Dance with the Devil

Rhapsody was cautious when Lottus offered a chunk from the creature he'd been dining on; it's smell wasn't exactly to her liking, but that was most likely due to it simply being an unfamiliar beast. Lottus seemed to devour what he had just fine, so it was incredibly unlikely that it was poisoned or unfit for consumption. Rhapsody's stomach growled at the thought of having food, even if it wasn't to her taste; exhausted and in desperate need to regain her strength, reluctantly, she'd take to accepting the offer as Lottus began to speak.

From what she'd seen of Lottus, his comments made sense; he really didn't seem like the type to take prisoners. With that in mind however, it made it even stranger to her that she had not only been allowed to live, but had been rescued from a rather sticky situation. Even if Lottus hadn't done anything to her, considering the location that she'd blacked out in, any other unscrupulous individual could have easily taken advantage of the situation.

As Lottus went on to explain his confusion, Rhapsody would pull her knees close to her chest as she silently listened; taking small bites from the offered food, her larger than normal fangs exposed as she did so. She made it a point not to eat in front of others; baring the fangs of her Felidae heritage always felt improper, though at the moment it wasn't as though she had much choice. She would twitch as Lottus mentioned having been referred to as 'Devil'; Rhapsody cringed at her own misgivings and improper etiquette. So taken by the moment as she was, doing her best to live like the warrior she was trained to be, she had ruthlessly dropped all pretenses of thinking of Lottus as a person at the time. Yet, here they were now, sharing a meal and having a conversation.

As said conversation went on however, Lottus's confusion only seemed to grow; and in the briefest of displays, Rhapsody could see the cynical grin and glint in the mans eyes that she'd seen plenty of already. He was sane, he was normal, in this conversation alone Lottus was proving that; and yet, it seemed as though something was attempting to tug him in a different direction. Something threatened his sanity; though what that something could have been, Rhapsody had no idea.

"I... disagree-" Rhapsody would begin, remembering Lottus's song momentarily before then remembering the tail end of their fight, "I know not how your power affects you. That strange energy of yours, it's... suffocating." She'd explain as she adjusted her posture; sitting properly upon her knees as she looked over to Lottus with a serious expression, "But as for your pain, I do not believe killing to be the solution. There's a difference between a remedy and a cure." She'd say firmly, "As for... what I called you?" She'd continue, averting her gaze with a shamed expression, "I am- that is, I apologize for that, Lottus."

While her comments had the potential riling the beast within Lottus with her defiance; she would not relent. She couldn't accept the idea that killing of all things acted as any sort of remedy to whatever it was that ailed the massive Saiyan. While it was true the their physiology may have differed greatly; the fact remained that they breathed the same air, and bled the same red blood. Killing was as useful to Lottus as it was to herself; which was nothing at all. Whatever the true reason was behind Lottus's back and forth pain however, Rhapsody had no way of knowing, and would say nothing more on the matter.

"I will say this however, 'enemy' is a strong word. I still believe you to be a villain, but you are not mine enemy; you are but my opponent." Rhapsody would continue firmly in an attempt to change topics, "And while I cannot grant it to you now, if it is a satisfying fight you seek, then I assure you, come soon I will bring my all to bear and grant you such a fight!" She'd finish with a determined expression as she stared Lottus down; just before tearing a much more 'savage' bite out of the meat.

The interest Lottus took in the idea of a future fight was somewhat unsettling, however as he continued speaking, Rhapsody felt the tension begin to melt away. He went on about his life, and his experiences; she could neither agree nor empathize with much of what he said, even closing her eyes in quiet contemplation as he spoke of those he killed in such a whimsical manner. Yet, in spite of these different ideals, the way he explained it all made him feel more... approachable? It was a conundrum and a difficult feeling to describe; all she really knew was he sounded less like a monster killing for sport and more like a man killing with reason. When he began to go on about her sword however, Rhapsody would smile; giving a swift response as he continued.

"A gift, from a young Saiyan girl ironically." Rhapsody would state as the fond memory of their encounter played back in her head, "My original sword had been shattered in a battle against pirate from the stars back on my home world; this replacement is... strange. The girl created from nothing, and it appears to suffer little to no wear and tear with use." She'd explain, still unaware of the exact properties of Zerori's Magic Materialization.

When she spoke of 'usage' of the weapon however, her brow would furrow. Even as Lottus continued on, the concept of what the weapon was for became more and more apparent. To claim it was for the defense of oneself or others was a farce she'd fooled herself into believing; a shield would be of better use if defense was her desire. No, this was a sword, and a sword was NOT a tool for defense, it was a weapon to bring harm. Her skills with a blade had made it so she could inflict the minimal amount of harm as she wielded it; but it still caused harm non the less, and Lottus had been the one to help her properly realize this.

In spite of Lottus's explanation of the many named he'd been called, Rhapsody still felt apprehensive over the situation; per his request however, she would refrain from apologizing further. However, as he went on, he began to speak of a more interesting point to his style of combat. He'd drawn near as he spoke, and had gone on about how he'd wanted to die; before Rhapsody could question him or respond however, Lottus was quick to point out the wound he'd left upon Rhapsody's chest, and more specifically, the state he believed it to be in.

"I consider this no gift, but a reminder." Rhapsody would respond with a narrowed gaze; still sour about having been so horribly outmatched in that previous encounter, "And I'll have you know I'm an experienced survivalist! I've treated plenty of wounds, so I highly... doubt-" She'd explain, before her explanation would slow to a stop as realization began to steadily dawn on her.

Her face reddening slowly, Rhapsody would avert her gaze from Lottus's own and push his had away lightly as she brought up her free hand to lift her blouse slightly; holding a clenched fist firmly against her chest.

"I'll... take what you've said into consideration..." She'd say softly, maintaining her composure in spite of her partially flustered and annoyed expression.

The biggest thought on her mind was how her master back on Zoa would have been incredibly disappointed in everything that had happened. If he ever found out, she wondered if she'd have been removed from her position as Guardian; considering her masters age and the lack of any other skilled villager, it was highly unlikely, but she couldn't help but to assume the worst.

Rhapsody would give a deep breath before rising to her feet and dusting herself off; adjusting her rather ragged clothing properly before moving over to her sword, sending a minor narrow eyed glance towards Lottus before deciding to remove it from the ground. She would stare at its blade, peerless shine the reflected the crackling fire's light; the most recent fight with Lottus played back in her head more and more, and whether he would answer or not, Rhapsody had questions.

"I already said, I'm not here to kill you... I never was." She'd begin, turning to face Lottus with a concerned but suspicious expression, "Lottus-" She'd continue, swallowing with a bit of reluctance before continuing, "Who exactly was I fighting back there?" She'd ask plainly, "I shouldn't presume to know the true you, but they you who speaks to me now... and the you covered in that aura, who could do nothing more than yell and roar... are they the same Lottus?"

Rhapsody had asked her question, but unfortunately that answer she received wasn't exactly the one she had expected. Lottus had become aggressive in his response, and rather quickly; more importantly, his actions showed signs of his previous insanity returning. Rhapsody became focused on the man, initially taking a defensive stance in an instinctive manner; before just as quickly stopping herself. It was clear that Lottus was suffering from something, he wasn't simply some beast to be put down; it was more complicated than that, but Rhapsody had still yet to understand why.

"Lottus!" Rhapsody would shout, sheathing her sword and rushing to his side, "Calm yourself! Listen to my voice!" She would exclaim as she tried to break through his personal ranting, "I understand, you ARE just YOU, Lottus! You are safe here, breathe Lottus!"

Rhapsody had knelt down to him as he slammed his face against the ground; quickly attempting to take hold of him by his shoulders to prevent him from inflicting any further self harm. Rhapsody cursed herself internally; why did he suffer such pain!? Why did he continuously harm himself!? He had spoken further about the death of another, and Rhapsody remembered the previous moment he had stopped his rampage; who was this 'him' that Lottus spoke of? Could the outbursts that Lottus displayed be due to a mental trauma? Rhapsody had too little information to go off of, and even if she had more, she had no idea how to yet help him; for now, all she could do was attempt to calm him down.

As Lottus's aura flared, Rhapsody could immediately feel its burn; she would recoil however, staying firm as she attempted to rouse Lottus back to his proper state of mind. As luck would have it, whether it was due to her intervention or Lottus's own power, his aura would fade and he would quickly begin to calm. Rhapsody said nothing, merely looking upon Lottus with concern as he lifted himself up and seemed to get his bearings; he seemed incredibly tired, as though preventing his usual rampage wasn't something he was accustomed to.

"Indeed, my wings feel fine now-" Rhapsody would begin before being immediately cut off by Lottus as he rose to his feet and pulled away.

It was like a jab to the heart to hear, but she understood well enough; she'd been struggling with the fact that she couldn't help him all this time, and now Lottus himself had made it clear. He began to stumble about, before soon speaking of where the nearest settlements were located; Rhapsody found it curious that he not only had the nearest Saiyan settlement in mind, but nearest Tuffle settlement as well. There was no reason to question him about it at this time however; it seemed that any little thing might set him off if it wasn't treated carefully. He'd helped keep her safe after she passed out, and even redressed her wound; acknowledging his request now was the least she could do.

"Very well, I understand." Rhapsody would say with a respectful bow, before quickly taking to the sky, "Lottus!" She would call out; stopping in the air and turning towards the man with a confident expression, "Maybe not now, but I WILL help you!" She'd exclaim, hold a fist firm to the wound upon her chest, "Even should we do battle in the future, I shall NOT kill you, remember that!!"

With these final words, Rhapsody would take off into the horizon; heading southeast to throw off attempts to follow after. She still didn't know how to help, and still didn't know why Lottus suffered the way he did; but she would not relent in her attempts to help free him from his pain. For now, it was clear she still wasn't fit for combat; Rhapsody would make to return to Earth, and acknowledging Lottus's request, she would take to receiving proper medical treatment for the wound she suffered.