Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[The Dog]

Sasheem could tell this was some sort of game. He didn't exactly bother to follow the rules. Much to slow for him. Incredibly boring. He could make it faster....Sahseem's arm stetched over and started to manipulate the cards, violently attempting to smack them in all directions and scatter them.

"Oy, stop that!" Midori cried in annoyance. He couldn't actually smack them around or scatter them, but his actions were still so annoying. Reaching out, she made an attempt to grab his arm and stop him while shouting at him to stop.

Beside her, Shiro listened to them for several minutes before loudly saying "Szzzztop annoying Szzziszzzster Bot Toilet Goblin!" As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened as she realized that she'd spoken with her messed up vocal component, and quite loudly at that.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Jinzi holds a hand up.

“Enough, less arguing, please. We have more important things spend our time on. Chou, do you still have the other senzu beans?”

[grampagen]

“ You are But a tool yourself to the strings of Fate, too blind to see the strings. You think you have free will. It’s a illusion. And if I wanted your damned opinion I would have asked for it younstoned faced juicer bird man.”
Bird man reference to crane school and implying he does roofs. Self righteous ones.:

Ochazuke chuckled, bemused for the moment.

"Then what does that make the one who runs from responsibility, into another's strings, which he can plainlysee?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Oy, stop that!" Midori cried in annoyance. He couldn't actually smack them around or scatter them, but his actions were still so annoying. Reaching out, she made an attempt to grab his arm and stop him while shouting at him to stop.

Beside her, Shiro listened to them for several minutes before loudly saying "Szzzztop annoying Szzziszzzster Bot Toilet Goblin!" As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened as she realized that she'd spoken with her messed up vocal component, and quite loudly at that.

Jinzi looks over and sighs a bit tiredly.

“What happened, Shiro? Did I mess your voice simulator up somehow?”

[Miburo]

Jinzi holds a hand up.

“Enough, less arguing, please. We have more important things spend our time on. Chou, do you still have the other senzu beans?”

"I thought I had heard some spirited conversation going on..."

Held had arrived, somewhat a bit later than anticipated. A large leatherbound notebook was in his right hand, slightly worn down over the years.

"My apologies, I couldn't find where I stored my notebook, and they say I can't remember it unless it's written down, so...."

He shrugged.

"Maybe I'll just keep my backpack on me next time."

[The Chou Lives]

Ochazuke chuckled, bemused for the moment.

"Then what does that make the one who runs from responsibility, into another's strings, which he can plainlysee?"

“ The game is rigged you see. All life is. Is a chase to find meaning, then it ends in destruction. Yours. After all you live by the sword stone face, someday it’s going to stab you. In the balls as that’s what you have. Nongeart.”

: Shuts Up. Hands the bag to Jinzi.:

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

“ The game is rigged you see. All life is. Is a chase to find meaning, then it ends in destruction. Yours. After all you live by the sword stone face, someday it’s going to stab you. In the balls as that’s what you have. Nongeart.”

: Shuts Up. Hands the bag to Jinzi.:

Jinzi pushes the bag back towards Chou, then nods for him to follow him towards the back of the plane.

[grampagen]

“ The game is rigged you see. All life is. Is a chase to find meaning, then it ends in destruction. Yours. After all you live by the sword stone face, someday it’s going to stab you. In the balls as that’s what you have. Nongeart.”

: Shuts Up. Hands the bag to Jinzi.:

The nihilism lashing out from Chou betrayed a certain vulnerability of character, sentiments resigned to a hollow, empty existence bereft of meaning and resigned to a lack of aspiration beyond what was in the moment.

Ochazuke had nothing to prove, least of all a half-hearted analysis from an impulsive fool. For now, two words would suffice.

"Try harder."

[The Dog]

Jinzi looks over and sighs a bit firefly.

“What happened, Shiro? Did I mess your voice simulator up somehow?”

"A little." Shiro answered, then practically felt her face darken as she continued "Then Szzzzhiro tried to fixzzzz it, but only made it worszzzze. Szzzzhould have szzzztuck with calling Rich Man Miszzzztah Jay in that accent Szzzzhiro had szzzzomehow created."

[The Chou Lives]

Jinzi pushes the bag back towards Chou, then nods for him to follow him towards the back of the plane.

“ Yeah I know so am not popular. I know I have proven myself a danger. I am not going to blow anyone else up. And no. I am not going to be a “krillin” and senzu bean people either. That guy though. I just want to break his face. I hate the self righteous. Except Ashrah, she makes sense. To a degree.”

As he then shuts up and listens.:

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Once the airship was set on its course, the group was quick to fall into their pattern of pairing off for polite chatter.

For Ishtar, such a thing may have been of merit even hours before, and while her conversation with Held- the young, eager Nevadian- had been pleasant; it did not seem to mean overmuch to her now. All there was, was the understanding that this collaboration of young souls was ill-equipped to perform the task set before it ... and the need to force herself to become accustomed to the simulacrum that was now her arm.

Testing she had begun with a grim determination.

In opening, closing, and rotating the facsimile wrist she had gleaned a decent enough idea of what the prosthetic was capable of .. and what its limitations were. Surprising enough, there was not much fall-off, the golden-eyed Oni figured that there was at least 98%, the only real loss coming in the rigidity of the limb. Which disallowed little, in the grander scheme of things yet noteworthy. She had found, however, that while there was a sensation in the arm- a facsimile of touch and feel- she could manipulate the wrist past what was recommended.

The forearm and elbow were much the same, the metallic 'skin' unyielding and rigid. The elbow locked into its socket much like that of her remaining arm, and yet similar to that of the wrist there was a brief period where it could be pushed. Though she doubted such a thing would lend to ... beneficial results. Appraising the worth of the wrest of the arm, she found the fibrous wiring that replaced the muscles and tendons to be something of an issue. In the event she was required to thrust the arm forward with killing intent, might it be possible to grab hold of such things and wrest them from the prosthetic ?

Questions perhaps, for Mr. Pantaloon, though considering the man's comments about the arm itself; she was not surprised.

Not much however, could be said of the upper arm, mounted as it was to her shoulder. She doubted that one would be capable of wrestling it from its fastenings, as much effort as their benefactor had put into ensuring that it would remain where set.

After her careful appraisal of the arm had been concluded, she moved quickly into the process of attempting to channel her essence- her Truth- into the limb.

It was not simply a matter of willing Ki into the hollows of the prosthetic; it was willing the arm to enter the equilibrium that was herself, allowing it to be, as she was, Ishtar. And in the end, it was slow going.

The limb she hard learned, was firm, unyielding. And after several moments of struggling, she had managed to will fragments of herself, tributaries of the river of energy, down into the limb and into the digits- golden, and sometimes black- Ki flickering from the fingertips before disappearing.

It was a start.

As she did, it seemed of worth to repeat the her learning of a former life. The names of things in a language so old as to be forgotten, whispered under her breath as slipped quickly into focused meditation. Over time, however, the words narrowed. The events of the day had affected a subtle shift; and the golden-eyed Oni was stirring. The path of self-denial slowly giving way to the path of indulgence, and as she continued to chant in that dead language only known now by two; a single word was sounded.

"Druj." The Lie.

The effect was immediate.

Her arm blazed brilliant, the rivers of her Ki the darkest black; before disappearing in an instant. And while it might seem that the golden-eyed Oni had simply underestimated the energy she had attempted to will into her arm. Others still may know better. There was no slowing the Oni's awakening now.

“ You are But a tool yourself to the strings of Fate, too blind to see the strings. You think you have free will. It’s a illusion. And if I wanted your damned opinion I would have asked for it younstoned faced juicer bird man.”
Bird man reference to crane school and implying he does roofs. Self righteous ones.:

Ochazuke chuckled, bemused for the moment.

"Then what does that make the one who runs from responsibility, into another's strings, which he can plainly see?"

The noise of Ochazuke and Chou served to shake the woman from her dark meditation, and opening her golden eyes, she appraised the situation in earnest.

Her 'brother'- the unyielding Ochazuke- seemed willing to imbue his insights, or rather; had been disrupted ... or interrupted, conversation with her Cousin. Chou- the name an unpleasantness both in thought and memory- seemed to be expressing his ... inability to accept responsibility for the actions earlier. Choosing to rely on the tired excuse that free will was an illusion. Of which there was some merit, surely- time unstoppable in its ultimate end- was poor form.

With a grunt the Oni inserted herself briefly into the dueling wills.

"Not all find the path early, or easily. Perhaps in time he will learn to understand himself, and in so doing find peace in the cacophony of his troubled mind. Until the choice is made to better himself, however ... you are better off allowing Adam to perform his ... exploratory surgeries. Leave him to the squalor of his worth." The words, while truthful; were perhaps far too kind ... and yet the Oni felt nothing untoward toward the boy- save disappointment.

Though her words sparked a remembrance. Adam, despite his request for invasive surgeries he had willingly made an offer of himself- a physical piece of his being- in order to preserve what had been left of her arm. In the end, perhaps she had been far to rude in her initial denial of his proposition. Glancing around the cabin of the transport for the machine, she found him in the process of disassembling something for study.

Adam gets to work, dismantling the arm and adjusting it's components.

At least he is consistent in his aims.

"Adam, when you have a moment, I would wish to speak." The Oni called out.

[grampagen]

“Most. One is dead, slain by Asha’rah. The others are living. One is not on this planet.”

Ochazuke nodded. More than strange things pulled from myth, there was another offworld party involved; even now in their craft in the storm, she could see this being, and connect with it. And should she will it, find it.

It seems Kami's reach toward the stars was more than desperation. The conflict grows wider still.

"Those who remain...are they also after the Dragonballs?"

New enemies in the shadow, unknown by sight, perhaps even name. How fortunate that Ninlil was an eye on the inside.

"And as you hold the Paired Source in reserve, does your connection provide a line of sight back to you?"

[KamenRaida]

Day Two: c. 30 mins. Before Departure to Lookout

After attaching Ishtar’s arm, Jinzi taps a comm button on the wall in the machine room and addresses the geofront.

“We will be leaving in thirty minutes. Gather what you want, clean yourselves up, whatever you need to do, but we are heading out. The geofront isn’t safe anymore, so we are heading somewhere Old Kami cannot sense, see, or find. Meet me at the elevator than.”

"If that will be all, I will be taking my leave then. I have an appointment to make before we make our leave."

Bowing, Koorimaru left the dungeons, the spoils Jinzi had provided him now trailing behind him like spectres haunting a favoured victim.

Thirty minutes, eh? I wonder if that will be enough time for 'our' little appointment. That is, of course, if he is even able to show up. Koorimaru wondered, his mind casting back to the night before.

=====

Day One: Nightfall

His discussions with Ajna and Held ended, there was little left for Koorimaru to do but to make his way down the side of the mountain. If his trek upwards had been exhausting, then the journey downwards was only half of tiring but no less perilous with the scant lighting available with the dimming of the Biodome's artificial lighting.

Koorimaru had thought the quarrel he found himself in in Cask had spoken ill of the unity of the Kami's Avatars, although it would seem that those chosen in Dusk City were far more divided. The impasse between those that sought the Vitalmancer's death and its imprisonment may have, on one level, been no more than a magnified representation of the divide between him and Ochazuke, but on another, it may have served as a distressing explanation for the callousness with which the Saurian Earther, Charco, had let loose a force against an enemy in spite of his comrades.

Far from the centre of the conflict, Koorimaru was safe, although in another lifetime (had it really been so long ago that it was another lifetime?), he might not have been. The variety of powers once at his disposal might have made Koorimaru less hesitant about jumping neck deep into the fray, and taking to the field as his comrades seemed so eager to do, to their detriment. It was perhaps some level of fortune that what was now left to him made a style of combat that emphasised the advantage of distance his best means of defence, although knowing his survival depended on this bit of luck made Koorimaru no less comfortable.

After all, the greatest damage Koorimaru had suffered within the day was during the single moment when he allowed the distance between himself and his enemy to close.

The sound and feel of water pouring from the higher altitudes served as background noise to his thoughts as Koorimaru closed towards the lower area of the mountains. The feel of the waterfall's cooling touch reminded him of Cask. Though extreme temperatures did not impede his people's ability to perform, they could still feel and register it for what it was.

It was there, through what may have been sheer chance alone, that he found himself now embroiled in a war between gods, and all for the slimmest hope that the Shimyakugan's curse could be reversed. Kami had told him the dragonballs here eclipsed the power of those he found on Namek, and whether a lie told to buy his service or not, Koorimaru was far too desperate to care. The desperation to rely on slim odds would have earned his contempt in any other being, but as things were, he was too far gone to care....

...Or so he believed until he realised that his 'allies' were as much a danger to him as they were to their enemies. The quarrel he had earlier in the day proved the follow of allowing himself to get too close to his foes, and his survival of the damage done earlier only seemed to further emphasise that. But would distance alone prove his salvation if worst came to worst?

It was as he was carrying those thoughts that he caught sight of something... someone... sitting beneath the pouring waters.

Someone he recognised only too well.

"Well, well, well, this is certainly unexpected. I hope you take no offence when I say this, but of all the people I'd hope to encounter alone, you would not be one of them."

[rhyvurg]

"A little." Shiro answered, then practically felt her face darken as she continued "Then Szzzzhiro tried to fixzzzz it, but only made it worszzzze. Szzzzhould have szzzztuck with calling Rich Man Miszzzztah Jay in that accent Szzzzhiro had szzzzomehow created."

Adam very nearly offers to try to fix it, but others had a strong aversion to it's help more often than not. Best wait for them to ask.

At least he is consistent in his aims.

"Adam, when you have a moment, I would wish to speak." The Oni called out.

"Very well. I surmise that forming a second head and extending it to you would not be...polite?" He continues working, grafting in new ki channels so Ishtar's arm would not damage itself due to her strength.

[KingofPie]

"Oy, stop that!" Midori cried in annoyance. He couldn't actually smack them around or scatter them, but his actions were still so annoying. Reaching out, she made an attempt to grab his arm and stop him while shouting at him to stop.

"Bah! Urgd!" Sasheem growled as Midori grabbed his arm. His neck began to stretch over to bite her hand

Beside her, Shiro listened to them for several minutes before loudly saying "Szzzztop annoying Szzziszzzster Bot Toilet Goblin!" As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened as she realized that she'd spoken with her messed up vocal component, and quite loudly at that.

Sasheem had stopped in his attempt to bite her green sister. Man, Sasheem wondered if he'd ever get to bite ANYBODY. But, more importantly. What was this voice this one was speaking in? It....wasn't like that before, was it?

Sasheem was sure he'd remember such a hilarious sounding voice before. "Heheh..." he began to point. He didn't even care that she'd called him a toilet goblin...not with that voice. "Hehheh!"

Jinzi holds a hand up.

“Enough, less arguing, please. We have more important things spend our time on. Chou, do you still have the other senzu beans?”

Ignoring Jinzis words, Sasheem fell the floor, roaring with laughter, pointing at Shiro.

"A little." Shiro answered, then practically felt her face darken as she continued "Then Szzzzhiro tried to fixzzzz it, but only made it worszzzze. Szzzzhould have szzzztuck with calling Rich Man Miszzzztah Jay in that accent Szzzzhiro had szzzzomehow created."

Sasheem continued to guffaw at Shiro's discomfort, pounding his fist upon the floor. "Eheheh! Ohoho!"