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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Sept 16, 2020 1:40:30 GMT -8
With every word traded, Lilith was becoming increasingly aware of the social gap between them. She quirked a skeptical brow at the utter nonsense Ty kept spewing. Forgiving misdeeds... Tch, how naive. The familiar name was met with wide-eyed shock. Cayle... It rang through her mind, each echo bringing back a horrid flash of memories usually reserved for the nights where she woke up in cold sweat. That Cayle...? Then it would mean- However, being suddenly tossed a doll scrambled her thoughts. She looked at the plushy imitation of the glorious emperor resting on her lap. The doll stared back with its trademark smirk. ...Cute. Without a word, she hugged the doll against her chest, if only to give her restless hands something to do. Meanwhile, the nosy girl kept making outrageous claims, ones the flustered witch absolutely had to reject immediately. “I have no feelings towards him.” She lied through her teeth with practiced ease. The tiny imp in the corner of her mind reached for the quill again, before she crushed it under a landslide of denial. No, feelings were for mortals. Feelings... got people killed. She stared at the red-headed menace like she was trying to burn a hole through her with a seething gaze alone. ...It wasn’t working. Sometimes she wondered if that walking ray of sunshine was blind and deaf to the cold, cruel truths of the world. Still... Even the grumpy noble had to admit the answer about love was... enlightening. The love of one’s family she could grasp, quite easily in fact. She just wasn’t quite sure how it compared to... other kinds of love. One line in particular resonated deep within her. To want to spend every day of your life with a certain person... She lowered her head, mulling over the thought. Eventually she sighed softly. “I see...” So that was the defining symptom. The blush faded from her features. A thin, grim imitation of a relieved smile visited her lips. “Then I am truly glad I have no such weakness.”Lilith’s gaze turned hollow, a chilling match for her frigid tone. “The love you have described is nothing more than an illness of the mind.” She clutched the emperor doll tighter. The grim memories lurked at the edge of her mind, like a closet about to overflow, but she kept desperately shoving them back. “The more you love someone...” Just saying the word left a bad taste in her mouth. “...The more it hurts when they die. Or turn against you.” She flung her sharp words like daggers in an attempt to finally pop the bubbly girl. “No magic or martial arts in the world can stop it. You will lose the ones you love... Always.” She paused to swallow the bitter clump forming in her throat. There was a chill in the air. Lilith let out a sigh that turned white. Glimmering frost slowly crawled along the sleeves of her robe. “As for your so-called boyfriend...” She gathered her courage. It was now or never. “Cayle Pota tried to kill me.” Hate, the awful, soul-consuming kind, gleamed in her icy eyes. “That violent, remorseless ape insulted me, attacked me, beat me bloody...” Simply admitting that felt like tearing open old wounds. ”He only failed to kill me because he lacked the proper knowledge to slay a witch. I was fortunate to get away... For I shudder to imagine what unspeakable things he would have done to me...” As she spoke, every muscle in her body was tensing. She was bracing herself for what she considered the inevitable reaction. Monkeys only knew violence. “Not that I expect you to understand or even care. You have already been indoctrinated...”Words: 618 | 4032 Natural PL at start: 12,251 Tags: Ty
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Post by Ty on Sept 19, 2020 3:38:55 GMT -8
soundcloud.app.goo.gl/kAmM1z7zXzrBerW4A“Really?” Ty was curious about why Lilith did not like Kiryu, he seemed to like her for who she was, but it was a shame she had no feelings to return. “Do you like someone else?” She tilted her head curiously.
The teenage witch explained that love was a weakness, it made her frown, and then she discovered her own resolve on the subject. “Love is not a weakness, it is a reason to keep on fighting, you want to protect the people you love so you become even stronger because of it!”
The half saiyan was capable of all feelings, she was positive by nature, and it was because she was raised by two loving parents safe from the darkness of the world on her home island.
“Love isn’t from the mind, it’s from your core, and anytime you feel love, your heart beats faster, which feels nice.” Ty interjected but Lilith continued to explain the life of a mortal and the pain of losing a loved one. By that point tears were streaming down Tiger Lily’s ocean green eyes, “I know it hurts! B-but I would never lose out on the chance to tell someone I truly care about that I love them! Every day that goes by brings you closer to the final day. Even when I draw my final breath I would have no regrets knowing I lived life to the fullest with my friends and family.”
The chill in the air froze her tears in place, it startled the teenage redhead, as she wiped the crystal-like tears which melted in her hand, and she sighed gently. Cayle was accused of trying to murder Lilith, she used precise words to describe his attempts to subdue the witch in a fight, and she managed to escape.
“Haha!” Ty smiled, “Sounds like Cayle, I am not sure you heard that Kiryu is afraid of him, he mentioned it in the house of mirrors. It only seems like he is lethal in a fight but he would never kill anyone. To be honest, he uses force of will to invoke your true potential, and it is not a convenient method but it works. I nearly doubled in strength training by his side and I still have not come anywhere near his power.” She paused, “Wouldn’t it be great to see Kiryu and Cayle fight each other? I wonder who would win.”
After some thought, Lilith claimed Ty was indoctrinated, and she tilted her head to the side like an innocent teen, “Huh? What does that mean?” [427] [4,208] Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Sept 20, 2020 1:57:42 GMT -8
Irritated squinting intensified... The young noble was about to argue against the naive girl’s ridiculous claims about love, before her cynical side caught up with her. At this rate, they would be caught in a pointless loop like two children arguing over the best color. She was still tempted though... Very tempted... Because the country bumpkin wasn’t just wrong, she was also stupid! A reason to keep fighting... Bah, humbug! Love was a lethal distraction brought forth by misplaced chemicals. Nothing more, nothing less. The frost kept spreading slowly, closing her heart to the radiant warmth. Sunshine couldn’t warm up a winter storm. Against Lilith’s foremost expectations, the rightful and totally true accusation wasn’t met with violence, the favorite past-time of the monkeys. However, denial and derailment had been her second expectation, so this didn’t count. In fact, this all lined up perfectly with her suspicions of indoctrination. “If you truly think that monster would never kill, you are a naive idiot.” It didn’t surprise her that even Sir Miyazawa would be wary of the violent monster. She wasn’t going to dignify the childish question about who would win. It was beneath her. ...Cue the imaginary imp digging itself free, sprinting over to the quill and writing words into her mouth. “Kiryu, obviously.” It just slipped out before she could mentally strangle the annoying impulse. The witch cleared her throat, trying to bury the slip up beneath the new topic. “Ahem. Indoctrination means that you have been brainwashed.” She paused hesitantly. Maybe she should put it in even simpler terms... “It means you have been tricked. Cayle is lying to you.” Her cynicism chimed in, a venomous voice whispering to her how this was all pointless. The stupid girl was too far gone. Mental conditioning was difficult, sometimes impossible, to break. And yet... Some tiny, unfamiliar voice in the corner of her mind kept begging her to try... When she wondered why she should even bother, the voice simply answered... Because they were friends. Lilith’s head drooped with a frustrated sigh. This would be a shot in the dark... “Look... Cayle is not the kind of man you think.” She muttered, ignorant of the irony. “He is a monster. Cruel, sadistic and merciless.” Her gaze hardened with cold hate. “What you call invoking your true potential is merely torture disguised as training.” She was honestly shocked the girl would honestly think it had somehow helped. Far too naive. “Furthermore, invoking one’s true potential is a spell that can only be cast by... Gah, never mind...” She shook her head, trying to get the tangential thoughts out. “The point is that the moment you stop being useful... He will kill you.” And for some reason... She didn’t want that to happen. Words: 460 | 4492 Natural PL at start: 12,251 Tags: Ty
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Post by Cayle Pota on Sept 20, 2020 4:02:47 GMT -8
There were times when Cayle did not take the mantle of a petty king of a tribe of Saiyans, or the mantle of a vice-president of a restaurant conglomerate. There were times when he took not the mantle of a martial arts teacher or the mantle of a brother and son trying to find his lost family. Times where he was not the leader of a resistance army against the Tuffle Science Executive and its silent imperium. There were times where the many mantles of responsibility which draped across Cayle's psyche and thought process were not there.
Times when Cayle was simply Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, a Saiyan on Earth trying to make up for lost time. Times when Cayle was normally alone, reading books or exploring his new home planet with a child like zeal and ravenous hunger for information, knowledge, and insight.
Today had been one of those times, where he had no responsibilities and no interactions with others to worry about. Even Tiger Lily's plans meant that he wouldn't be seeing his half-saiyan girlfriend. In the morning, he had made pancakes from the fruit of the tree which their tree house abode was built into and upon. After making sure there was a serving for Tiger Lily he was off to feed the raptors, explore the woods near their property, and then scale down the cliff side to the dock and warehouse he had built at the water line and into the mountain itself.
Then he spent hours reading about various Earthling topics from books (he liked the way paper felt compared to the slight static of a touch screen), and then spent a few more hours fishing for dinner and for fish for the raptor-chicken flock which they owned, having read that fish would be good for their diet and produce richer tasting eggs.
It was followed by a series of letters which he wrote and then tore into pieces, a letter for each of his family members. An attempt to practice how to broach the chasm that would be between them even when he did find them. It wasn't to be a better leader, it wasn't to be a better family member. It was one of the few clutches he allowed himself. A private weakness, to be seen by none other than himself, and when the papers were torn into pieces and turn ash by an minute application of ki? He kicked off his sandals and jumped into the ocean, going for a dive.
And so he swam for a few hours, exploring this part of Earth which truly the most alien to Planet Plant. This new world which pushed him to new limits of the one weapon which an enemy couldn't easily measure. Intelligence. So for hours, he had been swimming, cataloging fish and capturing a few crabs and lobsters for that tried to attack him when he was walking across the bottom of the ocean – and it was all done with his power level suppressed to that of a normal human, a measly one to ten on the scale. Animals had a natural capability to detect power levels and fled if they detected a proverbial whale just the same as they would had they seen an actual orca swimming through their waters.
That was then, and this was now- with Cayle carrying his fish up the mountain tied to a string. He climbed, rather than taking the stairs he had built into the mountain behind the warehouse, and not the freight elevator that led to the plateau's ground floor building that combined as a secondary kitchen, larder, warehouse, workshop, and generalized shed, complete with a classical covered wooden porch with rocking chairs that Friddar had carved after insisting on taking a furniture building course.
After he climbed the cliff face, he went directly to the treehouse and then tapped the ground, it wasn't enough force to cause damage or anything past a minor tremor but was enough to help him leap to the covered balcony that was attached to his 'room' in the tree house and after he did he grabbed a towel, carrying it as he walked down the walk ways to the kitchen in just swimming trunks, towel in one hand and a string of fish to prepare for dinner in another. His power level was still suppressed, mostly because he hadn't thought of unsuppressing it and soon he heard the words of a somewhat familiar voice, then Tiger Lily's own words, and then this voice again.
“Lillithe, I'm quite surprised that you'd go forth with such base and blatant lies, I thought you considered yourself some kind of noblewoman and holder of honor?” his voice echoed from the kitchen where he still dripped.
“I've actually never killed anyone when I could help it. The ability to provide mercy is a freedom to savor, and the mark of a good person.” the voice came closer, and then he was in view. Shirtless, dripping, fish in hand, and covered in scars from more than a decade of torture at the hands of the Tuffle Science Executive. This was not a man who delighted in other's pain, or hid that he had suffered such himself.
“If this was not the case, you would have been dead in our confrontation at the village wherein you froze everyone because you wanted answers on where to find the Turtle School and the Turtle Hermit.” he didn't say it with malice, or threat. It was said with the same way a baker would say with confidence, 'this is Sour Dough Bread'.
“If you are done trying to convince my girlfriend that I'm Piccolo Daimao times six, would you like to stay for dinner?” he smiled, dangling the fish and eels which he had caught earlier in the day.
[978]
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Post by Ty on Sept 20, 2020 6:04:26 GMT -8
Tiger Lily listened to Lilith’s words, she frowned as she described Cayle far differently from what she remembered him as, and simply said. “Oh…”
A relationship where being useless meant ultimate death sounded strange, even more so when she thought about Lilith, and the possibility that she may have been treated this way in the past to be so familiar with it.
“Are you sure you’re not projecting your past experiences, about being useful to someone, on to me? I am worried about you now, has your life always been so rough? I thought your parents took good care of you, to be able to speak in the manner you speak as part of your upbringing after all, Lady Nevermore.”
In the time they took to have a thorough conversation, Cayle returned an hour before dinner for the evening, he made it obvious by bringing his catch to the second floor whilst standing in the hallway dripping wet, and Ty stood up to go into the bathroom to grab some towels. An empty large bucket was brought over to store the eels in, which she used to store water in the instance that the water tank was still being refilled by the source, and she held a melancholy expression even with her boyfriend’s arrival.
“Welcome back home.” Ty forced a smile, “Here, use this for your catch, I will be down to help with dinner soon,” She set the bucket down, helped Cayle dry his hair quickly with a towel, and rolled the towel around his neck. A second towel was used to soak up the water that was on the wooden hallway, which was primed with a coat of all weather sealant, everything about the tree house was specifically designed to last.
Tiger Lily stood in front of Lilith then knelt down taking her hand gently, “If you ever want to talk about it, you can count on me, okay? That’s what friends are for.”
After some thought she was unfamiliar with the teen witch’s favorite food apart from the mandrake tea and possibly the fruits from the sapling of might. “Is eel or fish your favorite food? Should I get something else for you? We have raptor birds, which taste like chicken, and their eggs which can make all kinds of dishes.”
[384]
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Sept 21, 2020 7:44:32 GMT -8
The slowly spreading frost was brought to a sudden halt. Lilith’s eyes widened. She twitched. Recoiled. Inching away from the worried friend. Cracks spread across the icy facade and disbelief dripped through. “Projecting...?” Out of all the assumptions Tiger Lily could have made, she nailed the one that pierced the deepest. The young noble was left speechless. “I-I... T-that is not...” Stammering did nothing. She could only listen. Naturally, her first reaction was to deny it, to justify her life. Mother had only been harsh on her out of love. Her upbringing had been demanding to keep her from ending up like her worthless father. She was a prodigy after all. It was only natural to have high expectations for her. Slowly the magical frost melted away... Lilith shook her head weakly. “No, my upbringing was... perfect. My mother made no mistakes.” It came with the practiced monotone of someone who had repeated that phrase to herself all her life. She was a good child. Smart, talented and most importantly... obedient. Her voice wavered. “Mother did take good care of me. I had everything I could ever ask for... The finest clothes, the tastiest foods and the rarest books.” No mention of friends or freedom, of course. She was too busy studying to have any of those. “Being a useful daughter was the least I could do to repay her kindness... Before she...” Suddenly she trailed off. Her hollow gaze dropped to the floor. The wounds were still fresh. She could feel their raw pain pulsing through her chest. However, soon an echoing voice tore the troubled teen out of her thoughts. She immediately snapped back. “That is Lady Nevermore to you, peasant.” It was basically a reflex at this point. Worse yet, she recognized the voice. How could she not when it still haunted her nightmares? And there he stood, the man who had humiliated her in front of all those worthless peasants. “You...” If looks could kill, her glare would have been the bite of an incredibly venomous snake, promising a slow and painful death. All the progress Ty had made, the new arrival dismantled word by word. Quickly. Efficiently. Without a shred of mercy. He wasn’t one to mince his words after all. The wicked witch was biding her time, choosing the most toxic words that bubbled in the cauldron of her mind. She silently swore to tear apart that ridiculous smile. “A hypocrite you are. Do not pretend you did not threaten to torture me, to show me 'things worse than death'.” Fortunately, there was a red-headed negotiator to stop the situation from escalating further. Lilith was reaching for her wand when Ty took her hand gently. There was that wide-eyed shock again, but this time she couldn’t recoil away. “We are n-not...” Not what? It was just one stupid word. So why couldn’t she say it? After much hesitation, Lilith abandoned the attempt. Instead, she turned her full focus on politely declining the offer. “I already ate so-” Groooooaaaannn... Her empty stomach chimed in to remind her that a couple of fruit pieces was a snack, not a meal. “Furthermore, I can subsist on mana alo-” Whiiiiiinnnneee... Again her gut interjected, pointing out that mana fasting was not healthy. Eventually, when the ensuing silence grew past painful, she managed to get out a weak mutter. “Fish, please...” Just saying it felt like a searing hot knife carving away at her pride. She already knew the barbarian was going to ridicule her, but she could only hope Ty wouldn’t join him. Words: 595 | 5087 Natural PL at start: 12,251 Tags: Cayle Pota Ty
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Post by Ty on Sept 22, 2020 0:51:33 GMT -8
Tiger Lily listened carefully as Lilith explained her upbringing, while she was also isolated from society in order to study, she would still make trips to South City to visit her uncle Toad Lily, as well as go shopping and travel to other parts of the world with both her loving parents along. At no point in her life, did her own parents ever tell her to be a useful daughter, any hobbies she picked up growing up was fulfilled within reason, and as long as it did not impede in her studies to enroll at South City University she was given options. The only material object she was not allowed to have was a television, primarily because she was an addict as a toddler, whenever they were visiting her uncle, instead of playing with him at the park, when he was ten years old, she was glued to the tv. “I don’t know, Lady Nevermore. Everything you said sounds pretty basic for anyone’s upbringing, the fact that you are out here on your own, should be the biggest accomplishment. Our parents raise us to be independent adults later in life, it is called unconditional love, and if you feel you have to pay your mother back well that’s a condition you set for yourself.”The exchange between Lilith and Cayle was a bit awkward at best, it seemed the teenage witch had hard feelings against him, and she wondered how she could allow them to reconcile. Ty cleared her throat as she stood up and released her hand, “Well, since we are friends, I need to tell you the truth about something very important to me, my dad, and Cayle.”Ty returned to sitting back on the bed directly across from her, while she was usually all smiles, this was a serious topic, “A long time ago, on a planet very far away from earth, a race of people called Tuffles from planet Plant were at war with a race of people called Saiyans from the same planet. While we have saiyans who live here on earth for centuries, Cayle and my father are over eight hundred years old, they were both experimented on then brought to Earth. My father was woken up from cryo sleep before Cayle was, at five years old, and he was forced to live as a human after being adopted. It was only this year that Cayle woke up, he found me, and revealed my saiyan heritage that my father kept from me because he fears the Tuffles are still on earth. For a while I had a bit of an identity crisis given I always thought I was human. Anyway, all the earth based mannerisms are new to Cayle because he never grew up here like us, so some of the things he does, may seem different from what we are used to. So I hope you can get to know him a little, even if he is unforgivable at the moment, I am certain he never wanted to be your enemy, and we can all be friends.”The rumbling of Lilith’s hunger made Tiger Lily blush, she heard her mutter that she enjoyed fish for a meal, and now she was motivated to prepare the most delicious fish in existence because she was a native islander who specialized in preparing fish. However, between them Cayle was the better cook, it was his job at Taco King to prepare new exciting foods to introduce to the menu, as well as getting approval from the De la Reyes after tasting the food.
“Let’s go down stairs, you can watch tv, or read a book while we prepare a delicious dinner for you, Lady Nevermore. Then hopefully we can continue our conversation with a bit more energy.”With a smile she got up to collect the tea tray from the spare bedroom, and headed down stairs. Ty began to wash the dishes, clear her chemistry set, and prepare the kitchen for Cayle to use. “Would you like to try some mandrake tea, Cayle? I made it especially for Lady Nevermore but there is still some extra. Do you want it hot or iced?”
[689] Lilith Nevermore Cayle Pota
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Post by Cayle Pota on Sept 27, 2020 8:26:28 GMT -8
Lilith had no idea what Cayle was about to do, and had only actually met him the once – she knew nothing of him or his work. She knew nothing of the times he had experienced hunger living on Planet Plant, or at the hands of the Tuffles when they were doing tests on him and his fellow Saiyans as well as trying to find the hidden language that made their bodies work. So he didn't actually wait for her response to devise how he would cook the food that he had caught and that they already possessed. He was silent, smiling, and without an inch of malice in his being when Lilith responded as she did, not even interrupting her as she went on what amounted to a defensive rant. Even as Tiger Lily responded to Lilith, he didn't speak, thinking how he was going to prepare the food that he had in the larder and the food he had caught all ready, as well as the flying eels which had taken to nesting in the wading pond platform built upon several of the branches below. “I'll pass on the Mandrake tea. I know some people like it, but it's poisonous and hallucinagenic for some, and I don't feel like hallucinating or spending a few hours locked in the toilet.” In fact he disappeared into the kitchen and the larders to gather ingredients and begin to do what amounted to his magic. Cayle's innate senses and his hard trained fighting techniques made him have advantages over other cooks, and he knew it. Some had taken practice, like killing a fish by over filling it with ki after seeing an archaic method of killing fish with a hammer and spike which was supposed to provide tastier fish – the first few dozen times he had done the ki over flow method had caused fish explosions all over the test kitchens of the Taco King main headquarters, but in time he had mastered ki overflow execution upon the fish, and it had provided for better tasting fish –, but others were innate. A hunter's sense of smell helped both predict when ingredients were about to burn and when they were still good or best to be used. So he used his to gather flying eels, the fish he had already caught and killed earlier with that method, some left over slabs of beef, raptor chicken breast filets, and a series of vegetables and other things. Bringing rice and beans to separate boils after cleaning them, putting them in stew pots, and providing the proper preparation – diced and glazed onions, garlic, and peppers in the beans to boil in the beans, and the proper salt in the water to boil it and sugar and vinegar mix for the portion of the rice which would become sushi. Then he prepared a roast with the beef with chopped onions, carrots, and potatoes and covering it in a baking pan with foil. The raptor chicken breasts were marinated in his secret spice mix and so were the fish, eels, and flying eels which he deemed too low qualify for his newest hobby, sushi preparation. When the rice was properly cooked, it was split into half, with one portion of the rice being put in a sauce pan with tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, diced sweet peppers, raptor chicken broth, diced onions, garlic powder, and butter and mixed together until it became a beautiful golden, green, and red mixture with a rich chicken flavor. While he was stirring the tomato pepper rice with a spoon with his tail (the tail had a hair net on, don't worry about it) he used gloved hands to mix the other rice into the vinegar, salt, and sugar mixture until he had it properly mixed to have sushi rice. With that done, he prepared a slaw to go with the fried fish and the fried raptor chicken breasts in their tacos, and he began to batter them in egg, flour and spices mix, egg, and flour and spices mix again before frying them in oil. Following that, he began to butcher the fish, eels, and flying eels and properly grill the eels and frying eels in a marinade to make them 'unagi', before making sushi out of all of them and after he was doing making sashimi and sushi rolls out of it and using the last of the sushi rice to make a number of onigiri, both with canned tuna mix, canned salmon mix, with pickled plums, and without anything at all. The roast was done by then, and Cayle carved it and made sure all the food was in his specially made heating cabinet before making some butter, garlic, and mushroom mashed potatoes and some fresh wheat rolls from stock he had prepared. Then, he stacked the food, numerous plates, drinks, and utensils for eating with and serving the food with, and put them on his carrying plate, which was closer to the size of an eighteen wheeler truck's front doors, and carried it to the pair of girls and to the treehouse's table. On the tray were roast beef with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, freshly baked wheat rolls, miso soup, chicken tortilla soup, fried fish and fried raptor chicken tacos along with all the fixings, refried beans, 'taco style' rice, sashimi, sushi rolls, onigiri, and spicy cherry pepper soda, matcha green tea, milk, and horchatas. All of it made by Cayle, and all of it made in what amounted to about 30 to 45 minutes. While Carlos Alfonso de La Reyes was the face of the restaurant chain and its founder, anyone who worked at the restaurant knew that his student in Cayle had quickly become a master on equal par with him at cooking, and that there were two Taco Kings in the Taco King food Empire. “Please dig in.” he said, pulling out chairs for both Lilith and Tiger Lily, the picture of a gentleman, and without his still shirtless form actually splotched by the food which he had just made or any splatter of it. If they both sat and ate without issue, it was then that Cayle would broach the issue. “Of course I threatened you, but I never said I would torture you, just show you something worse than death. But then again, it was done in a way to spare you from being severely.” Cayle didn't apologize for the last statement, or have malice in it. It was said like a computer. Saiyans of his era, and class didn't exactly preach holding back against active combatant enemies, and while Cayle would like to have, he couldn't let her freeze a whole village, and it wasn't as if she hadn't tried to freeze him two or three times. “It isn't as if you hadn't attempted to freeze me to death no less than three times before I said that, though, is it?” He began to plate the food then, moving with efficiency and skill that made his hands a blur as he used the utensils to serve up their food. “But then again, a King doesn't abuse people for no reason.” he flicked his eyes to Lilith. “You do know I'm the King of a small Kingdom in the Southern Islands known as Ensalada, don't you? One actually recognized by the World Government and fully under my sovereign control.” [1240] [2218] Ty Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Sept 28, 2020 5:14:18 GMT -8
Once again, Lilith’s grim expectations were subverted. Neither host ridiculed her at her moment of weakness. Yet her deeply-rooted prejudice kept insisting that something was wrong. That it wasn’t supposed to go like this. In her old circles, she would have gotten torn apart socially for showing a sign of vulnerability. Witches were supposed to be immortal and invincible women of impeccable grace and intellect. Anything less was a crack on the flawless facade. A failure to be denied and buried. An embarrassment to the witchkind. So why were these two treating her like... like... a mere human...? Stranger yet, the odd teen whom the young noble was hesitant to call... a friend... was even willing to reveal the truth about her... peculiarities. The witch listened quietly, her mental brush trying to paint a picture of the tale being told. To call the task difficult would have been an understatement. Coming from the magical circles, she had never held much interest towards any distant planets or life on there. Likewise, this talk of Tuffles sounded like the kind of conspiracy theory her old grandfather would spout in the throes of dementia. So, by the end of the explanation, she could only manage an incredulous stare. “...And you truly expect me to believe all that?” A rhetorical question. Somehow she already knew that beneath the kind smile, Tiger Lily was being dead serious. And it bothered the witch immensely... Without arguing further, Lilith followed Cayle and Ty downstairs. While the lovebirds went to prepare a meal, the young noble took the advice about reading a book to heart. A very special book in fact. She brought her hands together and channeled a spark of magic. “Awaken, o’ Tome of Nevermore and share thy secrets.” With a wisp of smoke, a thick, midnight black book appeared in her grasp. Its pages fluttered open as if browsed by unseen hands. Her crimson gaze scanned the pages keenly. She was driven by a thirst of knowledge. Tea, Torture, Turn undead... Yet no mention of Tuffles, not even a footnote. Was there truly an entire race of creatures that had gone unnoticed by her great clan? That didn’t seem right. Before the befuddled witch could ponder further, the scent of fresh food tickled her nose invitingly. The book snapped shut as she joined the dynamic duo at the table. She gave Cayle a cold glare while begrudgingly accepting the offered seat. He had better not expect a thank you though. It was exactly as someone had earlier said... He was unforgivable at the moment. In fact, she wasn’t quite sure why she was even giving him a chance to prove her wrong. Not that it would ever happen, of course. Especially not when the man seemed so very keen on tearing open old wounds. “And if you had even an inkling of proper manners, you would have gotten the hint and dropped dead.” Her frigid tone mirrored the chilling air of casualness the man had towards violence and death. Picking up a fork and a knife, Lilith allowed her gaze to wander on the offered food. It pained her to admit it, but... The selection seemed... erm... satisfactory. She had no intention of praising the tactless fool. And speaking of tactlessness... She lifted her gaze from the food for an unamused glance. “You? A King? That is the most tasteless joke you have told thus far. Hmph.” There was a pause. A moment of silence. The fork and the knife slipped free of her grasp, clattering against the table. “...Dear devil in Hell, you are actually serious.” Stubborn and haughty she may have been, but not stupid. She knew when someone was jesting or bluffing. And this man most certainly was not. Somewhere inside the noblewoman’s head, something shattered. The shrill sound filled her mind with the echo. Her thin hands reached up to grasp and cradle her aching head. The sharp nails dug into her skin. “You... A King...” By the iron-clad rules imposed on her from ever since she was born, this man was undeniably above her in the pyramid of power. That made Tiger Lily a Queen. Thus they were both better than her by default. The realization was twisting her stomach, making her feel sick. It felt like the whole world was spinning. Still, she took the complete and utter shattering of the world order relatively well. “No... no no no... That is not how this works. That is not how any of this works.” Relatively. Words: 755 | 5842 Natural PL at start: 12,251 Tags: Cayle Pota Ty
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Post by Ty on Sept 28, 2020 7:27:28 GMT -8
Cayle’s rejection of the tea was beginning to make sense, she was half human so she had the genetic advantage of consuming a local root a saiyan did not typically eat as part of their diet, and she was well aware that certain races on earth had adverse reactions towards certain foods that their ancestors did not consume. Instead she made another cup for Lilith and herself after Cayle quickly prepared dinner in less than half an hour. As the teenage witch took a seat at the dining table, she placed the mandrake tea cup down, in the glassware Ty made herself with the help of her father Koba.
All the remarks Lilith made towards Cayle were largely ignored, it seemed she used her noble speech to insult a person who was beneath her, but her boyfriend made it clear of his title with the World Government, as a land owner of an island sealed and approved by Queen Freyja Furry.
“My family owns a small island but they don’t refer to themselves as King or Queen. I believe it is when the population exceeds a specific number that it becomes its own territory in the southern islands, right?” Ty mused as she took her seat across from Lilith, “I am not familiar with how it all works, Emperor Pilaf has a great theme park, and he is a monarch of his own territory. I only ever get to see Queen Freyja Furry of the World Government on television interviews. Could you remind me again, Cayle? How does one become a king of a territory recognized by the World Government?”
The red head was excited to eat, she enjoyed Cayle’s sushi rolls first, and a bit of the variety of soups, before eating the proteins he was an expert at cooking. At no point did Cayle actually need her help apart from handing over pots, pans, and cookware to complete their dinner. Even the plating was done by him but at least she drew them out from the kitchen cabinets for him to add the finishing touches.
“Do you prefer cooked or raw sushi fish, Lady Nevermore?” Ty smiled, “I think rice is a perfect side dish for fish in that it enhances the flavor. I also love how light fish is compared to other meat which makes me feel sluggish if I eat too much of it. The only downside with eating fish is becoming hungry again a few hours later, haha.” [413] [5,694]
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Post by Cayle Pota on Oct 9, 2020 22:14:09 GMT -8
There was no change in expression from friendly and good natured host when it came to the part of Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, himself son of Potaset Potaset, long from the line of the Saiyan who had earned the deedname 'Pota the Proud'. The icy blue eyes, like the chill wind of his home world's badlands, showed no warmth but did not show chill either. It was not hostility or hatred, it simply was, like an elemental force at play – capable of great help in spreading the seeds of the future, and great harm in feeding fires which sparked. Humanity had developed a word to describe it, the way Cayle's eyes, common nose, and ruddy but healthy features displayed themselves when they looked at someone of potential beyond that of a standard human.
Gravitas. Gravity. It was with those eyes and no expression of hate or negative emotion at all, that he looked at Lilith.
“Lady Nevermore,” he had not actually ever been introduced, but he had heard her both in their initial battle and during the current conversation she had been having with Tiger Lily since he arrived. “When have I ever struck you as someone who is likely to create a fairy tale when it comes to myself and my people?”
The Saiyan's tail moved as he spoke those words, gesturing and swaying, and almost moving as if to punctuate what he had said. “The Tuffles are very much real. But like Saiyans, they look almost identical to humans, and I can only assume given what I have seen, are capable of breeding with them.”
He tensed, before pouring himself a tall glass of spicy cherry soda so cool it was precipitating in the cool in the treehouse's sea breezes. As Ty went about plating and eating, he helped himself to food as well and ate with the militant keenness of a veteran of a psychic war whom knew very well how much it mattered to remain dignified and also knew how much food mattered regardless of the meal – who could guarantee the next one.
“Please enjoy the food, but also know I am not the type to lie. That's a human trait, Saiyans don't have a need for misleading. I am.” his tail jabbed in the air as if he was slamming his fist into his open palm to punctuate his words, it moved the same way but didn't touch a thing or hover above the food. “A King recognized by the World Government. I have vassals and subjects, and it is because of the Tuffles that I am such, if I had my way I would probably be wandering the world and enjoying reading fantasy and science fiction novels in between ruins. Alas, a noble has responsibilities to their people and the title itself.”
Few bothered to ask, but Cayle had a strong interest in architecture and engineering, both the modern and the classical.
To Ty's question about how he had gotten recognized, he shrugged. It was complicated, part had to do with the military might the Ensalada Islandspotentially provided the World Government, part had to do with what amounted to bribes or taxes, part had to do with their being a prior title in the Islands.
“So, Lady Nevermore. What is it your plans are? Your Goals? What drives you.” the last word was followed up by the Saiyan stabbing a roasted carrot from his plate and bringing it to his mouth.
[584] [2802]
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 10, 2020 5:57:26 GMT -8
Reminiscent of a line of dominoes, the facts kept falling over in a relentless rhythm. Hearing Ty drop an accursed name silenced the mad muttering. Lilith’s pupils shrank into red pinpricks. So it was that damned family of mutts again. Those filthy fleabags masquerading as rulers were to blame for yet another farce. They made Earthlings a laughing stock to every lesser race out there. A ring of frost formed around her elbows resting on the table. Suddenly a wave of chilling clarity washed over her. Right. Cayle... King Pota... was only a symptom of a disease. The real problem was elsewhere. Regicide had never felt so tempting. The young noble flinched when the King spoke up again. In stark contrast to the calm stare, she glared back with bitterness and hostility. “Oh, so now your highness deigns to address me by my rightful title...” She averted her gaze, dropping it back onto the table. “Twist the knife some more, why don’t you...?” Compared to the kind, genuine way Miss Lily spoke her name, somehow hearing that man say it was like needles sinking into her ears. He was toying with her. Had to be. It was the only sensible explanation her biased mind could think for the treatment. The frost slowly crept along the table, threatening to eventually freeze the Queen’s drink if she didn’t move it. To call the situation surreal... would’ve been a grave understatement. On one hand, the Queen tried to keep the discussion from spiralling into an argument. Or worse. On the other hand, the King kept fanning the flames, insisting that these Tuffles were real among other things. After a moment of silent pondering and trying to sort out the questions presented, the witch suddenly stood up from her seat. Her hands slapped against the table. “There is an order to this world, a set of rules one must follow.” Her tone grew colder, like a glacier had been plopped in the middle of the room. “And those rules are absolute.”Lilith took one step to the side, shifted her gaze between the two rulers, and... dropped to one knee. She bowed her head, as was proper. “King Pota, I... apologize for my disrespectful behavior...” Her voice wavered, no matter how she tried to steel it. “I made incorrect assumptions based on your lack of regal attire and decorum. Nevertheless, ignorance is no excuse for insolence. If you deem fit to execute me for this unforgivable transgression, I understand completely.” She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the most difficult thing she had ever tried. “For what little it is worth, I... am truly s-hurk... sooo-” Her face took a green tint, but she forced herself through with it. “...s-sorry.” Simply saying it was enough to make her violently ill, almost as bad as the h-word. Staying on one knee, the young noble didn’t even raise her head as she answered. “I am driven by revenge, nothing more, nothing less.” She lied, even to herself. “There is a certain man I will find and kill.” She didn’t even entertain any other solutions. “After that...I will burn a certain village to the ground and build my castle on top of the ashes.” It was a wonder how so much anger and hate could fit into such a tiny body. There was an awkward pause. “And for the record, Queen Lily, I prefer cooked and seasoned fish... With potatoes... They help curb the hunger for a little longer...” Well, it would’ve been rude to just ignore the girl’s honest query. Words: 595 | 6437 Natural PL at start: 12,251 Tags: Cayle Pota Ty
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Post by Ty on Oct 13, 2020 17:34:49 GMT -8
Emotions were high at the dinner table, Cayle did not answer the question about how a noble was recognized by the world government, key information that would have been useful to Lilith to know if she had the desire to rebuild her kingdom. Instead her tea cup became frozen from the ice that eroded from the witch’s aura, Tiger Lily remained silent as they spoke with each other, she seemed naive to most people but she was perceptive on an emotional level.
The red headed teenager learned little by little along the way by understanding people especially anyone she encountered as mean, because she had the natural talent to soften anyone with her pure cheery disposition capable of melting anyone’s heart including Cayle; who at some point insisted that she simply be herself despite the dark past of her saiyan heritage, he told her that she was the epitome of what he desired for all saiyans who were set free from cryosleep, to experience happiness with what remained of their lives on Earth.
Despite not being married to Cayle, she was called Queen by Lilith, which startled her, especially when she bowed her head in response which looked submissive to the teenager. It made her sad that Lilith felt the need to honor them both as if she was subjected to do so. In a panic she tipped over her frozen solid tea cup, and stood up.
“Cayle, what is the meaning of this?” Ty pouted, “My parents don’t make their guests bow. So why is Lilith inclined to call you King? We should respect people as equals.”
Tiger Lily knew what a monarchy was, she knew from Emperor Pilaf, but that was different since the territory was a theme park based on his life. Cayle subjecting her friend to recognize his title was off putting, it is not what she imagined her life to be among her friends, and it made her uncomfortable as she sank back down into her chair trying her best to be patient for her boyfriend’s response. [342] [6,036] Cayle Pota Lilith Nevermore
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Post by Cayle Pota on Oct 13, 2020 19:48:09 GMT -8
At his root, Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, himself son of Potaset Potaset, himself son of Potaset Pota, who was himself the son of Pota Onio, who was himself the son of Onio Pota, who was the fourth born son of Pota the Proud? He was not a man born of malice. Perhaps it was an example that Saiyans were not all savage creatures just because of genetic design, perhaps Cayle was an anomaly – but if you asked him he would have said he wasn't.
He remembered being forced to one knee by his aunts and older female cousins when the Saiyan Elites came by to take their seasonally tribute of grain and goods. He remembered the idiotic respect they expected to be given simply by the birth right provided by their genetics and their power level. He remembered how his great-grandfather, the one armed Potaset Pota, diminutive as he was in old age, dropped three of them to the ground in a flurry of strikes when they had gotten overly touchy with one of Cayle's female cousins.
The Pota Clan fought to protect each other and to prosper, and his great-grandfather had earned their land, some of the best lands which the Saiyans even possessed, by saving a Tuffle child of all things from a monster in the wild lands. It was a story he had been told time and time again, when lectured by his father, his uncles, his grandfathers and told of the past. There was a reason why Cayle could name his lineage – both of his lineages in fact, his paternal and maternal lineages, as if it was a ritual.
The boy had suffered much through his life, onto his path to become a man, and the time lost Saiyan's body showed scars which were present in multiple places. Icy blue eyes looked at Lilith as she moved from the table and chair and bent the knee, bowing fully in the way that oligarchs around the Galaxy preferred, and that totemic animal within his being which had fought against those actions and malice? It bristled. The ritual words which had brought him through all the tortures, and the insults, and the tests of the Tuffle Science Executive.
His name. Cayle Pota, son of Pota Potaset, himself son of Potaset Potaset, who was himself the son of Potaset Pota, who was himself the son of Pota Onio, the same Pota Onio who was the son of Onio Pota, the same Onio Pota who was the fourth born son of Pota the Proud. The entire thing was almost a ritual, and it was an invocation of his ancestors for strength – but especially the antecedent of the entire line, Pota the Proud himself.
A Saiyan born of nothing on Sadala who had no power level, but through sheer force of will and training himself, as well as battling and eventually training under martial masters, became stronger. A Saiyan who would not go down even when he should have been dead, who would get back up with a hole through his stomach and fight his opponent until he won. A Saiyan who had fought for so long and so hard for himself and those he cared for that he eventually ascended into godhood – at least by the telling of the Pota Clan.
This is why Cayle sometimes bristled at the human choice of referring to him as 'Mister Pota', when they first met him, because that was some disrespect on his ancestor to try to claim his name fully as his own. It was a disservice to his clan as well.
Without a word, he stood up, leaped the table, and scooped Lilith up like a child or a bridal maiden, putting her back into the seat he had pulled out for her in the first place. Not before he had been blamed by Ty for 'making' Lilith bow, and not before he had heard the words and the answer of Lilith, but that was his first response.
He wasn't dealing with a Saiyan, and to some humans, words were cheap. They didn't understand that they were a person's bond. Words were as much spoken from the soul as they were from the mind and the body. “I sat you at my table not to humiliate you or berate you, Lilith. It was a genuine offer in reproach and potential friendship. If Tiger Lily sees the potential and good in you, then I would be blind to ignore her thoughts.”
His words were like a waltz, they moved one to another, didn't allow for anyone to cut in.
“So tell me about this man, or how we can help you. Tell me what this village did to you. And for the gods' sake, eat while you do it.”
He didn't even bother to mention that he gave less of a care for the 'Order' of Earth's Aristocracy and its rules or any other Aristocracy and its rules than he did give a care for a Tuffle's Nutrient Paste packet.
He was just a soul who's intentions were good. Let Yamochi, Pota the Proud, and all the other gods of the good hearted Saiyans not let his intentions be misunderstood.
[876] [3,678]
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Post by Lilith Nevermore on Oct 14, 2020 3:20:57 GMT -8
Hearing Queen Lily spout, well, utter nonsense left the witch flabbergasted. She barely dared to raise her head, if only to give the pouting royal a stare that begged her pardon. “Equals...?” No, the word didn’t make any sense coming from her lips either. She wanted to protest... Started to protest. “Your Highness, that is not...” Until the King moved. The witch bit her tongue. Quite literally too. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and braced for the imminent end. There was no point in fearing the inevitable, she firmly lied to herself. However, rather than the sweet, gentle embrace of death, Lilith suddenly found herself in an entirely different kind of embrace. ...Well, sweet and gentle all the same. Her eyes fluttered open. Confusion filled the crimson pools. “Wha-?” As soon as the reality caught up with her, a healthy shade of red flared across her cheeks and quickly spread across her entire face. The icy aura faded away in wisps of steam. Likewise, her cold composure melted into a puddle of embarrassment and uncertainty. “?...!?!” Being threatened, humiliated or berated she could handle. She was experienced in those. But this... She didn’t know how to deal with any of this. Utterly speechless, the bright red witch was plopped back into her seat. Her confused stare flitted back and forth between the two rulers. One seemed rather upset that she had bowed at all, while the other also started spouting nonsense. Potential...? Good...? Again she desperately wanted to protest, but the waltzing words left no room for that. This was easily the second most confusing encounter with royalty she had ever experienced. The first place was still held by the time she met the Queen of Hearts in a mad, mad world. ....Although that may have been a fever dream, now that she thought about it. Never one to defy a ruler’s order, Lilith grasped her utensils again and hastily moved to taste the food. She needed to buy herself time, to get her thoughts back into order. Her mind looked like a library hit by a hurricane right about now. Between the bites, she tried to find the words to appease the pouting lady. “Mm... I apologize... m... if I have offended you, Ty.” She paused, nearly choking on the food. “Guh, I-I mean Queen Ty... Queen Lily... Uh... Your Highness...? Which one do you prefer...?” This was not going according to any kind of court etiquette. She grasped her glass and washed down the bits clinging to her throat. Ah, better... Now that she had a chance to calm down a little, she took another careful bite. The taste... left an impression. “...This is good.”Falling quiet for a moment, the witch focused on eating and gathering the shattered pieces of her thoughts. There was so much more she wanted to ask, especially from Tiger Lily. Like, for instance, if the walking ray of sunshine had any understanding what the reputation of ‘a wicked witch’ actually meant. Eventually, the young noble managed to steel herself enough to answer the heavy questions. “...He killed them.” The admission came with a strangled, dry croak. She cleared her throat, pretending she wasn’t holding back tears. Stiff upper lip and all that. “Belmont. His name is Belmont, a man from a long line of monster hunters. Werewolves, vampires... Witches... He slays the supernatural in exchange for fame and riches.” She gingerly cut and ate another tiny piece of fried fish before continuing. “He was hired by a village which my clan used to rule. In just one night, he wiped out everything... everyone... Except me. I still remember it vividly...” Pausing every now and then for another bite, she described, in gruesome detail, the events of the night. How the one-man army tore through every supernatural obstacle in his way. ...Though her tale maaay have painted the highly professional monster hunter as something of a violent and strangely well-equipped hobo. Upon finishing the solemn story -and the plate- the witch turned her attention onto the hopelessly naive girl. She was finally getting over her confusion and blushing. “Ty... Do you know what a wicked witch is?” She nearly left the question there, before realizing who she was dealing with and hurrying to clarify. “And no, I am not referring to silly fairy tales. I am asking if you now finally understand what I am.” Because, as her gracious hosts had doubtlessly figured out by now, monster hunters didn’t simply go after innocent souls. It was kind of in the job title, you know. Words: 763 | 7200 Natural PL at start: 12,251 Tags: Cayle Pota Ty
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