|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 2, 2018 16:39:04 GMT -5
Being in the Empire had its perks, that was for sure. The lavish meals, the unlimited allowance courtesy of the emperor---it was all smiles and sunshine. That is, until the Commander actually had to put on her badge and get to work. Kuueru didn’t fit the mold of a normal militia personnel. Hell, if you asked the half-demon the ranking infrastructure of the Galactic Empire she would be at a loss of words. She only knew that Polaris trusted her enough to lead a platoon of her choosing and carry out her work flawlessly.
Today was such an occasion. There had been rumors that precious convoys of supplies and possible weaponry or technology were being shuttled to and from local planets surrounding major Empire hubs. Today her task was to investigate. Of course she had a platoon of around eight of all races, genders and creeds; but today she didn’t think too much of taking the entirety of the group. In particular, she had heard of a newer recruit that would prove to be an interesting ally in this encounter.
Polaris had mentioned her as a Majin, one of the only ones in the Empire. Kuueru couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t interested in testing the powers of the unknown lass. She had also caught rumors that she wasn’t the most picturesque Ultramarine. The demon found herself curious about those who didn’t fit the mold, considering she hardly did in her position within the Empire.
The woman called a meeting with the Majin, aboard her personal warship of course. Whether or not the woman agreed to join her, she would undertake the mission alone. She didn’t think that taking a platoon with her would be necessary for a simple convoy. Even if it was a trap, she stood toe to toe against Colla during the gambit of Mitra.
The vessel was made of the finest katchin steel, its innards were kept immaculate with strict cleaning rituals performed anytime it returned to the hanger. Kuueru took a seat in the pilot’s seat and eagerly await for the clock to strike the meeting time. Unless this lass was fashionably late. Pepa WC: 358
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 2, 2018 16:55:44 GMT -5
Perhaps surprisingly, Pleez was precisely on time. She may rankle at the restrictions put upon her by the Empire at times, but ultimately, she needed them far more than they needed her. The last vestiges of the calculating mercenary she used to be had run the calculation in her mind. She wasn’t foolish enough to think that she could stand along against the entire universe – not yet, anyway – and if she didn’t have people on her side in the inevitable battles to come, she would be wiped away as her ancestor had been. Therefore, when the Empire told her to be somewhere, to do something, she arrived. Punctually. She trusted that the Empire knew her well enough to know that there were myriad missions where she would not be suitable – she could hardly be blamed if she was put to use in the wrong way, after all. Pleez’s aura announced her presence long before the diminutive Majin made her way into the woman’s presence herself. The wild, surging energy inside her was nowhere near Kuueru’s potential, of course. She was nothing to be sniffed at, for certain, but compared to the heavy hitters in the galaxy, Pleez was far from the most overwhelming presence one was likely to encounter. But there was more to her aura than her mere strength. Pleez’s energy was a chaotic presence, anathema to existence itself. It lashed out in a continual, internal barrage. She was destruction incarnate, a seething mass of such incalculable rage and anger that it was almost impossible to believe that the figure such energy belonged to came walking through the doors instead of blowing them to smithereens. But walk through them she did. Pleez’s steps were looping and loose. She didn’t wear a uniform; instead she wore tight-fitting black and gold clothes which left much of her pink ‘skin’ exposed, but for the bright blue sash around her waist, fastened into place with the golden U which served as her symbol of authority as an Ultramarine, and the shackle which bound her to the Empire. Pleez cracked her neck as she regarded her captain. Regardless of anything else, Kuueru was likely a step up from the blue-furred, snorting warthog Bakon who she had been assigned to previously. The details of this mission were thus far elusive, but she’d managed to pick out a few things in the briefing notes she’d tried to make herself read. “Commander.” Pleez said, her tone a low murmur, her features a deep frown. “I am Pleez. You requested my presence. What do you want obliterated?”Wordcount: 439 Queen Kuueru
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 2, 2018 17:29:44 GMT -5
The demon herself wasn’t the type to suppress her power, not even in the midst of the most fearsome foes. Her philosophy was---if any threat came upon her and was able to destroy her in the process; it was the fate of the universe. Survival of the fittest was a morality that the demon lived by, but within that regard--she also aimed to help those who still floundered with their powers rise to greatness.
She had interacted with a few of those types in the past. She had taken her time, beaten them well, and gave them some sort of motivation in their lives to gain power and become stronger. Perhaps it was a bit harsh of a method of unlocking the potential of others, but hell, it worked. Why fix what wasn’t broken?
The pressure was obvious. This power level certainly trumped her entire platoon combined, but it was a single person. That had to be her. Kuueru felt a smile creep upon her lips as it grew closer and closer. Soon the pink female came into view and introduced herself. She seemed relatively calm and polite, that is, until she questioned what the captain wanted her to ‘obliterate’.
A hearty bout of laughter pressed from the demon’s lips as she tried to even comprehend the sentence. Still, there was something eerily similar about the Majin in comparison to herself. Perhaps it was the chaos that both boiled within their hearts. It almost reminded the woman of the sheer intensity of her demonic roots. Yet, Kuueru had an anchor that held her desires in place. Her Shinjin heritage. Like Yin to Yang they both competed and worked together to keep her in check, but often she wondered if it help her back from her own strength and power.
“Oh Pleez, it’s good to meet you. I erm…” Kuueru hesitated and stood from her chair as she tried to think of the actual mission again. She wouldn’t bother with the nitty gritty, the coordinates were already pre-programed into the ship’s navigation computer. All they needed to do was show up, investigate, and handle the situation as the Empire would please. Hopefully…
“Rumor has it there have been convoys of goods being shipped to various known Saiyan locations, which---coincidentally happen to be near some Empire outposts, while we can assume they are up to no good, we are to investigate, evaluate the threat and deal with it accordingly. We leave immediately, so…”
Kuueru took her seat once again before strapping herself into the seat. Afterwards she would press a few sequences of buttons upon the ship’s console before it began to move and escape out of the hanger’s air locks and into the outer atmosphere of Mitra. From there, darkness. They would eventually drop into hyperspace in route to their destination. Pepa WC: 470 | 828
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 2, 2018 17:47:15 GMT -5
Pleez tried to remember if anyone had ever claimed it was good to meet her before. Certainly not in recent memory. She narrowed her eyes faintly at the Commander, trying to make out whether or not the woman was mocking her in some elaborate fashion, or whether this was genuine. In either case, she didn’t like it one bit, and her nostrils flared as she snorted, the only response that Kuueru got at first. The mission seemed simple enough, at least. “There is no threat.” Pleez said, a faint note of irritation creeping into her voice. “I can count on one hand the number of Saiyans that are a potential nuisance. So. We’re killing merchants today. Good to know.”She didn’t particularly care that this was, apparently, the mission objective. Unlike so many of her more prideful ‘compatriots’ within the Ultramarines, Pleez couldn’t care less whether the fight was good or not. For her, it was all about the end result. That glorious moment of devastation. The instant of destruction, when something whole and beautiful became shattered and ruined. Those were the moments that Pleez strove for with every fibre of her being. Without being bidden, she moved to sit in the chair next to the Commander, and turned her gaze out into the depths of space; the streak of unreality which marked their travel at speeds faster than light. She closed her eyes, and after a few moments, the Majin was blowing fitful snot bubbles as she was carried towards her destination. It didn’t last, though. The moment the ship jolted out of hyperspace once again, Pleez’s eyes opened, and she stretched, twisting her arms high above her head as she turned her gaze back towards the ostensible leader of the mission. “I hope they aren’t hiding.” She said, “I get bored looking for targets. It might be easier to just kill everything in the sector and then call back into base. That option is always on the table.”She made the offer casually, but there was a chilling certainty in her words. She wasn’t exaggerating about her potential, after all. Between the two of them, they might well be capable of exterminating every living thing in the sector before an adequate response could be mustered to stop them. The fact that this was actually likely to include several Empire outposts didn’t seem to dissuade Pleez in the least. She wiped her drool-flecked mouth with the back of one hand, and then propelled herself out of her chair in a disturbingly boneless motion, “I don’t like getting bored.” She clarified. She was used to her Commanders wondering why she was offering such drastic measures right out of the gate, apparently, and felt she might help save them both some trouble if she just got the justification out the way early. (Wordcount: 481 / 920 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 3, 2018 10:16:38 GMT -5
It seemed that her greeting was less than well received. Perhaps the pink woman wasn’t used to getting such a polite greeting, however, to Kuueru it was pure formalities. She wasn’t too pleased to meet the woman, yet she was certainly eager to see her in battle. Something about the vile aura that filled the cabin between the two of them, was sinister and unnerving. Kuueru only wondered if the other felt the same way, or if she ignored the elephant in the room.
“Even so, if it isn’t a threat to us, it may be towards the Empire’s populations. In this job it’s not always about us,” Kuueru remarked while fixing her eyes towards the view port once more. They finally were hurling through space, but after the awkward comments it appeared that the woman had drifted off for a power nap.
The demon wasn’t sure how she could sleep, she was much too busy marveling at the stars and bits of space that moved past them with incredible speeds. Though she had been in the mortal realm for some time, she often just instantly transmissioned her body through space and time. She rarely took the time to enjoy the vastness of space. Something about how humongous it was gave her hope that there were some powerful allies and foes out there to contend with. It ignited the blood in her veins and only kept her excited for her future endeavors.
After the Majin awakened from dreamland however, she mentioned her idea of killing everything in the sector. Again, that went against the objective of their plans. At this point the woman was curious how this ‘Ultramarine’ even remained in the ranks. With a temper and brashness to boot, she could definitely paint a negative picture of the Empire, not that Polaris didn’t do that often himself. Still, the Emperor was still glorified for all the good he did. Uniting planets and fighting against some major forces of evil in the universe really put him in a good light for most of the citizens.
“Ahh, you sound like many a people I used to know,” Kuueru chuckled while reminiscing about the former demons she used to associate with in her home realm. Alas, after they dropped out of hyperspace the moon hub that was their destination swirled into view. The sullen moon seemed to be a less than active station, yet it was smack dab in the area of other main Empire held hubs and planets. This was their target, Kuueru pressed a few more buttons upon the Ship’s LCD screens and soon they were landing upon the surface of the trade moon.
“Here we are, intel says the convoy should be arriving shortly. We shall wait here in the hanger to intercept and ‘explore’ their goods. If all checks out, that’s it, we are leaving. If the goods are weapons or other illegal trade items, we will confiscate and arrest. If they fight, we have permission to kill, of course---” Kuueru mused towards the Pink lass as she too peeled herself from the chair and opened the ramp to the ship. Hydraulics hissed as the demon took the lead and waltzed into the open yet artificial oxygen of the hanger.
Around them various merchants and travelers refueled and dropped off shipments. Kuueru held a small handheld device in her palm, it would notify her as soon as the target ship came within range. Then they would move. She waited patiently, hoping that Pleez wouldn’t destroy the entire sector with them still in it. Pepa WC: 595 | 1423
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 3, 2018 10:35:58 GMT -5
How Pleez remained an Ultramarine was a question that many of the people who met her found themselves asking. It wasn’t too complicated, though. She was willing to – more or less – do as she was told, for the opportunity to continue growing unhindered within Empire space. She was a cancer that had struck a bargain with the antibodies of the entity she infected. Eventually, everyone was going to wind up regretting it, one way or another – but for now, her utility to the Empire was undeniable. Though she groused and grumbled, she would do as she was instructed. She’d just spend the whole time wishing that she was being instructed to do more murder. Crowded spaces weren’t great for Pleez, and she narrowed her eyes at the press of alien life forms arrayed before them. Whilst the vastness of the universe was a source of excitement for her Commander, for Pleez every reminder of the vastness and multiplicity of life out there in the galaxy was like sandpaper being rubbed against her skin. Her fingers flexed at her side as she fell in behind the demon. “Just so we’re clear.” Pleez said, “If any of these disgusting people touch me, I will end them. Otherwise, I won’t kill anyone unless you tell me to. Probably.”As Kuueru took position, and seemed to expect Pleez to do the same, the Majin ground her teeth together. Her arms folded across her chest, and after just a few moments of silence, she continued the conversation from earlier. “This is so boring.” She complained, “Besides. It isn’t as though I was hired on to care about protecting the population of the Empire. You know what I am. I’m good at one thing, and one thing only. I hope you didn’t drag me out here for no reason.”Her legs folded up underneath her as she spoke, the Majin assuming a seated position on the air, glowering at the aliens that passed around them, going about their perfectly reasonable, perfectly understandable business. A small alien child suddenly rushed up to the pair, and beamed up at Pleez, into the monster’s glaring red eyes. “Hey, hey lady!” The youngling chirped, “You’re an Ultramarine, right? Gosh, that’s so exciting! Can you sign my autograph book? Please?!”The adorable little twerp held up a small red book with a number of signatures in it. Pleez stared for a few seconds, and a disturbing smile pulled its way onto her features. "Sure, kid."
And with a flash of crackling pink lightning, the child was left holding a pile of sooty ash. Otherwise unharmed – Pleez had said she wouldn’t kill anyone she didn’t have to after all – but their most treasured possession was suddenly and irrevocably removed from existence. Which was when the crying started. (Wordcount: 478 / 1398 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 3, 2018 12:40:03 GMT -5
Before they left the ship however, the pink one shot her another word of warning. If Kuueru wasn’t positive of her position, she would think that PLeez was challenging her. There was something about that sort of arrogance that irked her. Not only due to her higher ranking, but her power as well. Despite her carefree and casual approach to fighting, the demoness was rather competitive and enjoyed remaining on top as one of the best fighters in the empire. Hell, behind Lute and Polaris himself---she was probably one of the Empire’s most formidable soldiers.
“Do what you want, just remember that every action carries consequences Majin,” Kuueru’s voice shifted as she addressed the other by heritage and not moniker. Often people did the same as her, that is---if they knew she was a demon. It annoyed her, so she wondered if it would get under the skin of Pleez.
Kuueru had found herself becoming used to crowds and certain hubs around the star system. In order for her to truly explore, indulge, and have fun---other people were sure to be involved. While she probably had the funds to secure a restaurant for the evening for a private dinner, the cacophony of other voices and the feeling of others was somewhat comforting for the demoness. After centuries of fighting for her life, and being mostly alone, it was time for a change of pace.
Still, there was an uneasy look upon Pleez’s face. The pink girl seemed to look around distastefully at the masses of people who were all minding their business. For now that is.
“Look, I brought you because I had an informant tell me this caravan may be guarded. I expect there to be some resistance. I wouldn’t be here myself if it were a simple mission of items or illegal activities,” Kuueru shot the now floating Majin a glare and even a fanged grin. It was true, Kuueru often skipped out on the missions that folks in her platoon could easily handle themselves. The emperor himself usually assigned all of her missions, and he knew not to bother her with trivial tasks. Unless, they had food involved.
Ironically the woman had been sent to many a political gala or event in promise of all you can eat buffets and booze. Of course, she would have to mince a few words, but it was an easy job for a plentiful reward. This time however, she was promised a little bit of potential action.
She pressed her fingers to an earpiece she had been wearing all along. She spoke quietly, her voice picking up clearly through the Empire’s technology, “Alright, clear civilians and lock down the hanger as soon as vessel 2948-BD requests permission to enter. I don’t want kids getting blown----”
Kuueru spoke particularly of kids as one approached the pair and held a small autograph book out towards Pleez. Soon smoke and tears were being shed around the room.
“I’ll, give me the call when it’s here, I...have to handle something,” Kuueru rushed the conversation and looked towards the two who were seeming to have some sort of an ordeal.
“Get outta here brat, we’re on business!” Kuueru shooed off the crying boy who soon had ran off to find his mother. Luckily.
“You’re a trip kid,” Kuueru mumbled towards Pleez before her earpiece crackled back to life and the lights dimmed in the hanger. Emergency sirens blared overhead and the everyone seemed to file out of the room accordingly.
‘Everyone please report to the nearest emergency exit. The hanger is compromised. This is not a drill, seek safety within the main habitational area immediately. You have 2 minutes.’
The serene and robotic voice hummed overhead, and in her ear she was given the confirmation.
“Be ready, as soon as the hanger doors open, we’re moving in,” The demon replied. Once all civilians and merchants were cleared of the area the lights returned to normal, in fact, they didn’t want the ship to assume anything was obscure at this point. Besides the lack of people, maybe their suspicions of a sting weren't riled up. Pepa WC: 689 | 2112
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 3, 2018 12:59:50 GMT -5
“Do… what I want?”
Pleez had cocked her head to the side when Kuueru said that, and she’d spent the minutes ever since pondering, in the back of her mind, just what Kuueru had meant by it. Actions have consequences? Well, yes, and? The consequence of her indulging her desires was that other people died. It was hardly an unexpected consequence. Maybe this demon thought that she was interested in caring about the wellbeing of others? The Majin didn’t particularly care about being called ‘Majin’. Not that long ago, it wouldn’t have meant anything to her at all, but she knew the truth now. As far as most of the universe was concerned, Majins might be jolly, happy-go-lucky sorts, but Pleez trusted that – from the way the woman was clearly rankled by her behaviour – she wasn’t been tarred with that particular brush. She was a little baffled. She didn’t particularly care that Kuueru was upset with her; in fact, feeling the woman’s irritation and frustration was quite pleasant, in a background kind of way. She would just take more satisfaction in it if she could wrap her head around what she’d done to earn it. She was trying to be on her best behaviour, but that didn’t seem to be making much difference. The confusion was what was getting on her nerves, more than the fact that Kuueru was upset in broader terms. She was used to her commanding officers being frustrated; she was just usually able to tell exactly what she’d done to annoy them. This time, it was a mystery. There was a lot of uncomfortable silence as the pink woman tried to puzzle out exactly what the problem was. When she did finally come to an answer, though, it was with a renewed excitement which seemed completely at odds with her irritable, negative attitude until that point. Kuueru was obviously squeamish about saying exactly what she wanted. So, she’d brought Pleez here, because there was going to be a threat, and Pleez was to do – whatever she wanted. That made perfect sense. “Oh. Oh. I get it.” Pleez said, suddenly, as the hanger was evacuated. She let her legs unfurl from beneath her, and cracked her knuckles with a widening smile. “You want me to do what I like! Don’t worry, Commander, I’ll take care of it from here.”And just like that, Pleez broke off in a burst of brilliant pink energy. She rocketed from her standing position to the doors as they opened. The ship’s nose barely had time to poke into the hanger, and then Pleez was smashing through the cockpit in a shower of broken glass. Terrified, shocked screams broke onto all communication frequencies almost immediately, and the Majin’s high-pitched, exuberant laughter echoed through it all, a constant, gleeful refrain. Well. Technically speaking, she had moved in as soon as the hanger door opened. She’d just chosen to hit the ship like the fist of some angry deity, rather than give much time for the investigation that Kuueru had alluded to earlier. (Wordcount: 524 / 1922 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 3, 2018 14:53:50 GMT -5
“Do… what I want?”
Kuueru suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine at the other’s words. Something about them seemed to make her feel like she signed a permission slip for the Majin to misbehave and possibly compromise not only their lives, but the lives of everyone in this entire sector. Her sullen lavender eyes turned to look at the somewhat intimidating gaze of Pleez, there was a long gap of silence between them afterwards, something that put her even less at ease.
Perhaps she could have chose her words better, but Kuueru wasn’t about to go taking them back now. While her allegiance to the Empire was comfortable, she seemed to cut corners and break rules more than her subordinates or others of similar rank. In fact, Lute seemed to behave himself better than the pink-haired demoness.
The staggering bit of silence and the pondering look on Pleez’s face soon was stopped as the Majin shifted and cracked the bones that Kuueru questions she really had. She looked like a wad of chewed up bubblegum. She had also seen the species fight; how could something so pliable have a structural integrity. Her mind was flighty--she quickly snapped back to reality as the other spoke again.
“Why do I hate the way you say that? Why do I worry when you say not to worry? This may be a bit more of an exciting mission than I had thought, perhaps that’s good, maybe it’s bad.”
The demon commander folded her arms over her chest before her long tresses of pink hair were scattered as the girl flew off. The aura she emitted was sickening, and she was heading straight for the cockpit of the freshly arrived ship. So much so, it barely had time to make its appearance before the sounds of shattered glass brought Kuueru’s face to worry.
“Damn it Pleez,” The woman shot forth, following after the overly stimulated Majin. The nerve wracking sounds of her laughter only put the commander in a more uncomfortable position.
“What th…” Kuueru pulled herself into the shattered viewport of the cockpit cautiously. She looked around the cabin, two Xeno pilots seemed to be shaken from the surprise visit. Kuueru couldn’t say she wasn’t surprised by that. She shot the main pilot a stern glance.
“Land the ship as normal, we are...here to inspect….” Kuueru seemed to have some uncertainty in her voice as she flashed the pair her badge and ran deeper into the ship after the unseen Majin. Inside all seemed like a normal transport, large crates filled every single bit of space on the bridge, storage areas and the like. Everything seemed fine.
Fine besides the dull energy signatures that emitted from each crate. Whatever this ship was hauling was very much live cargo. So the suspicions were, somewhat right. Be it human trafficking or refugee smuggling, Kuueru couldn’t be sure until they started popping open the containers.
“Looks like we have some stowaways,” the commander replied to both Pleez and the radio in her ear. After they were finished Imperial men would be on the way to detain whatever individuals were trying to sneak onto this hub or to others. Flying under such a disguise was a clear identifier of some sort of illegal activities.
“What’s behind box number 1?” Kuueru mumbled before ripping the steel cargo box’s side paneling off. However, what she saw inside was a bit strange. There was a raven-haired woman and three children huddled within the tiny crate. Their large pupils adjusted to the light for the first time in a long while. The box smelled of piss and had empty ration packages inside.
Wherever they had come from, they had been in these boxes for quite a while.
“You, who are you? Why are you being smuggled?” Kuueru questioned while trying to keep an eye on the Majin whom she could assume was up to no good. However, the huddled group of people seemed to be stricken with too much fear to respond to the woman. Her brows knitted together as she realized just how many people were actually upon the ship.
“Pleez, what did you find? Anything interesting?!” the commander yelled off towards the winding rooms of the ship. Pepa WC: 710 | 2822
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 3, 2018 15:37:16 GMT -5
Did Pleez have bones? It was doubtful. Nothing in her had ever seemed to snap when she was struck. Whether she was blown up, burned, smashed into paste or cut into pieces, as far as she had ever been able to determine she didn’t have any vulnerable spots like other sentient species. If she took damage, it lowered her energy levels as her body recovered. Presumably, if she had her energy levels lowered too far – if the damage was too catastrophic – she must have a limit. She’d been knocked out once. That had been an unpleasant experience, and one she wasn’t in a particular hurry to rediscover. Musing on her physiology was a long way from her mind as she made her way through the ship’s interior, though. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. If she attempted to kill all these people individually, after all, there was a chance – however small – that they might get away. There was a chance that it was the cargo that the Empire wanted destroyed, too; and whilst she was pretty sure most of the crates, from what her senses could tell, were filled with pitifully small power levels, there was a chance there was something in one of the others that she was supposed to make sure didn’t get off the ship. So she had sprinted past the traumatised pilots, and tore towards the engines, instead. Pleez’s head turned at an unpleasant angle to view Kuueru, as the woman exposed the refugees to the air. “Oh yes, Commander, I found just what I was looking for. You shouldn’t be here though. This might sting a little, even for you.”
That was all the explanation she had prepared to give as she raised her hand towards the engine room. She had been fully intent on unleashing the shocking pink power she was gathering there directly into the engines, overloading them and causing a catastrophic chain reaction that would certainly have incinerated the ship and everything on board – and quite possibly caused damage to the entire hanger as well. That was what Pleez wanted to do. But then the actual reason why two of the Empire’s Finest had been dispatched showed himself. The Saiyan Warrior’s foot crashed powerfully into Pleez’s side, and the Majin was sent sprawling. Her energy blast punched a hole in the roof of the ship, and the handsome, dark-haired man turned to face down both of his opponents, his fists balled at his sides. “How could you do something so reckless?!” He shouted. “They’re non-combatants. They’re fleeing your stupid war, and you’d kill them all just to make a point?!”There was a righteous anger boiling in the Saiyan’s words, his outrage written clear across his features. His armor was not the ornate style favoured by the Elite; he was a low-class warrior… but one who had clearly been the veteran of hundreds of battles, to be able to inflict such a telling strike on Pleez. Though… if Kuueru was at all concerned to check on the wellbeing of her psychotic companion, there wasn’t any actual sign of injury on the Majin’s body. The only sign that she’d been struck at all was the fact that her aura, already a seething storm crying out for destruction, had become even more erratic. Hot steam blew in jets from the holes in her skull as she picked herself up from the ground. She’d just been about to have fun, and then, and then— “You. DON’T. HURT! MEEEE!” (Wordcount: 604 / 2526 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 4, 2018 11:45:58 GMT -5
While the Commander had been preoccupied with the stowaways and exactly how she would handle them. There was an oddly cheerful voice that pinged through her ears. It sounded close, not too far away, perhaps a few seconds sprint.
“Oh yes, Commander, I found just what I was looking for. You shouldn’t be here though. This might sting a little, even for you.”
Kuueru gulped at exactly what that mean. If Kuueru herself was in harm’s way, then everything was. It wasn’t a coordinated attack, just senseless slaughter at this point. The demoness shot the group in the container a glare that simple said, ‘don’t move, or else’, before dashing off towards the engine room of the ship. Whatever the Majin was planning, Kuueru needed to make sure she wasn’t using such a force that half of the moon they were on would be destroyed.
Not that she would care---that is, if she wasn’t trying to keep up her appearances with the Empire. Maybe in the future she too would be senselessly killing; but for now---she had to maintain her desire for the genocide which Pleez seemed to crave.
Kuueru ran into the room just in time to see the hand pointed towards the ticking time bomb of an engine room. The demoness barked towards the other with a wild look in her lavender eyes, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Just because you won’t be hurt you’re willing to raise a hand to me too?”
While Pleez offered her a warning of the impending explosion, Kuueru couldn’t fathom how selfish and reckless the other woman was being. Still, like a kami-send another participant joined into the festivities.
His foot smashed into the pink blob and sent her flying through the air. Still, the dark haired man seemed to have an agenda. He was the ‘armed guard’ of this escort mission, and definitely had to act like a dad towards the Majin. He gave her the lecture, which Kuueru imagined went in and out of Pleez’s head. Her allegiance towards the Empire seemed to only be a convenience and nothing of a loyalty at this point.
“Still, there are proper channels for this to be handled. If you’re smuggling living beings in boxes meant for rats; is that really the better option?” Kuueru questions. She could admit that her knowledge of politics and the war were lacking. While she had to carry some knowledge about the happenings of the universe, Polaris gave her a pretty warped summary of what had happened up to this point. He spoke of Saiyans as filth and the one’s to blame; meanwhile the Saiyans said the same back towards the Empire and Polaris.
Perhaps Kuueru should think for herself, but for now she had no time or interest in that.
“Pleez, stop fucking around and letting him knock you around. You’re barely hurt yet you’re blowing your steam off?” Kuueru began to laugh. Almost eerily her laughter echoed off the empty corridors of the ship. Well, they would be empty if not for the dozens of rats hiding in boxes.
Kuueru continued to feel like a babysitter at this point, and Pleez was having one bad temper tantrum. It was one of the stereotypes of her kind, like a switch that could be flipped at the drop of a hat. The anger that engrossed the pink-one’s aura was disgusting. The demoness could feel it corrupting her own heart at this point.
“I suggest you stand down warrior, you’re much too outmatched. It was an admirable try, but you will probably live if you surrender,” Perhaps she thought too highly of Pleez at this point. Even if he surrendered, the Majin would still probably execute him. Kuueru almost felt bad about the lie but took a few steps towards the Saiyan with her hands up.
“Unfortunately under Empire law, you will all have to be detained at this point. Pleez---feel free to do what you’re going to do. The rest of the authorities are on the way to take care of the ‘packages’.” Of course she was referring to the hideaways throughout the ship.
“As for you Saiyan, I hope you know how to fight. Good luck, hell--maybe I’ll join in if I get bored huh?” Her arms folded behind her back as the observed the fight about to take place. This was it, the time to test the Majin and see if she was a formidable of an opponent as she had heard. Pepa WC: 746 | 3568
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 4, 2018 13:32:43 GMT -5
Pleez turned towards Kuueru as the woman burst in and looked frantic. She had enough time to frown and open her mouth to reply before the kick silenced whatever she was going to say. Truth be told, this whole situation was going from frustrating to aggravating at an extremely rapid pace. Pleez just couldn’t get a handle on what she was expected to do. When the kick sent her sprawling, it pushed her fully into berserk mode. Kuueru’s laughter didn’t help matters. “You think this is funny?!”
Pleez’s voice was incandescent with fury. High-pitched and screechy, it was marked with the lightning crackle of pink energy suddenly sparking to life around her. Wild shadows were cast across the interior of the ship, and the Saiyan warrior settled back into a calm, ready stance. “As though I’d dream of standing down when facing demons like you.” The Warrior said, probably using the word ‘demon’ without realising exactly how apt it was. “It might be the end of the line for me, but maybe I can buy them a few minutes to get out of here. No way am I trusting your ‘official channels’. Not when you’re working with a monster like that.”Pleez was literally shaking at this point, and when she snapped forwards, it was like a rocket going off. The floor and walls around her departure were left scorched, blackened by the uncontrolled energy just pouring out of the Majin menace. The first exchange seemed to go in the Saiyan’s favour, too. Pleez lunged high, and he ducked low, easily evading the clumsy swipe. His fist had hit her gut six times before she was able to recover, bringing a crashing axe-handle down through the space where he had been a moment before. Each blow shocked him a little, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade him from continuing to dish out punishment. His second kick sent her hurtling down the corridor away from him again, and he turned towards Kuueru, straightening with a serious look in his eye. “Call off your rabid beast now, and I’ll let it leave with only its pride bruised.”
But it was after he issued his ultimatum that Pleez’s counterattack hit him. Kuueru may have noticed it, as the pair clashed; each time Pleez struck, her attacks weren’t just using ki. Magic naturally responded to her anger, being drawn from the weft and flow of arcane energy itself, twisted to her purpose and laying ineffably in wait. When she let out a bellow of rage from far down the corridor, the magic suddenly responded. It no longer laid in wait, but exploded into a bright flare of searing pink flame which burned the Saiyan’s arms and drew a cry of pain from the mighty warrior. In terms of skill and power, the Saiyan certainly had the upper hand on Pleez – that much was obvious from the outcome of her initial engagement… but that wasn’t going to be enough, because all he’d succeeded in doing was piss her off, and the angrier she got, the more destructive energy was leeched into the universe to erase him from existence. If that was what Pleez was holding back all the time… suddenly, her erratic, unreliable behaviour made a lot more sense. (Wordcount: 558 / 3084 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 5, 2018 16:29:35 GMT -5
“You think this is funny?!”
Clearly Kuueru did, or else she wouldn’t have been laughing. As far as the demon could tell--the Majin wasn’t even hurt or phased by the Saiyan’s attack, despite her boisterous declaration that he had ‘hurt her’. Kuueru obviously probably wouldn’t be laughing if there was actually a threat---though, she hadn’t had enough time to see if this man was truly such a thing.
“Uh, I mean---You seem fine, so---” Kuueru tried to justify her mocking laughter, but decided to shut up and let the fight at hand unfold. Afterall, being a spectator in such a battle was a rarity for the woman. More often than not, she was the one blooding her knuckles. It was a nice change of pace.
Still, there was a clear difference between the two fighter’s styles. The Saiyan remained calm and cool even under this amount of pressure. Pleez however, was like a ticking time bomb. It would be interesting to see how their personalities clashed.
Kuueru felt tingles run up her spine at the mention of ‘demon’. It was ironic, perhaps too ironic. Kuueru turned her attention towards the boxes and the incoming energy levels of Empire footmen. The woman almost laughed in his face about thinking they had a chance of escaping.
“This hanger is shutdown, they have nowhere to run. The proper authorities are nearly here. And you’re sure as hell not getting clearance back to space. So--I’d say your efforts to spare them a getaway are rather---laughable. Still, a warrior such as yourself should still display your efforts right?”
The demon took a few steps back as the rage filled woman launched her attacks towards the black-haired man. He dodged with grace and managed to avoid her attacks at first. Still, Pleez was relentless---her attacks seemed to keep coming without fatigue.
Another kick from the man sent her flying again. Now his attention was on Kuueru.
“My rabid beast? I don’t own it. I’m just doing my job, but---if you’re paying attention...you must not hit very hard,” Kuueru fired an insult towards the man. Despite him actually packing power behind his punches, the magical infuse woman was still barely showing a bruise. If they even bruised.
FInally, Pleez landed an attack. One that seemed to sear the man and cause an agony that her ears would rather of not heard.
“I suggest you stop now before you piss her off more? I mean--unless you want to die. That’s fine too,” Kuueru turned a back to the pair and began ripping the rest of the cargo boxes open. With almost a sinister grin she made sure the fight was visible to all.
“Everyone! Watch as your ‘warrior’ gets beaten to death. Or you can feel free to exit the ship and turn yourselves into custody.”
“Pleez, I’m gonna ask you not to blow up anything. Besides him.” Kuueru chuckled and turned to watch the spectacle once more. Meanwhile the women and children that hid in the boxes anxiously waited. Pepa WC: 503 | 4071
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 6, 2018 14:29:16 GMT -5
Pleez didn’t seem to have much of a sense of humour to begin with. Now that she’s been kicked, what fun she seemed to have been briefly having has gone completely out the window. It is definitely erratic, how quickly she can go from joyous to utterly incoherent with fury. Her body practically shook as the pair of other warriors talked about her as though she weren’t even there – or couldn’t understand them. Kuueru might notice that the Saiyan’s power level was – well, it was impressive. At least twice Pleez’s own, if not a little more, and in terms of a fair fight, well, he was proving himself far more talented when it came to trading blows. If that was all there was to it, she might be in trouble. But as Kuueru had so rightly noted, the Majin hadn’t actually taken any significant damage from the impact. It had hurt her, apparently, but aside from the physical discomfort she didn’t seem slowed down at all. Majins don’t bruise, apparently, and perhaps the reason why she had so much latitude with her behaviour was becoming more obvious, now. They were an incredibly rare species, especially those who had the temperament and interest to actually bother to learn to fight. But they were also quite possibly the most difficult species in the universe to kill, outstripping even the legendary Frost Demons for their tenacity. “Don’t listen to her!” The warrior urged, “Go. They can’t catch you all. It has to be better than whatever these monsters have planned!”
Some of the civilians listened. They fled. In blind panic and terror, hobbling and desperate, the old and the young and the injured began to flee. And the sight of them? That brought a smile back on to Pleez’s face. “Sorry, ‘Commander’.” Pleez said, raising her hand palm-up towards the fleeing civilians. “No can do.”A blast of impossibly bright pink power erupted from her outstretched palm, bearing down on a filthy Saiyan child. Before even Kuueru could react, the heroic warrior threw himself bodily in the way of the blast, taking it full on in the gut. He was sent staggering back a few paces by the force of the impact, hatred and disbelief in his wild eyes. “What’s wrong with you?” He demanded, “They’re helpless. Your fight is-“And Pleez demonstrated beyond a doubt in that moment that she knew exactly who her fight was with, by headbutting him square in the face. Her eyes were wild, and her arms looped around him as she held him close to her lightning-wreathed body. “Your kind are all the same.” She spat, “I knew you wouldn’t let the brat die. Now YOU get to instead. Be happy. You’ll die a martyr. That’s what you wanted, right? And you can tell them all about it when I send them to hell right on your heels.”In a fair fight? If there was any justice in the Universe? This Saiyan would crush Pleez into dust and she’d never recover. But this wasn’t a fair fight, and with the authorities bearing down on the weak, helpless refugees – it didn’t seem like there was much chance of justice, either. (Wordcount: 552 / 3636 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 6, 2018 23:41:42 GMT -5
Again the male Saiyan beckoned with his people to flee. Sadly, it was no use. Even if they departed from the ship, there were armed guards waiting to detain, or kill them if they resisted. Of course, bloodshed was a last resort for a normal member of the Empire. But Pleez, she was anything but normal. The pink Majin seemed to have an air of disaster surrounding her. She carried herself with anger and a short temper and was ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
Something about Pleez excited Kuueru, but in the same breathe worried her. She would have to watch the Majin more carefully in the future, hell--the woman may even be an asset to her cause; and that of the Leviathans.
No can do? Kuueru questions if the words crossed her ears correctly. It seemed that the Majin was disobeying her orders. Her brows furrowed in disappointment as she watched the events unfold. Not listening to Kuueru was one thing; but disobeying her was another. Kuueru felt her blood beginning to boil as she tried to fathom someone ignoring the commands of a superior, let alone, someone who was stronger than another.
“What was that?” Kuueru mumbled as the blast fired off towards a child. Her eyes widened, but still the Saiyan man managed to intercept the blow. He stumbled back and seemed to regain his cognizance rather quickly.
“Pleez, you’re being crazy,” Kuueru mumbled in an irritated tone. Part of her agreed with the man that something was terribly wrong. She was ready to incinerate a child who had no defenses. That was what bothered the woman. It shouldn’t though. She should care about the natural selection and the survival of the fittest---but something about ruining the future of someone who still had potential irked her.
“This is getting to be too much; I think you’ve proved enough,” Kuueru barked towards Pleez while her eyes shifted from a subtle lavender to a shocking crimson. Her pearly white teeth bore fangs as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back her internal conflict. She was sent here to handle the task, not kill innocent refuges.
In an instant the woman appeared behind the Saiyan man. Her aura was overwhelming. A sinister darkness weighted down everything in the room. Demonic and dark in nature her powers were something unnatural and concerning. The look in her eyes were piercing and final. She wasn’t the person to debate with. Her power was something that would shock anyone if she dared release it all in a display of power.
“I think we should finish our mission Pleez, do you really think that murdering these weaklings will do you any good?”
By now the demoness’s power was tremendous. If the Saiyan was double her power, she was way over double his own. The hiss in her voice was clear. She locked a hand around the man's wrists and held him in place firmly as the authorities arrived and began detaining the Saiyans that had the guts to flee.
“Commander Kuueru--the hanger is in lockdown. Any people fleeing we have apprehended. What should we do next?”
“Keep it up. There are more upon the ship that haven’t decided to run, this man included., thought--he is rather strong,” Pepa WC: 545 | 4616
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 7, 2018 4:21:38 GMT -5
“What does doing me good have to do with it?!”
Pleez was a confused by Kuueru’s interference – she’d already bound the Saiyan’s arms to his sides, and whilst he was struggling, there was really little he could do in the immediate moment to stop her from beating him bloody. No matter what, the Commander seemed intent on stopping her from doing what she was there to do – it was really rather aggravating. At least the other Empire officials she had worked for had accepted her impulses when it came time to fight, but now the demon was even interfering in this.
Pleez pulled herself off the Saiyan, and glared at the Commander. Despite the power differential between the two of them, with Kuueru clearly dwarfing the Majin’s own power, she was still dangerously tempted to attack the woman for her interference. The waves of killing intent that rolled off Pleez made her desires difficult to ignore – she certainly wasn’t trying to mask them; she was pissed off, and she wasn’t the sort to rein in her emotions.
But she was able to stop herself from going for Kuueru as well. She instead locked eyes on the woman and spoke in a low, growling tone.
“I want to kill them all because they are alive. I work with you people because you give me the chance to kill idiots like this. That’s all I want. And you’re not giving it to me. I don’t give a shit about your mission. You call me in to kill people. That’s the deal.”
Putting her motivations in such stark terms made it absolutely clear – Pleez is a crazy person. She’s a psychopath who only wants destruction. It had been an uncharacteristic act of self-control to merely destroy the child’s book when asked to sign it; that had been a restrained Pleez. Pulling herself off this man who had injured her – who had actually managed to hurt her, however superficially? Kuueru might not feel it in that moment, but it was a sign of the degree to which Pleez respected the power the woman was wielding. She knew that if she tried to fight both Kuueru and the Saiyan at the same time, she’d lose. Not to mention the trouble that it would cause her with the Empire more generally. She’d have to destroy the whole station just to maintain her cover after she was done, and whilst she’d love to do that… the chances of her managing to do all of that quickly enough that no evidence could reach the Empire more generally?
Pleez was a psychopath, but she wasn’t an idiot.
“Let me finish him at least. Otherwise, I’m going to get … annoyed.”
The Saiyan, meanwhile, had begun to glow. It was gentle at first, but was growing more and more intense the harder he struggled to pull his arm away from Kuueru. And now that he wasn’t able to do that, his eyes had taken on a far more intense and dangerous expression.
“Don’t think I’m going to go quietly!” He raged, “If I can’t save these people, I can at least take you two down with me!”
The light suffusing his body flared in intensity – he was channelling his ki inwards, bright blue power spilling out of his body as he prepared to unleash everything he had all at once!
(Wordcount: 580 / 4216)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 7, 2018 16:53:28 GMT -5
Her brows knitted. At this point Kuueru was even unsure of what was making her interfere with Pleez’s intense urge for bloodshed. Normally she wouldn’t bat an eye at killing an innocent. Not that the Empire looked at Saiyans in such a way. Everything around her and within the circumstances told the demon to let Pleez beat them senseless--yet, there was apprehension.
Her stomach turned and a knot swole within her chest. As she watched the Majin grovel at her prey like a snake ready to strike.
The struggling seemed to be futile for the Saiyan warrior’s efforts, still she took note of the glow and his changing fluctuations of power. Was this a transformation of sorts?
While the other’s fled the ship, there were some stragglers who couldn’t bare to look away to run. Perhaps they found truth in Kuueru’s words that escaping was futile. Whatever the cause of their awe or desperation, Kuueru turned her back towards Pleez to watch through the distant viewport on the opposite side of the ship. Outside it was as she fortold. Even if they wanted to run, all exits were sealed off. Today the Saiyan refunes would take a loss--that’s all there was too it. What could would it do to slaughter them all? What point would it prove?
Kuueru couldn’t speak for the Majin. She was some thinking about it however as her grip on the man’s arm tightened.
“Do what you want weakling!” Kuueru hissed in visible frustration towards Pleez. It was obvious that their interactions at this point were less than mutual and more hostile. The look that the pink woman shot the Commander was that of bloodlust. It mirrored the image in her eyes when she gazed at the Saiyan man.
“I suppose I should feel lucky I am able to get enjoyment out of more things in life huh?” Kuueru chuckled during the moment of self-reflection before her body shifted from view. She reappeared behind both Pleez with the Saiyan man in tow.
Her aura flared----it was heavy. Demonic energy seeped from her pores; it was like the flick of a switch.
She almost lost herself and released her true demonic potential. Still, she remained somewhat grounded still. An intense crimson gaze focused on Pleez. The fang-tooth grin seemed to dare her to kill her prey in the most sinister ways. If one wasn’t confused enough by the bi-polar tendacies of Kuueru--they sure as hell should have been at this point.
“Finish him then, I wouldn’t dare want to ...annoy you.” Her laughter soon followed. She wasn’t sure if it was scare tactics; Kuueru didn’t care. She still remained lingering uncomfortably close to the pair before she pushed the Saiyan forward and past Pleez. He now wobbled to a stand before the Majin---ironically it was just prior to his daring release of energy.
“If you don’t hurry, I may have to kill him myself.”
A few steps were soon placed between the demoness and the tangoing duo. Pepa WC: 500 | 5116
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 12, 2018 2:27:34 GMT -5
In many ways, it would have been nice if the Saiyan Warrior could transform – if his potential could reach all the way to the heights of a Super Saiyan, and he could then beat the hell out of Pleez. It would have been amusing to watch for Kuueru anyway, no doubt. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Such potential was rare within the Saiyan race, even if there were more Super Saiyans around than there had been in hundreds of years. He couldn’t even begin to reach towards such overwhelming heights. He was glowing so bright it was dazzling to look at as he was shoved past the monster who had beaten him by the monster who was holding back. Pleez turned to face him, her head crooked on her neck as she did, and she huffed with her amusement as he glowered at the pair of them. “You heard her, little man.” She said, “She might be a bitch, but she’s still given me permission to end your miserable life. I’ll take it.”
‘Weakling’ wasn’t a term that she liked, apparently, and Pleez had decided that there was no point even trying to maintain a charade of professionalism any longer. This partnership was a bust. She might as well just enjoy herself, if this was how it was going to go. She began to lunge forwards, but halted, suddenly, as the Saiyan Warrior began to laugh. His power was brought to its fullest extent, concentrated in every inch of his brightly-glowing body, blue power seeming to radiate out of him in every direction. “What’s so funny?” Pleez demanded, angrily. “Just this.” The Warrior replied, “I’m not going to let you have what you want! Join me in hell you goddamn freak!”Kuueru might just be smart enough to realise what the Warrior meant in that instant. Pleez certainly was not. She tore forwards with murderous intent, and when she was a fraction of an inch from the Saiyan’s face, he exploded. The detonation of power was huge, and tightly focused. It swelled out to encompass the corridor, without ever going far enough to threaten either the engines (and the critical damage that Pleez had wanted to unleash) or the staring refugees who watched in helpless horror as their protector martyred himself. The explosion lasted for several long, agonising seconds. Tightly focused and terrifyingly intense, the energy unleashed was vastly more powerful than anything the Saiyan had any right to put out under ordinary circumstances – but such is the power of sacrifice. When at last the blaze died down, a perfect sphere had been cut through the ship, and Pleez’s gummy pink form had been smeared across the interior of the smouldering metal crater left in the wake of the warrior’s detonation. (Wordcount: 471 / 4687 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|
|
Post by Queen Kuueru on Nov 13, 2018 16:37:08 GMT -5
Despite it seeming that Kuueru didn’t enjoy the company of the Majin--it was quite the opposite. She enjoyed the virulent chaos that the girl exuded. Something about it tantalized her very soul---at least the demonic half that is. She used to bathe in such unpredictable nature and temper, but lately her mind had begun to think of consequences of her actions. With so many great threats in the universe---especially those that trumped her own strength--she found it better to keep her bum out of the kettle.
Pleez seemed to be elated by the woman granting permission to deliver the killing blow. Luckily enough, the innocents were being apprehended and could at least be assured safe outside of the ship. It wasn’t that the woman valued their lives, it was more so she feared Polaris if she dared make the Frost Demon look bad. Still, the Saiyan’s views of the Empire weren’t going to get much worse from slaughtering more of them.
“Hnn, this guy is crazy right? Kamikaze?” Kuueru chuckled as she noticed the insane and unstable energy build up within the emotional Saiyan man. He was on the verge of insanity if the demoness could put a word to his state. Pleez didn’t find his psychotic laughing amusing however, and upon questioning the man explained his motived.
Join me in hell? Oh no---that’s what he was going to do?
Kuueru prepared to teleport out of the spaceship, or at least as far away from the explosion she could muster. She couldn’t imagine he would blow up his own people in the hanger however. She barely had time to save herself, let alone Pleez---but something told her that the Majin may have a trick or two up her sle---gauntlets?
The blinding light stole her sight as she teleported with seconds left to spare.
“Guh, wh..what,” Kuueru mumbled aloud amongst the imperial officers and detained Saiyan refuges. The entire ship shook and emitted a right moment of light. As soon as she could make it in, that was when she examined the perfectly cut katchin. And right in the middle there was the pink goo smeared upon the floor.
Curiously the woman knelt and looked around for any sign of the man. It was as she expected. He sacrificed himself to at least take the pair out, but even that ended in futile failure. It was amusing to think about, but she could only imagine the Majin would be frustrated that she didn’t have a hand in his demise.
If the Majin was alive.
“Pleez? Ya...there?” Kuueru partly felt selfish for only making it out of the ship alone; but to be fair she didn’t have but a millisecond to make it out of there herself. She wasn’t sure how powerful the explosion would be to her body, but she didn’t want to figure it out either.
“I suppose, you….um, succeeded in your mission. I’m having a mission report written up as we...ARE YOU ALIVE?” Kuueru belted out in a concerned manner at the odd smear. “O... Or are you…. Wait no, you would have been incinerated like h..him”
Kuueru was trying to make sense of it all, but it was not logical at all. Pepa WC: 541 | 5657
|
|
|
|
Post by Pepa on Nov 14, 2018 3:47:06 GMT -5
For a few seconds, the smeared patches of goo didn’t do anything at all. As Kuueru shouted for her, though, the mass of splattered Majin bubbled and roiled. It took almost a full minute for the exploded remains to roll themselves together, first into an irregular ball, and then to start reforming into Pleez’s body again. It did not look like a pleasant or painless process. As arms and legs and her head boiled out of the bulbous mass of twisted pink goop, Pleez’s expression was truly agonised. If she’d been exaggerating how much the ineffectual kick had hurt her before, she probably isn’t exaggerating about the amount of pain she was in as she reformed her body from practically nothing. As she went, the clothing that she habitually wore also reconstituted itself around her; traceries of magic pulled instinctually into being to spare her the embarrassment of being reborn naked. She huffed as she glared around herself at the crater in which she’d, literally, pulled herself together. Power spat and fizzed around her, not her habitual bright pink, but an angry, vivid scarlet as she turned her gaze towards the still-cowering refugees, who had just witnessed their hero give himself to save them, from the monster’s wrath, and achieve precisely nothing. Except, before Kuueru even needed to intervene to stop the senseless slaughter, the Majin spat on the floor and reined herself in. She turned to face Kuueru, narrowing her eyes faintly as she saw that the woman was completely uninjured – without even a speck of dust upon her person. But. Kuueru was infinitely stronger than she was. Perhaps that attack had been nothing more than the equivalent of a flailing punch to her. Either way, her instinct about Pleez’s opinion seemed right on the money. She didn’t look happy. “I’m going to need a new badge.” Pleez said, indicating her sash, which was held in place with a knot, rather than the fine metalwork that served as a symbol of her rank within the Empire. “I can make clothes, but I can’t make that.”She folded her arms across her chest, and the last flickering traces of uncontrolled power died down around her, leaving her at her usual, seething, irritated level. This whole trip had been a disaster. She didn’t even get to kill a single person, and that attack had hurt her more than she had been hurt in years. It hurt more than the beating the Demon King had given her, and the man responsible didn’t even have the decency to stay alive so that she could kill him later. “Are we done? Can we go now? If you’re not going to let me kill this filth, I want to have a nap.”
She’d gone from outraged and furious to merely sullen. Her tone was almost petulant. She was tired, aching, and miserable. That last was nothing unusual, but it was rare she was left feeling that way after a fight. Perhaps Kuueru’s earlier words were more accurate than she could know – Pleez was definitely a monster, but how horrible would it be to only take pleasure in death and destruction? The demon definitely should feel lucky she can get enjoyment out of more than that. (Wordcount: 556 / 5243 Queen Kuueru)
|
|
|