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Hello and welcome back to Mortal Kombat Konquest. On today's episode, we'll be following Takahashi Takeda, the telepath and Chujin of the Shirai Ryu. Takeda has been a valuable member of the New Defenders, fighting valiantly and earning the trust and respect of his peers. For one who can hear the thoughts of those around him, however, he has found himself wanting someone he can share his thoughts with. But among all his allies, one he particularly looks up to has been giving him some worry...

Thread Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAwWPadFsOA
Past Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Mortal+Kombat+Konquest

Official Thread Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12-IT8pOV-Zql8AQeJwJuojjMDWRtzdPb60i-9qKCQeo/edit?usp=sharing

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/DamashiKonquest
Discord: https://discord.gg/8BHvxRH
Novelization: http://archiveofourown.org/works/6325183/chapters/14492272
Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/u/Damashi

Our story continues now!
>>
"Has anyone seen Kaito?"

Several heads pop up, and all of them indicate that they have not. Takeda, the one who asked the question, frowns as he lingers in the doorway to the rec room. Kung Jin sets aside a pool cue and says, "He could be in the gym. Training center. His room, maybe?"

Tundra looks up from the same pool table after making a shot. "I caught him the other day. He was looking kind of down."

"Yeah, I've noticed it too," Takeda replies, walking up to the table. "It's starting to affect morale."

Jin cocks a brow. "Who's?"

"Well, mine, for one. I don't wanna see our team captain down in the dumps."

Cassie, sitting on the couch with her back to them, turns around and hugs the back of the sofa as she speaks. "I think the general was going to have a meeting with him today."

"Do you know about what?"

She shrugs. "Probably the war in Outworld, since Cao is there too." Jacqui nods, corroborating the idea.

"I'm just worried about him," Takeda says as he walks over, his arms folded. "He's normally one of the brightest guys around; always the first one up, ready to tackle the day. Now every time I see him, he's got these bags under his eyes and he looks... I don't know, defeated."

"He has been looking rather down lately," Vapor nods. She looks over as Frost hands her a chilled drink.

"So what?" Frost shrugs. "He's an adult, he can handle things himself. We've all got up-days and down-days.”

“He’s been rather distant,” Tundra replies, shaking his head. “I don’t like it.”

Takeda’s brow furrows further. ‘Glad to know that it’s not just me that’s noticed,’ he thinks. ‘Kaito’s one of the people who helps hold us all together. If he’s going through something, we should all help him, or at least learn what he needs. If it’s space, it’s space, but maybe he needs help…’

>Go to the training center
>Go to Kaito’s room
>Go check the gym
>Go to the briefing room
>Other
>>
>>1067808
>Go to Kaito’s room
>>
>>1067889

Takeda looks back to the door and decides that, as the barracks are closest, he'll try Kaito's room first. He walks over to the first floor and knocks on the door, but there is no response. He tries again, just to be sure, but there isn't anyone there.

He gives a small sigh and pushes on the door, finding it to be unlocked. Pausing for a moment, he lingers with one hand on the door, wondering if he should go inside or not.

'That would be an invasion of his privacy,' he says. 'Then again, he doesn't spend much time in here to begin with...'

>Go inside
>Leave
>Lock his door
>Just take a peek
>Other
>>
>>1067911
>Go inside
BITCH
I'M A NINJA
I GO WHERE I WANT
>>
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It doesn't take long for him to come to a decision. '...Yeah, I think so.'

He pushes the door all the way open and slowly moves inside, as silently as his ninja training can allow him to be (which is very silent). His eyes quickly scan across the room, detecting no other presence inside before he closes the door.

Kaito's room is rather sparsely furnished, mostly just the way it came, but there is something that catches his eye almost immediately. The young Chujin steps over to a table, upon which are laid a series of objects that are personal to Kaito. Takeda looks upon these items with a kind of awe, almost as if they are relics from a time past that should be a in a museum.

A broken tarkatan arm-blade lies halfway across the table, alongside a necklace of sharp teeth. He runs a hand along its smooth, boney surface, seeing some stained blood on it. Alongside it is some kind of purple cloth, like a cape or something, burnt and mostly destroyed. This is next to some hand-wrappings that are just as bloody as the blade.

A scroll of old parchment is here. Takeda gently picks it up and unrolls it to see its contents; it is a map of Outworld, hand-drawn with many small personal details added by both Kaito and its original artist. He can almost imagine Kaito adding to this map during his original journies twenty years ago.

In addition to a few other items, there is a book here, entitled 'The Legend of the Crimson Thunderbolt.' Takeda sets the scroll down and picks it up to examine it, finding that it is written in his native Japanese. He flips through its pages, which recount a legend of an ancient feud between warrior-gods, blood and lightning.

Takeda knows some of the story behind these objects; some told to him by Kaito himself, some of it by others. A smile comes to his face as he sets the book down, and he is reminded in a way of why he looks up to Kaito. He and his father were best friends; had things gone differently, Kaito could very well have been his godfather.

In that moment, he imagines a world where Kaito did not fall asleep for twenty years; where Kenshi asked Kaito to raise his son instead of the Shirai Ryu. Would Kaito have done this? What would Takeda's life be like if he had? He doesn't regret his life in the temples of the Sharai Ryu, underneath Grandmaster Hasashi and alongside companions like Fox. But still he imagines it; a flight of fancy and nothing more.

He sets the book down. Kaito isn't here; but he could be nearby.

>Wait for him here
>Go to the training center
>Go check the gym
>Go to the briefing room
>Return to the Rec Room
>Other
>>
>>1067975
>Go to the briefing room
>>
>>1067975
>>Go to the briefing room
>>
>>1067975

> Briefing room

Even though Takeda is a boxers man.
>>
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>>1067982
>>1068051

Leaving Kaito's room as he found it, Takeda walks towards the briefing room, located halfway between the OWEA half of the base and the ND half. As he approaches it, Cao exits and quickly notices him.

"Cao, hey, was Kaito in there?"

The thief shakes his head. "No. Just me and the general. Speaking of which, she mentioned that she wanted to talk to you about something."

"Me? Like, specifically me?" He nods, and Takeda sighs. "Great. What did I do now?"

"Not sure. But she's still inside the briefing room, if you want to catch her." As he walks by, he pats Takeda on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, pal."

'Easy for you to say,' he thinks. 'I bet I know EXACTLY what this is about.'

General Cage has often given Takeda stern talks about maintaining professionalism, even while he is off-duty. Takeda rubs his face as he thinks about how his occasional flirts keep getting him into trouble. As Cao rounds the corner and disappears, he almost wants to go and catch up to the thief and ask him how he does it.

'He probably just keeps it all in Outworld. He's practically drowning in chicks who want to get in good with the prince.'

He looks at the briefing room door, and is reminded that he didn't ask Cao where Kaito is. Since he's eliminated the briefing room, he could always simply NOT go in there and get chewed out by the general... Of course, she might know where Kaito is, since she is on a higher need-to-know basis than he.

>Sneak away from the briefing room
>Go in there and report to the general
>Slip back and hang out with Cao
>Plan to report to her later; continue your search
>>
>>1068100
>Go in there and report to the general
>>
>>1068100
>>Go in there and report to the general

Might as well get it over with. Y'know, like ripping off a band-aid.
>>
>>1068100

> Report.
>>
>>1068103
>>1068116
>>1068128

With a deep breath, Takeda pushes open the door to the briefing room and steps inside. General Sonya Cage looks up from some papers. "Mr. Takahashi," she says, somewhat surprised to see him but not entirely caught off-guard. "Take a seat."

He inwardly gulps at her calling him 'Mr. Takahashi.' He follows her instruction and sits down at the table. She finishes looking through the reports in front of her then looks up. "I've received a complaint about you from a lower enlisted soldier. She says you were attempting to pick her up."

"What, physically? Or with my mind? Because I can't do that yet," he smiles.

She isn't amused and stares at him with a stern look that quickly starts to make him uncomfortable. He coughs into his hand. "Excuse me, ma'am."

"Takeda, I don't know how to make this any more clear: stop hitting on the female soldiers under my command."

He holds up a hand. "I was just trying to be friendly."

"I'm also going to have to order you to stop reading their minds and attempting to discern their tastes in music, film and food. You're not as transparent as you think you are. They have been briefed on your telepathy."

"Look, general, I'm... I'm part of the brief?"

Her voice retains its scolding tone as she ignores his question and continues. "Takeda, you technically don't fall under my direct jurisdiction. You are a member of the Shirai Ryu. But as a member of the New Defenders, it would do you well to remember that this is an initiative created by the Secretary of Defense of the United States. This is a Special Forces/OWEA base, and the tech you use was created by the US government."

He folds his arms and avoids eye contact.

"My soldiers are here to do a job. So are you, and it doesn't involve picking them up for dates. From now on, unless you are under orders or on official business, I want you to restrict your time on my half of the base. I think you don't appreciate how much operational and professional personal freedom you are allotted in this position, Takeda. Pursuing a relationship is perfectly fine, but you are not allowed to do so with anyone under my command."

She slams shut the folder in front of her, which makes him look back at her in surprise. "That includes any Special Forces soldiers on the team. Understood?"

'Momma bear doesn't want me making googly eyes at Cassie,' he thinks.

>Understood, ma'am.
>Shouldn't they be free to choose who they want to spend their time with?
>But non-SF personnel are good, right?
>Apologize and excuse yourself
>Other
>
>>
>>1068198
>>Shouldn't they be free to choose who they want to spend their time with?
>>
>>1068198

>Shouldn't they be free to choose who they want to spend their time with?
>But non-SF personnel are good, right?

Both seem very Takeda to me.
>>
>>1068198
>Shouldn't they be free to choose who they want to spend their time with?
>>
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>>1068214
>>1068227
>>1068230

Takeda knows he shouldn't press the issue, but still he asks, "Shouldn't they be free to choose who they want to spend their time with?"

Sonya sets down her pen next and narrows her eyes even more. "This is not a debate, Takeda. They are soldiers and are expected to maintain a strict level of discipline. Distractions from dating, and furthermore conflicts that can arise from dating a peer or a superior undermines the mission of any military organization. Some places are more relaxed with this policy than others---this is not one of them."

"So, neither Cassie nor Jacqui are allowed to date anyone else on the team?"

"Correct."

He stries to contain his smirk. Takeda, being the telepath that he is, is one of the few people to know about Jacqui and Cao's relationship, and the fact that it ended---all while no one higher up knew about it. Even though the general is just following protocol, even a regulation-hound like Jacqui sometimes breaks it. It's simply human nature. He knows it, and he knows she knows it, but there isn't much he can do when she's chewing him out like this other than nod his head and move on.

"Alright, I understand general. You won't get any more complaints about me."

"I'm serious, Takeda. This is your last friendly warning. I advise you to find a way to control your urges that doesn't involve any staff under my command. Am I being clear?"

"Crystal clear, ma'am."

"Good. Dismissed."

Takeda stands up and is about to leave when he pauses. Turning back around, he then asks her, "General, is Kaito around?"

"No," she says, looking down at her papers again. "He is on mission."

"Can I ask where?"

"You can."

"So... where?"

Sonya looks back up now. "Kaito is afforded a level of responsibility and confidentiality, and personal trust from me, that you are not. Kaito is currently dealing with a number of things and has requested leave, which I have granted him."

Takeda is silent for a few moments, and then leaves.

>Return to the Rec Room
>Go to the gym
>Go to the training center
>Go to your room
>Other
>>
>>1068292
>Return to the Rec Room
Cassie and Jacqui are officially forbidden fruit. I wonder how they feel about that.
>>
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>>1068305

As he picks up his pace towards the rec room, Takeda's thoughts are numerous. 'I should know where Kaito is. I'm trustworthy enough. He's seemed really down lately... I bet this is because of that sphinx chick, Turana. I've never met her but she must've been something special to make him like this, especially since he has Mileena---no, wait, TWO Mileenas---to keep him company.'

He enters the rec room, where many others on the team are playing, hanging out or conversing. 'Company... that's not so much to ask, really. Everyone could use a little companionship now and then. I know I sure could...'

His eyes stray over to Cassie and Jacqui as they sit with Vapor, discussing a few things. Not far away, Frost and Ling are sharing a drink. Sam isn't here; she's probably spending time with the girl they rescued in Chicago, Jessica, who is still in the medbay. Sheeva isn't here, either---but then again, she's almost never found in the rec room.

>Hang out with the guys
>Cassie, Jacqui and Vapor
>Frost and Ling
>Go see Sam and Jessica
>Try to find Sheeva
>Other
>>
>>1068463
>Cassie, Jacqui and Vapor
>>
>>1068463
>>Hang out with the guys
>>
>>1068478
>>1068507

Let's have a tie breaker.
>>
> Sheeva

Because fuck your tie.
>>
>>1068557
I'll swap to
>Hang out with the guys
>>
>>1068463

>Hang out with the guys
>>
>>1068507
>>1068579
>>1068662

Takeda's focus shifts to his male counterparts nearby. Tundra and Jin have finished up their pool game, and now they, along with Takeda's fellow Chujin Fox, have struck up a card game. It seems everyone is relaxing this day; every now and then a day comes along when everyone gets an opportunity to simply hang out. Most days around the base are spent working out, training, sparring or practicing some skill---after all, they need to keep sharp to do what they do.

He walks over and pulls out a chair to sit and join the game, but Jin raises a hand and waves his finger. "Uh-uh, Takeda. Nice try."

"What?"

"You think we're going to play with you reading our minds?"

"I don't do that," Takeda defends himself. "...Usually."

"Yes you do," Fox simply replies as he sets his cards down.

"It is rather hard to believe you," Zian replies with a smirk. "No offense. But we never really can tell."

"How about I go get you guys some tinfoil hats to go along with that paranoia? C'mon, deal me the cards."

Jin shrugs. "Alright, but if you win, you cheated."

"So even if I win completely legitimately, I cheated?"

"Exactly."

"Gee, thanks guys. I'm really feeling the love."

Zian deals out the cards, and the game begins. As they play, Takeda makes every attempt to show that he is not using his powers, though the others occasionally glance his way in suspicion. He rolls his eyes each time he notices; it's not like he can 'accidentally' use them. It takes a concentrated effort to read or influence another's mind. Besides, he knows they're just teasing.

Or are they? A little peak behind the scenes at their cards wouldn't hurt anyone...

>Play fair
>Cheat and win
>Cheat, but intentionally lose
>Mess around with them
>Other
>>
>>1068774
>Play fair
just to prove a point
>>
>>1068774
>Play fair
>>
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>>1068837
>>1068889

Takeda decides to play fair, if for no other reason than to prove a point. The game goes on for a while, but in the end he loses; Jin is the victor. As the cards are shuffled and moved around, the smug Shaolin looks over. "What's the matter? Mind-reading failed?"

"Well, I tried, but there just wasn't anything to read," he shrugs, and Zian chuckles.

Jin smirks. "Funny. I remember you saying that about Sam, only then you actually meant it."

Now Fox chuckles. The usually-silent Shirai Ryu is usually the one who pokes fun at Takeda for his embarrassing treatment of Sam during their earliest time as a team. Takeda rolls his eyes as Zian prepares to deal a new hand.

That's when Ling saunters over, her curiosity piqued. "I want to learn this game," she says, taking a seat alongside Takeda. "It reminds me of Emperor's Hand back in Outworld."

"What's that?" Takeda asks.

She's about to answer when Jin does so for her. "Outworld's variant on cards. One of the few things Shao Kahn allowed during his reign that the people could enjoy, because the game is designed around the philosophy of conquering your opponent."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Takeda says, stealing a quick glance at Ling's thighs.

"So, how do we begin?" she asks.

Jin stops Zian from dealing. "Hold on. I'd rather not play with a rookie." Eyebrows raise as the two Kungs stare each other down. "Maybe you should just sit and watch this game first, learn a thing or two for once."

"Perhaps you would rather play the game with less teeth," she threatens him for his snide comment.

Takeda locks eyes with Zian and Fox. Everyone knows that it is best to let the Kungs sort out their own family issues, lest you be dragged into it.

>Let them fight it out
>Offer to teach Ling how to play
>Use your telepathy during the game to help her
>Excuse yourself from the table
>Other
>>
>>1068974
>Offer to teach Ling how to play
Not Special Forces.
>>
>>1068974
>Offer to teach Ling how to play
>>
>>1068974
>>Offer to teach Ling how to play
>>
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>>1068987
>>1069002
>>1069008

Takeda, however, is quick to intercept this family feud in its infancy and volunteers, "I'll teach her how to play."

Jin puts up his hands. "That's your call. Zian, deal 'em."

Tundra does so and so the game begins. Takeda scoots closer to Ling and helps her read and understand the cards. His three fellows, for their part, do not interrupt. Zian seems quite eager to help and offers a few tips, while Fox remains silent. Jin is silent as well, but it's the kind of silence that speaks volumes, especially with his skeptical eyebrows. Takeda is certain that it isn't so much that she is new to the game, but rather that she is family.

Ling as it turns out is a fast learner. The first few rounds go quickly and she seems to be picking up. Frost, more accustomed to poker, occasionally leans over her friend's shoulder to whisper some advice.

Once she has the hang of it, the game gets real. Takeda scoots back to his original position and Ling begins to play her hands with practiced, calculating strokes. Zian folds; he's out. Fox follows. Soon, it's just you, Jin and Ling, though clearly the pair of first cousins once removed are focusing more on being the one to beat the other, and he just happens to still be in the game.

Still, a position to be in the game is still a position to influence its outcome. As Frost, Cassie, Jacqui and Vapor look on in interest, and with Tundra and Fox still sitting at the table, they all wonder where it will go as Jin and Ling stare each other down, each wondering what the other's next move will be.

>Win and beat both of them
>Get Jin out of the game
>Get Ling out of the game
>Make Ling win
>Play fair and see how it goes
>Other
>>
>>1069123
>Win and beat both Jins
>>
>>1069123
>Win and beat both of them
>>
>>1069138
>>1069187

Takeda smirks to himself. Subtly slipping into their minds, he learns exactly what he needs to do. When the cards hit the table, Jin's frustration is apparent, and he gives Takeda a look of suspicion. Before he can say anything though, Cassie pats Takeda on the shoulder and congratulates him. "I guess the King of Games over there lost his cool," she says, snickering at the look on Jin's face.

The Shaolin looks around the room; everyone is waiting for him to explode to call Takeda a cheater. He closes his eyes, lets out a sigh and concedes. Several high-fives are exchanged.

Ling leans over and whispers, "You're welcome." Before he can question her as to her meaning, Frost whisks her away to return to their table.

Zian talks to Cassie and they both come to the conclusion that if everyone could become so invested in a card game, they could use something to break up the lazy pace of the day.

"How about a contest?" Vapor suggests.

The more competetive team members are immediately on board with that idea, Cassie and Jacqui in particulary, and strangely enough Jin---perhaps hoping to win back some of his pride.

Ideas are thrown out, from fighting to sports to a footrace around the island to a scavenger hunt. Cassie takes out a notepad and starts tallying ideas.

>Kombat Tournament
>Race
>Scavenger Hunt
>Volleyball Tournament
>Other/Write-In
>>
>>1069348
>>Volleyball Tournament

But only if it's set to Kenny Loggins music
>>
>>1069348
>Volleyball Tournament
Powers or no powers?
>>
>>1069459
>>1069512

"How about a volleyball game?" Takeda asks, interested in seeing if they have a net---and the girls of the team in swimsuits, naturally.

Cassie puts her hands together. "Yes! I love this idea. Powers, or no powers?"

"Powers!" Frost says.

"No powers," Jacqui immediately shoots back.

"What's volleyball?" Ling asks.

Cassie looks over at Takeda. "I'll get the net ready. Everyone, outside in an hour, swimsuits only! Jacqui, you get the music. Top Gun soundtrack."

"On it," the specialist says as she and Cassie run out of the rec room.

"Yeah... I'm going to sit this one out," Vapor says, turning invisible before anyone can object.

Frost shrugs. "Well, who needs her? C'mon Ling, let's go get suited up."

"I still don't know what this game is," she says as Frost pulls her out of the room.

Jin cracks his knuckles. "Nice suggestion, Takeda. Nothing like seeing a bunch of women jumping and thrusting in skimpy bathing suits, huh?"

Tundra blinks. "Is that what's about to happen?" After a moment, he says, "I need to go get Sam," and runs out of the room.

Looking over at Fox, Jin asks, "So, what about it big guy? You got a suit?"

"No."

Jin cocks a brow. "You wanna borrow one?"

Takeda leaves the room just as soon as Fox answers; again in the negative. He hurries to his room to find a pair of trunks to slip on. He hurries out onto the beach of the island.

'Finally!' he thinks to himself, smiling at how well this has come together. 'We've been on this island for, what, more than half a year and we haven't had ONE volleyball tournament. It's about time.'

Not long afterwards, Cassie portals in from her home in Venice, California with volleyball supplies. As Takeda helps her and Jacqui set up the net, he steals glances at their toned bodies, shown off beautifully by their swimsuits. Cassie is wearing a star-striped red white and blue matching set while Jacqui wears a dark green combo that really brings out her eyes.

Next up are Ling and Frost, the latter of whom is wearing a bright blue two piece. In the hot sun it seems like cold mist wafts off of her body as she takes up position near the net with Ling, who is wearing what she usually wears minus her leggings and a few other things. Takeda smirks as he thinks about how she's almost always dressed for beach weather anyway.

The guys make it out soon, along with Sam, wearing a comparatively plain outfit. Jin, Tundra and Fox (somehow convinced) are wearing simple swim trunks. It seems someone alerted Cao to what is going on as well, for even though he is the last to come running up, he does so quickly, kicking up sand behind him until he skids to a stop.

With the net set up and the ball ready, now all that's left is to determine teams. With ten people here, two teams of five should work.

>Men vs. Women
>Pick your team
>>
>>1069710
>Pick your team
Takeda and the available pretty girls vs Sam and her man-harem
>>
>>1069710
this>>1069739
it amuses me too much
>>
>>1069739
This will be hilarious.
>>
>>1069739
>>1069753
>>1069806

As Takeda leans up against a nearby tree, he thinks about how Sheeva isn't here, but that if she was she wouldn't even have to usually change---that red one-piece she always wears doubles as a nice swimsuit of its own. Cassie takes up as captain of one team, and elects Sam as captain of the other. They do rock-paper-scissors to determine who picks first; Cassie wins.

"Don't let that be a spoiler warning for later," she teases. "Alright, JB, get over here!"

Jacqui runs over. Sam immediately picks Cao, which surprises everyone who thought she would immediately pick her boyfriend.

"Frost," Cassie calls out.

"Zian!"

"Ling!"

"Jin!"

Now it's down to just Fox and Takeda, the latter of whom smirks and says to his friend, "Shirai Ryu, always last in the polls, huh?"

"Alright, Takeda," Cassie says. The telepath tries not to celebrate outworldly as he goes to join the all-female team while Fox is stuck with Sam and her man harem.

As he takes his place among the beautiful and deadly women, Takeda smiles at the other team, perhaps gloating a bit. A rotational pattern is decided upon; two people on the court per team, one of which will rotate out with each point. Jacqui hits the music and Cassie serves.

>1d100s to see how well the game goes!
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>1069900
Show them real ninja skills. Not Chinese knock offs.
>>
Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>1069900
>>
Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>1069900
Time to ruin it by rolling low
>>
>>1069919
>>1069948
>>1069995

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1E9jrElVLY

Takeda is the first one up on his team alongside Cassie. She serves and Sam knocks it back. Cassie hits it again, launching it over to Zian, who hits it hard and high. Takeds sees the ball coming towards Cassie, who punches it up and back towards him.

Leaping up high, Takeda spins and attacks the ball in a powerful downward spike. It flies over the net and hits the ground at Sam's feet. As he lands, he gives a smile and a thumbs up. "How'd you like my Shirai Ryu Spike?"

Zian smirks. "Let's see how you handle the Lin Kuei Launch."

Collectively, several groans are heard, but so are some cheers.

>>1069948
>>1069995

The next two points to go their team, unfortunately. Takeda cycles out as Ling and Jacqui face off against Fox and Jin, who manage to score over them. As Ling misses her block, Jin lets out a cheer. She shoots him a nasty look as she struts off the court to be replaced by Cassie.

Takeda gives her a high-five to keep her encouraged as the game progresses.

>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>1070092
Drop kick spike
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>1070092
this is great
>>
Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>1070208
Well it was great.

Aim for Jin's feet, just to rub it in.
>>
>>1070227
Oh god dammit.
>>
>>1070122

A point for his team gets Takeda back in the game. Once more with Cassie, he waits for his opportunity. Playing defensively at first, he and Cassie keep the ball going back and forth to the other team, until she sets him up for success again by launching it high.

Takeda leaps into the air and kicks the ball back at the other team with a forward dropkick, slamming both feet on it and sending it hurtling to the sand at his opponent's feet.

"Hey, I didn't know we could use our feet!" Cao calls out.

"New rules!" Jacqui laughs.

Takeda lands in a perfect pose, eager to show off for the ladies. Cassie calls for a chest-bump and they slam into each other; he tries not to get too excited when he feels her breasts rub up against his chest, but Cassie seems to take it like a bro would, eager to move onto the next round. She adjusts her sunglasses and quickly trash-talks the other team.

>>1070208
>>1070227

That's when Fox gets up and puts Takeda to shame with a Shirai Ryu Spike of his own. "Keep your eyes up," he says, noticing that Takeda's eyes tend to drift off of the ball and onto his teammate.

Takeda shakes his head. 'This game's getting real now,' he notices, especially once Cassie's hands start to glow green. As Frost takes up position, Jin summons his bow and knocks the volleyball out of the air with the dragon head of his staff.

"Oh, it's SO on now," Frost declares, freezing the ball before kicking it across the net.

Everyone on the sidelines starts to cheer now that powers and weapons are in play!

>1d100!
>>
>>1070122
>>1070208
>>1070227
Look, I can't keep carrying the team like this. We're going to lose, which means no victory group hug.
>>
Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>1070271
>>
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>1070271
read the enemy team's minds to know their play, and counter it
>>
Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>1070271
Make them miss a save with a telekinetic nudge at the right time

Takeda has TK, right? He uses it on his lightsa--er..."pulse blades".
>>
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>Meanwhile, on a balcony with a pair of binoculars...

"This has made it all worth it."
>>
Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>1070271
telekinesis it baby
>>
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>>1070294

Eventually the score is tied up again when Takeda takes the field with Ling, staring down Zian and Fox. Their eyes meet as Ling gives him a sign behind her back. With his telepathy and her precognition, they make an unstoppable team, scoring not once, but twice in rapid succession.

Fox throws a smokebomb down at his feet, vanishing as Zian launches himself upwards with cryonic energy in order to headbutt the ball. Ling's qiang appears in her hand and she uses the blunt end to knock the ball back. Fox reappears and hits it back out of the air, but Takeda had read his mind and was ready. With a spinning downwards kick, he bypasses their defense and scores.

>>1070295

The other team retaliates when Cao takes up the lead, summoning up a green shield to block an attack and deflecting the ball back where it came from---blasting it right through the net and onto the sand in his opponent's court. As rules have all but been thrown out the window at this point, this is considered legal.

>>1070307

Once few more people have cycled through, three people are on the court now on each team. Takeda passes to Jacqui, who launches it over to Sam, who sets up Jin for an attack, but Takeda reaches out with his hand and nudges the ball slightly with a light amount of telekinesis. Ling gives him a thumbs-up.

"You've been practicing, I see," she notices.

"I'm getting better."

>>1070316

As the ball is knocked out of grounds, it lands in a three-fingered hand. Everyone turns as the music lowers in volume as Sheeva walks up.

"I see your games are too great for the champion of the shokan to be invited," she replies, taking the ball and crushing it. "Now, we play a shokan game."

Cassie swallows. "And what kind of game is that?"

"The first one caught is the first one crushed!"

Sheeva smiles as she leaps upwards, high into the sky, before slamming down on the net. Everyone scatters!

>1d100 to escape!
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>1070493
spider-man! spider-man! does whatever a spider can!
>>
Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>1070493
woooooopwooooopwoooooop
>>
>>1070529
>>1070535
This is how it was always destined to end. The dice gods have made their will known.
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>1070493
>>
>>1070529
>>1070535
>>1070629
Smothered by Sheeva, at least we'll go out with a boner
>>
>>1070639
I remember when Kaito was partly on track to hit Sheeva between MK2 and MK3.
>>
>>1070529
>>1070535
>>1070629

As others dive and run, laughing from the sudden appearance of the shokan, Takeda holds his ground. He makes eye contact with Sheeva and she hones in on him instantly, charing up to him.

But he doesn't move. She lingers for a moment, hands splayed out. "You are not going to run?"

He smirks up at her. "Maybe I'd like to be caught by you."

She gives him a wry grin of her own before picking him up and holding him in her upper arms. "Behold! My first catch!"

Takeda strikes a leizurely pose. "Does this make me a trophy?"

"A small and weak one, yes."

"Wh---Hey!"

Suddenly, Sheeva spins in place until Takeda is good and dizzy before throwing him further up the beach. He hits the ground rolling in the sand, kicking it up as he goes. Finally, when he (and the world around him) stops spinning, he shakes his head and begins to pick himself up.

He stops when he senses a strange presence approaching, one very different than any other on the island, one he has not felt since...

He looks up as a pair of armored boots step in front of him. "...Dad?"

Kenshi doesn't look down at his son; that would be pointless. Instead he looks with his mind, taking in the thoughts and feelings of those around him on the beach to get an idea of what is going on.

"So, is this what you do all day, son?"

"...Not ALL day."

Kenshi leans down to help him up. Takeda gives his father a big hug, who returns it with a smile growing beneath his beard. "Yes, hello my son. It is good to see you."

"What are you doing here?" he asks as he pulls away.

"I came to speak with you on a matter of great importance," the blind swordsman replies. "Duck."

"What?"

Kenshi ducks as the destroyed remnants of the volleyball net are thrown his way by Sheeva, tangling him up. His father straightens and dusts himself off. "I will be in the base when you are done here," he says with an amused tone before turning and walking in the wrong direction.

"Uh, dad? Other way."

"I knew that!" Kenshi is quick to reply and correct himself.

>Face down Sheeva
>Help Ling escape
>Take cover with Jacqui
>Pick yourself up and head to the base
>Other
>>
>>1070681
>Face down Sheeva
Don't pitch a tent, don't pitch a tent, don't pitch a tent.
>>
>>1070681
>Face down Sheeva
We're still in bathing trunks aren't we? no gadgets or whip arms?
>>
>>1070681
>>Face down Sheeva
>>
>>1070695
>>1070746
>>1070796

Shrugging off the net, Takeda watches his father go but feels inclined to remain outside just a bit longer. After all, it's so difficult to get Sheeva to come out and play, so why not make the most of it?

Takeda grabs the two halves of the net and quickly turns them into makeshit whips. They aren't nearly going to be as effective as his normal weaponry, but perhaps he can defeat this mighty shokan. He dashes towards her and skids in the sand as she faces him.

"Back for more? Have you remembered that you have some fight in you?"

"Oh, I've got some fight in me alright," he replies, tightening his grip on the net-ropes. "What about you, Sheeva? You want some of me in you?"

Her face betrays her sudden shock at his words. "A shokan will not accept such vulgarity. Prepare yourself!"

All around them, the others are now in small sparring matches of their own; the entire beach has become a place of play-fighting. Takeda grins as the large, four-armed woman crouches and then leaps forward!

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>1070810
Snatch her legs with the whips and try to drag her back to earth.
>>
Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>1070810
roll behind her landing spot and kick out her knees from behind
>>
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Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>1070810
>>
Y'know, I really thought we'd have run out of low rolls and turned it around by the time the volleyball game was over.

I don't know why the fuck I thought that.
>>
>>1070828

Takeda leaps back, but the shokan's reach is surprisingly long. She grabs holds of him by the foot, and due to his miscalculation, she yanks him back towards her and then spins. Takeda finds the island, the base and the ocean rapidly entering and exiting his view as Sheeva holds onto him, spinning him around like a discus thrower.

She does not let go, however, and eventually slows and merely drops him. She waits for him to recover with a wide grin on her face.

"You speak out of turn. I will teach you to respect the shokan."

>>1070899

Takeda shakes away his dazed state as he rises to his feet. Gripping the nets tightly, he throws them at her legs. She sees him coming and leaps up high, landing behind him, but that's what he had anticipated! He turns around and tries to kick out her legs from behind, only to find her stance is solid like a rock.

>>1070911

As she turns around and cracks her four sets of knuckles, he gulps and quickly scrambles to escape. She grabs him and holds him down, making him face her as she rains light blows down upon him, love taps. But even love taps from a shokan can hurt, as Takeda finds out.

Grabbing him by the neck, she holds him up as she leans down. "Did you know that before one can make a shokan a lover, he must first conquer her in battle?"

"S... sounds about right..."

>Current Meter: 2
>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>1070981
Struggle out of her grip, but slip and pull aside part of her one-piece in a wardrobe malfunction.
>>
>>1071025
So Takeda is going to grab a titty outright.
>>
Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>1070981
sweep, for the love of god sweep her leg
>>
Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>1070981
Takeda used Sand Attack.!
Takeda used karate chop! on her neck preferably
>>
>>1071025
>>1071035

As she brings up her fists for more, Takeda, reaches up to defend himself, but in his confusion, accidentally lays a hand on her chest. She looks down at the offending hand and then back at him. "You dare!?"

"Oh, hell."

>>1071041

Just then, the combined efforts of Jacqui and Jin tackle Sheeva off of Takeda, allowing him to roll over and cough. Nearby, the shokan struggles to throw both of them off.

'Goddamn... I just groped Sheeva. Surprisingly soft, yet firm... and bigger than my head.'

The shokan succeeds in standing and shaking off Jin; she steps on his chest and buries him halfway in the sand. She then reaches up and grabs Jacqui before hurling her away. She stomps towards Takeda, thinking him still easy prey, but then he turns and hooks a foot around her leg, sweeping it out from underneath her!

>>1071145

As she falls, he rolls to the side, grabbing a handful of sand. He throws it in her face as she recovers and looks at him, which earns him another distraction! He leaps atop her, giving her neck a powerful (but not too powerful) chop, stunning her.

He leans back as she shakes her head, spitting out some sand.

"It is unwise to anger a shokan!"

Against his better judgment, he replies, "Baby you know you love it."

Her red eyes flare as he suspects he's about to regret saying that.

>Current Meter: 3
>1d100 and an action! Final round
>>
Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>1071232
Get on her back and chokehold her until she taps out
>>
>>1071232
LEG IT! Let's see how fast Sheeva is at a dead sprint.
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>1071269
>>
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>>1071263
My first roll and I get a 16
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>1071232
charge in and Ex Fists of flurry into whirlwind kick
>>
>>1071280
Welcome to Konquest, you're fitting right in.
>>
>>1071263

Sheeva pushes herself up as Takeda leaps over her head, managing to wrap both net-ropes around her neck. He pulls tight, but her strength is far greater! Leaning forward and pulling, she whips him in front of her and prepares to pull back on them.

>>1071279

But Takeda merely lets go, allowing Sheeva to tumble backwards into the sand. He flips up onto his feet and takes off in a sprint, dashing off into the jungle.

'Okay. Let's judge this rationally. She's not nearly as fast a runner as you are. If you go as hard and as fast as you can, scientifically she can't possibly catch up!'

>>1071297

It is a shame that shokan science works differently than conventional science. He sees a shadow over his head and his pupils shrink as she jumps down through the canopy like a meteor falling from heaven, tearing apart a tree as she does so. She lands right in front of him, cracking the ground beneath her feet and caushing him to crash into her and fall down.

Then she is upon him, holding him down with all four arms, pinning him to the jungle floor. They both pant heavily as Takeda prepares for the beatdown of his life. She stares into his eyes with a strange combination of predatory elation, fury and... lust?

The beatdown does not come. Instead, the most fiercely passionate and powerful kiss of his life is planted upon him, which almost feels like a punch with how aggressive it is. His eyes widen as she claims his mouth as sovereign territory of the shokan, and she is its queen. Her body heaves as the half-dragon's lower hands press down upon his chest, inadvertantly squeezing the breath out of his lungs.

Then, as quickly as it began, it is ended, and she looks down upon him, utterly horrified.

"Elder Gods, what have I done?" she mutters.

"I don't know..." he gasps. "Do it some more?"

Her eyes spark in realization. "The season..." She stands up and cups her mouth, looking away in shame. "Forgive me. This was not meant to happen. I must go."

And like the Hulk before her, she jumps away, leaving him confused and aroused all at the same time. He pushes himself up and rubs his head as he tries to figure out just what the HELL happened. He looks up at the hole in the trees left behind by her leaping away.

'Goddamn...' is all he can think.

That's all for tonight. We'll continue tomorrow morning!
>>
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>>1071445
>Shokans go through heat
>>
>>1071445
Oh god, they have a breeding season

what have we done
>>
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>>1071445

After picking himself up and returning to the beach, he finds the others cleaning up from the fun. He scratches the back of his head as he approaches Cassie and Jacqui.

"Sorry about your net and ball," Jacqui says to her.

Cassie takes it in stride and shrugs. "Eh, we Cages go through a lot of balls anyway." Upon noticing Takeda walking up, she tilts down her sunglasses. "You alright, dude? You look like you just saw a ghost or something."

"Yeah... Fine."

"So, Keanu is waiting for you back inside, huh?"

"What?"

"Your dad."

"Oh, ha ha. Yeah." In all the excitement with Sheeva, he had nearly forgotten. "I should head back."

"I'll go with you," Jacqui says, and the two of them start walking towards the base. "You were pretty good out there, Takeda."

"Thanks," he smiles.

She nudges him with her elbow. "Pretty good at showing off, that is."

"Well, there's a lot to show," he shrugs. The two of them reach the door and he opens it by pressing his palm on the scanner. "Hey, weird question, but... have you noticed anything weird about Sheeva lately?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," she replies. "She's usually in the gym. It was nice that she came out to play for once."

"Yeah, yeah..." His mind is still focused on that fiercely passionate kiss. What truly happened there?

"I'm gonna go shower. Catch you later?" She waves over her shoulder with a cute smile before walking off. Takeda watches her go as he leans up on a wall, his eyes trailing down her swimsuit-clad body.

'Cao was damn lucky,' he thinks as he looks at her rear. 'I'd go for that in a heartbeat.'

But Jacqui hasn't seemed too receptive to romantic advances, it seems. After he learned that she and Cao had split up, he had given her some distance before throwing some casual flirts her way. After all, she's very beautiful and strong, so why not? But she has been insistent on remaining professional relationships with the others.

Perhaps it's because she got wary of dating other people on the team after what happened to Cao. General Cage may have placed an embargo on dating either her or Cassie, but at the end of the day it's Jacqui that decides who she wants to date. And if she doesn't want to date on the team again, that's her choice.

'Lucky, lucky, lucky Cao...' he thinks to himself. 'If I had met Jacqui first, maybe things could have been different. I would've liked that.'

He lets out a small sigh and realizes he's been just standing in the hall in his swimwear for a few minutes and quickly moves off to his room to clean up.

After showering, he...

>Go find your father
>Go find Sheeva
>Go find Ling and Frost
>Go find Cassie
>Other
>>
>>1072364
>Go find Sheeva
It's stupid AND in character, the perfect combination. Gotta find out what season she meant, after all.
>>
>>1072364
>>Go find your father
I'd feel bad keeping a blind man waiting. I would like to go mess around with Ling later since we haven't really gotten to continue that prank war that started a while back
>>
>>1072368
>>1072374

Can I get a tie breaker?
>>
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> Sheev

Palpaship time
>>
>>1072364
>Go find Sheeva
We won't be able to focus with Kenshi if we can't at least partially get this settled.
>>
>>1072368
>>1072395
>>1072412

After showering, he resolves to find Sheeva to figure out just what really happened out there, then get with his father to see what he came for. He travels down to Sheeva's room first, which is locked. Upon putting his ear up to the door, he can hear the sound of running water.

'She must be showering,' he guesses, and for a brief moment his mind is aflame with imagery of what that must look like.

He hears footsteps and turns to see Sam coming; normally he doesn't like to be caught on this floor, but he cannot detect her presence until she is right behind him---another byproduct of her powers and his not mixing.

"Takeda," she says, then stops outside her door. "What are you doing up here?"

"I just wanted to ask Sheeva a question," he replies quickly and honestly, leaving out the more important details.

She shrugs. "Alright. Just don't get thrown through a wall or anything." She opens her door and walks inside.

'Here's hoping,' he thinks to himself. 'What am I even doing here? This is nuts. She's twice my size with nearly twice as many limbs.'

>Wait outside her door
>Attempt to pick the lock
>Sneak in through her window
>On second thought, get out of here
>Other
>>
>>1072425
>On second thought, get out of here
Sheeva will come out on her own time, and Kenshi's waiting for us. Any sort of breaking & entering we do will clearly be taken the wrong way, and we'll get put through the floor.
>>
>>1072431
Just leave a note under the door saying we need to talk.
>>
>>1072433
Works for me
>>
>>1072433

I'll back it.
>>
>>1072431
>>1072433
>>1072442
>>1072457

Takeda sighs. 'Yeah, I'm not about to sneak in there and get stomped on. I should leave a letter, or something.' After returning to his room and grabbing a pen and paper, he writes that he would simply like to speak with her later. He then slips it under her door and leaves the barracks, all the while feeling conflicted. He sets the notion aside and focuses on meeting with his father. If he is distracted with something else, Kenshi will know---that's what he does, after all.

He finds his father in the briefing room. "Papa-san."

Kenshi turns around. The next words that come are not spoken, but telepathic. 'My son. Please, sit.'

Takeda does so, and thinks back at his father, 'So, what is this all about? You mentioned something important earlier.'

'This concerns us both, and your mother.'

His eyes widen. 'My mother...?'

'Her killers. The Red Dragon clan.' He moves to sit as well, leaning in over the table. To the outside listener, they are saying nothing at all, but the words the communicate through their minds are loud and clear. 'I have been tracking down the Red Dragon throughout Earthrealm, attacking their camps and outposts. They are subtle and well-hidden, especially after my last encounter with their leaders.'

Takeda frowns. He remembers well when he and Kaito found Kenshi in the Living Forest, his own sword impaled through his stomach. The man has healed well, well enough to attempt facing them again.

'The Red Dragon move through the realms using some means that the OWEA cannot detect. This makes it very difficult to find them, but I have uncovered a strange link to the Netherrealm.'

'What kind of link?'

'I believe the Red Dragon may be attempting some kind of deal with either the Black Dragon or the Deadly Alliance, both of which are based out of the Netherrealm.'

'We haven't heard from either of them in a while,' Takeda reports. 'It's got the team on edge. We don't know where the Black Dragon lair, and we haven't gotten close to the Nekropolis without being spotted. Quan Chi has some kind of sorcery that prevents us from creating a portal nearby.'

'Regardless, I have learned that the Red Dragon have established a base in the Netherrealm. I intend to go there and see why, and I hoped that you would accompany me.'

'Why now? Why this time?'

'I have been intending for you to join me on this hunt for some time now. Your recent ventures into the Netherrealm give you an edge in this place over me, for I have not been in a very long time.'

>When do we leave?
>I think Ling has a contact in the Netherrealm that could help us...
>Let's take backup.
>I don't know if I can go...
>Other
>>
>>1072513
>>I think Ling has a contact in the Netherrealm that could help us...
>Let's take backup.
>>
>>1072522
Seconded.
>>
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>>1072522
>>1072535

Takeda sits back. 'The Netherrealm... Ling has a contact there. She met them when we went there during the Wraith-Plague crisis.'

Kenshi rubs his neck. 'Yes, I remember that... Not very well, mind you. I was unconscious.' Takeda feels bad for his father, but sensing his guilt, Kenshi waves a hand. 'Fret not, son. The situation was resolved.'

'Yeah... Ling has mentioned that the contact is kind of an underground source. If we're going to make use of it, then we should bring her along. It wouldn't hurt to have some backup, too.'

'Very well. I will have to speak to the general about taking more people from your team, but I am certain she will allow it.'

'Do you know where to start looking?'

'I have a codeword that I do not understand, but may come in handy: Kochal.'

'Kochal... Alright. You speak with the general, and I'll go find Ling.' Kenshi nods and Takeda leaves the briefing room, mentally preparing himself for the coming journey back into the Netherrealm.

"I keep trying to get out of hell but it just keeps pulling me back," he mutters. He finds Ling in the gym alongside Frost and approaches her. "Hey, Ling. Up for a trip to hell?"

"You mean a date with you?" she teases back as Frost giggles.

"Actually, yes and yes," Takeda replies. "I've got a mission taking me back into the Netherrealm and we could use that contact of yours."

"Wildfire," Ling replies. "I haven't seen her in a while. Why not?"

"Taking others?" Frost asks. "I wouldn't mind going."

"We'll see. But Ling is the one who knows this Wildfire so she's definitely in."

"Hey, I met her too," Frost points out.

"But I'm the one who made the deal with her, so she'll know me better."

>Take Frost
>Assemble other people on the team
>Let the general decide who to send
>Prepare your gear
>Other
>>
>>1072590
>>Let the general decide who to send
She's not happy with us at all, might be best to leave it in her hands, show we CAN be professional...but definitely RECOMEND Frost.
>>
>>1072590
>Take Frost
The two are a package deal.
>>
>>1072590
>Let the general decide who to send
>>
>>1072614
>>1072624

Takeda leaves the gym and waits for the word from his father. Kenshi returns soon after with the team, approved by the general: Takeda, Ling, Vapor, Forrest Fox and Jin. Kenshi, as a superior officer and field agent of the OWEA, would be the squad leader for the mission. Everyone else, other than Ling who was along due to her contact, was selected based on their infiltration prowess, a valued skill on any mission going to Nekros.

Everyone is issued new stealth gear for the mission, designed to obscure identity as much as avoiding detection. With everyone suited up with new masks and hoods, they prepare to journey to the Netherrealm.

General Cage debriefs everyone as they stand in a line. She explains the mission just as Kenshi had, though she stresses the need to remain hidden. "The Deadly Alliance and the Black Dragon are not the primary targets," she lays out. "The Red Dragon are. Kenshi will be the only one authorized to give the order to act. I don't want any solo activity or splitting from the group unless it becomes critical to mission success or survival. Stay as a team. Understood?"

Everyone nods. The portal to the Netherrealm opens nearby; a stable portal with a white exterior that turns into a swirling red vortex at its center. General Cage steps aside as everyone lines up and marches through, ending up on the other side in the city of Nekros. Black buildings and dark streets greet them as they crouch down low; they are in an alleyway. Thankfully nobody else is around to see them.

Kenshi speaks up. "Ling, you know where our contact is. Can we meet her, or can she come to us?"

"She owns a bar. We can either go there, or I could get her to come out into the open. It might be difficult with all of us trying to see her, though."

Just then, Takeda hears his father's voice in his head. 'What do you think, my son?'

'What? The general said---'

'The general does not value your input as much as I do. I trust your judgment.'

>The team will go to the bar
>Split up; half will remain outside the bar, and half will go in
>Send Ling to the bar alone
>Let's scout around the city first
>Other
>>
>>1072708
>Let's scout around the city first
Once it's all clear,
>Split up; half will remain outside the bar, and half will go in
>>
>>1072716
Sounds good
>>
>>1072716

Takeda looks over at his father. 'I think we should have a look around first. See what's up in the city.'

Kenshi nods, then says to the team, "We are going to scout around. Remain inconspicuous."

Everyone tightens their hoods and proceeds out into the city. With the red sky up above and the city lit by many fires in the form of torches, braziers and large pyres, along with the many dark and shady crowds that wander its streets, Nekros is a city one could easily get lost in. Some places are shrouded in strange mist or smoke from forges, while other places feature bizarre and spiked architecture. Bodies hang from torture devices, occasionally impaled on building features, but it is not wise to spend much time looking at such things. It is far better to keep your head down and eyes forward.

They pass demons, dead men and other wild inhabitants of the Netherrealm. Nobody in their group makes eye contact with anyone, lest they raise suspicion, but it is near the eastern heart of the city that they encounter something that really catches their attention. Motaro, leader of the traditionalist centaurs, is leading a small parade of soldiers down the street. Some are former centaurs, now minotaurs, but others are great horned demons and beasts of burden pulling wagons behind them full of cages. Captured netherrealmers wail from these cages, begging for mercy.

"Seems like the Deadly Alliance is showing what happens when someone steps out of line," Jin mutters. "I wonder who else, other than Motaro, is here today..."

The back of the parade of guards and warriors passes by, and once the street is clear the people resume walking across it.

"You say it has been a while since last you heard of the Deadly Alliance?" Kenshi asks them, to which they nod. "I doubt they spend all their time ensuring this city is safe. They must be doing something..."

>Scout around more
>Split up and head to the bar
>Search for more Deadly Alliance members
>Take cover in an alley and make plans
>Other
>>
>>1072802
>Split up and head to the bar
Keep a perimeter around the place so no one gets a jump on the meeting.
>>
>>1072802
>>Split up and head to the bar
>>
>>1072852
>>1072880

The group steps back and disappears in the throngs of people on the street. Ling takes up the lead, heading towards the tavern, the Wet Devil. Once outside the seedy-looking place, they group back up and Kenshi decides that only three will go in while the other three will remain outside. "Fox, Jin, you'll remain out here with me. I'll need your good eyes to make up for mine."

Ling takes Takeda and Vapor off to the side. "Wildfire is a bit of a flirt," she warns them. "Don't be fooled into thinking something you shouldn't. That goes double for you, Takeda."

"What? Please. Like I could fall for some demon chick."

"Excuse me," Vapor says with her hands on her hips. "SOME people might take offense to that."

"Well... You're only half-demon," he points out.

"So is Wildfire," Ling says. "If I remember correctly, she's half-edenian, too."

Vapor's green eyes widen. "Wait, what? Really?"

Ling stops in the alley they are walking down, hesitating near the back door of the tavern. "Hey, that's right! It never occurred to me, but you and she actually have that in common, don't you?"

She knocks on the door and waits for a response. A moment later, it opens and they behold a dark red-skinned beauty with horns and a pointed tail. Her bright eyes widen when she sees Ling. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise?" she says with a wide, sharp-toothed smile. "Please, come inside."

Stepping back to let the three of them in, she stops Takeda by placing a hand on his chest. "Now who might you be, tall, dark and handsome?"

Ling's spear suddenly comes to rest on her hand. "Careful, sweetie. Hands off the goods."

Wildefire smiles and takes her hand off Takeda before licking the end of her spear. "Is that a way to treat a friend?"

>Get to know her
>Introduce yourself and Vapor
>Get to the point; information
>Let Ling take it from here
>Other
>>
>>1072950

> introductions

then

> Ling.
>>
>>1072950
>Introduce yourself and Vapor
>Let Ling take it from here
>>
>>1072950
>Introduce yourself and Vapor
>Let Ling take it from here
Damn it.
>>
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>>1072958
>>1072960
>>1072997

"I'm Takeda, and his is Vapor," he says, introducing them. The demon's enchanting eyes go from one to the next, lingering on Vapor.

She takes a step closer and inhales through her nostrils. "That smell... You're an enenra, aren't you?"

"Only half," Vapor says softly.

"You're in good company then," Wildfire says as she puts a finger under Vapor's masked chin. "But they kill enenras on sight in this city. So be careful."

She leads them back to her office and shuts the door. Ling sits in front of her desk as Wildfire takes her position up on the other side. "We're here for information, like we agreed," Ling tells her.

"And my price?"

Ling takes out a bag of koins from Outworld and sets them down. Wildfire goes through them, smiling as she does. "Very nice. Onyx and ruby, my favorites. Alright then, what do you want to know?"

"What can you tell us about the Red Dragon?"

Wildfire's eyes are curious; they dance with recognition, but she keeps herself in check and leans back. "The Red Dragon... that is a name I have not heard for a very long time."

"You know them?"

"I should," she chuckles. "My father founded them."

The three of them react similarly, shocked at the sudden revelation. "I'm sorry, could you say that again?" Ling asks her, brushing some hair away from her ear.

"My father is a man named Daegon, an edenian. He founded the Red Dragon clan long, long ago. He once gave me an offer to join, but I wasn't interested."

Takeda's brow furrows beneath his Shirai Ryu headband. He steps forward and says, "Are you aware that your father murdered my mother?"

Wildfire looks up at him and nonchalantly replies, "He killed HIS mother and father, too. And plenty more, I'd wager. He killed mine when he was bored of her."

Ling attempts to dissolve the sudden tension in the room with a joke. "He must really hate mothers, huh?"

The half-demon looks back at her and shrugs. "Anyway, if you're looking for information about the Red Dragon, I don't know much. But I do know that they are powerful, and planning for something big."

>Ask about 'Kochal'
>Let Ling continue the conversation
>Press her for more information about Daegon
>Inquire more about her declining to join her father
>Other
>>
>>1073038
>Ask about 'Kochal'
>>
>>1073038
>Press her for a bit more information on Daegon.
>>
>>1073038
>Ask about 'Kochal'
>>
>>1073038
>Ask about 'Kochal'
>>
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>>1073056
>>1073084
>>1073074
>>1073147

"Would it have something to do with Kochal?" Takeda asks.

"Kochal... Another old name. A three-headed demon god, and an ancient one at that. Killed long ago, but a shrine exists north of Nekros in wilder territory."

"Is there something there that the Red Dragon would want?"

"I cannot be certain. The god itself is destroyed, but the great three-headed shrine still exists. I've never seen it myself but it is rumored that great power lies there if one can tap into the lost strength of the demon god."

"That sounds like something worth looking into," Takeda says.

Ling leans forward. "Why did you not want to join your father?"

"Well, he did kill my mother," she shrugs. Looking up at Takeda, she smiles and says, "So we have that in common, it seems. I didn't want to join him because he is mad."

"What kind of madness are we talking?"

"The kind that drives a man to murder his parents and plot the end of all things. Daegon is obsessed with something called Armageddon---the destruction of all the realms."

"There are legends whispered of it in Outworld," Ling says as she looks up at her allies. "A day when warriors grow too numerous and too powerful, a final battle that could destroy everything."

"Daegon does not whisper of it, he preaches it. His followers are like a fanatical death-cult that worship him and his prophecy of Armageddon and seek only to help him make it a reality. I didn't want any part of it because I'm not interested in dying for his cause. He's crazy, and not the good or fun kind. If left to his own devices, Daegon would gladly unravel the fabric of existence, simply because he could."

For a moment, everyone is silent. Takeda is lost in thought, going over this information he has learned. 'So, the man who murdered my mother wants to bring about the end of the world. Good to know.'

>Can you take us to this shrine?
>What about the Black Dragon or the Deadly Alliance?
>Return to your father with this information
>Ask if she could find a way to lure Daegon out
>Other
>>
>>1073155
>Can you take us to this shrine?
Sounds like they want to use it. If they're there, good, If they aren't, then we can blow up the shrine.
>>
>>1073155
>What about the Black Dragon or the Deadly Alliance?
We heard rumblings they're in cahoots.
>>
>>1073155
>>Can you take us to this shrine?
>>
>>1073223
>>1073260

Takeda puts a hand on the desk and leans over it. "Can you take us to this shrine?"

She folds her arms and crosses her legs as her tail curls upwards and traces along his hand. "Maybe I could arrange for some transport across the hellscape... if properly compensated."

His eyes narrow. "And just what are you looking for?"

She licks her lips and says, "How about a soul?"

He quickly withdraws his hand. "Woah, sister. You and I are on two different wavelengths."

Wildfire rolls her eyes. "Oh, it was just a joke, calm yourself. I deal in money." She looks at Ling and asks, "Got any more?"

"That's all I brought with me. Can we owe you?"

"That's not how I do business, honey. If you can't pay, you can work. Why don't you get back up on stage and dance for me? That earned a lot of koin last time."

Takeda cocks his brow. "You did what now?"

Ling holds up a finger to silence him. "We're on a timer here, Wildfire. We need to reach that shrine."

The half-demon taps her fingers impatiently on the desk, when suddenly Vapor pushes forward. She speaks with a firm voice, not pleading but still sincere. "Listen, we're okay with owing you. We make good on our debts. If you do this for us, just this once, I promise you that you'll have our full support in the future when you need help."

Slowly her eyebrow arches upwards as she looks at the young girl, then she smiles. "Very well. But just for you, cutie-pie." She brings up a finger and gently traces the contours of Vapor's mask. "I can put together a wagon and some steeds to pull it and point you in the right direction. But you'll owe me," she reminds them.

"I swear it," Vapor nods.

"Then it's done."

>Ask Wildfire to come with
>Return to your father and report
>Pull Vapor aside and ask her what she is thinking
>Ask some more questions
>Other
>>
>>1073394
>Pull Vapor aside and ask her what she is thinking
>>
>>1073394
>Ask Wildfire to come with
It's obvious you have no love for your father, and I doubt an apocalypse would be good for business.
>>
>>1073394
>Pull Vapor aside and ask her what she is thinking

>>1073440
I don't think she wants to get involved with Daegon in any capacity.
>>
Just getting dinner.
>>
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>>1073436
>>1073476

Takeda grabs Vapor by the shoulder and pulls her off to one side; not in a harsh way, but urgently nonetheless. "What are you doing?" he whispers to her as Ling and Wildfire start to buff out the details.

"We got the transport, didn't we?" she replies.

"That's not what I asked. It could be dangerous, making promises with a demon."

She shrugs his hand off of her shoulder. "I am a demon, too. As much as she is."

"That doesn't make you friends or her trustworthy," he whispers.

"I'll worry about that."

She stares defiantly up at him as he returns her gaze with uncertainty. They both look back as Ling and her contact stand up and walk over. "Meet me outside," Wildfire tells them. "In the alley where you entered. I'll get you what you need."

"I take it you won't be coming with?" he asks the half-demon.

"As cute as you are, I want nothing more to do with the Red Dragon." As they walk to the exit, she waves her fingers at them. "Ta-ta now. Come back anytime."

Once outside in the alley, Takeda brings up his communicator and messages his father. Soon, Jin and Fox are leaping down from nearby rooftops as Kenshi steps out of the shadows. They brief them quickly on what happened and that the transport will be coming shortly.

"Excellent work," his father commends them. He tilts his head slightly and speaks in Takeda's head. 'I sense some level of discomfort within you. What happened?'

'Nothing,' Takeda thinks in a way that leaves no room for questions. 'We got what we needed.'

Kenshi allows his son to leave it at that and they wait for the transport, taking up positions around the alley to keep lookout. Ten minutes later, a cart pulled by two fiery steeds rides up with a strange hooded figure.

"I have been paid," he says, not looking down at them. "Board. We ride north."

They all keep their heads low as they climb onto the back of the wagon and sit down. The hooded driver snaps on the reigns and the horses let out a cry before moving on. They trot towards the city gates where they are halted by guards.

"What business do you have outside of the city?" a guard demands.

"Travelling to the Prison of Souls," the driver replies. "We have business there."

The guard seems skeptical. He motions to three others to come over and examine the wagon.

>Let the guards conduct their business
>You and your father will use a Jedi Mind Trick on them
>Cause a distraction nearby
>Attack the guards
>Other
>>
>>1073697
>You and your father will use a Jedi Mind Trick on them
>>
>>1073697
>Let the guards conduct their business
>>
>>1073697
>Let the guards conduct their business
nut be prepared to
>You and your father will use a Jedi Mind Trick on them
if they get to suspicious
>>
>>1073697

> Let them do what they gotta do.
>>
>>1073697
>You and your father will use a Jedi Mind Trick on them
A father son thing.

Also Vapor fell on the other side of self-acceptance? Someone should tell her that Cyrax is as human as Kano, does that make them buddies?
>>
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>>1073702
>>1073730
>>1073744
>>1073791
>>1073700

Everyone remains still, with their heads down and hoods obscuring their faces. The guards walk around the cart and look it up and down. One of the guards uses his polearm to poke Fox.

"You! Speak up. What is your purpose here?"

Fox says nothing, but turns and looks at the man. That's when Takeda feels his father reaching out telepathically to the guard, and he does the same; their combined influence, coupled with Fox's cold glare, seems to calm the guard down. "Let them pass," he says to the others. "Let the fools travel the open wastes."

The great gate of Nekros is raised only slightly, enough to allow the cart to pass underneath it. The driver turns northwards and they soon find themselves driving across the open plains of hell. Far above, the red sky mixes with the black clouds of Noob Saibot's territory, almost as if they represent the struggle to control the realm itself.

They journey for an hour in mostly silence. Takeda, seated next to Ling, speaks to her. "I was wondering about something," he whispers. "Earlier, when I won that card game, what did you mean when you said, 'You're welcome,' exactly?"

She looks over to see that Jin is not listening; the Shaolin is busy looking out over the plains. She leans in close to Takeda and tells him, "Because I let you win."

"You did not."

"I did. I know how to beat your mind reading, just like I did on that night in Xun-Koto."

Takeda swallows and checks that no one is looking. He doesn't want to relive memories of that night when she tricked him into getting naked and running through the town.

"I still have to get you back for that," he reminds her.

"Oh, I don't think you will. But you know, we could always repeat that night if you like," she winks. "Only we could make it have a different ending."

Takeda's mind is briefly filled with imagery. Kenshi, perhaps sensing them, clears his throat and Takeda sits straight up, making an effort to think different thoughts. Ling giggles softly to herself as the ride continues on.

Though they are alert for attack, with the hawk-eyed Jin surveying the lands around them, the attack comes not from around them or above, but below. The car suddenly jolts as several hands reach out of the black earth and grab it! The wagon stalls briefly as the steeds rear up and team struggle to remain upright.

"Around us!" Jin shouts, and they all look over to see undead figures emerging from the rocks to crawl up the wagon.

Kenshi draws his sword. "Get them off the sides! We need to keep moving!"

>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>1073866
keep distance, zoning with whip lashes
>>
Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>1073866
Suddenly telekinesis?
>>
Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>1073866
Whip them off
>>
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>>1073890
>First roll is 16
>Second is 3
I should just stop
>>
Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>1073866
>>1073890
Then do a somersault kick, and pretend it was all on purpose!

>>1073895
You are just using up your bad luck first, don't worry about it.
>>
Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>1073866
Get them off the wheels first.
>>
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>>1073895

Please don't. I get few enough posts as it is.

>>1073874

Takeda stands up, shedding his cloak. He throws his right arm upwards and outwards, releasing his metal whip from its harness before gripping it and causing the blades along its surface to extend. In one fluid motion he sweeps his arm down, slicing through several boney limbs on his side of the carriage.

>>1073884

One of the undead figures leaps up from the side towards Takeda. Kenshi turns and does not look as he holds up his hand, catching the creature in a blue aura of telekinetic power. He holds him aloft as he uses his other hand to slice down with Sento into the skull of one of the others.

Takeda throws a whip around the suspended figure and then pulls, slicing it into pieces. Kenshi allows them to drop to the ground where they plop uselessly alongside more emerging figures.

>>1073890

Suddenly, the entire cart rocks as a new, much larger figure emerges beneath it! Everyone loses their balance and falls as a massive ogre of an undead lifts the back of the cart up with his sheer bulk as he crawls out of the red dust. Takeda lands alongside Ling, who quickly uses her spear and extends its length while spinning it to knock away a trio of undead monsters.

The ogre lifts up the back of the cart completely and throws it off to the side; the driver falls from it and goes for the horses. He scrambles atop one and rides away as the other is taken down by the undead.

>>1073908

Takeda feels a hand on his neck pulling him backwards. He grunts and stiffens his neck as a zombie tries to choke him out. Two more emerge alongside him and grab at his armored body, trying to pull him apart. He struggles in their grip, unable to get a good angle to attack them! Meanwhile the others have begun to attack the ogre, with Vapor turning into a cloud of mist and completely surrounding it in a flurry of slashing smoke.

>>1073924

Kenshi turns and throws Sento at his son. Using his telekinesis, he projects an image of himself that grabs the sword and uses it slice off the three zombies holding him down. Their limbs fall from their bodies as they let out moans of torment; Takeda quickly shrugs them off and hops up as Sento returns to its master.

'I need to learn how to do that,' he thinks, extending both whips as the ogre zombie escapes Vapor's cloud and rampages towards Fox and Ling.

>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>1073938
Wrap a whip arround his legs, and cut them off
>>
Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>1073938
> Stop jobbing and do that whip storm thing.
>>
Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>1073959

wrong dice.
>>
Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>1073938
We're on crowd control. Get rid of the smaller zombies while everyone else hits the ogre.
>>
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>>1073945

Throwing both hands towards the brute's legs, Takeda wraps his whips around them and pulls. Though they cut into his thick, putrid flesh, the giant roars and merely steps forward, pulling Takeda with him. The Shirai Ryu retracts his whips before he falls over.

>>1073959
>>1073967

He notices several more undead coming towards him from behind. The damned moan, eager to let these living beings share in their eternal torment, but Takeda isn't about to sign up for that. He flips backwards, spinning in the air with his arms out, blades tearing all around him. When he lands, several heads and torsos fall from their bodies and the undead go down.

>>1073968

Standing back up, Takeda grits his teeth and lets loose, hacking and slashing at the undead with his whips. He keeps them at bay with his superior range, slicing and dicing limb after limb. He goes on full crowd control while the others worry about the giant.

Fox throws the sickle end of his kusarigama at the ogre's jaw, hooking it right under its chin. He runs up the arm of the beast and leaps off of its back, yanking on the chain as he hits the ground. The ogre's head is forced back and the beast is put off-balance, exposing its belly.

Ling extends her spear and stabs it in the gut, burying the head of her weapon in its entrails. Jin, standing alongside her, puts three arrows into its neck.

That's when Kenshi holds Sento high and leaps into the air. He descends in front of the giant, slicing him right down the middle. The beast splits apart and falls backwards, pulled by Fox and pushed by Ling, toppling into nearly two halves in the dirt.

For a moment, there are no more dead, but more can be seen in the distance. They quickly regroup and Kenshi calls for them to continue heading north. As more undead rise out of the corpse field around them, they all turn and run.

>1d100 to make it to the shrine!
>>
Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>1074016
Not getting eaten would be nice.
>>
Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>1074016
>>
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>>1074030
>>1074055

Across the plains they charge, leaving dust and dead in their wake. Each undead that tries to get in their way is simply put down, knocked back or sliced in half, and they move slowly enough to simply avoid by running around them. They all run for a considerable distance, unsure of how far they must go until they begin to see their destination. Amidst a great lake of burning lava, built atop it with strong stones and spires of obsidian is a temple. Rising above the temple are three massive towers, each shaped like a spine and lined with spikes, and at each of their peaks is a gigantic skull. The hollow, dark eyes of each skull seem to survey the lands around them, and the temple built around their base can only be the shrine they seek.

They skid to a stop as they look up at the great shrine. All except Kenshi, who cannot see it. "What is it?" he asks.

"We're here, dad. This place is massive."

"Then we must proceed with caution and stick closely together," he says as they walk up. Numerous staircases and platforms jut out of the earth in a chaotic fashion, rising over the bubbling lava in twisting patterns that only a madman could conceive of. There does not appear to be any central opening to the shrine temple itself, but many paths lead inside.

As they approach it, a noise is heard from within, the unmistakable sound of an explosion.

"Is that normal?" Ling asks.

Then, gunfire is heard.

"Definitely not normal," Takeda replies.

>Wait here and see what happens
>Split into two teams and investigate
>Everyone goes in as a group
>Find a more hidden entrance and sneak in
>Other
>>
>>1074102
>Everyone goes in as a group
>>
>>1074102
>Everyone goes in as a group
Is it possible that the Dragons are already fighting?
>>
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>>1074123
>>1074129

Spying a nearby ramp leading to an opening in the temple, the group makes a break for it. Once within its walls, they can hear the sounds of battle all around them. Upon rounding a corner and kicking open a black door, they behold a large chamber in the center of the shrine, built almost like a strange collesium with platforms suspended upon pillars and holes in the floor leading to pools of lava below. The intense heat of the place is nothing compared to the intensity of the battle going on all around it, however.

Red Dragon forces battle their foes; the Black Dragon! All over the chamber, figures clad in red and black clash, kill and shoot at each other.

"I think we found what we're looking for," Jin says.

Nearby, several members of the Red Dragon clan decloak. They turn to see the New Defenders, recognizing their squad leader as Kenshi withdraws Sento.

"Come, son. We have Red Dragons to kill."

They all charge in and join the brawl!

>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>1074185
teleport kick into whip lash
>>
Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>1074185
Whip a guy in half, throw our light saber at a dude and if they dodge get them in the back on the boomerang.
Also kick somebody.
>>
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>>1074189

Kenshi leaps into the oncoming group of Red Dragon warriors, cutting one down. Fox and Jin split off to fend off some more while Vapor and Ling work together to take down a few themselves. Takeda squares off with one, managing to use his teleporation module to get behind him as he swings his electro-batons. He misses due to the teleport and Takeda lashes him from behind, crossing his blade-whips on the man's back and putting him down.

>>1074239

One of the Red Dragons hurls his baton at Takeda's backside, managing to hit him. The Shirai Ryu lets out a shout as he is jolted, right before a third warrior tackles him off of the elevated platform and onto the lower level. They roll away from each other, Takeda nearly ending up rolling into a pool of lava, before getting up to their feet and squaring away with each other.

Above, Fox throws his kusarigama up towards the ceiling, hooking onto a low-hanging spike. He swings on the chain across the chamber, knocking a Red Dragon off of another platform with a kick. The man falls to his death in a lava pool not far from Takeda as he blocks a front kick from his own opponent. As Fox swings back, he lets go of the chain and lands on a new platform where he wraps the chain around a Black Dragon's neck. He pushes the man off and watches as he chokes and hangs from the chain.

As Kenshi slices another man in half, his psychic senses detect a familiar presence. He moves into a nearby passage which leads to a staircase and climbs it, vanishing from sight.

Down below, Takeda punches his opponent in the face, who returns with a spinning backfist to his jaw. He rubs his jaw before turning and kicking out at the man, who blocks the attack, grabs his foot and spins him around. Takeda lands on his stomach, where the Red Dragon gets on his back and manages to wrangle an arm around the younger warrior's neck to choke him.

>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>1074185
Start lopping heads off.
>>
>>1074270
Point to >>1074267
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>1074267
psychically project being kissed by sheeva and then head butt his face while he's distracted
>>
>>1074331
Takeda can't do astral projections yet. Besides, that's a very...niche projection.
>>
>>1074350
Its probably disturbing. And that's distracting.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>1074267
Break the guy's arm then swing him into his teammates
>>
>>1074270

Takeda reaches for his pulse blade, activating its bright orange saber-like laser. He quckly strikes it behind his own head, decapitating his opponent, whose body goes limp, allowing Takeda to kick him off into the lava.

He gets up to his feet as three more warriors come at him. Gritting his teeth before letting out a mighty cry, the Shirai Ryu charges at them and kicks the first one down while slicing the head off of the second with his pulse blade. He lands and throws the blade into the neck of the third, then uses his telekinesis to pull the handle back, then slashes at the enemy beneath his feet, severing his life as well.

Takeda looks up around him as the two clans battle around him, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. As Fox throws a kunai into an enemy and Ling impales one of her own, springing off of him to kick another out a window and into the lava below, he almost wishes the rest of his clan were here, but then he'd have to share more of his own kills!

But speaking of clan and family, he notices that Kenshi is gone. He looks around, seeing Vapor launch a Black Dragon into the air for Kung Jin to shoot, but no sign of the blind swordsman. That is, until, he looks towards the uppermost level and spies his father climbing up onto the roof from a staircase.

'What are you doing up there, dad?'

>>1074331
>>1074357

Distracted by the visage of his father, Takeda doesn't see the knife flying at him until it is too late. A sharp, incredible pain surges through him as a knife becomes embedded in the back of his shoulder. Takeda lets out a cry and falls down to one knee, but turns to see who threw it.

A young man approaches him, about Takeda's age, wearing a dark vest with the Black Dragon symbol on it. He scratches the stubble on his chin.

"Hey, cunt!" he calls out in a thick Austalian accent. "Who the fuck're you?"

"Who the fuck am I? Who the fuck are you?!" Takeda pulls out the knife and throws it aside into the lava.

"Name's Trevor, and that was my favorite knife. You owe me one, mate."

"Oh, I'll give you want you're owed," Takeda replies, curling his hands into fists. "Let's go!"

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!
>>
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>>1074357
>16
>3
>Now a 4
I'm sorry everyone
>>
Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>1074362
Throw an exploding Kunai at his face then flying knee into his face
>>
Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>1074362
Take the knife out and stab it into his leg
>>
Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>1074362
Turn our whips into buzzsaws and approach Trevor with a big wall of spinning metal in front of us.
>>
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>>1074368

I still love you

>>1074371

Takeda grabs a kunai from his belt and throws it at his face, but Trevor pulls out a second knife and blocks it, swiping his projectile aside. He then charges at Takeda and kicks him in the face, planting his boot squarely upon the Shirai Ryu's cheek and knocking him down.

"You one'a them Shirai Ryu cunts, ain'cha?" he asks while he delivers another kick to Takeda's stomach. "Buncha yellow-wearin' fucksticks, aye?"

>>1074374

He winds back another kick, but Takeda takes out a kunai strapped to his lower leg and sticks it out, allowing Trevor to stab himself on it. A slew of profanity emerges from his mouth as he rolls away, allowing Takeda to get back up.

>>1074391

Wiping blood from his lips, he extends both of his arm blades and starts spinning them around him. They glow yellow with heat as they strike up against the stone, and Takeda walks forward as he holds them out in front of him like rotating buzzsaws.

"Fuck me dead, that's new," Trevor mutters as he pulls out the blade and backs up from the wall of hot spinning metal death.

>Current Meter: 2
>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>1074437
Keep up the pressure. See if he flinches.
>>
>>1074455

Takeda continues to advance, pushing Trevor back until he runs out of room. The aussie growls and leaps forward, trying to bull rush his way through the blades, but Takeda strikes him, wraps both around his chest and flings him aside, tearing his vest and some of his skin.

Trevor hits the ground and skids for a moment, bleeding through his torn clothing. Takeda walks up, pulling his whips back into their harness. "Had enough there, down under?"

"Oh, piss off ya bloody wanker," Trevor mutters as he pushes himself up to his feet.

"Excuse me," comes a female voice from behind. Thinking it might be Ling, Takeda turns, only to receive a flash of pink powder in his face that blinds and stings. He gets only one quick look at the redhead who did it before she kicks him in the balls and drops him on the spot. Stepping over his body, the woman approaches Trevor. "It's time to leave."

"What... What about Kabal?" he says, getting up to his feet.

"Let him die. Who cares?"

Takeda hears the sound of a portal opening nearby as he tries to clear his eyes. Trevor takes a moment to spit on him before walking through the portal, which closes behind him.

Takeda's vision returns slowly. His allies are mopping up the rest of the warriors on both sides, but his father is still nowhere to be seen.

'He must still be on the roof...' he thinks, looking around. 'Fuck, that pink shit really burns...'

>Find your father
>Help Fox
>Help Ling
>Help Jin
>Help Vapor
>Other
>>
>>1074542
>Find your father
>>
>>1074542
>Find your father
>>
>>1074542
>Find your father
>>
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>>1074560
>>1074561
>>1074570

Takeda gets on his feet and runs to the nearest staircase. 'Gotta find dad... Make sure he's okay!' He charges up the stairs, knocking aside a Red Dragon as he does, until he reaches the rooftop. There, he beholds three-way swordfight that nearly takes his breath away.

Two figures, both clad in dark coats and wielding a pair of hookswords, one with a silver mask that covers his face and serves as a respirator, clash with Kenshi who wields Sento. They appear to be fighting each other as much as they are Takeda's father, their blades ringing out in the wind as the three great heads of Kochal loom over them.

"Surrender, both of you!" Kenshi demands as all three of them meet, their blades locking against each other.

"As if I would ever surrender to a blind fool like you!" the dark-haired man says.

"I have seen beyond the realms of life and death and gazed into oblivion," Kabal says, his mask amplifying his voice to sinister levels. "You both mean nothing to me."

"Mavado! Kabal! Enough of this!" Kenshi pushes back before blasting them both with a blue telekinetic wave. The two hooksword-wielding warriors fly apart as the blind swordsman lowers his hand. "You are both doomed if you do not escape!"

"Dad!" Takeda calls out as he runs up.

Kenshi looks back. "Son! This temple is about to be destroyed! You must get the others out of here!"

Despite his words, Takeda doesn't flinch. "I'm not leaving you, dad. Let's finish these guys off."

"You are too late," Kabal says. The eyes of his mask glow orange as he stands up, looking at the red sky above him. "Kochal awakens!"

The three heads of the demon god seem to glow with a strange aura. One by one, their skeletal mouths open, and from them spews forth a torrent of lava. These three streams flow onto the temple itself, burning stone and melting metal. The foundations of the temple begin to shake, causing the ground upon which they stand to rumble.

"The temple will be destroyed in a matter of minutes," Kenshi says. "I will remain to apprehend Kabal and Mavado! You must get the others to safety! I will be fine, you must trust me!"

>Take on Kabal
>Take on Mavado
>Escape with the others
>Get your father out of here
>Other
>>
>>1074638
>Escape with the others
You generally don't question Kenshi on these sorts of things.
>>
>>1074638
>Get your father out of here
You can't take them alone, you don't have to die with themu. There will be a next time
>>
>>1074667
>>1074670

Can I get a tie breaker?
>>
>>1074827
change >>1074670
to
>Escape with the others
>>
>>1074667
>>1074852

Takeda lingers for a moment more. "GO!" Kenshi orders, shaking him out of his conflicted stupor.

'Damnit, dad,' Takeda thinks as he turns and runs. 'Don't die trying to arrest them! It's not worth it! Can't he see that?'

'Give me credit, son,' Kenshi's thoughts stretch out to him. 'I'm only physically blind.'

Running down to the next level, Takeda quickly sees his teammates and runs up to them. "We need to get out of here, now!"

Part of the ceiling collapses, revealing a torrent of lava spilling from above. Ling takes cover as a large shard of metal lands near her, partially melted. Vapor vanishes in a cloud of smoke as Fox and Jin make for the nearest exit.

"Come on!" Takeda shouts, grabbing Ling's hand. They make their way towards a window and both leap through the open hole as the floor behind them collapses. They both find themselves falling only to be swept up by a grey cloud---Vapor. She carries them to safety as Jin and Fox land nearby.

When Vapor reforms, the five of them look up at the temple. They can't see much, but as the temple sinks into the lava, so too does the three heads of Kochal. The giant skulls go up in flames, brightening the entire region as they slowly descend alongside the temple.

Though the fire make it almost impossible to see what is happening at the top of the temple, Takeda catches a brief glimpse of a furious duel happening upon its surface. Sparks fly from swords as Kabal moves faster than the eye can track, but Kenshi fights without eyes. Mavado is overwhelmed by the flurry of the possessed Black Dragon leader, and it is only the intervention of Kenshi that keeps him alive when he blasts Kabal with a telekinetic wave from Sento.

They all look on but are forced to shield their eyes as a great flash of light erupts from the lake when the temple becomes fully submerged. The last thing to go are the three great heads of Kochal, which descend slowly until nothing remains.

Takeda lowers his arm and stares at the lake of fire. He brings up his communicator. "Dad, are you there?"

No response.

"Father, answer! Come on, tell me you portaled out!"

The others look on as Takeda clenches his fists. 'He's not gone, I know he isn't!' He reaches out with his mind, placing both hands against his head and focusing as hard as he can.

'I know you're there... Come on, come on!'

Then, he feels it. It is weak, but it is there---his father's life, his energy! As soon as he detects a small trace of it, he feels it growing, becoming stronger and nearer. "I feel him!" Takeda calls out. "He's here---he's alive!"

They all watch as something emerges from the lake of fire. It seems at first like an orb of magma, but as the hot lava runs away, they see that it is no such thing. It is Kenshi, projecting a telekinetic shield around himself, walking up the ashen shore of the lake. Over his shoulder is Mavado, unconscious, but just as protected as he.
>>
>>1075044

Takeda is the first to cheer and the others join in as Kenshi approaches, lowering the shield as soon as all the lava has run off. He drops a beaten Mavado to the ground, who groans in pain, and he holds Sento up to his neck.

"You are most fortunate that you are worth more dead than alive," Kenshi says to him. He looks up as Takeda runs over and throws him into a hug.

"I knew you'd make it," he says. "But what about Kabal?"

"I know not," his father replies, looking up to the sky. "I no longer sense him... but neither did I feel his passing. He may very well have escaped. I would not put it past him."

"What do we do about this one?" Ling asks, pointing her spear at Mavado.

"Why, interrogation, of course," Kenshi smiles. "But not here. I grow tired of this heat." He takes of his headband and rubs sweat from his forehead, exposing his glowing blue eyes. "Would one of you please?"

Takeda takes out his portal generator and uses one of its charges to open a portal to the New Defenders base. They quickly walk through and throw Mavado to the floor, where Kenshi orders two nearby soldiers to detain him and take him to the high security holding cells.

"And make sure you put something in his mouth until we can have a dentist examine him for cyanide capsules," Kenshi says. "You have no idea how many times I've tried to interrogate a Red Dragon for them to just kill themselves. It's annoying."

Takeda smiles and looks up at his father. "So, what comes now?"

"Now, a debriefing. Later, interrogation."

After a full debriefing by the general, the team is released to their quarters to clean up. Takeda reaches his room and strips off his armor before climbing into the shower to wash the stink of the Netherrealm off of himself. As he showers, he winces each time he rubs that shoulder wound that Trevor gave him.

>Visit the infirmiry to have your wounds treated
>Head to the rec room to relax with the others
>Speak with your father
>Go find Sheeva
>Other
>>
>>1075050
>Visit the infirmiry to have your wounds treated
Don't want to get that thing infected by...whatever comes from the Netherrealm.
>>
>>1075050
>Infirmary
>Relax a bit
>Then Sheeva
>>
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>>1075072
>>1075264

Upon leaving the shower, Takeda heads to the infirmiry to get his wounds checked out. Upon entering, he sees Sam sitting with Jessica, keeping her company. As a medic tends to Takeda's wounds, which he naturally removes his shirt for, he recounts his epic tale of venturing into hell to face the techno-warriors of the Red Dragon and the undead legions of the Netherrealm plains.

"So there we were, surrounded on all sides, the temple crumbling around us as lava poured in..."

He does this, of course, to score some points from Jessie, though Sam is quick to remind Takeda that she's been to hell too. Jessica is blown away by their stories; she never would have imagined her friend to go on such adventures. Takeda smiles as he brushes his hand on his shirt after putting it back on, acting like it's no big deal.

"Yeah, you know, I've been to hell a few times. Nice place, if you can deal with demons and undead, like I can."

That's when he catches a glimpse of Sheeva walking down the hallway. He hears her coming, as her footsteps are quite loud, and sees her with a towel around her shoulders, indicating that she is heading to the gym.

"If you'll excuse me," he says, giving Jessie a small wave as he leaves. He catches up to the shokan and walks alongside her. "Hey, Sheeva."

She doesn't look down and keeps her eyes trained forward. "I am busy," she says.

"Yeah, I can see... I was hoping we could talk."

"No."

He stops and she keeps going. His brow furrows in determination and he jogs to keep up with her.

>Walk in front of her and stop her
>Continue attempting to speak with her
>Wait for her to finish her routine
>Work out with her
>Other
>>
>>1075293
>Continue attempting to speak with her
>Work out with her
You're not the only one allowed to feel weird about what happened on the beach.
>>
>>1075293
>Continue attempting to speak with her
Hey you're feeling awkward, I'm feeling awkward, but no one saw, we hash this out and things can go to normal.
>>
>>1075293
>Wait for her to finish her routine
>Continue talking
Well, maybe I don't want things to stay at "extra awkward" levels
>>
>>1075304
>>1075320
>>1075322

She enters the gym and proceeds immediately to the weights. Nobody else is in here at this time, and so Takeda continues in his attempts to speak with her.

"Look, you're not the only one allowed to feel weird about what happened on the beach. I feel pretty weird myself."

She sits down with two sets of weights, one in each hand, and begins pumping them in a pattern as she closes her eyes and breathes, obviously trying hard to ignore him.

But he is nothing if not persistent. "Hey, you're feeling awkward, I'm feeling awkward, but no one saw us. We hash this out and things can go to normal."

She keeps up the pace, raising and lowering her arms as her head slowly bobs. He stays behind her, staring and waiting.

Finally, fed up with her ignoring him, he holds out his arms and says, "You know, for someone who supposedly cares so much about their honor, you sure aren't honoring me with an explanation of why you did what you did."

That seems to get her. Takeda nearly jumps as all four weights hit the floor. She rises with her back still to him, slowly turning around. She towers over him as she folds her upper arms and places her lower fists against her waist.

"You TALK too much, do you know this?"

"Yeah, I've been told."

"What happened was a mistake. I am sorry you were involved. I wish to put it past me and get through this season without further mishaps."

"Season... you said that before. What do you mean?"

She inhales sharply through her nostrils, then exhales just as sharply. "Shokan go through periods where the desire to mate is stronger than usual. I am a champion of the shokan, but even I am not exempt from this. Without a suitable mate, I have moments of weakness when certain... urges gain the better of my judgment. It is due to this that I made a mistake. It is not right that I did to you what I did; I am certain that is has confused you."

"Among other things... yeah."

"I ask that you understand."

"I do, I mean, it's like shokan heat?"

"Yes."

>Alright, I'll give you some space.
>Why don't you have a suitable mate?
>Well, we get urges too, you know.
>...I could help you with that.
>Other
>>
>>1075398
>Well, we get urges too, you know.
>Why don't you have a suitable mate?
>>
>>1075398
>Why don't you have a suitable mate?
like, Shokan must be lining up to get with you. Your probably a catch, I assume.
>>
>>1075398
>Well... You're the champion of the Shokan. Why don't you have a suitable mate?
>...Alright. Alright, I'll give you some space.
>>
>>1075425
Sheeva is a very stubborn fish to catch, if memory serves. Being shokan champion automatically gives you high standards.
>>
>>1075430
But there has to be one succesful Shokan in the kingdom. Unless the reward for Female Champions is sexual frustration. Then I see why Goro was champ for so long.
>>
>>1075438
It also doesn't help that Sheeva is here with the New Defenders and not at home, where she could literally point to any shokan jockstrap she wants and say "You, now."
>>
>>1075419
>>1075425
>>1075429

Takeda puts his hands in his pockets. "Why don't you have a suitable mate?"

She raises her nose slightly. "I spoke of this before. A shokan female must be conquered in battle before she would consent to a pairing. This keeps the shokan strong and mighty and prevents the selection of a weak mate."

"And, what? You've just never lost?"

"Not to any shokan, no. I have not." She looks away, her expression turing slightly sour. "And now I am the champion, at the very top of the shokan elite, and no male dares to challenge me."

"That's a shame. You must be quite the catch."

"I am!" she says, pounding her chest. "I am the strongest warrior in King Duroc's court! Every male in the kingdom should want to be my---" She stops herself from getting too overexcited and dials herself back. "That is, I understand why they are intimidated. If any male were to challenge me and lose the right to mate, they would be ashamed."

"It's tough being on top, huh?"

"Yes. It is."

He scratches the back of his head. "Do you mind if I ask a personal question? About shokan culture, I mean."

"Speak your mind. I respect it more."

"Right, right. I'm just wondering: do you ever just have, you know, recreational sex?"

She tilts her head in confusion. "I do not understand the term."

"You know, sex for the purpose of enjoying sex but without creating babies."

She is silent for a moment. "This does not exist among the shokan. A shokan always mates for the purpose of furthering her line."

"But why not, you know, just grab someone and use protection?"

"...Protection? You mean a shield?"

"...In a manner of speaking, yes. Only a shield that prevents pregnancy."

Her eyes widen. "Does... such a thing exist in Earthrealm?"

"Yeah, of course. I mean, we've had stuff for a long time that---"

She suddenly grabs him by the collar and hoists him up. "You mean to tell me that there is a way to enjoy mating without actually breeding?"

"Uh... yes?"

"And you are not referring to merely foreplay? But actual mating?"

"Yes!"

Her red eyes flare as they bore into his own and sweat runs down his forehead. "Explain. Now."

>Give her some condoms
>Tell her to look it up for herself
>Nevermind, I was only kidding!
>Offer to demonstrate it personally
>Other
>>
>>1075523
>Give her some condoms
Do we have to do the banana demo, too?
>>
>>1075523
>Give her some condoms
and there are pills, and such. surgical implants too. Maybe talk to a registered health care professional if Birth Control is right for you.
>>
Heading to bed for the night. We'll resume in the morning.
>>
>>1075523
>Offer to demonstrate it personally
I vote we give her a sex ed class, like a really conservative Oklahoma style sex ed class
>>
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>>1075561
>>1075576

Takeda slowly raises his hands. "Okay! I will! Just let me down, first..."

Sheeva lowers him to the floor, where he dusts himself off and straightens his shirt. He motions for her to follow him and she does, all the way through the base and back to the first floor of the barracks. All the while, he thinks wild thoughts about the situation he's found himself in.

'What am I doing? Am I really about to give a lesson in safe sex to a shokan? Who up there has it out for me, anyway?'

He swallows and enters his room, opening the door for Sheeva. Like some others, his room is sparsely decorated, save for a few small personal things. Takeda closes the door after checking that no one else is around before approaching his desk. He opens it and removes a package-string of condoms.

"So... these go on a man. On a man's, uh... yeah. And they help prevent pregnancy." He hands them to her and nervously adjusts his collar. 'I don't think I've ever felt more awkward...'

Sheeva experimentally opens one and removes it, examining it carefully with a scrutinizing eye. 'Well, there's an image I never thought I would see...'

"And this prevents a man's seed from taking root?" she asks as she unrolls it and stretches it.

"Yeah, that's definitely one way of looking at it..."

At first she seems excited by the idea, but then he sees her expression change as she thinks it over. With a heavy sigh, she sets aside the condoms back on his desk. "I cannot take these."

"Why not? I mean, it's fine for women to carry condoms. Better safe than sorry, right?" His light humor doesn't seem to brighten her spirits any. She shakes her head and turns back towards the door. "Wait! Why not? Are they not big enough? They make larger sizes, I mean. I don't really know what a shokan male is packing but I mean---"

"That is not the issue," she cuts him off. "If I returned to Kuatan with these, I would be a laughing stock. To demand sex without trial, and for recreation as you put it? These are things that do not exist among the shokan. Perhaps they do for your people, but not mine. Word would spread, and then what would it matter?"

"Why care what they think?"

"They are my people!" she says as she turns around. "They are the ones I care for the most!" She stops when she feels she has become too loud and places a hand on her chest. "Forgive me. I know you are only trying to help. But I fear I am beyond assistance."

>Why not masturbate?
>Well, I tried.
>What about finding a non-shokan mate?
>Let's be fuck buddies.
>Other
>>
>>1077046
>>Why not masturbate?
>>What about finding a non-shokan mate?
>>
>>1077046

>> What about finding a non-shokan mate?

Should challenge her to combat guys. Worst case senario We either get our ass kicked or get snu-snu'ed to death.

Best case senario ends up with most loyal waifu whose discipline would hep us mature better while our relaxed attitude will rub off on Sheeva, which will help her enjoy life beyond fighting.
>>
>>1077062
>>1077081

'What kind of trouble am I asking for with the question I am about to ask?' He straightens before leaning back on his desk, trying to remain calm and collected, which he appears on the outside. The inside is a very different story indeed. "Why not find a non-shokan mate?"

He expects Sheeva to react in anger and braces himself for a beatdown, but her body language remains surprisingly passive (or at least as passive as a shokan can be). She averts her red eyes and admits, to his surprise, "I have considered it. My own prince, Rokuro, is a shokan half-breed to and outworlder mother. And it is true, I have known many good warriors from other realms, some of whom would make fine and worthy mates..." Her voice trails off as she folds her arms again. "But none would see me as such. Our differences are many, in culture alone."

"Are you sure about that? Let's put aside the species barrier for a moment: you are a strong, tall, fiercely beautiful woman." She looks back at him as the hairs on his neck stand up. Swallowing, he presses on, either due to foolishness or bravery---possibly both. "I think anyone would consider themselves lucky, maybe even blessed by the Elder Gods, to get even a kiss from you."

'Oh, hell, why did THAT come out of my mouth?' He feels his legs tremble slightly but he doesn't show it. Sheeva seems about to speak, but Takeda opens his mouth to further say, "And I don't think you're so different from the rest of us. We value many of the same things---strength, honor, freedom. We might not share the samumber of limbs but I'd bet that our hearts beat alike."

Now she faces him fully, eyes boring into him. "What are you saying, Takeda? Speak honestly."

Takeda takes a steadying breath and he says...

>"Just that anyone who you would choose for a mate would be a very lucky man indeed."
>"I think you should be more open to the idea of lowering your standards."
>"That I want to challenge you for the right to mate."
>"That I think we could both solve each other's problems."
>"That I really think we should bang."
>Other
>>
>>1077110

> I CHALLENGE YOU

Make sure our will is written up before we actually do the challenge though.
>>
>>1077126
>>1077110
If Takeda have been waiting for the perfect opportunity, THIS IS IT!
>>
>>1077110
>"That I really think we should bang."
so
>"That I want to challenge you for the right to mate."
>>
>>1077133
>>1077110
I mean some people might think of this as taking advantage of Sheeva's vulnerable state, but those people probably don't consider that they have to win a fight against Sheeva at her full capacity first.
>>
>>1077126
>>1077133
>>1077135

..."That I would like to challenge you for the right to mate."

To his relief, she does not react with laughter as he had thought she would. Instead she unfolds her arms and places all four hands on her hips. "You are bold, Takeda, but I wonder if you merely intend to flatter me, for I have not been challenged in many years, or if you intend to see this through."

'I wish I knew that for myself,' the young man thinks. 'Am I really about to do this?'

He looks her in the eye and says, "Yes, I want to try."

She smirks. "Do you think you could survive a full-fledged bout with a shokan before mating with one?"

"I suppose there's only one way to find out," he replies in a low tone.

She looks him up and down. "I have fought alongside you and I know that you are a warrior. You do your clan honor with your deeds and bravery. Though you are small, you could make a fine mate. But to challenge me thusly is not something you will take lightly, and if you mean to take advantage of my condition in this season you will find that my rage can burn much greater than my lust. Do you understand?"

He nods, somewhat numbly. "Yes. I understand."

She takes her hands off her hips and smiles. "Good! Name your ground, then."

>Right here, right now.
>The training center.
>The jungle on the island.
>Kuatan.
>Other/write-in
>>
>>1077194
>The jungle on the island
Far away from the base
>>
>>1077194
>The jungle on the island.
Not quite home for both, but not quite alien for either.
>>
>>1077194

> Jungle

But

> Kuatan

Was very tempting to bring prestige to our victory and ease the political stuff for her back home.
>>
Sorry for things being slow, I'm on a 24 hour duty. Updating when I can.
>>
>>1077197
>>1077199
>>1077211

Takeda maintains his composure as he replies, "How about the jungle? Out here, on the island. Away from the others."

"Then it shall be," she says. "I accept your challenge, Takeda. You shall meet me near the gardens. The Warrior Shrine." He nods as she walks towards his door, pausing to speak before opening it. "You should know that my honor will not allow me to hold back. If you are unworthy of the privilage of mating with me, I want you to know that I will think nothing less of you."

"That's... good to know," Takeda replies softly as she leaves. When the door is closed behind her, he finally brings a hand up and wipes the sweat from his brow.

'What am I doing? Sure, I've flirted with her before, but... Actually going through with this... She could crush me!' He stops for a moment as he thinks, 'That's kind of hot, though...'

He lightly slaps himself. 'Get ahold of yourself, Takeda. She said she won't lose any respect if you lose, so you could throw the fight... Because if you win, she'll expect you to...'

He swallows as his mind races with thoughts over what he has gotten himself into. Is it his big mouth to blame, or his sucker of a heart? She is frustrated and suffering, that much is for sure, but to actually do this...

'Did I agree to this for me, or for her?' He rubs his forehead as he tries to piece together his next move.

>Go to a friend for help
>Ask dad for advice
>Get your gear ready
>Rethink and retract your challenge
>Other
>>
>>1077478

> Dad advice & Gear check

Can we do both at once?
>>
>>1077478

>Get your gear and get ready

No pussying out now. If we ask for any help it should be from dad, anyone else will complicate things.
>>
>>1077478
>Other
Get going before you change your mind. Probably Dad doesn't know more about Shokan women than we do.

Absolutely ask Sheeva if it is okay to use your gadgets and your psychic talents before the fight, or she might consider them a breach of honor.

You can do it little grasshopper!
>>
>>1077478
>Ask dad for advice
"I'm about to help a shokan maiden relieve lots of sexual tension. Am I dead?"
>>
>>1077478
>>Get your gear ready

Asking your dad for sex advice is fuckin' weird.
>>
>>1077523
Having the birds-and-bees talk with dad is completely find. The issue is that it's Sheeva we're talking about.
>>
>>1077524
Yeah, Its a normal part of boyhood, except more birds-and-the-dragons
>>
This is strictly to help Sheeva feel better and take a load off. We're not actually gonna have a kid with her, right?
>>
Takeda's 18. It's way too late for the birds and bees talk.
>>
>>1077533
I don't... think so... but lets grab some condoms. We've came too far. Our only hope is that she doesn't ruin us for human women.
>>
>>1077533
Yes, she is very interested in those "shields"
>hfw it will be that 1% chance
>>
>>1077547
roll 1d100 for impregnation. don't crit fail.
>>
>>1077543
Watch, Sheeva's going to be the most tender lover we know. She even explained herself that shokan are very thoughtful and are into tantric stuff. Expect slow full-body massages and a sort of ritual to the process.
>>
>>1077547

At least it would be with someone who would help raise the kid(s) right.
>>
>>1077555

Probably one of those "Over the course of eight hours" build up thing.
>>
I expect Sheeva to remark that Kaito would be the only other human she trusts with mating. Remember that he got the closest to her back during the old tournaments. To tame Sheeva would be a feat.
>>
>>1077496
>>1077505
>>1077509
>>1077523

Takeda wastes little time in gearing up. As he slides his arms into the harness, he pauses and wonders if he should talk to someone else about this. His father, perhaps, or a friend like Fox.

He shakes his head and walks out of his room, sliding his skull-faced mask on. 'Either I do this or I don't,' he thinks as he walks out of the base. 'Now or never, rain or shine. Oh, hell, what am I doing?'

He walks outside and heads towards the jungle. Slipping into the dark of the foliage around him, he moves quickly and with purpose towards the garden. Though he has not often explored the island, he knows his way around, and within ten minutes he is looking upon the Warrior Shrine. Countless statues of fighters from ages past stand with vines and flowers growing on them that will bear witness to his attempt to defeat and bed a shokan.

'Good thing the only people around are statues,' he thinks with a nervous grin. 'If I lost, I'd never hear of it. Not that I'm going to TRY to lose... I'm going to try to win. But if I do, she's going to expect a mate. If I survive fighting her, will I survive that?' He closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. 'Let's do this thing.'

Rising from the jungle, Takeda walks forward onto the moss-covered stones. From here, he waits until Sheeva arrives.

She steps around a pair of statues and immediately looks at him. "You arrived first. That eager?"

He shrugs. "Well, I gave my word. I wasn't going to back down from a challenge, even my own."

As she approaches, Takeda holds up a hand. "Wait. One thing, first. What are the ground rules? Can I use my weapons, my telepathy?"

"The only rule of this challenge is that it is not a battle to the death. A male who is defeated in a mating challenge may always go on and defeat another, weaker mate. Other than that rule, you may use any means to defeat your opponent, for attributes such as cunning and intellect are also favorable qualities in a mate, not simply strength. So long as you do not fight dirty---nobility and honor are valued as well."

"Okay," he says, cracking his knuckles. She does the same before holding out her hands in preparation of this battle. 'This is it, Takeda. Time to nut up or shut up.'

He crouches low and holds up his hands, staring intently at her. A single bead of sweat drips onto his mask as his brow furrows beneath his headband. He knows just how effective her arms can be in a battle, especially if he lets her get a good grip on him and grapple. Speed, that's what he will need. Speed and smarts... and blind courage.

'Like my old man.'

He dashes towards her.

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>1077605

> Disapear into the jungle
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>1077605
Stop her from jumping so much. Try and take out her legs.
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>1077605
Run up, and double-palm strike
>>
Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>1077605
Surprise suplex.
>>
>>1077633

why would you roll after those 3?
>>
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>>1077614
>>1077625
>>1077625
Those are some nice rolls
>>1077633
Pic related
>>
>>1077625
>>1077705
Do it like Uncle Kaito would!
>>
>>1077614

As he charges at her, his hand goes to his belt where he activates his teleporter. Takeda vanishes in a flash of orange light as Sheeva blinks, surprised by his sudden flight.

Arms up and at the ready, she turns in place as she waits for his next move, her eyes scanning the area.

"Hiding, Takeda? Come out and face me!"

'You are the one who said I could use my tech,' he thinks with a smile. Above her, for that is where he teleported, he grabs a vine and swings down on it.

"Hey, Sheeva!" She turns as he brings both legs forward to kick her. She doesn't have time to block as he knocks her down on her back.

He lets go of the vine, landing atop one of the many statues. Sheeva quickly recovers and gets back up on her feet, looking up at him with a furious look in her eyes yet a grin upon her face.

'Complicated people, the shokan,' he thinks.

>>1077619

Sheeva squats low to the ground, the telltale signs of a shokan leap. As soon as she does, aiming right for the top of the statue, Takeda leaps off and extends his whips. She smashes the top of the statue and he manages to wrap one end around her legs. With a firm tug and a grunt, he sets her off-course and she crashes into another statue. Takeda flips through the air and lands on his feet as the rubble tumbles down around him, retracting his whips.

Sheeva stands amongst the ruins of the statue, throwing a stone away as she does. Dusting herself off, she tilts her head and cracks her neck twice on both sides.

"This is going well," she smiles, then holds up her hands and urges him forward. "Come! Show me your strength now."

>>1077625

Curling his hands into fists, Takeda leaps at her, landing right in front of her with a series of extremely fast punches and palm-strikes. He dodges each swing she throws at him, ducking and dipping below her hands or deflecting them off to the side, all the while hammering away at her firm stomach. Each strike forces her back slightly, and he pushes her back as they fight across the Warrior Shrine. Sheeva's jaw clenches as she grunts, her eyes closing. Takeda continues his assault, going all out as he strikes her torso again and again and again.

Finally, his arms tire and he doesn't strike as quickly anymore. Sheeva takes notice of this and makes her move.

>>1077633

When Takeda least expects it, all four arms shoot out and wrap around him, catching him like a fish in a net. He struggles as she lifts him up, his legs kicking underneath him.

'Oh, fuck.'

Sheeva leans back in a sudden and devastating suplex. Thankfully Takeda's head hits the grass and not the rocks strewn about the area, but it still jolts him to the core. As she lets go, he falls to the ground, dazed and confused, limbs going limp.

She stands up straight and dusts herself off again. "Finished already?" she asks with a cocky grin.

Slowly, he pushes himself up. Sheeva allows him to get fully back up to his feet.

>Current Meter: 3
>1d100 and an action!
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>1077773
teleport kick into ex-whip lash
>>
Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>1077773

> Pull the half destroyed statue on top of her.

Whips = Environmental attacks
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>1077773
Grab Sheeva with the whips and slingshot yourself into her feet first.
>>
Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>1077773
Teleport behind her and give a kick right to the head to disoriente her
I swear if I get another shit roll I am going to freak out
>>
Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>1077773
Use a Bloody Hand attack like Uncle Kaito. Let's prove to ourselves that we haven't gotten our shit kicked in for days on that boat to learn nothing.
>>
Again, sorry if things take too long; I am using my phone. My only option here.
>>
>>1077829
No prob
>>
>>1077829
We'll wait patiently
>>
>>1077784

Reaching down to his belt, Takeda teleports away, behind her. He attempts to kick her but she brings up two arms and blocks the attack. He then swings a whip at her, but she leaps back to dodge the attack.

Back and forth, they strike at each other, but each are unable to get the better of one another. Sheeva kicks a rock at him which he ducks under. Flipping away as she tries to grab him, he kicks off a statue and lands behind her.

>>1077791

This time when he throws out his whips, he aims not for her, but the statue he just leapt off, wrapping both tendrils around it and pulling. Sheeva looks up and shouts, holding up all four arms as it comes toppling down upon her. As first she is able to stop its descent, until he pulls some more and brings it down all the way, kicking up dust all around.

Takeda backs up, worried for a moment that he may have done too much, right up until she punches through the rock and gets back up, rising amongst the dust cloud. Using a lower arm, she wipes some blood away from her nose, then gazes at him with blood-red eyes.

'Mother, save me,' he gulps.

>>1077799

Again he tries to entangle her in his whips, but as he wraps them around her she flexes her arms upwards, breaking out of the hold! She then grabs the whips with all four arms and pulls herself, eventually spinning in place and swinging him around, much like on the beach earlier.

Takeda shouts as she lets go, sending him hurtling into a lower area of the gardens. He rolls along the ground, groaning as he comes to a stop.

Above, Sheeva leaps and smashes into the stones nearby, approaching him with fists balled and nostrils flaring.

>>1077801

She begins a charge, her feet stomping across the ground, cracking it as she goes. Takeda barely has time to teleport before she crushes the spot where he was lying with all four fists.

Appearing nearby, he gets up and his eyes widen as she throws a fireball in his direction. He falls backwards, flat on his back, as the large fireball flies overhead. With his eyebrows very nearly singed, he looks up as Sheeva leaps up high.

'She is done fucking around!' he desperately thinks as he rolls to one side to avoid her stomp. Pebbles hit his face as her feet dig into the stones. 'That's fine---SO AM I!'
>>
>>1078027

>>1077803

Takeda kicks his legs upwards and gets up onto his feet as Sheeva turns to him. She punches at him but he dodges with a swift duck. Hist fists meet her torso again as he concentrates and unleashes his fury, slamming them into her again and again. Sheeva feels the wind leave her lungs as Takeda punches her solar plexus. He doesn't use the flat of his palms---now he only strikes with his fists.

Soon, his knuckles become covered in her blood. Takeda realizes he isn't only using his style---but Kaito's as well, the Bloody Hands!

Takeda begins to channel his anger, letting it all out with each punch. Sheeva stumbles back as he hits her again and again and again! Each punch carries more weight than he thought he could throw as he feels a strange energy surging through him, reinvigortating him completely. Determination fills his veins as he forces her back against a statue.

Sheeva's head lulls to the side for a moment before she recovers---and her red eyes open wide as Takeda brings his fist up to her jaw in a powerful uppercut! With a glorious cry, he leaves the ground and spins in the air, his rising uppercut causing her to fly through the statue and hit the ground on the other side.

Takeda lands, blood dripping from his fists as he looks down upon her.

Sheeva starts to pick herself up, looking defiantly up at him, but then her four arms give and she falls onto her back, breathing heavily. Her eyes close and her head rests on a patch of grass.

Takeda, himself panting, looks down at her and realizes, much to his shock, that he just won.

'I did it... I actually did it...'

>Help her up.
>Wait for her to get up on her own.
>Try speaking to her.
>Take her on the jungle floor, right here, right now.
>Other
>>
>>1078030
>Help her up.
>>
>>1078030
>>Help her up.
>>
>>1078030
>Help her up.
Shit, we never asked what to do in the event that we win.
>>
>>1078041
Takeda doesn't know how the shokan make love. Sheeva will be glad to show him.
>>
>>1078030

> Help her up

I'm assuming some kind of celebratoryfist pumping or cheering happens regardless of our vote here.
>>
>>1078036
>>1078037
>>1078041
>>1078046

Takeda wipes his palms on his legs and steps around the broken statue. Approaching her, he leans over and offers her his hand.

Her eyes flutter open and she looks up at him, seemingly confused at first. After a moment, she reaches up and grabs his hand. Rather than help her up, however, he finds himself pulled down to her!

Suddenly she is atop him, mirrroring their positions earlier this very day. Now the sun sets, painting the island sky red and orange as her eyes soften while she smiles down at him. His breath catches in his throat.

"Takeda..." she says, leaning her face down. "Have you ever heard of how a shokan mates?"

He slowly shakes his head. "No, I can't say that I have."

Her grin is predatory, in a way, despite the fact that she lost. But in a way, perhaps it is precisely because she lost---now she is free to unleash her pent-up aggression on a worthy mate.

Fortunately---or perhaps unfortunately---Takeda has proven himself worthy.

"You're about to find out," she says before kissing him with a sudden passion, renewed from earlier today. But this time, rather than hold herself back, she doesn't stop. Takeda is quickly overwhelmed by her fiery kiss, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth. His eyes roll upwards before he closes them.

'Oh, god, wow...' His mind races to keep up as her hands begin to possessively wrap around him. The larger woman holds him in her arms as she picks him up, holding him bridal-style.

When she breaks the kiss, he looks up at her and blinks a few times. "Wh---Where are we going?" is all he can ask.

"To a more proper bedding area," she says with a smile. "Near a fire."

Near the center of the Warrior Shrine there is a large brazier. Sheeva sets him down and goes about snapping a tree with her bare hands, folding it into pieces that she puts inside the metal bowl. Takeda watches uncertainly as her hands glow with fire; she ignites the brazier and the flames grow high into the night.

With her back to the Shirai Ryu, she reaches up and slips her red unitard off of her shoulders and allows it to fall. Takeda's jaw nearly drops off as she turns around, baring herself to him in the light of the fire.

"Come," she bids him, her voice firm yet inviting. "Come and see what it is to love as a shokan."

Numbly, Takeda nods and steps towards her, dropping his weapons as he does. When they meet near the fire, she takes him again into her arms, leaning down to deliver another powerful kiss.

Slowly, they progress towards the ground, embracing and exploring each other's bodies, and they do not rise until the dawn.

Well, that took long enough!
>>
>>1078144
Who knew that bloody shokan sex would ever actually occur.
>>
>>1078144
Kaito would be proud
>>
>>1078150

I know, right?

anyway, I think I'm going to break until I get off this duty. I'll be around on Discord and twitter until then.
>>
>>1078162
Later boss
>>
The next day, Takeda is carried back to base by Sheeva. The Shirai Ryu is halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness, his body both sore and incredibly relaxed. The ritual took much out of him, and the limits of his stamina are still human. The shokan smiles down at her new lover fondly, looking upon him with nothing but affection and understanding. Even if he needs time to rest now, he will recover later.

She enters the base and walks past Zian and Sam, who both stop and look at them. "Woah, what happened?" Zian asks. "You two look like you were in a battle."

Sheeva lets out a mighty laugh. "We were!"

They look at each other in confusion as Sheeva brings Takeda to his room. Once inside, she sets him down upon his bed. He tries to say something but only manages a gasp as one of her hands runs down his forehead and pushes his hair out of his eyes. It is a surprisingly tender act---but then again, he learned a lot of surprising things about her in the last twenty-four hours.

He opens his eyes and looks up at her, meeting her warm red gaze. "Sheeva," he manages to say her name. "I... I don't, what does..." He cannot form a full sentence. Sheeva merely lays a firm hand upon him and keeps him lying down.

"Calm," she advises. "The ritual enacted a heavy toll on your body. Rest now." She rises and walks over to his sink, where she fills up a cup of water. She brings it to him and he readily gulps it down. As she kneels alongside the bed, she says to him, "It enacted a toll on me as well, but I am of a sturdier form."

He downs the cup and sets it on his nightstand. "I just... Wow." He lies back and places a hand on his head as images and memories of sensations experienced last night flood his mind. Sheeva takes this as a compliment and reaches to hold his hand.

"We are mates, now," she says to him, stirring him out of his recollection. "I swear to you the loyalty and honor of my heart. A mate does not merely support their other in matters of pleasure, but in mind and spirit as well. So long as you need rest, I will remain by your side. For now and for always."

Takeda lies there and listens to her, still hardly believing what he is hearing. He didn't know what to expect when he first challenged her: maybe he just wanted a fight, maybe he wanted to help her, but this... What they did last night blew his mind on several levels, and now she is dedicating herself to him, speaking in a way that a soulmate would.

'Can I return that kind of affection? Everything the shokan do, they do it big: big hearts, big souls, lots of love. And she's giving it to me. I didn't know if this mating thing would be a one-time thing or not, but she's saying that we're going to be together forever?'

As she holds his hand, she meets his gaze and smiles. It is a simple one, full of contentment and relief. That's what she seems: relieved, like she's gained something she'd been without in a long time. She squeezes his hand gently, waiting patiently for him to recover.
>>
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>>1081103

*

>Speak to her; affirm that you feel the same way
>Ask her to lie down with you in bed
>Remain silent for now until you have thought more
>You would prefer this to be a one-time thing
>Other
>>
>>1081105
>>Ask her to lie down with you in bed
>>Remain silent for now until you have thought more
>>
>>1081105
>Other
Are you sure you want a human like me? I'm no shokan, and I'm no Kaito either. I only beat you in a fight, but Kaito's been around you way longer than I have. Why me?
>>
>>1081105
>Speak to her; affirm that you feel the same way
>>
>>1081105

> Lie down with me

> Affirm

We must aqquire additional snuggles.
>>
>>1081109
>>1081113
>>1081130
>>1081136

He eventually speaks to her. "Sheeva... Do you want to lie on the bed with me? You don't have to kneel alongside the bed."

"I only did so because your bed is smaller than mine," she says with mirth. "But very well."

A moment later and Takeda finds himself snuggled in all four arms, his head resting against a large bust as her feet dangle off the edge of the bed. Her strong, muscular arms wrap around him like a net, one stroking his hair softly almost like one would do to a pet. That's almost what he feels like in the arms of this shokan; a pet.

He looks up at her and feels compelled to ask, "Are you sure you want this? I mean, with a human like me. I'm no shokan, and I'm no Kaito, either."

That seems to take her by surprise. "Kaito? Why do you bring him up?"

"Kaito's been around you way longer than I have. Weren't you thinking of taking him as a mate?"

Her brow inches downward. "I do not remember telling you this. I assume you took this out of my mind?"

He looks away. "Or I heard it somewhere else..."

"It is true, once I would have taken him. But his heart has been given to another, or perhaps two others... He is a man caught between two worlds, pulled between desires. I would not add onto his pain and confusion in this troubled time. In a way, I am glad I did not take him as a lover; I would deprive the ones he loves now of his attention." She looks down at him and her expression softens. "Why do you compare yourself to him?"

"I don't know. He's someone I look up to, I suppose. I just don't know why you think I could measure up."

"Stop," she commands, and he immediately closes his mouth. Taking one of her hands, she places it under his face to tilt it upwards. "You have more than proven yourself to me, Takeda. That is all that matters. No one else; only the two of us." He can feel her heart beating in her chest, strong and proud like she is. "You defeated me in honorable combat. I am yours, and you are mine. You should not sell yourself short... even if you are."

"Hey," he chuckles, perhaps for the first time since yesterday. "You might be taller than me, but I didn't come up short."

"No, you didn't," she says, kissing him. It is a lover's kiss, slow and deep, and she manages to once more rob his breath.

'God, she's amazing,' he thinks as his hands come to rest on her back. 'Everything about her...' When the kiss ends, Takeda swallows and looks up at her to say, "Sheeva, those things you said earlier. I feel the same way." That is all she needs to resume the kiss, holding him tightly as she shifts positions to have him on top of her. Takeda returns the kiss with as much energy as he can muster, throwing himself ino it.

'I might as well go all in... Fuck it. I'm hers.'

>Cuddle in silence
>Talk for a while
>Sleep
>Sexy times
>Other
>>
>>1081192

> Talk.

Ask if you have to swing by Kuatan to be paraded. Jokingly.
>>
>>1081192
>Talk for a while
Does this make me a trophy or something?
>>
>>1081192
>Cuddle in silence
>>
>>1081192
> Talk
Learn her taste in things, don't try to read it from her mind, that is rude.

Look for things you could do together.

Then
>Cuddle in silence
>>
>>1081197
>>1081202
>>1081223

Some minutes later, he and Sheeva are once more simply lying in each other's arms. He looks up and asks, "So, are you going to take me back to Kuatan and parade me like a trophy now?"

Amused at the notion, she replies, "I just might do that. Perhaps I will dangle you over a pit of shokan women like a piece of candy, too."

He chuckles nervously. 'I never knew she had quite so grim a sense of humor. I like it.' He snuggles up against her and thinks about what things are going to be like now having a shokan girlfriend. It's then that he realizes that he actually doesn't know too much about her.

"Hey, Sheeva? This may sound strange, but what do you like to do? I remember something about pottery, right?"

"Yes, I love pottery."

"You think you could show me a thing or two about it sometime?"

"I would love to."

"Do you mind me asking how we're going to let the rest of the team know? I mean, I didn't know if you wanted to keep this secret or private or whatever..."

"You are not ashemed of me, are you?"

"No! God, no. I was just wondering."

"We both have a dedication to the team. We will not allow our bond to come between us and our duty. As we have an acceptable amount of time between our assignments, we will have plenty more time to mate."

Takeda swallows. "Speaking of which... are you, uh, 'cured' of your heat now?"

Sheeva lets out a soft laugh. "Oh, Takeda. Of course not! I still have another month left in the season."

He gulps. "Another month?"

"Oh, yes," she says, her hands gripping him more firmly. "During which I will expect to be bedded regularly. When the season passes, I may still desire it, but not as often."

"How regularly are we talking, exactly?" he asks. "During the season, I mean."

She taps a large finger against her lips and then trails it down his chest. "Hmmmm... Perhaps only once a day. Perhaps twice."

Takeda feels himself begin to sweat as he imagines the logistics of such a routine. "T-twice a day?"

"Perhaps," she replies. "After all, we shokan have hardy bodies. We must mate as often and as many times as we can during this season to ensure that your seed takes root."

He remembers that she said that earlier, and in his distracted state thinking about how many times she plans on mating it does not register right away what she means by that. But when he thinks about it, it hits him like a ton of bricks. "W-wait, you plan on getting pregnant?"

"Of course. Our child will be strong."

"Woah, woah, hold on," he says, holding up a hand. "I don't know if I'm ready for fatherhood..."

"You challenged me to a mating ritual. The fact that you succeeded means you are."

His eyes widen. 'Me... a dad?!'

>Insist on using protection
>Ask her to lesson the frequency of your mating
>Can't I just pull out?
>...Hell with it, I'll be a dad.
>Other
>>
>>1081270
>Insist on using protection
Takeda's not ready for fatherhood, not with less-than-steady employment. I mean, we even went out of the way to show her what Earthrealm birth control looks like. Sheeva ought to at least respect him on that front.
>>
>>1081270
>Insist on using protection
That's not only for her to decide if we are ready or not. Let's talk about this.

The Deadly Alliance, and both Dragon organizations are still out there, up to no good. Mommy Sheeva won't be able to go out and fight much.
>>
>>1081270
>>Insist on using protection
Yeah, it's a bit turbulent at the moment to have a kid.
>>
>>1081277
>>1081280
>>1081578

Takeda holds up his hands and backs up from her slightly. "Sheeva, hold on a moment. We can't. We... we need to use protection. I can't have a kid! Don't you remember what happened when Cao's bastards were running around?"

She seems about to speak, but he continues before she can. "Look, I want this to continue. But I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of responsbility. With our commitment to defending the realms and our enemies out there, I---"

She suddenly surprises him by laughing as though she had made a joke. He stops talking as she continues to laugh, which unnerves him greatly; he's never seen her this jovial before. "Takeda, for one who jokes so often, you fail to understand my humor."

He blinks for a moment. "So... Everything you just said was a...?"

She puts a hand behind his head and pulls him close, chuckling softly. "You and I will have to learn to be clearer with each other. I do not wish for children at this time either." She laughs again, greatly amused by how seriously he took her. "It is good that you and I are of one mind on this issue. But in the future, I expect them."

"Expect kids, you mean?"

"This time I am not joking. Lineage is important to the shokan, and it is my responsibility to continue my line with a strong mate. I am royalty, you know."

"Right... lucky kids..." Takeda's head falls forward onto her chest where he closes his eyes and lets out another sigh. He then lifts his head back up and asks, "So, that mating twice a day thing...?"

"Also in jest."

"Oh, thank god. I thought you were trying to kill me."

"We shall mate three times a day."

All is silent for a moment. Then, two smiles creep up on their faces, and their next laugh is a shared one.

>Take the day off to relax
>Go see how your father is doing
>Go to the rec room
>Work out with Sheeva in the gym (more conventionally work out, that is)
>Other
>>
>>1081607
>>Work out with Sheeva in the gym (more conventionally work out, that is)

after getting mad gains

>Go see how your father is doing
>>
>>1081607
>Go see how your father is doing
>>
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>out of the loop for a thread
>come back
>takeda has waifu'd sheeva
>>
>>1081607
>Work out with Sheeva in the gym (more conventionally work out, that is)
We have to prepare for the marathon

>>1081623
Welcome to the brave new world
>>
>>1081627
Would Sheeva be receptive to dressing up as and role playing as a maid that is having a torrid love affair with her employer, takeda?
>>
>>1081654
Only one way to find out
>>
>>1081607
>Work out with Sheeva in the gym
>>
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>>1081614
>>1081622
>>1081627
>>1081726

After getting up for a shared shower, during which he learned exactly how useful having four arms to wash a partner could be, Takeda agreed to meet her in the gym. Sheeva often spent her time there, and so to further bond with her he agreed to go. After she leaves, Takeda lies on his bed, staring up at his ceiling, reflecting on everything that's happened.

"Damn, Takeda," he whispers to himself. "You can read minds but you can hardly tell what's happening to yours."

True enough, his mind is racing. Is Sheeva now his girlfriend? Is he the first human man to conquer a shokan woman? Well, he didn't exactly feel like he 'conquered' her, especially with the role she played in the sex that followed.

He sits up and brings his legs over the edge of the bed to sit on it as he ponders. How will things change between them, and how will the rest of the team take this knowledge? As much as a womanizer Takeda is, he never actually expected to end up in a relationship with a woman like Sheeva.

'Not that there's anything wrong with it,' he rationalizes. 'I mean, she's strong in both body and mind, has a great figure, takes care of herself, likes the simple things, appreciates small gestures, and has an amazing pair of tits.'

He looks up and chuckles. "Maybe this won't be so bad..."

He gets dressed and leaves his room. As he walks towards the gym, who should he run into but Ling, whom he doesn't immediately notice. "Hey," she says, lightly poking him with a finger. "Takeda? Are you alright? You look distracted."

"Just, thinking a lot about something," he admits, unsure of how honest he should be. 'After all, I just banged a half-dragon...'

She leans on her staff and says, "Well, if you'd like to take your mind off of things, we could get a drink. Just the two of us."

He's surprised. "Really? Why so suddenly?"

Nodding, she adds, "I don't know. I guess I just got to thinking about what I said while we were on mission yesterday, and I thought we could spend some time together. We haven't really done that since... well, you know," she giggles, referring to that night in Xun-Koto. She stops giggling to herself and looks back up into his eyes, giving him an attractive smile. "What do you say?"

>"Sorry, too late, I'm taken." Walk away
>"Maybe another time."
>"Is this going to be another prank?"
>Go with her for a drink
>Other
>>
>>1081786
>"Sorry, too late, I'm taken." Walk away
>>
>>1081786
>"Sorry, too late, I'm taken." Walk away

It's both the honorable response AND I just want to see how she reacts.
>>
>>1081786
>"Sorry, too late, I'm taken." Walk away
KEKED
>>
>>1081786
>>"Sorry, too late, I'm taken." Walk away
>whistle
>>
>>1081786
>"Is this going to be another prank?"
>>
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>>1081795
>>1081801
>>1081805
>>1081806

Takeda stares at her for a moment, sensing sincerity in her words---but she's demonstrated the ability to fool his telepathy before.

"Sorry, too late, I'm taken." He shrugs and walks past her as her mouth slowly opens. In his head, he can hear her thoughts clearly, and they serve to amuse him to no end.

'Wait... what? What did he just say? He's... taken? Wait, when? By WHO? What did, what the, how did... What?!'

Takeda whistles as he rounds the corner, walking into the gym to meet his new lover. She is there, performing some warm-up stretches. For a moment, he leans against the doorway, admiring her four-armed form with a smile on his face. She notices him looking and puts her hands on her hips. "Are you going to merely stare?"

"I don't think so."

The two of them spend the next hour and a half lifting weights, stretching and conversing. As they do this, other members of the team occasonally wander by or enter the gym for workouts of their own and stop to stare. There is a period of time when he and Sheeva are throwing heavy medicine balls back and forth to each other that draws the curious gaze of Cassie and Jacqui.

At one point, Ling walks by the entrance and then stops, having noticed Takeda. He is on the weight bench being spotted by Sheeva, and upon seeing this the outworlder's grip tightens on her staff to the point of her knuckles turning white. With a huff, she turns and storms away.

'What's her problem, anyway?' Takeda thinks to himself. Sheeva hadn't noticed the girl, but he had. 'Maybe she shouldn't have played so many games. Why get jealous now?'

After finishing up, they hit the showers. Takeda says goodnight to her with a kiss before they part, and she gives his buttocks a squeeze with her lower hands. With a smirk, she parts from him, leaving him to be immediately swarmed by several other members of the team, who are heavy with questions, with the exception of Ling.

"Dude, what's up with you two?" "Is something going on?" "You're seeing each other?!"

"It's personal," he tells the rest of them, slightly annoyed. "I don't pry into Zian and Sam's business."

As he walks off, Cao gives him a high-five. "Nice one, man. Still, I could've done that, if I really wanted to. There's this one chick, she's kind of cute, Jagara? I should tell you about the time I had my hand up her shirt."

"Yeah, sure," Takeda replies. He then nudges the thief in the ribs with his elbow and says, "Hey, since you took down the Dragon King, and we both took out that lava-dragon, I guess this means our score is even, huh?"

The thief is confused for a moment, then catches Takeda's meaning. They both laugh as they head to the rec room for a drink.

>Sleep
>Check on dad
>Find Ling
>Hang out in the rec room
>Other
>>
>>1081879
>>Check on dad
>>
>>1081879
>Check on dad
Try not to boast about what happened
>>
>>1081879
>Check on dad
>>
>>1081879
>Ling walks by the entrance and then stops, having noticed Takeda. He is on the weight bench being spotted by Sheeva, and upon seeing this the outworlder's grip tightens on her staff to the point of her knuckles turning white. With a huff, she turns and storms away.
C U C K E D, plus she's probably still fucking hates the shokan
>Check on dad
>>
>>1081879
check on dad
>>
>>1081929
>C U C K E D, plus she's probably still fucking hates the shokan

Of course she does. That, and Sheeva is Goro's cousin.
>>
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>>1081892
>>1081894
>>1081922
>>1081934

Later that evening, Takeda meets with his father in the briefing room. "So, what have we learned?"

"Mavado was especially resistant to conventional methods of information extraction," Kenshi informs him. "However, my methods are not conventional. I have torn the knowledge from his mind with my power, and now I know where we must go."

"Where?"

"The Red Dragon, and Daegon, lair at a place known as Charred Mountain. Soon we will have the location of this place, and then you and I can strike at the heart of the Red Dragon itself."

"I'm ready, dad," Takeda tells him. "To avenge mom, I'll go to any lengths."

"I know, my son. But there are times when caution must be observed; I know how conflicted you were in the moment while the temple of Kochal came down around us. You wished to remain at my side, but if you had, the others could have been lost. Warning them was key."

Takeda looks away. "Yeah... It's not that I didn't believe in you, it's that I didn't want to lose you. After your last close call with the Red Dragon, can you blame me?"

"No, I do not blame you. I am proud of you. There is a distinct difference." Kenshi smiles and places his hand upon his son's. "I have always been proud of you, Takeda. What a fine young man you have grown into... your mother would be pleased. I know she is."

Takeda feels warm at his father's words. "Thank you, dad. I love you."

"I love you, son." Kenshi retracts his hand and stands up. "Now, I should get to work on discerning the true location of this place. I only received its name---the actual location eludes our databanks. When we have this information, we will plan our next move. Until then, I bid you well."

Right before he leaves, however, he adds, "Oh, and son?" Takeda looks up at him. "I recommend getting some ointment for those bruises."

He then pushes open the doors and walks out.

"But you can't see my---Oh, well played, papa-san. Very funny." Takeda smirks and folds his arms as he leans back in the chair. 'Ointment... yeah, right.'
>>
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>>1082057

I think I'll call it there for this thread. I'd like to thank everyone for playing this episode of Mortal Kombat Konquest! We'll be continuing next time with Thread #10.

As each fifth thread is a non-ND member, next time we'll be playing as Triborg! I hope you're excited! Stay tuned for updates.

Once more, thanks for reading!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DamashiKonquest
Discord: https://discord.gg/8BHvxRH
>>
>>1082065
Is it time for the Tekunin to rise?

thanks boss, see ya
>>
>>1082065
>playing as Triborg
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
>>
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>>1082079
>Is it time for the Tekunin to rise?

Maybe.

There some obstacles in the way, first.
>>
Is Sheeva fairly vanilla or is she a freak?
>>
>>1082196

In many cultures, sex is considered merely recreational. Tantric sex is an ancient Eastern spiritual practice thought to expand consciousness and join together the polarities of masculine and feminine energy into a whole.

“Tantric sex is the ancient key to sexual pleasure and psychic power, attained through a set of rituals,” says Ashley Thirleby, author of Tantra: The Key to Sexual Powers. She goes on to explain that tantric sex can “enable you to reach new heights of sexual pleasure and ... tap your sexual energy for creative use in other areas of your life … [You] are in [your] most intense state of conscious and subconscious concentration during sexual involvement. Tantra teaches ways to carry this intense focus of concentration into all areas of life.

“The rituals make it possible to enjoy sex more often, for longer periods of greater pleasure than you have ever known before. And the more frequently you have sex, the more quickly and powerfully your sexual energy will regenerate itself … “In Tantra, all faculties — physical, mental, emotional — are stimulated as strongly as possible, then controlled, to bring ever-higher pleasure.”

Other than the spiritual element, what makes tantric sex different from Western sex and separate from the sexual culture in countries like the U.S.? In her book, Thirleby describes Tantra as “free of the hypocrisy that pervades … religious orders that seek enlightenment and truth through asceticism (primarily self-denial in sex). Tantra believes the path to enlightenment is through increased sexual activity.”

From a "what is tantric sex" article.
>>
>>1082196
A vanilla freak.
>>
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Archive is up!

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Mortal%20Kombat%20Konquest
>>
God imagine someone Rokuro's size with bullshit ninja training and potential mind reading and telekinesis.
>>
>>1082729

A terrifying thing, no?

Now imagine it's bishie as fuck with a helping dose of androgynous.
>>
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>>1082750
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As Takeda returns to his room, a thought strays past his mind. In all this recent excitement, he had forgotten about the fact that he was originally searching for Kaito. Sure, the general had explicitly laid out that he wouldn't be told, but he can't help but wonder and still worry for his friend. He looks up to him a great deal, perhaps as much as Grandmaster Hasashi and his own father.

'Hell, your Bloody Hands style is what won me that fight... Where are you, anyway? I want you to be here so I can tell you what's happened. Heh, I bet you'd even pat me on the back for doing what you never did.'

Takeda approaches his window and looks out over the ocean water, watching the moon reflect upon the waves.

'Where are you, Kaito?'

>Elsewhere, in Outworld...

Two massive feet plod across the desert wastes. Alongside the wide trail they leave in the sand is another, one of four large paws. Two great creatures, one reptillian and one mammalian but both equally intimidating, march side-by-side. In most normal circumstances, creatures such as this would be enemies, but both have been tamed to the will of their master, who rides this day upon the dinosaur-like beast. The feathers of the mount's head rustle in the breeze as the head bobs up and down slightly from the walking motion.

Kaito's grip tightens on Riptor's reigns, his eyes narrow and trained upon the dunes before him. His other companion, the faithful Edenian mastiff Elvis, trots dutifully alongside the dinosaur that carries his master. The hound, once but a small pup, is now larger than a four-door car and covered in thick reddish-orange hair, with a mane that makes him almost resemble a lion. His large tongue hangs out of his mouth; he isn't well-suited to this desert terrain, but thankfully they won't be long.

The elementalist can hear the sounds of battle up ahead, a sound he's well and familiar with now. As Riptor stomps up the dune, he pulls on the reigns and brings the beast to a halt. From this new high vantage point, Kaito is free to look down upon a dismal sight; that of a city besieged. Too often has he been on the inside of a city's walls while it is under siege, but this time is different. This time it is his allies that are doing the sieging, and inside that city is a woman he has come to care about a great deal. A woman who serves evil gods and has made terrible mistakes, but a woman he loves nonetheless.

That is Turana's city, Nemsai, under attack by the armies of Outworld, led by Emperor Kotal Kahn and his lieutenants. Great war machines of wood and metal are pushed into place by giants from the mountain-villages of Makeba. At their feet, soldiers of many different varieties can be seen: the hinparian scouts, the skull-faced legions of the Kahn Guard, the osh-tekk warriors of his culture, the armored soldiers of Xun-Koto who are eager to return the favor from the time Nemsai attacked them, alongside great beasts of war of all shapes, species and sizes.
>>
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>>1086901

Kotal Kahn himself is here, atop the greatest beast; a tamed tormentor. He stands atop a platform build on its back, and it is from this great tower that he surveys the battle and issues his commands.

Nemsai is a well-defended and self-sufficient city. They can outlast a siege, and Kotal Kahn knows this. His only hope is to overwhelm them with a sheer offensive mass, for he has far greater numbers, but they have the home advantage. Three gods protect the city, and their power is not to be taken lightly. Even now, as the forces of Nemsai retreat to their gates, a grand sandstorm is conjured forth around the city. Kaito shields his eyes as the wind around him picks up, carrying stinging grains of sand with it. Nemsai, at the center of the storm, is naturally protected. Kotal Kahn sounds the horns for his forces to regroup in the constructed shelters to shield them from the storm. He himself raises his hands to the sky, and through the use of blood magik calls own a ray of sunlight from the heavens to burn the city at the center of the storm. He does this until the storm ceases, and the battle resumes.

The forces of the Emperor charge, and Nemsai greets them with arrows, spears and more. Great elephant-men form the vangaurd of their defense, with crocodillians and mummies behind them while hyena-folk archers take aim and fire. Many men die, on both sides, in a relatively short period of time as swords clash and blood is spilt upon the sand.

This will continue until one side yields. More will die, and he can do nothing.

Kaito looks upon the city and can imagine Turana there, upon a platform of the great temple at its heart, staring out at the battle and meeting his gaze from across the sea of sand and death. He remains there until he can no longer bear to look and hear the sounds of the carnage below. Bound by his word to not interfere in Kotal Kahn's war, he turns his mount around and walks off with Elvis following quietly behind, as if sensing his master's pain.

He ventures off into the desert until the sounds fade, but the images remain. He remembers a time, that was not so long ago to him, when he travelled these very lands with her at his side, but now all he has is the wind at his back and pain in his heart.




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