Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

OT: For Cleric.

Inanna finds a good primer in blood magic. She learns how to actually use her blood in appropriate amounts, unlike her tendency to just cut and go.

She also finds basic blood magic spells, much as she already knew, and at least one she doesn’t. A means to scry through familial flood or personal ties.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Caliban shrugs.

“Ain’t stolen, little miss. Ain’t in my nature. Took Pui’s maps, took everyone’s maps, and made ‘em work together. They still have the physical maps, I just copied ‘em. ‘Sides, belonged to me anyways.”

He cocks his head.

“Not that it matters. You ain’t gonna tell no one. Fer sure.”

She looked at him blankly, wondering if the goblin was joking. When she realized he was serious, she sighed. "Copying what doesn't belong to you without permission of the owner is actually the literal definition of stealing. One of them, anyway." She shook her head.

She was loathe to actually speak significantly with a drunken lout, but she had no choice. Certain routes and locations were dangerous. Them being in the hands of someone as shady as Caliban made her nervous. If she couldn't coax these two into giving it to her so she could return it to him, then she would have to let him know once she returned to Earth. He could handle things from there as he saw fit.

"I won't?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Is that so? Because as I see it, that map is too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands, and Nevada has a right to see the return of its property post-haste. Now, whether you're willing to do this the easy way or the hard way is the real question."

She stood up straight and backed away a step to that both Pui - and her rifle - and Caliban were both in her field of view. Eyes narrowed, Observational Focus narrowed her attention to both of them. If they were hiding anything, she would find out.

"What's it going to be?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

She looked at him blankly, wondering if the goblin was joking. When she realized he was serious, she sighed. "Copying what doesn't belong to you without permission of the owner is actually the literal definition of stealing. One of them, anyway." She shook her head.

She was loathe to actually speak significantly with a drunken lout, but she had no choice. Certain routes and locations were dangerous. Them being in the hands of someone as shady as Caliban made her nervous. If she couldn't coax these two into giving it to her so she could return it to him, then she would have to let him know once she returned to Earth. He could handle things from there as he saw fit.

"I won't?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Is that so? Because as I see it, that map is too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands, and Nevada has a right to see the return of its property post-haste. Now, whether you're willing to do this the easy way or the hard way is the real question."

She stood up straight and backed away a step to that both Pui - and her rifle - and Caliban were both in her field of view. Eyes narrowed, Observational Focus narrowed her attention to both of them. If they were hiding anything, she would find out.

"What's it going to be?"

Pui steps back, looking at Caliban. The goblin nods.

“Go on, Pui. Get outta here. This don’t concern ya, Miss. Caliban ‘il sort of out.”

Pui nods and slowly, making no sudden movements, removes her work apron and walks outside, taking an umbrella with her.

Caliban looks at Parsley, and for just a single moment, Parsley sees something....vast....in Caliban’s eyes. Her Observational Focus detects...Creational energy?....then it vanished.

As does her Observational Focus as Parskey loses all her ki ability, just like in the Rookery.

“See now, Miss. don’t take kindly to being called thief. Don’t take kindly to threats either.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Inanna finds a good primer in blood magic. She learns how to actually use her blood in appropriate amounts, unlike her tendency to just cut and go.

She also finds basic blood magic spells, much as she already knew, and at least one she doesn’t. A means to scry through familial flood or personal ties.

Inanna squints at the book, unsure of what she's reading. That's it? The long-hidden secrets of Threshling Blood Magic? Blood Rationing, and scrying? It almost beggared belief. Yet the more she flipped through those ancient pages, the more she realized that was in fact what was on offer. A book for novices, more than anything. Inanna herself had long since passed the need to ration her blood; the strength and her regenerative healing factor negating such concerns.

So in a word, useless. This book was largely useless as far as Inanna was concerned. Though... "At the very least this will help Parsley." Inanna muttered, closing the book and turning toward the forge.

The last curiosity.

Which itself seemed simple enough... but as with most equipment one was not familiar with; it served best to check and test before settling in to work.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Pui steps back, looking at Caliban. The goblin nods.

“Go on, Pui. Get outta here. This don’t concern ya, Miss. Caliban ‘il sort of out.”

Pui nods and slowly, making no sudden movements, removes her work apron and walks outside, taking an umbrella with her.

Caliban looks at Parsley, and for just a single moment, Parsley sees something....vast....in Caliban’s eyes. Her Observational Focus detects...Creational energy?....then it vanished.

As does her Observational Focus as Parskey loses all her ki ability, just like in the Rookery.

“See now, Miss. don’t take kindly to being called thief. Don’t take kindly to threats either.”

"..."

As Pui left, Parsley made no attempt to follow her or try to stop her. Her eyes couldn't leave Caliban for one, and for another, she was frozen. Not out of fear or compulsion, but absolute shock.

She saw it, just before her observational skill cut out. Her ki powers also cut out, just like in the Rookery. Unlike then, she knew why. Back then, she assumed it was the nature of the building she was in, in order to force the patrons to keep the peace and minimize damage if a scrap between drunken buffoons broke out. That may have been true for them, but she realized right then, at that moment, that it wasn't the building.

It was him.

She recognized it from when she scanned Maiz, and from being near Eva and Asha'rah so often. By that point, she recognized Creation Energy as well as she did ki or magic.

She licked her lips. "So, standing before me is kin of Lady Asha'rah and Shek'hinah," she said, voice low. "I didn't think I would meet another God slumming it with mortals."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Inanna squints at the book, unsure of what she's reading. That's it? The long-hidden secrets of Threshling Blood Magic? Blood Rationing, and scrying? It almost beggared belief. Yet the more she flipped through those ancient pages, the more she realized that was in fact what was on offer. A book for novices, more than anything. Inanna herself had long since passed the need to ration her blood; the strength and her regenerative healing factor negating such concerns.

So in a word, useless. This book was largely useless as far as Inanna was concerned. Though... "At the very least this will help Parsley." Inanna muttered, closing the book and turning toward the forge.

The last curiosity.

Which itself seemed simple enough... but as with most equipment one was not familiar with; it served best to check and test before settling in to work.

Just before you close the book, a thought occurs.

Blood magic.

Why would a blood magic primer book be in the Maven’s office?

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"..."

As Pui left, Parsley made no attempt to follow her or try to stop her. Her eyes couldn't leave Caliban for one, and for another, she was frozen. Not out of fear or compulsion, but absolute shock.

She saw it, just before her observational skill cut out. Her ki powers also cut out, just like in the Rookery. Unlike then, she knew why. Back then, she assumed it was the nature of the building she was in, in order to force the patrons to keep the peace and minimize damage if a scrap between drunken buffoons broke out. That may have been true for them, but she realized right then, at that moment, that it wasn't the building.

It was him.

She recognized it from when she scanned Maiz, and from being near Eva and Asha'rah so often. By that point, she recognized Creation Energy as well as she did ki or magic.

She licked her lips. "So, standing before me is kin of Lady Asha'rah and Shek'hinah," she said, voice low. "I didn't think I would meet another God slumming it with mortals."

He raises an eyebrow.

“Huh, old names there, Miss, old names.”

He moves a hand and a pipe appears in it. He puffs away on it, eyeing her. Her waves another hand and she finds herself sitting on a chair.

“So ya making overtures at me and my friend here, Miss. Don’t rekon I appreciate it. An apology is in order, I think. Ya called me a thief after all, and ya can’t steal something you created.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Just before you close the book, a thought occurs.

Blood magic.

Why would a blood magic primer book be in the Maven’s office?

"Yea, why is that?" Inanna asks aloud, to the strange voice in her head.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Yea, why is that?" Inanna asks aloud, to the strange voice in her head.

OT:

I’m going to start hitting Inanna, and I don’t know when I’ll stop.



IC:

Due to some remnant of an odd voice that sounds like a snooty Lampton for some reason, Inanna thinks maybe a book on blood magic like this might mean something.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

He raises an eyebrow.

“Huh, old names there, Miss, old names.”

He moves a hand and a pipe appears in it. He puffs away on it, eyeing her. Her waves another hand and she finds herself sitting on a chair.

“So ya making overtures at me and my friend here, Miss. Don’t rekon I appreciate it. An apology is in order, I think. Ya called me a thief after all, and ya can’t steal something you created.”

She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for the overzealous suspicion." She supposed he was right. As far as she knew, this universe was his creation; or at the very least he had a hand in its formation. To call the spaceways and planets he mapped out for that Astro-globe Nevada's by right would have been like when her daughter tried to chastising for taking her toys away. They may have been Garnish's for the time being, but they were ultimately Parsley's to do with as she pleased.

"May I ask why you're hiding out here amongst mortals? I assume you're hiding from the God of Gods, perhaps for playing a role in the foolish War of Heaven?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

OT:

I’m going to start hitting Inanna, and I don’t know when I’ll stop.

Making me the victor.

/wimploschoolofcombat

IC:

Due to some remnant of an odd voice that sounds like a snooty Lampton for some reason, Inanna thinks maybe a book on blood magic like this might mean something.

Inanna pinched the bridge of her nose, and uttered a sigh that could've flayed a God of Creation alive. "If I had to guess," she mused aloud. "The Maven needed this book to help her do whatever she was planning to do with that dimension burping whelpling." Here she was, adding more to-do shit, to her to-do shit list. "If the scrying spell was included, maybe she was going to use the critter to search for its... family?"

Maybe the snooty voice could point her in the right directon.

That's right Lampton, I'm onto you...

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for the overzealous suspicion." She supposed he was right. As far as she knew, this universe was his creation; or at the very least he had a hand in its formation. To call the spaceways and planets he mapped out for that Astro-globe Nevada's by right would have been like when her daughter tried to chastising for taking her toys away. They may have been Garnish's for the time being, but they were ultimately Parsley's to do with as she pleased.

"May I ask why you're hiding out here amongst mortals? I assume you're hiding from the God of Gods, perhaps for playing a role in the foolish War of Heaven?"

He puffs and shakes his head.

“Ehh, bit of that, bit of that. Not so much took part as I didn’t play. Neither side much appreciated that, especially ‘ole Sakin. Anyways, played neutral and when Sihn came down, poking around, I found out The Grand Priest said I deserved to retire, so I did. Far as I know the only Creation God that got to.”

He shrugs and puffs away.

“Yer in Universe 16, if yous was wondering. My universe. Real big on magic here, part the reason I can shut off yet ki so easily.”

He grins.

“Anyways, as to hiding with mortals, well Lugh city is a real hub of technology. Hides my power from Sakin and any of his other lick spittle pieces of gutter trash. Ain’t got time to play slap fight with them. So I run my business, move on when I ‘die’ then reappear and set up a different one.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Making me the victor.

/wimploschoolofcombat



Inanna pinched the bridge of her nose, and uttered a sigh that could've flayed a God of Creation alive. "If I had to guess," she mused aloud. "The Maven needed this book to help her do whatever she was planning to do with that dimension burping whelpling." Here she was, adding more to-do shit, to her to-do shit list. "If the scrying spell was included, maybe she was going to use the critter to search for its... family?"

Maybe the snooty voice could point her in the right directon.

That's right Lampton, I'm onto you...

Ghost Lampton was refusing to respond.

"Fine then. I'll just blow the book up." Relying on her patent-pending 'Bloodsplosion', Inanna cut her finger open and liberally smeared it all over the book; before preparing to annihilate it with a gesture...

[Sub-Zero MKA]

He puffs and shakes his head.

“Ehh, bit of that, bit of that. Not so much took part as I didn’t play. Neither side much appreciated that, especially ‘ole Sakin. Anyways, played neutral and when Sihn came down, poking around, I found out The Grand Priest said I deserved to retire, so I did. Far as I know the only Creation God that got to.”

He shrugs and puffs away.

“Yer in Universe 16, if yous was wondering. My universe. Real big on magic here, part the reason I can shut off yet ki so easily.”

He grins.

“Anyways, as to hiding with mortals, well Lugh city is a real hub of technology. Hides my power from Sakin and any of his other lick spittle pieces of gutter trash. Ain’t got time to play slap fight with them. So I run my business, move on when I ‘die’ then reappear and set up a different one.”

Universe...16...

That... that explained so much...

Why she needed a teleportation potion. Why she couldn't contact Inanna no matter how many times she tried. Why she couldn't will herself back to Reshlan.

"Universe 16," she uttered. "I see."

A God who was allowed to retire. Certainly a circumstance she had never heard of. Between Sakin and Stine being in hiding, Asha'rah having fallen, Shek'hinah being killed, and Lampton falling and hiding in Hell, one retiring peacefully was... oddly pleasant. "Congratulations. You certainly fared far better than several of your contemporaries. Neutrality has its benefits."

At hearing that this universe was big on magic, she perked up. The ability to shut down ki with magic was... certainly quite useful in several cases.

"Quite the useful ability. I'm actually quite adept at magic myself. Blood magic, to be exact. Would you be willing to teach me a few spells, or direct me to someone who can?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Edited.....