Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Sion Reaver]

Totoma had to suppress the urge to tease Karine over this little mix-up. It'd be funny, he figured, but Kari was probably on the verge of dying of sheer embarrassment, so he'd keep his trap shut for once. Besides, he couldn't think of anything to say for some reason.

"New and improved, you might even say," said Totoma, driving his right fist into his left palm. "After this, some food, and then... more food. Then some training."

Not the most complex schedule, but it'd have to do. There wasn't much to do here other than train, eat, heal, sleep, and socialized. Suited him just fine.

...wait, crap, he'd have to find the sleeping quarters.

Hm, well... okay, one little tease can't hurt. Totoma smiled deviously.

"Hey, I've got a great idea! We could share a room! It'd be like a sleep over every night!" Totoma clenched his fists in front of him like an over-excited, overgrown kid. He was joking of course. Mostly.

He didn't mind sharing rooms with someone, to be honest. It was always great having someone to talk to. Okay, not always, but it got kinda lonely rooming alone. The past year had taught him to deal with being alone, but he still liked having friends nearby.

"And Sarada'll probably just leave you alone if you do the same," he said, calming down a bit. "I'm the one that's an affront to the species, according to her, not you."

....What?

The words that left Totoma's mouth had a similar effect to a computer that had been exposed to water or a bad virus; in other words something akin to the blue screen of death. She wasn't entirely sure if he was serious as sometimes it was hard for her to tell what was going on in their mind of theirs. Though as the gears of her mind started to once again come to life, and she calmed down she gave a serious consideration of it.

A room could have more then one bed, so it wouldn't be too bad. The last time she shared a room with anyone had been Kylie, but being her four year old sister she didn't count that. Of course there had also been times when they slept over but that was then and this was now. The dynamic as young adults was in her mind completely different from a group of kids who were still finding their place in the world.

She opened her mouth once, then closed before gathering her wits. "..I wouldn't mind. It probably be nice to have someone to talk to." As long as some basic ground rules were in place it was fine, and she trusted Totoma besides anyway. "I'll talk to Jinzi before bed time."

Karine could almost hear the distaste in Sarada's voice at this since she felt disgust at his 'tained' blood line but she didn't honestly care.

OOC: Another one BITES ZA DUSTO

IC:

The torque of his body carried his strike as he impacted the blast with his shin, kicking the dense energy beam into twain fragments that rocketed into the ceiling, shaking the heavy air of the chamber on impact.

Turning on the follow-through he sank in his step, gasping as he felt pain shock through his foot as it landed. So too did the raised reddened flesh streaked across his torso spike into his consciousness.

In the silence of the moment, when he faced the door Ochazuke heard a tinny impact at the door of the chamber. Still recovering, he could only speak.

"End program."

As orderly as they arrived, the Maelstrom Orbs left the chamber. As his blood reversed its flow, the clarity in his vision returned as he beheld his visitor. The shadow-walker woman from Cask, Karine.

"Enter."

Karine didn't enter until she got a proper intivation from the martial artist, thankful the gravity was off since otherwise it make things more difficult. "Thanks for having me.." She started, gathering her words. "I want to apologize about earlier of the mental instrusion when we were all in the training area. While I meant well, I have to be reminded this is a group of strangers. Their boundaries and discomforts I'm still learning so we can be a better unit and survive. It was obvious I threw you off which in a real life and death struggle could have gotten you injured or worse, and for that I apologize. It won't happen again. Though..I still think this group needs some better team work.."

[KamenRaida]

"I had not considered where to go yet," Slak replies. It isn't entirely true. A part of him feels duty-bound to go to wherever it is more likely for his blind brother to be even though he is aware of how little difference he'd end up making. Still... "I suppose it is best for me to go where my abilities will be more useful."

Regardless of any personal feelings he may have. They have more than enough fighters. He is of the Dragon Clan not the Fighter Clan and misguided pride ill-suits a son of Namek.

Koorimaru nodded, "And as of yet, there is no guarantee where your abilities may indeed prove most useful. Until Pantaloon can provide us a better idea of what we should expect in the Red Raider's base, we may well have to consider carefully whether we are well equipped enough to take on the task of retrieving the Dragon Ball."

The Frost Demon chuckled softly, "Although, if the commanders left behind are indeed anywhere as powerful as their leader, I'm sure many of our compatriots will be more than eager to take the fight to them. It would be almost poetic if those of us with cooler heads shall find ourselves face to face with the most dangerous of foes on their own grounds, with no rules or extraneous circumstances to hold them back from unleashing their full potential."

[Noldere]

“By all means. What would you like to discuss?”

"If I recall correctly," Kai began, "a device- perhaps even multiple devices- capable of finding the Dragon Balls at a distance- Dragon Ball detectors, if you will- already exist, which to me suggests that these Dragon Balls are emanating some form of energy strong and/or unique enough that locking on to it is a relatively simple process, even though the reverse is -again, if I'm remembering right- proving to be far less simple."

Extending his left hand before him at mid chest height, Kai focuses for a moment then forms a spherical enclosure- a barrier so to speak- approximately the size of the dragon ball old Kami had within his palm.

"Admittedly, I'm neither a scientist nor an engineer- certainly not one of the caliber I'd imagine you'd already have at your disposal. Still, with this little ability of mine, I may be able to assist you or your team in finding a solution, if you'd allow me the attempt. I've been told that the energy fields I produce exhibit properties not normally seen in other methods, so if nothing else, there's perhaps something there that you could adapt for some other purpose should I fail to be useful in the one."

[The Chou Lives]

( Last post for tonight)

Latter

Chou woke up and went to the gravity chambers. In his own, he raises it to gravity 3 x .5 as he saw the current holder. The pain was great. Heart felt like a lump. Just walking was a labor as he then purposefully summons a heavy cleave blade. Wielding it Conan style. The gravity made it intense as bones crack and blood flows. Could not really move his body but focused his hand work. Managing to do it. It was one hell of a work out.


No robots to fight or blasts. No need. Just keeping hold of the heavy weapon while standing ground, is work out enough.:

[grampagen]

Karine didn't enter until she got a proper intivation from the martial artist, thankful the gravity was off since otherwise it make things more difficult. "Thanks for having me.." She started, gathering her words. "I want to apologize about earlier of the mental instrusion when we were all in the training area. While I meant well, I have to be reminded this is a group of strangers. Their boundaries and discomforts I'm still learning so we can be a better unit and survive. It was obvious I threw you off which in a real life and death struggle could have gotten you injured or worse, and for that I apologize. It won't happen again. Though..I still think this group needs some better team work.."

"Heh."

For a long moment the brusque chuckle was the closest thing to a that passed between them. Though he took deep controlled breath and seemed to stand with his entire composure, frankly he was nigh delirious from pain. The shock that his pulse railed against the pronounced veins of his flesh rippled its rhythm in psychic radiation. Soon enough, he had gathered enough breath to make a reply.

"How many warriors have been gathered across this world? How many from others, still," he asked Karine

[Sion Reaver]

"Heh."

For a long moment the brusque chuckle was the closest thing to a that passed between them. Though he took deep controlled breath and seemed to stand with his entire composure, frankly he was nigh delirious from pain. The shock that his pulse railed against the pronounced veins of his flesh rippled its rhythm in psychic radiation. Soon enough, he had gathered enough breath to make a reply.

"How many warriors have been gathered across this world? How many from others, still," he asked Karine

The statement confused the young woman, though briefly the slight riddle of talking reminded her of her father though he didn't always speak in such a matter just when he was trying to get her to think about something. "I'm not sure. In this group alone there's about a dozen?" If she had to guess. "..Though that's not exactly what you mean, is it?"

[Miburo]

Less than noble endeavors huh? Can't be any less noble than what I've done. Jack took a closer look at Held, now that his vision was completely clear, and he noticed that the man's eyes were a bit different, funny he had not noticed that before.

"Huh, so you're kind of stranded here huh?" Jack asked, "Kind of funny to imagine being stranded on a whole planet, but I guess that's space travel for you huh?" What am I trying to say, condolences for being stuck here? That sounds rude to him and to the rest of earth.

Jack sighed, blowing a drooping lock of hair out of his eyes. "Actually, I've had a question I've been meaning to ask one of the non-saiyan aliens," he began, "Earth's not really...humans aren't," I really hate talking without a cigarette, I can take a puff while I wait for my brain to start working normally.

"This planet go a real weak hand doesn't it?" he asked at last, "Sarada's not just being arrogant when's she's saying how weak a guy like Jinzi is, right? Saiyans, Nevadians, and whatever the heck Koorimaru is, there weakest guys are about equivalent to the strongest earthlings, right?" There it was out there. It was somewhat humiliating actually, Jack had worked extremely hard most of his life to the point of where, up until recently, he had been one of the strongest people that your average earthling was ever likely to meet. To think that he was still on the bottom of the totem pole from a more galactic perspective was frustrating.

Ahhh. It's not unusual to be concerned about the pecking order of such things....I suppose it makes even more sense for humans to be concerned, although this is the first time I have met one who is.

Held laughed at the mans observation on the nature of space travel, able to make a planet of thousand of miles, with abundant water, lush, verdant forest, and all kinds of food and luxury, seem like a prison.

"True. It certainly could be worse. I could be stuck on some ice ball of a planet....Or Vocado, if I was truly unlucky."

Of course, Helds most likely fate would have been dead, had Kami not intervened in some way to ensure that the Nevadian did not become a smear upon the earths crust, or junk that burned up on some random planet upon entering his atmosphere, assuming he wasn't pulverized by some stay meteor.

Held's smile faded slowly as he sensed the gravity of the mans question, and the depths of the concern it brought him.

"That's...It's a very solid question." The Nevadian said at length, stroking his chin as he considered the best way to explain the situation.

"...Let's start from the beginning. You're not wrong. Humans are usually considered the weakest of the races I've encountered in the cosmos."

It was an unfortunate truth, but it would have been a disservice--at the very least--to try and obscure that truth with strange and colorful words.

"If I were to admit it without Sarada being present." He admitted with a sigh, "She would not be wrong to consider the Saiyans to be around the strongest warriors in the galaxy.....Compared to them, I would say any human would be hard pressed to contend with them...if you compared an elite human warrior against an elite Saiyan, it would be...."

There was little point in bothering to disguise the facts.

"....I can't imagine a scenario where it wasn't some cruel game that the Saiyan had elected to play for some reason."

He sighed.

"Although, I should add that usually most races are hard pressed to keep up to the Saiyans in terms of pure battle ability....My people can rival the Saiyans, under the right circumstances, but it would be....difficult to imagine a scenario where we could surpass them as the dominant power in the galaxy. Well, not without sacrificing who we are."

Which was true. A top class Nevadian would come up short by a wide margin in terms of sheer power. The Saiyan physiology was terrifying to take any sign of weakness, and turn it into strength. Any battle that did not disable a Saiyan entirely, would only serve to power the universal conquest machine which was the heart of the Saiyan Empire.

Compared to such sheer dedication to the arts of war, down to the very fiber of their being, how could a race who preferred to win hearts and minds, to make friends and allies of the multiple races of the cosmos, hope to surpass them?

Perhaps at one point, before the Nevadians birth....And perhaps there were some notable exceptions--or rumors--but they were few and far between.

"But, there is a wide, wide, gap between what is considered elite" The Nevadian continued, attempting to at least slightly boost the mans spirits, his mind running the data like a computer.

"And what is considered average...On my planet, you'd certainly be above your average Nevadian, from what I can tell...As would I, although we would be....deficient, compared to your ordinary Saiyan. You can imagine how your average human would fair. So, that's a bit of a cruel joke for both of us. "

He laughed slightly.

"That said, there are exceptions among your people also....The leader of the Red Raiders, Willia.....She was certainly impressive. Even with me, Chaun, Chou, and Zao Fan, all we managed to do was annoy her...."

He looked off to the side, somewhat embarrassed.

"I'll admit, there was a decent chance we would have died, if she had decided to push the battle further. Although even she was not in excess of what a Saiyan would consider average. Still, it does prove that human potential is a bit more than what is generally exhibited."

He returned his gaze to meet Jacks.

"And, to be honest, Saiyans are not what you consider the universes smartest minds. The technology of their planet is....stagnant, to put it mildly. Little has changed for ages. With your people, I can't go three feet without seeing some new marvel, or innovation....Jinzi's place alone is pretty impressive."

He was silent for a moment, allowing his words to linger.

"It's unfortunate, and I probably should have attempted to be more gentle in my response, but anything I say would essentially boil down to: You are correct, but"

I do have to admit....It's a bit of a small miracle the Saiyans haven't tried to annex this place, or strip it for its resources...It's certainly a very very nice planet.

"I also wouldn't try to figure out what Koorimaru's people are. It's a bit of a galactic debate. They are powerful, but so rare it's like seeing a....Umm....Big....Foot, I think your people call it?"

Another shrug.

"I don't really know where they are, in the grand scope of it all."

[grampagen]

The statement confused the young woman, though briefly the slight riddle of talking reminded her of her father though he didn't always speak in such a matter just when he was trying to get her to think about something. "I'm not sure. In this group alone there's about a dozen?" If she had to guess. "..Though that's not exactly what you mean, is it?"

"Twenty-four gathered, with eight of them visiting," he said, "Of all planets, it would have to be upon this one, wouldn't it?"

Ochazuke took a heavy, laboured step toward Karine, grimacing through pursed lips as injury flared from his right ankle to his knee.

"Twenty-four individuals, each with their own pursuit, but for a single overlap and a divine push."

Gradually he made his way over to her, standing just beyond an arm's length. Up close her pallid countenance gave him the immediate impression of inhumanity.

"Your intentions have a noble spirit. But search yourself carefully, to what end shall they lead?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Ah, so... not a super saiyan, at least in anything except a metaphorical sense. That was a...

...no, that really didn't make him feel any better. There still some super-strong guy running around out there, more than capable of killing a top-class Saiyan. That in itself was terrifying.

"Hm, still... even if he wasn't a super saiyan, that sort of strength just isn't normal," said Totoma, shifting his gaze back to Sarada. "And it's been ten years, so the bastard, if he's still out there, is probably stronger than he was back then."

That was a scary thought. Both his mother and he had gotten the impression that her killer had been holding back during the battle, so...

Totoma suppressed a shudder and pushed the thought from his mind. He'd probably never run into that bastard again, so it wasn't any of his concern. And if he did...

...well, that would be the end. Game over, man.

"Anyway... I do actually think my mother would have taken an interest in you. She..." He paused and considered his next words carefully. "...did not like to see earnest effort go unrewarded. Though I think her training methods might have taken you a bit of time to wrap your head around, even though they were remarkably simple. They're... kind of counter-intuitive for purebred Saiyans."

Saiyans, left to their own devices, would train to the limit daily, with very, very little rest, according to his mother. But the body, mind, and spirit all needed time to recuperate... to adjust to new experiences. That is to say, she trained similarly to a Saiyan, but allowed herself days to rest and relax. It was a simple change, but ran contrary to Saiyan dogma and, to some extent, Saiyan instinct.

"But they work, especially for Saiyans that don't get good results from the usual methods. Heck, she took her parents, who were weaker than us, and raised them up to... I think 300 or so in about a year. And that was after being slaves their entire lives, which... probably didn't do wonders for their bodies, I'd guess."

The more Totoma spoke of his mother, the brighter and more excited his tone became. Anyone listening would be able to tell, instantly, that he truly admired and respected his mother from the depth of his heart, even now, ten years after she'd been killed.

As terrifying as the prospect of confronting someone who could kill a super elite of the highest order was, just the possibility that he had gotten even stronger in the decade since had her feeling excited. As long as she was of a comparable strength by that point, it could have been the greatest battle of her life.

Which wasn't saying much, as she had only been in one battle so far.

She was about to mention this when he brought up the training methods his mother used to get so strong. Sarada's interests were already piqued. She leaned forward in anticipation of what they were, only for him to not say. He said everything -- that they were unorthodox, not something purebloods usually did, and that they worked -- but never actually said what they were.

Him suggesting that Tasure would have taken a liking to her made her chest flutter. She had never met her, but she had heard of her. Everyone had. Hearing the stories of her boastful guarantees when she was at the CTC, and the gains she made each year captivated the young saiyan. She wished very much to meet her, but that was impossible.

"Well?" she grunted to hide her giddiness. "What were they?"

He really respects her. No surprise, given who we're talking about, but still. I wonder...

Briefly, for a moment, she wonder what it would be like to have a mother who actually gave a single **** about her.

After a bit more of a pause, Karine spoke up. "..Listen, we don't have to like each other or be each other's best friend, but if we're to work together we can at least be civil. We didn't..start off the right foot but that's no reason we have to be at odds all the time. Besides, even the strongest needs their meat shields." She was of course teasing, hoping to both soothe Sarada's ego and lighten the situation.

They probably never be friends, and she may have been wasting her breath but at the same time someone had to try to be the adult for group cohesion if nothing else. Easier said then done.

She quirked an eyebrow at the noise Karine made, but said nothing about it. "Fine. I'll play nice if it'll make you feel better."

In truth, she knew that Karine -- and Meagan before her -- was right about needing to be on the same page if they were going to survive. While Sarada was somewhat certain she could handle any and all further fights by herself without the help of anyone, the rest of them could serve nicely as distractions to keep the enemies off her back.

Totoma had to suppress the urge to tease Karine over this little mix-up. It'd be funny, he figured, but Kari was probably on the verge of dying of sheer embarrassment, so he'd keep his trap shut for once. Besides, he couldn't think of anything to say for some reason.

"New and improved, you might even say," said Totoma, driving his right fist into his left palm. "After this, some food, and then... more food. Then some training."

Not the most complex schedule, but it'd have to do. There wasn't much to do here other than train, eat, heal, sleep, and socialized. Suited him just fine.

...wait, crap, he'd have to find the sleeping quarters.

Hm, well... okay, one little tease can't hurt. Totoma smiled deviously.

"Hey, I've got a great idea! We could share a room! It'd be like a sleep over every night!" Totoma clenched his fists in front of him like an over-excited, overgrown kid. He was joking of course. Mostly.

He didn't mind sharing rooms with someone, to be honest. It was always great having someone to talk to. Okay, not always, but it got kinda lonely rooming alone. The past year had taught him to deal with being alone, but he still liked having friends nearby.

"And Sarada'll probably just leave you alone if you do the same," he said, calming down a bit. "I'm the one that's an affront to the species, according to her, not you."

....What?

The words that left Totoma's mouth had a similar effect to a computer that had been exposed to water or a bad virus; in other words something akin to the blue screen of death. She wasn't entirely sure if he was serious as sometimes it was hard for her to tell what was going on in their mind of theirs. Though as the gears of her mind started to once again come to life, and she calmed down she gave a serious consideration of it.

A room could have more then one bed, so it wouldn't be too bad. The last time she shared a room with anyone had been Kylie, but being her four year old sister she didn't count that. Of course there had also been times when they slept over but that was then and this was now. The dynamic as young adults was in her mind completely different from a group of kids who were still finding their place in the world.

She opened her mouth once, then closed before gathering her wits. "..I wouldn't mind. It probably be nice to have someone to talk to." As long as some basic ground rules were in place it was fine, and she trusted Totoma besides anyway. "I'll talk to Jinzi before bed time."

Karine could almost hear the distaste in Sarada's voice at this since she felt disgust at his 'tained' blood line but she didn't honestly care.

Her eyebrow raised again, this time at Totoma suggesting that he and Karine share a room. Something about a sleepover, whatever the hell that was. What was even more confusing was Karine's reaction, or lack there of at first. It was as if she as nervous about the prospect of sharing a room with someone else.

Hm.

She would be the first to admit that she knew nothing of Earther customs, but she was pretty sure this was a subtle way of asking her to mate. She didn't know what talking had to do with mating, unless they partook in dirty talk -- which many did during recreational mating.

But, Karine's eventual response confused her. "Why do you need to ask Jinzi's permission to mate?"

[KingofPie]

Using his 'swimming' ability, Sasheem hid within the walls of the bathhouse, his planning for the prank he was going to pull on the monkey girl completed. Ome thing he hadn't planned for was additional guests, but he didn't mind them joining in on the...'harmless joke' he was intent on pulling. It's like the old rule he always used to abide by, 'more victems, more fun!'

All he had to do was wait for the right moment and lower his ki in case one of them thought about checking for any unwanted intruders, just in case.

[Cyke]

After some time had passed in tn the kitchen, Zaofan laid out a very large pot of tricera broth with spices, garlic, onion, garnish, and assorted veggies, next to a large strainer of fresh ramen, a wide bowl of tender tricera shoulder meat so tender you could cut it with a fork, and a plate of hard boiled eggs cut in half.

But his mind went back to Ochazuke's words, before Zaofan had sprinted to the cafeteria on Mr. Pantaloon's invitation...

"I see..."

Ochazuke followed Zaofan a measured distance as he heard his tale, and while the man's congenial nature thawed his stoicism to a point, the mention of these two specific techniques and the result gave him immediate pause.

"The inner energy workings have many names," he said, "The Tenryu Kokyo Ho you speak of, it may have its origin in the same root. In the Crane school, they call the same practice Kikojutsu."

How bold - and foolish - a practice! To so hungrily pursue the upper echelon, those forbidden techniques...but the good humour in his voice seemed to suggest the imitation was borne of something other than a murderous end.

"Indeed it takes many years of inner cultivation to properly induce the faculties to that level. The demands of the Kikoho are not meant for the novice, no matter how adept an understanding they may have. Still...I commend that you have found a way within the bounds of your own experience to go beyond your limits."

Brusquely thumbing his nose, he cleared his head with a short exhale, "it is a shame. It seems that your teacher humored your talents by playing with your expectations. The Dodonpa is meant to teach Crane Orthodox students the meaning of efficiency."

Concentrating ki into his palm, Ochazuke set it aglow. Then balling his hand into a fist, it converged into a halo. Raising his index finger, a single shining point without wasted radiance.

As Zaofan inquired about his own experience, a flash of the bitter past, the grueling labours under the bloodstained tutelage, boiled his blood and darkened his aura again.*

"You say you survived your energy practice by mastering it in your own way. You'd be considered one of the lucky ones," he said, "Adepts of the Crane School fall into two tiers of consideration. Masters, or fodder."

Dispersing the ki in his finger, he clenched a fist for a moment, then loosened his grip, "which is why I disavowed them long ago."

Perhaps Ochazuke had a point. Zaofan really could have died the day that, in his arrogance, he tried to fuel the Kikoho with the Tenryū Kokyū Hō without proper training in either. It was not efficient to try such advanced techniques with such a weak foundation, after all. Zaofan survived, either by luck or willpower or a combination of the two, but it was certainly a humbling experience, to say the least. He never tried to be blatantly dishonest by claiming it as an elite invention of the creative, though perhaps the wording sounded like a claim at times. Was a near death experience something to brag about anyway? No, that Zaofan would find so much emptiness and lack of fulfilment in every day life that he would try to give it substance through theft, travel, adventure, food, and even dangerous techniques -- and that Zaofan would mask that existential pain with humor and congeniality, well...

...at least Zaofan found that the culinary arts were an efficient way for him to meditate. Journey through the mind while creating sustenance. Food can create community, and Zaofan found two dozen individuals that he should now get to know. But they were also two dozen whom Zaofan felt were more dedicated, more sure, more confident of themselves. Especially Ochazuke; Zaofan had never met a Crane student outside of his master who was so dedicated and so knowledgeable about the art. Ah well. Zaofan reasoned that if he had to overcompensate, he should at least do it with something that they could agree upon, and that would be a good meal, whatever that may be for each one. At least, hopefully, it could begin Zaofan's path to making amends to those whom he had hurt when he followed Charco's lead when they both blasted Mr. Pantaloon, more excited about the chance of victory than the responsibility required to consider collateral damage; or even Zaofan's own well being.

Regardless, Zaofan snapped back to the present. He grabbed the prepped food and brought it out to the cafeteria, on top of the soup counter next to the bowls, along with two pieces of paper: One that said in large letters:

"TRICERA RAMEN. HELP YOURSELVES!
-- Zaofan <3"

And a second page that listed the recipe.

Placing a hearty saucer of gyoza from the cafeteria and placing it on his curved left elbow and forearm, and grabbing a bowl of the tricera ramen with his left hand while holding chopsticks with his right, he kicked the cafeteria double doors open and walked down the corridor.

"Twenty-four gathered, with eight of them visiting," he said, "Of all planets, it would have to be upon this one, wouldn't it?"

Ochazuke took a heavy, laboured step toward Karine, grimacing through pursed lips as injury flared from his right ankle to his knee.

"Twenty-four individuals, each with their own pursuit, but for a single overlap and a divine push."

Gradually he made his way over to her, standing just beyond an arm's length. Up close her pallid countenance gave him the immediate impression of inhumanity.

"Your intentions have a noble spirit. But search yourself carefully, to what end shall they lead?"

"What end indeed?" Zaofan said at the open door. "Hello Ochazuke. Karine. A noodle for your thoughts?" Zaofan said as he slurped a ramen noodle with perched lips, still balancing a saucer of eight or so gyoza on his left elbow.

"Apologies for the intrusion, friends. I saw Ochazuke training through one of the windows. Karine, I must say, you were very impressive in our little training session there against Mr. Pantaloon. But as good as our intentions may be, we run the risk of stepping on each other's toes. I've already done that once today with a group of strangers. I don't aim to repeat that again. Gyoza?"

[The Dog]

After leaving Mr. Pantaloons, Midori and Shiro walked down one of the halls of Capsule Corp, Midori holding her hands behind her head as they walked.

"I was honestly expecting it to be a lot more invasive than that Shiro." Midori said, Shiro nodding in agreement as she replied "I was too. But I'm happy that it was so simple, and that Doctor Nijimoto had such a design put into us."

Bringing her hands from behind her head, Midori stared at them for several moments before clenching them into fist with a grin as she commented "You know, I'm feeling stronger already."

"Mmm, I know what you mean." Shiro agreed, and looking to her sister with a smile Midori asked "So... what do you say to a small spar to see how we are now?"

"Hand-to-hand only? No energy attacks, your tongue, or my abilities?" Shiro questioned, and Midori's smile grew as she said "Sure. Let's get to the training area and test ourselves out." With a small smile of her own, Shiro gave a small nod before the two took off to test themselves out.

-------------

Several minutes later, Midori and Shiro were facing each other in Capsule Corps' Geofront, Midori feet moving as she slipped into her preferred stance, Shiro doing the same with less energy.

"Ready?" Shiro asked, and instead of answering verbally, Midori charged forward, throwing a series of quick jabs at her white sister, who brought her arms up to block against the blows before rolling under a roundhouse kick. Rising to her feet from the roll, Shiro retaliated with a straight right, which Midori dodged and threw a left of her own.

Shiro deflected the punch and threw a kick toward Midori's stomach, which Midori caught, throwing the leg upward to throw Shiro off-balance. With her opponent unbalanced, Midori moved in and threw a elbow at her face, catching her on the chin. However, Shiro managed to catch Midori in the stomach with a quick kick, the two stumbling away from each other.

The two only smiled as they charged back in, Shiro throwing a devastating left hook, which Midori ducked under, slipped around behind her, and caught her around the waist. Smirking, Midori lifted her sister up, and bridging her back, bent over backwards, driving Shiro neck and shoulders-first into the ground in a picture-perfect suplex. Releasing Shiro, Midori returned to her feet as Shiro rolled into a crouch.

Barely a moment later Shiro launched herself toward Midori with a flurry of punches, forcing Midori to block or dodge most of them, the few that got through causing the green android to grunt in pain. After several seconds Midori managed to leap away from Shiro, who chased after her sister, only to get caught on the chin by a kick from Midori, forcing her to back off.

Rolling her shoulders, Midori began walking in a circular path, Shiro following in the opposite direction to keep her 'younger' sister in her line of sight. The two eyed each other intently, arms brought up in front of them like one would expect to see of a pair of boxers.

"So, how you feeling?" Shiro asked, and with a smile Midori answered "Definitely feeling stronger, no doubt about that."

"Me too." Shiro agreed, and after a few moments the two charged each other again, ready to continue their spar.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

??? Pt. 2, the ???-ing:

For the longest time, all Ishtar did was breathe.

Ignoring the protestation of her body, as she simply ... existed. The screaming of her straining muscles, as she forced herself to breathe. The way her bones groaned and screamed at her as she forced her body to stay upright, unwilling to let weight five times that of the world she now stood on break her. That feeling pain so pure. Of fighting against a rising tide as it did all it could to break you down. The thrill of dying.

Sensations, and feelings the Oni had long suppressed for a singular purpose.

Understanding.

Not for an understanding of self, no. She had long understood herself, Ishtar knew who she was, knew who she had been, and who she was going to be. The understanding she had sought, was of her former Mentor. Zurvan. She had come to him, some years ago seeking an answer to the purpose of her tutelage. Realizing that she was ready he had complied but ... the answer had not been of her choosing; and so she had departed. Spent long years wandering in search of new understanding. Lessened herself to attain it. Now here she was searching for what she hoped to be the final answer.

These feelings though .. the pain, the thrill of testing herself. The other ..

Perhaps it was the gravity, perhaps she had been rattled more by the explosion than she knew. It mattered little. After hours of silence in a room where gravity had laid siege to her body, Ishtar spoke and yet ... she did not speak.

"Fire ... speaks." The words were forced through grit teeth. "... a lie."

Her horns and fists burst into flame, then; but the fire was black as sin.

The ground beneath her began to groan, then, as she forced herself to her feet. First one, joints and tendons popping as she labored; her entire body trembling under the weight she bore in silence merely a moment ago. By the time she had gained her feet, the ground beneath her was concave. The trembling had stopped, for now at least, but her body glistened with sweat from the effort. Or at least the parts of her still her. The fire had visibly spread, up her forearms and shins, and had begun trailing from the tip of her horns.

Then Ishtar began moving forward. The woman's meditation was wholly at an end, and though she had locked herself in the gravity chamber, she started a slow and steady march towards the door.

"Out."

----

The hallway outside the gravity chambers was silent, and then all at once it wasn't.

Boom. A soft thump could be heard, before fading away quickly to let silence hold vigil once more.

Boom. Again, a thump. Louder this time, but fading just as quickly.

Boom. Boom.

...

BOOM. Among the doors lining the hallway, one developed a curve of unnatural design. Now there was barely a pause between the blows, and the door that had developed the curve began to visibly deform. Every few seconds, the din of another collision shattering the silence of the hallway.

Then all at once it stopped.

Silence reigned then, for fifteen seconds.

BOOM ... BOOM.

...

WHAM!

The door to the gravity chamber was rocked off of its hinges, and with the hiss of decompression and a flashing of lights and alarms, Ishtar- almost completely consumed by black flame- tumbled out of the chamber. And after a few more warning chirps, the alarm system ceased its own vigil- the automatic systems having already shut off the enhanced gravity.

"Haa ... haa."

As Ishtar stood there panting, the dark flame that consumed her sputtered out; and glancing around she blinked once, before dropping her head. She had done what was necessary to balance herself.. suppression had led to an over-indulgence, and as a result she had destroyed Mr. Pantaloon's property. Though ... compared to previous times, this had been ...

"Passing strange."

For any and all that happened upon the battered Oni, standing in the wreckage of a door .. that indeed was what it was.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

....What?

The words that left Totoma's mouth had a similar effect to a computer that had been exposed to water or a bad virus; in other words something akin to the blue screen of death. She wasn't entirely sure if he was serious as sometimes it was hard for her to tell what was going on in their mind of theirs. Though as the gears of her mind started to once again come to life, and she calmed down she gave a serious consideration of it.

A room could have more then one bed, so it wouldn't be too bad. The last time she shared a room with anyone had been Kylie, but being her four year old sister she didn't count that. Of course there had also been times when they slept over but that was then and this was now. The dynamic as young adults was in her mind completely different from a group of kids who were still finding their place in the world.

She opened her mouth once, then closed before gathering her wits. "..I wouldn't mind. It probably be nice to have someone to talk to." As long as some basic ground rules were in place it was fine, and she trusted Totoma besides anyway. "I'll talk to Jinzi before bed time."

Karine could almost hear the distaste in Sarada's voice at this since she felt disgust at his 'tained' blood line but she didn't honestly care.

Heh, just as flustered as expected. Not bad for something he thought up in the spot. She'd probably respond with a 'no thanks' or something like that once she'd recovered, and he'd shrug it off. That was how their routine went.

Or at least it should have gone that way. She accepted the offer, and it was Totoma's turn to be surprised. He remained silent for a moment, then he laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Didn't think you'd accept. Well, here's to a fun time, roommate."

Meh, just go with the flow. They were friends, so it was sure to be fun. He just hadn't expected the usually bashful Kari to accept, is all. Heh, maybe fighting an actual battle was the cause? Maybe... or perhaps Kari own journey had caused this new boldness.

As terrifying as the prospect of confronting someone who could kill a super elite of the highest order was, just the possibility that he had gotten even stronger in the decade since had her feeling excited. As long as she was of a comparable strength by that point, it could have been the greatest battle of her life.

Which wasn't saying much, as she had only been in one battle so far.

She was about to mention this when he brought up the training methods his mother used to get so strong. Sarada's interests were already piqued. She leaned forward in anticipation of what they were, only for him to not say. He said everything -- that they were unorthodox, not something purebloods usually did, and that they worked -- but never actually said what they were.

Him suggesting that Tasure would have taken a liking to her made her chest flutter. She had never met her, but she had heard of her. Everyone had. Hearing the stories of her boastful guarantees when she was at the CTC, and the gains she made each year captivated the young saiyan. She wished very much to meet her, but that was impossible.

"Well?" she grunted to hide her giddiness. "What were they?"

He really respects her. No surprise, given who we're talking about, but still. I wonder...

Briefly, for a moment, she wonder what it would be like to have a mother who actually gave a single **** about her.

Totoma grinned. "Alright, I am going to be 100% truthful here. Most purebreds train themselves to the brink daily, with... some success. There's a few, like my mother and... I suspect, you, that don't respond well to that, for whatever reason. Her solution..."

He paused and steeled himself for the inevitable disbelief.

"...was taking a day off every so often. No fighting, no heavy training, just... relaxation, and sometimes meditation. She let her body, mind, and spirit recover fully, allowing her experiences and training to imprint themselves more deeply. This one change is what allowed her to go from gaining, ah, what was it.. twenty powerlevel in a year to hundreds. Nearly five hundred in her final year at the CTC."

There was more to it than that, but that was the basis of her methods. The rest was mostly her musings on motivation, surpassing limits, and lots of stuff that flew straight over his head as a kid. Also, it helped that she had dad's magic healing food, which allowed her to recover from wounds that would have otherwise been fatal, which made her stronger, of course.

He shrugged. "That's the gist of it... pretty simple, ain't it?"

Her eyebrow raised again, this time at Totoma suggesting that he and Karine share a room. Something about a sleepover, whatever the hell that was. What was even more confusing was Karine's reaction, or lack there of at first. It was as if she as nervous about the prospect of sharing a room with someone else.

Hm.

She would be the first to admit that she knew nothing of Earther customs, but she was pretty sure this was a subtle way of asking her to mate. She didn't know what talking had to do with mating, unless they partook in dirty talk -- which many did during recreational mating.

But, Karine's eventual response confused her. "Why do you need to ask Jinzi's permission to mate?"

"Mate...?"

For a moment, Totoma's expression went blank, and after a moment he scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously. "Naw, nothing like that. I just like to tease Kari sometimes, but this time she caught me off-guard, so I sort of just went with it."

Sarada was unfamiliar with...

...actually, damn that whole proposal did sort of send the wrong image. He wasn't gonna back down from it, but... yeah, her misunderstanding was actually pretty logical, given her lack of knowledge on Earth culture.

"We haven't seen each other for a year, and we've got a lot of catching up to do, so it worked out fine, I guess."

Totoma wasn't as oblivious to these sorts of things as he acted, but he did lack... any sort of experience with that sort of thing. 'sides, if that sort of thing were in the cards, he and Kari would have gotten together years ago.

Honestly, all that stuff just seemed like it just overcomplicated stuff. He'd just stick the easy stuff, like getting stronger and decking the bad guys in the schnoz.

[Lord Falcon]

"Indeed. I did not have time to ask, earlier, but I saw that titanic apparition in the sky just before you appeared. I was perhaps wondering what you know of it."

Pantaloon wanted to talk about Kami's teleport then. Asha'rah had not travelled like the others. From her understanding, they had arrived almost instantly. But with her...

"When I opened herself to Kami's energy, something was set free inside me. For one brief moment, I was more." She said, dipping her head as she paused to gather her thoughts.

"Not just stronger, or faster, or bigger. The world was just as beautiful as before, but it felt so fragile in the palm of my hand. I saw this place from on high, felt my passage crumple under the strain of me. And then...something clamped down, shut me out. And I found myself here."

She did not mention the visions. She had yet to make any remote sense of them.