Vi-Poi
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Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
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Post by Vi-Poi on Feb 21, 2015 4:44:29 GMT
(Heavy Weights On) (Vi-Poi's Thread PL: 30,372 (7,593 With Weights)) (Power Is Suppressed)
The old truck bounced and jostled as it rattled further into the depths of Fukurou Forest. His lead from the dead Lord Ocha’s retrieved files had brought him here, searching for what was described only as a magic tower that was believed by the most obscure historical texts by witches and wizards to have some undefined connection to the Dragon Balls. It was a very thin lead, and to Vi-Poi seemed awfully flimsy, but one the demon had thought valuable enough to hide, so Vi-Poi decided to test it. The locals in their scattered villages were all ignorant of what this tower might be, but after days of effort, searching and inquiring among the myriad taverns and drinking holes, an old woman wearing thick eyeglasses had offered to show Vi-Poi the tall totem, which she seemed to think fit the description of a magic tower.
They made their way into more varied terrain as they reached what must be the heart of the vast forest, traveling across ribbon-thin switchbacks, the truck groaning as it twisted up and down narrow hill paths. At several points one large tire would spin free in the air, the truck hanging in a sort of balance, but the old woman was an efficient expert at driving in such conditions, and skillfully wiggled the truck back onto course without even the slightest bit of frayed nerves. During the drive, the old woman explained to Vi-Poi much about the tall totem. It was an artifact of luck, given by the old gods – whoever these might be, she didn’t say -- that used to watch over the planet. She also seemed to think that these gods would someday return. Vi-Poi asked her more about it, but her tale became circular. It was a lucky totem.
“How tall is it?” Vi-Poi asked, curious.
“Oh… taller than where the planes fly.” She said, smiling as she peered through the windshield of the truck, mindful of the snags and curves of the treacherous road.
Crossing a gorge was the most worrying aspect of the journey. Not that Vi-Poi would have died or been hurt at all should they had fallen, but he didn’t wish to lose his guide. They did soon a rickety and muddied wooden rope bridge that looked best suited for foot traffic and not four ton vehicles. The slats were skewed and gapped at odd angles, causing the tires to sink partially between them with great jarring drops. Eventually, they emerged on the other side of the gorge, and the old woman whew’ed a sigh of relief.
“Never get used to that.” She said, squinting through her glasses with a grin.
After an hour or so more of this plodding pace through the dense temperate forest, they arrived at a large and flat clearing. Through the break in the trees, Vi-Poi could see it. It looked like a stone ribbon stretched taut, rising infinitely high in the sky. What manner of construction or materials engineering could build such a thing? Vi-Poi’s physics systems immediately reported that magic was the likely candidate here.
“That’s it. The tall totem. It’s considered lucky ‘n all cause if you rub it in a rainstorm, you might find buried treasure in the clearing, stories say.” She told.
“Buried treasure? Isn’t that sort of thing just… a myth?” Vi-Poi asked skeptically.
“That’s what most people think. But my gut is telling me there’s something here.” She said, smiling over at him.
“I don’t know how clever of an idea it is to spend our day digging random holes.” Vi-Poi said, pursing his lips.
She chuckled at that, and they parked on a muddy hill overlooking the clearing where the tower based.
Vi-Poi left the truck, walking up to the magic tower with the woman.
“Too bad it’s not rainin’.” She said idly. “Could get some luck rubbed off on ya.”
Vi-Poi looked up at it, already running low on ideas. Would he fly up, and see what’s at the top? No… magic had certain rules. It was almost like a computer program, in a way. You had to follow the rules, in order to unlock further access.
“Whelp. Here it is.” She said, scratching her head. “You gonna take some pictures of it, or something, mister? I thought you might be one of those reporters for the Anthropology Magazine. They came around here a few years ago, took some pictures, but a big rainstorm came as we were leaving, and can you believe the bad luck – the man’s camera was struck by a bolt of lightning!”
Vi-Poi tilted his head, peering back at her with interest.
“I know, right?” She asked, grinning. “What are the odds of that?”
“Very low.” Vi-Poi responded, reaching a hand out to touch the cool surface of the tower. It was much more narrow than he imagined, too narrow for any human to move about inside. In that sense it was much more like a totem than a tower. It was covered in shallow relief, friezes of bull skulls and tribal patterns dating back from humanity’s early ascent from the caves.
“Very strange.” Vi-Poi whispered, noting several knob-like protrusions that almost seemed like handholds.
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Post by Reikiko on Feb 21, 2015 18:55:45 GMT
How long had it been since she had first experienced those unusual sensations, those peculiar feelings that humans were prone to call emotions. It had been a week since she had left behind the spacious cavern where the female Saiyan warrior had dwelled. While at first she felt rather conflicted about the woman's decision to aid her, there had also been a certain sense of admiration for the woman known as Aspergia. A gentle sigh escaped Reikiko's parted lips while she was seated on top of the temple that was build at the center of the timeless lookout. That drug that Aspergia had fed her had changed the bio-android a lot, perhaps not physically but mentally there had been some drastic changes. Until now she had been prone to ignoring or denying the existence of those complicated feelings, those emotions that were capable of influencing her much more strongly than anything else could. Take that Saiyan kid for example... While she couldn't recall his family name, Reikiko often felt an incredible sense of dislike bordering to hatred toward the Saiyan known as Daiki. However, it was after that startling event that opened the figurative lock on her emotions that Reikiko came to understand something.
She didn't hate Daiki, rather it seemed like she was incredibly distrustful toward him. When she kept in mind her affection for the Namekian, who had been a source of Daiki's fascination it was only natural that she'd react so harsh toward him. The lad was intruding into the timeless lookout, the place she considered her home. Not to mention that she was extremely protective of Scargot for reasons she couldn't even comprehend herself. Was it admiration for his confidence and honest demeanor? Maybe affection and gratitude for seeing her as more than just the monster she represented? Or perhaps... Maybe, just maybe it might had been that incredibly embarrassing emotion known as love.
Slowly her tail swished up into the air, the stinger's tip being covered in a large apple that was very slowly being sucked of its content. There was no denying that her encounter with Aspergia had changed her, but was it for the better or the worse? The emotions she felt, while potentially used as a stimulant could also render itself into a weakness. This was made quite clear from her foolish act of trying to save the Namekian who had been targeted by a predator like herself. She had no reason for disturbing that creature's meal, nor did she hold any intentions to actually come up and save the Namekian, but the sight of him reminded her of someone... The idea of watching the Namekian die at that point stirred something inside her, an emotion that forced her to act, and before she knew it she had moved in for an attempt to save him.
"Emotions are a complicated something..."
Whispering those words under her breath Reikiko had raised herself onto her feet, her weighted clothes covering most of her armor-like body. Of course she had decided to linger in her bio-android form, having hold no specific reason to conceal her existence as a 'monster'. In the end she had no reason to hide her nature from someone like Scargot or Zexama, especially since the both of them knew what she truly was.
"Keiko, you mentioned something before. That technique you used in that battle against me. The Kikoho, how did you learn that?"
The bio-android's words seemed to stir the presence of her sister within her consciousness, the crimson-colored child emerging as a vivid image before her. It was a bit odd how Keiko seemed capable of manifesting in an illusionary form of herself, especially one that could only be seen by herself.
"Ah~ Right, about that... Remember how I told you before about the idea of seeking a mentor? That's what I did. In this world there are two martial arts dojo that are considered the most famous. At one side you got the Turtle school, and then you have the Crane school. The Crane sensei is the one who possesses all the knowledge and techniques passed down throughout generations."
Still, that didn't exactly explain how Keiko was able to learn a powerful technique like the Kikoho. Then again, she had a slight suspicion already about how her sister had mastered those techniques. Her involvement with Aspergia who seemed to know the Crane Sensei personally, alongside the fact that her sister had been rather powerful...
"That is correct. I have been trained by the Crane Sensei myself."
Wait, a bio-android who was actually properly trained by someone? What in the world was going on here?! She had expected her sister would have had fought someone to the death, and then absorb them to master their abilities, but this clearly didn't seem to be the case. In fact, Keiko seemed to be talking in a surprisingly respectful manner when she was mentioning the Crane Sensei. Seemingly noticing her thoughts the crimson-colored bio-android grinned sheepishly while explaining in a excited tone.
"The Sensei is a pretty unique woman. She doesn't care much about your origins, species, gender or even your reason for seeking her guidance. As long as you show a passion for martial arts, a will to hone your skills through trials and follow her rules, then she will train you."
A martial arts teacher who trained people no matter who they might had been? That sounded rather fascinating. If she could meet this woman, then perhaps she would be able to someday obtain those secret techniques her sister had used, their intense power likely serving her quite well someday. Nevertheless, it appeared that for the time being she would need to consider this idea a bit further.
"Going down again?"
Hearing Keiko's question Reikiko nodded her head firmly in response. She didn't really had anything specific in mind, but she did find it interesting to frequently visit the small tribes that lived near the bottom of the tower. Their community was a lot different from the ones in larger cities, and all in all they had considered her a natural presence among them. In fact, due to the fact she was one of the few, if not the only one who was known as a resident of the timeless lookout, she was often considered one of the mystical guardians of the god of this planet.
A bit ridiculous if she had any say about the matter. In the end she was less of a guardian and more of a freeloader at the timeless lookout. Floating slowly toward the tiles that made up the floor of the platform Reikiko gently swayed her tail sideways, flicking the apple skin down into the far below when finally she made a small hop, slowly descending toward the surface. It was only several minutes later that she had already crossed the level where the clouds obstructed the horizon, and now she could be seen rapidly descending toward one of the nearby settlements.
"Guess I'll visit the usual spot."
Humming those words the bio-android landed near the outskirts of a settlement, the village being mostly build out of tents, a lot like the people who were known as Indians. The people of this specific tribe were considered the most endearing to her. While it took someone a bit of time to get overly used to the religious superstition surrounding the existence of the tower that served as the base for the timeless lookout, they were also honest of mind, and kind at heart. Still, what fascinated her the most was the fact that most of those people shared the same dream as her: To become the strongest fighter in existence.
Of course this had led the tribe to focus entirely on the pursue of martial arts, alongside their zealous protection of the tower. In the end everyone was welcome amidst them, as long as they loved martial arts and respected the 'lucky totem' as some called them. She had just walked into the village when the sound of a masculine voice reached her ears.
"Ah! Reikiko has returned!"
Of course it didn't take long before she was surrounded by a small crowd of people from the tribe, some of them exchanging greetings, others already having a basket of apples available for her, not that she really understood how they were able to know her fondness for apples. However, it was when one of the tribesmen spoke that her attention was drawn.
"Seems we will be getting a rainstorm in the evening. Just our luck when one of the village elders left to escort a visitor to the lucky totem."
Someone came to this village to ask about the tower? Now that was a curious something. While it wasn't unheard of for someone to wander onto the timeless lookout by mistake, a feat not so difficult when one kept in mind how large the tower was... it was however a bit odd for someone to approach one of the tribes for knowledge.
"Yes, a young, slightly peculiar man came here asking about the totem. He seemed genuinely interested in it, as if he was hunting for some precious treasure. One of the elders volunteered to show him the way."
A soft sigh escaped Reikiko's lips at this news. Not only did one of the elders decide to escort a total stranger to the tower, what likely meant she would have gotten to deal with another guest at the timeless lookout sooner or later, they had also seemingly chosen a day when there would be a nasty rainstorm later on. Everyone knew that is was a dangerous trip to make during the heavy rainfall. It wouldn't be the first person to ride their car into a ravine, or get themselves struck by a stray thunderbolt.
"How long ago did they depart?"
Reikiko's tone seemed serious, a detail the crowd took note of, for one of them replied instantly. So only a few hours ago? Keeping in mind the journey by car, the speed in general would make her able to reach the base of the tower in less than ten minutes if she flew at full speed. Jumping into the air the bio-android became surrounded in a surge of ki before she flown over the trees, into the direction of the distant tower. Honestly, at this point she was uncertain of what to expect. A lot of people came to the timeless lookout for different reasons, and honestly it made her feel restless. Scargot was a kind person, a little bit too kind and trusting, so she felt it was up to her to ensure his safety, by keeping all potential threats at bay. It didn't matter who it was, or how powerful they were. If they were going to become a danger to Scargot she would ensure that they'd be eliminated.
"In the end he's mine..."
Whispering softly the bio-android descended into the blanket of trees, deciding to suppress her ki for the time being. She had spotted the car of the elders, another marvelous contraption that she had no idea why or how the elder obtained it, before spotting the elder in question. Of course her attention was drawn equally swift to the man that stood before her, seemingly touching the tower's surface like an archeologist who could learn a whole story from merely looking at an object.
"Obaa-san, you'd better return to the tribe soon. They are predicting a large rainstorm to approach, and you know what that means."
Slowly she stepped from amidst the trees, her blue-colored eyes settling their focus onto the man that she had accompanied, his familiar features making her speak out once more.
"I guess judging from your lack of concern... that you're a water-proof Robo Boy?"
It was a slight jest made by the bio-android as she approached the duo before stopping beside the village elder, her gaze focusing more intensely onto the android.
"So what brings you here? More myth chasing?"
-Heavy Weights on- -power suppression active
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Vi-Poi
Administrator
Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
Zeni: 1,247
Tag: @vipoi
Posts: 2,833
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Post by Vi-Poi on Feb 22, 2015 19:43:03 GMT
The old woman, Obaa, did not seem disturbed by the new arrival. She beamed at Reikiko, taking off her truckers cap and waving it at the blonde-haired and strangely armored girl cheerfully. She guffawed at her words. “Hey there, Reikiko. Rainstorm eh? Might get some luck rubbed off on you after all.” She said, turning to wink at Vi-Poi through the thick lenses of her glasses. “This is one of them totem guardians, helped ol’ Benshaw get his fo-by-fo outta the muck one time. She’s got a real arm on her.” She peered back at Reikiko, and sensing that her presence was going to be a strain on whatever interactions commenced between the blue-haired android and the blonde-haired girl, she announced her exit. “Whelp. Better get home before the rains really start. Trail is too messed to drive on in the rain. You stayin’ on out here?” Vi-Poi’s large blue eyes were now fixed intently on Reikiko, and he silently nodded in response. “I thought so… looked like there was more to you than a photojournalist, I’m admittin’ now. Didn’t wanna be rude and say so, though. Whelp. Better start drivin’. Ol’ Benshaw doesn’t know how to pin down the tents to save his life.” She gave Vi-Poi a friendly wave, and scurried to the truck before cranking the engine on. The truck slowly backed off the hill, and with a goodbye honk the woman carefully turned the vehicle around and began her bouncing and plodding way back through the trees.
As soon as the tail lights faded into shadow and the friendly old woman was gone, Vi-Poi powered his systems to maximum. He was unsure of Reikiko’s intentions, perhaps they would be positive, but he was hardly the sort of person to be naïve around a being of such power.
“Hello, Bio Girl.” He said, returning her humor. “I am utterly waterproof, yes. Even my internals are sheathed in the case of leakage.” He stopped himself from revealing too much of his mechanisms to this potential competitor. He still lacked too much information on her motives to count her an ally, or friend.
Vi-Poi would have to resolve that lack of information. Gaps in knowledge were dangerous. The last time he’d met her in this forest she’d suggested going on a massacre of the local fauna. Attacking Vi-Poi for a perceived transgression would be within the range of possibility to someone with that personality profile. Still, Rekiko had also shown a more diplomatic and social side during that encounter.
“You will note that I’ve quintupled my fighting rating since our last encounter.” Vi-Poi said in a neutral sort of a warning, stretching his ki out from his heart reactor and letting it hum through his circuitry. “I do not wish to fight.” He added, gesturing his head towards the carved totem without taking his gaze off of the bio-android. His past scouring of old Red Ribbon Army databases said not-much on the research of such beings, as they were at the time still in the extremely speculative phase, but Vi-Poi knew enough about the designs and intent of those scientists and commanders to not be deceived by beautiful or innocent masks they’d designed. This was no little girl as he'd first met, but a weapon forged with malicious intent.
Her transformation had revealed more of her true nature. She wore a sleek, pale and sturdy carapace that gave Vi-Poi the vague impression of a beetle. Long and flowing golden hair cascaded down below her shoulders. A bright gem shone above her brow, where a pronged crown swept imperiously. Her frame looked... sturdier than before, as well, and her tail looked very much like a scorpion's weapon. Whatever successor minds that in this present day had taken the place of those long ago researchers had certainly not crafted her intelligent, metaphagic cells so that she could bake apple pies all day.
Vi-Poi let a trickle of ki move into his leg circuitry, and his burnished dress shoes lifted very slightly off the carpet of leaves, to eliminate ground friction should he have to move quickly. It wouldn’t be much of an advantage, but even infinitesimally better starting positions could be the difference between survival and destruction, should it come to a physical contest.
“I only seek the Dragon Balls. I hear this tower has magical properties and may have some connection to them. I intended to climb it, in order to prove my worth to whatever denizen watches over this place, or to whatever spell dictates its inner workings.” He explained. “I find it highly improbable that you arrive here, not knowing what this tower might be. Could it be the Namekian you mentioned earlier? Is he here?” Vi-Poi asked. He bowed his head slightly towards Reikiko in a respectful gesture. “Forgive my hasty questions. I am excited to find this knowledge. I welcome any assistance, if you wish to provide it.” At the same time he flipped the photon receptors behind his large blue eyes, letting ki accumulate behind them. Reikiko might note a slight brightening in those eyes as the ki charges, his systems ready to deliver a lightning-fast shot directly at her should she begin hostilities…
There was no way he could best her conventionally if it came to battle, but he could dissuade her from attack. The porcupine was not as fierce as the wolf, but its long spurs efficiently discouraged predation all the same. His battle processors turned online as the ki behind his irises continued to accumulate, the algorithms predicting best paths of action and potential shooting trajectories giving various outcomes upon the first exchange. Her small body provided her some advantages in avoiding attack, but he was not overly large as well, and had the reach advantage.
His social algorithms were also working overtime, hoping for a more diplomatic resolution to this encounter. Could she be reasoned with? Was she simply there to observe, or did she see Vi-Poi as a threat to the tower? The woman had called her a guardian. Perhaps he could convince her that he was a non-threat.
Vi-Poi folded his arms casually, his suit jacket and tie fluttering to the side, billowing in storm winds that began to rise. Dark clouds wreathed overhead, shadowing the canopy in shades of sinking blue. The sky crackled with an encroaching thunder, and the first drops of a warm and misty rain began to fall in an energetic pitter patter.
(Charging Eye Lasers to 66%[N1])
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Post by Reikiko on Feb 23, 2015 16:55:22 GMT
A gentle nod of her head was made in response to the village elder's decision to return to the tribe, a wise decision for it seemed like they were getting one of those nasty rainstorms in a bit, and with the woman's only method of transport being that large vehicle it would clearly have been a better idea for her to return home before the rainstorm struck. However, once the elder had left Reikiko's gaze focused on the human-like android. Her lips curved up slightly at his response, seemingly using an attempt at intimidation by stating that his power level had quadrupled in strength since their last meeting. Of course such intimidation did little on her, but she had to admit it was a cute attempt. Nevertheless, the words that he had spoken afterwards contradicted his actions. She could sense it, the surfacing of the android's ki as he started charging up some attack, no visible sign of it noticeable just yet. That was a little bit of a ironic thing to do, like a human keeping you at gunpoint and stating they didn't wish to shoot... What person in their right mind would believe in such an act of intimidation.
"Know your place kid..."
Whispering under her breath Reikiko briefly closed her eyes, as if she considered the android not worthy of being labeled a threat. Even if his power level had quadrupled she would have been more than strong enough to actually handle most attacks send his way. As if to respond to his intimidation attempt with one of her own the bio-android allowed the ki suppression to fade from her body, the mental lock being disabled to allow her ki to flare into existence. Due to her heavy weights her readable power level was only a fraction of its true potential, but keeping in mind her unique genes the following action would have likely been more than enough to intimidate the boy. Slowly her ki started to manifest into a physical layer, an aura that burned around her before it expanded outwards. First it manifested as a simple crimson-colored dome that slowly pushed backwards, like a cocoon being broken, but instead of shattering the barrier started to expand outwards, till it was threatening to touch the android, and if he was foolish enough to try to touch it, he would find his hand burning lightly, and any actual attack being bounced back at him.
"An intimidation attempt combined with your charging ki doesn't go well together with your attempt to convey your lack of hostile intentions toward me."
She smiled briefly, her hand stretching out to strengthen the barrier a little, while at the same time her eyes gazed firmly at the android. Hopefully her superior defense would be enough to make him realize that fighting her would only lead to his own death. Not to mention that she wasn't exactly in the mood for a fight.
"Currently I'm at twenty five percent of my full strength. This barrier is able to withstand a blow of roughly around the same level of strength as my own... And I can charge it even further if necessary. Don't be an idiot and try to fire anything at me if you value your existence, lest you might be hit by your own attack."
Finally, after confirming that the android didn't intend to start a fight she finally allowed the dome-shaped barrier to shrink inwards, returning into the visible burning aura before it disappeared entirely. It was at that very moment that the bio-android seemed to shimmer out of view, a lingering after-image gently fading away as the ki that was poured into the rapid movement had allowed the same cold voice from before to resound behind the android.
"Besides, if I had to kill every fool who tries to climb the tower in the hope of gaining something out of it... Then this place would be littered with corpses."
Her tail swished lightly, a motion that might had looked threateningly for a moment, in the end the stinger at the end of her tail did contain a rather lethal secret, but it seemed she didn't attempt to intimidate him any further, and it appeared more like a casual motion, as if it was a normal part of her body. The android had returned to a familiar subject: the existence of the dragon balls. She recalled the story that Daiki had told them during their previous meeting, and while she was skeptical about whether those wish-granting spheres truly existed, it was only natural that Scargot would become the subject of someone their interest, especially if they were pursuing the knowledge surrounding their creation.
"I should have expected you to come sooner or later, but you're mistaken about something. There's nothing unusual about me lingering around here... because I live up there."
She raised a hand, casually using one of her three fingers to point upwards, before she looked back at the android. Now she thought about it, she didn't exactly have the opportunity to properly introduce herself. The conversation that was unfolding during their previous encounter had turned into something she lacked interest in, so she had left rather quickly.
"As you already know my name is Reikiko, and I'm one of the denizen that watch over this place."
Still, the conversation about the dragon balls was surely going to resurface sooner than later. To ensure she'd make her opinion about the matter as clear as possible the bio-android intended to find a way to express her distrust about the matter pretty strongly. In the end the thoughts caused her to sigh loudly, her hands resting on her hips as she started speaking once more.
"Then again, I'm certain that even if Uncle possesses any knowledge about those Dragon Balls, he wouldn't just divulge this information casually. Let's just say that if he does know about them, what would you do with that knowledge? Unless by some miraculous reason your wish is pure or selfless I doubt he'd give you the means to find them. Such a power is too easy to abuse."
With the sound of a lightning bolt crashing down in the far distance, the weather had finally taken a turn for the worse, the cloudy sky having turned dark grey, the storm clouds slowly unleashing their torrent of rain onto the earthen realm. For Reikiko the rain itself wasn't a problem, in fact her body tended to relax a bit when it felt the cold rain fall onto her small frame, a certain refreshing feeling accompanying it. To her rain had always been something that washed away the dirty aspects of the world, and it was clear that from the slight softening of her gaze, that she was getting in a more pleasant mood.
"But yes, the Uncle I refer to is the Namekian that watches over this world from the top of this tower."
Nevertheless, the android, who she recalled was called Vi-Poi had mentioned earlier that he intended to prove his worth to the one living on top of the tower. That would actually be quite amusing for her to observe.
"Speaking of wanting to prove yourself. You do realize the tradition that you'd need to follow then?"
She slowly walked up to the tower's base, lightly resting her hand against the surface while humming softly.
"Those willing to prove themselves have to climb the tower without the use of ki, meaning flight is forbidden, and so is ki-enhanced climbing. By using nothing but your own strength and stamina you'd prove your resilience and determination to overcome the trial."
She took a few steps backwards, her gaze seemingly following the tower all the way up to the sky, where it disappeared amidst the clouds. Then again, taking that trial during this weather was just ridiculous. She herself was one of the few who could climb the tower during such terrible weather, but that was because she literally climbed it every day as an exercise.
"Then again, aside from myself and the aforementioned Namekian none have undergone the trial, and succeeded it during the rainstorm. The higher you go the harsher the rain becomes, not to mention the supports to climb get more slippery, and the temperature turns chilly to an almost freezing point if you try to climb during this weather. Then again, it certainly would be entertaining to see you try."
For a moment the bio-android smirked playfully, before she started to ascend lightly, her feet hovering above the surface. She genuinely loved watching people try to undergo the trial, especially since unless you were ridiculously powerful at a natural level, then your ki usage would be one of the few reasons so many people could reach the tower. Climbing it with the limitations of a regular human was what made this trial such an excellent training session.
"Perhaps I'd make you a deal... If you'd endure this trial, and another trial on top of the tower I will acknowledge your resolve, and at least introduce you to the one you want to meet."
Honestly the deal she had proposed had an ulterior motive behind it. Not only did she desire to see the android's natural capacities during the harsh weather, but she was genuinely curious to see where his confidence came from. Not many would be bold enough to try to intimidate her, even if her power was suppressed due to her weighted clothes. Usually those that did try to intimidate her were either fools, or genuinely powerful and she wanted to confirm if the android was the latter. There was also a slight peculiar aspect about Vi-Poi's nature. She had seen androids before, in the end there were plenty of those in the Chimera project, but none of them had the same feeling that she had when she talked to Vi-Poi. They were usually far more robotic, and tended to follow a certain pattern.
No, it was undeniable that Vi-Poi intrigued her, and she was going to use all her means to ensure she'd figure out why that android was fascinating her so much.
"Of course you're more than welcome to decline the challenge and come back another day. But then again, maybe someone else will find those precious dragon balls before you."
She mused those words with a slight teasing flavor to her tone, as if coaxing him into accepting the trial. In the end Vi-Poi seemed adamant about learning the secrets behind those Dragon Balls, and in all honesty... if one person knew about their existence, then it must had been Scargot.
"So what will it be Vi-Poi? Going to take the trial, or shall I just go home for the day? Do note that if you'd follow me without taking the trial I will consider you a stalker, and nobody likes perverts who sneak up behind little bio-androids."
There was no way this android was going to decline the trial right? In the end he seemed really serious about his pursue of knowledge on terms of the dragon balls their existence, and knowing that Scargot was living up on the timeless lookout, likely the one who possessed the knowledge he desired... Of course the android could try to just fly up there, but she would be pretty certain to ensure that he'd never reach the top. The android's reasons were a little bit suspicious, but at least he was honest about his reason for going to the tower. She kind of liked having people who were easy to read, it allowed her to guess their intentions, and that by itself already made her feel a lot more secure than when she had to consider them a wild unpredictable card, their intentions not known to anyone but themselves. Perhaps she should have started studying on how to read someone's mind? Then again, there were some minds she'd never want to be able to read, so perhaps a power like that might end up backfiring on her someday...
--- Reikiko is putting up a Reflective Aura Sphere: 100% PL charge a turn, at its current level it's 55824PL worth of defense (and will reflect splash damage back at the opponent) -Ki suppression is gone- -Weights still on- RP use of Shadow Dance, but no combat intentions there.
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Vi-Poi
Administrator
Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
Zeni: 1,247
Tag: @vipoi
Posts: 2,833
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Post by Vi-Poi on Feb 24, 2015 22:45:22 GMT
Vi-Poi took a cautious step back from the writhing energy aura around Reikiko. The scarlet hued ki dome looked menacing, and gave off a dangerous heat signature. At her dismissive words towards his charging power, he sheepishly let his eye lasers dwindle and his power fade, his large blue eyes twinkling in the dim glow of a stormy dusk as he flipped the photon receptors behind his eyes back into normal alignment.
Vi-Poi hmphed and unfolded his arms, stuffing them in his coat pockets sullenly at her outplaying him. His eyes nearly widened in alarm at seeing her tail sway upwards, but he stopped himself. She was simply showcasing her dominance, at this point. He listened intently as she told of her living here, of her Namekian uncle – which given her human-like appearance and design must be a term of endearment – and her proposal of two trials in order to meet this magic man. It was much to consider, bringing himself back into Low Power and Safe Mode around such a being could be putting his very existence in her hands.
His social algorithms squirmed and his pale face flushed almost imperceptibly at the possibility of being labeled a pervert. He understood it was her way to playfully goad her into taking the trials, but the very concept of reproductive acts filled Vi-Poi with what must be described as embarrassment. Perhaps he carried more of the residual mind of the teenager Poi than he cared to admit.
Vi-Poi carefully weighed the options she had given him. Both had their dangers, but he was almost certainly at more of a risk if he denied her wishes. He turned away from her in a gesture of trust, lowering his fighting as he flipped into Low Power Mode, the descending whistle of a crescendo-diminuenco filling the air and competing with the gale’s noise as the ki energy escaped his inline circuit converters, each toggling into Safe Mode. His large blue eyes scanned up the grey tower, which stretched on and on in a seeming infinity upwards, piercing the stormy veil in the sky like a giant’s yari. Lightning cackled its frantic laughter in multitude, at those heights.
The rain had swept his hair down close to his face, turning his azure hair into a dark inky mess. He pulled one wet strand away from his eyes, shifting them back to Reikiko. This could be his best chance at finding the Dragon Balls. And there was something to this bio girl which Vi-Poi found captivating. Part of him wished for her approval.
“Okay.” He said after a long while. “I’ll do it.”
The android shrugged out of his suit jacket and tie, carefully folding them on a forearm. He also pulled off his dress shirt, baring his bloodless and lean torso to the howling elements. His heavy weight harness shone black in the rain, wide bands of metal wrapped snugly about his chest and stomach, curled like the claw of some great dark dragon, held together by a flexible spine of overlapping plates that ran atop his own. Wet silks had a much lower friction coefficient with wet stone than Vi-Poi’s wet synthfibrous skin did.
Vi-Poi briefly considered disrobing completely to gain the most efficient friction coefficient advantage, but decided against it. He didn’t want to be labeled the p-word by this intriguing creature whom he found himself strangely admiring.
He did take off his shoes, however, as they were highly polished and prone to slip. He grimaced a bit as he stepped into the wet mud at the base of the tower with his black socks. He mournfully placed the shoes and his suit half upon a nearby rock. Could he go a week without mucking up a suit? He trudged grumpily up to the tower, and if the blonde-haired bio android allowed it without any interruptions, he began his ascent quietly, aided only by his unpowered synthetic musculature and his wits.
It was much harder than he imagined. His first unpowered leap onto the tower only gained him a few feet, and he nearly fell right off, only holding on by hugging against the tower with his arms and legs. He was slipping already, sliding inch by treacherous inch, only able to maintain his hold by pressing the side of his face against the tower and sort of shuffling up it like he imagined a crab might.
Thankfully, he soon found handholds, largish knoblike protrusions that swept outward from the tribal carvings at myriad intervals. He gripped onto this with tightly hugging fingers, using one hand to anchor himself as he threw the other upwards in a slapping arc, barely reaching the other tier of handholds. The ball of his socked foot slid and he nearly toppled down as he gained new footings, but his gyroscopic suites managed to keep him balanced.
Vi-Poi silently thanked his old computer self for creating a new self that had nano-crystalline fingernails, as digging the tips of them into the small wedges of the tribal patterns proved necessary at several points in the climb, and their raking, frantic clawing for grip had saved him on more than once occasion. He peered back to the ground. He sighed with disappointment. He was much lower to the ground than his optimistic calculations had estimated.
If she remained below while he started his climb, he peered down at Reikiko’s silhouette in the rain, his body wiggling against the time-pocked stone.
“No shooting me from down there.” He called, squinting his blue eyes suspiciously with a hmph before turning his attention back to the tower. With each handhold against the wet stone he was a little higher, but now Vi-Poi was starting to experience a different form of weariness than he was ever used to. Muscular fatigue. His synthetic muscles -- even without being ki infused – were naturally (to use the term loosely) exponentially stronger than a human’s, and it was the only reason he was managing to climb with a heavy weight comparable to a main battle tank clawed around his torso. But they were also being forced under tremendous strain and stress, and without the normal ki infusion to buffer them, these gravitational forces were producing microscopic tears along their fibers. He pushed on regardless, dismissing his algorithms which were skeptically calculating doom hundreds of meters upward when his muscles were predicted to fail. He wasn’t a collection of rates and probabilities. He was a thinking, self-correcting system. He focused doggedly on the climb, drowning out all else but the storm and the tower.
The storm railed against him, buffeting him, threatening to dislodge him with more fierce gusts the higher he climbed. At one point, half of his body was flung free of the tower by a particularly large blast of wind, but Vi-Poi punched his fingers in between a zigzag of tribal chevrons and managed to hustle himself back against the slick cylinder.
If Reikiko did not intervene, he would have reached several hundred meters into the air within the timeframe of an hour, where the sky was darkening and the wind was forcing the rain sideways.
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Post by Reikiko on Feb 25, 2015 13:35:03 GMT
There was a reason behind Reikiko's decision to have people climb the long tower-like structure. While in the eyes of another person it might had looked like a trivial trial, especially considering that most people who wanted to visit the timeless lookout were more than capable of using flight or ki to enhance their climbing skills. Nevertheless, to Reikiko the trial held quite an special value... one that people would only understand if they could trace back the event that happened shortly after Reikiko had accompanied Scargot back to the timeless lookout. At that time the bio-android often was prone to search for solitude, her elusiveness being quite a surprising trait. Often she would lay down on top of the temple's rooftop, or merely sit somewhere quietly at the edge of the lookout, gazing onto the distant sky below her. However, it was not wrong to state that despite her age being close to what humans might consider adulthood, it was rather incorrect to say she was truly an adult. Her appearance as a bio-android had something girlish, a childish feature that had been part of the plan surrounding her creation. It was a rather corrupted version of how her creator considered the act of 'growing up'.
According to him beings grown up, or evolved into a more beautiful, wiser and powerful state. For some this growing up was done simply through the passage of time, alongside training and studying to improve oneself. But that wasn't the case for a bio-android... A bio-android could only grow up through evolution, and that meant absorbing people. It was this process that often haunted her thoughts. At one side she wanted to follow Scargot's teachings, and at another side there was the desire that her creator infused into her own being... the desire to evolve and transcend her own existence. She was meant for much greater things than this tiny little body of hers... but would following Scargot's teachings allow her to pursue those things? During the time those thoughts haunted her mind Reikiko had decided to leave behind the timeless lookout, descending into the blanket of clouds in order to explore the surrounding area. At her heart Reikiko was after all an adventurous lass, and on this particular day a certain sight had caught her eye. She knew that at the base of the timeless lookout there was a large tower, but at the very bottom of said tower there had been something special...
This special element manifested in the form of a community that worshipped the tower and its denizen. It was also on this particular sunny morning that Reikiko noticed that the various tribes that were involved in this community had gathered around the tower. Judging from the music that resounded through the air, the cheerful chattering among the men and women, and the large amount of delicious food and drinks that filled the tables around the area around the tower... it had clearly been a festival of sorts.
Once she descended further toward the gathering Reikiko spotted several people trying to climb the tower, most of them struggling several meters at the base, while a handful of men were several hundred meters up on the tower. Honestly, at that point Reikiko had been incredibly confused. What was making those carefree people so happy, and for what reason were they trying to climb the tower? When suddenly a cry came from one of the younger boys who had climbed several hundred meters along the most hardened men started to lose his footing and started to drop downwards Reikiko found herself moving automatically. Her curiosity had been stirred, and she wanted to figure out what they were doing. Not to mention that a fall from that height could have possibly killed the man.
Swiftly descending to the boy's level Reikiko wrapped her tail around his waist, a startled flailing briefly being made by the lad before he realized that Reikiko was lowering both of them toward the surface.
"W-Who are you?"
The boy's tone sounded slightly nervous, kind of understandable with the fact that Reikiko didn't exactly look like a human or ordinary alien, not to mention her tail was wrapped around his waist, and nothing would have stopped her should she have decided to sting the boy with her stinger. However, she seemed to had no intentions to absorb him, for when they reached the ground she lightly uncoiled her tail and replied in her usual cold even-toned voice.
"I'm just a visitor. You may call me Reikiko."
After they had landed a small crowd of villagers flocked around them, some of them thanking her for saving the poor lad, while others were asking where she came from. For a moment she had to pause and think on how to respond. In the end it might had caused some people to alarm if she told them she was living on top of the tower they were trying to climb.
"I'm just from a place nearby."
It appeared that this response was enough to satisfy the villagers, and with that out of the way it was time for her to ask questions of her own. She was still confused at why someone was trying to climb the tower, and judging from the lack of ki she sensed in the climbers they were relying on nothing but their own strength and stamina. It was one of the elders, an old woman who had been standing next to a large car that approached her, and also provided her the answer she sought.
"It's the 'Day of the Tower Guardian'. It's a festival where each year all the tribes gather together to celebrate the blessings of the 'lucky totem', the large tower you see before you. It's also a tradition that everyone is allowed to try to climb the tower, with the one climbing the highest while relying on only their own strength being called the Tower's Guardian. It's mostly just a honorary title, but the men in the village love to brag about it."
So this was a community who worshipped the tower, and unknowingly the denizen of the timeless lookout? That was actually kind of fascinating. After lingering around to hear more about the community Reikiko noticed that the amount of people trying to climb the tower had lessened, and turning toward the elder who had told her the myths surrounding their religion, she had voiced a rather curious something.
"Can I try to climb the tower also?"
The old lady laughed softly, explaining that it was everyone's right to try to climb the tower, and that there was no such need as to ask permission to climb the tower. In the end when everyone else had stopped their climbing attempts, merely celebrating the rest of the day, the bio-android had moved up to the tower to prepare herself. The tower seemed to have a smooth surface, but every now and then there were special spots on the tower where one could seemingly place their arm and feet. Of course for Reikiko climbing the tower would have been an addition challenge due to her unique hands and feet. Unlike most species she had only three fingers and toes, that were slightly longer than most. When she tried to climb she found a lot more pressure on her hands and feet compared to normally, already slipping after the first few meters.
"Don't give up Reikiko, all of us started where you are."
Having collapsed onto her back Reikiko couldn't help but groan softly at the encouraging words of one of the older men who was seated at the table. She recognized the middle-aged man as one of the group who had been several hundred meters on the tower... a martial arts practitioner most likely. Nevertheless, when the old village elder tried to gently pull her upright Reikiko couldn't help but wonder if it was just an useless thing to accomplish.
"You shouldn't try to imitate the others. Everyone has their own way of climbing the tower. Why not try to find your own?"
A method that was her own? Idly musing about the idea Reikiko decided to make another attempt, this time having her toes curl around the places she used to keep a solid footing, while her fingers coiled firmly against the spots she used to climb upwards. Hours passed as one attempt after another failed, but with every attempt she had reached a higher elevation, till evening arrived and she was at the same several hundred meters as most of the men. However, by the time evening had arrived the sky had become filled with storm clouds, and rain started to pour down the sky. This time Reikiko found herself slipping off the tower, her body rocketing toward the ground before she used her wings to gently land onto the ground, a deep sigh escaping her lips.
"You sure are a stubborn one... Reminds me of our old chieftain."
Looking around Reikiko spotted the elderly woman, seated in her car, a smile lingering on her lips. It seemed everyone but her had returned to their settlements, an understandable decision when one kept in mind that the drizzle was turning into a fierce storm.
"Shouldn't you go home?"
Reikiko's question caused the old woman to laugh softly before shaking her head gently in response. To her there was a certain feeling of nostalgia when watching someone try to climb the tower with such determination. The willpower to not give up, even when failing was a trait few possessed, and while most of the tribes considered the act of climbing the tower more of a 'game', the fact Reikiko took it so serious caused a certain feeling to rise up within her.
"Long ago there was a special man in our tribe. They say he was one of the strongest warriors that lived on this soil at that time. He was our chieftain, and also the only one among us to have ever climbed the tower all the way to the top. At first he failed so terribly, couldn't even get a few steps upwards before he fell. But just like you he continued to try, even during a rainstorm like this."
Honestly, she could understand the chieftain's feelings. To Reikiko the act of climbing the tower wasn't a game. It was serious training, an attempt to show herself that she could overcome the limitations of her body in her own way.
"I'm going to try again Obaa-san."
Watching the old lady smile back at her Reikiko started to climb the tower once more. Hours passed as she struggled to climb one hand after the other, and yet this time when she nearly felt while several hundred meters in the air... she coiled her tail around the tower, stretching it as far as possible to get her grip back, and prevent her from falling. The elder smiled down from below when Reikiko finally continued her journey, climbing higher and higher... until she disappeared amidst the clouds.
When the next morning arrived, and she finally reached the top the girl found herself instantly flying downwards, and just like she expected the village elder was still there, but not just her... A sea of villagers had flooded around the tower while shouting loudly.
"Congratulations on climbing the tower!"
When the girl landed among them the village elder grinned sheepishly while adding onto their words.
"You are now Reikiko, Guardian of the Tower. Now I bet you're tired so let me drive you home."
For a moment the bio-android smiled weakly while raising a hand toward the clouds.
"I actually doubt your car can take me to the top of the tower. Since that's where I live"
Of course the chaos that erupted afterwards was rather amusing, but for Reikiko climbing the tower was something akin to overcoming a certain trial.
"I wouldn't try something childish like that during a serious trial."
The girl's tone was surprisingly serious all of a sudden, and if the android followed the source of the voice he would have noticed that she had actually been climbing along with him, but unlike him she was already a several hundred meters further upwards.
"This trial is considered something sacred among the tribes, it would be disrespectful for me to shoot someone when they are challenging the trial."
And with those words she waited for him to catch up. Unlike Vipoi she seemed to have little troubles with the rain or wind gusts, perhaps because she had been so used to climbing the tower.
-- Feel free to reach the top in your next post, if you want to.
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Vi-Poi
Administrator
Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
Zeni: 1,247
Tag: @vipoi
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Post by Vi-Poi on Feb 26, 2015 6:13:23 GMT
Vi-Poi would have been freezing to death had he been a human, but his circuitry and components could operate at temperatures of plus thirty AZ and survive undamaged at temperatures as cold as plus five AZ. Yet another of the benefits of being an android, Vi-Poi thought as he jammed his fingers into the groves of the stone, constantly marching upward at his slow pace. He was thousands of meters up, his calculations long ago rendered preposterous by normal engineering standards and normal stone. The air was thin, but the storm was still raging. The rainstorm had long since turned into a blizzard. Ice whipped around him in a tempest, coating his entire synthetic flesh in its treacherously slick molecular structure. At points he would pause, wriggling his fist against the rock to shatter and make mist out of the accumulating frost upon his fingers.
At one part in the body-wrenching climb, he thought he sensed scampering vibrations through the stone, like something was scaling the tower with him, but by the time he peered over the sensation was gone and he couldn't find any cause. He hmphed and struggled upward.
His muscles were tearing from the effort, but his body was holding. His structure had proved tougher than his software predicted. Just as he was wondering when this climb might end or the bio android might kill him from boredom, Vi-Poi spotted a bulb through the clouds. He initially thought it an illusion of the storm, but as he neared it, lightning splashed against its stony surface, and there was no mistaking that he was closing to victory here. He slowed his pace some now that the end was in sight, agreeing with the advice of his physics algorithms to use great caution when scaling that bulb. He would be at a dangerous inclination for a brief while when traversing its spheroid surface to reach the dark petal-shaped openings in the bulb’s bottom hemisphere which now gleaned visible in the flickering light.
Finally, Vi-Poi reached the last knuckle ringing the surface, and was flush with the crown top of the tower. He gritted his teeth in effort as his gyroscopic programs went into maximum, carefully tucking his legs around the knuckle and reaching out with his hands outstretched. It wasn’t enough. His fingers barely reached the lip of the ovular opening, and didn’t have enough reach to curl around its edge. It would take a leap from this position, he realized.
He looked back down. The ground was nowhere in sight, covered by clouds boiling with light that blanketed the air below him. Exhausted as his power-hungry components were, operating intensely on only a veritable trickle of electrons, he was uncertain if he could quickly toggle his systems from Low Power and Safe Mode should he miss the jump and need to fly. He might very well make a crater in the ground, instead. Maybe Reikiko would be kind enough to catch him should he fall.
But there was no turning back. He needed to get into the tower, so he could find out about the Dragon Balls. There was no other option. He calculated trajectories one last time and minimized the pessimistic probabilities flashing warnings in his HUD. Closing his eyes, he leapt.
His arms swung upward and fingers hooked out, swinging frantically for the ledge.
They caught by the fingernails, and if it weren’t for his robot-quick reactions, he might very well have slid down. Instead, he slapped his hands forward again, and caught more of a sure grip.
The blue-haired android sighed with relief in a very humanlike fashion. He hoisted himself up onto the lip, sitting upon it, his slick and ice-kissed body now free from the gale winds and the shrieking storm. He fell back with a crunch of ice, lying across the tower interior’s contoured surface. He was in the shadowy tops of the tower, its features lost in the murky haze of a storm-wreathed twilight. He idly wondered if there was anybody in here, but couldn’t bring himself to pull up his scouter and find out. He’d passed Reikiko’s first trial. He was curious as to what her second might be. When she cam, he'd follow her, and agree to almost any challenge. Vi-Poi closed his eyes as he waited for Reikiko to arrive and deliver further instruction. His thoughts turned inward, moving across his memories of Poi, and later, the boy’s very own memories. They were fragmented ghosts of his brainwave records, but they many were surprisingly vivid. Warm summer days with friends. Making mischief on the parents. Confessing to a classmate crush that he liked her, followed by mock gags and giggles from her. These memories strangely brought a smile upon his lips, though he couldn’t tell why.
Perhaps there was more of Poi in Vi-Poi than he’d initially guessed. He liked to think so, although the android didn’t at all wish to be human, there was something comforting to know that his first friend in existence had left a lingering imprint upon him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Reikiko looming over him. He smiled sheepishly at her, his blue eyes blinking in muddled confusion. "Where did you come from?" He asked.
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Post by Reikiko on Mar 6, 2015 6:53:34 GMT
By the time the android had climbed onto the platform that supported the timeless lookout the bio-android had already been standing before him. Despite the clearly intensive nature of the exercise it seemed like Reikiko had barely lost any of her energy, the only sign of potential exhaustion being a bemused sigh as she gazed down upon him. Indeed, if one had not known any better than they might had assumed that she had merely gone out on a jog. When Vipoi finally noticed her presence, asked in an innocent tone when she got up there the girl couldn't help but feel a bit amused, the corner of her lips curving up in just the slightest hint of a smile. Did the android really expect that he'd be able to reach the lookout before her? She had been climbing that tower daily for about several months already, even in harsh weather like this it had become nothing more than a simple exercise to remain in shape. Quite a figurative 'jog' as one might had called it.
"I been here the whole time. Didn't you notice when I passed you during your climb?"
Her tone had softened a little compared to its usual cold and harsh nature, seemingly pleased by the fact that the android had decided to accept her trials. With the first trial completed it appeared the second one would be well on its way. Of course she had yet to announce the true nature of the second test, but he would soon discover that she had prepared quite a challenge for him.
"Your final trial will be a simple one. Did you know that words can deceive?"
For a moment as she asked the question the bio-android closed her eyes. She could still remember how often people tried to deceive her. However, the worst treason she had ever been exposed to was that of her own creator. He had said that she was considered his masterpiece, the one creation that dominated over all others. The fact that he said that everything he had dedicated his life to was for her sake, should had been something to fill her with happiness. And yet those deceitful words stung the most of all. If he truly cared for her, then he would have given her a mind and will of her own. Instead she had been forced to feed onto others akin to a parasite in order to awaken a mind of her own. In essence some believed that Reikiko's mind was formed through the act of assimilating various personalities of people she had absorbed into her own being. What could explain why her personality was so chaotic and bipolar in nature.
"Whether it's humans or aliens, there are various reasons why people will try to use their silver-tongued approaches to get what they want. I absolutely despise those who their intentions are unclear to me. However, there is a method where honesty is unavoidable."
She finally opened her eyes once more, taking a deep breath while slowly removing the wristbands around her arms and ankles. When they fell onto the ground, making a rather loud thud the bio-android's ki presence seemed to slowly stir like embers being kindled into a flame. There was one method where no matter how much one attempted to lie through words, there was no way to deceive her through a different means.
"Despite the nature of my existence I am still born and raised as a warrior. As a result I developed a certain curious ability that every true martial arts practitioner possesses. Have you ever truly clashed fists with someone? There is a saying that when a real warrior fights someone, they are able to read their very thoughts and emotions through their fight. It is as if everything about that person is exposed like a book throughout that fight."
For a moment she went silent, seemingly considering something before suddenly a visible spark came from her born. A crimson spark of energy that started to cause a chain of sparks that flared into a visible ki aura. She had just tapped into her bio-metabolism, the sheer pressure of it sending a small gust of wind toward the android.
"In order for me to truly understand your intentions, and be genuinely convinced that you mean no harm to my uncle, or possess evil intentions for the dragon balls... I will fight you."
With her power level having reached its peak the bio-android's stance shifted. Judging from the firmness of her footing, her knees slightly bend while her arms were raised forwards it was clear that she was about to make an aggressive approach, and indeed. While she had given Vipoi a moment to prepare himself the bio-android suddenly lunged forwards.
Her movement was incredibly swift, to the untrained eye having become nothing but a simple blur while she dashed forwards, intending to charge right toward Vipoi. It appeared that she was a swift and nimble fighter, for her first movement caused her foot to slide toward his legs, seemingly making a sweeping kick to break a potential guard. Whether she succeeded in breaking his guard or not, the android would soon realize that she was quite serious about her intentions to battle him. Her arm thrust itself forwards, intending to punch the android backwards before she raised her other hand.
"If you don't intend to take this challenge, then you might as well drop down to the surface again."
With those harsh words spoken the bio-android's ki started to flare up, a sphere of energy gathering in her hand before she swept it forwards, tossing it like a projectile. Hopefully Vipoi was clever enough to enlarge the distance between them, because the moment that projectile hit him... it would have detonated in an explosion.
However, as if Reikiko's words had rung true it seemed that if Vipoi looked at the bio-android he would have 'felt' something. There was a certain determination in the girl's eyes. Despite her seemingly harsh approach she was genuinely trying to come to understand Vipoi, and because she was unable to trust someone through words, it seemed this was her way to go about things. However, behind the feelings of curiosity Vipoi might had felt something more. Sorrow and regret, and perhaps even fear seemed to lurk behind all those feelings.
"You can sense it right? My curiosity at your intentions. My sorrow at the fact that I'm just a monster created by a madman, regret at living as a parasite, and my fear for being consumed by my own existence..."
For a moment her eyes narrowed into a glare while she whispered softly.
"Now show me your true self Vipoi."
---- The 'brawling' is considered flavor fighting, you're free to deal with it as you wish and retaliate, just it won't count as actual 'proper' damage.
Unleashed a 1 post Ki grenade at 33% PL (57962) -Sorry about the smaller post, still feeling sick...- Also remember you only got your overdrive~ But since I'm less for ooc stats and more for roleplay tactics I don't mind if we keep it mostly limited to roleplay battling rather than including PLs and all >_< Especially since Rei is mostly just testing you.
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Vi-Poi
Administrator
Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
Zeni: 1,247
Tag: @vipoi
Posts: 2,833
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Post by Vi-Poi on Mar 9, 2015 2:51:58 GMT
(Heavy Weights Removed)
As soon as the wind began to tousle him with the crimson aura surrounding the slender blonde bio-android and Vi-Poi’s own built-in scouter flaring with her energy readings, the azure-haired android automatically disengaged the dark claw of his heavy weights. The bands snapped away from his taut pale torso instantly, steam hissing from the heavy spine as the entire contraption pulsed and flew back away from his body, smashing into the ground with a heavy thud. Free from the weight, he shot his electron-ki converters to maximum, the air filling with an electric whine.
It was good that he did so, because her first attack nearly toppled him, a sweep at his legs. She’s so fast! He threw himself upward and backwards, barely escaping the blurring limb. If his combat algorithms hadn’t been vastly improved by his earlier spar with the Turtle Hermit, he would have easily been overtaken. As it was, he bound backwards further, continuing his retreat. Her power level was higher than anything he’d sensed! How could such a power reside in anyone?
Her arm lanced forward in a startling punch, the attack connecting with his face. If he weren’t moving backwards already, helping the applied force of the blow, his yttrium-densified skull might have shattered. Instead, a long swell appeared on his jawline, synthetic flesh there plumping into an angry green bruise as micromotors flooded the area with repair gel. The momentum of the punch aided his frantically-fleeing flight systems.
When the Grenade was thrown, his built-in scouter squealed in alarm at its deadly power level:
>(57,962)< Vi-Poi’s blue eyes widened. Though his back-peddling and the force of the punch had created some room between them, the pressure wave from the Grenade’s explosion and the incoming heat overwhelmed him. He shielded his head from the blast with both forearms as the ki wall swept into him, knocking him back into a wall of the tower. He felt a large crunch as his systems reported in major component damage.
He shrugged his battered body from the crater in the wall, and crumpled over into a slump, his systems screaming as they analyzed tremendous damage from the barely-escaped attack. His blue eyes blinked curiously at a sight he’d never seen before – his own blood. It wasn’t truly blood, to be certain. Inactivated repair gel, flowing white, spilled from his forearm where it had cracked from the pressure and skewed at an odd angle. It mixed with the charged variety that also dripped from him was a florescent green hue, making curious but never-mixing patterns on the floor. His onboard safety switches activated, and the flows ceased. Sparks shuddered from the damaged and exposed circuitry from the renting wound that crossed his forearm. If it weren’t for the high durability of his android body, he would have probably died from the splash damage. It was fortunate that he was synthetic.
Vi-Poi staggered to his feet at her words. “True self?” He asked in utter confusion as he stumbled clumsily, his social algorithms overwhelmed by resource-hungry process demands and overrides from his survival systems. “What is a true self? I’m a vessel shaped by the information that passes into me. That information changes every day. But what I told you is true. I do not mean your uncle harm, or mean to use the Dragon Balls for harm.” He grunted, fixing his forearm in an iron grip before slamming it back into alignment. “But I will do whatever it takes to retrieve them.” His hand returned to functionality, mostly. He wiggled his fingers, and noticed an eighteen point drop in digit dexterity. He would have to realign his arm properly when he returned to the lab at the Cheery Lanterns.
In response to her statement about being a parasite, Vi-Poi said, “Are humans parasites as well? They eat to survive, often fellow animals. Your cells are macrophagic. I understand… the concept.” He said, pausing as he took a lurching step forward. “It’s an efficient one. The solution to your self-hatred is to align your biological need to grow and to consume with your ideals.”
As Vi-Poi spoke, he pulled his left arm back, a midnight sphere of ki flickering into existence on his forearm. “This entire Universe consumes itself to exist. It’s thermodynamics. You’re just…” He winced as a jolt of electricity in his ki conduit caused the inflating black sphere to ripple and distort, but with concentration managed to keep the flows aligned. “…just a part of this system.”
A small smile came to his face as the form of the black ki ball stabilized, a large and dark orb frothing with ki energy. At its core a red light glowed, pulsing with intensity at steady beats, like a heart. “You wish to see my true self. I will show you my maxima.” He pushed down the nagging fear of losing control to his priority system and flipped a switch inside of himself, and accessed his Overdrive. A powerful crescendo diminuendo overwhelmed other sounds, akin to the sound of an atomic explosion stretching its photosphere. His blue eyes cascaded with bright red streams of data: SURVIVAL MODE: PRIORITY OVERRIDE >OVERDRIVE ENGAGED< THREAT ASSESSMENT: MACROPHAGIC DIGESTION SELECT ALL TARGETS >> DEFEAT/DISABLE CALCULATING TRAJECTORIES AND COMBAT PARAMETERS… 0486 974 1218 3395 6462 007 8952 2376
Although the massive boost in power and the activation of Survival Mode took precedent over all his other systems, Vi-Poi's processor was this time able to divert some resources to his social algorithms. His attitude had been made darker, certainly, though he still felt a strange feeling of companionship when he viewed the biotic android.
He pulsed that tremendous gain in ki from his overclocked heart reactor straight into his Bullet. "After this, you should have no doubts as to my sincerity!" He growled, pushing his arm forward. "Final Extinction Bullet!" He shouted, the ki blast rocketing off his arm and heading straight for her. His ki guidance systems tuned to maximum, and he focused on her intently.
The Final Extinction Bullet raced towards her. If she dodged it, the black sphere of ki would relentlessly pursue her until colliding with a surface.
(OOC: I hope you feel better! Was happy to see this post and to see you back. I don't intend to stay in OD for long, just in case someone tries to knock my x down for it and this is just a training-type thing, but if we need to that's okay (though I think it will be voided anyway because this is my pre-50k, and will fall into that range and be reset). I had your Grenade "half hit" him if that makes sense. I made it take off about 30,000, meaning Vi-Poi has about another 30,000 to go before he was completely destroyed (x1 Durability in effect there). Vi-Poi has since activated his Overdrive, giving him a PL of 91,116. Keeping in tune with his damaged state, he can only absorb about 90,000 more, removing his Durability basically. If he gets, his attacks are going to start reflecting that lower PL, cause I feel it's bad form for someone with like 90% in damage dishing out full PL attacks Anyways!)
[Final Extinction Bullet[UV3] (chasing) 91,116 launched!]
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Post by Reikiko on Mar 12, 2015 22:38:24 GMT
There was something about a duel that tended to invigorate the bio-android. It didn't matter who her opponent was, whether it was a friend or foe... as long as they were capable of standing their ground against her Reikiko couldn't help but bask in the excitement of the adrenaline rush. While the words spoken by Vipoi about her comment surrounding her own parasitic nature had left a bitter feeling inside her, Reikiko couldn't help but smile inwardly at the large sphere that the android was creating. It was clear that from her sensing capacities that the sphere was being infused with a deathly amount of energy, enough to make it certain that the android was being serious. This by itself was enough to make her lips curve into an actual visible smile, her tail flailing around like an excited little puppy, when suddenly the sphere was launched her way. The first thing she did was obviously dodge sideways, attempting to leap to the side, but when the bullet chased past her and changed its trajectory... it was going to become quite difficult to escape from this pursuit. A rapid backwards dash was made, the sphere seemingly continuing to chase her unrelentingly.
"This is bad... If I'm hit by that it would take a fully powered Aura Sphere to reflect that attack"
Whispering under her breath it was clear to Reikiko that she had to think of an alternative if she wanted to avoid getting blasted by that deathly homing missile. Swiftly rolling to the side to avoid another lunge by the bullet, Reikiko was not given a moment of respite as the bullet continued to turn around and chase back at her. Did it lock down onto her energy or something?!
"Damd, you're as persistent as a Saiyan!"
Then again, perhaps she could have used that against Vipoi? Confident in her strategy Reikiko suddenly propelled her body into the air before making a swift spinning motion.
"Shadow..."
A sudden blur appeared where Reikiko had been, a second later reemerging several steps sideways, and while the bullet tore through the blur, destroying the afterimage and continuing its chase for the real bio-android, the game of tag continued. Another blur was made, this time several meters forwards, and once more the bullet was tearing through the afterimage. This honest yet determined approach to catch her was something Reikiko felt was a reflection of the android's attitude. Perhaps it was to show that Vipoi truly didn't mean any harm to her uncle? However, it appeared her evasive maneuvers would soon come to an end when she soared down in a beeline toward the android, the bullet chasing after her when all of a sudden the blur had disappeared, and unless Vipoi reacted quickly enough he would have noticed that a pair of small arms wrapped around his chest, almost in the form of a playful embrace while a soft feminine voice whispered behind him.
"Hope you're ready to go boom with me~"
It was at that point Reikiko's strategy would have revealed itself. The truth was that her earlier strategy to use Shadow Dance at its full power, was meant as a distraction for Vipoi. To him she had tried to make it appear like she was attempting to dodge it, but all this time she was preparing for a moment's opening so that she could strike him from behind into a grapple. She knew that the bullet would most certainly hit the two of them, but her durability would be enough to survive the blast. In the end it must had been the Arcosian gene within her body. Still there seemed something clearly different about the bio-android. The way she had tried to embrace him was not just a grapple to use him as a literal meatshield, but her body pressed firmly against his own, the lack of her tail making any suspicious movements, aside from having tried to wrap around his leg had been enough to show she didn't intend to try to kill him, or worse... absorb. No, if he could have seen her face at that moment the warm smile on her lips would have made it clear that she was in a cheerful mood, and perhaps even happy.
Of course if Vipoi did succeed in avoiding her grapple, then she would had been forced to use Aura Sphere to deflect the bullet, but the short amount of time before the impact would have forced her to overcharge it, leaving her drained and exhausted. Either way, after the impact of the bullet Reikiko would have hummed happily, declaring in a cheerful voice.
"That's enough, you passed."
With that her ki started to gentle lower itself toward her regular level, the bio-metabolism slowly going back into a dormant mode while she explained her earlier words with a grin.
"Despite talking like a machine, you're not just a 'machine'. You're kind of like me. Both of us initially were 'things' made by someone. However, through certain things we became capable of acting independently, thinking for ourselves. I mean, the fact you are searching for the Dragon Balls shows that you have a wish... And a robot wouldn't be able to possess such a desire unless they had a will of their own, that will is what I seen in this fight: Your true self."
For a moment she closed her eyes, seemingly thinking for a moment.
"Albeit I sensed regret in you, an odd sensation for an android. Usually Androids are extremely... stoic. They aren't really capable of thinking of such sensations unless they were made to be able to hold a will of your own. In my case I obtained my own will by devouring others, in your case it might be something entirely different."
She turned her back at Vipoi, gazing longingly toward the temple.
"However, to find out whether those Dragon Balls truly exist or not, you'd have to convince my Uncle first. He's a bit special, and will be able to read your true self as if you're a book. Your best bet is to be extremely honest with him, and hope things go well..."
--- Rei used Shadow Dance V2 to avoid Vipoi's FEB attack, by reappearing behind him and giving him a 'd'aww, let's go boom together' hug.
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Vi-Poi
Administrator
Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
Zeni: 1,247
Tag: @vipoi
Posts: 2,833
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Post by Vi-Poi on Mar 13, 2015 20:15:54 GMT
Vi-Poi smirked as his dark ball of ki, the Final Extinction Bullet, began to chase the pale-armored bio-android around the elliptical interior of the top of the Tower. Her movements were fast, extremely so, coupled with some sort of photon entangler technique that caused an afterimage to form with each burst of movement. It was an amazing thing to witness, one that shocked Vi-Poi’s combat analytical suites. His Bullet though, would not be escaped so easily.
It relentlessly pursued her, bolstered by his ki guidance systems. Every time she slipped away it changed direction in sharp turns, following her as a dark blur thrumming with red energy, its trajectory shifting like a ricocheting round. After a series of these cat-and-mouse maneuvers, Reikiko began to speed towards him. He smiled. Perhaps she hoped to come upon him and turn at the last second? It was a clever tactic, but the dark ball of ki could turn at a moment’s -… Reikiko had turned translucent and faded from view. His processor spun with confusion. Suddenly, a pair of cool arms was wrapped around his middle.
“Hope you’re ready to go boom with me.” Her voice whispered.
Vi-Poi struggled against her arms, but her grip was far too tight. He tried to leap away, but she had him locked with her ki-infused strength. All of his struggling only amounted to him flailing about like a fish on a hook. Vi-Poi desperately tried to cut off the ki guidance and power maintenance to the orb. It lessened somewhat, but still had too much energy left over. It was racing straight for him. He covered his face with his arms and pulled his knees up just before impact.
Everything turned into a bright flash of light.
Vi-Poi had never known emptiness like this before. He floated in a dark void, devoid of sensation or of memory. He could not even sense his own body, only a general presence of the void. The nothingness was almost soothing. Then he felt something deeper, underneath the darkness. Was there someone else here, with him? It was familiar.
/reboot
reactor online… loading databases…… loading processes…resuming protocols…
Vi-Poi’s Heads Up Display fuzzed back to life, along with his vision and other sensors. He peered around the room, his runtime software still reeling in confusion. What had happened? “Where am I?” He moaned softly. He leaned up, taking account of systems damage. There was moderate damage to most of his forward-facing externals, including and most noticeably, his synthweave flesh. It was scorched in several places with crisscrosses of dark soot. His reactors levels were extremely low. He hmphed as recent memory began coalescing back into place.
He’d survived his own Bullet, but it had sapped almost all of his energy reserves. He wouldn’t be infusing ki efficiently, anytime soon.
“That’s enough, you passed.” Reikiko said, standing over him. He grunted a little grumpily in response and pulled the heavy claw of his heavy weights back over, snapping them into place. He wouldn’t allow his micromotors to reassemble and repair damage without compensating for those weights completely.
(Weights On)
He pulled himself up slowly, teetering from the weights but managing to stand in a wobbling fashion. He pondered her statement on his appearance of free will. Was it true? He’d begun to suspect there was more of Poi in him than he’d originally conceived. And then there was the shadow in the void…
“I am ready.” Vi-Poi said with a firm nod. His blue eyes studied her, systems capturing every nanometer for later study. She was an intriguing construct, and not one to take lightly. If she could truly absorb the will or personalities of those she digested along with their ki energy, well… that was something very special to analyze. “Thank you for testing me, and for allowing me this opportunity. I think that I have not only revealed myself to you, but have learned something in me. Perhaps this can be the beginning of a mutually beneficial and efficient friendship.”
If Reikiko chose to wait here, Vi-Poi would await her next instruction. With her consent, and with her guidance, Vi-Poi would begin to ascend from the Tower and towards the Timeless Lookout. Buttressed by clouds and seeming to float on nothing, Vi-Poi would be in complete awe at the hovering bowl’s domineering display of magical wonder.
Reaching the sparkling tiles of the Timeless Lookout’s deck, he would first rest and recharge. Now that he’d arrived at his destination and found no gleaming instruction on what to do next, he was at an end of ideas. Perhaps, having gained the right to visit the Lookout, he would decide to pursue the Namek at a future date, when he could present himself in sharper light. He was suddenly nervous at the prospect of meeting such an individual. And Reikiko had not only stretched his limit, but given him a sense of patience and deliberateness that now accompanied his Dragon Ball-hunting priorities.
And still, his thoughts turned back to her. Such an odd being, to make her home here among the resting place of old gods and older magic...
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Post by Reikiko on Mar 13, 2015 23:46:04 GMT
"You're in the same spot your lights were knocked out at a moment ago."
A familiar feminine voice resounded from behind Vipoi, and the moment the android regained his consciousness entirely, he would have noticed that his former opponent was casually standing behind him, arms folded up beneath her chest, while her tail swayed back and forth. Surprisingly enough while Vipoi would likely have assumed the sheer intensity of the blast would have been enough to seriously damage both of them, the harm inflicted on Reikiko seemed borderline insignificant. However, curiously enough it appeared there was a reason for that, as one with a careful eye for detail would had been able to notice that several darker patches on her armor-like carapace was visibly regaining its natural color. Perhaps some form of regeneration? Either way, it appeared that Vipoi was still interested in meeting the person he had climbed the tower for, and it was a desire she didn't intend to refuse him. In the end he had honorably accepted all her trials, so it would be wrong for her to have not acknowledged the android of his honest intentions.
"Well... I guess I can see whether he's around or not. You see, as the Kami of this world he often tends to have businesses to attend to. Meditate, visit people, deal with all sorts of matters that would give me a headache."
Nodding her head lightly at Vipoi the girl turned her back at him and approached the large temple at the center of the timeless lookout. However, it appeared that midway their approach she paused right nearby a large apple tree, and for a moment the girl lifted her body upwards, slightly hovering above the surface, while her tail swished upwards, the stringer puncturing one of the apples, while pulling it down. For a moment it appeared the apple was merely turned into a kebab of sorts, but when instead of eating it, the apple seemed to visibly shrink and shrivel, while a blissful smile lingered on her lips, cheeks flushed up lightly at the same time... it was clear that whatever she had been doing, it felt good or at least deliciously so.
"I'm not sensing his presence, so he might be out for a while. However, you're more than welcome to visit him again someday. At least should you wish to do so. I won't try to stop you next time, as long as you behave."
It seemed that unfortunately Vipoi's reason for visiting had been absent, but it had been quite a fulfilling encounter. However, at the same time while Reikiko reattached her weights to her body, something else was unfolding...
In a distant region, somewhere within a underground laboratory amidst the mountains a lone man was concealed amidst the shadows. The room he had been contained several large tube-like containers, each of them empty. The man had been holding an unusual contraption in his hands, a special camera that directly linked the footage it shown to its boss.
"This... The boss needs to know about this technology... Those creatures are simply beyond any designs we have seen before. They aren't androids, nor humans... they are the vessels to become perfect beings, gods even.."
"Why, I'm flattered you are calling me a goddess."
A soft feminine voice came from behind the agent, causing him to jump forwards, quickly turning around and brandishing a dagger of sorts. To his surprise it was not a guard that had found him, but a woman of sorts. However, it took only a single glance at her to identity her as clearly being not a human being. Her body was tall and slender, graceful and feminine in nature, but a powerful armor-like carapace covered her body. Her emerald-green colored eyes looked with a hint of amusement at him, like a cat who had just cornered a mouse.
"It's not often I find a spy entering my domain--- Who send you?"
As if within the blink of an eye the woman disappeared from sight, reappearing right before the man, her tail coiling around his throat, and while he tried to slice into it with his knife, he found to his sheer surprise that the metal blade shattered on the tough hide.
"It's not my sister. Reikiko wouldn't resort to spying. No, she would have banged the door in and blown up the whole mountain in search of me. This must mean that you're a mouse in search for the food known as information. I guess it's only proper that I feed you a meal, before I get mine."
The woman gently raised one of her hands, lightly pulling the camera from the man's hands, and lifting it up to her face she declared in a amused tone.
"This thing is recording your discoveries, isn't it? Then to the friends of this little mouse: I am Yuriko, of Project Chimera. I nor my sisters hold much interest in this little war-game between those gangs of idiots. However, let me reveal something interesting. The Chimera are working to create the strongest warrior in existence. Strongest, smartest, fastest... A being capable of transcending any boundaries, a 'god' as you may call us."
She paused for a moment, the stinger on the tip of her tail slowly digging into the man's neck, like a needle.
"Aside from myself, there are 4 other sisters. I would advise you not to touch them, for by birthright they are all mine to devour. Nevertheless, since I'm on the brink of obtaining perfection I shall issue a challenge. Those believing themselves worthy of facing me in combat, I shall give you an opportunity. Once my beloved little Reikiko obtains a means to challenge me, I shall visit the Eastern Lands, and make it easy to find me. Let us see if you can make this 'game' more exciting."
After that the camera seemed to black out, while slowly the sound of screams could be heard... It was clear that the spy was being tortured.
(Weights are back on, also a bit of a teaser toward the next thread)
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Vi-Poi
Administrator
Premier of Earth
PL: 434,410
Soul(x40P), Overdrive(x43)
Zeni: 1,247
Tag: @vipoi
Posts: 2,833
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Post by Vi-Poi on Mar 14, 2015 6:28:34 GMT
Beautiful ending to a wonderful thread. And some ominous foreshadowing! ~Fin and PL for us both, please.
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Koramund
Archived
PL: 121,168
Bio Metabolize(x3)
Zeni: 2,003
Shoki: 7,708
Tag: @koramund
OOC Name: Saiyan, Namekian, Human
Posts: 694
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Post by Koramund on Mar 14, 2015 16:05:10 GMT
Vi-Poi 5889 WC Reikiko 9264 WC
You two are frickin amazing! This WC from just 2 people!
VI 7,809 PL Rei 18,157 PL Added
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