Yeah, but if you... man, we're getting into weird analogy territory, like if you disintegrated Superman's arms he wouldn't be able to go "fool! Little did you know that my arms and I are one and can be remade from me!" and will his arms back into being from pure nothingness. - Pendaran
Arx Inosaan
It had been some time since Charco had raided the kitchen, and surprisingly, no one showed up to steal his food; a miracle if one were to ever see it. With the passage of time, the teen chose to picked up one of the tomes Mrs. Duck had nearly decapitated him with back in Dusk City. Bound in fade blue dyed leather, the book had no title, and its first few pages was a rambling mess of a foreword by its author, a Mr. Jorg Fourmen. Jorg explained the purpose of these tomes, the history behind their recordings, and people who could only be deemed "weirdos".
Charco was close to tossing the book in the garbage, but was stopped in his tracks when he came across something familiar. It was an explanation of the Ankylo Smash, in both its execution and the philosophy behind it. He had always assumed Tyranno-sensei, his grandmother, had created all of the techniques she had taught him, but it appeared that wasn't the case. The next few pages went to describe a technique he had not encountered during his previous training.
"Defense, eh? Hm..."
While it seemed bizarre for a style like his to even think of defense, nonetheless create methods to achieve it, the last few conflicts had been pretty painful. Maybe it was worth a shot?
Thus, moments later, he would return to the scene of many crimes...his and Chou's crimes to be exact. A quick glance to the tome, and he began to shift his stance to better match what was depicted. "...so...project your ki from your entire body...and what?" Reading ahead a bit, he closed the manual and tossed it aside near a pile of his valuables. The book had mentioned a risk of explosion, so it seemed only wise to keep keep fragile objects a safe distance.
Further widening his stance for comfort, he clenched his hands as he began to manipulate the chi within his body in order it protrude it as ki. His muscles tensed and bulged against taut flesh, forcing the outline of veins to become visible. A crackle of energy appeared, a brief spark of green resulting from otherwise pointless exertion. It was far too early to celebrate, as the tome had described it as a full aura. A low growl of frustration rumbled from his chest as the straining was becoming uncomfortable, yet he saw more encouragement as another arc of energy appeared and the left over rumble began to rise.
Unfortunately, it was too much and he immediately lost focus. The tension was gone, and he took a deep gasp for air, causing stars to line the edges of his vision. Falling backwards onto his ass, the previously floating rubble came down along with him.
"Jeez! Whoever discovered this out must have had a bad case of constipation."
He reciprocated with a wordless sigh, nodding his head in a lamentful understanding, followed by a small chuckle.
"Good man."
Ochazuke would hardly doubt what Held said. It must be a matter of great importance that currently occupied the oni deeper in the facility.
"She's lost enough today. Walking the path set before us is as treacherous as balancing astride a fissure atop a frozen lake."
Curse fate. Blame Kami. But it was all them. The choices of foolish mortals were but a single push to becoming foolish mortal choices.
Restless was one way of putting it. Baring his soul and asserting himself to death's dark shroud left him with a certain level of awareness, and it was knowledge borne uneasily.He looked over Ochazuke, attempting to discern his own reason for being in the area.
"And what about you? Was there something you were looking for? Or are you one of those types who get, say we say, restless?"
It was a polite term for those who could not resist the call of battle for more than a few moments, and this facility was certainly filled with them. Even as he walked the halls, all manner of sparring matches seemed to be taking place, not that he could find much fault in their reasoning. The time until they had to act could be measured in days, with a new enemy poised to attack at any hour.
Perhaps it's was vigilance, and renewed motivation that had pushed them so.
Light a beacon in the darkness and all matter of hidden things turn their heads towards you from the shadows.
"I find little comfort in rest, and even less in dreams," he said plainly, "Dreams of power are merely an idle surface luxury without the grit to realize them."
A twist in the wind, danger, and a flood of destruction at a moment's whim. Such a fickle clash of wills from a group supposedly banded. In the moment, perhaps Ochazuke sought the confidence of a second set of eyes that there was something of a shared perspective.
"I find once you've set your eye on a goal, you've decided where you shall plateau."
Totoma's fist drove into Jack shoulder, but immediately after, he would find Jack's arms wrapping around the offending limb, and legs warping around his torso in a traditional armbar, "Joker's Joint Lock!" Jack called out as the two of them fell to the ground.
"Hey...Totoma...what's a swimsuit?" Jack asked as he tried to force to other man into submission, "Don't people usually just swim in their underwear?" Jack suddenly imagined Sarada swimming out on some lake somewhere, in her underwear. Which wasn't hard considering she was largely exposed early at that day. Jack's grip loosened just a tad as the image passed through his mind.
Nice...
"Oh.....I'm surprised she hasn't already eaten it or some such nonsense." Etrina waved dismissively. "But I'm pleased to hear she has been of use. Normally she would require near constant observation just to keep in check.....the impact of her antics is lowered considerably when everyone else is equal if not worse. You at least must have your head if you can handle her that easily."
How did she feel after everything that had happened? She..honestly wasn't sure. Before Totoma had woken up she had a slight break down after nearly dying before putting those pieces together and kept going. Karine wasn't sure if she was 'okay' entirely now but she was functional at least.
"I've been better, but I can't complain too much." Karine said choosing her answer a bit carefully, no point in dragging anyone else down in her convoluted mess. She'd be fine, at least she was doing better then Ishstar who was completely off kilter at the moment. "The mess with the intruders gave me a few things to think about. There are other things that worry me but they're beyond my control to do anything at the moment so I'm trying not to focus on them."
Ishstar was one of those things while the general fragility of her own life and others was another. Not only had she nearly died, Isthar had been critically injured both physically and emotionally along with Totoma being wounded again. If things had gotten just a slight more out of hand, she could only imagine how bad it may have been.
"If its not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could teach me to meditate properly? You said you're not a monk but I imagine a lot of the practices you learned from them." There was absolutely no harm in asking the woman, as the worse she could do was decline in which case she'd just scout around. Her main reason for asking was being more pro active in controlling her own power, and to do that it meant having a calmer and clearer mind when it was needed the most.
Karine allowed a slow small smile. "It is. Back when my people were in larger numbers it was actually the name of a few noble houses when nobility wasn't just a thing in history books. The name goes a bit back, but I can't recall all the details of it since a lot has been lost since then. I think I recall your family name, its from a family of mages if its one in the same, Perhaps we can exchange notes some time? Most of the other people around are Ki users and don't use any form of magic."
The hollow clink and quiet slurping from spoon against bowl informed the Dino-ryu pupil that he wasn't the only one in the dining hall. Ochazuke, chewing a piece of stewed saurian tripe, watched Charco attempt the technique as he ate, quiet as a captive critic. He emptied his bowl of ginger, scallions, and guts, and swallowed.
"Fresh from the battle and straight into practice," he noted, "Your martial discipline is extraordinary."
He remembered how Chaco, battered and bleeding from fighting the Darkness of Chou, still rose up and gave him his support.
"For what you did out there, you have my thanks."
She couldn't argue that point. How could anyone, after reflecting on the mishaps that had happened the last two days? Teammates injuring each other as a result of callous inattention and carelessness. "Fair enough."
But, who qualified as capable? Jinzi? He would surely be too busy to care for Kami and whatever injuries she would incurred during her captivity, but he was certainly the most qualified out of all them. Other than that, the options seemed limited, unless Kami or Jinzi knew of someone else.
He's certainly a serious one.....He reminds me of someone, but I can't quite place it.
The Nevadian went silent for a moment, parsing the words spoken by his comrade in arms. Although his way of speaking way a tad unfamiliar to the Nevadian, it was positively plain compared to antiquated way of speaking Ishtar had used when addressing him.
I guess that's a yes, then? I can't say I'm surprised. He seems like the one who takes his art the most serious, I'd wager. It's practically emanating from his being...
Ochazuke was almost overwhelming in his intensity. He had assumed that--when they had first met--it was due to the stress behind the encounter, all that was at stake. He now realized that, no. This was Ochazuke, at the core of his being.
Goals? Plateau?
His head shifted to the side, the mans observation causing the Nevadian to ponder his own experience.
It was the Nevadians own goal that had led him to this place, after all. It was one of the few things that kept him from simply basking in the--until now--realitively carefree life this world had to offer him.
Although he had joined Kami's quest out of a debt for his life, he had pursued Jinzi--and others like him-- for his own interests. There were very few on this world who possessed the ability to make a ship to travel among the stars, and even fewer to navigate the hazards that existed deep in Nevadian space. The asteroid belt on the edge of that galaxy had made it somewhat annoying for even Saiyans to attempt anything too aggressive.
And although he had strayed on his journey, getting distracted by all manner of curiosities, distractions and merriment, it was this goal that had kept Held from being swallowed by the life that he had come to enjoy on this planet. There were no raids, there were no missions, there was no planet pushing its own inhabitants from where they rightfully belonged. It was liberating, and yet....
"No dream lasts forever." He admitted, nodding his head in agreement, "Sooner or later, I think we'll always either pursuing what we want, or casting it aside."
Of course, no sooner than he had finally found way to obtain what he had sought---or at least the possibility---This world--it's guardian-- sought him out, in need of his talents to save it and it's peoples. If only Nevada had a guardian so devoted to it and it's people. Of course, out of gratitude, and out of guilt, he accepted the task.
If nothing else, accomplishing this task, would make soliciting aid for his own goals, that much more attainable.
"I suppose it depends on the person, and the goal." He responded at last to the man's statement. "I'd imagine men stranded on island might have many thoughts, but only one thing they truly want, no?"
Holy crap! Charco was definitely not expecting Ochazuke to be there!
It was definitely a better sight to see him than some of the others, though. He still hadn't figured out how he would interact with Erosa should they ever end up having to for some reason. Still, the last time he recalled seeing Ochazuke was when the other was orchestrating the final series of attacks that put Dark Chou down for good.
"No need to thank me. After all, you were who figured out the trick to beating that guy...demon...thing...I never really got filled in on what happened there."
Now that he thought of it, he didn't really know much about a majority of the others, including Ochazuke. "I don't remember introducing myself, but I'm Ogatan Charco of the Dino School."
"You neglect the wide disparity in strength between ourselves, even collectively, Kami and Fife. While it would a tremendous, even fatal, drain of energy on her part, the display of force she demonstrated only this morning is proof enough that we should not overestimate our ability to inconvenience her." Koorimaru retorted, "On the other hand, even if only through the aid of allies like your cousin, Fife is likely far more dangerous a foe than Kami. That he has been successful in his attempts to coerce all his allies, individuals whom none of us alone, even now, would be able to pose a challenge to, demonstrates that he is at a level of power we cannot take lightly.
"Even assuming the idiocy of our peers remains a constant for the remainder of our sojourn together, her chances of surviving us are greater than her chances of surviving Fife should he have reason to be rid of her. But, your suggestion that she be placed in more cautious hands has credit. Truth told, if we kept her around us, it would be less to secure her safety and more to make use of her strength to make sure we don't tear one another apart."
"Well said," he chuckled, "I see it's much the same on this world as it is among the stars. Desire strings us along, but it's never enough."
Desire. For strength? For approval? Right now, Ochazuke was caught up in the conversation to take in the surface absurdity that he was talking to an alien about these mortal matters.
"Fighting for the sake of another's dream, however, is something I cannot do. But neither can I be idle while lives are cast aside in the name of a fallen god."
"Heh. Are we all then staring into the sun waiting to die until heat or thirst take us?"Of course, no sooner than he had finally found way to obtain what he had sought---or at least the possibility---This world--it's guardian-- sought him out, in need of his talents to save it and it's peoples. If only Nevada had a guardian so devoted to it and it's people. Of course, out of gratitude, and out of guilt, he accepted the task.
If nothing else, accomplishing this task, would make soliciting aid for his own goals, that much more attainable.
"I suppose it depends on the person, and the goal." He responded at last to the man's statement. "I'd imagine men stranded on island might have many thoughts, but only one thing they truly want, no?"
A morbid joke, but Held's thought expressed a peculiar sort of insight. Ochazuke imagined it might have been from experience.
"I'd prefer to find a way out. Kami, Pantaloon, have given us the means to the best of their ability."
What does an offworlder want with a blue planet? He'd not pursued violence like Sarada, nor did he seem at all fixated on these wishing baubles for what purpose Koorimaru craved. If he could have left, would he? Was being embroiled in this war the only thing that held him here, ransom to the promises of Kami?
"The pursuits of this Fallen God..." Ochazuke paused. Swallowing the words, he rephrased as if it would somehow diminish the power of the being in some way, "Fife...would be akin to the man who lashes together the bodies of his dead fellows and call the abominable construct a raft, and consider it no more. Divinity slipped through his fingers, it seems he would raze everything to the ground so long as he was the one standing on top. And he would call himself 'guardian'."
He sighed as he continued the darkened reverie, "You can feel it too, can't you? The weight of the Dragonball."
Ochazuke nodded in acknowledgment, and reciprocated, offering his name in turn.
Of course, the other day, the name 'Charco' was on the tip of the tongue of many who were caught up in the jaws of the boy's beastly technique. The less said about that the better.
"There was no trick to it. You know this well," he said, "A man must confront his darkness and assert himself."
Or falter and loose his ruin upon the world.
Standing he made his way over to where Charco was. Turning his head to the side, he looked him over appraising some unknown quality.
"I've disturbed your training, haven't I," he chuckled, "recreating old arts, that is a task that requires dedication."
Taking a few steps away, he thumbed his chin thoughtfully before turning around to face Charco.
"Show it to me once more."
Black Knight of SO
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