Rutaba
Member
Rutaba didn’t even flinch when Inugami dropped in between them. His eyes snapped straight to the dumplings mid-chew, completely hijacked. His head tilted, nose twitching as he leaned in closer. “…You brought food?” His stomach growled right on cue. For a second that was all that mattered, but the voices kept overlapping and his attention bounced right along with them.
His gaze flicked from Inugami to Veylora, then back to Liari as she snapped again. He blinked, then grinned wider. She was still the same. When she corrected him about the tournament being in West City, he tilted his head the other way. “…West City?” He shrugged like it didn’t matter. “Same thing.” It clearly wasn’t, but Rutaba had already moved on.
He rolled his shoulders and threw a quick shadow punch into the air, stance loose but ready. “I was training,” he said, like that explained everything. “Gotta hit harder this time.” A flicker of blue ki sparked around his fist, tighter and steadier than before, before fading.
His attention shifted again, locking more closely onto Liari and Veylora. He noticed the difference in how Liari looked at her. His tail slowed for half a second. “…Huh.” He didn’t say anything else, but he definitely clocked it.
When Liari told him and Inugami to leave, Rutaba’s grin only widened. He didn’t move an inch. Instead, the second she took off, he dropped into a crouch and launched after her in a burst of speed, completely ignoring that he wasn’t invited.
When they reached West City, Rutaba slowed mid-air, hovering just above the streets as his eyes widened. “…Woah…” Lights, people, noise, movement — it all hit at once. His tail started swaying faster as his head turned side to side, trying to take everything in. He dropped down near the arena with the others, barely able to stand still.
“Ohhh…” he murmured, leaning forward as he watched fighters step up one by one. Every punch, every number, every reaction — his eyes tracked it all, sharp and focused.
When Liari struck the machine and the number flashed 203, Rutaba’s eyes widened slightly, then his grin crept back. “Not bad.”
The moment she was cleared, he hopped forward and slipped into line like he belonged there. He bounced lightly on his feet, glancing between the machine and his own fist. When it was his turn, he stepped up without hesitation. No stretching, no buildup — just a quick roll of his shoulder. He pulled his fist back, blue ki flickering tightly around it, then drove it forward hard.
The machine rattled from the impact. Rutaba didn’t even look at the number right away. Instead, he turned his head slightly toward Liari, a small grin forming like that mattered more than the result. Only after a second did his eyes flick back to the flashing score, his grin widening just a bit more.
Then a familiar presence hit.
Rutaba’s head snapped toward it instantly — Eschal, the mysterious space cop. His grin stretched wider, something sharper and wilder behind it now. “Oh—you’re here too?!”
He bounced once on his toes, tail lashing excitedly behind him as his eyes lit up like he just found a new training partner. “This is gonna be awesome! Now we can all fight together and see who’s the strongest!
Location: Valley outside of South City -> West City, Tournament Grounds
Order: Veylora → Liari → Rutaba → Inugami → Whoever wants to join.
His gaze flicked from Inugami to Veylora, then back to Liari as she snapped again. He blinked, then grinned wider. She was still the same. When she corrected him about the tournament being in West City, he tilted his head the other way. “…West City?” He shrugged like it didn’t matter. “Same thing.” It clearly wasn’t, but Rutaba had already moved on.
He rolled his shoulders and threw a quick shadow punch into the air, stance loose but ready. “I was training,” he said, like that explained everything. “Gotta hit harder this time.” A flicker of blue ki sparked around his fist, tighter and steadier than before, before fading.
His attention shifted again, locking more closely onto Liari and Veylora. He noticed the difference in how Liari looked at her. His tail slowed for half a second. “…Huh.” He didn’t say anything else, but he definitely clocked it.
When Liari told him and Inugami to leave, Rutaba’s grin only widened. He didn’t move an inch. Instead, the second she took off, he dropped into a crouch and launched after her in a burst of speed, completely ignoring that he wasn’t invited.
When they reached West City, Rutaba slowed mid-air, hovering just above the streets as his eyes widened. “…Woah…” Lights, people, noise, movement — it all hit at once. His tail started swaying faster as his head turned side to side, trying to take everything in. He dropped down near the arena with the others, barely able to stand still.
“Ohhh…” he murmured, leaning forward as he watched fighters step up one by one. Every punch, every number, every reaction — his eyes tracked it all, sharp and focused.
When Liari struck the machine and the number flashed 203, Rutaba’s eyes widened slightly, then his grin crept back. “Not bad.”
The moment she was cleared, he hopped forward and slipped into line like he belonged there. He bounced lightly on his feet, glancing between the machine and his own fist. When it was his turn, he stepped up without hesitation. No stretching, no buildup — just a quick roll of his shoulder. He pulled his fist back, blue ki flickering tightly around it, then drove it forward hard.
The machine rattled from the impact. Rutaba didn’t even look at the number right away. Instead, he turned his head slightly toward Liari, a small grin forming like that mattered more than the result. Only after a second did his eyes flick back to the flashing score, his grin widening just a bit more.
Then a familiar presence hit.
Rutaba’s head snapped toward it instantly — Eschal, the mysterious space cop. His grin stretched wider, something sharper and wilder behind it now. “Oh—you’re here too?!”
He bounced once on his toes, tail lashing excitedly behind him as his eyes lit up like he just found a new training partner. “This is gonna be awesome! Now we can all fight together and see who’s the strongest!
Location: Valley outside of South City -> West City, Tournament Grounds
Order: Veylora → Liari → Rutaba → Inugami → Whoever wants to join.
