#jointlock

[obeymekarasu]

Whoops! Watch out when trying to wake up Beel, he might put you into a sleep-jointlock! Levi had to learn this the hard way, *sighhh*...

#obeyme #obey me #obey me lore #obey me swd #obeymeswd

[kkglinka]

I've half a mind to track down and join some avatrice discord just so I can tell them that aikido has no striking techniques of its own, it's often painfully dull to watch, and 95% of all 'throws' are just the initial attacker flipping themselves to neutralize a debilitating jointlock.

#fandom I'm judging you #seriously tho #aikido is widely derided #by the standard #kickboxing crowd #it's weaponized pacifism #it's assisted shoving and tripping #please don't grab me #whoops you fell over #how embarrassing #hip throws are real tho #but those mostly #resemble bodychecking

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 082

Wilford Brimley’s here!   And he’s pissed!

Okay, I think some of this information actually got stated in the previous episode, but whatever.  This guy is named “Top”, although I call him “Toppo” because that’s how it sounded in the Japanese version, before the dub settled on what to call him.  It’s sort of like how no one knew whether or not to call him “Zamasu” or “Zamas”.  Japanese characters represent syllables, not individual consonsants, so when dealing with a name like “Trunks” they’ll spell it in such a way where it’s pronounced “Torunkusu” and some of those extra vowels are given less emphasis.  So even if his name is supposed to be just “Top”, it’ll still sound like “Toppo” when they say it in Japanese, and sometimes the dub will keep that last vowel and sometimes they don’t.    But I digress.

Top’s not part of this Zeno Expo, but he did attend along with the Universe 11 gods, because he’s acting as their Supreme Kai’s bodyguard.  Consfusingly, his name is Khai.  Anyway, Top is the leader of U11′s strongest fighting force, the Pride Troopers, and while watching the Zeno Expo, he became convinced that Goku is a menace, and he considers himself a lover of justice, so he wants to fight and defeat Goku.  Khai explains all of this to the assembled gods, and asks the Zenos to allow a Top/Goku match to take place as a bonus round of the Expo.  The Zenos agree, and we’re off to the races.

I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this fight, because there’s nothing at stake, and I don’t think Top needs this much of an introduction.  We’ll see plenty more of him in the actual Tournament of Power.  His main offense is jointlocks, like this “Justice Rear Naked Choke” he’s using on Goku now.  Although Top is so big that you could call this a bearhug and no one would be able to dispute it. 

While you ponder how Goku will get out of this one, let me pause to point out this off-model Beerus.  I swear, for as much as Beerus appears in this show, it’s like the animators went out of their way to draw him as badly as possible. 

One annoying thing about this part of the story is how everything that happens has to be commented upon by the various gods.  U11′s gods discuss this situation by saying it gives them a chance to “send a message” to the other universes.  Sure it allows the other universes to scout Top, but it also shows them how tough their team will be.  And Beerus and Whis have similar thoughts about Goku. 

Except none of this matters, because it’s going to be a battle royale with eighty guys fighting at the same time.  I think a lot of these scenes are just padding, or at best they’re intended to show how desperate the gods are to feel like they have any control over this situation.  So they keep plotting and scheming about every little detail, except the situation continues to unfold around them, and their plans have no effect on any of it. 

And there’s 24 gods involved, so it’s a lot of characters wasting their breath.  There’s one scene where Champa gripes about the four universes who won’t be participating in the Tournament of Power, and their gods gloat about how relieved they are to be exempt, and how it must prove they’re doing something right in their own universes.  But none of it matters.  Their being exempt was essentially a twist of fate.  They had no idea they were being evaluated this way, and did nothing to earn their exemption.  And the fact that they are exempted doesn’t affect Champa’s predicament at all.  But they still waste time in the episode talking about it. 

Oh, right, Goku.  If you said “He’ll just turn Super Saiyan Blue and break the hold,” you’d be correct. 

So they keep on fighting, and Goku powers up all the way, and then...

... the Grand Minister calls off the match.  The Zenos are disappointed, but he convinces them that they should save this confrontation for the Tournament of Power, and they agree. 

Goku offers Top a handshake, but Top is still mad at Goku and considers him a villain.  Though he’s disgusted to even speak to Goku, he does offer him a warning.  Goku couldn’t beat Top today, and even if he does manage to beat Top at the Tournament, there’s someone in Universe 11 who’s even stronger.  That would be Top’s fellow Pride Trooper, Jiren the Grey.  And based on Goku’s performance here, Top is certain that Goku wouldn’t stand a chance against him. 

So now Goku’s all excited about Jiren.  But Beerus demands he take this seriously.  Or what?  You’ll destroy him?  Get real, dude. 

The best thing about this whole deal is how it flips the script on Beerus.  He came to Earth acting all high and mighty, destroying anything he pleased for merely irritating him. Now someone higher on the food chain is threatening to destroy him, and his only hope is Goku, who isn’t worried about it at all. 

Goku even points this out (”You destroy stuff all the time!”) and Beerus is furious with him, but Whis reminds him that they need to focus their time on preparing for the Tournament of Power.  The ring won’t be completed for another forty hours, which gives everyone that long to recruit a team of ten fighters.  So Goku’d better get crackin’.

Meanwhile, here’s a shot of the stage being assembled.  Get used to seeing these.

#dragon ball #dragon ball super #2023dbapocryphaliveblog #goku #top #toppo #beerus #whis #gohan #grand minister #grand zeno

[bersergner-blog]

Practice 1_6.2 - Inspiration

Bato & Riji vs Shen

Bato- Bato is a bit more bulky and uses mostly punches and Judo. He is stoic and direct in his approach to combat. Riji- Riji is skinnier, blonde and uses mostly kicks and jointlocks. he is very expressive and high energy. His moves are wilder and unorthodox. Shen- Shen is a master of the typical elegant but deadly Kung-Fu styles. No real arts more like the free flowing techniques of a master but with a traditional core. Lots of old school strikes.

Unlike my usual protocol I consulted a lot of videos instead of imagery to really nail the flow of the fight. I had a general feel of where I wanted to take the fight and what I wanted my characters to look like.

Our protagonists Riji and Bato.

Are based on the famous Double Dragons, Jimmy and Billy Lee. In particular their 'Double Dragon Gaiden - Rise of the Dragons' iterations.

EGGPLANTE (2023). [Online] Available at: https://www.eggplante.com/2023/08/01/double-dragon-gaiden-rise-of-the-dragons-review/

Meanwhile their opponent Shen. Is based on the Emperor from Mulan.

FANDOM. [Online] Available at: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Emperor_of_China

Sadly I didn't have enough time to fully design these characters and had to opt to somewhat find them through the work.

#concept art #digital art #digital illustration #digital painting #digital drawing #character concept #design #fight scene #choreography

[wrestlingisfake]

G1 Climax night 8 preview

Hiroshi Tanahashi (1-1, 2pts) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (2-0, 4pts) - This is for 2 points in C Block. Sabre has a chance to be the first man in any block to reach 6 points. If he can do that here, Tana will be four points behind the leader. (More like five, really, when you consider the tiebreaker stuff). If Tana beats Sabre, that will keep the field open for just about everybody in the block to catch up.

In singles matches, Tanahashi leads 5-4, having won their last encounter in 2020. I was thinking that Sabre has Tana's number, but I guess that's mainly in two-on-two matches when Sabre teams with Taichi. One-on-one, they've been pretty evenly matched since Sabre joined the promotion. Even so, the strongest impression of Sabre vs. Tanahashi is an aging superstar getting his knees destroyed by an expert in chain wrestling and jointlocks. Every time I see these two tangle, I start thinking Tana is preparing to retire.

I could see this match going either way, but Tanahashi really needs this win. He could lose to ZSJ and still win the block. But I think it's more likely that he'll have a little win streak now, and falter later on.

Great-O-Khan (0-1, 0pts) vs. SANADA (1-1, 2pts) - This is a B Block match for 2 points. I thought Khan would have a good showing this year, but he stumbled right out of the gate against Chase Owens of all people. So the pressure is on for him to win against tougher competition. If he doesn't show promise, he's going to end up looking like a chump who's going nowhere, like Hirooki Goto or, uh, Sanada. Basically neither of these guys needs to be coming out of this match saying they couldn't beat the other one. I'm picking Sanada to win, but that's mainly because I don't think he'll do well in his last three matches.

Tom Lawlor (0-1, 0pts) vs. JONAH (0-1, 0pts) - Both of these guys are looking for their first two points; the loser will be the only one stuck at 0 in the A Block. Both men came into this tour from NJPW STRONG, the US-based brand, but I don't believe they've ever met one-on-one before. Jonah's size should be a factor, but it didn't help him against a sneaky dude like Toru Yano. Lawlor's shenanigans should also be a factor, but that didn't help him against big man like Lance Archer. So I'm really curious who wins here, because I can't decide.

Shingo Takagi (1-1, 2pts) vs. David Finlay (1-0, 2pts) - It's another 2 points at stake in D Block. I was all set to say this should be an easy win for Takagi, but then Finlay really stepped up in his last block match.

On July 26, Finlay won a great match against self-proclaimed IWGP US champion Juice Robinson, and took the title belt from him. David isn't claiming to be the champ like Juice did, but he wants to get in the head of the real titleholder, Will Ospreay. I had expected a big showdown over possession of the belt between Juice and Ospreay down the line, but now it looks like it'll happen with Ospreay vs. Finlay on August 2.

With that in mind, I think it would be promotional malpractice for Finlay to lose before August 2. If Takagi wins, I don't expect him to claim the belt, but it would put him in the title picture, and foreshadow some convoluted four-way title match in the next tour. That wouldn't totally suck, but it'd be much, much better to keep it simple and focus on Ospreay vs. Finlay. Which would mean Debbie-chan just needs to beat a former world champion, that's all. It sounds like a tall order, but I'm starting to believe he can do it.

Jay White & Juice Robinson & Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens & Gedo vs. Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI - This should preview White vs. Owens on July 31, Robinson vs. Yoshi on July 31, and Ishii vs. Owens on August 7.

I think this is the first ten-man tag match of the tour. Not that it makes a lot of difference. Okada's side has five guys who qualified for the G1 Climax, and Bullet Club has four G1 entrants and...Gedo. So Gedo's fixin' to get his ass beat.

Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI vs. EVIL & Dick Togo - Naito vs. Evil is scheduled for July 31. I'd have to check but I think Togo has gotten his ass handed to him throughout this tour, so his side should lose.

Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare vs. Lance Archer & Taichi & TAKA Michinoku - This is a preivew of Archer vs. Cobb on July 31. Again, without looking it up I'm gonna guess Taka has the fall in each of his matches during this tour, and that'll probably happen here too.

Tama Tonga & Jado vs. El Phantasmo & KENTA - Tama, ELP, and Kenta are each in different blocks, so this match can't preview anything. Jado isn't even in the tournament, so he's going to lose here.

Yujiro Takahashi & SHO vs. Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa - As of this writing, Fujita has not been pulled from this match, despite being sidelined on the last two shows due to "damage." So hopefully that's a good sign that he just needed some rest and he'll be fine. They've already dropped the "El Phantasmo hooks up with PIETER" angle, so she's back with Yujiro and he should have no problem squashing two Young Lions.

#njpw #g1 climax

[grotesken-cirkus-kamui-gackt]

相手の関節を極めるのに、力を思いっきり使う必要はない。 Just remember that it doesn’t take much strength to manipulate your opponent’s joints. ＠GACKT @funkshiroki #GACKT #GACKTstagram #workout #houseworkout #dailyworkout #日トレ #家トレ #vksinger #actor #creator #関節 #関節技 #joints #jointlock #Gackt https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsb3sa5Fkpc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=c51mrqy5hefj

#gackt #gacktstagram #workout #houseworkout #dailyworkout #日トレ #家トレ #vksinger #actor #creator #関節 #関節技 #joints #jointlock

[cerebrocentric-bullet]

Last round of chibi requests!

Jointlock for @defect-mechanic Swiftshock, and his hubby, for a dear friend G1 Wheeljack for @thepolicequeen

#wheeljack #tf wheeljack #tf #transformers #transformer chibi #transformer #maccadam #tf g1 #transformers generation one #tf oc #transformers oc

[obsidian-wing]

☕

Our muses drinking something warm on a cool evening

Alpha sipped her drink as she sat next to Jointlock “How have you been Joint?” she asked

[mycroftrh]

Dick: Come on, can you please just stop fighting and talk this out like adults?

[Tim and Damian pause in place with Tim’s arm around Damian’s throat in a gi choke and Damian wrenching Tim’s ring finger back in a jointlock.  They both look at Dick in consternation.]

Tim: Pretty sure you’re the only adult here, Dick.

Damian, somewhat strangled: I believe it was only four hours ago that you informed me that it was “okay to act my age sometimes” and that there is “nothing wrong with just being a kid once in a while.”

Tim: Yeah, I think you last said that to me on Tuesday.

Dick: ...Jason’s an adult.

[Jason tries to look up at Dick from his position with his face squished into the floor.]

Jason, a touch smooshed: I’ve only been alive like, 16 years, tops.  It’s not like I was gaining emotional maturity lying in a coffin.

Dick: For fuck’s - okay, fine!  You’re all children!  What’s Bruce’s excuse?

[Bruce raises an eyebrow from atop Jason, where he rests with his knee pressed into Jason’s back, his left hand pulling back Jason’s arm, and his right hand smooshing Jason’s face into the floor.]

Bruce: My psychological development was arrested due to childhood trauma.

[Dick buries his face in his hands.]

#batfamily #incorrect batfamily quotes #incorrect batfamily #batfamily incorrect quotes #dc #mine

[obeymekarasu]

Whoops! Watch out when trying to wake up Beel, he might put you into a sleep-jointlock! Levi had to learn this the hard way, *sighhh*...

#obeyme #obey me #obey me lore #obey me swd #obeymeswd

[cupofkey]

Hmm China? For the fighting hcs

ooh ok this is gonna be a long one! I was actually gonna make a whole history/martial arts post about him as a sequel to this one about karate and japan, but it’s a lot of time spent for me and idk if anyone would even be into it lol. but if anyone is let me know, china has SUCH a fascinating history of martial arts and I would love to go into it more.

anyways onto the hcs!

- china’s been practicing self-defense and martial arts pretty much his entire life. he’s been there for all the big ones and has definitely devoted a huge amount of time to them... nowadays it’s less of a part of his life, but the philosophy is extremely important to him, and he’s definitely one of the old ppl doing t’ai chi ch’uan in the park LOL

- as buddhism spread into china, northern shaolin kung fu was one of the first major institutions of chinese martial arts. it’s a gorgeous, sharp, and INCREDIBLY influential style (essentially was the basis for karate, jujutsu, tang soo do, taekwondo, all the big names). this is probably the style china knows best and has spent the most time on. I hc that he taught okinawa, japan, korea, etc this style as well

- five animals is a southern style that I think he’s also very familiar with. another gorgeous and wonderful style.

- he definitely feels more comfortable doing forms and techniques than weapons, sparring, etc, though he can definitely hold his own in a fight if needed. but he really enjoys the internal meditative aspect

- that said, the weapon he’s best with is a staff (gùn), though the sword (dāo) is a close second. he also did archery back in the day. I think he has a very smooth, speedy way of fighting with weapons; each stroke is elegant but decisive

- in terms of hand to hand combat, he can hit HARD. you wouldn’t expect it from someone his size, but his hands, arms, legs are super tough and he can seriously knock you out with a kick. he’s great at catching the opponent off guard and is still spry enough to do some of the fancier kicks

- he’s also very knowledgeable about pressure points, and his strikes are just as powerful. basically he knows his way around the human body and can really batter you

- doesn’t live for throws and jointlocks as much as japan; though I do think he would use them to some extent, he just doesn’t feel they’re super practical

- not much of a grappler. with groundwork, he relies more on speed and power than control of the opponent (which is usually what you’re trying to do when you grapple).

- also, his endurance is incredible, and I feel he can take a MAJOR beating and still push through. he’s just a really sturdy person in general

- nowadays, he sometimes goes and practices wushu with the kids, but mostly he trains by himself nowadays; he has that mindset of “my fighting days are over now get off my lawn” lmaooo. tai chi in the park is his jam tho! like I said he really enjoys the meditative inner aspect of martial arts, and is super healthy (both mind and body) as a result

- random but I think he’s unexpectedly very flexible, once again he can still do all those crazy jumping spinning flying kicks with a lot of grace. the super deep stances are easy for him too

- basically, a fuckin god. he’s cooled down but he has a very innate understanding of the martial arts, and he’s an amazing fighter

#hetalia #hws #aph #hws china #my hcs #ask

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (124/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

[15 June, 233 Before Age. Planet Yars.]

The Jindan Cult's war against the Federation was essentially a coordinated series of raids. Small groups of Saiyan cultists would attempt to invade a planet, usually along the Federation's frontier, and the defenders would be forced to respond before they could entrench themselves. The Saiyan Free Company, led by Princess Seltiss, could be counted on to handle one or two Jindan cultists, and the Federation fleet could intercept the cult's ships and destroy them before their crews could bring their powers to bear. But when six or more of the cultists landed on a planet together, it was a job for Luffa. Only the Super Saiyan had the power to cope with so many of the alchemically-enhanced warriors. And even then, they managed to wear her down, battle by battle, to the point where she needed time to recover.

During Luffa's convalescence, the cult managed to conquer Yars and without Luffa available to stop them, they went to work on fortifying the planet to serve as a base of operations. All the Federation and its allies could do was to intercept any Jindan reinforcements before they could reach the occupied planet.

But the cult had other ways to strengthen its position. Later, Yartian witnesses would tell stories of a gruesome ritual they performed, where one of their priestesses vomited red liquid onto the ground, and then an enormous earthen figure emerged from below. Then they worshiped this walking idol with cheers, songs, and sacrifices. The Federation's defenders knew this creature was an avatar of the cult's leader, Trismegistus, also known as the Saiyan King Rehval III. These avatars were immensely powerful, and now that the occupiers had one of them on the planet, there would be no way of removing them without Luffa's help.

"I would have thought she'd have been here by now," the rock-Rehval said. He was seated upon a giant stone throne that his followers had built for him in what used to be the planet's capital city. "Fifteen of my followers would be tempting enough bait by themselves, but I was sure she'd jump at the chance to destroy another one of my bodies."

One of his flock stood on the armrest of his stone chair. His job was officially to oversee construction projects in the area and to see to his master's needs, but the rock creature needed nothing, as the real Rehval was controlling it from many light years away. He was mostly there to let the avatar know when it was time to fight.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Thrice Blessed One," the man said.

"Well, it can't be helped," Rehval said with a mighty shrug. "I'll just go dormant for a while and check in again. It's not like she can get close to the planet without one of you sensing her approach or detecting her ship."

And so the great stone form of Rehval grew still. And just as the attendant turned to consider his other duties, he was decapitated by a beam of red light. Had he survived this, or if his master had not withdrawn his presence from the earthen figure, one of them might have recognized this as Luffa's signature technique, the Vengeance Cannon. Instead, his headless body tumbled to the idol's feet, while the idol itself remained motionless. Luffa approached it a few seconds later, and waited patiently for the other fourteen cultists to sense her power and find her. Civilian witnesses would describe the yellow glow of her hair and tail, and a sense of unease. Most Federation citizens appreciated Luffa as a benevolent protector, but many had seconds thoughts after seeing her in action. The news media tended to edit footage of her battles for the sake of decorum, but those who saw her fight in person had no such filter.

"You fools make it so easy," she gloated when they finally arrived. "You thought I'd rush in on a battleship, full power, give you plenty of warning. It never occurred to you that I'd do it all sneaky-like, did it? Suppress my power, coast my way into the system, reconnoiter for a few days."

"We still should have detected your ship!" one of the cultists protested. They all surrounded her as she floated above their earthen idol, daring them to chase her away from it.

Luffa laughed. "You call yourselves Saiyans?" she scoffed. "You must have forgotten everything you know about warfare when you went for this magical nonsense. You took this planet, sure, but you're still behind enemy lines. All the defense systems are enemy tech, aren't they? Including the early-warning outpost on the twelfth planet in this system. You didn't think those guys were much of a threat, but they've been scrambling your sensors since before I got here. So if you didn't detect my ship, blame those guys. I'm surprised your 'all-knowing' leader didn't mention it to you earlier."

"You're still outmatched, infidel!" one of the cultists cried as she brandished her spear at Luffa. "Even if you could defeat all of us, we only have to touch Trismegistus' form to summon him back to aid us!"

"Yeah," Luffa said. "I'm counting on it. Should make things really interesting. How long would it take for him to get here? A minute? Two minutes? And how many of you will be alive to help him once he's ready? And that's assuming you can get past me long enough to touch this thing. So many variables. I'm getting excited just thinking about it."

Without warning, she suddenly pounced onto one of the Jindan Saiyans and wrapped her legs around his before any of them could react. As she locked in the hold, he cried out in agony.

None of then had expected her to do this. It was folly to use a jointlock on a single opponent during a battle with so many enemies. And yet Luffa had done it anyway, leaving herself wide open for an attack. Only the attack never came, because her foes were too confused to seize their chance.

When one of them finally did react, he got as far as crying "For the Glory of Trismegistus!" before Luffa flew into the air to dodge his blast. Then she slammed into him, dragging her captive behind her as she continued to torture him with her hold.

"She's mad!" one of the Saiyans said in a panicked voice.

Luffa's raucous laughter did little to dissuade them from this opinion. She flew around her enemies like a hornet weaving through a group of frightened picnickers. When they finally gained the sense to try to intercept her and box her in, she used her arms to fire back on them. A Saiyan tried to cone up from behind her, but she flipped around as he approached, and swung her captive into him like a club.

His now constant wailing had taken a severe toll on their morale. Only a short while ago, they had been confident about their mission, but now, they all felt they were in a battle for survival, and they were losing. None of them dared to go for the earthen giant below. As powerful as the avatar could be, they each feared that Luffa would pick them off unless they all fought together.

As Luffa dodged their attacks, one of them stood still, struggling to prepare an energy technique. A ball of light coalesced above his right hand, and he growled and gritted his teeth as he willed it into existence. When the moment was right, he would unleash the power, and then--!

Before he could finish, a plasma bolt struck him on the side of his head, and he collapsed. He was dead before he hit the ground. Six hundred yards away, Zatte smiled as she looked at his dead body in the scope of her rifle, then shifted her aim to pick out a new target.

On the battlefield, the Jindan Saiyans saw one of their own fall, and believed it was Luffa's doing. They began to fear that her attacks could come without warning, and their panic forced them to go on the defensive. Luffa had killed the man she had caught in her leglock, and now she was seeking out a fresh victim. No one wanted to volunteer. In this way, the Jindan Saiyans gave up their sole advantage over Luffa. Their numbers could only overwhelm her if they attacked her together. Now, as thy scattered and kept their distance, they were unable to coordinate anything. One of them went for the avatar on the throne. Luffa fired a ki blast that got there first, reducing Rehval's graven image into a cloud of dust.

Luffa grabbed a Saiyan woman and broke her neck with a single kick. Another Jindan Saiyan tried to fight back, but he was cut down by Zatte's sniper fire before he could act. Luffa spared a backward glance to where the plasma bolt had come from, but quickly turned around in time to block an elbow strike and reverse it into a hammerlock. She used the man as a shield for a moment, then fired a ki blast through his torso, killing him and one of his comrades in the same shot.

That left just six of the original fifteen. With the power of Jindan running through their veins, six Saiyans were more than a match for nearly any force in the galaxy. Against Luffa, six were nothing at all. Under different circumstances, Luffa might have toyed with them, but she felt that they had held this planet long enough, and deemed that their occupation would not last a moment longer than necessary.

Civilian witnesses would later speak of the brutal efficiency of those final moments of the battle, but also that Luffa was laughing with joy the entire time.

*******

[15 June, 233 Before Age. Nagaoka.]

The Federation had managed to thwart or repel every Jindan invasion into their territory. The casualty rate on the cultist's side was 100%. They continued to send warriors anyway. The prevailing attitude among the Federation's military leaders was that if they could easily win this war, if only they could take the fight to the enemy. But the cultists' home base was its most carefully guarded secret. Here, on Nagaoka, if King Rehval knew or cared that Yars had been liberated, his fifteen warriors slaughtered, and his earthen idol destroyed, he did not show it. Instead, he spent his day poring over scrolls he had gathered over the years, choosing which would offer the best education for his new student.

For her part, Treekul had no interest in learning anything from him. She had only come to this planet because three Saiyans wanted to find the Jindan Cult, and she had been intrigued enough by the opportunity to join their quest. She was an archaeologist, one specializing in ancient alchemical texts and artifacts. She joined the Saiyans for the challenge, and because she knew that Saiyans tended to find a handsome profit whenever they wanted to do something. But the Jindan Cult was no ancient puzzle to be excavated and studied. There was no payday at the end of their search. Instead they were stolen away to a secret lair. Her Saiyan partners had been indoctrinated into the cult, while their leader, Rehval, or "Trismegistus" as they called him, decided to make her his apprentice in the alchemical arts.

It could have been much worse, she told herself. The cult only accepted Saiyans, so it stood to reason that an alien like herself would have been executed on the spot. Her only advantage in this predicament was that Rehval seemed to enjoy keeping her around. He often told her that he found her attractive, but he also seemed impressed with her alchemical knowledge, and maybe he found it refreshing to have someone to talk to who wasn't brainwashed into worshiping the ground he walked on.

And so, her best chance of escape lay in exploiting his fancy. He made her a priestess in his mad religion, and commanded her to wear a sort of dress made of torn robes, and so she did. He wanted to teach her his secrets, and so she played the eager student. He flirted with her constantly, and she did everything she could to hide her disgust. Because she knew that if she did this long enough, he would eventually come to trust her, and that would be when her opportunity would present itself.

That was her greatest strength on a planet full of mighty Saiyans. They all spoke highly of their pride, but Treekul didn't have much use for it herself. "Pride" was just another word for "stubborn" in her book, and she knew far too many stubborn, brittle people who broke because they refused to bend. A little flexibility went a long way. For one thing, stubborn, brittle people had a nasty habit of mistaking compromise with surrender, which made them careless. She didn't like wearing red rags, or being forbidden to cut her own hair, or having to listen to Rehval's lectures, but she could tolerate it if she had to, and Rehval would assume she had already submitted to his will.

As she sat in the underground cavern that served as his laboratory, he went on and on about his discoveries and achievements. She knew the type well. He wanted a woman to hang on his every word, to nod in fascination, and tell him how brilliant he was.

"What is Jindan?" he asked aloud. "The word 'jindan' is easily defined. It's simply another name for mercuric sulfide, commonly known as the mineral cinnabar, or the pigment vermilion. Common chemists would say that it's a toxic substance, and they're... mainly correct. Most carbon-based life forms are poisoned by mercury salts. However, alchemical thought sees beyond the mere physical nature of mercuric sulfide, and explores the deeper truth that the salt represents.

"In alchemy, the element mercury is considered an important symbol. Unlike most metals, it is liquid at room temperature. It flows like molten silver, which is how it came to be known as "quicksilver". It is rather slow to react with most chemical reagents, although it has a number of interesting interactions with other metals. Gold is soluble in mercury, which made it very useful for the ancient mining industries of many planets. With enough heat, a gold/mercury amalgam can be separated. The mercury boils away, leaving purified gold behind. Mercury also dissolves aluminum. It almost seems to devour these metals, which may have been what has fascinated ancient alchemists since the dawn of time.

"Then there's cinnabar. The deep scarlet color of mercuric sulfide is also of great importance to alchemical philosophy. Red, the color of blood, the color of fire. The color of change and life itself. The earliest practitioners of alchemy knew that it held the secret of the great mystery, the mystery that governed all changes in nature. Copper and tin could be refined from mineral ores. Nature provides the minerals, but the metals must be taken through artificial means. The process must be sped up to a time scale that is practical for mortals. That is the power of alchemy. To accelerate or manipulate the natural processes. Mercuric sulfide represents that power in its most basic form. Mix metal mercury with hydrogen sulfide, and they form red mercuric sulfide quite readily. Distill the mercuric sulfide, and the elements can be separated, and the mercury recovered once more. Just like with copper and tin and iron, only mercury can be refined much more easily."

Treekul had heard much of this before, as a college freshman. The professor who taught that course only offered one class every other semester, and only on two days a week in the middle of the day, which had been extremely inconvenient to her schedule. What struck her was how passionate Rehval was about it, as though he wanted to make love to a mercury atom. She had to suppress the urge to laugh at that image.

"The dream of alchemy," he said, finally coming to the point, "is to reduce all natural processes to the same simplicity of refining mercury from cinnabar."

That got Treekul's attention. Simplicity. The core tenet of alchemy was that every process was a natural reaction that could be sped up, slowed down, or even reversed. It was just a matter of knowing how, of discovering the "cheat codes" that made such miracles possible. Know the right shortcuts, and one could do the impossible.

Treekul began to wonder if there was an alchemical shortcut for escaping a Saiyan cult.

"Let us consider the other component of cinnabar, which is sulfur," Rehval continued. "It is native to fire, earth, air, and water. Volcanoes spew fire and air and geysers spew water, all rich in sulfur, which eventually deposits as a waxy yellow material resembling earth. From within the earth, sulfur is born, and to earth again it returns. Molten sulfur turns blood red, hinting at its ties to cinnabar. When sulfur is set aflame, it produces a blue color. Colloidal sulfur is white. The colors illustrate sulfur's connection to the sun. It is the principle of the sun.

"Likewise, mercury is the principle of the moon. Take a bottle of mercury and spill it across a surface. It scatters into droplets, both large and small, like the many moons of different sizes throughout the countless worlds of the universe. These droplets can be bound to sulfur, just as the moons of the universe are bound to their respective suns. However, the moons are defined by their connection with the planets they orbit. Just as the planets exist as the intermediaries of the suns and moons, so does life exist as an interface between the Principles of Mercury and Sulfur. Those with wisdom can recognize this sacred relationship, and thus study the nature of cinnabar, or jindan, in the search for the power over life. For what is life but a natural process, no different from the refining of metal from ore, or the burning of wood into smoke and ash? By manipulating the Principles of Mercury and Sulfur, an elixir can be prepared, one that reacts with the reagents of life itself, accelerating some processes, while slowing others. The ideal elixir would grant a being immortality, but the wise know that this is not a thing to be pursued for material gain, or as an escape from death. No, the elixir of life is an end unto itself. Discover that ultimate secret, and all other secrets, the Whole of the Great Mystery, will be laid bare. What is immortality, when weighed against that perfect and total knowledge?

"Though sulfur represents an equal portion of Jindan, we must consider mercury to be the superior portion. Mercury has the greater density, and its atoms are larger and more massive than those of sulfur. Every planet has a sun, but only some are blessed with the moonlight, of which mercury is a symbol. For this reason, the alchemical notation for mercury is depicted as an arc atop a ring atop a cross. The arc is the crescent moon, the ring is the sun, an the cross is the life on the planet sustained by them both. The cross represents the veins that carry blood through the body, sustaining life with the same color as jindan. Mercury is the moon, placed above the sun, which is Sulfur, placed above the planets, which are Life.

He paused here to write the symbol on a handheld electronic tablet: "☿". It was the only modern technology Treekul recognized in this laboratory. Everything else looked either archaic or unfamiliar, or both. She had seen the symbol before, of course, and the one for sulfur as well, which was a triangle atop a cross. But something about Rehval's fervor in describing it made her uneasy. To her it was a piece of trivia, but it was clearly something deep and meaningful to him.

"All of this," Rehval said, "Is a very elaborate way of saying that Jindan, my Jindan, is a way of harnessing planetary energy as a supplement to ones own ki. Cinnabar represents the connection between the Principles and living beings, but it's also just a mineral you dig up from the ground. Ancient scholars would drink potions of cinnabar and die, or go mad from mercury poisoning, because they took the connection too literally, too directly. The truth is more sublime, more complex.

"You see, there are three types of ki in the universe. The ki of living things is what makes the Saiyan race mighty. We Saiyans have more of this energy than most beings, which makes us stronger, better. Then there's the ki of the heavens. The sun and the moon. The stars themselves possess a ki which is inaccessible to us. Oh, the moonlight allows Saiyans to transform into giant apes, but the moonlight is only a catalyst for releasing latent ki we already possess. That's why I cut off my tail a long time ago, because I learned to harness that latent power without transforming. It's why I ask my followers to do the same. We don't need the moon. We don't need tails.

He pointed at the cavern floor. "What we need is the third ki, which is found in the ground beneath our feet. This is the interface where life and the heavens meet. Mercuric sulfide. The moon and the sun combine to form a mineral, which resembles lifeblood but can kill the uninitiated. My Jindan is the ki equivalent of that elixir. My technique is to draw power from within a planet. Done properly, it can magnify your strength many times over. But if the power is harnessed recklessly, it can destroy the user completely. Do you understand, Treekul?"

"Not entirely, but I get the general idea, I think. How'd you figure all of this out?" she asked.

"Alchemy has long been one of my passions," he said. "I wasn't blessed with great ki like other members of my family, and I sought an explanation for that injustice. Alchemy teaches us that the universe is governed by rules, but those rules can be manipulated by those who know how. Thus I was able to become as strong as I wished, as powerful as I wished to become. I turned lead into gold by transforming my base self into the golden King of the Saiyans. Soon to become King of the Universe. There remains only one obstacle, one stubborn impurity to be purged."

"Luffa," Treekul said.

"I've seen enough divinations to know that our destinies are intertwined, hers and mine. She is the Sun, bright and yellow and powerful. I am the Moon, lurking in the shadows, sublime and contemplative. The key is that our genders don't line up to that analogy. In alchemical thought, the Sun-Sulfur Principle is male, while the Moon-Mercury Principle is considered female."

"Cool, but what's that got to do with it?" she asked.

"It means that I must join with her, to complete the intermingling of our essences," Rehval said. "Well, that sounds a bit esoteric, doesn't it? The simpler explanation is that I need her, or some part of her, to complete my legacy. If she won't join me, then I'll have to take from her what I need. The Golden King must have the Super Saiyan power along with everything else. As a Saiyan myself, it stands to reason that if I defeat the Super Saiyan, that would mean I become the Super Saiyan."

"Wait, you think killing her would suddenly cause you to absorb her transformation into yourself?" Treekul asked.

He chuckled at that suggestion. "No, not really, though it is an interesting possibility. Perhaps the Super Saiyan only emerges once every thousand years because there must be one and only one. If the one that emerges were to die, would the power automatically go to another? Another natural process in the universe, one that I can study and master, but only when Luffa has been neutralized once and for all. I don't need to become a Super Saiyan literally, Treekul. Not when I can learn what the power is and how it works. If I find a way to make Super Saiyans at will, then I would be more powerful than any Super Saiyan before or after. That's the power I want. If my descendants can benefit from it, then the Saiyan race will have surely triumphed over all."

Treekul wasn't sure what to say. "You're a hell of a guy, King Rehval," was all she could manage.

"Thank you, my dear," he said. "And I think you'll make an excellent courtesan. It'll be nice to have someone to discuss spagyric theory with."

She made an audible gulp.

*******

[15 June, 233 Before Age. Planet Yars.]

Luffa's star-yacht, the Emerald Eye, had fifty cabins, most of which rarely ever saw use since Luffa took ownership of the vessel. She had occasionally used the extra living space for guests, though the only time it had approached the maximum capacity was when she had hosted strategic conferences between the Wist-Extraliga Wars. Among the many aliens on board during that time, there was once a Solarian monk who had left a letter on the bed during his stay. He had sensed great turmoil in Luffa's spirit, even by the standard of most warriors he had encountered, and his intention was that she would discover the letter at some later date, and perhaps find a measure of comfort in the words he had written. Also on the bed were a pair of the monk's headphones, which had no special significance. He had left those behind purely by accident.

When Luffa finally entered the cabin, she only noticed the letter and headphones long enough to sweep them aside as she laid her wife on the bed. The monk's letter fell to the floor, where it would never be seen again. They were too preoccupied with each other to worry about it.

"You... never... should have... got...gotten... so close to the....mmph... battlefield," Luffa said as she started pulling off whatever articles of clothing she could manage. She had some trouble speaking, as Zatte kept kissing her between each word.

"You're right," Zatte said. "But you were there, so I went in anyway."

"I almost didn't make it," Luffa whispered into her ear. "One of them was all set to blast half the city. The half you were in. He would have killed you--"

"But he hesitated," Zatte replied. She grabbed the front of Luffa's sleeveless shirt and pulled on it until it ripped apart. "They always hesitate, because they don't know who I am or what I'm doing there. More than enough time for my golden girl to come to my rescue."

"I was fighting twelve of them," Luffa panted.

"Eleven, after the one I shot," Zatte said. "Ten, if one of them managed to run off looking for the shooter. And they never find me until I want to be found."

"That's still too close, young lady," Luffa said. "You took a big gamble..."

"It felt like it," Zatte said. "But I wasn't really in any danger. Or are you saying those twelve Saiyans were too much for you?"

"You... ah!... you want the truth?" Luffa asked.

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't," Zatte asked.

She inhaled sharply and gripped Zatte's shoulders tightly. "I have no idea," she said.

"Say that again," Zatte said.

"I don't know for sure if I could have beaten all twelve of them or not," Luffa said, an octave higher than she usually spoke. "Not if one of them managed to bring that rock creature back to life. Dammit, your hair smells amazing."

"Thanks, but don't... wow... don't change the subject."

"I thought I was in a pinch," Luffa said. Her voice began to tremble as she went on. "I was actually... glad when you shot one of those guys... but then I wasn't sure I could hold them off and help you at the same time."

"But you did," Zatte said. "You won, just like always."

"Thanks to you," Luffa said. "Without your courage I... I..."

For some time after that, they each found they had little else to say, so they used their bodies instead. There was a great deal of theatrics to their intimacy. Luffa alternated between her transformed and normal states depending on the mood. Occasionally, Zatte would become invisible, or alter her own body temperature using her ability to manipulate energy, mostly for the novelty of it. Telepathic communion had proven corrosive to their relationship, though Luffa had recently discovered a way to work around that. Instead of opening their minds to one another completely, she could establish a connection very briefly, allowing only a very small exchange of their thoughts. Mostly these mental quanta were too small and random to be of any meaning. It was for fun, more than anything else. A way for each of them to hear the other's voice in her head, even if it was gibberish like "laundry", "perpendicular", "beloved", or "leftovers".

There was no clock in the room, and neither of them had any interest in asking the computer to tell them the time. The battle of Yars was won, and until there was any word on another attack, there was nothing to do but wait. At some point, Zatte stood by the cabin window and admired the view of the planet's dayside.

"Was this how you thought it would be?" she asked Luffa without looking away from the window.

"What do you mean?" Luffa asked.

"I mean, was this how you wanted your life to turn out?" Zatte asked.

"Well, the last couple of hours have gone great," Luffa said with a satisfied smile.

"I mean, the whole thing, dummy," Zatte said. "When I was a kid, this was pretty much how I thought it would be. I had this old book my uncle gave me before he died. It was all about space battles and all the characters in the illustrations weren't really dressed for it. There was this one picture of a princess staring out a window on a ship. I guess that's why I'm standing here right now."

"Yeah, but you don't really like to fight," Luffa said.

Zatte nodded. "I guess it's not exactly what I had in mind, but most of it worked out for me. You and me, together, roaming the stars in our ship." She turned from the window, and gestured to the ocular implant where her right eye used to be. "I guess I pictured myself having two eyes and a lot fewer scars, but I think it's worth it. I may not like to fight the way you do, but I take a lot of satisfaction in the results. I have a holy cause. Someone to belong to. That's worth a few injuries, I think."

She sat down on the bed and patted Luffa's shoulder. "So was this anything like what you expected?" Zatte asked.

"I don't want this to come out the wrong way," Luffa said. "But when I was a kid, I figured you'd be a Saiyan man, and I'd have six or seven brats underfoot."

"Oh, right," Zatte said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked--"

"No, it's all right, Zattie," Luffa said. "It's just... I had no idea what I'd become. I still don't know what I am. I wasn't kidding before when I said I didn't know if I could beat those Saiyans. It was like, one minute I wasn't strong enough to take them, and the next minute I was. Maybe knowing you might be in trouble was what did it. It pushed me over the edge, like when I first transformed."

"That's wonderful," Zatte said. "If I helped you get stronger, then I'm honored..."

"Before, I would have died before accepting help from anyone in a fight," Luffa went on. "Now... well it doesn't bother me as much. I just sort of shrug and keep going. I've fought battles and won victories that would keep most Saiyans satisfied for a lifetime. But I see all the people who suffer on the sidelines, and that bugs me more than I thought it would."

"You're helping those people," Zatte said. "You should take pride in that."

"Maybe. It's just hard for me to say it's worth it, when I don't really know what 'it' is. Seems like it keeps changing on me. But one thing I do know..."

She took Zatte's hand and drew her closer. "There's a lot I'm not sure about, but hearing you say this is how you hoped it would be... well, that puts my mind at ease. People tell me I'm doing the right thing, and it's hard for me to know if that's true, but at least they're saying it. You guys can't all be wrong."

Zatte lay down beside her and put her head on her shoulder. "You'll see," she said. "One day, you'll understand what you've become. Until then, well, it's kind of cool that you don't get it, but you keep plugging away at it anyway."

*******

[15 June, 233 Before Age. Nagaoka.]

The acolytes waited on her hand and foot, as they always did. Rehval had arranged for Treekul to be a priestess in the cult, which granted her considerable freedom and privilege. Rank-and-file cultists had almost every aspect of their lives micromanaged. Their diet, exercise, sleep patterns, even their sex lives were strictly regulated by Rehval's priests. In turn, the priesthood answered to Rehval, though she had found that they were so thoroughly indoctrinated that they needed little direct guidance from him. Treekul was the only exception. She was mostly exempt from priestly duties, which was fortunate, since she had little understanding of what those duties were. Even so, the cultists treated her with the utmost devotion, if only out of respect for the office.

Rehval had multiple reasons for arranging this. First, it kept his followers off-balance. They had been taught to view outsiders as inferior or even wicked, and yet he had allowed an alien in their midst and given her a place of honor. Contradiction was one of many tools he used to control them all. Second, it suited his ego to work his "apprentice and/or consort" into his private religious order. Third, it kept Treekul off-balance. She was a prisoner here, and the "apprenticeship" made her feel more like a slave than a student. And yet, when she was dismissed from her lessons, she was treated like a queen, and free to do whatever she liked... except leave.

"Is there anything else we can do for you, mistress?" one of her attendants asked. The anxiety in his voice was depressingly typical for this place. It was the sound of a man who was constantly terrified of displeasing his superiors. Like all of the Saiyans here, he had come seeking power, only to find that it would be taken away if he displeased his benefactor.

Treekul finished her meal--a bland stew made with artificial proteins-- and shook her head. "Not unless you know where I can get a haircut," she said. "I could use my ki for that," the other Saiyan volunteered. He raised his hand and the tips of his fingers glowed with blue light.

"S-so could I!" the other man quickly added. Treekul was too tired to look at him, but she could tell from his voice that he was worried that he hadn't thought of the idea himself.

"I may have to take you up on that," Treekul said, "but I'd much rather do it myself. There's something pleasant about using a hair trimmer, you know? Too bad I don't have it..."

She was about to mention that her hair trimmer had been confiscated when she was brought to the planet, but then Treekul had an idea. "I mean... it's too bad that it broke down on me the other day," she said. "I haven't slept well since it stopped working."

She ran her hand over the shallow field of green hair on her scalp. "It relaxes me, is all. I know it's not that long, but there's a certain length where it's just right. Too short, and it's rough, like sandpaper. Too long, and it feels too soft. So I trim it constantly, or I used to, anyway."

"Perhaps the technicians could fix it," one of the Saiyan men suggested.

"Technicians?" Treekul asked. "Oh, I'm sure they're much too busy maintaining Trismegistus's more important equipment. It'd be selfish of me to impose."

"Not at all," he said. "I know one of the technicians, and she would be honored to serve you, mistress. She's my... well, she used to be my wife."

Treekul tried not to react to the barely-repressed emotion in his voice. Rehval had very strange notions about breeding practices. She wasn't entirely sure how he ran things as King of the Saiyans, but as Trismegistus, he dissolved all family ties and commanded his followers to participate in communal sex rituals. And yet, Treekul had never seen any children or pregnant women on this planet. Rehval seemed to want a new generation of Saiyans, but she had no idea where he was keeping them. Maybe he had a second underground facility for that.

"I'd like to meet her," Treekul said. "You know, just to see some of Trismegistus' followers working for his greater glory. Yeah, that kind of thing."

What Treekul really wanted was to get as much sleep as she could before reporting to Rehval for another lesson. But this was too good an opportunity to pass up. It had taken days for her to learn enough about the cult's inner workings to confirm that spaceships were routinely moving to and from whatever planet this was. Ships required regular maintenance, and if Treekul could find the maintenance crews, she could find a docking bay, or perhaps a flight schedule or cargo manifest. Even if all she found was a star chart to tell her where in the universe she was, Treekul believed it was worth losing a few more hours of sleep.

"At once!" he blurted out. Then the other Saiyan nudged him with his elbow, and he thought better of it. "Er, I mean... after we've finished our duty shift, that is," he said.

"With your permission," the other man offered, "we could take the device to her and bring it back once it's repaired."

"Nah, that's all right," Treekul said. "I'd really like to meet her in person, and I'm in no big hurry. We can work something out later."

They exchanged awkward pleasantries, the two men apologizing for any inconvenience, and she halfheartedly assuring them that she wasn't displeased with their work. Then she withdrew to her quarters, a space roughly the size of a studio apartment that had been hewn out of solid rock.

It wasn't a total loss, she thought to herself as she lay in her bed. At least she had learned that the technicians weren't off-limits to her. She just had to wait a little longer before seeing them. And once she knew where to go, she could return whenever she pleased

And there were other possibilities. She had hoped Endive might help her once she learned the truth about Trismegistus being Rehval, but so far nothing had come of that. If anything, her devotion to the man seemed to be even stronger for some reason. But maybe Endive just needed time to let the truth sink in. And there was still Lesseri, and Guwar, although she hardly ever saw him anymore.

And there was always the chance that Rehval's enemies might somehow track him down and invade the planet. Treekul wasn't sure she would survive a battle like that, but at least it was one more chance. She was building quite a collection of chances. One of them was bound to pan out.

An hour later, she fell asleep, in spite of the uncomfortable length of her hair.

NEXT: Fytpall.

#dragon ball #fanfiction #super saiyan #lssjluffafic #luffa #zatte #trismegistus #treekul #nagaoka #yars

[monty-madam-witch]

Newfound Beginnings Pt. 2 (ongoing)

"Now who says?" she said as she stroked Jointlock's cheek. "You can keep right here as our own little fugitive if you so please." she smiled warmly.

[twsmithdotinfo]

Awesome Seminar Workout today. #martialarts #kungfu #jointlocks #jiujitsu #judo #karate #raleigh (at Tai Chi and KungFu Center)

#jointlocks #karate #kungfu #judo #martialarts #raleigh #jiujitsu

[wordchanter]

5 Random Space Marines

Ensign Joe "The Terror" Jointlocke Jr.

Petty Officer Marco "Mad Crocodile" Bloodgrave II

Specialist Jake Fellgin

Commandant Celeste "Eastside" Feedhock IV

Vice Admiral Hector Seepmarrow

#procedurally generated #procedural generation #scifi #cyberpunk #dystopia

[blackrose-ffxiv]

Flaunting and Flouting Authority Part 2 05/03

C'lai Nunh blinks... turning his face slightly to Rathien: "Agrrreement?" - he'd blink, then turn his face back at Lebeaux, looking up from where the man's voice came from: "You asked forrr an examination... an examination has been prrrovided. Was this not what was rrrequirrred?" - his ears moving frenetically at the sound of wafting papers after the man's steps. His tail giving a twist left, then right... a stoic, innocent face upon the elezen. 

Rathien Tia would simply shrug. "I never agreed to signing anything." He said nonchalantly. "After all I'm just the witness. I'm only supposed to stand here and watch." He replied, mirroring C'lai's ignorance as if he had no idea what Lebeaux was talking about.

Lebeaux Desrosiers rolled his eyes. “In exchange for total confidentiality on pre-existing conditions…” He began before he turned the parchment around. “…and to ensure I don’t report your refusal to cooperate to Lady Kasumi…” He added on as he looked down at what was written in lieu of the records. “You will both agree to be held personally responsible for all subsequent damages resulting should an issue arise due to these undisclosed pre-existing conditions.” He explained calmly. “To which you nodded, silent assent is still acceptable. Thusly, you may both sign or we can revisit the topic.” He suggested, sliding his glasses up his nose as he smiled past the parchment at the two.

C'lai blinks, side smiling: "Ah, you mistaken intent. I was nodding that I'd be accountable to it, not that I would sign it." - he'd then gesture towards the desk: "Did I not accept to answerrr yourrr questions... and did so, until we werrre done? I believe that is what cooperrration is." - he'd then gesture towards Rathien: "I even have a witness herrre, seeing you wrrrite yourrr notes about my own self... answerrrs I offerrred in candid rrrespect to yourrr position. Please do extend to the Contrrractorrr ourrr cooperrration, if you believe you must." - and then, he'd push the chair away a bit, attempting to get past the elezen blocking his path.

Rathien would nod, ears flattening against his head. "By all means," he agreed with C'lai. "I'll be more than happy to talk to Lady Kasumi about this," he gave a small smile. "But that won't be tonight and we literally have a thousand other places we'd rather be, so....goodnight."

Lebeaux stepped casually aside, raising his free hand to ensure that C’lai wouldn’t slip past him so easily without having to make a concentrated effort. “She surely won’t appreciate the intrusion, which is why I am attempting to resolve this matter and tie up loose ends.” He explained calmly, as though he was the one being perfectly reasonable all along. “You are aware that making things difficult here and now, as well as potentially dangerous on some future job puts not only your position here at risk but also your mate’s.” He suggested quietly, glancing over at Rathien.

C'lai would stop, hearing the arm come down... all these impediments becoming tiresome... adrenaline building up within him... specially as his mate was brought up. C'lai ceased his gait, the arm just in front of him. He had indulged the man, as much as he could... he had warned him not to involve or torment his mate, and here he was, threatening to do just that: "You seem to be the one making things difficult, Lebeaux of Ishgarrrd. You have had yourrr examination, and now we will have ourrr peace." - and then his glittering emerald hues gaze towards Lebeaux. The fur on his tail rising as he sharpens his ears and wrinkles his nose. He would have no more of this: "Move." - a tone to his voice Rathien knew all too well.

Lebeaux remained just where he was. Now that C’lai had ordered him to move he would do no such thing. The Medic remained exactly where he stood. The slip of parchment held up like a warding spell while his other hand remained outstretched to keep the miqo’te from slipping past him. His posture straightened and chin tilted up, peering down his nose at the blonde miqo’te. “Your petulance grows tiresome…” He paused as Rathien chimed in, pale eyes darting aside to the other miqo’te. “Shut your mouth, your constant mewling whines are like nails on chalkboard.” He spat the words in more than mild annoyance.

It was not so much the words directed at C’lai... but more the ones at his mate, along with the other's direct challenge of dominance. Just as Lebeaux went on about Rathien, C'lai springs to action... his frame tenses potently as he moves with an unnatural swiftness. One hand reaches for Lebaux's wrist, giving it a mighty tug as he pivoted his stance simultaneously. The chair being pushed onto the ground with a loud sound over the miqo'te's own growl. With the tug, he'd attempt to bring the elezen's arm under his other one as he planted his feet firmly on the floor. The other hand going to the elezen's, and with a single motion, he attempts to pull the man down while pressing his elbow joint in the opposite direction, using his armpit as the fulcrum for the endeavour. His muscles bulging to form the grip... intending on inflicting as much pain as possible without breaking. The single huff that accompanied this motion would come, after, with paused, controlled breathing his growl reverberating in his throat.

Rathien would pin his ears and growl, tail fluffing up at the words spat in his direction. He watched C'lai spring into action, but he didn't flinch...just stared, tail raising, ears slowly coming up, alert and on-guard. They had warned him and the elezen had disregarded the warning.

The words had no sooner left his mouth, than did C’lai react. Lebeaux was caught off guard and yanked forwards with a sharp cry of surprise, forced to move one foot forwards in a small step to keep from being pulled off of his feet. The hand he had extended was caught and tucked under the miqo’te’s arm, extending it fully so C’lai could press on his elbow, hyper extending the joint. The parchment slipped from Lebeaux’s fingers as the pressure continued. The pain slowly increasing. He leaned down, trying to ease the pain without giving in. His teeth grit with the effort of resisting the jointlock. He didn’t want to yield yet every time he tried to focus enough to cast his arm was pushed a little further. Slowly he lowered himself further until he was forced to drop to a knee, his breath hissing between his teeth.

C'lai keeps the growing pressure, as he then speaks: "You have been warrrned plenty, elezen..." - he'd press, tilting his stance. There was an odd hum in the air, yet it but stayed like that. The miqo'te's musculature tensing as he intensified the lock: "... yet it seems a morrrre obvious apprrroach is necessarrrry..." - he'd keep the man's hand and forearm close, tilting further again to continue escalating the sensation. He could clearly feel Lebeaux's arm trying to move, forcing from him more tension, like the snake that constricts its victims. He growled as he spoke, baring his seeker fangs. He did not say more yet... the meaning of that should be clear to Lebeaux, just like his intention... for he knew both himself and the elezen were proud men. However, he would not relent, until a sign of understanding was given. Until acknowledgement of C'lai's wishes, in regards to Rathien specially, was made clear... for his mate's tormented, angered visage haunted him more than all else. His tail thrashing about as he gritted his teeth.

Rathien would merely stand, tail curled behind him as if he too were waiting for a reaction....for a sign that Lebeaux would give in or that he even might try to defend himself. He stared to his mate, ears lowering. He had said things, and he had hated himself for saying them, and perhaps that was why...why C'lai was doing this no

The hissing exhale turned into a sharp inhale when C’lai’s grip tightened and shifted. Pushing against Lebeaux’s elbow just enough to ensure the pain gradually increased rather than relenting despite the medic’s best attempts to break free. Dark brows furrowed and his eyes closed tightly, his saintly smile long gone in exchange for an ugly grimace. His free hand smacked down onto the floor, the last attempt to keep himself from falling fully to his knees under the increasing pressure. If he held out much longer something would break. “Yield!” He finally cried out, fingers curling against the tile floor. “Enough, I yield..” He gasped after. He could surely heal broken bones and torn ligaments, but what purpose would that serve here and now.

@eorzeansky @fyrrdetelemagna

#lebeaux #rathien #c'ai #golden fox tradehouse #medical rp #lebby is having a pretty tough month #all these jerks picking on him #poor poor sweet innocent lebby