Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"If you trust him, then I do so as well. I just ask because some of the members of this team tend to be very... overenthusiastic, and that enthusiasm can cause more than a little collateral damage." Shiro said.

Jinzi sweat drops a bit at that.

“That...is very true.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Both options did appeal to her, she could continue and push herself even further or go about learning a thing or two. With the former at least, it wasn't like she wouldn't have time to train and spar with other more skilled people then herself, but learning a technique or two didn't come everyday.

"I think for now, I'll call it in. I can sense energy but improving it wouldn't hurt, and I cannot fly just yet so I'd be happy to learn. So, perhaps I could learn and then we can speak in private after?"

“Of course.”

For the next thirty or so minutes, she shows Karine how to better tune her sensing and how to fly.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The indignity.

To be hunch over a filthy public toilet, groaning pathetically to futilely mask the disgusting noises she was making while the contents if her lower intestines were forcibly ejected from her rectum was too much to bear. The humiliation Sarada felt at her current predicament was crippling.

She growled impotently and balled her hands into fists. "I swear," she seethed, "I'm gonna feed that bitch her teeth!"

It was that bitch waitress. There was no doubt about it. If she wasn't directly responsible, then she played a hand. She planted the idea in the cook's head.

She was fortunate she managed to get her armor and tights off before the explosion detonated. It would have been beyond embarrassing to have to ask Jinzi to wash it for her.

Just wait until I get out of here. You're gonna have to forcibly eject my foot from your ass.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sasheem completely agreed with her assessment that his surface swimming was amazing. That was the benefit of knowing a bit of magic in addition to ki techniques. But he didn't bask in praise for long, as Kami's second question made his face contort into a frown.

Flying...well he USED to be able to, but...Sasheem pointed at the toilet. "N...no fly! Stoo..pid...toilet!" He stated with a snarl, hitting the damned thing with his fists.

“Well, I can’t teach you to fly while in your...confinement. I can however show you the same technique I showed Ishtar. Care to learn how to jump high enough to fight flying enemies better?”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The indignity.

To be hunch over a filthy public toilet, groaning pathetically to futilely mask the disgusting noises she was making while the contents if her lower intestines were forcibly ejected from her rectum was too much to bear. The humiliation Sarada felt at her current predicament was crippling.

She growled impotently and balled her hands into fists. "I swear," she seethed, "I'm gonna feed that bitch her teeth!"

It was that bitch waitress. There was no doubt about it. If she wasn't directly responsible, then she played a hand. She planted the idea in the cook's head.

She was fortunate she managed to get her armor and tights off before the explosion detonated. It would have been beyond embarrassing to have to ask Jinzi to wash it for her.

Just wait until I get out of here. You're gonna have to forcibly eject my foot from your ass.

Sarada’s Saiyan body was handling it better than a human’s would. While the bathroom problems finally ended, her stomach was still a little flip-floppy. She’ll be nauseous for a bit, but otherwise has recovered enough to leave.

[The Chou Lives]

“ That’s not necessary. I am sure you can handle yourselves just fine.” Now it smells like a trap, or a test.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

They have been there at least half an hour now and the first ten large take out orders for Zaofan are ready, by the way.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"Only so long as benefit comes of it," Ishtar replied. "Though ... That is in part why I approached." The Oni held up the prosthetic, the loss of everything below the forearm apparent.

"I ... Have a few questions, and perhaps a suggestion. Unless you would rather discuss our failings?"

OT: This missed by chance?

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sarada’s Saiyan body was handling it better than a human’s would. While the bathroom problems finally ended, her stomach was still a little flip-floppy. She’ll be nauseous for a bit, but otherwise has recovered enough to leave.

The last of it was over, by her estimation. Sarada still felt funny, but well enough to leave that shithole -- ugh! -- and rejoin her friends. Her appetite was gone, unfortunately.

She cleaned herself thoroughly and redressed, then washed her hands.

Her eyes cast over her reflection in the mirror. Jinzi and Kami would want me to be on my best behavior. That's the only reason why I won't kill her. I have to think of something else. I can't just let this slide!

Sarada found some air freshener and sprayed it around herself like it was deodorant, then marched out of the restroom and back to the table.

[The Chou Lives]

They have been there at least half an hour now and the first ten large take out orders for Zaofan are ready, by the way.

“ Well time my magician skills came in handy.” As he lifts the bags with his tk, multi tasking beautiful.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

OT: This missed by chance?

Jinzi takes the arm and nods.

“Please, sit with me.”

He sits and swings his legs over the edge.

[MrSandman]

The last of it was over, by her estimation. Sarada still felt funny, but well enough to leave that shithole -- ugh! -- and rejoin her friends. Her appetite was gone, unfortunately.

She cleaned herself thoroughly and redressed, then washed her hands.

Her eyes cast over her reflection in the mirror. Jinzi and Kami would want me to be on my best behavior. That's the only reason why I won't kill her. I have to think of something else. I can't just let this slide!

Sarada found some air freshener and sprayed it around herself like it was deodorant, then marched out of the restroom and back to the table.

Waiting halfway between the table and the restroom, Etrina stood with her arms crossed, examining some of the decour. As Sarada passed by she gave an audible sniff and turned to look with a puzzled expression. “Is that....lemon?”

[grampagen]

What did he see?

On the surface, a simple question. He could offer technical analysis aplenty, reasoning behind the attacks and so on and so forth, but judging from that 'relationship of wills' comment, Ochazuke expected a... deeper analysis. The why they fought, rather than the how they fought.

He'd always been an... instinctual fighter. That is, he had an excellent natural fighting instinct, and mostly just went into a weird... almost zen-like state while fighting. Yeah, sure, sometimes that state was broken by anger or fear, but, mostly, he didn't care about why his opponent was fighting or even why he himself was fighting, only that he was fighting. There was an opponent in front of him that needed to be defeated, and that was enough.

He thought for a while, eyes focused on the fight. Finally, he spoke.

"Kami... what drives her, at least in this moment, is a desire to get a measure of her opponent's abilities. Form, techniques, strengths, weaknesses, mentality, and so on. Beyond that momentary level, she seeks to use that knowledge to better her champions--us--one-by-one, so that we can carry out the task of defeating Fife. And beyond all that... her duty as guardian, to ensure that the Earth continues to exist and prosper, in spite of the odds."

"...on a personal level, I... would say she wants her pain and sacrifices to have been worth it. She doesn't want her long life to have been in vain," said Totoma. "And, ultimately, we're tools to help facilitate that, and if we happen to grow as people in the process, then... icing on the cake."

His gaze shifted to Karine. "As for Karine... uh, well, my closeness to her, paradoxically, makes her harder to read. I've known her for most of my life and I still don't understand her. But if I had to try..."

He crossed his arms, tapping an index finger on his bicep. "...not anything quite as grand as Kami. She wants to better herself so she can protect those she cares about. And... live up to her father's legacy, I think. Maybe her people's legacy, too. And..."

Totoma paused again, for a brief moment. "...to never lose control, either of herself or a situation."

“You can see it then. A warrior brings everything they have into the confrontation with them. It is as integral as it is unavoidable, the foundation of character.”*

“There are those who would seek to lose themselves in the moment of the battle, blind to everything but the all-consuming death-instinct to survive. But being consumed by the task at hand is to surrender your life to be nothing more than a vessel for the ephemeral moment.”

He remembered the words Totoma had with Kami hours earlier.

“Everything about one's life has brought them here to this moment until they now face the opponent befor ethem. If they felt themselves to be any less than they are, then their minds become blurred. It is like losing your footing as soon as you stand. From the thoughts of action to the realization of intention, how much time would be lost trying not to slip? How many more waking moments can we be afforded to lose?”

Boy would it be funny if Mister Ochazuke wanted a technical analysis, only to get his half-baked psychoanalysis. Actually, no, that'd be horrible.

"Or if you're interested in my expert technical analysis... she snuck through the shadows and kicked her in the groin!"

The snicker following the comment would make it obvious that the comment was in pure jest.

After a moment, the snickering subsided and Totoma's expression hardened again. "Sorry, I tend to make jokes when forced out of my comfort zone."

Gathering for a moment's reply, Ochazuke's lips pressed and Totoma could hear a faint grinding*. Seeing the fighters before him, he remembered himself, though words failed him after Totoma once again caught him off-guard.

But now knowing the younger man's powers of observation were intuitively grasping of so much more than the surface conflict, Ochazuke closed his eyes, inhaled stiffly and held the breath.

“...apt, in a fashion. But it is not the method, but the matter we must be aware of. Observe further.”

Karine briefly frowned at the reveal of an after image. Of course it be one..

She already knew the very moment that had happened, they would likely either cross the distance to attack, or launch an assault on another angle. In this case it turned out to be the former, but having thought of it was different from the reality of the attack itself. It still slightly took her off guard, but she did manage to catch the kick, shadows forming around the offending arm to keep them in place more. Her free hand, coated slightly in that same energy went to deliver a body blow towards her stomach.

The idea was to use Kami's speed and momentum against them to throw them off balance and deliver a counter attack. Whether that work or not remained to be seen.

The blow indeed lands and Kami is caught off guard, doubling over slightly from the impact.

“The difference in power is plain. The untrained eye can ascertain this. But

“Though they are opposing forces, they are integrated as one relationship in this moment. The realization of their relationship to one another colours their actions."

Karine's salvo fell upon Kami's afterimage, fading away and shifting their positions. "Ki gives them the tools to realize their will. But understanding the difference and accepting it are two different things.”

Karine seized the advantageous position, leveraged her power and landed her blow on Kami successfully.

“When power fails, then, to accept no limitations, that is the emergence of a person's truth realized in a perfect moment. The intention forms effortlessly, and a move is made without hesitation, intuitively, without a weighted thought.”

[Cyke]

They have been there at least half an hour now and the first ten large take out orders for Zaofan are ready, by the way.

“ Well time my magician skills came in handy.” As he lifts the bags with his tk, multi tasking beautiful.

Up at the counter, Zaofan thanks Chou and speaks to the bartender. "You have salads, right? And also, full on vegetarian meals? I'd like a few of those, too. On top of the previous orders. Thanks."

Zaofan then turned around and leaned against the bar with his elbows. Sarada wasn't anywhere to be found, but the other seemed to be enjoying themselves. Jack seemed to be... occupied... at the moment. Best to leave him be.

But the waitress spoke of Brutus, who once came third in the tournament. He must have been formidable indeed. Thus, Zaofan began to sense his ki -- Yes, there he is. Definitely in the kitchen. But ... that strength! That powerlevel! He's strong!

...and he's a cook, too? I wonder if he's a kindred spirit. Why did he stop competing? Or... if he's running a place like this, would he be friend or foe?

[KingofPie]

“Well, I can’t teach you to fly while in your...confinement. I can however show you the same technique I showed Ishtar. Care to learn how to jump high enough to fight flying enemies better?”

Sasheem seemed reluctant at first but eventually reneged with a nod and an, "Engh."