Vena Sera

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Well I'm no pushover, that's for sure," Takeshi mused, grinning as he puffed up his chest. "Hell, Korian was pretty set on getting Shu and I involved in stuff, and he wouldn't bother if we weren't strong. And well... Duh, obviously they need someone that can handle you, ya know?" Not someone that can handle wriggling, still-live food, but someone that could contend with a Frost Demon. If he was being honest with himself Takeshi wasn't wholly convinced he could fight Kiton, at least not without wrecking a few blocks of the city. Even if he did manage to win a brawl between them he doubted their inglorious bastard of a leader would appreciate it; for his sake it was probably best not to fight. Even if he kind of wanted to.

Ah, right. Kiton's race had some pretty nasty guys in their history didn't they? Not that Saiyans were exactly saints themselves. Hell, Takeshi's own father was probably genocidal if you pissed him off the right way, and even on a good day he wanted nothing to do with the man. Growling at having his hand smacked he yanked the limb back, shaking it and scowling at Kiton. "I already said I don't need a tail, wise guy! And you really think I'd let ya toss me? Dream on." Not fighting. For anyone else it was probably an easy feat. For Takeshi? He huffed and folded his arms, scowling in a constant state of petulance. "Ya know you're not exactly making the idea of hitting you sound bad. I can whack you and not get in trouble for it?" Unless energy started being lobbed around, then his ass was as good as toast. "Don't worry, I don't plan on fighting you," Takeshi added, waving a hand dismissively. "Believe it or not I'm not a total jerk who wants to knock people around all day. It's just fun sometimes!"

And it would be something to do if nothing else. Takeshi dropped his hands into his pockets and looked around listlessly. Residents meandered about, some out shopping and carrying bags on their arms, others simply sitting around, talking or enjoying a meal. Many more still were out for a simple walk. Most of those ones took the time to watch Takeshi and Kiton, or to be more accurate, Kiton. Still he couldn't help but be reminded of the humans back on Earth always staring at him or Shu as if they'd never seen a Saiyan before. Some hadn't, but it wasn't like their race was THAT unusual anymore. Scowling at a pair of young children watching them he rolled his eyes as they screamed and ran off, returning the glare of their disgruntled parents, shielding their youth. "It's not nice to stare, ya know!" he shouted at the adults, scoffing as one of them shouted back. Shaking his head and picking up the pace he moved away from the markets in an effort to find less crowed roads. "I hate the fricken cities, man..."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I know how to eat!" Takeshi spat, indignant. "I wasn't asking how to eat, I... Nevermind." Licking at his lips and grimacing, he shook his head. Kiton was just doing that to be a smartass wasn't he? He'd half a mind to punch the guy though quickly decided against it; Korian was already keeping an eye on them, the last thing they needed was to blow away half a city block in a scuffle. So, instead of taking that route to immaturity, Takeshi crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue. He probably looked like the picture of petulance, but it was the best he could settle for, dammit!

While he was glad to drop the food topic, discussing his tail, or the absence thereof, was hardly a good alternative. Jumping away when Kiton glanced at his rear his face flushed and he glared. "I... I haven't had one in ages, okay? And I don't need one to be strong, either! I've done just fine without it!" Gotten his ass kicked a few times, shown up by his crazy father, not to mention Krom on a handful of occasions. Besides that, though, he was doing just dandy. Takeshi licked at his lips again and wrinkled his nose at the lingering spice. He should at the very least go and find something to wash his palate with. Preferably not something that would burn a hole in his jaw. One glance at the nearby stalls however quickly squashed that idea. More writhing masses, foods so vibrant in color that alarms in his head went off. One dish did seem reasonable, resembling rice and vegetables, but a glance at the price made any hopes of another meal wither.

"You mean Goku, right? Or Kakarot, whatever he was called." Takeshi glanced skyward thoughtlessly and scratched at his cheek. "Yeah, he never had a tail, I don't think. If he did then he lost it pretty early on." Saiyans losing their tails probably wasn't all that uncommon though, was it? From what he knew Vegeta, their Vegeta, not senior, didn't have one, and neither did the twins. Hell, the only one among them who did still have a tail was Shu. "I guess that just goes to prove us Saiyans can do plenty without some useless tail weighing us down," he mumbled, then grinned and reached over in an effort to grab hold of Kiton's tail. "It leaves you vulnerable to attack, after all!"

A Grimm War (a RWBY 1x1x1)

Rancid, like rotten eggs, and heavy like fog. What was that smell? Why was it everywhere? Like a gnat it hovered nearby incessantly, though in place of a dull drone was a noxious, permeating odor. It seeped into her clothing and stained it. Lupa hated coming to the Cathedral because of the smell, she hated other Hunters because of the smell. She hated herself because of the smell. No amount of baths removed it, and the time she'd spend away was never long enough for it to completely disappear. If others noticed it too they made no comment of it, and many - Murans for the most part, looked upon her as though she were insane, imagining the scent completely.

It was there, she was certain of it. Canis possessed keen senses of smell and could pick up faint traces, not unlike bloodhounds. Unlike bloodhounds though they took offense to being ordered to track for someone, like they were nothing more than an animal, a tool. She'd strung up the last jerk who tried barking orders at her, only cutting him down when he looked like he might pass out.

"Heh... Strung up... That's a pun." Who was she talking to? The only other person in the Cathedral, at least among the pews, was a fat, oily-looking priest who was fast asleep. Curious, she leaned across her seat and sniffed, face crumpling and fanning at the air. Not only did he reek of... Whatever that smell was, but he hadn't bathed in a while either. Doubly disgusting.

Enough trying to make herself sick. She'd come here on orders to receive a new mission; that had been half an hour ago. Clearly people were busy, busy enough they couldn't be bothered tell her to come back later. Standing and stretching with a groan, Lupa scratched one of her ears, meandering through incoming parishioners towards the doors. She paid them no mind, and they did their best to avoid her in turn. Shorter than most coming in, their avoidance likely had more to do with the gleaming metal claws hung from her waist, clattering gently against her leather greaves.

There were other places to be, and with or without assignment, she'd find work; she'd find herself at the business end of Goodwitch's riding crop for leaving prematurely too, but she'd worry about that when it came. There was never a shortage of work for Hunters, not when Grimm were constantly attacking settlements. They never took vacations, never slept, and didn't need to eat. Their sole purpose in life was to make their existence - their being literally everyone else's lives a living hell. It worked, making the Grimm the sole thing Lupa hated more than the White Fang. That wasn't easy to accomplish.

What was easy to accomplish was to stowaway on a carriage. Carriages came and went with such frequency that most were never inspected, even by those driving it. Lupa picked her mark, an elderly couple with a small covered vessel. Ducking between the crowds and slipping beneath the cover, she moved aside a few boxes before making a bed for herself. While not the most comfortable of beds, wooden carts made traveling far easier; horses didn't hurt either. She could nap while these 'generous' souls did all the work and jump off whenever she found something interesting.

Feeling the cart pull with a start, Lupa smiled and closed her eyes, folding her hands behind her head. "Thanks for the ride..." she muttered softly. Next stop.... Wherever these people were going. Hopefully it was somewhere fun, and less smelly.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Takeshi grimaced, feeling his stomach do flips as he watched the 'food' writhe about. Nerve response, alive, some freaky alien food, whatever it was he wanted nothing to do with it. Kiton ordering it then made him do a double take, silently pleading with the owner to not sell it.

"Edible? Of course it is! It's a food stall after all!" Beaming, the owner grabbed a stick and skewered the writhing mass. "And to answer your question, it's seafood! Taken from the bottom of the lake, fresh! Go on, give it a try!" Takeshi stepped well away as the food was passed, covering his mouth and stifling the urge to vomit. When he turned down an offer to try, the stall owner laughed. "I thought Saiyans ate anything! Seems like that's not true."

He'd eat any food, and whatever that mess was, it wasn't food. Looking back at the display and squeamishly pointing out another dish, Takeshi gladly accepted the plate of orange-sauce beef, or what he assumed was some kind of beef. It definitely tasted like it, and had a certain grainy texture like a steak. "You like the Garu fruit? Most people can't handle the heat!" Heat? Takeshi hadn't noticed until the stall vendor mentioned it, but there was definitely a bite to the fruit, a heat that was steadily growing. He opened his mouth to try and speak, coughing and gasping as it spiked, like a wildfire catching blaze. "Strange, I figured the sauce would dull the heat!"

Sputtering and gagging, Takeshi gasped and grabbed another piece out of the display, munching away. Eyes watering and face red, he gasped as the heat finally subsided, at least for the most part. "You should really warn people, that coulda killed me!" An outstretched hand cut off any further rambling. Indignant, Takeshi fished out the appropriate funds and slapped them into the vendor's hand, abashed by how unapologetic the man was. Sighing, he stepped away from the stall, glancing at Kiton with a baffled expression. "How can you eat that stuff...?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Sure, I coulda said no, and I would've been dumped on training some stupid recruits instead," Takeshi rolled his eyes, "Look, dude, it's not that I don't care," he kind of didn't, but he wasn't going to sat it out loud, "But this isn't exactly my time of a fun afternoon. I mean, what's he got you under lock and key for anyway? Half the guys he's got were criminals at one point!" What annoyed him more, that Kiton was being treated so poorly, or he was stuck effectively babysitting? Why him even? Takeshi was sure they were on Korian's short list by now, yet they were still being trusted to handle all kinds of jobs for him. Maybe the rebellion was just that desperate for help.

Takeshi stopped, folding his arms as Kiton plead his case. Sure, it sounded like it sucked, but all he could do was get it over with. Korian had his mind made up and was more stubborn than anyone, Takeshi himself included. Sighing, he glanced around at the crowds, scratching his head. "Geez... Okay, fine, want food? There's loads of places to grab some, we just gotta pick a spot. Come on."

While much of the city was under repair, that hardly meant people weren't out and about. Crowds sucked, Takeshi reminded himself, refraining from pushing his way through the crowds. It was nice at least that he was taller than the natives, the only ones matching his height were other aliens. Calling himself an alien was weird, but to these people, that's exactly what he was. Man... I'm too hungry to be thinking about this shit. Where's the food? In the markets, naturally, and the scents of foods hit him long before the actual shops came into view. A few open air restaurants looked promising, if packed, so they were passed up. If his experiences back home were any warning, buying food from roadside stalls was risky; the stalls, however, were the only thing not packed to the brim with customers.

Takeshi moved towards one of the stalls, greeting the elderly alien minding the station. A display of food laid out before them, sealed away behind a glass sheet. Meats of varying color were laid out, as well as a tray of what he assumed were vegetables. On the far right, a tub of deep purple liquid bubbled away, and he grimaced when a tentacle rose out of the container, sliding across the glass surface. "Eugh... Well, take your pick," Takeshi motioned to the stall, stepping back and smirking, "There's some wiggly crap in the tub if you're into... Whatever the hell that is."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Want to bring back some food? Sure! Don't know what we'll bring back," Yumi admitted with a shrug, "But I bet we can find something!" Probably some fruits, or more likely, some animal. There were berries she'd seen on their way up - blue, black, red, even yellow, but it was anyone's guess what was and wasn't poisonous here. Shu's enthusiasm was infectious, and she laughed as he practically vibrated on the spot. "There's supposed to be other cities on the planet, maybe we can go check them out? Seeing as we've only ever been in the one place..." It became boring quickly. Sure, being on Uuonoe was preferable to 90% of other worlds they'd visited, and Yumi certainly didn't mind a break from incessant battle, but there was simply nothing for them here.

That Shu could be so energetic and happy in the face of everything was endearing. Being called her favorite put an extra spring in the Saiyan's step too, and Yumi watched, enamored, as he bound about. It really was like having a little brother with you; her family wouldn't have borne someone so hairy, or with a tail, but that wasn't important. "Easy there, you're going to tire yourself out!" she laughed, reaching out and playfully flicking Shu's forehead, smiling. "Let's go see what there is, hm?" She'd intended to lead, but before long Shu was off ahead of her, bouncing with a joviality that she hadn't seen from him in a long time. Sighing, she smiled and followed suit, more than content to let him do things his way.

--------------------

Give Kiton a tour, they said. Show him around, they said. Sure, like I'm supposed to know where the hell to go! The city had plenty to offer, but Takeshi wouldn't pretend to have a clue where to look. Much of it was under repairs, and more still simply didn't interest him. Parks were boring, they had been given some - not much, some, money to spend, and no directions. He pulled the multi-colored plastic cards from his pocket, grumbling as he stuffed them back and ran a hand through his hair. Couldn't he just give Kiton the money and let him wander around? Probably would be getting more out of it that way.

"Ya know... If you wanna go back, or do... Anything else, just say so. I still don't get why Korian asked me to do this." Takeshi stuffed his hands into his pant pockets, rolling his neck. "I mean, I know as much about this city as you do, so what the hell's the point, ya know?" Besides, there was plenty of stuff he could be doing today instead. Well, maybe not plenty - Shu went out with Yumi, Viral and Vegeta were gone, and hanging out with his old squad always just felt... Weird. There was T'charrl, but his aversion to all things bugs made that awkward every single time. Instead of any of that he was wandering aimlessly around the city with a Frost Demon in tow. Glancing over his shoulder at Kiton, Takeshi let out a sigh, forcing a smile. "Anything at all you wanna do? Seriously, anything? I'm bored off my butt over here!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Watching Shu was always heartwarming, he was enthusiastic and innocent. A lot like a child, even if said child was only a few years her junior. In lieu of everything that had happened as of late, his disposition was beyond refreshing. "You want to fight something? Well... I'm sure we could find something out here that would want to eat us." If the forests were anything like those back home, there would be predators galore. Beating up wildlife was hardly training for either of them, but then it wasn't really training, just a chance to stretch their legs a bit.

"Hey, just between the two of us? You're my favorite of the group," Yumi laughed, playfully nudging Shu with her elbow, "I missed seeing you happy and smiling, it's really nice. I'm going to do everything I can to keep you smiling today!" She'd already managed that by virtue of playing, but there were still plenty of hours left, and many more ideas still to try. Cleaning the skewer, Yumi flicked it to the forest floor and hopped to her feet, lithely balancing on the branch. "So, a hike it is! No idea where we're going, or what's even going to be out there," she mused, flashing Shu a grin, "But then that's the exciting part, right? No way to know without going to look ourselves!" Yumi collected her things and dropped down from the tree, shielding her eyes from the sun as she craned her neck skyward. "If you're ready, let's get going! Time to see what this planet's got for us!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Therapy always seemed so counter-intuitive. Bring a sad person into a room and make them talk about being said. How exactly was that supposed to make someone feel better? Doing things like this, being outdoors and having fun, always worked better. That Shu appeared genuinely happy right now only reinforced the idea Aito might just not have a clue what he was doing. "Then we won't talk about therapy! It's boring, and we're to have fun, right?" Yumi giggled. She shifted her weight and leaned back, looking up to the canopy of the trees. Out here they were removed from everything, or that's how it felt, anyway. No fighting monsters, no war, no problems. Just them, some food, and a beautiful day to enjoy.

Shu's proposal made Yumi raise an eyebrow. Do what she wanted? That was a refreshing take, considering usually she just marched to someone else's drum. "Who said I'm not into trees? I'm just learning, that's all." She smiled and prodded Shu's side with her finger. "But if we want to do what I want to do, then... Let's go for that hike! We can explore, see what's out here. It'll be fun!" It wasn't like they would get lost, either. The city sat in the center of the crater, and all they would need to do is fly up to get their bearings. Polishing off the remainder of her meal, Yumi stowed her empty container back in their bag, pulling out a sealed container. "June got us dessert from in town too, want to see what it is?" Rhetorical question, she was already prying open the box. Inside were kebabs, only instead of vegetables and meats, it was fruits. Candied at that, with the pieces cut into various shapes. Yumi smiled, eager to try, and handed Shu his before biting down. The chocolate made a shell and crunched, giving way to the tender, juicy fruit inside. "Delicious!"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith (High-Casual)

Had Ethan known the state of this town he'd just as soon kept on walking. Luxury of choice was taken away given the dire nature of their situation. Picking up children along the way hadn't helped either. Having stepped inside the town's walls and seeing the state of things, he wasn't even sure these people could help. Buildings in disrepair, guards wearing the bear minimum of what could be considered armor, and everyone just felt on edge. Should the people here even want to help, Ethan wasn't so certain they could.

At long last someone had come to speak to them. The foreman it was not, however, not unless the head of the mill was a young 20-something woman. Ethan looked up and smiled awkwardly as she began to question the odd-looking boy. While not overtly so, the woman did come across as a touch hostile. Rising to his feet he stood between Cecil and Freya, hands raised and sporting a nervous smile.

"If you mean Amuné, we just sort of found her. Or she found us." The particulars didn't matter, the girl was here now. "You know her? That's great! I figured we'd keep her safe until we found her parents, but it sounds like you might be able to help." Maybe the girl was from Euford and had simply gotten lost? Ethan glanced back over his shoulder and smiled reassuringly; Amuné would be safe now. "Just uh... I'm gonna have to ask you prove you know her. And not in like... A bad way, if that makes sense."

Freya likely could provide proof, though it would have to wait. A man broad as he was tall approached the group tailed by a pair of guards. "Freya, I'm surprised to see you here! Seems you've brought company this time."

"Oh, uh, we're not with her." Ethan smiled awkwardly as the foreman narrowed his eyes. Should he have said they were? Maybe it would have made this easier on them. "You must be the foreman, it's a pleasure to meet you, sir! I'm Ethan Campbell, and this is, uh..." Adrian was still gone off to the tavern, and he assumed the foreman knew Amuné, which left... "Cecil, his name's Cecil." Thank goodness he'd actually remembered the boy's name. "Oh, and this is Amuné, and her cat... Uh..."

The foreman raised a brow at the moorcat, folding his arms across his broad chest. "Might bold bringin' that thing in when tigers 'ave been giving us a headache. No wonder the guards were so hesitant. Anyroad, I'm told you need help with some shipwreck? Bunch of folks stranded or something?"

Ethan nodded. "Injured too. I don't mean to impose, but they're going to be in a bad way if we don't get some supplies. We'll take anything we can get. Medicine, bandages, some food. We'll pay, of course!"

"No." No? They had offered to pay and had been turned down? "Look around you, boy. Town's on her last legs because of those damn tigers. We barely have what we need, never mind enough to hand out. It ain't a matter of money, we just don't have enough to spare. I've gotta worry about my own."

Incredulous, Ethan took a step forward, smiling uneasily. "There's got to be something you can sell us! Even if it's just cloth, we can fashion our own bandages. And... There's got to be some plants nearby we can use for medicine. I'm sure someone can mix something."

"If you want to deal with the tigers, then by all means, get your medicines. You'll have nothing from us though. Were we able to help we would, but we have to worry about ourselves. Sorry, kid." The foreman glanced at Freya and frowned. "You know anything about this wreck of theirs? Seen anything?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Something else to do...? Hm... I haven't given it much though to be honest." For the longest time she had simply gone with the flow, traveling wherever the group went and fighting alongside her friends. "I don't know, maybe we can... Go for a hike up the mountain. We haven't really explored this world much, though I'd love to see more of it. If they don't want you around for therapy today maybe you and I can sneak off?" In the crater there wasn't anything to keep them from venturing out, not really. Viral and the brothers had gotten a hold of a massive fish in the lake, but Yumi doubted anything like that lived up around the city.

Then again, she wouldn't be disappointed if they did find something. It would be exciting. Tentative, Yumi mixed some of the paste with the fish and sampled that. To her delight and surprise the two flavors evened one another out, making the food far more palatable. The vegetables had been cooked in some light oil as well, and the flavor wasn't dissimilar to garlic from Earth. Once she figured out how the food was meant to be eaten the meal became much tastier.

"I think Viral was with Vegeta today. They wanted to give him a new position, so they were doing a trial run, I guess." She didn't know how much she loved that idea. Why did they insist on distracting Viral instead of treating the problem? They had to know how to help him, right? "Takeshi went with Kiton last I checked, and... Well, it's anyone's guess what they're up to." If the city wasn't exploding then that meant they were getting along, or at the very least, not trying to fight. Yumi smiled and slid closer towards Shu, reaching out and gently ruffling his hair. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind playing with you, but people get busy sometimes! And hey, that just means we get to have more fun together, right?"