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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2019 2:11:06 GMT -5
"You two really did a number on me."
It was no exaggeration.
One on one, and Null could have easily defeated either of the young soldiers. But as a pair? They proved to be more than a match for his abilities.
His left hand massaged the bulk of his neck and right shoulder muscle. Null whirled his arm in a circular pattern, wincing as he worked out the aches and pains from their fight.
"It's been two days already... even with our genetics, I should be nice and healed by now. I must've strained something... gods, I hope I'm not getting old."
Not that age was something Saiyans often fretted about.
They aged slowly, given ample years for training and fighting. A Saiyan in his forties could boast the same musculature and stamina as when he was twenty, if he kept in the right shape and did not let his body atrophy from disuse. As warriors, they were the deadliest weapons in the galaxy.
But even weapons could dull if you did not sharpen them. T
wo glasses filled with amber liquid sat on the round table between them, where he and Nasch sat cross-legged on a pair of cushions on the floor. He placed a hand over his own to keep the liquid from sloshing out and onto the table due to the turbulence created by the freighter lifting off from Katchin, freeing itself from the planet's gravitational pull.
Soon, the arid deserts vanished, replaced with the staggering sight of the vastness of the cosmos that surrounded them.
He tipped his drink to his lips, staring out the bubble window at the wonder of it all. Somewhere out there was New Sadla, his home, calling to him across the stretch of space frontier.
Other soldiers milled about in the common area, either sleeping, gambling, or having hushed discussions. Most of them gave the pair of them a wide berth, having bared witness to the heights of their incredible power levels. It was the reason the commanding officer permitted them passage off of Katchin on the vessel, normally reserved for active duty soldiers.
"From what I could gather from one of the soldiers, this contingent is headed to a planet not far from Earth. We could stop off there for a bit, figure out our game plan. Uniting our people again without power like Radia's is going to be a difficult task."
tag: Nasch // word count: 405
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Post by Nasch on Jan 10, 2019 15:42:56 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2019 0:22:05 GMT -5
"And what an empire it was slated to be..."
Queen Radia had embodied everything a Saiyan inspired to be. Strong-willed, prideful, and near invincible in battle. They were a people that respected fighting prowess and ability over all else. In truth, there was no real social structure among them. Only the strong who were capable of leading. And the weak to be trodden underfoot.
His gut burned from the drink he'd already consumed. The tips of his narrow fingers slid along the rim of his glass, his other hand cupped and supporting Null's head, elbow planted against the table.
"I believed in it once. I won't sit here and pretend my time in the Dominion meant nothing... in truth, it was my very identity. Until I went to Earth, and met Wua Lu and my master."
His heart ached for his beloved. Null wanted to gaze into his beloved's eyes, feel the warmth of her lips against his own in a welcoming embrace. Feel the swollen womb that harbored his one and only child. It spurred him forth in his quest to lead the Saiyan people.
He smirked apologetically, realizing he had grown silent, gazing wistfully out at the passing heavens.
"I suppose I should explain. Wua Lu is my betrothed. I met her during a tournament in East City. We were the final two competitors, and well... she beat me soundly. I was obsessed with her ever since. After that, I found Master Lu Shao and the Ox School and, well... I'm a changed man, to say the least."
While still prone to his Saiyan nature, Null had learned to temper his fighting spirit with wisdom and reason. For what was martial prowess, wielded in the hands of a fool?
"What of you, Nasch? A man is shaped by his past. Is there some lucky lady, awaiting you out there in the great cosmos?"
tag: Nasch // word count: 725
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Post by Nasch on Jan 12, 2019 14:40:07 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2019 18:52:54 GMT -5
He paused between sips, the tip of his glass poised before his lips. Null studied his silent companion. The pain was evident on the youth's face, and though he shook his head in response to Null's statement, Null could sense the truth churning beneath the surface. Nasch was no different from many other Saiyans. Things such as feelings had no place in a warrior's heart. No emotion was beneficial except for pride and rage. Pride constituted their entire identity. And rage was the motivation that spurned them forward, despite all obstacles and opposition. A berserker Saiyan was a fearsome foe indeed. Couple that with the fact that every Saiyan warrior fought to sustain their own pride, and well... there was a reason they were known as the fiercest fighters in all of the known galaxy. Null arched an eyebrow at Nasch's reluctant response. "Is that so..." He would not press the matter. They were partners, fellow warriors and brothers at arms. Nasch would share in his own way, in his own time. "It isn't uncommon for men such as us to return home from war to find little more than an empty, decrepit nest awaiting us... a frustration I know all too well." He downed the rest of his drink, slamming the glass on the table before him. "Eventually, you learn to cope with it. My home on New Sadla has stood empty for many years. I'm not even sure if its still there. Some vagabond's probably claimed it as his own by now. No matter... everyone needs a roof over their heads. The world can be cruel enough with it."Nasch's admittance that being allied with Null was akin to some pleasantry was surprising. It wasn't often a word people used in relation to himself. He was loud-mouthed, brash, and often picked fights he could not won. How he'd lasted this long without being killed was a question for the ages. But he understood where Nasch was coming from. "I get that. Having someone watch your back is one less time you need to glance over your shoulder... am I right?" He smirked, feeling the eyes of some of the soldiers settling onto his back. They had been eyeing him and Nasch since they left Katchin, yet the unspoken challenge went unanswered. A fight in these cramped quarters would condemn them all to a terrible fate... floating amidst the wreckage of their transport in the deep cold vacuum of unforgiving space. It simply was not worth his time. In regards to Nasch's questions about Wua Lu and his home on Earth, Null stared out the window, his gaze taking on a pensive quality. "I guess you could say... they saved me. I was in a bad place when I went to East City. Fighting's been the only thing I've known my entire life. Every scrap of food was pried from someone else's hands. Either I learned to be strong, or I withered and died in the many gutters I've slept in." Null gestured with a hand, waving two fingers. The barkeep at the small bar across the way nodded. He unstopped a bottle, removing the cork as he filled another glass with the sweet amber liquid. "Wua Lu and Lu Shao taught me powerful lessons. About honor, duty, and wisdom. About belonging to a place or a people. Giving everything to grow strong enough to protect them. If it weren't for them... I'd probably be dead." It was the truth for certain. "Back to you, Nasch. Surely there's someone... somewhere... who misses you?"Nasch | word count: 1,323
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Post by Nasch on Jan 14, 2019 16:49:51 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2019 18:36:42 GMT -5
As Nasch fell silent, Null found his own mind awash with an onslaught of thoughts. The bartender silently filled his glass before returning to his duties, where a few drunken soldiers were hosting some sort of foolish drinking game of their own. Nasch's story was eerily similar to his own. "I can relate to losing everything. Being marked an Imperial fugitive because of a stupid mistake." His words tasted as bitter as wormwood, face screwing up in a mask of self-disgust. No matter which way he spun it, no matter how often he tried to shift the blame to his dead queen for sending him on such a mission in the first place, he never could quite shake that terrible vibe. His ally's recalling of that fateful, terrible mission that cost him the lives of his brother-in-arms and his beloved resonated with Null on a deeper level. His own soul ached bitterly for Nasch's loss. Casting his sullen gaze aside, he followed Nasch's behavior in similiar fashion -- downing the fiery drink in one swallow. The sudden spike in Nasch's power had surprised him. Brow arched, Null had gaped openly at his new comrade, sensing the struggle as Nasch's power level spiked and fell in dramatic fashion. A literal tug of war taking place within the young soldier's energy. Turmoil gripped him, and as his thick fingers brushed the silver bangle around his neck, Null's eyes were drawn to it. "...was that a gift from Cashla?" Her name felt raw and untested on his lips, as if it did not belong in his mouth. Even speaking so intimately about the subject left Null feeling naked and raw as the two men delved deep into territory neither would broach on a normal basis. But the drinks kept flowing, loosening their inhibitions and any self-imposed rules about avoiding talk of their pasts. But as Nasch pointed out, it did not have to be that way. He had a brother to share his burdens with, for once in his life. "She must have been something special, huh? Because that's one ugly piece of neck wear." He tried to sound upbeat, making a joke at Nasch's expense, but it came across as flat. "Sorry... I'm not good at all this feelings stuff."He held his glass in his hand, turning it over in his fingers, the tiniest remnant of alcohol dripping out onto the table in front of him. Null was done drinking. It was more due to his fact of needing something to occupy himself with to fill the awkward void that had formed between the pair. He thought of Wua Lu, and how he fould feel if he ever lost her. "If you had the chance to go back in time and fix things, would you?" His stern gaze rose from the shot glass and settled onto the big soldier's once again. "What if that were a possibility? Stranger things have happened. Ever thought about heading back to Raiven and just... I dunno, getting some closure?" Nasch | word count: 1,831
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Post by Nasch on Jan 15, 2019 5:56:05 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2019 7:16:46 GMT -5
Nasch's ambivalence bordered on obsession. He drifted back and forth, swaying one way and then the other when it came to the idea of possibly going to Planet Raiven and determining what happened to his friends. It was almost maddening, to say the least. Who wouldn't want a chance to correct errors from the past? There was nothing Null wouldn't give for a chance to travel back in time and correct the mistakes he'd made throughout his lifetime. So many senseless fights. So much pointless bloodshed. In many ways, his pride served to bolster him in as much as it wounded him. All those cold nights sleeping amidst the rats and debris on the streets. Many of the elderly Saiyans who retired to New Sadla offered him a refuge. Most of them he declined, and when Null did succumb to his weakness and accept the offer of a warm meal and a soft bed, a heavy feeling of guilt swept through him. He often did not even stay the entirety of the night, slipping quietly from the home of his patron to return to the gutters he knew well. He felt guilty, enjoying anything in this life when his parents had lost their own giving their all to the Dominion's efforts. It was why he joined the war effort and fought his hardest. He did not deserve the luxury and decadence of life's finest offerings, or so he often convinced himself. How much time had he wasted on such a stupid, foolish notion such as that? He would not let Nasch do the same thing. "Alright, big guy. I've got a proposition for you." Perhaps it was the booze fueling his bravado. Or perhaps, Null simply could not stomach the fact that the burly Saiyan was more than a tad stronger than him and could easily best him in raw physical strength. "No more idle musing. It's time to put up or shut up." He propped his elbow up onto the table, his right hand poised and ready as Null leaned forward. His dark eyes seemed hard as steel, jaw tensed with stern purpose. "You're making the same mistakes I did when I was your age. Believing you don't deserve better because you screwed up and people got hurt. I don't have the luxury of fixing my past, but you've at least got a shot at it." "You're going to arm wrestle me, Nasch. If I win, once we reach Earth and rest up a bit, you take some time to visit Planet Raiven. I don't know what you'll find, but you need closure all the same. If you win, I'll drop the topic and say nothing more of this. We got a deal? C'mon. Still itching to kick your ass in some way." Arm Wrestling: 7a5VI9FN1d100Nasch | word count: 2,300 1d100
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Post by Nasch on Jan 16, 2019 14:58:18 GMT -5
Arm Wrestling: zKmAEwIW1d1001d100
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2019 18:57:31 GMT -5
Nasch's thick arm nearly capsized the small table, sending their empty glasses skidding to one side as he planted it. His grip was an inescapable vice of iron. Thick veins protruded from his large bicep, and considering Null's shoulder was still smarting from the blows he'd been dealt by Nasch in their spar, this was a fool's errand. But Null was the sort of man to do all he could for people he called 'friend'. Friend... he didn't bother to hide the smirk that touched his lips. How long had it been since he had one of those? Nasch was surely his friend. Only friends would weather the ignorance of such a primal showing of strength. The other soldiers watching from afar gathered like vultures to pick at the carcass of the fallen. Of course, none of them were actually strong enough to act on their impulse to crush the loser of these two warriors, but their presence was symbolic nonetheless. They murmured to each other, sizing up and comparing Null and Nasch, placing their bets. Considering Nasch's arm nearly eclipsed Null's own, it was easy to bet against the older Saiyan. The gauntlet was laid, and the challenge accepted. On the count of three, the contest began. The soldiers whooped and hollered, thrusting fists into the air as they cheered for their favorite. Null gritted his teeth, his face turning red, veins throbbing at his temples as he tugged at Nasch's arm. This bull of a Saiyan was a true brute, gifted with such impressive strength. It pained Null to see how reluctant he seemed to wield it. Even now, Nasch did not embody the same spirit of the contest as Null and the others did. He was reluctant to engage in such a contest, which meant he probably wasn't giving it his all. If he were, Null's hand would have met the table by now. Still, the youth's arm would not budge, no matter how much force Null used. Beads of sweat pooled on his brow from the exertion, his own breathing growing louder with the effort. "Fall, d-damn... it...!"It was no use. He was not going to budge. The man was just too strong. He would have to divert to his experience. In an instant, his power spiked. The pressure of his aura knocked back the crowd. It seemed to catch Nasch off guard as well, and his grip loosened just a fraction. That was all Null needed -- the tiniest chink in the armor. He slammed Nasch's hand into the table with enough force to rock the cabin. Those who supported Null began to cheer and whistle, clapping him roughly on the shoulder. They seemed eager to engage them both in the camaraderie, having witnessed that Null and Nasch were true Saiyan warriors who could never turn down an opportunity to stoke their egos and boast in their strength. The purpose of Null's challenge had been two-fold, it would seem for the men no longer seemed eager to test them. One of them even whistled to the barkeep for another round of drinks. Null pried his hand from Nasch's grip, waggling his fingers in an attempt to shake the numbness. "Quite a grip you've got there. But it's a shame you didn't take our little contest seriously." He reached out, slugging Nasch playfully in the shoulder. "A deal's a deal. A warrior is measured by the strength of his promise. You're a fine warrior, so I know you won't back out of our deal now." Thanking the soldier that bought their drinks, Null slid the glass across the table to Nasch. "A toast... to facing the past. And beating our demons." Nasch | word count: 2,920
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Post by Nasch on Jan 21, 2019 14:01:36 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2019 9:03:29 GMT -5
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Post by Nasch on Jan 24, 2019 8:16:01 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2019 20:15:50 GMT -5
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Post by Nasch on Jan 30, 2019 10:54:47 GMT -5
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