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Post by Ty on Oct 27, 2019 16:12:40 GMT -8
A skinny man that was down to his bones was walking around the sidewalk wearing a filthy trench coat with holes, Ty was waiting for the South City Island bus, listening to music, and noticed him on her peripheral flashing people randomly by opening his soggy coat at them. She paid close enough attention to let him be since most people turned away before they were able to be exposed to anything. After a while the song in her head made her close her ocean teal eyes so she could nod her head to the rhythm, only to open them and scream as the homeless man flashed her just inches away. In reaction she punched him in the jaw immediately, his head spun 360 degrees a couple of times, and stopped in a backwards position. Looking down at his body the skin had worn to the point that his android body exoskeleton was entirely exposed from the neck to his upper thighs. He still held his coat open which had black and white gelatin print photographs safety pinned to the coat, each one was exactly the same with a red circle around a radio antenna surrounded by tropical trees, and a beach which meant the location was an island. At this point she was confused because she had mistaken him for human and a vagabond but he wore a thick gold necklace with diamonds embedded in every chain link. With her sense of clarity she had seen enough jewelry to know that it was real without touching it. There was a story behind this eccentric Android that spun his head back to normal seemingly excited that she had been able to hit him so hard. “Yes! You are strong and clever. You will be paid enough zeni to find this lost island with buried tech that I need to finally be able to do the necessary upgrades to my build, yes?” He unpinned a photo and handed it over for Ty to take. With closer inspection even the clothes pins were made of 18 karat gold. She removed her headphones and turned off the music, pulling her hood off the top of her head that covered a black cap, realizing she did not hear him properly nor did she apologize for hitting him so outright. “I am sorry for hitting you! I was just not expecting you to stand so close to me. Sorry for your loss in…” She gulped, “I am not sure what you are.”
It was the truth, she had never seen an Android before as most of them had human flesh, and she never knew how mechanical the inside of their bodies had been until now. Recalling what she thought she heard she raised a reddish eyebrow and further explained. “So you are hiring people to find this location? Clearly you have seen it to photograph it… so why the mystery?”“A typhoon hit suddenly sweeping my vessel away and the GPS navigation was short circuited in the storm so I was not able to get the coordinates by the time this picture was taken! Blasted Mother Nature! It had taken me years I tell ya! The technology from that facility would make me the best android around! Why not aim for the best! I have kept looking but I am running out of zeni and my body has been worn from many attempts, I suspect it is because of the whirlpools strategically placed in an archipelago of islands clustered in a specific location, yes. Each one has set me off course but if those who are strong enough to fly to the island will have no trouble at all! Come with me there are others who have shown interest who plan to meet at the shipyard. Let’s go now!” The Android screeched a hideous laughter. Ty was lured to the shipyard which was a mile from her previous location, she was planning on visiting a friend at first, after spending time at the boardwalk for her favorite cream brûlée topped crepe in the afternoon while he attended martial arts school, and she immediately pulled out her c-phone to text him that she will visit his dojo another day as something came up. The Android climbed into an impressive white polished yacht and by the looks of things he lived here while seeking others for help finding this mysterious island. The orange haired teenager boarded the boat without question, she was the type to help people from different backgrounds, as long as it was within the scope of the law to do so. To anyone else it would seem she was being naive being so young but she was formidable enough to take care of herself against the dangers of society. Growing up isolated from people her whole life was enough motivation to seek out adventure, no matter what form it came in, so that she could build relationships to define who she was at a person. “This is a nice yacht. I actually never been on one before so this is going to be fun. I will remain outside if that is alright. Ah my name is Ty. Glad to be of help.” She smiled, hoping to catch his name but he went ahead without another word to start the ignition and start the engine as he was eager to depart as soon as everyone arrived. Inside the yacht labeled as Euphoria in cursive letters on the outside, there was a finely polished wooden sun deck leading towards the interior of the double decker vessel, it was virtually large enough to fit fifty people on board. The second deck above had observation post, with leather seating built into the interior of the bulwark, and it was more than likely the best view according to Ty as she was feeling rather claustrophobic going into the interior rooms of the ship. Taking a seat she looked across the ocean for a minute, tucking her hands inside her loose fitted zippered black hoodie, and outstretched her legs putting her sneakers shamelessly on the seat. She recalled the Android mentioning there were others arriving and she thought of who else believed in such a grand tale of buried treasure. Whoever they were had only two reasons to follow along: feeling sorry for the present physical state of the Android or the zeni he so obviously possessed. [1065]
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Post by Kiryu on Oct 29, 2019 22:53:47 GMT -8
The Southern Islands had been supposed to be a bit of a vacation. A lark. Kiryu was supposed to get some sun and relax and let the cares and burdens of the last month fade away in a haze of tropical cocktails, massages, and glorious weather. What it had most definitely not been supposed to be, of course, was more work. Yet, nearly immediately, he had been beset by a snobbish, blue blooded witch out to mug him and willing to kill to get what she wanted. He had defeated her ably enough, and had been uninjured, but that was not the point.
After that, he had known it was not now the time to relax. The storm he had felt coming was continuing to build. He could not stand idle while it gathered. Thus he had traveled to the island where he had met an actual god damn faerie. One of the Folk. A true Sidhe. They had many names, and a part of Kiryu that had become more and more aware lately had begun to intuit that the reason they were called so many things was because the Fae were so many things. No one name could possibly begin to suggest the first note of the music that was the Alfheimir. Changelings. Elves. The Seelie and Unseelie, the Aalfar and the Svaartalfar.
Meeting Aisling had been another step in Kiryu's journey from clueless ki user to proper practitioner. He had tapped into a wealth of experience he did not even know he had. His crystal ball had shown him the rites. Showed him the proper way to call and be answered. Showed him how to bind the Others to his will, if need be. To bind with Iron. Luckily, he had not had to do that; he had been able to mostly talk the faerie called Aisling into standing down... after a bit of a fight to prove that Kiryu was not like the other mortals. In the time since, he and Aisling had become traveling companions. They both had value in the others; Aisling was not quite connected to current culture and society, and Kiryu had little direct, reliable knowledge of magic. Both could help the other, and Kiryu could sense that there were many hidden depths remaining in Aisling. He did not press for those secrets, but his curiosity was piqued, and he certainly hoped that by becoming closer, or simply by Aisling not guarding their tongue as well as they might, that he would learn more.
After their contest, the two had not had any clear destination... until Kiryu had felt a pull. It had been nothing as direct as some of the visions he had received. There was no clear route to follow, no preternatural awareness of a specific location. Just a feeling, something in his gut that told him to go in a general this way direction, until, walking around the corner he saw a young woman apparently murder someone.
Kiryu's jaw literally dropped open in surprise as he watched the man's head spin around... but Kiryu quickly recovered as he saw that it was no biological entity. The robot, or android, whatever it was, continued to talk to the woman, and after a moment, she went off with the robot.
"This could be interesting, Aisling," he said. "Why not follow these two and see what they get up to? There might be something interesting occurring. It has to beat wandering around aimlessly, right?"
Without waiting for a reply, Kiryu headed off, following the robot and the girl. He was certain Aisling would be as curious as he was, and decided to leave their introductions to the Faerie.
[WC=616]
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Post by zer0gravitea on Oct 30, 2019 15:50:40 GMT -8
Fortunately for Kiryu, that devious little fae’s attention had been so enthralled by the simple act of adventuring somewhere new that he had avoided causing too much trouble for his mostly-willing guide- so far, anyways. Aisling was excited to be off of the island that had been his home, for all intents and purposes, since his birth. Of course he had known that the world was vast and full of so many things, but he had never quite imagined that it would be so much that -days- would pass while at sea. Sure, it looked vast when looking out from his island’s shore, but… not that vast! It might have come across as odd to others to have a lad so excited by the fact that he was stuck in transit for so long, but to him, long travel times meant that there was a significant amount of world to explore. And, as Kiryu probably imagined, having a lot of things to do was important for a being that was functionally immortal- boredom, after all, was what often led the fae to playing their myriad pranks.
To that end, the magic-slinging human was probably a mite disappointing that Aisling did little to shed any further light on the nature of fae or magic itself. He seemed to have an intrinsic knowledge about his people, but it came across like a distant memory-- sometimes a scent or taste would remind him of something and that would be shared with his human compatriot, but otherwise, Aisling’s recountances were little more than disjointed stories that may or may not have been true. He did enjoy the human’s interest in him as a being, but he also enjoyed watching Kiryu attempting to puzzle out whether or not a particular story was a factual happening in the recollected fae history… or just something that Aisling made up on a whim. It was usually the latter, but never mind that.
Aisling was caught in a particular sort of reverie when he and Kiryu happened across Ty and her unfortunate… flasher; that is, he was quite enchanted with the advancement of the city that they were currently in. The village on his ‘home’ island had technology, but was fairly rustic- and comparatively poor. This city was something magical to Aisling- worked earth and metal forged into shape! There was just enough iron littered about to keep him on his toes, but not so much that the simple act of being inside the city alarmed him at all times. In essence, it was kind of like walking through a particularly campy haunted house wherein very rarely something would actually give the audience a fright… but mostly it was good, cheesy, fun.
“Hoi, hoi, that lad’s got no danglin’ bits. Mighty unfortunate likes, that. Everyone knows a lad ain’t a lad without his danglin’ bits, an’ if his bits ain’t the squishin’ sort, then he ain’t much a lass either. Poor fella might’ve just lost his bits an’ is lookin’ for them. Can y’ really blame him?” the faery boy hypothesized, watching carefully as the two took off for destinations unknown-- and with Kiryu soon thereafter. Naturally, Aisling followed suit.
“Question is, you gunna give yours up if he comes askin’ for it likes? I could probably magick you up another, but you could end up with somethin’ worse than what you got. Could be better, too. Could make it a game-- ‘what’s Kiryu’s parts look like this fortnight?’ Could be pretty fun!” the lad teased as he returned to his place at the mage’s side. After a moment of their, well, stalking, Aisling chimed in again- this time with a more serious tone, “He’s really lookin’ for somethin’. Gettin’ the lass over there t’ help him out. Somethin’ he don’t think he’s strong enough himself to get. Feels pretty desperate likes t’ get it. Probably not actually hits danglin’ bits, but something pretty important….”
“... Let’s get it first an’ see if we can’t make him dance for whatever it is! I bet a fella with no parts has got some real spiffy moves up his sleeves.”
wc: 712 twc: 2393 / 14000
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Post by Ty on Oct 30, 2019 20:10:29 GMT -8
It was instinct that made Ty look back at the docks, while there were many people walking around carrying on with their mundane lives, it was not difficult to miss Aisling from a distance. There was a seemingly human male close to Ty’s age that paled in comparison to the rose haired fae whose gender was not distinguished being so far away. Without being able to detect either of their power levels their appearance alone was more than just ordinary. Aisling’s immensely long, braided rose colored hair, was the envy of most girls her own age, at some point she had the same length of hair as him, but waking up every morning from tossing and turning caused the most brutal of tangles; so she wondered why anyone would keep it so long, as it must have taken hours to fix up manually. Every year Ty cut her hair shorter out of frustration and had no patience for such unruly orange hair but it was equally as precious, as it was the extension of the sacred temple that made up her teenage body. With a shrug she put on her large black headphones on and started looking through her playlist for a minute on her c-phone, which vibrated with a text back from Achido which was simply an emoji response, and she quickly replied with a meme just to get him going.
For a short period of time since leaving home, she considered herself quite capable of anything, and this was just the beginning of what that would entail being aboard the yacht heading to the middle of nowhere out at sea. Born on an island herself, she thought it was entirely possible that not every island had been explored, and she could not ask her saiyan father directly about it now since he was the only one she knew who could fly great distances; given the circumstances she did promise emailing her parents daily. It was debatable to tell her father anything specific without making him worry about his precious pumpkin. Short and sweet was the best option, so without choosing a song to listen to, she started writing her email:
“Ahoy!” Rango called out through an opened window to the two that approached, the Android's memory drive was so messed up from getting washed up by whirlpools countless of times before, that he failed to realize that he never met the people he was calling out to. The yacht was ready to take off as soon as everyone got on board as the anchor was slowly being drawn by an automatic mechanism.
“Ready to find some deeply buried tuffle tech?! I am pumped! The lass up above has been waiting for our adventure to begin! Hop on in!”
Ty flinched as she crawled over on her hands and knees on the built in seating to hang over the bulwark for a minute to have a closer look at what transpired. Everyone was probably as equally confused by this Android who assumed everything. With a sigh she made eye contact with Rango who was hanging out the window at this point.
“I never got your name by the way.” Ty blinked her ocean teal eyes at him.
“What?” The Android answered.
“What is your name!”She barked, a fang stuck out over her bottom lip.
“My name is Rango! What is yours, Lassie?”
“Tiger Lily! But you can just call me Ty.”
“I like Lassie more.”
“Ty is fine!”
“But I don’t like Thai food.” Rango replied.
Ty was frustrated by this crazy Android, her cheeks turned rose colored as she sat back down, crossing her arms, clearly the poor sap desperately needed the technology he was looking for in order to function socially. It was mortifying to have her name be compared to a specific cuisine since she also did not like Thai food. The amount of sauces that went into every dish was making her feel sea sick the more she mulled it over and she shook her head to make herself stop thinking about it. Reflecting back at the subject at hand, she never met a Tuffle either, but she did read all about them in history books for her final exam and she wondered if she would ever recognize one at first glance.
[770] [TWC 1,835]
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Post by Kiryu on Nov 1, 2019 11:57:43 GMT -8
Kiryu, from time to time, had difficulty keeping a straight face with Aisling. It had only taken him a few brief exchanges to learn that normal societal conventions were either unknown by Aisling, or the fae simply did not care. So it was that Kiryu took no offense to the suggestion of any game involving his bits, but neither could he keep from snorting out his amusement.
"To be fair," Kiryu began, "I can't say I would mind switching it up every now and again. Don't get me wrong, I like what I've got just fine, but they say that variety is the spice of life, right? Now, I have to say I have no interest in being parted with my... parts, I suppose. But a glamour? That could be interesting. Maybe one day we can make it look sad, or give it a fun hat, or something like that. But I tend to think that I will not be, ah, offering them up any time soon. This is one piece of my inventory that I would like to keep with me at all times, please and thank you!"
Kiryu left off any comments about making the android dance for them. That was a part of the Fae's capricious nature coming through. A moralistic conversation about such matters would, more than likely, not lead to any fruitful discussion or behavioral alterations. Kiryu could only lead by example and hope that by his presence he could dissuade Aisling from any of the Faerie's more... innovative ideas about how to interact with mortals.
At the very least, Kiryu could serve as a powerful deterrent.
Kiryu pursed his lips, thinking about the course of action they could take. Kiryu and Aisling could, conceivably, follow this woman. They could even assist her from afar, and sure, they could probably swoop in at the last moment and steal whatever items she was after away... but Kiryu was no bandit. He preferred different approaches.
"We could do as you suggested," Kiryu began slowly, "But I think I would prefer getting to know this person first. Maybe even helping her out. After all, we have few friends in these parts. We could always do with one more, right?"
Making the decision, Kiryu moved from his and Aisling's concealment, rather openly walking towards the young woman and the android. As he approached, Kiryu, as was his wont, kept most of his power suppressed. Lately he was getting to the point that if he didn't do so, even people that were not normally ki sensitive picked up something from him. He didn't know if it had to do with his continually growing strength or his rapidly growing acumen with magic, but he had noticed it more than once over the last few weeks. Besides, to him, it almost felt like showing up to a gun show in a tank. Yes, of course, I know that you have guns and bullets, but look at how much great than yours mine is! It was a needless advertisement. Instead, Kiryu was surgical with it. He let his true capabilities out when they would have the most impact; either as a revelation to a cocky foe, or as a balm to allies who thought they were no hope. He was not the strongest being in the world, by far. Kiryu knew that he most likely never would be, and frankly that was fine. Being the 'strongest' was not one of his goals.
Being strong enough to make a difference, though? That mattered to Kiryu more than anything.
"Well, hello there!" Kiryu called out cheerily as he drew close to Ty. "My friend and I could not help but notice you get flashed... by an android... who flashed you pictures... and, you know, then you punched him so hard his head rotated around? Nice punch, by the way! But maybe dial it back a notch or two for actual flashers unless you want to be brought up on charges. But I digress! My name is Kiryu, and this is my companion Aisling. We're traveling the Southern Islands... in search of high drama and adventure and treasure, because why the hell not? Now, it seems like there might be an interesting adventure developing right here, and we wouldn't mind helping you out, would we, Aisling?"
[WC=720] [Thread Word Count=3,883/14,000]
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Post by zer0gravitea on Nov 5, 2019 13:33:48 GMT -8
Aisling’s cheeks puffed out with disappointment when his companion suggested that they meet, and help, the girl that was (un)fortunate enough to get flashed by that odd android. He really felt like his idea was better, more fun, and wouldn’t force him to interact with someone so prone to violent retaliation over a prank as simple as a flashing… but he couldn’t really argue with Kiryu, either. The human was much more powerful than he let on, and disagreeing would likely mean that the two went their own directions- which absolutely could not happen yet, either. Hells, Aisling’s stomach grew cold at the very thought of wandering through a city with so much metal entirely by himself- nevermind the potential prospect of getting so horrendously lost in the wilderness beyond that he may never play a prank on another human again. Absolutely unacceptable.
So it was that the fae begrudgingly fell in behind Kiryu and allowed their cover to be broken. Or, rather, he allowed the human to believe that he had played along so easily. Foolish decision, expecting a faery to obey an idea that was not their own without adding some… modifications for their own amusement. Aisling was grateful that Kiryu was not the kind of power that enthralled others by pain and fear, as he would certainly not risk punishment in such an instance.
Of course, when Kiryu introduced himself to Ty and moved to both introduce and address Aisling, he would find that the boy was entirely absent from sight- and from sense. The fae had suppressed his power and scampered far enough out of sight to coat himself in a playful little intangibility cantrip. The cantrip’s presence was left relatively unconcealed- Aisling very much wanted his human companion to sense that some manner of minor magic had been cast, though its precise nature would likely remain unknown at least until the fae returned to a much closer proximity. The fun wasn’t in catching a target entirely by surprise for Aisling, it was in letting them understand that something was going to happen. There was an art to dragging things out, and the punchline of a joke was only as good as the dramatic pause held just before. Waiting too long let a target grow comfortable in their unease; similarly, doing it too fast would not let enough delightful anticipation build up. One had to wait until the very precipice of the former, letting the intended target’s body and mind barely begin to slip into comfort-- then springing out! In the moment wherein they let their guard down, most humans would feel awfully ashamed of themselves for letting Aisling catch them nearly flat-footed even though they knew what was coming.
Kiryu, however, was not ‘most humans’. Kiryu was also, incidentally, not the fae’s target.
With his spell of intangibility wrapped around his feminine frame, the lad stepped through one of the yacht’s nearby walls and began making his way toward the location that they had spotted that dreadfully violent girl. He moved closer and closer, until he was positive that there was only one wall separating him from his target(and Kiryu besides.)
Aisling sprung out from the wall just behind Ty, expanding his arms wide to give the vague and immediate impression that he was larger than he actually was, “AHOY! I’m Aisling- the best lad on the world! And you absolutely seem sad enough to need my help, so I’ll take pity likes on you and help ya out!”
Of course, if Ty responded to the startle with the same sort of violence that she had offered up to the previous android, she would find her blows passing entirely through the still mostly-intangible Aisling… and instead cratering the wall behind him.
wc: 638 twc: 4521 / 14,000
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Post by Ty on Nov 5, 2019 15:49:00 GMT -8
Ty pushed the black half frames of her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she looked at both Kiryu and Aisling with more clarity. She took a minute to think about what was said, she felt a little nervous being judged by someone who was older, taking into account that experience means everything in life, and she was just learning the ropes herself figuring out one problem at a time. The headphones on her head were slowly lowered around her neck and she puffed one side of her cheek for a minute, then breathed out as she recollected her thoughts as she gripped the bulwark with her hands.
“You saw all ...that.” She sighed, “I am still learning how to handle my own strength and I was just startled! I know that is not an excuse, but I will do my best next time not hit anyone like that again. I don’t want to get into trouble with the law after my recent arrival to South City.” After a beat, she continued, “My name is Tiger Lily but you can just call me Ty. Nice to meet you Kiryu and thanks for looking out. It is good to know someone is observing the safety of the community.”
The difference between Rango flashing Ty and Aisling coming out suddenly to surprise her, by halfway hanging off the wall of the fly-bridge, did catch the teen off guard again, but the fae was pleasant to look at compared to a rusty heavy metal exoskeleton of an Android body. The teen held her breath and cocked her head to one side wondering what kind of trickery was being applied; the thought of Rango staring at the Fae’s rear end on the other side also crossed her mind. Another second passed and she simply stared at the fae, her expression changed from passive to being full of desire.
“It is so thick and long, Aisling. I know we just met but may I touch it? Please, say --yes.” Ty’s ocean teal eyes had a glimmer about them, she was so caught up in trying to describe Aisling’s luscious locks of pink rose colored hair that she failed to mention the specifics in her request.
While Kiryu remained standing on the deck, the ship slowly sailed off by a powerful gust of wind against its sails, carrying with it just three passengers aboard, and if he did not hurry up to hop on the sun deck he might have to swim the rest of the way as the vessel passed what remained of the wooden docks.
“Oi! Laddie, get to the chopper~! I mean, hit the deck boy~ ” Rango corrected, still hanging out the window before going back inside, and realizing that Aisling was between the wall inside and outside the sun deck. “Avast! Land ho!”
[474] [TWC 2,309]
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Post by Kiryu on Nov 11, 2019 18:50:48 GMT -8
Okay, even I could not possibly miss that one.
At Ty's words, Kiryu's face fell into a placid, pleasant, calm mask. The only hint that he was a hair's breath away from devolving into uproarious laughter was the twinkle in his eyes and a bit of tightness around the corner of his mouth.
So long and thick, indeed.
Looking back now, remembering his spar with Caffey, Kiryu was able to vividly recall tittering and choked laughter in the crowd. Being a little less naive these days, Kiryu realized it was from all of their unintentional innuendos. Ty seemed young, so he assumed that it was an innocent mistake... which, of course, made it all the more hilarious.
Mastering himself, Kiryu watched as the craft began to depart. Gathering his strength, he easily lept the twenty or so feet that separated the craft from the dock. He landed lightly, hair ruffled slightly by his movement. Kiryu raked a hand through his hair and breathed deeply, reveling in the scent of the ocean and the feel of the warm sunlight on his skin.
Almost at once, Kiryu felt a bit better. He was not like Aisling, allergic to the touch of iron, but he was still far more comfortable in nature than in large cities. The water around them served to put Kiryu more at ease than he had been in what suddenly seemed like a long time.
Kiryu nodded over towards Ty.
”So, you said you are new to all this, right? Have you been training for a while? Did you spontaneously develop super powers or something? What’s your story? Me, I was kind of raised to this. Learned the possibilities early, began training in martial arts and spiritual techniques and all sorts of other things. Spent most of my life preparing for it, really. What about you?”
As Kiryu spoke, the light began to dim a bit as the sun slipped behind some clouds. Looking around, Kiryu could see that there were more clouds now than there had been at the start of the day. Some of them were thick and gray and seemed to threaten a storm. Kiryu felt the hair on his arms stand on end, perhaps from the cool sea breeze, or perhaps from some ionization from the atmosphere.
At present, however, the skies and seas were calm enough. Several other ships were about today, their painted hulls standing out against the blue surface of the water. Most of them looked like fishing vessels. There were also a few recreational boats, with men and women on their decks seated on folding chairs, their fishing poles gripped in one hand and, more often than not, a can of beer in the other. To Kiryu, the milieu that was presented was pleasing…
And then everything shifted.
The shanty being sung by the oar men filled his ears. These sailors, unlike those in service on merchant shifts. They were not slaves. They were soldiers, all. Marines, some of the strongest warriors in the world. Of course, they all paled in comparison to himself.
”Mighty Calaxitus,” the Captain said as he approached, ”We near our goal. The Maelstrom should be in sight within an hour. The Pirate Lords are known to patrol this area, but flying your colors, they would have to be either desperate or insane. It is known that none can stand against a Scion.”
Calaxitus nodded, offering no reply. That was well known in every land he had entered. His strength was far greater than other men. Weapons of stone and iron could not pierce his flesh. He was quicker of mind and body than others, and at times, he felt that he could even ascend to the heavens under his own power… clearly a legacy from his father.
Then, black sails began to dot the horizon.
Calaxitus’ eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch. That was the only sign of surprise he offered.
Well. Desperate and insane, I suppose.
Calaxitus rolled his shoulders, checking the straps on his armor. Unlike the linothorax favored by most of his contemporaries, he was strong enough to wear a fully metallic suit of armor. It was mostly unnecessary, given how strong his own skin was, but it was impressive and served the dual purpose of not frightening ordinary folk with just how other he was. In the stories they told, Calaxitus’ could not be harmed because of his starmetal armor. It was better that way.
The Pirate Lords must have thought that perhaps Calaxitus would be more vulnerable in the water. Perhaps they sought to drown him.
The fools. They would not keep him from his prize.
Kiryu blinked. The world came rushing back into focus. A quick glance around revealed that almost no time had passed. Aisling, Ty and the robot were all still doing what they were doing when Kiryu had experienced his vision. Shaking his head a bit, Kiryu wetted his suddenly dry lips, then began scanning the horizon.
”Out of curiosity… there aren’t any, uh, pirates or anything around here, are there?”
[WC=847] [MWC=5,842/14,000]
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Post by Cayle Pota on Nov 19, 2019 2:57:42 GMT -8
NINE DAYS AGO Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, himself son of Potaset Potaset, himself son of Potaset Potaset, himself son of Potaset Onio, himself son of Onio Pota, himself son of Pota the proud, was a strange young man at times, not just by Earthling standards, but by Saiyan standards as well. While the small cadre of Saiyans he had trained to be prep cooks for the burgeoning and slowly growing culinary empire of Taco King, he had effectively cut costs and allowed the normal Earthling cooks to be shifted to new Food Trucks and the newly created, -at the idea of Cayle towards Carlos Alfonso De La Reyes, the owner of the franchise and one of Cayle's earliest Earthling friends-, Food Boats, meant to drive into port or shallow beaches throughout the Southern Islands to allow even the most isolated of islands to get a little taste of modern conveniences. The fact that the Saiyan former peasant was very money conscious since he had discovered exactly what a single Zeni bill or coin could do, had made the business venture of the new Food Boats to include a delivery service and yes, grocery deliveries- and he had made sure to include the island of Tiger Lily's parents and the island of their bedridden neighbor of Tiger Lily's parents. The venture had been enough that Cayle had been given a promotion in the business, from being a prep cook to an assistant chef and after his clever ideas began to quickly turn profits, Cayle found himself promoted once again. Thanks to this, he had moved up in the company faster than most Earthlings would even consider, and all the while did so without a single lick of documentation of his schooling or even his birth certificate. As he sat at the desk in the offices section of the headquarters restaurant, the Saiyan fiddled with the strangest piece of Earth clothing he had seen yet, the 'Tie', which was said but not spelled the way his Tiger Lily's nickname was spelled. Wearing a business suit and a tie was part of the uniform, so he did it without question, but even so he adjusted the orange tie and sat a little uncomfortably as he thought about the situation at hand. What exactly did a 'Vice President' of a company do? The Saiyan was happy to have the raise in pay it provided because it let him make enough money to feed and clothe his fellow Saiyan refugees who were former test subjects of the Tuffle Science Commission, and the fact that it allowed him to quit working the numerous odd jobs he had been performing since awakening on Allion Island to this new world, Earth. He just was not sure if he could handle the idle lifestyle of a 'vice president'. He was only really there to solve problems if Carlos Alfonso was not in, and to deliver supplies to the burgeoning fleet of Taco Trucks and Taco Boats that the company possessed, given Cayle's discovery of the power of flight made delivering such goods both cheaper and faster than doing so via a mundane shipping service, and allowed the trucks to stay on the islands or cities they were stationed on without issue, only coming back for training, cleaning, or to shift out crews when their particular workweeks were over. Yet still he sat there, one orange leather dress shoe and black sock covered foot on the desk and fidgeting with the orange and gray striped tie which he wore with his dark gray business suit, as he waited for something that needed his attention to arise. With his promotion he couldn't just walk back and forth throughout the building without making the cooks, bussers, wait staff, and dish crew nervous, so he refrained from doing that and tried to keep his composure. As much as he was not sure if he liked the position of 'vice president' the pay was enough to make him think hard about asking to not do it. With the money that he had saved from odd jobs and from his raise, he would be able to pay for his trip with Tiger Lily to Pilaf Land without making the girl pay a single Zeni towards the trip, as should be the case given it was a planned vacation entirely for the purpose of celebrating her birthday. So he waited, and he did not wait, but he waited as patiently as he could and resisted the urge to go walk the restaurant's building. The seconds on the clock were moving like the molasses favored by some of the crew to go with Sopapias Cookies. He tried his best to patiently wait, but he was a man of action, and he could barely handle sitting there. Which is why when there was a sudden opening of the door to his office without so much as a single rap on the wood of the door, he was on what one might call 'a razor's edge' and nearly threw the pencil he was tossing up and down in the air right through the skull of the man who had stepped through the door. Instead it stuck into the wall, as Cayle's rushed forward to slap the pencil at the wall when he realized he was mere milliseconds from spearing his friend Carlos Alfonso with a pencil as if it was a javelin. It was a split second movement, but enough to startle the rotund blonde mustachio'd man who's height, weight and shape made him greatly resemble a walrus. “Calito, you nearly made me have a heart attack with that! Be careful doing your super human stuff when people come in. I mean, aside from the cooks, nobody even knows that you and the other Saiyans can move at that speed or work with such strength.” the man huffed, before stepping into the sizable office that was provided for Cayle and being followed by a strange man wearing huge sunglasses and a trench coat who seemed to be trying to strike a pose as some sort of cool noir detective type. Except the sunglasses which he wore were too big for his face and looked like they were women's sunglasses, solid square shaped ones that covered portions of his forehead and cheeks in addition to his eyes. Then the strange man spoke. “Well, Charles Alfonso, I really thought you were joking about the abilities of this kid, but you tell me he can really read the stuff that I showed you when we were having our discussion about the next World Martial Arts Tournament and if you plan to have Taco King join in on sponsoring it, along with my company?” The walrus like mustached man simply pointed at an inventory list written by Cayle for Cayle's personal use and to put in orders to the farmers and butchers which they used as supply sources. It was written in the same strange text that Tuffles used, and when Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset actually noticed what they were pointing at, he gasped. “Why would you be looking for some one who can read Tuffle. Do you have a lead on the whereabouts of some Tuffles, sir?” the Saiyan said to the man. “Is that what they call themselves? The people who use that language? If so, yes, yes I do.” the man said before pulling open his jacket and slapping a folder filled with pictures taken from an archaic aerial drone some years ago. “That's right, right? I need someone with experience in this technology and with these people. Are you up for the task? Carlos Alfonso mentioned that not only were you a skilled martial artist at what we like to call the Super tier, but that you also happened to be able to read this language. I'm trying desperately to get to that bunker to find out about the contents and to use it to build myself an upgraded body and to use the technology present to help my company compete. I'm willing to pay very handsomely, and you'll find that I'm a very good partner to have when it comes to business dealings. What do you say, Mr... Pota?” the man seemed to think the surname that was listed on the golden triangle that was his desk's nameplate was a little strange, or perhaps it was strange because it said 'Mister Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, himself son of Potaset Potaset' and included the entire lineage in a two foot tall name plate. “You've got my interest, but if I decide to join your team on any such operation, I get to call in a few of my compatriots as automatic members of the team, no matter whoever else you pick for such an endeavor which we'll be interacting with, be it Bunker Busting or Reliquary hunting in Ruins. If you're okay with that, then you've got a deal, Mister...?”“Rango, that's what I'm called and yeah! Sounds good, kid. Just make sure they're strong, maybe if they're capable of flying? That'd be extra useful for what we've got going. And that reminds me, Carlos Alfonso, can we borrow one of your Taco Boats? It'll be useful for the mission.”“So long as you agree to pay me the price to replace it and all the equipment aboard if you mess it up. We've not got so many of them around yet that the investment I made after Cayle gave me the idea has fully been recouped.”the culinary entrepreneur said. So Cayle got a reprieve from his time being taken up by working sitting at a desk, and instead he found himself with a motley crew of his choice and Rango's own suggestion, heading towards the island chain where Rango believed the bunker to be. THE PRESENT DAY Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, long in his line, fiddled with his jacket as he paced back and forth between the sails and rigging of the half-wind powered half-engine powered Taco Boat and mobile restaurant which he was aboard with the rest of the team who had been sent ahead. Given the Taco Boat's supplies were supposed to help feed the teams as they explored, the dark brown haired Saiyan resisted the urge to cook out of boredom, and instead continued his pacing. Rango and the other team that he assembled should be here soon, by the estimation of the Saiyan former peasant, and as his tail twitched anxiously against his waist while he tried to keep up the facade of being a normal human to the strangers on this boat, he was not sure about the situation. He was no sailor, nor a properly educated military tactician. If there was some sort of trouble at hand, he would have to give up any sense of propriety when it came to this mission and reveal his Saiyan super human capabilities because if he did not, who knew what would happen with the ship carrying Rango and the other team? Part of him wanted to text Tiger Lily and see what she was up to, but the need for a happy distraction like that was not enough to make him take his eyes off the horizon, especially with strangers who might not be prepared for a battle at all present and with the all too high likelihood that they would run into Tuffle troopers of some sort while making the raid on this facility which they were preparing to make. In the end, he went to the kitchen and prepared a simple meal of fatty Tuna Tacos using tuna which they had caught out at Sea, refried black beans, fried onions, fried peppers and grilled mangoes mixed as a salsa, and a simple white rice, topped off with lime. He made enough for the entire group that had come with him, and in the end he took a picture of his plate before sending it to Tiger Lily. “On a business trip of sorts that Carlos Alfonso set up. Just made this with a freshly caught Tuna. What do you think? Wish you were here and able to eat some of it.” the text that he sent along with the picture said, and when it was done he pocketed his 'Robot' brand smart phone, with its rugged orange case which made it something he didn't just smash through like the first few phones he had tried at Carlos Alfonso's suggestion. [2092] [7934/14,000] Konja of Clan Korm Hebihime Ty zer0gravitea Kiryu
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Post by zer0gravitea on Nov 19, 2019 13:19:07 GMT -8
The fae narrowed his eyes at this ‘Tiger Lily’, half-bewildered by the strange look in her eyes- plus the suggestive nature of what she had replied with. She had not at all responded the way he had hoped for, a total reversal from her reaction to the android who had flashed her previously. In fact, it struck him as odd that she would speak to him with such desire after reacting to the prior android in the same way. On some level, he couldn’t actually blame her; Aisling knew that he was a particularly appealing specimen to behold, and the ability to cast glamours upon himself made it all the easier to adjust to what others desired. Still, he could initially only muster up a slow blink of a reply.
A moment later, Aisling huffed out a disappointed sigh and pushed himself the rest of the way through the wall, re-solidifying entirely once he was able to stand between Ty and Kiryu alike- his expression somewhat cross. The stench of metal completely filled his nostrils, leaving the lad to conclude that he really, really, really did not like non-wooden boats. Even if the majority of the vessel was not strictly iron, the trace quantities of the mineral scattered across the ship’s various metal fixtures left him a bit unnerved. That would be his excuse for not retorting to Ty’s innuendo with something snappy and clever right away, of course! It was hard to be clever when one’s senses were being assaulted by the smell of something so foul. Other fae would understand, at least.
“His techniques are pretty effective likes, though a bit… borin’ for my tastes,” the fae replied at last, gesturing toward Kiryu throughout, “But if you’re lookin’ for someone to teach ya a bit of control, I’d say this ugly fellow here’s got all the knowledge you needs. If you ask me real nice likes, I might even let ‘im teach you something!” Aisling bellowed out a blusterous laugh and stepped toward the ship’s edge to look out to the sea beyond, careful not to touch the metal railing that kept passengers from falling.
“We’re goin’ out to sea for buried treasure and shite, Kiryu. Of course there’s gunna be pirates- are you daft, or just distracted by my arse?”
wc: 399 twc: 8333/14,000
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Post by Ty on Nov 19, 2019 14:31:04 GMT -8
Tiger Lily smiled when Aisling refused to allow her from touching his hair, she could not blame him, and the truth was that she would not allow anyone to do the same to her either. Her ocean teal eyes looked over to Kiryu who was remotely interested in her background, she walked over to the built in seating, and stretched her legs out after sitting down. The teenage girl was like an open book and she knew that it was necessary to be cautious around strangers but she relied on her instincts to determine that they were not bad people if they were looking out for Rango. In the end, she was still feeling a bit nervous about speaking her mind, and she quelled her anxiety by playing with the zipper on her black sweater nervously. She continued sliding the tab up and down the tread slowly in no particular rhythm until she stopped; to hold on to a small clear glass ball hanging from her neck containing a dragon ball shard with a red star at the center. Once she mustered up the courage she reflected on what Kiryu had asked her before she could speak up.
“Well...I grew up in an isolated island a couple of leagues south from Papaya Island where I was homeschooled for most of my life. I just recently left the nest, in order to discover the world for what it’s worth on my own rather than read about it through books. One of my favorite books is Emperor Pilaf and the Seven Dragon Balls, I have been saving up zeni through odd jobs in community service in the city so I can go to the Magic Kingdom of Pilaf Land theme park for my upcoming birthday,” Ty said calmly but then she stopped herself from saying anything else by asking him a question, “Did you learn about world history while you were training? I think it’s great that you started to train early. I was stuck with just books before but I find that I can learn anything I put my mind to, which helps me keep up with training to fight so I can survive the world. More specifically, I met a couple of friends, who I have been training with to excel in my fighting capabilities.”
Tiger Lily’s father kept the fact that he was a saiyan a secret her entire upbringing because of inhumane experiments that were still occurring on their people by Tuffles. As long as she looked human it was not obvious that she had that type of heritage without a tail. After meeting her best friend Achido, who attends a public school in South City, she discovered that he did not learn about Saiyans either, but there was a possibility Kiryu knew world history if he was put through training early in his childhood. A reason to fight in order to change the world from the tyranny of evil. Until she learned about his motivations she held back the full truth because it was difficult to trust a stranger even if she had a feeling that the teenage boy seemed nice enough despite being called ugly by the much more beautiful fae.
The mention of pirates was nothing new to her, as long as the world remained the same, pirates found a way to control the black network of the sea.“Yes, there are pirates out at sea. Normally not so close to the main island so the possibility is up in the air to find them where we are headed. I am surprised Rango has been making so many attempts to find this lost technology without encountering any Pirates so far...or maybe he has. My uncle Toad Lily, is a licensed medical professional one of many of his licenses include cyborgs, he can look into his memory drives if Rango allows it and see if any of them have been corrupted. Something is a bit off about him compared to the other Androids I have met… they creep me out unfortunately.”
[675] [TWC 8,998/14,000]
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Post by Kiryu on Nov 20, 2019 0:39:17 GMT -8
Kiryu quirked an eyebrow over at Aisling.
"Let's be fair, who could blame me for being distracted by that ass? I don't even hit for that team, but man, you know what they say... game recognize game. But thanks for letting me teach her something, despite my boring techniques. It means a lot to me, High Lord Aisling."
Kiryu's voice was filled with amusement and more than a little deadpan humor. He then nodded to Ty, regarding her. She wanted to save up enough money from odd jobs to go to a theme park? That was... cute. Too cute. So cute it made Kiryu want to scream a little. You know, in a good way.
"You could say that," the warrior mage said slowly, considering the young woman's question. "It was nothing formal. You're not the only one that was more or less home schooled. What I know isn't much... just that some of these other races exist. Not how or why. I've run into a Namekian more than once... office worker. Kinda of a weird dude, to be honest, but monstrously powerful. I'm strong, but I've got nothing on that guy. I might be skilled enough to take him down, if I had to, but it would be the hardest thing I've ever done by a country mile.
Starting my training early was... good, overall, I think. But it didn't leave me a whole time for social interaction. I only ever really had one friend, growing up. I had plenty of training partners, mentors, tutors and the like, but not a lot of people that were really friends. Still, it definitely got me used to..."
Kiryu trailed off. In the distance, something caught his eye. A glint of light commanded his attention, and Kiryu squinted. He could see sunlight gleaming off of... something.
What the hell was that?
"Aye, Captain, she's ripe for the picking! Just two lads and lasses aboard!"
Captain Redclaw looked up at his spotter, calling out from the crow's nest of the Errant Venture. What had started as a last ditch effort for the pirates, investigating a rumor in the hopes of finding enough to get by for another month, had turned into the greatest windfall of Redclaw's career. He and his crew had found a cache of advanced technology, which they had used to upgrade their vessel and armaments, becoming the most technologically superior ship in the region by a wide margin. It had allowed them to prey on other ships with ease, and the pirates were enjoying great success. Now, Redclaw had a new target in mind, and with a cruel smile, he ordered his gunners to begin taking aim at the vessel they would soon be in range of...
[WC=457] [TWC= 9,455/14,000]
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Post by Ty on Nov 20, 2019 1:43:32 GMT -8
Tiger Lily was not allowed to watch television growing up but after living with her uncle for a week, she had been watching it for hours right before bedtime, and baseball was one of the programs she watched to understand what Kiryu was saying with a sense of humor. Aisling was quite the tease but it was none of her business to meddle between their personal interactions. Kiryu managed to deter any, if all advancements, in playing for the ‘other team’ as he lightly put it which was beginning to make her question if she liked both teams at this rate given the fae’s feminine appearance. The teenage girl shook her head at the thought, it was unlike her to think of such perversions, but it was impossible to focus her attention with these two people.
The mention of Namekians reminded her that her uncle was presently working on getting licensed to practice his medical talents on this particular race along with demons for his future patients. Biology was not one of her best subjects while being homeschooled and she could only imagine how much had been left unaccounted for among the many races of the world. There were aliens living on earth and no one cared to notice them. After reading way too many comic books recently, she imagined a monster namekian based on how Kiryu described him, and then she thought of a game she was playing on her capsule corp cell phone involving a great big ape destroying skyscrapers, and the Namekian must have been monstrously huge. The thought remained on her mind for a second, and then she realized that it was incorrect since she would have seen a huge Namekian outside her bedroom window of the top floor penthouse apartment wandering about South City. However, there were many cities across the land and this salaryman could have been from any of those cities.
“Hmm, well it sounds like you found yourself a rival with this Namekian, just don’t turn into a monster to keep up with him…” Ty trailed off, realizing she was in no position to tell Kiryu any of the sort and shifted her attention to his last statement, “Well, if you’re looking for more friends, then when this all over, we can hang out, and I can introduce you to my friends. I would extend an invitation to Pilaf Land but you’re probably too busy to head that way… and it is rather expensive, I am not sure if you are willing to spend so much zeni in a single day if it cuts into your training regiment. An Emperor Pilaf Ice cream bar is worth about twenty thousand zeni and they do not allow you to bring outside food. All the odd jobs I have worked are not nearly enough to pay for everything I plan to try there, so I have been prioritizing all the sweets in the order that I can afford, and all the physical training I have been doing has been giving me an even greater appetite that I am used to… I might pass out if I am only eating sugar. Ugh.”
She clutched the glass ball holding the magical shard inside firmly in her hand, she was running out of time for her planned trip, and she did not want to rely on Cayle to pay if it came down to it. The idea was hers, when she first left home, and she did not want to pin it on anyone because she wanted to be able to do something for herself without help.
[599] [MTWC: 10,054/14,00]
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Post by Konja of Clan Korm on Nov 20, 2019 8:28:01 GMT -8
Konja slammed into a wall, the impact cratering the reinforced durasteel surface. She looked up at the Tuffle soldier clad in their brand new " power armour", as the Colonel called it. Freshly developed to fight in the war, was the claim, that it would slow the Saiyan advance for some time more. The suit's insectoid helmet made her tormentor appear even less sympathetic than they usually were, the dull sandy finish rendering it difficult to spot in the deserts of Planet Plant. At least it couldn't fly. Still getting used to this brief inkling of restored power, her collar having been removed for this 'test', she had little time to truly savour it as the armoured soldier charged her, each step clanking loudly on the duracrete floor. The yam farmer threw a punch, fist wobbly as the reserves of her strength were still slowly building up. The armoured soldier grabbed her fist with ease, the mechanized gauntlet slowly applying pressure until her bones began to crack. Konja threw a punch with her other hand, this one filled with a burst of ki she had managed to muster. It crashed into the soldier's breastplate and unleashed a small smoky explosion, sending him staggering back with a new burn in his suit. A burn was all it was, though. The blow failed to even dent the plating. "Good, No. 43. I see you are beginning to regain your previous faculties." The Colonel's voice echoed from a speaker hidden somewhere in the darkness above. "This will prove to be a much more effective test now that you have some semblance of battlefield capability.""This is nowhere near my full strength!" she yelled up into the dark as she charged the soldier, who had just about finished regaining his balance. Not that he was actually at risk of falling over or anything, but her punch apparently had enough force to stagger him. If this was the best they could do against a Saiyan who was still weak and recovering, then they had a lot more work ahead of them. Sure, they fed her extra rations the night before this test... but that was a long way from enough. It seemed as though they were reluctant to truly give her the full extent of her power. And here she was just a low-class warrior. There was no way a suit like this was going to even stall the King's army. More ki went into her fist this time as she aimed for the same spot, but the soldier caught her punch again. The thick metal vambraces hissed white smoke of some sort as her fist detonated into the armoured palm, apparently some mechanism intended to absorb the force of the blast. It worked, and he didn't even flinch this time. Konja snarled and kicked into the codpiece... which held. Her foot only felt a dull blunt soreness as she lowered it again in surprise. This didn't make sense. Another explosive punch was again caught and force negated. Surely, they weren't serious about deploying this against the King's army. Did they actually expect their soldiers to catch every punch thrown their way? She was still slow at this rate. There was no way he was going to keep up with an elite in top condition. The yam farmer increased her pace. True enough, the suit was comparatively cumbersome. Where it could catch her punches while she still adjusted to being able to use ki again, now all it could do was absorb each one she threw its way. And yet... somehow, its wearer didn't flinch. Konja hurled a flurry of blows at the armoured breastplate, each punch exploding with increasing spectacle. And yet it remained undented. "Your cooperation truly is aiding us greatly, 43," the Colonel mocked her from her hidden office. "This is an excellent stress test for our new suit."Yes, keep doing that. Keep thinking that you were in control of the situation. All she had to do was lull them into a false sense of confidence, and then strike true when they least expected it... She cocked her right arm back and filled it with everything she had at the moment, sending a blazing straight into the armoured soldier's breastplate. The explosion was powerful enough to send them both flying back. Her body made a second crater in the wall a short distance from the first one. The yam farmer turned prisoner opened her eyes to see the soldier also embedded into the wall. And this time, his suit was dented. It was a small one, noticeable only to a warrior with a sharp eye, but it was there. Again, she was hardly at full strength... if that was all it took to put a dent in their protection, then even the mid-class warriors had nothing to fear. A low-class warrior like her might have a hint of difficulty dispatching these soldiers, but they were definitely no more than a nuisance were she in top form. The two opponents pushed themselves out of the walls, and charged each other. This time, he had stopped being defensive, and was throwing his own punches. Konja would meet these punches where she could. Again, he was slow. For each punch he threw her way, she would respond with three or four. Not just to the centre of mass, but to the helmet, arms, legs, anywhere she could find an opening. Kicks. Maybe even a throw if she could get it... "Very good, 43. Now you're getting into the mood of things." The Colonel taunted her again. It was a war of the mind. This was to get her careless... sloppy... But that wasn't going to happen. With a mighty roar, the yam farmer poured even more ki into one straight aimed for that soldier's bug-like helmet. He tilted it to the left. Too little, too late. The explosive punch blew off the right edge of the helmet, along with his ear. The soldier grabbed her by the face - much faster than expected... was he actually holding back this whole time? - and smashed her head into the concrete floor. Again. And again. And again and again. And again and again and again and again... Konja groaned... or at least tried to. She wasn't half done when her face slammed into the concrete once more. She had gotten careless. While it was true that a stronger warrior, or even herself at full strength, wouldn't have any real trouble dispatching these... tin cans... The armour was by its very nature extremely resilient. The Saiyan body was only so tough when reinforced by ki. When she'd put everything she had into that punch... she actually created an opening for her enemy. "Job well done, 43," the Colonel clapped in false appreciation. "I see now where we will have to improve on our designs. But we are indeed recording reams of data right now. Data we will use to push this new development even further. I thank you for your continued service."The Colonel never bothered to order her subordinate to stop. The soldier continued to bash her skull into the floor. She could already feel the hot flush of blood all over her face, her nose... they didn't care. If she died, they had many other Saiyans to test. If she lived, they would make her useful again by putting her on a medical table and injecting that silvery fluid medicine that would somehow magically fix all the broken bones and cuts and bruises. And then she'd be ready to be put through more abuse in these 'tests'. "We will have a second battery of tests tomorrow, when... rec... v.... ....."The Colonel's voice faded out as the blood drained from her head and took her consciousness with it...
Konja groggily opened her eyes, her senses focusing. There was no pain. No injury. No blinding laboratory lights. Just sunlight streaming through a circular window called a 'port hole'. Her body seemed to float in a wavy lake, which turned out to be a bunk... a boat out at sea, rocking gently as she looked up at her hand and rose up. Not as comforting as the enclosed familiarity of her pod, but it provided enough rest. She was in a cabin, plainly decorated, which was to say, sparse and spartan, as it was a recent purchase and had yet to house any permanent occupant. Though in the future, that would be some sort of restaurant staff or crewman trained in the usage of this vehicle. The yam farmer slowly shook the sleep and that infuriating memory from mind. They were here to investigate a Tuffle bunker of some sort. Understandably, it would bring back such recollections from her violent captivity. Why that particular episode? Well, who knew, really? How did the mind work? There was no rhyme or reason to it. She had thousands of unpleasant memories seared into her mind from her time in that prison. Why recall the one where a Tuffle Powered Trooper broke her face a couple dozen times? The simplest answer was that it reflected her thoughts when she heard of this little task, this break they were taking from cooking and fishing and working the field. For once in many years, she was starting to adjust to a normal life, a peaceful life, with the reasonable regimen of training to keep herself fit for combat. And now, word that they were out to investigate not just underground fortresses, but underground fortresses built by the Tuffles, no less, immediately reminded her of war. And those powered soldiers were the last thing she saw that bore any resemblance to frontline troops, as opposed to the distinctly dressed security guards who populated her everyday life. They were also the most formidable opponents of Tuffle origin she had faced. But according to what Cayle had gathered, that was hundreds of years ago. Would there even be any of these soldiers left? Would the suits not have rusted away in the darkness underneath? Maybe. Maybe not. Whatever the case, she would be ready to fight them, if need be. She felt it. She was stronger now. And as long as they trained, a Saiyan was not the same person as they were yesterday. Konja walked over to the sink, reached into the basin of water and splashed it onto her face, looking herself in the mirror. Yes. She was better now. Not only was she at full strength, she was also a far cry from who she was in those laboratories. There was nothing to fear. Even if they encountered such equipment again, her training would make sure they were quickly dealt with. She gave herself a reassuring smile before drawing a towel and wiping her face. In a couple more minutes, she emerged on the surface deck, greeting any familiar face with a wave of the hand. Crew were busy tending to the great white 'sails', which captured the power of the wind and used it to move the boat forward, even as the engine at the rear of the vessel added extra push to get to their destination faster. She finally spotted Cayle, pacing and using his... 'phone'. Konja had been offered one at first, and when she declined, received it as issue instead. It was necessary for communication at long distances, they said. She tried her hardest to learn it, but her fingers would go stiff whenever the light came on and the screen appeared. It reminded her too much of the things the Tuffle scientists carried around with them. All she could do was 'swipe' this screen to answer whenever somebody called. But initiate calls herself? Never. This made her difficult to work with, but fortunately, her current occupation didn't require much of that. Everybody else in the kitchen and farms seemed to just use them for recreation. Mostly unnecessary, then. Quietly, she walked up to her friend and stood next to him, waiting as he finished whatever devilry it was he was working on that device. As he did so, she finally spoke. "I had a dream," she started. "... a memory, actually. The Tuffles' experimental powered troops. Their resilient armour. I just want you to know. If ever we encounter any of them down there... I want them all to myself."They'd broken her body repeatedly that way, over the course of several weeks. Each time, the zenkai made her stronger. But each time, they improved their designs to come out on top. Each time, they fed her less and less to ensure they could keep up. The fools... now she was strong enough to rend them limb from limb. That was all but certain. [2124] [12178/14000]
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Post by Vidar (PROJECT: RAGNAROK) on Nov 20, 2019 17:29:42 GMT -8
The snake woman was correct; the world outside of the hidden base had moved on. Everything was different. Then again, it was to be expected. Time waited for no one, certainly not for Vidar or for Doctor Kringle - the, now very dead, scientist who was left behind within the dust riddled tomb that his secret base had become. Vidar had nothing left for him in the base. No other scientists. There were no other androids that the good doctor had worked on. He had devoted his time and his life to building Vidar, and while he had been a resounding success in constructing a cyborg, a fusion of both organic material and cybernetic augmentations, he had not lived to see the day his creation stepped out of his pod and out of the lab and into the bright sun's light.
He had ended up at the small port town through sheer happenstance; lots of wandering and exploring led him there and he had been walking peacefully down the road when he first noticed something was wrong.
There were people running down the sidewalk in the opposite direction in which he was walking. Some of them bumped his shoulder as they ran, and he kept going, moving to the side in order to sidestep other people so as not to be knocked to the ground by a small group of - seemingly panicked - people.
The soft popping sounds caught his attention as he made his way across the street. He turned and he saw it. There was some kind of stand-off between police officers and a group of thugs. They had robbed some kind of bank or a store, Vidar did not know any of the details. What he did know is that they managed to pin the police behind their vehicles and had riddled the police cruisers with bullet holes.
"You'll never take us alive, COPPER!" One of them could be heard yelling. He was laughing loudly as he said this, turning to his friend, "I've always wanted to say that." He was grinning smugly from ear to ear.
"You're such a moron. Come on, let's get out of here." The second gunman shouted as they dove into their getaway vehicle and they punched it down the street. The van's tires screeching, kicking up a large plume of smoke, as the vehicle burned rubber before taking off down the street.
What they didn't count on was Vidar. He had been standing in the middle of the road, at the intersection, watching the whole thing go down nearly six blocks away. The driver turned to the road, having been yelling back at the two gunmen in the back of the van, when he noticed Vidar standing there. The look on his face was one of shock. He didn't even have time to hit the brakes.
Vidar raised his hand up as the van collided with the stationary cyborg man. Yet, he was not moved. The van was not moving at full speed - fast, yes, at full speed, no - and the front of the van screeched and twisted. The metal wrapped around the stationary body of the cyborg as the entire back of the van lifted up off the ground at the sudden stop. It was as if the van had been driven into a pole. The back tires left the ground, lifted into the air then smashed back down onto the asphalt. The windows, both the passenger and driver's side, burst apart. The windshield cracked violently but held. The van sat there, smoke pouring out from under the twisted wreckage that was the hood, and there stood Vidar, staring up from in front of the vehicle at the shocked driver.
"What the hell, man?" One of the two goons from the back of the van peeked into the front, rubbing his head, "Are you trying to kill us? What the hell did you do? Run into a cop car or something?"
"No, I ran into that guy," The driver appeared to be in shock as he pointed out in front of the van through the cracked windshield.
"What g-" The gun toting goon stared, slack jawed, eyes wide, at the cyborg standing in front of the vehicle, staring at him with bright yellow eyes, his irises were bright yellow and his sclera was black, brows furrowed in a look of serious focus.
Before the goon could speak again, the police had swarmed onto the vehicle, pulling the passenger and driver's side doors open, forcing open the back of the van. The cops dragging out the passengers of the bus as the goons shouted and cried out, cursing everyone and anyone.
Before the cops could see what had stopped the van, Vidar was no longer there. He had moved ahead, walking down the sidewalk. Though he had been noticed. Someone had seen him in action.
The strange man in the raggedy trench coat walked over to Vidar, "Oi, I see you're upgraded," The man spoke up. Vidar stopped for a moment and peered over at him. "You're a cyborg, or an android? You don't look like any android I've seen before," The man commented, taking in a good eyeful of Vidar's appearance. The blonde hair, the strange eyes, the clearly fully cybernetic arms. But, the boy's strange looks didn't matter. What mattered was that he appeared to be strong. He was the perfect candidate for what he was currently doing; he had found yet another person to recruit for his undertaking. "Do you mind helping me with something?" His grin grew wider, almost shark-like as he opened his coat wide.
Vidar did not react the way that most people had all day. Most imagined the old strange man was some kind of flasher and was attempting to give everyone and anyone he could walk up to a good eyeful of his naked anatomy. But Vidar neither blushed, or attempted to turn away, or reacted in any way. He stared as the man opened his coat wide and revealed what lay beneath. The strange exoskeleton, and the assortment of images that were pinned to the interior of the coat.
"I'm looking for people like you, capable people, super people, that could help me locate something. I tried in the past but failed. I've already recruited a few others. You will be compensated for your time, what do you say?"
"You are an android." The blonde young man pointed out what was the most obvious detail about the strange man in a trench coat in front of him.
"Well, you are a perceptive one," The man commented, looking at the man before him, "Yes, I am. However, I was unable to reach the location I am searching for. Whirlpools keep getting in the way. Now, there are a group of people waiting at the dock on some kind of yacht, head over there and you all can head out together. Like I said, you will be greatly compensated for your work."
Perhaps what he was searching for could be of use. Hebihime had been hunting throughout the area, searching for artifacts. Perhaps this man was also searching for artifacts? Would the strange cyborg allow him to keep whatever he found? If he found something interesting, that is; perhaps that is what he would ask for payment. The man did not tell him what that payment will be, so perhaps he could ask for whatever he wanted? Either way, if he brought an artifact back to Hebihime it may quell her disappointment at having not found anything in Doctor Kringle's lab; well, nothing but dust, rusted and abandoned helicopters, Humvees, and countless computer consoles that had become outdated nearly fifty years prior, as well as one corpse - Doctor Kringle - and one tin man - as she had called Vidar.
"I will help." Vidar's words caused the man to grin wider than ever before.
"Good, good, the dock is that way, hurry now or you'll be left behind." The old man pointed and Vidar did not wait around. He did as told, he began to walk towards the dock at a moderate clip; not so much running, but not exactly meandering. He was moving at a good pace.
Soon he had arrived at the dock and was staring upon the strange yacht. Was this where he was meant to go? Well, there weren't any other boats at the dock that he could board so he climbed aboard the yacht. There were other people there, he saw one or two as they wandered about on the boat.
Of course, Vidar did not know any of the people on the boat, but he knew that the old man had told at least some of them to come to the port; or at least, he could only assume that the people on the yacht had also been recruited by the strange android in the long coat.
There was really only one way to find out. Slowly he crossed the boat, making his way to the nearest person there. "I was told to come here." The nearest person whom Vidar had walked up to happened to be Cayle. "Did the flasher robot tell you where we are going? He did not provide me with that information when he recruited me." Vidar added.
WC: 1,550 14,268/14,000
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