The Perfect Place [Closed]

The east was no different to the south, north or west of this dreary rock. Some mildy interesting things had happened; a Saiyan encounter, meeting a Child by a sacred object, something else he couldn't quite put his finger on... nothing that he was desperate to remember at the least. Floating over head in some underwhelming heat compared to what he'd found in the desert where he had thawed out, he spotted a familiar sight by a body of water. An Arcosian. Finally, somebody that was really worth approaching was within floating distance of him. Maybe they could fill him in on how the Empire was doing.

"Greetings, madame." He bowed ever so slightly, a gesture he reserved purely for Arcosians and highly-respected Nobles of a few select races among the rabble. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Chill, of Clans Frigid and Cold." A small grin parted his lips and he gave a slight chuckled. "...and might I say, it is a pleasure to finally meet someone on this rock worth having a conversation with. Perhaps you can help me?"

He pulled himself back upright and stood straight with a flick of his tail, parting his cloak as he removed it gracefully to help with the muggy heat. "You see, I'm in somewhat of a predicament. The people of my father's fief - my fief, by birthright - rose up against us. The last thing I remember was a sharp pain and the next thing I knew I awoke thawing from an icicle in the heat of the desert. I've been meaning to find some answers, finally." A curious look swept across his face, with a raised brow as he asked his first question. "I'll start simple... What year is it?"

Chill nodded, his face portraying confusion as Glaceon spoke of a fief he wasn't familiar with, and said the year it apparently was. It couldn't possibly be 3018 could it? That would mean... "...you mean to tell me, that I have been frozen in that glorified icy-pop for... what, 538 years!?" This was an outrage! Chill had nowhere to direct this rage, knowing that the man who did this to him would be long dead by know, and hearing that the empire had collapsed did nothing to soften the blow. With a snapped flick of his wrist, his hand stuck up in rejection of his own emotion and the color dissolved from his cheeks.

"Sorry." He waved his hands as if wafting the cool air into his cheeks and took a short, deep breath to regain his composure. "That was rather... uncouth behavior. I just... this news is rather upsetting. What of this fleet, then?" The last thing that Chill needed now was to find out that what had replaced their glorious, eon-long empire was no less than a joke. "Do we still maintain our control over most of the Northern Galaxy?"

He was speaking faster than normal, which he knew portrayed his anxiety. As much as he'd like to switch it off and present himself as the cool, level-headed figurehead that any Clan Leader would need to be, he just couldn't bring himself to remain absolutely calm, even in farce. He took another breath, leaving time for Glaceon to give her response to his bombardment of queries.

“The World Trade Fleet is the true Arcosian ideology reborn. It is an ideal even older than that of the Arcosian Empire; military capitalism, like the Planet Trade Organisation.” A voice intoned from the forest thicket. “And once more, we control most of the galaxy, as Arcose-seijin rightfully should. Our only rival, the Saiyan Kingdom, are soon to be finished; their last fighters have fled to this sorry rock.”

A gaunt, hollow-faced figure stepped out from the shadows of the forest, his lips curled into a dark smile. “As General Glaceon said, Lord Chill; your natural time has long passed. All your enemies and friends are long dead. That said, the World Trade Fleet is always looking for strong blood to fight and to profit from our victories.”

The Arcosian noble’s three-pronged feet curled in the tall grass. His tail swayed from side to side, playfully, and he held both his arms tightly behind his back. “My name is Lord Blezad, and I intend to wipe out the Saiyan race.”

Just as Chill began to formulate an answer to Glaceon's question - the answer being that he had in fact fought a Saiyan in the desert, but hadn't given him time to blabber about his 'fallen planet' or how 'his people' had done it - two more people entered the fray of the conversation. One, another Lord, whose introduction received a small bow of the head from Chill, and the other a stranger riding in on a bizarre and unusually watercraft.

The other Lord seemed quite fierce, and their note on genocide was one that might have made Chill weary if he had any semblance of a heart within his chitinous, reptilian form. He did not. In fact, he empathized with Blezad. He felt very similarly about those of the race that had rebelled against him and his family. "I empathize wholeheartedly. Besides - even in my time those Monkeys deserved this fate."

The stranger on the boat had stopped right next to the group of Arcosians and let out a loud bellowing honk out of the craft before offering them some 'homemade ice cream'. "...are you... are you serious?" His eyes ran up and down the strange craft and the figure that spoke once more, absolutely befuddled, but slightly intrigued. "We're in the middle of an important conversation... But I'm anything if not a man of business. Fine then, you have my attention, if only for a moment. Pitch me."

Lord Blezad smiled vampirically at Chill, his lips curled back to reveal a toothy grin that filled out his thin face. "I'm glad we see eye to eye... in a manner of speaking. The Fleet is glad to have you on board." 

The Arcosian noble's smile faltered as three horn blasts rang out, before they were joined by another new voice, this time from the nearby body of water. He tilted his head to see the visitor, who stood at the prow of a pearly-white yacht. His scouter hadn't detected his approach, but there he was, with a significant power level, close to his own True strength. Blezad suppressed the urge to immediately assume his Monster form. It would have been a precautionary measure to match the newcomer's strength, but it would be foolish to suggest weakness or hostility to the newcomer. Especially now, when this blue planet could be rich with potential allies against the saiyan blight. 

Of course, most alliances were temporary. But who knows? Perhaps this encounter could be the start of a long and fruitful relationship for the World Trade Fleet. Profit was to be had.

So, instead of transforming, Lord Blezad resumed his smile, folding his arms behind his back and stepping towards the still-rippling lake. "A fantastic offer, if I may say so. I can't claim to have ever consumed much ice cream in my time, however, although the name gives away the principle of the thing."

As Blezad stepped closer to the boat, he noticed some of the quirks of its design. It was shaped like a Majin, or at least the front of the boat was. Blezad felt that he recognised the face, but he couldn't be sure. The boat definitely hadn't been there before; it must have appeared literally moments after he stepped out of the forest thicket, after he'd spoken to the gathered Arcosians. Very impressive. 

"I thank you for your hospitality, friend. Pray, may I ask your name?" Blezad said, hopping the short distance between the lakeside and the yacht, before extending his hand to the demon. 

The demon’s arrival certainly threw the tentative Arcosian alliance here for a loop, but sometimes that might just be for the best. Their new potential ally might prove useful after all. Glaceon still didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him which may or may not prove to be very far. Either way, she eyes the bright and fancy boat with curiosity, magic held a broad appeal, after all. The Majin-esque vision caught her eye now she actually had a moment to properly give the vessel a once over. Caught by surprise earlier, she’d focused mostly on the newcomer, now she took stock of all the bells and whistles he brought along for their impromptu gathering.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the offered cone and sniffing. It smelled spicy, the cone chilled to her grasp - the coldest thing she’d found in this dastardly place thus far and it’d likely be temporary. A morsel to be consumed and she watched as Maple himself took to his own cone.

Licking at it curiously, the first blast of flavor made her pull back a little, but then a spicy, almost fiery. The smell and flavor reminded her of a volcanic planet she helped sack for the Fleet, bringing a smile along with memory of times that felt more productive than this. Put her out in the field hunting and slaughtering, well, she was good at that. She was adequate, too, at finding campgrounds and missing Saiyans, but that far more boring. “The Saiyans have been a blight upon the Universe for quite some time,” she told Maple, stressing the correct pronunciation of the word. Yes, to correct, but also because if you were going to align yourself with others against someone, you ought to know what to call them.

She took another lick of her ice cream, enjoying it more now she knew what to expect. “Well met, Maple Moonshi. I am General Glaceon, and I, too, am grateful for this meeting. It’s the most pleasant experience I’ve had on this sweltering rock to date.” Not that she had much to compare it to, but, hey, he didn't need to know that. His help might just make or break their war against the Saiyans, if they could find a bargain with all of them coming out on top. Glaceon had no qualms with demons, as long as they didn’t have any of that monkey blood, or a fondness for them.

Sorry for the skip, Lord Chill, feel free to hop back in whenever is convenient for you. Wanted to keep things moving.
P.S. Wintoz has asked if he can join and I said yes, he says don't wait, though.