1. A computer processor comprising: first and second multi-stage instruction processing components corresponding to distinct first and second instruction streams, wherein the first and second multi-stage instruction processing components are configured to access and process in parallel instructions belonging to the distinct first and second instruction streams that have a predefined timed semantic relationship, wherein at least one of the first and second instruction streams includes variable-length instructions having a bit bundle bounded by a head end and a tail end with an alignment hole within the bit bundle, wherein the alignment hole encodes information representing zero or more nop operations; wherein one of the first and second multi-stage instruction processing components includes an instruction buffer operably coupled to a decode stage, wherein the instruction buffer is configured to store at least one variable-length instruction, and the decode stage is configured to process the variable-length instruction stored by the instruction buffer by isolating and interpreting the alignment hole of the variable length instruction in order to initiate zero or more nop operations that follows the timed semantic relationship between the first and second instruction streams.