"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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Jul 3, 2022 19:41:59 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Jul 3, 2022 19:41:59 GMT -5
After waking up for the second time Athren had managed to get himself together, though he was pretty roughed up he had managed to get his children's bodies near the ship and covered them up with a blanket for now. Though he didn't want to leave them there like that at all, he made sure it wasn't going to be long. First thing he really had to do was patch himself up and wrap up the wounds he had gotten from the death beam. Though he had failed to clean the wound, he had wrapped them up with simple bandages. On his way back out of his ship, he'd grab himself some extra blankets. He had spent the next little while digging their graves, wrapping them up and burying them with some of their favorite things. He even made sure to throw in the flowers that Ayu had gifted to the kids.
Athren had done all of this in silence, he couldn't find it in himself to even make a peep. There was no words he could say, no verbal expression he could make that would fit the moment. He was heartbroken, beaten and absolutely destroyed. This was the most pain he had ever felt in his life. Everything he was working towards was for his children and now that they were gone and buried, he didn't know what was left for him. All he really knew was that he'd be leaving the planet today, there was no point in lingering around any longer. He blew it, he had completely blown it.
What was supposed to be his final contract and retirement, turned into nothing more than pain and despair. After he had buried the bodies, he had spent some time sitting against a tree. All his thoughts and memories rushed through his mind as he remembered every single moment he ever had with them, from all the good to all the bad. All the spars he had with Celric or all the adventures he had with Cress, every single minute spent with them had mattered and he wouldn't have traded any of those minutes for anything else. He cherishes them and he wished he were better, he wished he could have saved them from his choice. He wished the circumstances he found himself in now were different, he wished they were still here.
Maybe if he didn't go Oozaru last night, this entire thing would have been different. He would have been back so much earlier. As he sat there, he had thought about it all. Any change of decision that could have saved them but it was just torture, and that's all he was doing to himself. He'd sit there with them in silence for the next few hours, spending his last few with his kids before he'd leave the Planet and head elsewhere. He was thinking Yardrat, a place he's been before with techniques he could have used to save his kids. It was worth a try.
Word Count: 500
Heavy Weights Equipped.
PL: 104,500 ( I forgot exactly what it was.)
Weighted PL: 26,125
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Jul 5, 2022 16:42:38 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 5, 2022 16:42:38 GMT -5
Never did Ayu think that she would be woken up from her meditation like that. Her mind was drifting alone in the universe, and something shook the balance around, sending shivers down her spine. What she felt was sinister... It was something ominous, so intense that she felt it was hard to breathe - a dark presence appeared nearby and it made her jump out of her skin. The young woman was once again in the forest, trying her best at meditating and concentrating on the world around her - that's why she felt it. She stood up, feeling how sweat was gathering on her temples. Where was that sensation guiding her? It was a feeling of foreboding so strong her instincts were now on high alert. Her concentration focused on the area when she felt this uneasy Ki and almost instantly Ayu's knees grew weak. Her hands curled into fists while holding to the edge of her sleeves. There was a handful of energies. She felt them clearly. And among them was a very familiar bright presence that she recognized as Cress. There was Athren too or was it just her imagination..? B-But one by one, signatures started to disappear, and after a second... It was all over. She felt nothing. For a long moment Ayu was standing there, shocked, wide-eyed, her face pale and her heart beating frantically was all she could hear.
What has just happened..?
Ayu grabbed her bag and ran. Her eyes started to water as she was jumping through the streams and boulders, making bushes of greenery move from her path. Mount Paozu wasn't that far from the place she was, so she could get there quickly... Her mind was going blank, focusing on one sole thought - that she needs to get there, to see what has happened. Maybe they are okay, Athren was good at hiding his energy, maybe that ominous presence was just her imagination, maybe it all was just a bad dream. Maybe this sickening feeling of Ki dying out was just her mind playing tricks on her. Relentlessly Ayu was running for almost half an hour until she reached the place. Here. It happened right here.
She stopped abruptly.
The place was a wreck, but there was no time to assess the damage or look around for that matter.
Ayu saw Athren sitting under the tree. A lonely man with his spirit turned to despair. There was something in that picture that was breaking her heart and before she realized it, tears as big as raindrops were falling from her eyes, silently rolling down on cheeks and onto the grass. There were a lot of emotions painted on her face like that. The pain was eating her from inside. Heartwrecking sadness and confusion glistened in her eyes as the sorrow now started to sink in. Two fresh mounds were on the side - the scent of freshly dug soil was never so unpleasant to her before. It was obvious. They were dead, Cress and her brother, Athren's son, were dead, killed by an evil presence like it was nothing. She felt grief dyed with a sense of relief that at least Athren was alive... Yet the heartache in her chest was too much to bear. How was he feeling right now, what suffering was going through..?
Ayu wanted to ask Athren about many things - since Orange City was destroyed and since her talk with Quash took place, she badly wanted to know what was happening with this Saiyan. What was on his mind? She wanted to understand his reasoning for killing so many people, to know if he actually tricked Jorey and Quash into playing along with his plan, which ended poorly for both of them. She hoped to hear his side of the story, so without one-sided judgment, she would be able to see the whole picture here. What was his motivation, why did he choose such methods, and why did he feel the need to play with the lives of countless people like that...
But she couldn't say anything. She couldn't even ask what has happened here. No words were able to escape from her squeezed throat as grief took a hold of her neck. Ayu was shaking.
All she saw right now was a broken man, his blue eyes empty and devoid of any light or care. The sole sight of Athren sitting there like he too was waiting for an end, and like he was a shell of a person she met not so long ago was devastating. It was like pain made him numb... Was he even aware that she came here? Ayu felt for him so strongly she couldn't stop her tears. They were flowing from her eyes without stopping and it was pointless to do anything about them.
His body was covered with wounds and he was wrapped with hastily applied bandages. His hands were in a bad state, dirty from soil mixed with blood and full of scratches - he dug those graves himself... And then he sat there, mourning soundlessly the lives lost.
When she finally was able to move, Ayu silently walked towards the Athren, softly sitting down near his side. Tucking her legs under her body, she placed the fabric bag near them, pulling out necessary utensils, fresh bandages, and containers with herbal ointment. What needed to be done first, was taking care of the patient - because there were no words of comfort that she could think of that would be able to ease his pain. And if that was not possible, then let her at least do what she could and take care of the physical wounds.
"Y-You're wrapping i-is all wrong," Ayu sniffled while delicately taking the bandages off. Her voice sounded frail from crying but was tender and soft. "Let m-me fix it," she murmured, through tears and occasional soundless weeps, she took the straps of fabric away. To not cause him more pain, she tried her best to be gentle. He was in a worse state than she thought at first... Ayu opened a bottle of water and with a piece of clothing started to clean all the wounds. It would take a while, but she wanted to make sure that he'd live to see another day.
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 82,814
PL with SWC - 20,703
Word Count - 1,048 |
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Watch your profanity~
POWER LEVEL
194,332
Tech Points
18/44
Forms
Super Demon [x18]
Zeni
29,976
Hybrid
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Jul 7, 2022 18:29:03 GMT -5
Post by Zerori on Jul 7, 2022 18:29:03 GMT -5
Time had not been on her side; if it wasn’t trying to maintain a business that was struggling due to the events that she’d been catching only vague snippets of or the training she’d been trying DESPERATELY to catch up on, the one constant that remained in her life is that there never seemed to be enough time to do anything. To summarize:
She’d only briefly heard of the attack on a city by what she could only describe as an infestation of Oozarus but by the time that news had reached her the city had been grossly damaged and the culprits… unable to be found. Then there was the attack in West City that had the blood in her veins run ice cold. The Changeling that she’d had the misfortune of meeting TWICE had apparently been busy with his ‘hero act’ and had done irreparable damage to the presence in the city. Why did that matter to her besides the fact that she rather liked Earth BEFORE she’d heard of these guys?
Her business was affected and when you messed with Zerori’s livelihood, you were an instant enemy to her.
Still, she wasn’t a fool. She hadn’t seen Athren for a while and, while she’d been busy enough with her own life, it would have been impossible to ignore the beacon of power that was his presence on the planet. Amongst other unknown and potentially dangerous vibes she’d felt that made a shiver race down her spine… It was enough to motivate her to investigate while the news prattled on about the latest and within moments Zerori was armored up and searching the outskirts of the Mount Paozu area.
Her heart pounded within her chest as Zerori had recalled what she felt from a distance and hoped she’d been wrong. That it was simply that Cress had learned to hide her power to keep herself safe-
As she approached him, however, landing onto a rather high tree limb that easily supported her weight, the vision before her couldn’t be obfuscated if she tried. The area, completely trashed, along with the man in question mourning two distinct graves in the ground… The only other presence she felt that she didn’t recognize was the green-skinned woman knelt by his side. She tamped down the immediate rush of inappropriate jealousy and territorial anger and dropped from the limb to harshly land upon the ground and approach with cold caution. Her tail ridgedly twitched from side to side, icy blue eyes looking between Ayu and Athren before finally falling to the two graves along the ground and softening with guilt and shame.
She’d barely gotten to train the girl at all and her brother had wanted in on the training any time she’d visited his people. She liked them; liked their energy and how much his son always tried to make himself out to be a badass and how Cress would argue with her brother that he was taking HER training time away from her because he was jealous.
Her fist clenched at her side, all the hours spent in meetings and moments training with strangers making her feel as if it was all a waste of fucking time.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I-” The words stopped, already feeling like acid on her tongue. She looked at the green-skinned girl and, instead of allowing her combative nature to ostracize the woman that was very plainly trying to help Athren, Zerori pushed it aside with all her might to speak with a neutral tone, “You his girl?" She asked tersely before following without giving her a moment to respond, "Take of that while I get somethin’ for his kids,” Before she turned away to look for some flowers. It wasn’t much but it was an attempt at a distraction she needed while she thought of what she could do or say in this horrific moment.
It felt so unreal that as Zerori attempted to walk away, she likened the feeling inside to being inside a vivid nightmare.
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"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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Jul 14, 2022 16:58:06 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2022 16:58:06 GMT -5
Athren had found himself stuck in a very odd position, he hadn't ever felt anything like this and he damn sure wasn't ready to face this kind of emotion but he didn't have much of a choice, he had to find a way through it. Though his mind and spirit had been as weak as his body, he was completely lost and clueless and didn't know what to do. For the first time in a very long time, Athren was completely lost and unsure how to deal with the situation before him. It wasn't a problem he could just power up and roll through, he couldn't punch his way out of it or make it vanish that way, he would actually need to find a way to mend these feelings. Even if Athren had already come up with a desperate plan to correct his mistakes and get his kids back, it didn't help how he felt at this moment. How did he fail so badly as a father? How did he put his kids in harm's way and let them pay the price for his actions? He just never thought anything like this could ever happen. As he sat there in silence with his dirt-covered fingers, his brain had rather been numb. It couldn't manage how to process his thoughts very well or really piece together all the events that had led up to this moment. His heart had spread the pain throughout his body, it consumed him completely. The hollow shell of the saiyan is empty besides the feeling of pain and despair. His eyes fought back the tears that wanted to trail down his cheek, his stomach starving yet feeling no need for food. Everything had changed, everything was different now, with his life and with who he was. This pain had rocked him to his core. Though as he sat in silence, he never would have thought he wouldn't be alone for too much longer. Somebody he never had expected had come wandering through the woods towards him. When his watering ocean blues had finally lifted up from the dirt and saw her, he immediately saw that she was in rough shape too, her tears were running freely. It seemed that the loss of the children had hit her as well, though Athren wouldn't have had an answer to why. She had only managed to meet Cress the one time. It wasn't something he was going to question or even capable of thinking about now, but just seeing her did bring a very light sense of comfort to him. As tough as he was, maybe he couldn't bare being alone right now, and maybe, even just a few minutes of the company would soothe some of the pain that he was feeling. When she finally got the nerve to move, she had decided to approach him. Though it may not have been one of her first thoughts, his physical injuries were definitely a concern. If Athren was himself, he might've been able to crack a little smirk at her comment towards his wrapping but that just wasn't something that was going to happen. He was a saiyan warrior, he was very experienced when it came to the fight but as far as first aid went? He was very basic, plus it didn't quite help that he was rushing to get it done. His ocean blue eyes would've leave her figure now that she was there, his eyes trying to stay on hers for as long as he possibly could. Though he didn't quite have the best things to say as she started fixing up his bandages. He cleared his throat before speaking anything, finding the strength and the courage to speak through everything that he was feeling. His voice was strained by the pain and the heartbreak that he was feeling. "T-Thanks." As Athren's wrap was being fixed, he really didn't have much else to say. He managed to blurt out one more thing before another guest had arrived. "You know.. I tried, I just.. wasn't fast.. or strong enough to do anything."When Athren's eyes had finally rested upon Zerori, he couldn't get a read on her feelings. She didn't quite express them as obviously as Ayu did. Though when she began to speak and her apology had followed, there was something that Athren was caught off guard by. She had straight up asked if Ayu was his girl? For now, it wasn't something that he'd completely ignore but it wasn't something he was going to dig into either. Now wasn't the time and he wasn't in the mood. It was in this moment that Athren would take a deeper breath and try to suppress everything that he was feeling, he didn't need to show on the surface for everybody to see just how bad of shape he really was. The physical wounds? He could show those off all day long and not be bothered but he refused to let somebody in, he refused to let somebody know exactly how he felt. He'd hide it the best he could, even if it was an impossible task. When he finally managed to speak to Zerori, he didn't manage to muster up much but he did tell her the exact truth. "Truth is, you'd have died too. There was nothing you would have been able to do." This statement was fact and the only real reason Athren was alive was because of Ukare's final sacrifice. Without Ukare giving his life, Athren surely would have been dead as well and he almost wished he was, the reason he was grateful for the life he had was the chance to fix it all, fix every misstep and bring his kids back. It was then Athren had shook his head. "She's not my girl." Athren's eyes wandered back to Ayu. "She's just another friend that Cress made." Normally Athren would have introduced them formally, but that really wasn't something he could even think of, he was off, distracted and very much damaged. He'd struggle to get it together and even then, who knew how long that'd take? Word Count: 1,026 Total Word Count: 1,526 |
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Jul 15, 2022 13:36:28 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Jul 15, 2022 13:36:28 GMT -5
The Saiyan didn't even flinch when Ayu cleaned his wounds with a wet cloth. It was a very improvised instrument, but gently and slowly she got rid of anything that could later irritate or fester the injuries - Athren didn't move. He was a model patient, but the reason why he sat there unresponsive wasn't sitting well with her. He appeared to be too numb to feel physical pain when everything inside him was broken and agonizing... She couldn't sense his Ki, but there was no need for that. It was all obvious, and to be honest, Ayu feared what kind of crushing pain was she going to feel in Athren's presence if she only could. They sat there in silence, she expected him to strike up a conversation in this state... Ayu was already worried if her presence was even welcomed, but he didn't push her away, so she took it as a good... Well, neutral sign. She couldn't leave him in this condition. Delicately she applied ointment, dressing the wounds with fresh bandages, keeping that wrapping that was decent enough to secure it all in place. One glance told her that Athren ripped some fabric into strips to patch himself enough to move. There was another invisible ring of iron clutching her lungs when she thought about it. Ayu quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve, getting back to the matter at hand. The tips of her fingers were dyed with blood and the cloth soaked with red was laying on the side, as she patiently worked to take care of every gash and scratch.
Because that was the only thing she could do. Nothing to say to bring comfort or lessen the pain. Nothing that she could have done earlier to prevent the tragedy... And her own uselessness was starting to hurt.
When Athren finally spoke, Ayu could almost hear the clatter of shards that his broken heart turned into. Her hands started to tremble, but she couldn't think of anything to say either... Why would words fail her at times like this? Tears rolled down her face again and instead of mustering a stuttering consolation, she placed her hand on his shoulder for a short while, before getting back to work. There were still wounds to dress and cuts that needed ointment. And while she was focused on that Ayu barely noticed the arrival of another person until she spoke out loud, catching her attention with an apology. Because the truth would be told, she felt the same way... She was sorry she wasn't here sooner, even if in her case most likely Ayu's presence wouldn't make any difference in the outcome of this situation. She just wished she could have done something, anything...
The young woman raised her head to see a tall Saiyaness with a strong presence and aura that was very close to intimidating despite the neutral air present. Her sharp, but feminine facial features were wearing an expression that though unreadable, was full of emotions dwelling under the surface. Something in her signature reminded her of Athren... The steady beat, readiness to act underlined with something dark and vast felt familiar, but now Ayu noticed that it was different from the energies of other Saiyans she met so far. Yet it wasn't the time to think about it, no. Seeing her eyes on herself, Ayu could only nod as a form of brief greeting, while the Saiyaness was eyeing her up. She wasn't in a state to speak herself, thinking that if she would try talking, she might as well burst into tears again...
And yet, she didn't expect that the woman would turn to her - and with that kind of question.
Ayu's hands slowed down and stopped wrapping the bandage. She turned her gaze to the black-haired lady again, her pale yellow eyes staring blankly at her as she turned around and walked away... Only then did the gravity of this suspicion hit her. Ayu's face flushed suddenly with a vivid, dark rose coloration so much that there was no hint of regular green. She raised both of her hands defensively, letting go of the bandage, holding fidgeting fingers and lowering her gaze. How would anyone t-think like that... A ton of contradicting, messy thoughts flowed into her head. Was it a tease? Or did it look like it? She simply wanted to patch his wounds... Did she do something wrong again and caused a misunderstanding..? Was Ayu sitting too close to Athren while dressing his wounds and it appeared like they were too familiar with each other? It wouldn't be the first time Ayu caused a misunderstanding, but she hoped that the last one was indeed the final one. Seemed not to be the case here.
"N-No, it-it's not like t-that..." she mumbled to herself, her face hot from the blush, but stubbornly Ayu kept on doing her thing. She hasn't finished treating Athren yet, and even if a sudden wave of abashment created the desire to hide under the nearest tree, she couldn't leave him without proper care. So, bashful to a fault, Ayu remained quiet, embarrassed by that question. The tears from the overwhelming sadness were persistently glued to her eyelashes, and her cheeks still fashioned a striking blush. She gave a quick nod when Athren introduced her as Cress's friend to the woman, hoping that it would clear the misunderstanding... Now, wasn't she being impolite by getting flustered so much? In this quiet, somber place, her abashment felt out of place... She should try to control her emotions better than that. Ayu sighed lightly and patted her chest in an attempt of calming herself down. She shifted all of her focus to dressing the last of Athren's wounds, in hopes that the flush will fade away in a matter of minutes. Anyway, in a moment, she should be done treating the injuries and fixing his bandages.
If she could only do the same to his heart and soul...
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 82,814
PL with SWC - 20,703
Word Count - 1,000
Total Word Count - 2,048 |
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Watch your profanity~
POWER LEVEL
194,332
Tech Points
18/44
Forms
Super Demon [x18]
Zeni
29,976
Hybrid
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Jul 19, 2022 20:44:49 GMT -5
Post by Zerori on Jul 19, 2022 20:44:49 GMT -5
The spike of jealousy that Zerori had felt was gone just as quickly as it had come yet the damage had already been done. While Athren had made it clear that this girl wasn’t any sort of competition, Zerori immediately felt the likeness of shame overtake her after she’d turned away to go look for something like at least looked worthy of honoring his children. Yet, hearing the way this woman had backpedaled as if SHE was the one who had mistepped had Zerori stop suddenly and swallow. She turned her head, looking Ayu over before she sighed through her nose, “No, it-... my mistake,” She looked between Athren and Ayu before adding in the next moment, “-forget I said anything.” And it was right after that did Zerori walk off. She wouldn’t go far, not wanting to lose sight of the two of them in case they needed or wanted her help.
She battled with the shame of her assumption, giving a sharp huff through her nose as she eyed a set of bright red flowers that felt almost out of place. Not far were some blues ones that Zerori couldn’t think to identify before she grabbed them both and turned back to the grieving group.
She owed them a proper apology.
Once Zerori had approached once more, leaning down in front of Athren to gently lay the combination of red and blue flowers she’d hastily arranged, she would sit on the ground in front of him and Ayu. For a long moment, she didn’t say anything - trying to figure out the best way to word things without making the situation worse. When she was still coming up short, Zerori would look up from her lap without wasting anymore time and speak, “That was a stupid thing to say. I’m sorry,” She stated firmly, the difficulty of being sincere in such a situation visibility apparent to the both of them if her expression of barely hidden shame was any indication. "I swear I don't try to sound like a bitch. Just a talent, I guess-"
Swallowing the silence, Zerori looked down at the graves that Athren had managed and clenched her fists so tightly that the knuckles cracked audibly, “Cress always did seem to have good taste in friends… even if I never could see what she saw,” She didn’t dare to look up at Athren, knowing he’d likely have heated words for her because of how often she didn’t see what he saw. “-Still, I wish I could have been there. If it all I could have done was protect them,” She shook her head. She never liked crying and oftentimes she never responded that way. Did she have an explanation? No. However, she did her best to try and be empathetic.
Anger always felt like the best way to cope. Her eyes burned in anger, the tears she didn’t think she could shed shining in her eyes vengefully, “Do you have a name for the bastard who did this? Anything I can go off of?” She didn’t give a shit if he thought she couldn’t handle it. “Let me help. Do something.”
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"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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Aug 3, 2022 16:54:47 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Aug 3, 2022 16:54:47 GMT -5
With the last of his wounds finally being patched up by the professional, Athren tried to keep his focus on the words everybody was speaking. In all honesty, he wouldn't have expected Zerori to act up the way she did in regards to her jealousy but there wasn't much that he could do about that now. He really didn't think it was the appropriate time, nor was his patience there for that. After all, he did just lose everything important to him. His friends, his family had all been wiped away in a matter of seconds and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was helpless, weak, battered and defeated in every single way possible and Zerori's concern was about Athren's female friend? Thankfully though, Ayu didn't make the situation worse and Zerori encouraged them to forget about it, though Athren wasn't going to quite forget about it, he'd let it go for now. There was more important things going on in his life and he didn't need this drama.
With the apology that followed, it was completely let go for now. There was no need to keep going on about it or to confront it, it was best for all parties involved if it just slipped away for now and they focused on the situation before them all. Ayu was still silent, Zerori still talking and she had shifted the center of the conversation to Cress and her selection of friends. "Whether he taste in friends was good or not is yet to be determined, I think she just liked clinging around to any hope of another female being around.. Can't say that I blame her and when it comes to you two, I think she did alright.. but.." Athren couldn't help but get choked up for a brief second, his body leaning forward in his weakened state, his chin gently resting on Ayu's shoulder. He hadn't even realized that he had done it. ".. What I do know.. Is that she was a good kid."
Thankfully when he had caught what he had done his wounds had been finished up, or at least to a good enough standard for him, not that his standard at the moment was very high anyways. He was always too damn stubborn to accept help and he thought he had wrapped them fine, his body would heal in time and it would be a lot quicker than his heart and soul would. Though quickly he snapped his body back into place and rose to his feet and his ocean blues couldn't help but look over at Zerori who had been demanding to know exactly who did it.
He took a few steps towards her and shook his head. "You'd die going after this guy and there's no room to argue it. If you would've seen what he was capable of, you'd believe me." Athren paused as his right arm waved across the terrain. "He killed everybody who was here in a matter of minutes, took me down in a matter of a hit.. He's untouchable." Athren's tone would have raised as he spoke these works, the anger and aggression coming through, the doubts, the unbearable pain creeping in as he still tried to face what had happened.
"What I'll tell you though, the Planet Trade Organization is responsible. They did this, they didn't need any loose ends." Maybe he spoke more about it all than he should have but what was there to lose now? He didn't have anybody to protect and the USD base was already eliminated. The only thing anybody would have to do left to clean up that mess is kill him and the secret would have died out.
He'd be open about it all now, why he did it, his intentions. All of it would come out to the open. There was nobody left to protect or no reason to keep any secrets. Those who wanted to judge him could do it and rightfully so, those who wanted to try and kill him could. He wasn't going to keep a lid on it, he wasn't going to play into the Planet Trades agenda. He had goals with them now too, but those would come after his current plans, which he'd elaborate on.
"For now, I've got to leave.. I need to train and then I've got to get to Namek." Whether or not they knew about Namek wouldn't really matter, if they asked he'd more than happily elaborate on it all. After all, having multiple opinions on a plan could often help in a better way to go about it all and the two of them had been rather intelligent.
Though it was likely they'd think of the Dragon Balls as far fetched, unrealistic and just a pipe dream, he believed Ukare. Why would he lie about something like that? Sure, at one point Athren wouldn't have never believed in something so childish or foolish but it was really his only hope. He dismissed it once but now it was all he had to cling to in order to make this right, it was at least worth investigated, getting to the bottom of and confirming whether or not they're actually a thing. Worst case? He wastes his time but it wasn't like he had anything more important to invest his time into anymore and the best case scenario? Well..
The best case scenario is he rights his wrongs, restores Orange City and the lives losts and of course, bringing his kids, friends and his faction back to life though that wasn't going to be the end of it. There was one more wish he already wanted to make. He wanted everybody to forget about him. That way, his kids would never be put in harms way because of his actions again and they'd hopefully live out a long and happy life and that's all he wanted for them, even if he wasn't going to have the luxury of being apart of it.
Word Count: 1,004
Total Word Count: 2,530
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Aug 6, 2022 2:49:28 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Aug 6, 2022 2:49:28 GMT -5
With each properly placed bandage and fixed wrapping, Ayu finished making sure that Athren won't suffer from any festering wounds. His state was far from ideal, but it would improve his chances of getting the wounds safely healed, without leaving scarring or other issues. Every scratch and cut were cleaned, carefully treated with ointment and the straps of fabric were reapplied so they would stay secured in place... That was the least she could do. The ratio of wounds to the body and the soul was completely different and there was no possible way to treat everything. There was no medicine for a broken heart or ashen hope. She worked diligently and gently, to not cause him any more pain - and when Ayu was done she was finally able to soundlessly sigh with relief. There were still smears of soil on the Sayian's hands, his clothing was quite a mess, but there was nothing more she could do. She worked through her task silently, with heated blush still on her cheeks - an echo of the woman's words was still playing in her head, over and over again, making her shy and quiet. The truth was that the Saiyaness apologized right away and admitted that she was mistaken... But Ayu couldn't shake the feeling that something more was here. She nodded in understanding and bashfully tried to smile back at the woman. Things happen after all... But Ayu was never able to fathom herself as a person that anyone could be jealous about. M-Maybe she should leave it at that? Ayu slowly started to pack her belongings, quietly listening to their talk. The nervous heat finally gradually faded from her face.
The lady was a beautiful, tall, dark-haired Saiyaness and as the both of them started to speak about Cress and her ability to make friends, Ayu felt a sad smile appearing on the corner of her lips. She remembered that... That little headstrong girl did mention that she has someone for the position of her mum. Yes, Ayu was able to recall that, the little one even warned her playfully to not focus on her father too much, because she had plans for him already. Something about his daughter playing matchmaker for Athren was warming her heart, but from the perspective of time, it felt now both genuinely cordial and bittersweet. It made sense now. Cress was making friends around and she and the Saiyaness were the ones she chose... She was a good, sweet, and stubborn kid, that was the truth. Ayu felt her eyes tearing up again when the piercing thought that she won't ever see her again stabbed her in the heart. She could only look away and wipe her cheeks to look less like a mess. Though, judging by the fact that they both knew Cress and met Athren through her, it wasn't hard to connect the dots. This small assumption and perhaps a tiny prickling sensation of jealousy must have been grounded in something. In a certain attachment, it seemed. It was clear to Ayu that those two were... Maybe not a couple yet, but perhaps in the middle of the way to being one?
"It's alright... I-I'm sorry if I caused a misunderstanding," that was the only response she could think of because right away Ayu froze when she felt Athren resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt some of his hair brushing against her forehead and could feel the warmth of his shoulder next to hers. She was still facing the woman while he did it, so the black-haired beauty had quite the sight of Ayu's cheeks again turning in this dark rose hue of abashment and her expression turning into a flushed mess. That was too close... Too close. H-Her personal space couldn't take it... She was so flustered she couldn't say anything either. How c-could she? Athren was hurt, maybe he needed a moment to lean onto something and so it happened that she was sitting too close... It would be mean to tell him to move away, but i-it did not help her shyness at all. It was all too visible that when he moved away and rose to his feet, Ayu could breathe, placing her hand above her heart in an attempt of keeping some of her composure intact. She was never good with having her personal space approached like that... Once again she hoped that the nervous blush on her face would quickly fade away. She'd hate to create another misunderstanding, just because she was too shy while confronting other people.
Though it happened sooner than Ayu initially thought. She could feel her cheeks growing pale when she listened to Athren's description of what has happened here. And she remembered that she felt the presence of a man responsible. Only for a moment, only for a split second - but the sickening sensation of malice and desire to kill was too strong to forget. Even now she felt shivers on her back and a cold, nauseous knot in her stomach when she recalled that sensation. How could a living being carry this kind of energy... H-How could one be so twisted? The woman wanted to help, getting revenge maybe, paying back for what he did... Ayu couldn't do that. She couldn't offer any help aside from fixing his bandages and making sure his wounds were treated properly, that's all. She wasn't really useful... The young woman looked away, still sitting on the grass while the two of them were talking, and thinking. Planet Trade Organization... Right. Athren was a Saiyan, it was common knowledge to know that they were often hired for picking a planet and preparing it for selling. Adding what has happened with Orange City, she couldn't say for sure that Saiyan was a person to be trusted, but... The pain was genuine. How could it be not? Right now the thought of even doubting that crossed her mind - there were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she couldn't bring herself to even voice her worry about Athren. What can become of a person that has lost everything that they could?
Ayu pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder and stood up, passing by the talking duo in silence. It didn't surprise her that Athren wanted to leave the Earth. The blue planet was now marked as a grave in his mind, a place full of painful memories... It wouldn't be weird if they have never met again, would it? Just a passing character who talked with him and his daughter once in the bamboo forest.
She walked to the graves, standing still and gazing with saddened eyes at them. Despite Ayu's best attempts, tears were streaming down her face and she felt her heart growing heavier with every drop that fell on the grass. The young woman was silently grieving the lives that were prematurely cut, like delicate buds of growing flowers falling under a cruel knife of fate.
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 82,814
PL with SWC - 20,703
Word Count - 1,168
Total Word Count - 3,216 |
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Watch your profanity~
POWER LEVEL
194,332
Tech Points
18/44
Forms
Super Demon [x18]
Zeni
29,976
Hybrid
|
Aug 6, 2022 20:24:43 GMT -5
Post by Zerori on Aug 6, 2022 20:24:43 GMT -5
Zerori knew she had a talent for opening her mouth and firmly putting her foot in there but she was certain that this had to be an all-time low, even for her. Whether Athren accepted her apology for what it was or not, she had to accept that this wasn’t about her. None of it was… it was a hard truth to swallow after hearing that Athren whom was (and she wasn’t going to deny it) far more powerful than her was hardly a match against this guy. Who could ever exist in the universe, be that powerful, and stay in the dark until such a moment? The answer came in the form of Athren’s admission of the Planet Trade Organization being behind it and it made all the sense in the world.
Zerori swallowed harshly, taking in a sharp sniffle through her nose as the impending feeling of a harsh tightening in through began at the broken way Athren had declared that without questioning Cress’ taste in friends… she really was a good kid and the past tense of that realization was hitting Zerori with the force of a thousand buildings. She would never forget all the times she pushed Cress to the point of almost crying before she let up and secretly materialized a treat. Even when Cress’ brother accused her of being biased, Zerori would just tease him and give him something as well if he helped with Cress’ training. And all the times she’d call her ‘Mum’, correct herself because she was bashful or thought Zerori might not like that…
She didn’t want to cry. Athren didn’t need to see that, this girl didn’t need to see that and Zerori definitely didn’t want to make things worse. She wanted - no, needed - to make herself useful and direct her energies where they needed to go. If Athren believed these motherfuckers were too strong for her? She’d get stronger. Her business could take a backseat for a while because this… this is what mattered. As her gaze was pulled from it’s haze of unseeing, Zerori wouldn’t mind the way Ayu had become a flustered mess of Athren’s brief moment of vulnerability. The jealousy she felt was brief, inappropriate and now realized to have been misdirected.
It wasn’t jealousy she felt as much as it was the realization that the care Ayu showed Athren was something Zerori wasn’t sure she felt. Not that she couldn’t dress his wounds! No, it ran a little deeper than that. Whether it was also just an inappropriate moment or something that seemed to just crack the wall of vengeful thoughts - Zerori would feel a sense of contentedness at seeing just how adorable Ayu looked, Cute… For whatever it was worth, Zerori knew she had a lot of self-reflection to engage in since her feelings, emotions, opinion and prospects of love were… complicated.
Zerori turned to Ayu, acknowledging her words with a nod and a weak twitch of a smile. For the moment, choked with emotions and lack of words to say, it was all she could manage. Athren, on the other hand, seemed to make it clear what his next plans were and Zerori’s gaze hardened as she took in his destination. “Namek? …Why? What’s there for you?” If he wanted her to respect his wishes and not do something stupid, she was going to try and get ANY kind of information out of him so that she could do what she did best on her side.
Plan. Scheme. Collect resources.
Zerori walked up to him, invading his space but not yet pressing close to him in case he didn’t desire such a thing. The offer hung between them, her eyes forcefully looking into his no matter what angle he might be at, “Let me in and do something. I’m not delicate, Athren… but I’m not a fool and you know that,” She spoke softly but with an assuredness that she hoped would give him some sort of comfort. He might have a plan but he needed a rock… and a place to return to. “Come back to me. You don’t have to send me messages or act like we’re saying goodbye but you’re mistaken if that’s what I’m gonna let you do…” If he allowed it, she would bring a hand up to the side of his face to express physical affection - she could do that, even if her heart wasn’t as easy to give.
“Come back to me. That’s all I ask. I’ll have a place for you and when you’re ready… when you think I’M ready…” She leaned up, attempting to press her forehead to his while keeping her eyes on him. The glaze of tears she refused to shed, for his sake as well as her own, would be obvious at the sheer lack of distance between them. She’d finish with the snarl of a whisper, “We fuck these guys up... for Cress.”
The moment that Zerori and Athren would have, or would hopefully share, wouldn’t blind Zerori to noticing that Ayu had taken her satchel and had approached the graves. Either paying her respects or allowing Athren and her to have their moment, Zerori would allow Athren the time to say his piece before she’d direct her attention to Ayu and carefully approach. She didn’t say anything to her earlier in regards to the misunderstanding but that didn’t mean she didn’t have something to say.
Once she was next to Ayu, looking down at the graves with her, Zerori would speak with a somber tone, “You, uh… you didn’t, by the way. Cause a misunderstanding. Didn’t make it clear being so silent but that whole thing was a… ‘me thing’. Expressing my feelings aren’t exactly my-” She crossed her arms, clearing her throat. “-forte. I… I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen and I didn’t-” Her heart throbbed painfully. “-n-never told Cress she could call me ‘mum’. Never said she couldn’t but I just never felt ready to accept it.” Without realizing it or just not possessing the ability to contain it, Zerori felt her mouth just keep going - a floodgate of things she never got to say. “Jobs dangerous. People die. Can’t always make the right decision and it’s so easy to die if you’re not careful. I trained her, but I guess it… y’know, it wasn’t enough.”
She painfully clenched her fists into the meat of her arms, guilt eating at her as her mind circle and circled upon her failure. That’s my fault now. I should have done more. Need to do more now.
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"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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Aug 9, 2022 9:41:17 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Aug 9, 2022 9:41:17 GMT -5
Athren had been too caught up in the moment to even notice Ayu's reaction to what he had done, how he breached her personal bubble and used her shoulder to rest on for all but a moment. He didn't get to see her surprise and uneasy attitude within the situation and truth be told, even if he did it wouldn't have mattered much. Athren was pretty numb to everything going on outside his own feelings, the knife had been stabbed into him and twisted but yet it felt like he was only bleeding internally and there wasn't much he could do about it. The pain and discomfort that he was feeling far outweighed anything else going on around him and only verbal cues would let him know that something was off, maybe it would be an apology saved for the future when he realized what he had done but for now it wasn't important and surely wasn't a key to having this move forward.
With his focus primarily on Zerori as they had their little talk, Athren would answer her question honestly and in full, he wasn't going to hide it even if it seemed unrealistic, silly, or childish. If they wanted to, they could judge him all they wanted. He really couldn't find himself to care much about what people thought at this point for he had simply lost far too much and the things he did care about were gone. "This isn't going to sound like it's real but I was told that Namek has these things called Dragon Balls and when you gather all of them, you get a handful of wishes." Athren took a brief pause before adding in the rest of what he had to say, it was hard for him to speak out loud about his rapidly slapped-together plan. It wasn't bulletproof and it surely wasn't well prepared but it was coming from a very desperate place. "And it just so happens that Namek is under the control of the Planet Trade, so there's also a chance to hit them back in the process of making these wishes.."
Though he was pretty open about it, he wasn't going to elaborate on the planned wishes immediately. Orange City was going to be brought back with the population, his kids and his factions were obvious but the last of the wishes? He could save that for later. He didn't need people to know right now that he was going to wish to be forgotten. There would be a time and a place for that and it surely wasn't now. The last thing he wanted was the two of them trying to convince him that the last wish was wrong but they wouldn't see it from where he stood, his kids had died because of his actions and he didn't want to live through that again and if his kids were safer without him then it was what was best and he would tightly hold on to that belief now.
With Zerori rapidly approaching Athren's watered ocean blues simply observed with a pale and blank stare. Though he was curious about what she had been up to, he didn't say any words until she did what she was intending. She locked onto his eyes and forced him to stay locked onto hers and it made him focus more on every single word that she spoke. Even if part of him wanted to avoid the eye contact, try to slip away from it he just couldn't find it in himself to shift out of the way. He listened to her as she spoke, to every single word before he could even muster up some sort of reaction. It felt like every single word was a punch thrown directly to his heart, wanting to make him let the emotions out, to cry but he wouldn't allow himself to do it and her hand on his face didn't help it either. Though when she was all done he simply nodded.
Though after the nod he immediately leaned in and held her. Zerori was important to him, probably more than she knew at this point but those were minor details. As he embraced her he couldn't help but close his eyes and reply in all but the lightest whisper in her ear.
"I'll come back to you before I go to Namek, I can't promise anything else but I will promise you that." He left it short and sweet and he meant every word of it. He already knew where he was going first but he didn't know how long that would take at least he had a return plan, even if it were just a visit and a few nights. He could give her that much even if he was eager on this Namek trip.
When the moment they shared had ended Athren simply just watched as Zerori approached Ayu and at this point, he was going to leave them to it. He didn't need to interject in whatever it was they had to say to each other and it was probably good for them to talk and throw out whatever misunderstandings that Ayu may still have in her mind. It wasn't just that though and he took notice of Ayu crying and that wasn't something he could handle, nor did he really know how to. He was supposed to be this brutal ruthless saiyan and for most of his life, he was exactly that. It wasn't until Cress came around that a shift had happened within him and he started getting a little softer but that couldn't have prepared him to deal with this. Emotions weren't his strong suit and this sadness and despair? He had never faced it before, not like this. This was best left for Zerori and he could only hope that she'd be able to be the rock for Ayu in this situation. Though as they spoke, Athren's eyes glanced to his ship and the thought of just slipping away surfaced rapidly.
Word Count: 1,008
Total Word Count: 3,538
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Aug 11, 2022 17:03:41 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Aug 11, 2022 17:03:41 GMT -5
The somber contemplation absorbed Ayu's thoughts when she was idly looking at the graves in front of her. The pain in her heart was raising to the point that she felt it in her throat, suffocating and making it hard to breathe... Or was it just an excess of tears? Each time she thought she run out of them, that her eyes have dried up completely, a single thought, word, or glance at the freshly dug soil was enough to make her silently cry again. There was no point in trying to make a brave face or pretend that she wasn't hurt - Ayu's emotions were always on her sleeve. Compared to the two, more collected individuals, she was the one most looking like a teary mess... She didn't move from her spot, not looking to the side where Athren and the woman were talking. It would be rude... They were close and they just lost someone important. She couldn't possibly interrupt them, though it's not like she had anything to say - nothing came to her mind that could have eased this pain, not even a little. Hopefully, the lady would be able to comfort the Saiyan better than she did, though could be fixing bandages even be considered as such?
Maybe she was an intruder here... Ayu put her arms around her, rubbing them and breathing deeply. Athren was going to leave the Earth, lots of people have lost their lives here and there was nothing that could be done about this... Was fate so cruel, so unjust, or simply didn't care?
Lost in her thoughts, at first, Ayu didn't realize that the woman approached her, standing next to her until she spoke. They were both looking at the fresh graves and she blinked a little startled hearing the dismal voice. She didn't expect her to talk to her at all... Tilting her head, she was now gazing at the lady, silently and carefully listening to her explanation - Ayu could only nod stroking her now again blushed cheek. It still kind of felt like her fault, but it would be best to put it behind them. Emotions weren't always easy to translate to words... Or actions. Though she couldn't exactly quite grasp why, if they were so close, she asked if Ayu was Athren's partner... Weren't they a thing if they were Cress's parents..? Well, it's not like she was curious about what was going on, but it felt confusing to her that someone as inconspicuous as Ayu was mistaken for his partner. Or anyone's partner for that matter.
But changing the subject, she listened quietly to the worries and words that felt like they haven't been spoken out for so long. Ayu didn't know what their field of proficiency was, but she could guess that they were mercenaries or something similar. That carried a lot of weight and pressure indeed... She wasn't going to judge anything or anyone - she didn't have the right to. The Saiyaness's voice and pain were honest and there was nothing else to prove. They all carried the ache within... It took Ayu a moment before she was able to speak her mind, at first trying to carefully mold the sentences in her head, but nothing sounded quite right, so she just started speaking from the heart. It was the easiest way for her.
"When I first met Cress, she m-made it very clear that I shouldn't try to be h-her mum," Ayu chuckled gently, wiping away tears from her cheeks, the mournful expression softening with that tender thought. "She said she has s-someone for that position and I can see who and why," the corner of her lips curled into a delicate smile that despite being honest and warm, barely matched her sad eyes. Cress was quite the matchmaker, making sure that every other female friend of hers knew not to try getting involved with her father... Maybe it was the thing about the warrior race - the woman standing next to her was sharp and strong, beautiful and quite intimidating too, so... Little Saiyaness had her heart set on the lady here ever since before meeting Ayu. Despite that she had no word in this matter, she was silently agreeing with Cress. Her parents were close, and even if the black-haired beauty had trouble expressing her feelings as she said, it was clear that she genuinely cared about and loved the little ones and was hurting due to this loss... "I told h-her that with the age difference between us we'd be more like sisters. She seemed t-to like this idea a lot..." A sharp, painful sensation crumpled her heart again, and more tears soundlessly rolled down pale cheeks, even if Ayu tried to smile. "I did too."
Cress was going to be missed, terribly. There were so many things that she wanted to share with the little Saiyaness... Her garden, the herbarium she made, books and little tricks with plants that she learned herself - she was so glad to have someone eager to listen to her tales. She wanted to meet her again - it was just that. Their bond hasn't solidified and one could say they have barely gotten to know each other, but did it matter? It didn't strip her from the right to mourn and grieve. She wanted to look after her for a day or two as Athren suggested, though it never happened so far - and now won't happen at all. Her heart was breaking all over again at that thought... And not only hers. Seeing how tightly the woman's fingers were clutching into her arm, Ayu slowly, maybe hesitating a little bit, raised her hands. Physical pain was a good distraction from the aching mess inside one's head, but it wasn't the best solution... It wasn't going to solve anything.
That's why, despite not being sure if that would be welcomed or not, Ayu placed both of her palms gently on the woman's arm, on the side closest to her, her fingers embracing her hand, preventing nails from digging into the flesh. She lowered her gaze. The strong energy she sensed was soaking in pain and loathing, there was anger and hate, so much that it hurt... If she could compare the way she was reacting to the loss, instead of Athren, who seemed to get numb from the overwhelming pain, the woman was full of silent rage and guilt... After she finished her last sentence, Ayu knew right away that she was blaming herself. That wasn't right.
"They w-were children," she started to speak with a mellow tone, emotions making her voice frail and shaking. "They were children a-and they were still learning. They couldn't face something that e-even adults weren't expecting," Ayu said softly, her careworn expression fixed on the hand she was holding, mostly because the tears gathering in her eyes made her vision blurry. The energy signatures of Cress and her brother were those of two kids - strong kids - but children nonetheless. Athren wasn't able to stand up to the opponent, so it was logical that a child far more vulnerable than him wouldn't stand a chance... But since when the sense of guilt was reasonable? She was blaming herself too, that there was nothing she could have done... "I'm sure you did amazing job training Cress... You're not at fault h-here. You're not." She gently squeezed her hand, trying to reassure the woman as much as she could, if it was worth anything at all... Why the people who suffered were always blaming themselves? That they were not strong enough to protect someone they loved - some said that they wished for being attacked or killed for being weak. Was it Saiyan's outtake on life? "No o-one expected it t-to happen." Her hands started to tremble. "So please, both of you... D-Don't blame yourself like this so much..."
The young woman lowered her voice to a whisper, heavy tears filling her eyes. Two drops fell onto the hand she was holding, mildly pulling Ayu back to reality. T-that wasn't planned. She let go, shyly moving away her hands away and looking at the lady apologetically.
"Ah, I-I'm sorry..." she turned her abashed face away, trying to clean it with her sleeve, but the drops were still rolling down her cheeks. It couldn't be helped... After a deep breath, Ayu calmly joined her fidgeting hands, turning again to look at the graves. Her eyes were sinking in her face from the number of tears shed over the premature death, but it didn't matter. Her gaze slipped down, at the naked soil. Right. Flowers. She should get some too...
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 82,814
PL with SWC - 20,703
Word Count - 1,442
Total Word Count - 4,658 |
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Watch your profanity~
POWER LEVEL
194,332
Tech Points
18/44
Forms
Super Demon [x18]
Zeni
29,976
Hybrid
|
Aug 17, 2022 4:06:32 GMT -5
Post by Zerori on Aug 17, 2022 4:06:32 GMT -5
Well, Athren wasn’t wrong - the idea of some weird orbs called dragon balls definitely sounded unreal - made even more so when he explained that (when gathered) they could grant wishes. Zerori wasn’t exactly ignorant of magic but something so grandios was… hard to believe. However, what she thought or felt didn’t matter, especially so when it seemed that Athren believed that this was a very solid and very real lead. I’m going to treat it as such, Zerori promised to herself. If there was anything she could learn about them from Earth before Athren was going to Namek - she’d find it and give it to him. No, she’d definitely be going with him; this was the only chance she had to help him and she wasn’t going to fuck it up.
As Athren made to embrace her, the moment shocking Zerori briefly before she returned it, her thoughts were plagued by a relentless onslaught of what ifs. She had to stifle them; redirect them into positive energies to make this work. To motivate her to MAKE this work.
Her emotional words with Ayu just after speaking with Athren were met with - to no surprise - a soft disposition and kind, understanding, assurances. It hurt, Zerori wasn’t going to sugarcoat it, that Cress had made it clear that Ayu wasn’t going to be her mother. Hell, Zerori didn’t think SHE was going to be Cress’ mother but underneath all of the resistance, the ignoring and the dismissals… Zerori knew that Cress looked up to her like a parent. Zerori looked to Ayu as she seemed to confirm something that Cress had seen in Zerori and blinked away the tears through her confusion.
The assertion that Ayu and Cress would have been more like sisters was an amusing thought, the idea eliciting a harsh but genuine scoff of laughter. “She always did seem set on what she wanted… hardly ever deterred,” Zerori hadn’t even noticed the pain in her arms as she tried to keep herself together, only finally realizing with a sharp but quiet gasp as Ayu’s hands came up to hold gently onto her hand. It was enough to shock Zerori out of her painful grip before she could inflict any more damage, unwilling to hurt the woman before her. The pain was not meant for her. That was when she spoke, her voice as brittle as glass and that clasp of her hand as soft as silk.
As Ayu spoke, Zerori’s gaze would also be pulled to the connection of their hands - she couldn’t focus on anything else as she just made herself listen. Ayu was right of course, the logic of her words sound and the reasoning without fault… even if it didn’t really make her feel better. But the squeeze of her hand was like a tether to the ground and Zerori, without realizing it, would squeeze back - acknowledging that she had heard Ayu. Zerori’s mouth opened, still focused on the sight of their hands held tightly, before she saw (and felt) the cold drop of tears.
Almost immediately the ocean of guilt was overtaken by fear - of what, Zerori couldn’t possibly say, but as Ayu made to pull away with apologies Zerori would instinctively step closer to her. Was it gratitude that drove her to this? Guilt? Or something that pulled within her when it came to another woman? Zerodi didn’t know and didn’t realize have the emotional capacity to care, either, as she made to gently bring a hand up to Ayu’s shoulder and slowly guide her back to face her. “Don’t apologize… C’mere,” Zerori softly commanded, tugging Ayu close before she attempted to hold her in an embrace not unlike the way she was held by Athren.
It wasn’t an affection she could identify just yet, but there was something there. Whatever it was didn’t matter to th hybrid woman, however, when it was simply a reciprocation of comfort as she murmured to Ayu, “Thank you… y’didn’t have to say any of those things… and I know you meant it, so… don’t apologize,” If Ayu allowed it, Zerori would squeeze her just a bit tighter before letting her go and looking back down, “Let’s uh… get ‘em more flowers… and bugs. Celric always liked bugs, I think. Some crystals for Cress, you think?” Zerori would ask Ayu softly, the quirk of a grin on her lips as she tried to bring them back from the morbid reality before them. Eventually, they would all need to part ways, whether it be to train, to grieve... or to plan for the next move. For now, however, Zerori would be here until neither Ayu nor Athren needed them.
Speaking of, "I never told you my name, even after you said all those very kind things to me... Zerori. And you are?" The Casanova personality returning, even if for just a moment, Zerori would cock her head curiously in Ayu's direction.
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"Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."
Administrator
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Aug 22, 2022 22:05:50 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Aug 22, 2022 22:05:50 GMT -5
It was truly a bitter pill to swallow for the saiyan and through his many years of extreme violence and combat, he never expected such a fatal feeling to come from the loss of another. Physical wounds were easy to assess and manage, if there was blood you applied pressure, if your bones were broken, you used anything you could to straighten it out but this? This was something he didn't know how to manage, or even assess. He couldn't even tell how bad of shape he was really in. From the feeling of a sinking heart to the lack of hunger and void, empty feeling in his stomach, Athren was clueless. Though it might've not shown very well but deep down, he was rather grateful that he wasn't alone.
His watery ocean blue eyes looked upon the two women as they exchanged their words and comforted one another, it was something he really never had in his life before. It wasn't like that on Vegeta, on Vegeta you had to be tough and emotionless, dedicated to the cause, and willing to give everything for it and the concept was that emotions made you weak. Anger was about the only acceptable emotion that Athren felt he could express, his intense rage in combat would ever draw a crowd but this? He'd be shunned, left along to wallow in his sadness.
Ayu was still trying to reassure them that they shouldn't blame themselves and that it wasn't their fault but she was only half right, Zerori had absolutely nothing to do with this, she wasn't responsible in the slightest. This weight would land on Athren alone. It was his decisions that created this horrific outcome, his choices that put his faction and children and harm's way and he was the one who would have to live with that, though somewhere inside of him, he was grateful for her, for her kind words. She was so kind, even to the point where it was hard to believe.
Unfortunately, Athren really didn't have much to say to the two of them anymore. He was lost in his own thoughts, his sadness still at the front. It made it hard for him to even think of speaking, the fear of choking up was a little bit too much to bare. No matter how he felt, he was conditioned to be a warrior, he couldn't let it out. Not fully. He had to do his best to resist in the silence.
Though as his ocean blues were to watch on, he saw a moment where the two women had focused on one another a little more, comforting each other even more than before. Their attention had seemed to be diverted from him and he only saw one move that he could make. Whether they'd like it or not, he had said the closest thing he would have to goodbye and while their backs had been turned to him, he'd slowly start walking to the entrance ramp of his ship. Whether or not they'd see him, was another story.
Word Count: 513
Total Word Count: 4,051
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POWER LEVEL
356,511
Tech Points
47/88
Forms
Enhanced Being [x39]
Zeni
92,117
Bio-Android
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Aug 30, 2022 16:59:43 GMT -5
Post by Ayu on Aug 30, 2022 16:59:43 GMT -5
There were so many things Ayu wanted to tell them, but the words were getting mixed up and were left stuck in her throat. They both blamed themselves for the death of two innocent children, Ayu didn't deny or diminish that... In the back of her mind, she felt the sticky, dark guilt growing too... But the main reason why this happened was someone's attack. Not theirs. Why was it that people who experience the loss of their close ones were blamed for not being strong enough to protect them, while those abusing their power were rarely brought to consequences? The law of the strongest was the law of cruelty. Ayu wanted to tell them that it wasn't their fault, they could grieve and mourn, but without blaming themselves so much... But it seemed that no matter how badly she would try, the pain nor the sense of guilt would not be lessened. She couldn't help here anyone, could she..? Gods know she wanted to...
Lost in her thoughts and trying to find the right words to soothe the pain, Ayu didn't feel the hand on her shoulder at first. It took her a second to process what the black-haired woman said. She didn't oppose, but there was a very subtle moment of panic. The lady pulled her closer to embrace her, and just for a while - perhaps because Ayu got startled a bit... Or maybe she was surprised by this action - she tensed and her face flushed with the color similar to those of ripe raspberries. It was t-too close. It's not like people held her often or... N-No, Ayu could barely remember when she was hugged last time. She wasn't the one to receive any kind of affection frequently. But the arms of the stranger held her tightly like it was the most natural thing to do, and she felt more tears running down her face... Something stirred inside and it was a bittersweet feeling. Maybe, just maybe in all this, in wanting to give at least a shred of comfort to others, she forgot that she could use a bit of consolation herself... Ayu broke up in quiet tears soon after, hiding her face in the woman's shoulder. Her arms were trembling as she soundless wept. She embraced the woman, crying, shaking fingers clutching the back of her clothes. Just for this moment, emotions got the best of her and she wanted to curl up and hide in this embrace... It took a while until her breathing calmed down and she felt the last, reassuring squeeze around her.
When the woman let go of Ayu and suggested finding more little gifts for the graves, she nodded maybe a bit too eagerly. It was a weak attempt to pull attention away from her flushed from bashfulness and tears face. She couldn't bring herself to look at any of them, wiping the corners of her eyes with the end of her sleeve. It didn't feel right to have this moment of weakness... There was nothing to prove of her, and her tears were visible from the very beginning - Ayu just didn't want to think that she bothered them with her reaction. Those two were hurting, but at the same time, they were like stones, even if the pain was digging inside their hearts... As much as she wanted to tell them that it was alright to cry, she couldn't. Because it felt like she'd be adding more salt to the wound. The warriors were too strong for their own good and turning away from that could hurt more now... She didn't want to cause them any more pain.
It was alright. She was going to cry in their stead.
"Ayu. My n-name is Ayu," she replied with a voice still soft from tears. A small melancholic smile appeared on her face. It was a late introduction, but Ayu scratched her heated cheek bashfully... From what she knew so far, Zerori was really nice and she was grateful from the bottom of her heart that she let her have her moment of comfort in her embrace... Just that curious gaze made her shy a little. But there was no use getting flustered when Ayu was still the one that haven't paid her respects in any way.
"C-Could you please place your flowers here, n-now?" She turned to Zerori, asking a little shyly about it. "I'd l-like to do something too..." Her eyes turned away, to the emerald blades below... And some white daisies. Quite a humble blossom. Ayu gently picked up two, tiny flowers from the grass, silently admiring the color. They had meaning if she remembered correctly... Something about innocence and faith in eternal life? Looking at the delicate petals, Ayu's expression softened - she never thought about herself as a spiritual person. There wasn't a thing she knew about the afterlife, only that whoever goes there, will be missed. There was no religion she followed, just guidelines that she believed were right - to live without hurting others. Was it the only rule important in her book or was there someone else, thinking like that too..? No matter... The burial and saying goodbyes were to comfort the living, not the deceased ones. Ayu placed each flower on the fresh soil of two graves. If the blossoms that Zerori chose were there too, she wanted to make them all last longer. Even if that was the only thing she could do right now... But she'd hate the thought of this quiet place being carelessly approached by strangers, who would walk here without worry or concern, not realizing that someone sleeps here buried in the ground below.
Breathing deeply, Ayu closed her eyes and joined her hands. Tips of her fingertips lit up with a soft glow, while she was concentrating - and soon enough, the flowers offered in mourning and respect to those lost began to move. Slowly, the stems and tendrils started to grow, the leaves expanded, and the blossoms started to bloom. The gentle vines embraced the soil, wrapping the dark ground in a different color. One by one, the flowers and tendrils covered everything they could, maintaining the shape of the mound. It didn't take long actually. The two graves now were enveloped in a thick curtain of plants, they will be forever marked with a mosaic of forever fresh flowers blue, red, and white... The light died out on her hands and Ayu placed both of her fists on her chest, exhaling her shaking breath. She put her energy into the plants, so they will maintain their shape and color, so this way they will always be in full bloom. It was her way of paying respect...
On the other hand, she just realized that she kind of took liberties to do that... O-Oh. Ayu just did it out of compassion, that was the simple explanation here, but it felt like what she had done was invasive to the place of burial. She wasn't the one having the last word here - out of three of them she had the least connections with Celric and Cress.
"I-I should h-have asked if I c-could do that..." Ayu muttered shyly, her hands fidgeting. "... You picked those flowers, I just d-didn't want them to wither with time." she admitted, turning her head away to glance at Athren.
Maybe she wanted to ask if it was okay if she had decorated the mounds this way... Perhaps the edge of her sixth sense told her that something was happening or maybe it was a coincidence she looked back at this very moment. Athren was leaving. No surprise there, really... After everything that has happened, in his eyes, the blue planet could be forever marked as a place full of bitter memories. Of course, he wouldn't like to stay here. She had no right nor heart to stop him, though it did make her ache to think that he was going to be alone with his pain for who knows how long... And again the words ended up stuck in her throat. There was so much she wished to say, but nothing sounded right in her mind. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to just watch him go silently, knowing how much he was aching, but still - was there anything she could do now? Hopelessness felt so wrong...
"Athren, please b-be careful," Ayu finally raised her hand in a shy attempt at waving goodbye.
This was all she could do right now.
Super Weighted Clothing Equipped
Power Level - 82,814
PL with SWC - 20,703
Word Count - 1,416
Total Word Count - 6,074 |
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Watch your profanity~
POWER LEVEL
194,332
Tech Points
18/44
Forms
Super Demon [x18]
Zeni
29,976
Hybrid
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Sept 1, 2022 16:46:42 GMT -5
Post by Zerori on Sept 1, 2022 16:46:42 GMT -5
The warmth Zerori felt as Ayu had finally relented, allowing herself a modicum of comfort, was… nice. It made her feel like she was needed, even if she’d honestly needed the comfort herself. What she hadn’t expected, however, was the floodgate of emotions that had Zerori’s eyes widen in shock and concern before she glanced down at Ayu. She swallowed thickly the nervous energy that came with a woman crying; not even she was immune to the panic that came from not knowing what to do. So, for the moment, Zerori rubbed her back in what she hoped was a helpful gesture until Ayu had calmed down enough to find her composure before Zerori had pulled away. As Zerori had pulled away to collect her aforementioned articles, the hesitant voice of the woman chimed in with an answer to her question.
Ayu, huh… Zerori’s mind turned it around a few times, as if stretching it and exercising it’s existence before she gave a grin and nodded, “Well, ain’t that pretty,” She wouldn’t continue to tease Ayu further, however, and instead would cock an eyebrow up at Ayu’s request before taking a step forward and placing the flowers down as advised. She’d expected, perhaps… a prayer? Some kind of words or even a moment of silence as they’d shared before. What actually transpired had Zerori nearly choking at the magic she could feel vibrate through the air like quickly beating heart. She watched as the plants had grown over the graves, the blossoms and flowers she’d chosen growing rapidly to create a kind of… marker. One that wouldn’t be so obvious for a stranger but easily noted for one that was looking for it.
The sentiment was a rare one to witness, yet Ayu seemed to find that she was in the wrong even there! Looking away from the graves, Zerori’s eyes would narrow in confusion before she scoffed with an incredulous smile on her face, “Don’t worry about it, really. You certainly didn’t need MY permission to keep their memory just a little brighter.” She’d never met anyone like Ayu before and seeing such magic from another was just the tip of her interest in the olive-skinned woman. Alas both their attention would be pulled back to Athren as he would walk back to his ship.
He’s leaving… now? Zerori thought, her smile falling slowly to a frown before she approached Athren, lagging behind Ayu as she’d stop just a couple feet behind her. Looking up at him as he’d ascended the ramp of his ship, Zerori would speak after Ayu, “Yeah… don’t get fuckin’ lost along the way,” She placed a hand on her hip pointedly before finishing, “Come back. No matter what,” She’d finish, blue eyes hard with determination before she decided that this would also soon be her cue to leave. With a final nod to Athren, Zerori would take a slow step back before turning around. “Take care, Ayu,” She’d add as an afterthought, her voice lower than it was before as she departed.
Just before she would take to the air, however, Zerori would pause and think about her words carefully before turning her head to speak over her shoulder, “And Ayu? ...Be careful who you trust, okay?” As crystic as it sounded, Zerori had a good reason for such a warning and hoped that Ayu would take it to heart. While her own desire for companionship was a complicated mess of wants-nots and can’t-haves, she was never one to deny herself any luxury she believed she deserved. However, such desires came at a cost and she could see how soft-hearted a person like Ayu was. If she trusted the wrong person… how much pain would she have to endure when she finally realized the betrayal?
Looking at Ayu one last time, Zerori would just have to keep an eye on here now and again - if she had the time. Until then, however… Zerori had a Gravitron to build and a LOT of work to do behind the scenes. Later on, when all had gone their separate ways, Zerori would return to the forest where Celric and Cress lay and - as promised - she'd find some bugs that Celric liked (Cicadas, of all things!) and place a few crystals that shown with an eerie but beautiful glow.
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