Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Eternal Torment]

"I would say I've died and gone to the other word," said Totoma, grinning. "But there's a distinct lack of my mother giving me an earful... or fistful.. about skipping out on my training to play Earthling. I sort of want to use the Dragonballs to revive her, but..."

He paused for a moment, his expression conflicted. "...well, I'm legitimately terrified of how she might react to how I am now."

She wouldn't kill him or anything. She'd just be... disappointed. And the remedial training he'd have to endure for the next however long it took him to get back up to speed would probably almost kill him multiple times.

Which was good, but also scary as hell.

Chuan said nothing as he listened in. The corner of his mouth just wavered for a second, as if he was trying to hold in tears while walking forwards.

"Heh, well, every warrior's gotta have a Kikōha like that. It's traditional! I... do plan on trying to come up with some less flashy, more efficient techniques, though. Heck, maybe I could do what I was going to do ten years ago and make it so that my Ito technique has a razor-sharp edge to it, if I want."

He pressed his fingers together, then drew them apart, displaying a single thread of ki. "Ito. A technique I made as a kid. My mother thought it was kind of a childish technique, but it's got its uses. Transport, restraint... makeshift whip. Really efficient, too."

"And yeah, I'll probably get a bit stronger than I would have otherwise thanks to my epic dodging skills," said Totoma, laughing for a moment before wincing. He could... sorta feel what should've been pain. It was more like "unpleasantness" than actual pain, though.

"Can't wait to see the results of this... explosive training."

Well, that was one way of describing it.

Totoma exhaled softly and closed his eyes. He was a bit tired from all this activity. Before the nap he'd gotten just before the Yeti fight, he'd been up, like a day or something. That and all this fighting and excitement had tired him out.

...or maybe the adrenaline was just running out.

Either way, he intended to sleep his way through his recovery. And then he'd eat and take a relaxing bath... or maybe the other way around. Then he'd go hit up Jack and Sarada--he made a sparring offer and he intended to keep it--and then find out who the hell blasted him.

Because he wanted to fight them too.

"Every warrior... Well, you got that tradition going for you, at least. And hey, you've got a technique that'll help you out wherever you go. Your mother would be proud at how clever you are, y'know?"

Those were thoughts Chuan would never have. Lucky Totoma, huh?

An wave of skepticism hit the young woman at his change of body language. They were a lot more stiff? She guessed the word she was looking for. "I don't expect to be able to learn it over night, no. Anything at this point I'm willing to try for healing, save magic. I had the reverse effect when I first tried it." Internal arts sounded dangerous though, but it was more healing.

It wasn't like her bad healing was going to transfer to this too and make people rupture from the inside.

"Sounds about right." He tried to laugh it off. "I- Well, you're not going to make me explode just by hitting the wrong points. Or maybe the right ones, depending on your intent. You could hurt me pretty badly, though."

He looked up for a short while, then sighed.

"Granted, I learned by experiencing it myself. It really wasn't fun. I'd rather spare you the pain, so I'm willing to take those hits again. Just don't waste this opportunity to learn." Chuan smiled slightly at that last part. " Not say that I'm worried, though. You're smarter than me, Karine. I have faith you won't make too many mistakes."

Soon, it seemed they drifted off into a half sleep and she turned to Chuan. The next part of the of what probably needed to be done made her nervous, face turning bright red again. "I..I believe in order for these healing tanks to work properly..but he'd probably be more comfortable with me doing it even if they're half sleep if that ends up being the case."

The idea was embarrassing enough and she certainly wasn't trying to take advantage or anything since her usual shyness with these matters stopped her from ever normally doing anything like that on her own.

"..Um.." She started again, addressing their host after a brief fumble. "..They need to be naked for the healing tank to work properly..correct?"

"Oh." Chuan blinked at her sudden shift in demeanour, though he seemed completely unfazed otherwise. "Yeah, I guess that's true. If that's the case, I'll just grab some food for you and Totoma. Probably some towels as well, if you need some."

[Yun Lao]

Watching on the sidelines, Meagan's eyes followed the now airborne ceramic with a certain degree of puzzlement.

Ajna whistled as he watched Charco give the whatever-the-hell-that-was' jaw quite the kick, sending him sailing. Did it twinkle as it rose up in the distance?

He swore it did that day, as he slowly sipped caffeine nirvana.

Sarada's search for Jinzi led her back to he training grounds, the last place she saw him. She arrived just in time to catch Charco boot Sasheem and his stupid toilet into the air, for no apparent reason.

Without knowing the context, she broke into raucous laughter -- though, she would have even if she did know the context. "AHAHAHAHAH! Holy ****! Take that, you piece of ****!!"

She walked up to Charco and slapped him on the back. "You just can't help yourself, can you? ****, I can't wait to see what you do to Old Kami."

The slap jarred the boy, who turned to find that he had a bit of an audience. Putting two and two together, Charco realized that his act of kindness to Sasheem might have been seen as less than kind. He figured he had to address this quickly.

"He wanted me to break his bowl."

Simple and to the point, that should be enough for them to believe him, right?

Regardless, he was thankful Sarada was here, as he could deal with her now instead of delaying the inevitable, "So...you wanted to learn how to shoot energy, right?"

[The Dog]

As Midori spoke, Ochazuke found himself again taken aback at the bluntness of the answer.

Is this the handiwork of a divine guardian as well, Kami? He thought to himself. The preposterous situation seemed at all ends to fold in on itself.

He faced down the little green android and scoffed after hearing her concerns.

"Unacceptable. If this is the conclusion you have reached, then it would be in your best interest to step away after all."

He shook his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Not all strength is measured through power. A man may go his entire life dedicated to find his limits only to resigned to stagnation as his truth," he continued, "How ironic. With your gift of an analytical mind so able to shed the superfluous things of this world, it seems this has become your paradigm as well."

He took note of Shiro's face, silently twisted in thought.

"You realize your limits in power. If there is no growth there, take the knowledge of your boundaries, analyze your experiences, and adapt your technique. Your limitation merely lies in the application of that power."

"Right, application of power and adapting your technique. Those things don't mean much when everyone around you is growing stronger and more powerful to the point where your limited power becomes far too insurmountable an obstacle. Like taking a pocket knife into a fight with a person in a tank. Your pseudo-philosophical talk and attempts at pepping us up mean nothing against that unavoidable fact." Midori muttered bitterly.

[Lord Falcon]

OOC: Haven't forgotten ya Chou, just separating the posts for clarity.
IC:


Turning his head politely to make eye contact, Ajna smiled as he met the gaze of cold steel. The voice, its tone, said that despite him. . . wait, her? The voice seemed to indicate so. I feel rude suddenly, even though I don't think I've done anything. Chuckling at his own thoughts, he had to agree whole heartedly with what she'd said, and was glad to do so.

"I'd say things went better today. No one got kidnapped. And despite the chaos, there were only minor injuries. In fact, I don't think any one was in any real danger at all." Here he paused, and looked sidelong at Asha'rah. His face didn't change its expression, but he seemed.. sadder.

"Pretty soon that will be a luxury we won't have. But at least we'll all be working side by side when it all goes down." And, hopefully, it means that when some of you get all bloodthirsty again, I don't have you lot down alone.

"I don't imagine Kami would have appreciated Mr. Pantaloon maiming her champions." Asha'rah said with a chuckle. Kami had strained herself considerably to bring the group together in the nick of time, after all. Seeming a little more downbeat, Ajna considered the battles to come. Despite his intense features and glorious mane of shocking white hair, Ajna was the most grounded member of the Kami's Champions she'd seen. He did not lust for battle, nor was he self-obsessed. Instead, he focused on the stakes, on who he was fighting to protect. She had not failed to notice that Ajna had been the first to check on the dazed miners after defeating the mage in the urn.

"Your humanity will be needed in the battles to come, Ajna. Hold onto it."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The slap jarred the boy, who turned to find that he had a bit of an audience. Putting two and two together, Charco realized that his act of kindness to Sasheem might have been seen as less than kind. He figured he had to address this quickly.

"He wanted me to break his bowl."

Simple and to the point, that should be enough for them to believe him, right?

Regardless, he was thankful Sarada was here, as he could deal with her now instead of delaying the inevitable, "So...you wanted to learn how to shoot energy, right?"

Her grin never wavered. She couldn't blame the wad of blue goop for wanting to get out of that toilet. She would too, if she were in his shoes. Speaking of, how'd he manage to get trapped in there in the first place.

Meh.

She was sure it was a very long, very pointless story so she decided to to worry about it. Besides, she had more important things to concern herself with.

'Yeah, I did. Let's get to it."

[Yun Lao]

Her grin never wavered. She couldn't blame the wad of blue goop for wanting to get out of that toilet. She would too, if she were in his shoes. Speaking of, how'd he manage to get trapped in there in the first place.

Meh.

She was sure it was a very long, very pointless story so she decided to to worry about it. Besides, she had more important things to concern herself with.

'Yeah, I did. Let's get to it."

Now came the countless questions of what exactly Sarada knew when it came to chi, ki, and what not. He could assume she knew a lot about fighting, considering she was here with everyone else, and judging by how she acted, it might be best to explain as his master had to him.

"Imagine you are on fire." He began, trying his best to remember Tyranno-sensei;s exact words. "Imagine the heat of the flame, it's shape, its intensity. Focus on it until you swear you can feel yourself growing warmer."

Extending a hand out, he aimed for an empty space on the training ground.

"Once you feel it, pull it in and push it into the palm of your hand."

A small crackle of energy sparked as a marble-sized orb of ki appeared.

"Think of how it feels to try and squeeze something large through a small opening, how the pressure builds behind it..."

He fired off the blast, letting it sail into the distance before it struck the ground with an eruption of energy.

"...and you force it out. I don't think there's an exact way of doing this, but that's how I was taught."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

She breathed out a chuckle. Jack was a good one. She was going to enjoy fighting with him as they both got stronger.

She hoisted him over her shoulder and started for the healing room. As she walked, she thought about what she was going to do before meeting Charco for their one-on-one training. A shower was certainly in order. She hadn't bathed since the night she left Vocado; she was pretty sure she stunk something fierce. Food was always on the agenda. Training and fighting always made her hungry.

Hm, what else?

Talk to the others and get to know them?

Would they even want to talk to her? She hadn't done much to endear herself to anyone but Jack. Not that she cared. If there was anything about them that was pertinent to her interests, she supposed she would find out over time. She really didn't care about the stupid idle chatter that they were getting themselves involved in. If she did partake in it, it was because she was bored and too tired to train and fight. Those occasions would few and far between.

She entered the medbay and placed Jack inside an empty healing tank after removing his clothes. Turning it on, she stepped back to look them over. They had similar ones on Vocado. In fact, all the hospitals there were filled with healing tanks. This Jinzi was an impressive man.

Healing tanks, scouters based on Saiyan technology. How did he manage to get a hold of the necessary technology?

She walked out to find Jinzi.

She finds him leaning against the outside wall of the regen tanks, observing the group of vagabond fighters he was now hosting.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

An wave of skepticism hit the young woman at his change of body language. They were a lot more stiff? She guessed the word she was looking for. "I don't expect to be able to learn it over night, no. Anything at this point I'm willing to try for healing, save magic. I had the reverse effect when I first tried it." Internal arts sounded dangerous though, but it was more healing.

It wasn't like her bad healing was going to transfer to this too and make people rupture from the inside.




"She wouldn't let you hear the end of it." Karine agreed, a slow smile forming. There was no doubt in her mind the training sessions if she had been alive to catch Totoma back up to snuff so to speak would of been a tale in itself. She was fortunate Tatsure hadn't taken an interest in her own potential, since while she had gotten along with them there was no doubt the training looked something out a fictional training manual. That was, of course, assuming you didn't know any better.

Then Totoma's face shifted from jovial, to conflicted concern and her own expression softened. "There's no doubt being a Sayain and from that culture she wished you kept up your training, but I think she'd understand. In her own way. Kindness in the traditional sense was different due to her upbringing but I think she'd get that too.."

That was something else she needed to discuss later in private with them, among other things. Her father may not want wish to come back, even if she did bring it up.

Soon, it seemed they drifted off into a half sleep and she turned to Chuan. The next part of the of what probably needed to be done made her nervous, face turning bright red again. "I..I believe in order for these healing tanks to work properly..but he'd probably be more comfortable with me doing it even if they're half sleep if that ends up being the case."

The idea was embarrassing enough and she certainly wasn't trying to take advantage or anything since her usual shyness with these matters stopped her from ever normally doing anything like that on her own.

"..Um.." She started again, addressing their host after a brief fumble. "..They need to be naked for the healing tank to work properly..correct?"

Jinzi smirks, but shakes his head.

"Underwear is fine, no need to be naked. My tech's a bit better than what you'll find off planet, after all."

[Tami]

Now came the countless questions of what exactly Sarada knew when it came to chi, ki, and what not. He could assume she knew a lot about fighting, considering she was here with everyone else, and judging by how she acted, it might be best to explain as his master had to him.

"Imagine you are on fire." He began, trying his best to remember Tyranno-sensei;s exact words. "Imagine the heat of the flame, it's shape, its intensity. Focus on it until you swear you can feel yourself growing warmer."

Extending a hand out, he aimed for an empty space on the training ground.

"Once you feel it, pull it in and push it into the palm of your hand."

A small crackle of energy sparked as a marble-sized orb of ki appeared.

"Think of how it feels to try and squeeze something large through a small opening, how the pressure builds behind it..."

He fired off the blast, letting it sail into the distance before it struck the ground with an eruption of energy.

"...and you force it out. I don't think there's an exact way of doing this, but that's how I was taught."

"Not quite how I learned it, but to each his or her own." Meagan spoke up, "I have a feeling that, what's his name, Sasheem? Wanted you to Ki blast his ceramic prison. I doubt physical methods would work or he would have been freed of it a long time ago."

[grampagen]

"Right, application of power and adapting your technique. Those things don't mean much when everyone around you is growing stronger and more powerful to the point where your limited power becomes far too insurmountable an obstacle. Like taking a pocket knife into a fight with a person in a tank. Your pseudo-philosophical talk and attempts at pepping us up mean nothing against that unavoidable fact." Midori muttered bitterly.

A mechanical mind without an ounce of heart.

What a waste.

"Here is another unavoidable fact. Tether yourself to your limit and you shall never amount to anything more," he said," "But I am no engineer, machinesmith, or scientist. Speaking as one that would be your comrade under the circimstances, however, a person who hasn't the courage to take a step forward lives as if bound to air, waiting for an invisible door to open their way."

But these artificial humans could decide their own fate. As it was, Ochazuke was simply wasting his time.

"For what it's worth, a man in a tank is still a man. Rise up by what means you have."

Once he had said his piece he walked off.

[Yun Lao]

"Not quite how I learned it, but to each his or her own." Meagan spoke up, "I have a feeling that, what's his name, Sasheem? Wanted you to Ki blast his ceramic prison. I doubt physical methods would work or he would have been freed of it a long time ago."

"Yeah, I think I might have messed up there. I just figured it was normal porcelain, yanno?"

[KingofPie]

Sasheem continued to sleep pleasantly up until he'd heard laughter. But whose? Sounded a bit like...the monkey girl's. What was she finding so funny? Sasheem let the thought pass as she seemed far away either way. He was certain she'd do something to offend him later.

The Majin didn't open his eyes quite yet, the wind pressure seemed to have picked up immensely. Was it because the human was charging up? He manipulated the environment with his ki that much?! The idea that humans were this powerful was a bit troubling to Sasheem and as he opened his eyes, he...

Hey wait....something didn't quite seem right...

"Eh?" Sasheem uttered seconds before he suddenly splattered across the ceiling of Jinzi's artificial sky. In what seemed like an eternity, he slowly peeled himself off the wall and began to fall back towards the ground with a small dust cloud surrounding his body.

[rhyvurg]

Adam approaches the other android, interrupting. "You are the strongest autonomous artificial being I have encountered. Explain your functions, components and construction." As it speaks, it's face briefly takes on Asha'rah's features. It's voice is deep and highly digitalized, almost shockingly primitive.

"I don't imagine Kami would have appreciated Mr. Pantaloon maiming her champions." Asha'rah said with a chuckle. Kami had strained herself considerably to bring the group together in the nick of time, after all. Seeming a little more downbeat, Ajna considered the battles to come. Despite his intense features and glorious mane of shocking white hair, Ajna was the most grounded member of the Kami's Champions she'd seen. He did not lust for battle, nor was he self-obsessed. Instead, he focused on the stakes, on who he was fighting to protect. She had not failed to notice that Ajna had been the first to check on the dazed miners after defeating the mage in the urn.

"Your humanity will be needed in the battles to come, Ajna. Hold onto it."

Bumping this.

[Miburo]

Ishtar nodded, calmly.

It was to be understood, Held's skepticism. The Afterlife was not a place many found out about until after they died. Though ... the specifics of the place itself were complicated. So many separate heavens, just as many versions of hell. The Afterlife was merely the place in between. For those killed prematurely, and for those in need of sorting. Though she was surprised he seemed to be wholly unfamiliar.

"Moved away is ... apt." The Oni finally responded. "There was a ... divergence. The woman I was, was not the woman I ultimately wanted to be; so I left." She smiled softly then, before shrugging. "Though that long-forgotten history will likely do little more than bore you, I feel."

He asked after why she had come to Earth then; and she had thought she knew- and in fact did- but the reason had been obscured by Kami. Thinking it over carefully before replying to the second question, she shifted her weight slightly before shaking her head.

"No, and yes. I came for reasons that are my own. Looking for something I thought could be found in Dusk City. Though the more I think about the past day's events, the more I realize I my course- and timeline- were manipulated by Kami... and I realize also, that it is a dangerous game the little young godling plays." But her supposing would lead to nowhere, when there were answers yet to learn.

There was however, one more thing to say.

"That is why I learned I had come. My believed reason, was to find a reply to the one who showed me that my former home- the place where time holds no meaning- was nothing more than a thinly veiled prison. I feel I may yet find an answer, but for now I will assist this world's Kami."

"I get it...." Held said slowly, carefully considering her words.

Her way of speaking was a bit more....archaic? Formal?

Either way, it was somewhat more distinct than the Nevadian was used to. It took some consideration us his part to reach an understanding with her. Timelines, afterlives, alternate selves...It was slightly beyond the Nevadian.

But, he could understand how she felt, at the very least.

He could understand that she felt trapped, deceived...Perhaps confused even. And there was something she wanted to prove, even.

"Well, I get what you mean."

He chuckled slightly, admitting the truth to both himself, and her.

"Well... Not exactly what you said. Well, not yet, anyways. Maybe some day if I'm lucky."

Still......I wish I had brought my notebook. I'd have to have a study session to decipher most of that......

"As for the Kami's, I don't really get all that...But, if I owe Kami...Er.."

I wish they had normal names...But what did she mean by games? I feel like I wandered into the deep end with this one...

"New Kami one, and if the result to me minding my own business is this world ending....."

He paused, the rumbling of his stomach ending his sentence abruptly.

"...Actually, let's jot that down for later." he said, sounding slightly embarrassed, as he shifted the spear slightly beneath his body weight.

"Someone seems to think I've got my priorities mixed."

[grampagen]

She finds him leaning against the outside wall of the regen tanks, observing the group of vagabond fighters he was now hosting.

Having wandered off from the training arena, Ochazuke came to their host. From his initially manic presentation, he found the visage of Pantaloon oddly focussed, meticulously reserved, in his observations.

When he hears the voice of a purported god and accepts the charge, how does a man of his intellect process what he sees before him? This subterranean city was created to prepare them for the battle to come, a monument to his ingenuity and scientific acumen.

What sort of information did he glean from their test?

He walked on the path towards him and stopped before their gracious host.

"If I did not know any better, I would expect that as much as we get from your facility, there's something about our group that has your attention as well."