Oh now this... this was RICH. Golden! Caraway couldn't help but laugh, a manic and unsettling affair. The President of Earth had just declared some draconian crackdown laws out of FEAR. Fear for people like him. Did he really think Earth was attacked because it was weak...? The feeble-minded fool. Earth was attacked because it was paradoxically the most well-defended yet LAZY planet in the entire damn galaxy! A society of spineless wimps who know nothing of true hardship, safeguarded by some of the most potent mortals ever seen! How could he not feel like it was a challenge!? To take the bait and steep himself in the blood of Earth!
Caraway idly wandered down the sidewalk, clothes, face, and weaponry dripping with fresh red crimson. Thanks to Chomei's announcements, he thought it was only fitting to immediately start trouble. Killing hapless nobodies like this - in such small quantities at least - usually wasn't his M.O., but the Demon decided he'd dedicate their deaths to the Dragon King himself! So far only the regular police and armed forces had tried to stop him after the first dozen civilians, and not a single worthy challenger had stepped up to the plate yet. Caraway was getting bored... and while he could sense the Kili of cowering weaklings nearby, he might just up and leave soon if nothing interesting happened!
The Southern regions were warm - they somewhat reminded Flax of home. This port town she'd found, in particular, felt oddly nostalgic. Hadn't she grown up near the sea? Flax furrowed her brows and frowned. No, she had grown up in the... Desert? Why couldn't she remember? Flax let out a small groan as she placed a hand on her temple. All this black goop inside of her was fogging up her memories of before the experiment. It only got worse when it had been a while since she had eaten. And it had been a while, now. From her previous experiences, she seemed capable of going up to a week or so without substantial feeding before she lost control completely. And, right now, she was on day four.
So, as much as she disliked the thought, she'd have to eat a few people up around this town. They'd be fine, afterwards - but no one exactly liked being eaten. As Flax wandered the streets in search of prey, she frowned as she saw a man hurriedly duck behind a building, seemingly in a panic. That was odd. Next, she walked past an alleyway where she could sense multiple people had hidden themselves away inside of a dumpster. Even odder.
What were they already hiding from? It'd be even more annoying for her to track down enough to sustain her if they were already all in fight or flight mode. Had word about her attacks in other towns somehow reached this one? She thought she'd been discreet enough to avoid creating a reputation...
However, she soon got her answer when she rounded the corner and saw an... Interesting looking man. His hair was red, his skin was pale, and his eyes seemed to glow with malice - he practically looked like Flax's complete opposite. Of note was the fact that he was completely caked in blood. He must have been slaughtering innocents on the street with how crimson-soaked he was, which left no wonder to why so many were fleeing or cowering in fear. And Flax couldn't sense his power, either. In her experience, though, those who hid their power usually had power to spare... It made her stomach growl in anticipation. This just might be an excellent meal.
Flax approached the man and stopped a dozen or so feet away from him, her arms crossed in front of her. "You look like you're having fun," she said with raised eyebrows and a slight smile. "Sorry to rain on your parade here, but you're making it harder for me to have lunch. You've managed to scare off most of my food." Flax eyed him up and down. If he was so happy to be preying on such weaklings, then maybe he wasn't so tough after all. Ah, well. He'd still make for a better meal than sucking dry a bunch of common Earthlings.
"You'll just have to do instead." Without hesitation, Flax darted towards the blood-soaked man and slashed her arm forwards, her hand near-instantly morphing into a set of sharp, black, long claws that were easily capable of slicing away at his flesh!
Flax attacks! She strikes Caraway with a [Light] Umbral Slash for a 32,000 (40%) PL attack!
Caraway slowed as someone approached, a notable Kili of EIGHT by the feel of it. Nearly on his level! The Demon offered a wide-fanged smile as Flax came into view. Dressed for the cold? Pointy ears? BLUE HAIR?? Definitely no normal civvie. "I thought I'd send a little message to the President! He seemed eager to play dictator, so I thought... hey! Why not give him more ammo to throw on TV?" Scared OFF? Caraway was taking it easy, but even he could feel the weak Kili of many in hiding. "You'd be better off looking for meals on Plant or Arcose! The people here are all dull."
He picked at his teeth, not even turning to look at Flax as she attacked. One arm lazily held his umbrella forward, popping it open as a nigh invisible shimmer overtook it. The abomination's deadly attack screeched to a halt as it skidded harmlessly off his shield, like a plastic knife trying to pierce steel. "Oh, I LIKE you," He'd say with a short giggle. "Fight well enough, and I might just give you a taste test for free." Caraway's eyes widened manically. "But don't complain when I start chomping away when I win!" He'd suddenly slam his umbrella down, spinning it like a top and using the motion to send a flying kick toward Flax's face!
Caraway blocks the offending Flaxus with a Breeze Barrier (36,000)
The President? Yeesh, was this one of those psychos who commits mass murders just to get himself on the news? Flax, though she considered herself far from a good person, at least tried to avoid killing people. This joker was doing it for his own amusement. He somewhat reminded Flax of that Tuffle she had left for dead out in the desert - the same wanton disregard for human life. The same red hair and terrible taste in clothes, too.
Flax's claws clashed against the man, but they were met with great resistance as the man raised forth an umbrella and imbued it with power enough to deflect her strike, her blackened claws skidding harmlessly off the ends of the parasol. "Tch," Flax clicked her tongue. "Arcose is far too cold," Flax stated in response to the man's suggestions of where to seek her prey, "I come from a desert planet. Warm tropics like these are where I thrive." As for Plant... She didn't exactly feel like her odds of survival were so great on a planet frequented by ruthless Super Saiyans. Best to sneak around a small planet like Earth.
And as the man declared she'd get a taste for free if he impressed her, Flax smirked. "Promise?" she replied. In an instant, the man slammed down his umbrella and propelled himself off the ground in a powerful kick! Flax was quick to react, though - she swiped her claws up towards the kick in a rapid slash, parrying the blow away before it could deal her any harm. And then, Flax allowed the shadows to briefly feed on her own energies, then she let loose a wave of black energy that spiraled down towards the umbrella-wielding man and attempting to swirl around him, tightening its grip on his body to try and restrain him as Flax slashed into his torso with her claws!
"You know, most people just try to kill the President if they hate him," Flax stated in the midst of their combat, "Something tells me you just get your sick kicks from killing people and you're using that as some flimsy excuse. Me? At least I'm honest about what I do."
Flax blocks the attack with a [Light] Necrotic Grasp for 16,000 (20%) PL, which fizzles out with Caraway's kick! She then strikes back with a [Light] Umbral Slash, empowering it with Darkness Within and a Power Boost for a 56,000 (70%) PL attack!
"Is that why you're dressed for a snowstorm? Ha! Well, we're in the tropics now! You ever tried fish?" Caraway said conversationally. "It's not my favorite... better when left raw and prepared with rice. Nothing can REALLY substitute for the flesh and blood of people though." The Demon's sharp kick was met with swift defense, his tongue clicking as he used the momentum to launch himself up and away from Flax's retaliatory strike. "Promise! And a fella like me? Never breaks a promise. Can't say the same about your bones, though! ...If you HAVE any." The desert-dwelling weirdo made of shadowy goo. Caraway would've suspected she was a Demon of some kind!
He sailed down daintily, winking at his opponent. "Huh?" What was she going on about now?? "Are you stupid?" Caraway giggled. "I LOVE killing people!! I don't get it with mortals and trying to compare their own morality to others. Killing Chomei can come later! No build-up means no fun!" His eyes glowed harsher, a silent wave of pressure pushing down on Flax as Caraway's power silently increased. "But MAN, you're getting me worked up...!" He'd rush the creature silently, thrusting forward the speared tip of his umbrella to try and run her through!
"Let me guess... you're some sad sap that NEEDS to eat sentient beings to survive, but you feel oh-so bad about it? CLICHE!" Caraway immediately followed up with a quick elbow to Flax's stomach, uncaring that he was in striking distance.
Caraway spends 2 MP to boost his next technique!
An empowered Flutter Step (63,000) neatly dodges Flax!
Why was Flax so bundled up? Well... "I don't like the cold," she firmly replied. And, while that was true, she also couldn't exactly go around in public so easily with how her body looked. Not that it embarrassed her, but it'd draw far too many eyes and raise too many questions. ...Then again, she probably wasn't being too discreet walking around a tropical town in full winter gear. Ah, well - she'd draw the attention either way in a place like this, it seemed. But not more attention than this freak did as he went around killing people.
Unfortunately, her strike against the man didn't quite succeed - he managed to leapfrog himself up in the air in a flash, prompting an annoyed "Tsk," from between Flax's lips. He then struck back, and despite the fact that he had to have just exerted himself quite a bit in the process of evading her blow, Flax could sense the attack's true power was utterly massive! She had to respond quickly - and did. Her shadows swelled up around her as she formed a makeshift barrier between the attack and herself, although she was still drained enough from her previous use of the darkness' power that her own strength wasn't all the way up to snuff yet.
Still, it was enough - the psycho killer's attack clashed and was repelled back by the wall of darkness just as it dissipated. In the next moment, though, he was right up in her personal space, with an elbow to Flax's stomach sending her skidding back and on her rear end a few meters away. "Grk!" Flax rolled onto her side and hoisted herself back up to her feet, a bead of sweat rolling down her head as she could feel her own weakness gnawing at her, though she knew the feeling would fade. As for the murderer's mouth...
"Am I supposed to not feel bad about it?" she replied with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "I didn't exactly ask to have my diet suddenly consist of the life energies of other people. I used to like eating tacos. I haven't had one of those in over a year." What the hell was cliche about her case, anyway? She hadn't met any other people who had a diet like hers. Something else he'd said prickled her mind, as well. "And what do you mean 'mortals?' Am I to believe you're some kind of god? I would think lowly wanton murder is beneath someone at that level."
Flax transforms into her Wither (x6) form! She is Poisoned by Darkness Within's recoil, and so her PL for this post is at x5, 400,000! She then uses her Battle Armor item to block Caraway's attack, shielding her for 80,000 (20%) PL! It fizzle the attack!
"Nope!" He chirped happily. "What use is it? If you're guilty about something, you either change it or embrace it. I suppose in your case that wouldn't mean actually being cool and nomming away to heart's content, but being an angsty sad sally helps nobody." Caraway sniffed, his nose scrunching slightly. "Or if you're REALLY that torn up about it, go after 'bad guys' exclusively. Plenty to go around!" Tacos? The Demon spun his umbrella dramatically, pointing it at Flax. "I have no idea what those are! I haven't been on this planet long enough to see all their silly food. But my condolences."
His smile turned into a slight pout: "I WISH! Imagine how cool it would be to wield that much power!? No... I'm afraid that's simply what us long-lived folk tend to call you bite-sized morsels of time and energy. Like a fly!" He'd blink as if remembering what the two were supposed to be doing. "Right-o. That's quite a significant Kili increase... you were hiding more of your true power than I anticipated! Excellent!" If Caraway could muster his full strength, this battle would be an effortless breeze, but the Demon had been lagging behind lately. No doubt a byproduct of his laziness!
Only going after criminals? If only it were so easy. "If I could be picky, I would," Flax stated as she folded her arms in front of her, her brows furrowed. Her lips curled into a smirk, however, as she added, "Besides, I'm going after you, aren't I? I'll admit, I don't think devouring you is going to hurt my conscience one bit." This guy was a real freak, in every sense of the word. Who the hell had never heard of tacos? They were a universal kind of food, Flax was pretty sure. All you needed was meat and bread for the most basic of them...
And he wasn't a god either, apparently - his race just lived a real long time. "Tsk," Flax clicked her tongue in annoyance, "I don't even know how long I live, now. My hair hasn't grown an inch, my fingernails have stayed the same length, I haven't had any new growing pains - hell, I might be immortal now myself. I certainly seem to have stopped aging. So, be careful who you're calling a mortal, yeah? You just might be talking to someone who's gonna live longer than you."
That was enough chatter. Flax's strength had recovered, and she meant to rush this man down before he had a chance to recover his own. Her hand once again reformed into a black, almost amorphous claw, though its tips were sharp, deadly, and firm. "If you're so long lived, though," Flax stated, "Then help me out with something: you ever seen anything like this stuff I've got in me?"
She wouldn't wait for an answer. Flax lunged for the man, and in her anger, allowed her inner darkness to drain from her own vitality yet again. She stabbed out at the bastard with her claws in a powerful, vicious swipe, intent on cleaving him straight across his chest where he stood!
Flax attacks Caraway with another [Light] Umbral Slash! She empowers it with Darkness Within for a 288,000 (60%) PL attack!
"See? Already improving! Just find a hundred more fellas like me, and you can sleep easy again!" He cackled jovially. "Though sadly, you won't FIND many like me on this planet. You're odd, you know? Don't want to have to hurt innocent souls, yet you pick the planet with the highest 'did nothing wrong' density in the galaxy!" Caraway smiled wide, a thought springing to his mind. "Or do you prefer it because it's EASY, and that trumps your worry about being evil? I won't judge!" The more Flax described herself, the more it seemed like she was... not any mortal. Something was wrong.
"I have a feeling you wouldn't like my answer..." Though Caraway had realized that, with all her tricks and raw Kili, Flax might've been TOO strong for him. At least in this weakened state of his. She attacked, just as overwhelmingly strong as he expected: but instead of blocking or dodging like he very well could've, Caraway stood tall and grinned the same manical grin. Sharpened claws of shadow sunk into the upper flesh of his chest, cutting deep and drawing a wellspring of blood. "Do the shadows speak to you? Quiet when fed, but build a roaring intensity when unsatiated? Give you impulses to do things you'd rather never do?"
The Demon ran a hand across his flesh wound, coating his hand in red and flicking some playfully toward Flax.
ACTIVE TRANSFORMATIONS: Wither (x6) Poisoned (-1x)
A hundred more fellas like him, huh? Flax didn't like to think that there were a hundred more fellas like this bastard. A hundred more psychopathic killers, sure - but in her experience, most of them tended to just fight amongst themselves, or only had eyes for grander targets. They didn't tend to wander the streets, mindlessly searching for victims anywhere they could be found. Maybe Flax was a bit like that herself, but at least she only did it out of necessity, not out of some depraved want. Besides, she didn't kill anyone she ate, either.
And, hey... She hadn't exactly done her research on Earth before she'd landed here. She just knew she had to get off Konats. "Been working out for me so far, anyway," Flax replied, "Besides - I never said I wouldn't hurt an innocent person. I just prefer not to." Speaking of hurting innocent people, that was decidedly not happening here as Flax drove her claws straight through the killer's chest, slicing effortlessly into his flesh and drawing forth a burst of crimson liquid that spewed out onto the street. Still, he seemed oddly unbothered by it as he flicked a few drops of his own blood towards Flax, where they landed on her cheek and were almost immediately and involuntarily absorbed beneath her skin. The extra 'oomph' she'd put into her strike once more left her feeling weakened, but the man didn't seem bright enough to seize the opportunity to strike back, instead choosing to speak.
"Speak to me?" Flax asked with a tilt of her head. "Not in any verbal language. Sometimes I get the sense I feel what they feel. And yes - it certainly grows with intensity alongside the hunger. And every now and then, when it's been too long since I've last eaten, well..." Flax paused. "You got answers for me, or what? There's nothing you can say to stop me from pounding you into the pavement, but you might buy yourself a few extra minutes if you start yapping."
"And how have you been enjoying the job of a self-loathing monster slinking around in the shadows absorbing people?" He'd ask with a crooked grin. "Is it something you're content with living the rest of your potentially unnaturally long life?" Caraway's wound trickled with crimson but didn't seem all that bloody considering the damage: perks of fast coagulation from his species. "Oh, now THAT'S cool," He'd mention offhand as Flax absorbed the flicked specks instantaneously. "I have to lap it up manually when I'm hungry!" Caraway clicked his tongue. From what he'd seen of Flax's battle mind and ability so far, trying to actually defeat her was pointless. That didn't mean he was done just yet.
"Why can't we do BOTH?" Pouted the killer. "You're very good at pounding too!" Oh well. Perhaps shedding some light - or shadow - on this situation would be amusement enough. "Heh. It's so deeply intertwined with your own emotions and desires, but you treat it like some sort of separate entity. It sounds to me like some magic-wielding morons took you for a little experiment, and they ALTERED a few things here and there. Pointy ears, desert-dwelling... you were a Konatsian, right? Emphasis on the were. Unfortunately for you - though I think it's quite a marvel upgrade - you're no regular knife-ear anymore."
Even when they weren't actively engaged in combat, the serial murderer still managed to actively annoy Flax with his every comment. She had half a mind to interrupt his rambling by stabbing him in the throat with her claws, though she let him prattle on, just on the off chance he actually did have some kind of valuable information about her shadowy self. Though, it didn't sound like he actually had a whole lot of insight in the end - he was just telling her things she already knew, prompting Flax to roll her eyes.
"Of course I know all that already," she grumbled at him, "I'm the person it happened to. Bunch of damn Kashvar colluding with the Konatsian military just to dry and harness some of that demonic crap that Dharatan got itself infested with." Flax didn't even know who or what had been responsible for all that. She'd just heard there had been some kind of battle, and when it was over, Dharatan was a shadow-infested wasteland that no one dared venture into.
Although, it had apparently been cleansed recently, so Flax could no longer find answers even if she went back there. Damn heroes. "Anyway - it is a separate entity. I'm still me, and it's... It. It's just stuck to me, is all. So, if you don't have any actual information for me..." Flax raised her hand and, in a flash, a pointed blade of darkness found itself up against the other man's Adam's apple, poised to pierce right into his throat with a simple thrust. "...Then I'm going to have to finish doing to you what you did to all those people around here. So, got anything else for me, or can I finally enjoy my meal?"
"That was kind of lame," He'd say casually. "Try working on your threats of violence!" The shadow dagger did little to scare him either, Caraway scoffing and forcibly pushing it away with a condensed blast of wind. "Unfortunately for you, my dear, you're both delusional AND will be going hungry today. There's simply no chance you could actually defeat me." A bold-faced lie... IF Caraway intended to be a good captain and go down with his ship. No matter how powerful Flax was, she'd find it quite impossible to subdue him long enough to satiate her hunger!
"Though I can't wait to see what happens when the proverbial shoe drops! I'd pay to catch it on camera if I could." A sharp grin and he'd suddenly lunge forward, slipping close to the shadow-cursed Konatsian and cackling as his power flared! In rapid succession three powerful strikes: a thrust, a spinning saw-like umbrella top, and finally a kick to her face that would send Caraway away once more. "Here's the apex! Go ahead and show me what you've got!" No doubt Flax would handle it marvelously - he didn't expect a paltry assault like this to be her doom. He just wanted to see just how outmatched he truly was!
Apr 6, 2024 1:21:15 GMT -5
Lottus: Friendly reminder for new folks to check the rules regarding art claims - AI Art is not accepted on Sparking for character sheets.
Apr 17, 2024 14:43:28 GMT -5
Lottus: Hey folks, got a new phone, but verification is preventing me from downloading Discord for now
Apr 17, 2024 14:43:57 GMT -5
Lottus: I won't be available until I get home from work!
Apr 17, 2024 14:44:58 GMT -5
Lottus: Feel free to dm me if needed!
Apr 17, 2024 21:13:47 GMT -5
Dingo: I'll post what you've said here up in the discord so it doesn't get missed!
Apr 18, 2024 19:19:20 GMT -5
Yakito: I am the #1 Tenrec hater (Striker will be struck)