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Post by Kalaboo on Sept 18, 2019 12:49:40 GMT -6
Waltzing from one side of the ballroom to another, the Duke twirled with unrivaled grace over and around and through the other dancers, leading with determined footsteps the little capuchin in his arms. And although the Duke’s spins and turns were undeniably proof of his mastery over the art of dance, he was very much taking it all as a joke. The war was over, the Empire strong, and by the ancestors he would allow himself some time to monkey around with the one that made it all worthy for him. But as the opening stanza led to another Kalabas noticed strange things all around him. There were no saiyans with him, no warm and trusted familiar faces, only fleetmen and arcosians and Chill in his arm, as the other had rusted away right before his eyes. And as the Duke tried to fight the grip the intruders had on him Chill reached for the back of his head, pulled his lips against his, sent him plunging into darkness as bits and scraps of his charred skull trailed behind him like stardust. Something gold, angry, lit up. He tried to reach for her, Belle, plead for forgiveness as her sheer power disintegrated him into ash. Kalabas woke up, heart pounding, blood rushing cold in his veins as he waited himself to jolt back into reality. When that didn’t happen he gladly conceded that the nightmare was over, maybe. As he searched for weights to lift he noticed a letter slid under his door, covered in a very thin layer of dust. He picked it up, gave it a read, and wondered to himself if this was some kind of a joke. Why was it that so many now came to him to learn? He was not against sharing what life and war had taught him, but the fact that he first had to die to be sought after stung his ego in a most peculiar way. Well, he had yet to reject a student and he would not begin now, even if the letter was written in a pompous, yet child-like style that very vaguely hinted at this whole ordeal being nothing more than trap, or worse, a prank. Damned kids… Despite his reserves Kalabas still made it to the location pointed all over the invitation, a tiny island in the middle of some ‘hellwater’ lake encircled by vaulted grottos and brimming with strangely normal flowers. Now, he waited. Current PL: 139,000
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Post by Kiko Kai on Sept 18, 2019 13:51:23 GMT -6
Kiko’s PL: 5,000
Brand’s PL: 16,000
Bravo’s PL: 5,000 | 15,000
Basil’s PL: 5,000
In a flash of light, they arrived in HFIL. Two of them willingingly, the other two not so much. It was quite a sight to see. Kiko, the young Shinjin, was hanging off of an older Hakaijin’s ears. She yanked them hard as Brand pulled away. A bulky yellow majin covered his face with his hands as Basil, the young human teenager consoled him. Brand let out a sound that was part shout, part groan, and part growl when he realized where he was. He clawed vainly at the air behind him where Kiko floated. “Dammit! I told you I’m not doing this!”“Too bad! We’re here now! Don’t be such a meanie butt!”“I’ll show you mean, you brat!”Brand backflipped over Kiko and grabbed her by her waist. That act of heresy quickly devolved into frenzied kicking, clawing and biting from both parties. Basil sighed heavily, hoping that no one else was around to see this display. He glanced around the little island and swiftly spotted a lone figure. He straightened up almost immediately and walked over, offering a hand and a smile. A halo was noticeably absent from his head. “Ah, are you Mister Kalabas? The trainer? It’s very good to meet you. You’ve caught us at a bad time… my apologies. I’m Basil. I’m a human from Earth. That yellow majin over there is Bravo. He’s a bit shy. And the two fighting are…”“NO! Let me go! Unhand me at once! This is! This is! Heresy! Blasphemy! Undignified! Mean!”A short distance away, it appeared as though Brand had won the scuffle between himself and Kiko. He held her by her collar at arm’s reach as she tried to kick at him. He had won the scuffle, but not the battle of wills between the two. He was rubbing his aching ears with his free hand. “Didn’t you want to beat Kayen?!”“Yes, but on my own!”“That’ll take you another eight centuries!”“Rrr…”Basil watched helplessly as the two flared at each other. It was always like this with them. He wondered if they even got along anymore or if they ever did. He squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers, trying to think of how to stop them. They usually turned on him when he tried to get involved. Bravo usually had better luck, but he was… Basil glanced at the majin who still had his face buried anxiously in his hand. Yeah, he was occupied. Oh, goodness. What was their trainer going to think of them?
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Post by Kalaboo on Sept 19, 2019 5:02:13 GMT -6
A flash of light took the shape of four very strange, very distinct figures. Some human or other, a majin built like a brick house, a disgruntled housecat, and a blue brat. None carried halos nor gave off a particularly hellish vibe, which was interesting. The most sane-looking of the bunch, the human, walked up to Kalabas to call him a… trainer? A trainer!? Kalabas was a warrior, an elite, a super saiyan! He was not some two-bit Joe Shmoe with a couple dozen black belts and a dojo to his name, he was the kind of fighter that could turn the tide of any battle, any war! “In-cor-rect. I am not Mister Kalabas, nor a trainer, I am the late Duke of Strongbone, Kalabas Strongbone. Although you may simply call me Sensei once I make head and tails of” he gestured at the two fools locked in battle “this whole thing.”
As he watched the scene unfold Kalabas leaned on a ki wall of his own making and fiddled with a flower in his hands, trying to fashion a circlet from the stem. From passing observation he got a vague idea of the power dynamics in the group: Basil acted as the mouthpiece, the little boy blue had some sway over the others, the hakaijin most certainly served as the muscle, and the majin… The saiyan gave him a glance, unsure how he fitted in this tiny dysfunctional family. Perhaps he acted as some sort of mediator? Well, if so, he was doing a very poor job at it. At least the spat had just concluded, with the shinjin kid held at an arm’s length from the feline’s ears.
“Well, if you are quite over-” they weren’t, and Kalabas got hold of a very juicy piece of gossip. So, the moggie wanted to beat the Queen of All Saiyans? “Well!” he repeated “If you are quite over I would like to formally introduce myself to all of you. My name is Kalabas Strongbone, late Duke of Strongbone, and you may not call me ‘mister’ or ‘trainer’ or some such nonsense. I happen to be very well acquainted with Queen Kayen’s power, even her manner of fighting, and I can assure you that if any of you were to train alone for eight centuries you’d simply manage to outlive her and her kin… Hardly a worthwhile victory, no? However! Eight mere months under my guidance may suffice for all four of you to rival her, or perhaps even eight weeks if you happen to not be a complete waste of my time.”
He walked away from the dispelling wall of ki, circling around his would-be students with slow heavy steps and all full of piercing glares “The human told me that I caught you at a bad time… Nonsense, it was you that caught me at a very, very bad time. Although I acknowledged your invitation I am still unsure whether to take you in as my students or simply teach you one or two things about ki manipulation. I have met toddlers with power levels higher than all of you combined, so you may understand why I have yet to make up my mind quite yet.” Kalabas halted in front of Brand, glaring at his one eye “What is it that you have against my Queen, old tom? Certainly, you are not vying for the throne, are you? Regardless, prepare yourself, I am fighting you first.” Bravo was next, despite of his shorter height Kalabas appeared to tower over him with sheer aplomb alone! “I have never met a shy majin before, nor one that could string more than a couple of words in a sentence. Are you a special case, then? We’ll see how smart you are soon enough.” as Kalabas made his way to Basil he dismissively flicked Kiko’s forehead “Step aside, I do not fight children.” If only that were true… “Well, Basil, it appears to me we have started on the wrong foot. Not to worry, give me fifty push ups for calling me Mister, and fifty more for trainer. Do not tire yourself too much, do ten sets of ten and then ten more if you feel like you can make it.”
The Duke ambled in a wide arc away from the kooky quartet, then turning with both fists balled against his wips “Well then, did everyone eat well? Exercising with an empty stomach is a surefire way to end up down here permanently. What about water, did anyone bring any? 'Hellwater' does not sate the thirst as well... It's blood.”
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Post by Kiko Kai on Sept 19, 2019 7:38:29 GMT -6
Kiko’s PL: 5,000
Brand’s PL: 112,000 | 48,000 (x7/x3)
Bravo’s PL: 5,000 | 15,000
Basil’s PL: 5,000
“Y-Yes, sorry, Sensei!” Basil stammered a bit at the correction. Kiko hadn’t mentioned anything about this Kalabas fellow being a noble. If he had known, he would have greeted him in a way more befitting his title. That was his goddess, he supposed. No mortal title could ever hope to compare to her own. But Basil wished that she had more consideration for her less than godly disciples. He wondered if that was technically considered heresy but shrugged to himself. He didn’t really care at this point. Especially because Kiko was not some unknowable entity of mysterious power anymore. She was just Kiko. The girl who had a very kind heart buried somewhere underneath all that bravado. At last, Brand and Kiko’s squabbling was put to a momentary halt as Sensei Kalabas bellowed over the two of them. That was the first time either of them had actually realized that he was there. They both looked over to him, Brand dropping Kiko to the ground as he started to speak. Brand scowled at the mention of this guy’s familiarity with Kayen. He made some bold claims. Saying things like under his tutelage, he could be a match for her after eight months. Kalabas circled them like a predator eyeing up his prey. Brand stood proud and strong. Kiko was unphased. Bravo somehow shrunk to be even smaller than he was before. Basil looked on at all the others helplessly. He addressed Brand first who managed to resist snarling at the man at least. “Kayen defeated me. Handily. My pride won’t let me rest until I’ve evened the score.”“Won’t let the rest of us rest either…”Kiko grumbled. Brand shot her a look, which she summarily ignored. Kalabas then moved on to Bravo and picked on him. Kiko was pretty sure Bravo was actually shrinking to be smaller than Kalabas. Majin were weird, but she really hoped that he could handle this. When it came to Kiko’s turn, she held up a hand and was about to speak when she was flicked upon her divine forehead. Stunned. Indignant. Kiko’s eyes went wide with surprise. What? Without missing a beat, Kalabas moved back to Basil who half bowed, half saluted his new Sensei. “Yessir! Sensei!”Basil dropped to the ground to do as beckoned without the slightest hesitation. If his goddess wanted him to get stronger then he would. For her. He wanted to be useful too. He wanted to be able to protect her. He would do whatever it took to better himself to that end. “W-Wait a second!”Kiko, having managed to collect herself, marched over to Kalabas, waggling her finger at him. “I’m not just a child! I’m a goddess! I’m Kiko Kai! The next Supreme Kai! You foolish mortal! You can’t just flick me!” Kiko huffed and crosses her arms, glancing back to her disciples. “They’re my disciples. You’re training them. Not me. I’m already perfect.”Kiko more or less believed that. There were times when she felt like her power wasn’t enough, but she didn’t pay much mind to that voice in her head. She was a goddess. Goddesses couldn’t be held back by self doubt. This was just a single step in the road to Supreme Kai. She couldn’t hesitate. With another huff, Kiko moved to stand next to Kalabas, creating some water for her disciples should they need it. She also made some snacks, but they were mostly sweets. “Do your best, my disciples! Oh, Brand, by the way. This guy is stronger than Kayen was when you fought her. For reference.”Hearing that, Brand’s ears perked up despite his will to not show any interest. He rolled his eyes at her but finally uncrossed his arms and started to stretch. After a moment or two, he started doing that thing. He took some kind of paint and made a symbol on his forehead. He was serious about this, huh? Kiko munched on some cookies as Brand’s ki shifted into an ominous purple and his power spiked up. She still wasn’t sure it was going to be enough. Well, at least he seemed willing to give it a try. Meanwhile, she supposed she would catch up on her homework. Both Basil and Sābanto had assigned her heaps of it. |
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Post by Kalaboo on Sept 19, 2019 18:02:25 GMT -6
Kalabas had yet to pry a word from the majin. It was not as frustrating as it was amusing, that frightened silence was more of a kneeslapper than anything that could be could said. What was there to fear, really? Kalabas had exaggerated his dismissiveness quite a fair bit, he did not expect expect great things out of any of the four - yet -, but he did like how the three he had ragged on the most had not broken into tears or something as inane as that. It had happened before, but it was saiyan tradition, and a facet of it the Duke quite liked. Hard as it was for him to put into words, the year of his induction into the military had been the best of his life, in no small part because he had managed to continue despite - well, because of - all the threats, banter, and dares sent his way… There was nothing like this in Hell, perhaps not even in Heaven, the Living World was truly the best of all. “One day…”
“Hm?” the Duke’s musing was interrupted by the shinjin, who could not be reach far from his knees. Now she stood beside him, thus claiming being on at least equal footing to the Duke! Or so said the social cues Kalabas had learnt to pick up on and interpret, and judging from the shinjin’s haughty nature… “Perfect, you? Not with that hair, I’m afraid. Now fall back in line, I said I would not fight you, not that I would not train you.” as gently as he allowed himself to be - which was only a bit on account of her reminding the Duke of himself as a brat -, Kalabas picked up the shinjin as one would a misbehaving cat and handed her to the yellow gummy man.
He spun on his heel, with a most disconcerting amused grin on his face, when a spike of ki nearly jostled him out of balance. Brand had some actual power to his name, it seemed. “Is that a sigil of some sort? Does it heighten your power or simply tear down a barrier? You might want to tear down some more, if you are going to fight at full power then so will I.” Kalabas had transformed so many times now that the turn came as naturally to him as a big fancy word. His hair turned gold and sharper, his eyes gained an ominous blue hue, his height and musculature increased, and golden flames and blue lighting coated his body and skin. His shifting to his original form came even quicker. “I jest, I jest, I want to train you, not kill you. I will leave that to Kayen, perhaps she’ll even spare you if you give her a good fight, but that is neither here nor there nor my concern.”
Kalabas slipped into one of his more classic stances, with one arm hanging limp on the side. Supposedly said arm should be snuck under a flowing cape, so the Duke came up with another way to hide his intent. This was as much of a practice for him as it was to the others. “Begin, then. Today, if you please.”
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Post by Kiko Kai on Sept 22, 2019 20:21:20 GMT -6
“Huh?”
Kiko blinked as this mortal Duke or whatever casually tossed an insult at her hair. Her hair? What was wrong with her hair. She was so stunned that she just blinked as he picked her up and handed her off to Bravo. He took her in his hands and for the first time actually looked up first at Kalabas and then to Kiko who sat in his hands with an evolving look of shock, consternation, and humiliation. Her face and the tips of her ears went an interesting shade of purple.
“H-Hey! What’s wrong with my hair?! I’m not training! I’m a goddess! I don’t need to! How dare you treat me so casually! AUGH!”
These and a stream of more similar insults flew from Kiko’s lips directed at the Duke. A lot of how he was supremely foolish and very mortal. Her shouts were eventually stopped when Kalabas suddenly and abruptly went Super Saiyan. None of her disciples reacted to the change in the Saiyan’s ki, but Kiko felt it with every fiber of her being. She grit her teeth and glanced to her companions. If people like this existed in the mortal realm, she wanted her disciples to be strong enough to face them. She felt a little bit of longing to be as powerful, but she shoved it down into the back of her mind. That would mean that… that would be like admitting she wasn’t good enough to be Supreme Kai. She wouldn’t do it!
Kiko relaxed a little as he powered down, a little thankful that Brand didn’t have to go up against that. She wondered how he would do. He had gotten a little more confident thanks to that sigil. The Mark of Destruction. Apparently, his people revered some kind of god of Destruction. Or at least the village from where Brand was from did. He didn’t talk much about it, but she guessed that he was still a believer? Hm. She supposed she might allow for… people to worship more than just her. She wondered if his god had approached him whether he would stay with her or leave. Kiko frowned. A pat from Bravo on the top of her head jolted her out of her worries. She looked up at him. He was smiling at her, though he still seemed a little nervous.
“Don’ worry, mum. It’s Brand! He’ll be alright.”
“Yeah… okay.”
Kiko, Bravo, and Basil - who was in the middle of his sets - all looked over as Brand took up his own fighting stance. Before long, he launched himself at Kalabas, with several jabs that would have normally extended claws for gouging into opponents, but for the purposes of training, he curled his fingers inward to still deal some sharp point to point hits. Brand’s fighting style was honed by centuries of fighting and scrambling. Not to mention he had that bad habit of fighting dirty. Well, not that Kiko minded. Basil was a more classic fighter. Bravo… struggled to punch hard enough push someone back much less hurt them.
Kiko’s PL: 5,000
Brand’s PL: 112,000 | 48,000 (x7/x3)
Bravo’s PL: 5,000 | 15,000
Basil’s PL: 5,000
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Post by Kalaboo on Sept 28, 2019 3:46:32 GMT -6
There was something very, very, very satisfying about getting under the skin of a shinjin, prick at the insecurities of a creature magnitudes of holiness above even the most devoted mortal. However, much like a defanged and declawed saibaman, the tiny sceecher’s shenanigans were...precious. Perhaps not. The stream of abuse hurled by Kiko did not irritate the Duke as much as it made him mentally go through a list of counter-jabs at her expense. Should he formulate vast and quasi-lyrical arguments for each one, or merely expose her flaws with clinical, cold precision? Not that either would build character on the little lass, but perhaps with enough taunting Kiko would have the very compelling objective of having someone to beat with one’s own hands. The amusement he got from making a shinjin positively livid weighed only very little in his decision. “If this is the best you have to offer, you half-pint false idol, I can direct the four of you to a more fitting deity!” Kalabas snided as he took the first blows of Brand’s assault, masking his pain with a hearty laugh “She’s my best student, no less, a fighter of excellence such that I am certain she’ll soon ascend beyond even the rank of Supreme God North Kakaio of ALL Kais!” the exact order of the divine hierarchy was still a mystery to him, but certainly their leader had a title that could not be too far from his guess? He’d have to wait and see, as Brand appeared to be not even close to done with his barrage. The saiyan slid between the hakaijin’s legs, elbow raised to strike at whatever was between them. Was it a dishonorable tactic? Not in Kalabas’ opinion, or his very particular martial art. Ki bursted from the saiyan’s back, propelling him right up to the blue shinjin “I speak of your fellow shinjin, Paige! Humble as they come, hardworking too! Rather than see her divinity as an excuse to not train, it is through training that she justifies something even beyond the destiny she was dealt!” The saiyan stood to his seven something feet of height, ruffling the little goddess’ hair “There is nothing wrong with your hair, kid. I just think it could use a headband as violet and velvety as mine… How about this, Paige carries one, take hers and I will have no choice other than admit your perfection. Heavens above, perhaps I will even join this cult of yours! How does that sound, shinjin, would you like to wield some real power?” With the challenge issued and a rather unamused kitty to deal with, Kalabas left the shinjin. “I must say, I feel insulted!” the saiyan came barreling into his opponent as a whirlwind of fists and kicks, speaking over the sound of raging wind and clashing ki “I am not some back-alley upstart, I am Kalabas Strongbone, Late Duke of Strongbone, the strongest sensei in all of Afterlife! Claws out, lest I turn you inside out!” an elbow hurled to the neck, a bent knee to the stomach, a ki sphere charging with power and one leg to support it all, it was only then that Kalabas realized... his flank was wide open!Kalabas begins charging [SIG | Force | Enfure] Final Imperial Epitaph (PL:184,870)!
Charge Counter: [1/2]
KP: 0/3
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Post by Kiko Kai on Oct 8, 2019 10:29:22 GMT -6
“False… idol…?” Kiko felt something she hadn’t really felt before: hurt. It wasn’t so much the implication that she was a false idol - because she wasn’t and Kalabas was a big dummy dumbface. What bothered her was the suggestion that her disciples might leave her one day. To go be with another, better Shinjin. Even if they had never expressed an interest like that to her, it was still one of her deepest, darkest fears. And the dummy had managed to pick at it by sheer luck. Even though it was clear that he had no idea what he was talking about when it came to the divine hierarchy. Even though he was a big dummy.
It hurt.
Kiko sat blinking as the brute ruffled her hair. She glanced up at him with the shock she felt still on her face. As he turned away with a challenge issued, Kiko could only sit stunned. What if they did leave her for this Paige person? What if this Paige became the next Supreme Kai instead of her through hard work? Typha has said something about it too. But, but! She was working hard! As hard as she knew how to! She was throwing herself into her studies. She just didn’t think that she needed power rivaling a monkey man.
Still processing, it came as a surprise when she was gently placed on the ground. What? Kiko looked up at Bravo who had been holding her. He had an uncharacteristic scowl on his face. Steam tooted out of his pores to signify that he was, in fact, angry. The angriest that Kiko had ever seen him. Had she even seen him angry before? She didn’t even remember. He marched past her and toward where Brand and Kalabas were fighting. What was he going to do? Wait! Kiko tried to get up, but a hand on her shoulder held her back. She glanced back to see Basil who also looked surprisingly upset.
“It’s alright, Lady Kiko. Let him go.”
Bravo flew at Kalabas’s exposed flank with a heftier punch than she had ever seen him throw. What had gotten into him? Brand’s whole demeanor had changed as well. He normally took fights seriously, but there was something else in there now. A raw want to injure? Maim? Kiko wasn’t sure, but she knew it wasn’t how he went about his usual friendly bouts. His claws extended. It took another moment before she realized that was happening. They were fighting… for her? They felt insulted. That was what those looks had been! W-Well, as a goddess, she had to support them right?
Focusing her divine power, Kiko felt herself fully imbued with holy power. It wasn’t so much a transformation as the full realization of her true power. She’d grant a miracle to Brand. A miracle so that he could beat up the dummy! Her holy power concentrated and flowed into Brand, making his power surge up just a little bit more. She just hoped that bit more would be enough! Brand concentrated purple destructive energy in his hands and brought it down on the Duke’s head, hissing as he took the knee to the stomach. He wouldn’t falter now!
Bravo attacks Kalabas’s opening to throw him off balance.
Kiko empowers Brand by using her x2 and the Sacred Flute! Brand’s PL is now 128,000/64,000!
Brand uses [A1] Destructive Wave for 42,666 PL in damage!
Brand’s KP: 2/3
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