eye. With that he damned his mother. Why she would give away such power was beyond Stylx, but he had to focus on this lady. Who was she? Why would my mother pick her? The bearer of great power? Out of everyone! And also... What did she want? She kept going on and on about 'How I was ready'. But for now, Stylx continued. "You got those from Xarias... My mother..." 'My mother' ran a shiver up Stylx's back, and the sound of it was oh so ominous. "But enough about me..." Stylx said, getting closer to the woman. "Let's talk about you..." Stylx's neck cracked as he put out his cigarette, and exposed his fangs as well.

Aori smiled. She sat down, and put her head down, her legs up and bent, placing her arms on top and allowing her hands to flop down. She looked at Stylx. She put her head down and began to speak. "Your mother.. Is basically my mother.. She took care of me before she left.. And I was not necessarily her child, you would say, so much as her.. Apprentice. Or, disciple. I was used as a tool of destruction to her. Noone but you knows about the curse mark, or this sharingan. Or even the power it gives me and you. I was born alone, with noone to care for me. I never cried.. I never shriveled up and died down.. I perfected myself to Xarias standards. I tried my hardest to gain her love and admiration.. Before she left she didn't tell me if I had gained it, so I lived life as a High Special Jounin of Konoha.. In secrecy. Pain. Misery. There is much to be known about me. Like, why I kill myself every day to further increase my abilities in all aspects of life.." A tear almost fell from her eyes, but she lifted her hand and quickly silenced the movement. She picked her head up, and her eyes were giving off a hurted glimpse. She missed Xarias, of all people. She unwrapped her hands and lifted them, so that Stylx could see. They were brutally beaten, and bled out. Scars were all over her knuckles. "No matter what I did.. Noone respected me.. Noone but Xarias.."

Stylx couldn't help feeling emotion for the young woman. Her arms: torn apart, used, worn out. Stylx took the soft hands and helped her up. He looked her dead in the eyes and said quietly, "Don't hold back your emotions... It's bad for you..." With that he embraced the girl tightly, sharing his warmth with her in the cold of the rain.

She hugged him back, and tears lightly drifted down her face, gently soaking his shirt as her face remained at his collarbone and just underneath his neck. After the brief hug, she wiped her tears and stood strong - Looking at him. "It was never my decision to become a shinobi.. To become a killing machine. It hurts.. But I live every day in deathly grace and happiness for our mother. I was born for her, I was born to fight for her, and I would die to protect her." She wiped a final tear, pulled her headband back over her eye after shutting it, pulled her mask out of her pocket and wrapped it back around her head, covering her nose to her jaw in secrecy. Wrapping her hands up, she began to get curious about him. "Your name is Stylx, right?"

"That is correct... And you are...?" Stylx said lifelessly.

Aori looked at him. "My name is Aori Centella. Most know me as the Sage of Mirrors. I truly must say, its amazing to meet a living inheritor of the Onizetsumei. Its nice to meet you, Stylx.." She holds her hand out, hoping to make a lawfully willing proposal for possible friendship or partnership.

"The pleasure's all mine, Aori Centella." Stylx said, smiling widely as he grabbed her hand and lightly kissed the top of it. Stylx fixed his color and gulped hard. He was always bad at the initial advance to a woman, especially of one that actually connected with Stylx himself. "Uh... Would you like... Um... " Stylx rubbed the back of his head and looked around. "Grab a cup of sake or... something..." With that off his chest, Stylx exhaled, again, smiling at Aori.

Aori smiled at him and laughed lightly. As he kissed her hand she felt an all too human chill up her spine as the feeling of a sensational shock ran from her toes to the tip of her head. Hearing his obvious proposal for a date she hugged him, and got close to his head, leveling her mouth with his ear. "Are you asking me on a date, Stylx." She asked him, her everlasting and driven scent filling the area she was surrounded in.

Her voice was so soothing, so tender it made Stylx's stomach drop. He inhaled softly, his body limp now from her fragrance. He closed his eyes and smiled, smelling the seductive aroma. Intoxicated by her perky breasts grazing across his chest, Stylx said, "Um... Uh... Yeah... If that's ok with you..." He wanted to make sure she was comfortable with him. She was the only other Onizetsumei he knew, so he didn't want to spoil a perfectly fine moment with her.

Aori smiled, and backed off of him. She noticed his body was becoming limp and she got cautious. "Heh.. Why are you so nervous?" She giggled lightly. She began to walk off, shaking her hips in light seductive motions. She could tell he liked her. Hoping he would follow, she continued her leave.

Stylx eagerly followed beside Aori. "Eh... Just that first advance... You know." He smiled at her and looked ahead. His hand, quietly moving to Aori's, weaved fingers with her. Like his father's nature, he couldn't help some perverted thoughts and emotions go through his mind as he glanced at her perfect legs and gently bobbing breast. Smacking himself, mentally, back into mature consciousness, Stylx asked, "So what did you mean by ' I was ready... ' and all of that?"

Aori noticed his seductive nature and giggled some more. After hearing his question she began to answer him, tightening the grip she held within each others hands. "I was sent by Xarias to see if you were ready to undergo training with her. And, seeing as how you are obviously powerful, I had saught no need to engage in combat." She said. Then, leaning in she began to notify him of Xarias` current actions. "She is back.. And right now she is engaging in the attack of the Grass Country.. She invited both me, and you if you think your up to it.." She whispered, smiling under her mask.

Stylx's world went blank. He dropped hands with Aori and stopped right in his tracks. "She's.... Back....?" Stylx's body started to shake violently, he didn't know what was going on but all he could think of was:

He had triggered his inner Bloodline.

His fangs enlarged, his eyes turned white, his skin, now scaled, rigged, and bumpy. His ears pointed into what looked like horns, claws burst out from his hands and a third eye grew right at his forehead. Multiple arms and wings sprouted from his back and body. In a matter of seconds the whole surrounding was burning in a sea of demonic fire, chakra was pouring out of every inch of Stylx's body which made the ground crack beneath him.

This was his true form.

He stood tall, topping 17 Feet. He looked down at, the now small, Aori and triggered a voice inside her head.

"Lead the way... I must meet my mother..."

ACTING AS AORI:

She looked up and smiled at his massive amount of admiration and determination. "Follow me." With that, she ran to the Grass Country.