Dragonball M, Chapter 2: Lighthouse! Across the Shores of Shattered Time!

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"ehehe.........that's why....I'll make sure to chew for you...slow and thoroughly....as long as it ta~kes......" With a flurished spin, Erosa fired a wink back at the Saiyan. "Ehehehe........if I'd know this was the best way to get under your skin.....I'd have teased you like this ages ago."

Sarada tried to fight heat that was spreading through her entire body, but it was as futile a struggle as any other. She was just so turned on and she felt disgusted with herself because of who had done it and how, but there was no use fighting it.

Her teeth gritted and gnashed together when Erosa spun around to wink at her. It lasted all of two seconds before she finally had enough. A slow, primal grin appeared on her face. "I hope you chew as thoroughly as possible, because I have some nice and big for you to swallow."

She had been saving it for when she had some alone time with Ishtar, but then the Junjo happened. There was no better person than Erosa to try it out on. It was her own fault; she shouldn't have teased her. Now, she was going to pound her until she could neither see nor walk straight.

Hehehe.

The id crossed her arms and put on a look of contemplation. "Ero~gao......to proposition me like this.......I should have known you would be so forward. Ehehehe....."

The id closed in immediately, placing her hands on the onis shoulders. Even with how large and obviously pointy they seemed to be at the time, the id skillfully maneuvered her fingers so as to hold but not dig in. "But I'm an Id....I'll take you whenever you want me too......maybe when you don't....maybe when your not expecting it......but I promise I'll take you soon. That is my nature you know."

She turned her head back to smile at Sarada, then released her hands. "That look you keep giving me makes me want to tease you more and more you know....ehehehe....my other forms think your nothing more then a dumb monkey.....but I can see clearly. Your my favorite kind.....The ones I can tease mercilessly....lick your skin raw.....dote and abuse.......maybe that's why they can't help but insult you. Deep down.....they all want.....a little bit....."

Erosa let her finger trace a cut across her tongue that healed as soon as it was parted. "...of monkey ma~gic."

The talk of Erosa taking Ishtar even when she may not want her to sparked an uncomfortable and uneasy feeling in Sarada, and it showed. Maybe she didn't mean it that way, she reassured herself. Surely, Etrina taught her about the importance of consent when mating.

At any rate, when Erosa promised more teasing, her primal grin returned full force. "Go ahead," she relented. "The more you tease me, the more roughly I'm going to mount you."

She knew that was what it would come to even if Erosa hadn't teased her. But now, it was going to be worse, and it wasn't going to stop until Sarada was good and satisfied that she had made her point. Which, likely wouldn't be for six, maybe seven hours. Unfortunately for Erosa, she was a lot stronger than Avoca, so Sarada felt no compulsion to hold back out of fear of hurting her. It was going to be all out right from the get go.

"So, go ahead. You and all you other personalities or forms have at me. Do all you little teasing and your insults. But just know that for every time this happens," she mimicked the Id and sensuously ran her finger down her tongue, "that's another hour you'll be on bottom."

Ishtar takes her time approaching the trio.

Among other things, she is well aware that the young Oni would have seen her attempting to purchase her- hardly a pleasant beginning to an introduction if there ever was one- and it was obvious that she was still scared. So when the golden-eyed Oni finally worked up the courage to approach, she offered a quick wave, before glancing at the girl in between her two Namekian protectors.

"Hello ..." A greeting offered all three, before Ishtar found herself focusing on the girl in particular.

"I am sorry if I frightened you earlier ... I am Ishtar ... May I ask your name ?"

“..............Ereshkigal.”

Ishtar considered the offered name a moment, sounding it out in her head several times so that such could be remembered; before offering the smaller Oni another smile. "Ereshkigal. A lovely name."

Pausing a moment, the golden-eyed Oni felt it better to sit, before continuing.

"Did your ... friends, here, explain things ? That you are safe now and will not be sold to anyone ?"

She pauses, then nods.

“....are...are you an Oni?”, she asks, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Oh shes so adorable......eh...." Erosa stopped herself before she moved in, glancing down at her massive clawed hands. "Ehehe.....maybe....this form is a bit to scary for a child......I've been running my heart a little hard today. If you two don't mind....I'll let it rest for a bit." The id took a step back, steam suddenly evaporating off her skin as she reverted back down to her mid form.

Opening her eyes again, she slapped her now human shaped hands together. "Oh shes so adorable! Don't be afraid. I'm Erosa. I'm an Id, not an Oni."

Sarada stood at a respectful distance away from the Onis, even as the Id joined in on the conversation. If Sarada felt the need to talk to the girl -- and she did want to get to know her a little better -- then she could approach her at a later time.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to withhold their almost similarities. That wasn't a story a young, innocent girl like Ereshkigal needed to hear. Maybe when she was older and if they crossed paths again.

Who knew? Maybe Ishtar would try and take her as a daughter of sorts.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

The Ronin spoke of a master, revealing himself a slave charged to the task of seizing upon more slaves.

Duty. The mindless bondage of duty. Does Kenbo mistake his purpose for honour?

He was aware of the matter even as he resigned himself to it, a cold thing wrought without will or feeling. But for a fleeting moment Kenbo had seized upon a fleeting moment of consciousness, then buried it immediately in his mysterious logic of silicon directives.

"How dull to possess such power and move so listlessly," he said.

Doubtless, the robot would relay what had transpired this day to this Master. Evangeline and Pantaloon had spoken of enemies hidden among the stars, the unseen eye probing in the darkness. If they were to meet Kenbo again, who knows what tainted vision he would put behind his sword? As he faded away, Ochazuke turned his attention to the one who might know: Nevanlinna.

"Out with it then. Who is this Master the Ronin spoke of?"



<snip>

Tch, so it was time for questioning, was it? Questions she lacked an answer for.

"I don't know," she said, truthfully. "An enemy I foolishy spared, who declared revenge against me? One of the many jilted admirers and suitors I turned down in the most humiliating of fashions? Someone with a death wish for themselves and whatever trash heap world they call home? This master could be any number of individuals."

The Roninbot (and, by extension, its master) obviously knew who she was, and that meant they knew at least a bit about her people. And that simply could not do, given the circumstances. She couldn't do anything to rectify this... mistake right now, so she would have to bide her time.

"An unknown I may be, but I can assure you that I am not your enemy." Yet. "Make no mistake, if you expel me from this group, I can simply rendezvous with others of my kind to all but negate the threat that machine poses. But I would far prefer the convenience this group offers with its mere proximity. While eccentric, your abilities, at least individually, are exemplary... by the standards of your species, anyway."

By the standards of her species, this lot was substandard, but beggars, in this instance, could not be choosers. That, and she still wanted to learn about Oni from Ishtar, as well as any magic the woman would be willing to pass on.

"And I... well, I, in turn, offer my immaculate presence. And if by some stretch of the imagination that is insufficient, then you, with that keen mind's eye of yours, should be more than capable of realizing that, despite being a princess, I am no weak, helpless damsel waiting anxiously to be rescued from peril by a dashing knight."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Ishtar confirmed what Sarada thought when she said that children were a luxury. A place where time had no bearing on life, a place where death and the dead passed through regularly was not the place to race a child. That made sense. What purpose would they serve, exactly, as they both pointed out? Other than entertaining the dead souls shambling about listlessly for all eternity, or perhaps providing a measure of levity in, what she assumed, what was an otherwise very morose place, she reckoned they'd only get in the way, like they did everywhere else.

However, to hear that Ishtar herself had not been a child, while expected, still brought a note of sadness. While she never went into detail about exactly how she came to be, that, Sarada felt, wasn't important. What was, to her, was that she was here, and with her. Still, to completely skip childhood was saddening. Despite one moment of terror and defilement, Sarada enjoyed her childhood, and possessed countless memories shared with Maiz and her brother. Those memories wouldn't be traded away for anything.

She was sure the others could say something similar. Well, except Jack.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she replied genuinely. After a second spent thinking of what to say next, she quirked a smile. "To be fair, childhoods aren't all their cracked up to be. They're filled to the brim with terribly embarrassing moments, and I have trouble imagining you as an awkward adolescent."

An offering of genuine sorrow was made, and Ishtar found herself thankful for it, in a way.

It was still settling in, the realization- finding out one was denied the simplicity of a childhood- yet already it was something that sapped at what she had managed to scrape back together of herself in the moments after the confrontation with Marduk, and the meeting with Genesis. Though one supposed in the end that it was nothing more than another drop in an ocean of denial ... after all, had Ishtar not missed out on much in her life ? And how much more yet would she, across those long years ?

Unless I am killed before that fated day.

A thought that stopped all others short, and forced the Oni to grimace, before shaking her head to return to the conversation before her.

"I suppose." The Oni offered softly, finally. Before glancing at Sarada somewhat curiously. "Yet how would you feel, if you learned that you were never even given the option ?"

Ishtar, outside of the lingering annoyance at all the teasing Sarada mercilessly subjected her to, was agreeable to her proposal. Which was expected; the Oni had long proven herself to be up for anything Sarada's perverted mind could come up with, willing to partake in decadent delights that should have left her utterly humiliated, but didn't. Adding another member to their bedroom escapades was no larger a leap than some of the other stuff she and Sarada had gotten up to.

However, the question of whether Avoca would be up for such a sexual triumvirate gave her pause. She shouldn't have objected, as she didn't have any issue with Sarada mating with other women, as she herself entertained other women while she was away. Including my own sister.

Shaking off the brief wave of disgust that particular though incurred, she replied. "There shouldn't be any problems convincing her to join us. As long as you don't mind being our bottom."

Elaboration was probably needed. "She, uh, doesn't really mix meat, or mate with other races. When she does, she's the top." She shrugged. "Shouldn't be an issue. At this stage of her life, she's much more accepting of alien women than she is men. And you're not an Earther, so that helps a lot."

She lamented, for a moment, that she could never have this conversation with Jack. Avoca would like try to kill him before letting him join them. A shame, really. Sarada was sure she'd enjoy him more than the last Earthman she mixed meat with.

Heh.

Ah, this one was of the sort that did not enjoy sleeping with those of other species.

Ishtar supposed she understood, however ... such xenophobia was uncomfortably familiar, and for several moments the Oni reconsidered her response before eventually shrugging and offering Sarada a small smile.

"She sounds- and from what I know feels- interesting enough. Though on the matter of being a bottom .. was it ?" The golden-eyed Oni stated before offering a weak- still recovering from the events previous- smirk.

"A thing she will have to earn ... As will you."

Sarada hadn't mated with Ishtar since her full return, after all ... and despite the pall that had fallen over her in the recent minutes, the differences between who she was then, and who she was now ... was almost night and day in some respects.

"He was really strong.....I don't think I did much to help. But....he learned the same lesson we did, didn't he" Erosa glanced at the severed arm and briefly licked her lips. "So next time.....we'll need to be the strong ones, right?"

"There is always someone stronger ..." Ishtar replied quickly, nodding weakly.

"Yet you allowed me to strike him in the head ... with a blow that would have split the Moon ... you did more than you feel, Erosa." At the mention of becoming stronger however, the golden-eyed Oni found her head bobbing along in a nod, before shaking her head when she saw the Id lick her lips hungrily at the severed arm.

"Not for eating, yet ... I need it." Feeling that wasn't enough however, the Oni quickly explained.

"I can track him, but I need something .. blood, bone ... there is also perhaps a chance to learn what it is he has ... become."

The id crossed her arms and put on a look of contemplation. "Ero~gao......to proposition me like this.......I should have known you would be so forward. Ehehehe....."

The id closed in immediately, placing her hands on the onis shoulders. Even with how large and obviously pointy they seemed to be at the time, the id skillfully maneuvered her fingers so as to hold but not dig in. "But I'm an Id....I'll take you whenever you want me too......maybe when you don't....maybe when your not expecting it......but I promise I'll take you soon. That is my nature you know."

Ishtar simply leaned into the touch slightly, before offering a knowing smile.

"As it was, when we first met Erosa ... I am ready whenever you are."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

She pauses, then nods.

“....are...are you an Oni?”, she asks, her eyes wide and innocent.

Ishtar offered a soft sigh of relief.

Ah, good.

At the least the young girl understood that she was to be safe now, whether that meant going off along with the two Namekian, or tarrying awhile with their own group remained to be seen ... but with the lingering threat of Marduk it was ... no ... No. Focus on this. What was asked then however, surprised Ishtar, and for a moment she simply stared at the young girl before nodding slowly.

"I am. See ?" The golden-eyed Oni reached up slowly and touched her horns, before pointing toward the girl's own. "I came from Otherworld, a long time ago. I used to take care of the gardens, there ..." Ishtar explained then, softly, and slowly; and then she asked a very important question.

"Where are you from, Ereshkigal ?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"ehehe.........that's why....I'll make sure to chew for you...slow and thoroughly....as long as it ta~kes......" With a flurished spin, Erosa fired a wink back at the Saiyan. "Ehehehe........if I'd know this was the best way to get under your skin.....I'd have teased you like this ages ago."



"He was really strong.....I don't think I did much to help. But....he learned the same lesson we did, didn't he" Erosa glanced at the severed arm and briefly licked her lips. "So next time.....we'll need to be the strong ones, right?"





The id crossed her arms and put on a look of contemplation. "Ero~gao......to proposition me like this.......I should have known you would be so forward. Ehehehe....."

The id closed in immediately, placing her hands on the onis shoulders. Even with how large and obviously pointy they seemed to be at the time, the id skillfully maneuvered her fingers so as to hold but not dig in. "But I'm an Id....I'll take you whenever you want me too......maybe when you don't....maybe when your not expecting it......but I promise I'll take you soon. That is my nature you know."

She turned her head back to smile at Sarada, then released her hands. "That look you keep giving me makes me want to tease you more and more you know....ehehehe....my other forms think your nothing more then a dumb monkey.....but I can see clearly. Your my favorite kind.....The ones I can tease mercilessly....lick your skin raw.....dote and abuse.......maybe that's why they can't help but insult you. Deep down.....they all want.....a little bit....."

Erosa let her finger trace a cut across her tongue that healed as soon as it was parted. "...of monkey ma~gic."









"Oh shes so adorable......eh...." Erosa stopped herself before she moved in, glancing down at her massive clawed hands. "Ehehe.....maybe....this form is a bit to scary for a child......I've been running my heart a little hard today. If you two don't mind....I'll let it rest for a bit." The id took a step back, steam suddenly evaporating off her skin as she reverted back down to her mid form.

Opening her eyes again, she slapped her now human shaped hands together. "Oh shes so adorable! Don't be afraid. I'm Erosa. I'm an Id, not an Oni."

Ishtar offered a soft sigh of relief.

Ah, good.

At the least the young girl understood that she was to be safe now, whether that meant going off along with the two Namekian, or tarrying awhile with their own group remained to be seen ... but with the lingering threat of Marduk it was ... no ... No. Focus on this. What was asked then however, surprised Ishtar, and for a moment she simply stared at the young girl before nodding slowly.

"I am. See ?" The golden-eyed Oni reached up slowly and touched her horns, before pointing toward the girl's own. "I came from Otherworld, a long time ago. I used to take care of the gardens, there ..." Ishtar explained then, softly, and slowly; and then she asked a very important question.

"Where are you from, Ereshkigal ?"

She shrugs, clutching her book to her chest tighter.

“I.....I don’t know. Father took me from a place. Then we went somewhere else. Then...then he left me alone. I was lost. I was so alone. So scared. Then the men came and took me here. And that other Oni said he would eat me.”

Tears leak as she tries to stifle her cries.

[Tami]

As Meagan stands on the tarmac, in a area where no one else had gathered, a sound makes her turn to look towards the ship.

Coming out of it and heading towards her are a small group of Chromakai, lead by Indigo. At least two she recognized as the men who helped her back into the ship after her fight with Grin.

Raising an eyebrow, she then nods to them, "Welcome," as they gather around her just close enough to hear but not so close as to crowd her in.

Indigo nodded politely to Meagan, "I told the others and some wanted to learn from you as well."

With that, she began....

"First, my name is Meagan Te'al. I have been off world training for many years, however I still do not consider myself ready to be a true teacher. I can teach you the basics, when you get back home you can, if you wish, use them to get started. Don't expect to become stronger overnight, this is a long, hard process. But if you dedicate yourself to it, in time you'll be able to do great things."

"First, a lesson in the basics of Ki. Every living thing produces Ki, though most only in minute quantities. Chromakai and others us, Sayians, Humans, all species, can produce Ki at far greater quantities. Ki is a natural energy source that we all need to survive. Ki can never go down to zero or the body shuts down."

"Ki can be used for many things, if you learn to control it." She then floated briefly in the air before returning to the ground, "Flight is one of my personal favorites, though there are many other uses for it, including speeding up healing."

"Before you can get that far, you need to build up your supply of Ki. Think of Ki like water, to store water you need a container. The average body is like a paper cup. Ki drips out into it until it is full, then when you use up some of your Ki more drips back into it."

"A body of paper can not contain much Ki. If you try to fill it up, the Ki overflows and is lost. If you try to fill it up too quickly, the paper cup, your body, is crushed by the deluge of water. A body, on its' own, knows how much Ki is can contain so it regulates the flow accordingly."

"The first step is turning your bodies from paper into something that is both stronger and more flexible, like rubber and steel. You do that through training. You need to spend as much time as possible becoming physically stronger. As you do, you also need to practice using your Ki in order to become more flexible and to override your body's natural limitations. Simply becoming stronger isn't enough, not without also training with your Ki."

"Doing this will, not only turn your body's into stronger, more flexible containers, but it will also greatly increase the amount of Ki you can naturally handle even at a resting point."

"Ki can be measured, there are ways of doing so. By my estimates, most of you have Ki levels under 60, which isn't too bad to start with. Before you can train with your Ki, you need to learn to recognize it and access it."

"If you close your eyes and focus, you can feel it. Don't worry if you can't, with practice anyone can sense their own Ki. In order to learn to control it, the first thing you need to do is to take that energy you feel inside you and will it to center within your chest. Once you get that far, practice moving it aroudn your body."

"Once you are good enough, you should be able to manifest an Aura. Like this," Meagan then summoned her Ki and flared up her aura brightly so that everyone could see it. Still recovering from her injury, she cut the Aura off soon after.

"This is is where my lesson stops. Until you are stronger, I can't teach you more than this. Keep practicing on your own, when I get back to Chromakai, find me and I will give you more advanced lessons."

"Now that I've given you a head start, can anyone tell me what's been going on back home? I haven't been back to Chroma in nearly 6 years." Meagan looks around at the group, still amazed that things had sunk to such a depth that this would have happened.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Enoki walks up, the rescued Saiyans milling about behind her.

“Thank you for your help.”, she says to Meagan.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

She shrugs, clutching her book to her chest tighter.

“I.....I don’t know. Father took me from a place. Then we went somewhere else. Then...then he left me alone. I was lost. I was so alone. So scared. Then the men came and took me here. And that other Oni said he would eat me.”

Tears leak as she tries to stifle her cries.

Ishtar listens, nodding as the girl explains. Only to frown when she begins to cry.

"It is okay little one ... you are okay now. I am sure your father did what he did for a reason ... and Marduk is gone now."

Seeing that Ereshkigal is clutching a book tightly however, the golden-eyed Oni tilts her head slightly before asking.

"What are you holding ?"

[Tami]

Enoki walks up, the rescued Saiyans milling about behind her.

“Thank you for your help.”, she says to Meagan.

"I was only doing what needed to be done. It is strange though," She couldn't help but muse, "how events lined up in such a way that we were able to save your people, as well as mine, that Oni child, the Namekians and everyone else. If the Junjo hadn't been so greedy, perhaps they might have gotten away. The sad part is that they may have done this others already, that there may be innocents held as slaves."

Meagan then paused, then nodded, "Sorry for my rambling. I'm glad I could be of help."

"Is every one of your people unharmed?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

An offering of genuine sorrow was made, and Ishtar found herself thankful for it, in a way.

It was still settling in, the realization- finding out one was denied the simplicity of a childhood- yet already it was something that sapped at what she had managed to scrape back together of herself in the moments after the confrontation with Marduk, and the meeting with Genesis. Though one supposed in the end that it was nothing more than another drop in an ocean of denial ... after all, had Ishtar not missed out on much in her life ? And how much more yet would she, across those long years ?

Unless I am killed before that fated day.

A thought that stopped all others short, and forced the Oni to grimace, before shaking her head to return to the conversation before her.

"I suppose." The Oni offered softly, finally. Before glancing at Sarada somewhat curiously. "Yet how would you feel, if you learned that you were never even given the option ?"

Sarada couldn't pinpoint it, but something was bothering Ishtar that went well beyond simply meeting a stronger member of her kin. Denial? At what? Trouble accepting something?

She frowned pensively, but said nothing of it. Whatever it was, there was little she could do or say that would perhaps alleviate the doubt the Oni was feeling in herself at the moment. I wish I was wise enough to give you the advice I think you need, she thought morosely to herself. She sighed again and opted to simply answer her question.

In the end, she wasn't Asha'rah and she wasn't Ochazuke. She had neither the experience nor the insight to advise anyone on anything other than how to use their bodies to please other people, and how to hurt them. There was precious little those particular talents could do at them moment.

"I," she started before stopping to think. How would she feel if her life started at adulthood? How would she feel if she was deprived of something so basic as a childhood; not good or bad, but simply a childhood period? "I don't know," she spoke honestly. "Angry, I guess? Helpless that I was robbed of something so basic through no choice of my own. Jealous, maybe, of others that got to enjoy the innocent years of infancy."

That last one she had been feeling for the last eight years.

Ah, this one was of the sort that did not enjoy sleeping with those of other species.

Ishtar supposed she understood, however ... such xenophobia was uncomfortably familiar, and for several moments the Oni reconsidered her response before eventually shrugging and offering Sarada a small smile.

"She sounds- and from what I know feels- interesting enough. Though on the matter of being a bottom .. was it ?" The golden-eyed Oni stated before offering a weak- still recovering from the events previous- smirk.

"A thing she will have to earn ... As will you."

Sarada hadn't mated with Ishtar since her full return, after all ... and despite the pall that had fallen over her in the recent minutes, the differences between who she was then, and who she was now ... was almost night and day in some respects.

Eh?

She'd have to earn her role as top? That was odd. The first time they mated, Ishtar submitted to her without question or fuss. Now, she was making her earn it?

Well, that was just fine and dandy. She had just the thing to make Ishtar forget all about this 'you have to earn it' nonsense. Avoca, on the other hand, would probably bottom for Ishtar the moment she felt how much stronger than her she was.

"I have just the thing to deal with this new uppity attitude of yours," she responded, adopting a haughty smirk and attitude. "I've tested it out plenty of times. It'll make even the most strong-willed women's toes curl. You'll be screaming my name all night, don't worry." She chuckled. Just the thought was enough to make her tail stiffen if it wasn't wrapped around her waist. "As for my friend, she'll submit to someone stronger than her in a heartbeat, trust me."

Oh, she'd put up a modicum of a fight to save face. Eventually, though, once her primal urges got to be too much, she'd capitulate and bottom for nearly anyone.

Heh.

She shrugs, clutching her book to her chest tighter.

“I.....I don’t know. Father took me from a place. Then we went somewhere else. Then...then he left me alone. I was lost. I was so alone. So scared. Then the men came and took me here. And that other Oni said he would eat me.”

Tears leak as she tries to stifle her cries.

As she listened to the girl's tail from a distance, she felt herself grimacing. The latter part of her tale: going somewhere, being left alone, lost, and scared, then snatched up by strange men -- it felt all too familiar. Sarada felt the urge to run up and wrap the crying girl in her arms, and it was overwhelming. Yet, she refrained. The girl didn't know her, and being hugged by a stranger when she was still distraught might set her off.

Still, she walked up until she was closer.

The fear this girl was feeling, and the sadness, Sarada didn't need an empathetic bond with her to know exactly how she felt. She knew what it was like to feel scared and helpless, at the whims of someone much more powerful and bigger than her. She was fortunate that they showed up when they did, or that wouldn't be where their similarities ended.

[Lord Falcon]

The Oni looks up, and for once, Asha’rah sees a being that’s actually of an age with her. The Oni speaks with a slight Brooklyn accent (think Harley Quinn).

“Lady Asha’rah. A pleasure, though under different circumstances than I would have hoped. Your meeting is ready.”

She gestures to a door that opens up on the other side of the room.

Asha'rah inclined her head in a nod. The mortal universes were not the only places where civilization meant administration...and the paperwork that came with it. Mrs Landinghorn was a legend in her own right, a precious jewel of a clerk sought after jealously by the cream of the crop. Endless reams of forms and procedures entered her office, only to exit processed as if they had never slowed. She was no warrior, and had played no active part in Asha'rah's rebellion. But both sides had taken measures to make sure the fighting never touched her.

"Thank you. It's good to see you well."

Whoever had arranged this affair possessed considerable ability, far beyond what Asha'rah could hope to muster now. It cost nothing to be polite. She walked towards the door.

"Would you be willing to share who is in charge these days?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Asha'rah inclined her head in a nod. The mortal universes were not the only places where civilization meant administration...and the paperwork that came with it. Mrs Landinghorn was a legend in her own right, a precious jewel of a clerk sought after jealously by the cream of the crop. Endless reams of forms and procedures entered her office, only to exit processed as if they had never slowed. She was no warrior, and had played no active part in Asha'rah's rebellion. But both sides had taken measures to make sure the fighting never touched her.

"Thank you. It's good to see you well."

Whoever had arranged this affair possessed considerable ability, far beyond what Asha'rah could hope to muster now. It cost nothing to be polite. She walked towards the door.

"Would you be willing to share who is in charge these days?"

She smiles.

“Mr. Sihn is in charge. He wanted a meeting with you. Right through there, dear.”

The door opens and inside is an expansive office.

[Lord Falcon]

She smiles.

“Mr. Sihn is in charge. He wanted a meeting with you. Right through there, dear.”

The door opens and inside is an expansive office.

Asha'rah cast her gaze about. Gods above a certain level could pretty much create whatever offices they desired, so each ended up being a reflection of its owner in some ways. This one felt neat, yet lived in, with books occasionally piled up here and there but mostly squared away, interspersed with simple pieces of art. The warm colors of the office contrasted with the cool black of the chair at its center. It was a curiously soft-edged room anchored with a hard-edged desk. This was Sihn's office, the gunslinger of Universe 18.

"You kept the Planetarium, I see."

[The Dog]

Moving through the asteroid, Midori sighed as she thought of her new friend Kenbo. How he was trapped under the control of a still-unknown 'master' who used him as a disposable asset, sent out to do their dirty work without caring if he survived. She clenched her fist with a scowl, the thought of him in such a situation causing her anger to boil, not aided by the sense of helplessness at knowing there was currently nothing she could do about it.

That knowledge caused her to shake her head, deciding to think of something else instead of dwelling on Kenbo and how she couldn't do anything for him. However, the only other thing she could put her mind on was the situation between Erosa, Sarada, and possibly Ishtar. How Erosa seemed to be getting really affectionate with Sarada, and how it made her jealous. But she didn't know why it was making her feel that way, since Erosa was only her friend.

But the more she thought of it, the more jealous she felt. She really needed to find and talk to Erosa about it, maybe the Id could help her understand why exactly she was getting these feelings.

Unfortunately for Midori, she was so caught up in her thoughts she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. Thus she didn't notice one of the freed slaves, having gotten over the mixture of terror at being captured and elation at being freed, messing with one of the Junjo's stolen devices out of curiosity. As they looked over the strange device, a finger slipped and struck a trigger, causing a beam to fire from it and strike Midori.

As the energy of the beam enveloped Midori, her eyes widened in pain and horror, mouth wide open in a thankfully silent scream. It felt as if she was being torn apart at a molecular level, her every sensory receptor feeling as if they were being dipped in magma. She was unable to think of anything, the agony so absolute.

Finally, after several mind-numbingly horrific moments, Midori's systems shut down.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"I was only doing what needed to be done. It is strange though," She couldn't help but muse, "how events lined up in such a way that we were able to save your people, as well as mine, that Oni child, the Namekians and everyone else. If the Junjo hadn't been so greedy, perhaps they might have gotten away. The sad part is that they may have done this others already, that there may be innocents held as slaves."

Meagan then paused, then nodded, "Sorry for my rambling. I'm glad I could be of help."

"Is every one of your people unharmed?"

She nods.

“Beat around a bit, but alive. Yours?”