estoria | [02] [Open] ♚ All Aboard the Pain Train

Entry tags:

[02] [Open] ♚ All Aboard the Pain Train

Who:

capforthat, and YOU. Open to fighters or spectators!
When: Backdated to 1/22 (6/17)
Where: CERES Gardens
What: Immediately following this network post where Vegeta called out to fellow fighters.
Rating/Warning: Fighting, likely to contain violence, blood, and foul language
Important Note: Do not feel obligated to reply! I am more than happy to handwave any fights between characters. But if you do want to proceed, feel free to get in touch with me so we can talk things out. I am not completely familiar with all of the characters in the game and their various abilities, so I'd love to hear from you before we jump into things. You can contact me through any of these ways.

Option A. ROUND 1--FIGHT

[Vegeta was waiting.

The Saiyan was hovering above the gardens, about ten feet or so off of the ground, arms crossed over his muscled chest and his expression as stone-faced as ever. The anticipation for battle was beginning to tingle up his spine, but the man remained quiet and calm.

It wouldn't be too much longer.]

Option B. No fighting in the bleachers

[...or benches, more accurately. Bulma was seated on a bench with her hands cupped around a hot drink. Her eyes followed the fighting with keen interest, excitement even, and apparently without concern. She was confident that today's matches would be, if not fair (how could they be when a Saiyan was involved?), at least honorable.

Abruptly, she leaped to her feet and cupped a hand around her mouth to shout,] WOOHOO! GO GET'EM HONEY! KICK HIS FACE IN!!

Option C. Wildcard.

[Go nuts! If you'd like to start threads between other characters or try to brawl with some of the other fighters showing up, go for it!]

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Oh! [Wow, what a gentleman! So much for her worries that he might turn into a slobbering perv any second. If she weren't charmed before, she's utterly so now, and it shows in the brightness of her smile and the hand that raises to cup her own cheek. He might not be the most attractive guy she's ever had fawning over her, but if she weren't married... well, she's always had a weakness for tall men.

She glances up at "that asshole". It's hard to miss Vegeta glaring at Sanji like he might set him on fire with his eyes alone.]

Nope. [Bulma raises her voice, just slightly.] But depending on how things go with your match, I might.

[She's still smiling, but there's a warning flash in her eyes. Don't do anything stupid, Vegeta.]

[That sure is a glare! Not exactly what Sanji was expecting to see, and he blinks, eyebrows arching before Bulma's raised voice pulls his attention back.]

Ah... I take it you know him?

[His grin fades just slightly, morphing into more of a smirk as he stands up from the bench.]

In any case, looks like he's ready for me. Heh, also looks like he ain't too pleased for some reason.

[Sanji darts another brief glance up to Vegeta, but then swoops into a deep bow in front of Bulma.]

It was lovely talking to you, Bulma-chan! Hate to take off so quickly, but I guess I'd better get to it. Hopefully we can chat again soon, though, eh? Or even have dinner! I'll make anything you like!

[Gosh, a kiss to the hand and a bow? Such chivalry! She just might swoon, if she didn't think it'd get him murdered.]

Wow, a cook huh? What a nice offer! I'm something in the kitchen, myself! [It isn't a yes, but it isn't a no, either. It would just be too cruel to crush his hopes right before he goes into battle. She gives Sanji a wink and a thumbs-up.] Good luck out there!

[... he's probably going to need it.]

[Straightens up again and flips some hair out of his face.]

Best cook you're ever gonna meet!

[They even gave him a TV show, hahaaa.

He swoons a little at that wink, arms going all noodle-y as he reverts right back to ridiculousness.]

Cheer for me, Bulma-chwaaan~!!

[And then he twirls off -- actually twirls -- until he comes to a stop on the field near (under? lol) Vegeta and shoves his hands into his pockets. His goofy expression clears, settling back into a smirk as he eyes the other man.]

Didn't keep you waiting, did I?

[Vegeta isn't even playing this game right now, bucko.

He barely gives Sanji a chance to finish his question before coming straight at the other man and throwing a punch towards his face.

....He's just a little possessive.]

[The only thing that keeps Sanji from getting a broken nose (or worse) right then is the fact that the second he stepped onto the playing field, he let his haki test the waters just to see how strong this cocky bastard really is.

...The answer, of course, being that he's really fucking strong and holy shit there's a fist coming in to crush his skull.

Sanji's eyes go wide, but combined with the all alarms blaring warning he gets from his haki, he also has speed on his side. He manages to throw his upper body back and out of the way, spine bending with the movement just fast enough that Vegeta's fist only catches the air a hair's width away from his nose.

Goddamn.

No time to marvel over that near miss right now, though. He's still falling backwards, so he throws a hand out to catch himself and then instantly shifts all of his weight onto it. His legs follow the momentum, coiling in tight, before his entire body shoots back out like a spring being released, the soles of his shoes aimed at Vegeta's gut.]

[As Sanji falls backwards out of harm's way--his movements surprisingly fluid and swift for such a string bean of a man--Vegeta's initial attack doesn't end with that first punch. The Saiyan is still barreling straight for his opponent, that earlier smirk of his replaced with a twisted snarl, and it doesn't look like anything is going to slow this train down.

Sanji's soles connect right as intended, but the very second of that collide, Vegeta's entire aura shifts and his ki rises drastically, taking the full force of the hit and barely even flinching. The earth beneath their feet splits as the Saiyan's power level jumps, entire chunks of grass and dirt flying upwards before disintegrating into nothingness. There's a flash of gold, flickering energy surrounding the shorter man, but all that Sanji needs to focus on is how his kick did nothing but make the already grumpy man much more snarly before he aimed an unrestrained strike towards the other's belly.

Be lucky Vegeta's too short to reach your face at this angle.]

[...Huh. Look at that total lack of flinching or grimacing or freaking anything.

Well, shit.

There's no dodging the second blow. Sanji's busy rethinking all the decisions he's ever made in his life and only has time to focus for a split second and throw up a wall of armament haki to shield himself. It won't absorb the entire punch but Sanji doesn't expect it to -- he braces himself and takes the attack hard in his gut, all the wind getting knocked right out of him as he's sent flying backwards across the clearing. Fuck, he's gonna be seeing stars here in a minute, but he uses it to his advantage, needing to get some distance between them even if it only lasts for a second. Vegeta's obviously got speed on his side, too, after all.

He flips in the air so that he at least lands mostly on his feet, skidding backwards another yard or so in a sort of half-crouch. But then he gets right back to it, pushing off the ground again and lunging forward to meet Vegeta, snapping his leg around again to catch him in the side.

The difference now is that his leg is encased in flames, burning bright red from the knee down. This clearly isn't going to be the kind of fight that starts out slow and builds up; if he's going to have even a chance of matching Vegeta, he's going to need to go all out right away.

So, Diable Jambe it is. Whether or not the first kick lands, he follows it up with a flurry of additional jabs from his scorching feet, his limbs a blur (well, probably not for Vegeta) as he tries to get as many hits in as possible. His hands are clenched into fists, arms held up to help block his face, but he doesn't throw a single punch.]

[That golden aura dissipates.

Vegeta, blinded by his own arrogance, does not expect Sanji's second attack so suddenly. Most of the Saiyan's opponents today have scrambled away to catch their breath every single second a few feet of distance has been offered, so the immediate flaming kick to his side actually manages to make impact, the man releasing a low grunt at the blow.

But that first kick is all the last advantage Sanji will get from this match.

While the skinnier man is blocking with his arms and dishing out attacks with his legs, Vegeta is all too skilled at throwing the entirety of his body into battle, moving swiftly to unleash a torrent of punches and kicks, all the while moving his limbs precisely where they need to be to block.

And just like that, Vegeta disappears.

Depending on his trained Sanji was on reading power levels, he may or may not catch the sudden shift behind him. It may be the perfect opportunity to lean over the man's shoulder and rub in his superior battle prowess further, but Vegeta's not taking any chances with this one. The moment he reappears behind the other man, that combo of kicks and punches was coming back full force, all starting with a particularly powerful punch aimed at the side of Sanji's head.

Just enough to disorientate him a little. No killing!]

[He can follow the man's energy signature well enough, but the bigger problem is how fast he moves. It takes everything in him to keep up with the hand-to-hand combat -- or hand-to-foot rather -- and his arms arms are taking a pretty good beating. He ducks and dodges as much as he can to give them a break, dancing around as he lashes out with his kicks, but he's thrown off balance the moment Vegeta vanishes as his leg sweeps right through the open air in front of him where just a split second before there had been a body.

Fucking fuck, where did—?!

When Vegeta phases back into play behind Sanji, he feels it immediately, his entire body tensing up as he tries to throw himself out of the way of the oncoming punch. He's not quick enough to avoid it entirely, though, and Vegeta's fist catches his temple, sending him tumbling again.

And this time, he does see stars.

But he grits his teeth against the sudden pounding in his head, the flames around his legs flickering for a moment before blazing up in full force again. He slams a hand into the ground to catch himself as he falls, and quickly rises up into a handstand, his other hand slapping down for extra support as he whips both legs around in a propeller-like motion to deliver another flurry of kicks.

It leaves his middle a little too wide open, which normally isn't an issue except that now he knows Vegeta probably won't have any trouble breaking through his defenses. So he doesn't hold the position for long, instead launching himself into a back handspring and then kicking upwards into the sky the second his feet touch the ground again.

...And he keeps kicking. Up and up and up. He can't fly, exactly, but he can keep himself aloft in a different way. His next move is sure to get disrupted, but he tucks into a roll anyway, rapidly spinning in midair and picking up momentum until he abruptly drops like a brick, burning leg extended straight out in front of him as he tries to slam his heel right smack into the top of Vegeta's head.]

[The way the other man propels himself upward and somehow manages to continue with the motion is absolutely a one-of-a-kind trick that Vegeta can't recall ever seeing in combat before. Sure, most of the other fighters that he has associated with over the years can fly around with ease, but it certainly proves just how expert the control is that Sanji has over his own body.

In his decade some years of experience on Earth, there are very few humans that could even dream to possess that kind of mastery over themselves.

Unfortunately for Sanji, as impressive as that display is, that last flaming kick to his side has Vegeta all too prepared for the man's next attack. That leg comes plummeting downwards, dropping as swift and straight as a bullet, and yet the Saiyan stands still, watching the action above.

To anyone watching in the sidelines (and perhaps to Sanji himself), Vegeta looks as if he is simply inviting the blow, standing there frozen as the blond's attack speeds closer and closer to his head. But in that last second, a strong hand goes out, catching the other's leg in mid-air--flames and all--and in that brief moment, the Saiyan meets the other warrior's gaze and smirks.

If he's given the chance, Vegeta will then be hurling the other man across the field by his leg.]

[No one ever just stands there inviting the blow, and though they haven't been at this for overly long yet it's at least been long enough for Sanji to know that if Vegeta thinks he can take this, then...he probably can.

Which likely means terrible things for Sanji, but there's no way he's going to try to change course now. He summons up his haki, wills as much strength to flow through his leg as he can, and just hopes he can make the asshole budge even a little.

To have his leg just fucking caught like that, with barely any give to Vegeta's grasp, is the real blow -- to Sanji.

It's really damn jarring given the speed he was dropping at, and it sends a tremor straight up his leg to his hip that is quickly followed by a jolt of pain. Not that he has much time to do anything about it. He catches that smirk from Vegeta, which only has him scowling in return, a whole slew of curses ready to fall from his lips as he tries to slam his other knee into the side of Vegeta's head—

He doesn't get the chance to, though, as he's s abruptly hurled across the field as though he's little more than a sack of shitty flour.

Hell, he doesn't even have time to twist his body around again. There's no softening the landing this time, he just slams into the ground shoulder first and tumbles through the dirt. Eventually his momentum slows enough that he manages to get his legs under him again, one knee braced against the ground. He pants, dragging the back of his hand across his mouth and wiping away a trickle of blood. And then, despite the fact that he's obviously lost and/or is going to lose this match, Sanji finally returns that smirk.]

Heh... I pissed you off somehow, huh?

[He can tell. This is more than Vegeta just being stronger than him -- he's knocking Sanji around like he wants to squash him rather than get any kind of decent workout or spar out of this. Some part of Sanji figures he's probably lucky the man's held back enough to not actually kill him.

His gaze drifts to the side, finding Bulma in the crowd briefly, before it snaps back to Vegeta.]

So who is she?

[The blond man goes flying, unsurprisingly, and by the time that Sanji manages to push himself up off of the ground, blood trickling freely from his mouth, Vegeta is still standing in the exact same spot, muscular arms crossed tightly over his chest as if nothing had happened at all.

For all of their fighting, for all of the hard blows that had made contact on the Saiyan over the course of their strenuous fight, Vegeta looks as if he could continue at this rapid pace for at least another round or two, if not longer. His body was like stone, unyielding and endlessly resilient, the exhaustion that should have been burning into his muscles by this time completely undetectable in that sturdy, square-shouldered posture. In fact, if it wasn't for the way his steely gaze was fixated so intently upon his opponent, it may appear as if the man had been a statue all along.

--It isn't until Sanji glances back to the blue-haired spectator in the crowd that the Saiyan finally moves and, more importantly, reacts.

The response is automatic. Vegeta's smirk dissolves, replaced with a thin, hard line as his arms fall to his sides, hands clenching into tight fists.

Given their distance, it isn't surprising that the Saiyan's voice carries when he replies, enough that the bystanders would no doubt be able to hear the conversation between the two fighters.]

My wife.

[Not possessive or anything.]

[Sanji shoves himself back up to his feet the second Vegeta's arms drop, legs widening into his usual fighting stance and arms coming up to block, just in case another one of those lightning quick moves follows the abrupt shift in demeanor.

Not that being prepared would do him much good, and he wobbles anyway with a wince just as Vegeta's reply hits him.

And then his eyes widen and his arms lower a bit.

Oh.

...

Well. Oops?]

Shit.

[Rather plaintively said.

He straightens further and reaches up to scrub a hand through his hair -- though that turns out to be a mistake, ow, he might've fucked up his shoulder when he hit the ground. Come to think of it, he's got pins and needles all the way down to his hand. Geez.

But back to the important things—]

Lucky you.

[...It's meant to be a compliment, really, but all that not possessiveness practically oozing off of the Saiyan over there has Sanji backpedaling quickly lest Vegeta incinerates him for thinking his wife is hot.

He clears his throat, very pointedly not looking at Bulma again.]

Of course, I didn't fuckin' know that.

[His lips curl into a defensive snarl.

Vegeta has always been a little odd to say the least. Even when it's very clear that he cares a great deal over something--like his ultimate dream of surpassing Goku in strength or the way his stomach clenches uncomfortably to see his young son cry--his pride refuses to let him ever acknowledge it. This, sadly, applies to his wife as well.

The man practically spits out his next reply, all collected calmness thrown out the door,] Tch, what do I care! [His actions tell a different story, but no one would ever get that out of him.] I am only here to fight, I don't give a damn otherwise.

[There may be the slightest bit of pink to Vegeta's face as he growled, but that was all of that bubbling anger, right? Besides, it was hard to concentrate on the Saiyan's coloring when he was raising his fists in preparation of more punching.] Now fight me before I rip you to pieces!

[...Heh. A reaction like that actually manages to amuse Sanji, despite the situation. He cocks an eyebrow at the other man, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth again.

Vegeta's that type, huh? Figures. Polar opposite of Sanji. If he was married to such a gorgeous woman, he'd be singing her praises and fawning over her all day, every day. Actually, hell, being married aint't required -- he does that sort of shit anyway to damn near every pretty girl he sees walking down the street.

So Vegeta's supposed bubbling anger just kinda bounces right off Sanji as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a cigarette and a lighter. If he's going to get himself killed right now (because hell if he's going to call it quits just yet; he's still standing, after all...barely), he might as well enjoy a final smoke first.]

Alright, alright. Keep your shitty spandex on, I'm ready.

[Though, despite his words, he still takes the time to quickly light up before he tucks the lighter away again, leaving his hand in his pocket and looking across at Vegeta once more as he takes a drag.

He's still in his "ready" stance, feet slightly spread and more than prepared to snap a leg out if Vegeta comes at him. First move's on him, Sanji will just poke at him until he gets a fist smashed into his face or something.]

So how'd you two meet?

[Bulma may deserve a partner who would sing her praises at every presented opportunity, but it was clearly not what the heiress actually wanted. Despite how unconventional their relationship was to those on the outside (and their closest friends at times too), could there really be another man out there able to match her incredible intelligence and dreadful stubbornness?

Not likely. At least not one that wouldn't break beneath Bulma's withering glares, piercing shrieks, and shy flirtations at other men.

Really, no one realizes how much Vegeta puts up with.

Out comes that cigarette from Sanji, who looks all too casual considering the beating he'd just taken, Vegeta's furious expression twisting in disgust. Even from this distance, the revolting smell reaches the Saiyan's too sensitive nose, his intense gaze still locked onto the other man.

...This is....definitely not fighting. Are all of the humans here too stupid to understand that a good battle is all that he wants?!]

If you must know, I came to annihilate her planet. [Vegeta was not the type to share personal information. Unless that information just further showcased his superior strength.]

[CIGARETTES GIVE HIM STRENGTH OKAY--

No, not really, but if Vegeta's going to let him smoke it then he'll gladly use the time to regroup. He can probably get in one last round of good hand-to-hand exchanges, if only to stretch this out and spare himself the annoyance of going down in such an embarrassingly short amount of time.

That response certainly has his eyebrows hiking even further up his forehead, though.]

No shit, really?

[Wow. Just wow. He senses there's a really good story there, but like hell he's going to try to get it out of Vegeta. Instead, he just barks out a laugh.]

How fucking romantic.

[He takes one last, long drag of his smoke, then lets it drop to the ground and grinds it out with the heel of his shoe.

Alright, break's over. The grin falls off his face as the casual air leaves him, and he taps the toe of his shoe against the ground once, twice—

And then kicks off the ground and flashes forward, faster than a lot of humans would be able to even if the speed is nothing compared to what Vegeta can do. He launches into another round of powerful, sure kicks, just trying to make any sort of contact at all. If there's any kind of opening to land a hit, he'll take it, but mostly he just wants to see how long he can keep up with the other man. He pushes himself to be quick and not to get sloppy, and does his damnedest to block in return.

Straight up martial arts -- sans any punching, of course.

The next hard hit he takes from Vegeta will probably end with him being down for the count, though.]

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[02] [Open] ♚ All Aboard the Pain Train

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