Gandigan listened to Cabasa's spiel in silence, still hoping that it's next attack wouldn't be a disappointment. He could sense a great power coming from within, but not anything that he wouldn't be prepared for. "This battle has it's purpose. To prepare you for the wars to come. To prepare myself for the battle with Lottus. You will make yourself useful for me against the Saiyans. The moment you're no longer useful to me is the moment that you're no longer welcome in my court."
Cabasa's power would erupt, firing two powerful eye beams aimed at Gandigan's chest. The force of the beams threw Gandigan up into the air, with each individual beam piercing through his body and coming out the other end. The Mazoku King landed with a heavy thud a few feet away; the blood quickly began to pool beneath him. If Cabasa had meant to try and kill Gandigan then it came close, but still he breathed.
His condition was critical though; probably as bad or maybe even worse than how Cabasa was doing, but he was still alive. Rolling over onto his stomach, Gandigan would slowly crawl over to the Mazoku. Once he reached his target he would climb up atop of Cabasa, sloppily grabbing it's head with his left arm before raining down elbows with his right. "You had your shot.... to finish me off... you failed..."
As expected, Gandigan and Cabasa's relationship was purely utilitarian; there would be nothing more to their cooperation once her uses would have expired. In a way, it is this knowledge that fed Cabasa's sense of distrust, which bled into her nasty habits toward her king that certainly didn't help how he saw her subject. It was a vicious cycle, one she could seemingly never break away from... just like that stupid, ravenous hunger for blood always gripping her throat like a hot iron.
The beams bore through Gandigan, dragging him away in their wake, forcing him to land far and away from Cabasa where he agonized in a puddle of his own blood for a moment. Cabasa was stunned, unsure of what happened. With clear confusion in her eyes, she only stared as Gandigan crawled to her like a worm wriggling out from wet mud.
It was truly a strange thing. Once he got his hands on Cabasa, he felt no opposition or anything; she was yanked to the ground with absolute befuddlement for a countenance, her head being grabbed without an ounce of concern. The elbow strikes came in and hit squarely. Given the king's miserable state, the blows were weak. Still, after a while, a big purple bruise opened on Cabasa's forehead, weeping her blood in copious amounts that now stained the Daimyo's elbow.
"W-who is Lottus?" This question represented her body coming back to life, for she looked in his eyes instead of staring emptily into the void. Regardless of all the thoughts spared for the genocidal Saiyan during their fight, Gandigan never once mentioned his name. Was this a major slip up? "Is this <<fight>> of yours the diplomatic trip you were leaving for? Are you bullshitting me, Gandigan? I WANT THE TRUTH!" She spat blood in his eyes, hoping to blind him for a spell. If this worked, she would have followed up by wrapping her arms around Gandigan's neck, pulling herself against him to sink her fangs into his neck to drink his life ichor. She aimed to peer into his memories about that so-called Lottus; blood, while fickle and sometimes cryptic, never lied to her.
PL: 51,000 -> 255,000 -> 306,000 (Cabasa is in her Bloodlust form!)
Notes: Up to Gandigan's player if the UT listed below works. UT used: Memento Bloody After supping up the life ichor of a willing or unconscious target, Cabasa experiences their memories in a sudden, euphoric blur. This Utility technique requires OOC consent to be used on a player character and the extent of the knowledge assimilated by Cabasa must be mutually agreed upon. Can’t be used on beings devoid of blood. KP: 3/6 (+2) - MP: 0/6 - HP: 190/250 Resources:Battle Wisdom, Regeneration, Trump Card, Vampiric
WC: 362 TWC: 6083
Last Edit: Oct 31, 2023 21:16:47 GMT -5 by Deleted
Gandigan sat atop Cabasa, pummeling away on the Mazoku with heavy elbows. The Cabasa offered no resistance to his strikes, allowing him to land over and over again. Soon enough his elbow would form a dent in it's forehead, which quickly pooled with a torrent of blood that came from the many cuts across the Mazoku's face. If things kept up like this then Cabasa would soon be defeated. But a few moments later and life had returned, as did it's words.
Gandigan slipped up. He made a mistake. In the emotion of their battle he had reveled his true intentions to Cabasa. What could he do now other than try to cover things up? "Lottus is nothing to you. Forget anything that I said." He tried to land another elbow, but the bloody spit caught him in the eyes and forced him to back off, which allowed Cabasa to strike again.
Lurching up the Demon would sink it's fangs deep into the neck of Gandigan, sucking away his blood... and something else. Gandigan could feel that it was more than just blood that Cabasa was stealing from him, though he couldn't explain what exactly was going on. Once his vision clear up Gandigan reached out and forced Cabasa off of him, before jumping away to one side and covering up the puncture marks on his throat with his hands. "What have you done?"
Gandigan's refusal to divulge more information about Lottus only galvanized Cabasa to drink as much as she could, taking in blood in large spurts that made her gullet distend. After taking in the substance that seared her throat pleasingly, her body began to convulse, as if possessed by some invisible, insidious force. With her cheeks flared pink, she let loose a moan of pseudo-religious ecstasy as she experienced images, smells, and sounds in a discordant whole that flashed in her psyche.
Getting Cabasa off from him wasn't too complicated with how she was still in her torpor. Amidst her reverie, however, she heard his voice, his question that dragged her back to reality. Cabasa wiped her bloodied chin with a thumb, bringing Gandigan's blood to her lips that suckled the treat with a gentle nod. Then, she sat up with her legs crossed, looking up at the visibly irritated monarch. "Have you ever wondered why I crave blood so much?" It would be easy to presume that it was what the beast preferred to gorge on the most due to factors like nutrients and flavor profile, but there was much more to it than the delightful metallic tang of the fallen. "When I drink blood, Gandigan, I experience memories. I learn, I evolve through the scenes playing before my eyes. Sometimes, they stretch for a lifetime. If I am unlucky, it comes out as a jumble of footprints meshed together into an incomprehensible whole."
She held up her hand, trying to prevent Gandigan from lashing out just yet. "You aim to stop a great Saiyan destroyer, a crusher of worlds that leaves nothing in his wake. You fear that I will join him. You want to go alone. No, you are forced to; Namek needs its defenders if he were to elude you." Cabasa chuckled, amused at the Daimyo's misguided thoughts. "Honey, my disgusting king, my mighty Daimyo... this Lottus couldn't be any different from me. I am an animal who enjoys the thrill of the hunt. This predator is the fire to eat all fields, the blade to end all game; his mere existence threatens my lifestyle of eternal hunt." Cabasa hissed, veins bulging across her forehead. "Kill him." Simple, but probably not what Gandigan expected to hear from this winged creature.
"You have won this encounter. Rest, my liege, for it is the biggest fight of your life that awaits you." Cabasa closed her eyes, awaiting the coup de grace.
PL: 51,000 -> 255,000 (Cabasa is in her Bloodlust form!)
Notes: Cabasa gains no MP due to surrendering herself to Gandigan's judgment. UT used: N/A KP: 5/6 (+2) - MP: 0/6 - HP: 190/250 Resources:Battle Wisdom, Regeneration, Trump Card, Vampiric
WC: 412 TWC: 6495
Last Edit: Oct 31, 2023 21:48:06 GMT -5 by Deleted
Gandigan couldn't even begin to describe what he was watching. Cabasa began to both convulse and shine as it underwent some sort of... transformation? He didn't know, and he was glad when it was over. He seethed in silence as Cabasa explained what had just happened, stealing the memories from him that he had so desperately wanted to keep secret. This vermin. He should have killed the Mazoku right then and there, just to finally be rid of this burden. But he couldn't. So long as Cabasa was on Namek that was one more body Lottus would have to go through.
So instead he did nothing, just as he had the last time he was in this situation. Gandigan turned away and took off into the air without uttering another word. The encounter had served it's purpose, and now he was ready to final stretch before taking on Lottus. Cabasa had wounded him more grievously than he had expected, and so he would need to search for a means to recover before departing Namek.
He wanted to believe that Cabasa was telling the truth when it said that Lottus was an enemy to it as well, but with a creature like that you could never be too sure. The time for Cabasa's loyalty to be proven would be dawning on them soon enough.
Cabasa remained in her seated position with her eyes closed, apprehension for the worst building up with every fleeting moment of her existence passing. Instead of being knocked out or executed like she thought she would after angering her king with the transgression that purloining his memories was, she only felt a soft tingle against her nape; the scorching, howling wind of the First Scar.
Cabasa sighed and opened her eyes, looking around herself only to find herself alone on the disc. In a way, she found solace in Gandigan's silent departure after such a hard fight. It made for amazing training and, once again, her liege taught her something new today. This information wasn't some useful lesson, however, for the maniacal world render she saw in her visions was nothing more than a very ill omen waiting to befell Namek.
For a moment during her trance, she truly considered what it could be like to join forces with such a cataclysmic warrior, but the Teal Mazoku opted against it, knowing well where her true home lied. This planet was the home of her ancestors, a hunting ground and trove of history she considered her birthright. Soon, she would explore more of her origins and grow stronger with the help of a certain Guru, but these designs could wait for now.
The winged demoness stretched and yawned, feeling the painful numbness singing to her bones. It is with heavy eyelids that she laid on her sides, curling up and draping her bleeding figure with her leathery, tattered wings. The shadow warrior earned her rest and she planned on spending it atop the warm, rocky surface of the obsidian platform that served as the arena of today's clash.
Oct 20, 2024 18:31:30 GMT -5
Marimba: Yep. Better than ever too.
Oct 20, 2024 21:26:39 GMT -5
Rhuba: I wish I saw Marimba talk more in the Discord.
Oct 21, 2024 16:21:05 GMT -5
Yakito: Marimbus will perish by my hands.
Oct 22, 2024 2:13:57 GMT -5
Chomei: Marimbus will persevere by my hands.
Oct 22, 2024 4:38:31 GMT -5
Rhuba: Why is he preserving your hand?
Oct 22, 2024 15:18:52 GMT -5
Pom: Maybe he likes it?
Oct 22, 2024 17:04:34 GMT -5
Marimba: It'll come in handy some day
Oct 23, 2024 12:26:15 GMT -5
Mister Steel: Chomei's estate is vast, and marriage into the family can only benefit Marimba with access to cattle, pasture land, and much grain to feed his armies.