[IC] Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

[Mogtaki]

Viral didn’t think she should go for predators at all, she wasn’t ready to respect their lives as animals over opponents. They were nothing like opponents, they were creatures that were possibly not smart enough to recognise they were being hunted themselves and were just trying to survive a fight. The problem with fighting a beast that was a predator was knowing whether or not they were rare as well, the possibility of that one being a rare beast being pretty high. It was a night dweller judging by its appearance and blindness in the day so that much was known. Looking to Yumi he grumbled, looking away. “There’s nothing wrong with fishing…” Out of all the animals around he enjoyed fish and flying creatures most, his taste for red meats not being particularly strong when it came to those two animal groups. He couldn’t care whether it had feathers or scales, so long as he could eat it he would be completely fine with that. The lake itself proved to not be that far away in the end and once they arrived he let out a sigh, looking around the area before slowly making his way to its treeline. The water seemed non-toxic and certainly didn’t smell dangerous, definitely relaxing him a little bit more. Looking around he soon decided to come out of the treeline, sitting down instead of looking ready for hunting.

Kai had no problem with Takeshi’s fits but Kabocha’s ones were often over the most obnoxious things, especially when he was always bringing women into it. If something went wrong he would often blame a woman for it whether it was right or wrong to, but this time when it was over an alien women he seemed to take it a little harder, especially with the teasing. He didn’t exactly find attraction in every female of every species like Kabocha seemed to, at least. “You know, when the war is over maybe I’ll find someone! You never know, do you?” he spoke up, “Do you not believe we’ll be free eventually? We’ll have lots of girls to look at and see who we want as a mate. I don’t care about finding a mate just now when I could be dead tomorrow, you know? I just want to live, I can do the rest later”.

Shu was still hiding in the same spot, not actually moving away from it when Takeshi seemed to be having a bad time with trying to find them. He was close by, he could hear him, but he wasn’t going to end up losing him anytime soon. If he was going to end up moving further away he would probably follow, but if he started to get close then he was willing to try and flee before Takeshi caught sight of him. Takeshi really wasn’t very good at this, it turned out, especially when he hadn’t found anyone yet.

T’charrl was feeling fairly calm as he lay on the ground like this, completely settling down compared to what he was like earlier. He didn’t think there was much danger just from lying here as he just felt out for the energy in the ground. Maybe he could feel Takeshi coming over to him, but trying to use the flow of the energy like that typically required him to use his own and that would just make his orbs light up instead so that was no good. Feeling pretty content to remain where he was he moved his head slightly, closing his eyes as he instead tried to hear for anything that might happen rather than using his eyes for visual aid.

[Vena Sera]

Fishing didn't really seem like hunting to Yumi, it was more of a side activity. To her hunting was actively chasing down something in the woods or laying traps, not using a fishing pole or reaching into the water for a fish. In reality though she supposed it could be the same thing, just different places. In both cases you were trying to catch something, the only difference was whether it was in the water or on land. The promise of a big steak was more tempting than a fish filet all the same, but Viral sounded like he was set on fish. Not wanting to split up and certainly not wanting to give reason to get angry she went along with him, going to the lake at last to try finding some food. When they finally found it she stopped just at the treeline and tried to spot out any animals at the water's edge, figuring she could circle around and try catching something. To her chagrin Viral stepped out of their cover and went right on up to the water, sitting down at the lake's edge in the most glaringly obvious way possible. Looking around worriedly that he may have scared something off she hurried out after him, standing behind him and looking down at her friend testily. "I can't really hunt if you're just going to sit out here you know," Yumi said, frowning as she shook her head, "Unless you're really trying to get me to go fishing." Looking out over the lake she wondered how she should go about trying to catch one. They had no rod or bait, so maybe a sharp stick to catch something? That would mean carving up a stick to work for her, shouldn't be too hard.

"Sheesh, you're so dramatic about it Kai. We're going to be fine, relax. If the King was going to kill us don't you think he would have by now?" Kabocha asked, smirking as he patted his friend on the back patronizingly. "Besides, we've got the Princes on our side, and the rebels too. If you think about it there's a whole ton of people that the King has to get through to get us, some really strong people. I don't get why you're worried when we're never going to be in that kind of danger." War or not, it was very unlikely they faced a life threatening battle. All of the big shots in the military would either be fighting the rebels or Shu and Takeshi and their friends. In a way they were more of backup, and he was fine with that. Shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, Kabocha turned to Choi and winked at him knowingly. "Choi's already got a mate anyways so he's not worried, right? So tell me, have you and Yumi... You know?" Never exactly tactful he went right on ahead and made a crude gesture with his hands, having no regard for who may be seeing it. Probably a good thing they were on an alien world, otherwise a whole lot of people would have become awfully offended right then.

There had been nothing in the woods as of yet to warrant concern, but L'esta was remaining vigilant. He knew all too well how their own people excelled in ambush style combat and it was a safe assumption that other people fought in similar ways. No matter how good your forces were it could be disastrous if you were caught unawares, and thus you had to remain alert at all times. As his men took a break and rested he continued to circle the area, listening intently for any sign of an intruder. He knew all of the sounds that the local fauna made so he wouldn't mistake an animal for an attacker, which was good. Being closer to the ship really required a heightened sense of awareness in of itself, and every little sound that didn't come from wildlife was picked up by him. Approaching a large grouping of bushes he paused and turned his back to it, glancing back at the area behind them. Surely nothing had gotten by them, they had moved in a spread out unit and covered a fair bit of ground. The forests were large, yes, but unless whoever landed made a very wide berth they would have been picked up by someone. So had whoever they were seeking out not come this way yet? It may end up being they would have to go into the city itself to investigate. "R'otha, Pellek, when you're done I want you two to take the left, keep an eye out for anything unusual!" L'esta commanded, his voice carrying through the otherwise silent area, "Tiama, Bursch, take the right, I'll take center. We'll head for the city next."

It had to be the fact it was an alien planet, that was the only reason no one had been found yet. Had he been this way already? Gah, hide and seek was an awful idea! Takeshi hadn't a clue where anyone was, but he was much too stubborn to just admit defeat and call them back. He still wanted to win, even if it took him the rest of the day, which at this point it may well. For all he knew he'd walked by someone a few times now and not even noticed, it wasn't as if he were scouring every single plant for signs of the others. So should he double check where he'd been? That would take too long, it was best he just keep on searching. Sighing to himself he rubbed at his head, kicking a small rock against a tree as it smacked into the trunk with an echoing thud. Right, standing here and debating on where to go wouldn't find anyone, he had to actually search. Turning about he looked in every which direction to try and decide on where to go, finding himself awfully stuck yet again on where to head. "Stupid forest... With its confusing trees and everything looking the same..." Takeshi grumbled, closing his eyes before throwing his arms up in the air in frustration, "Where the heck did they go?!"

[Mogtaki]

Viral couldn’t help but wonder whether this place was seen as beautiful or as simply a death trap for the Kaesstrians, but that wasn’t going to be something for him to care about right now. He wanted to be here for reasons Yumi probably couldn’t care for, all she wanted to do was hunt, but for him he had different plans for all of his own desires. Being around the water was definitely making him feel pretty good despite the fact he was supposed to be concentrating on hunting, but right now he just wanted a short break from it all for his own thoughts to collate and find some time to relax. There was something about being near the water that relaxed him greatly, but it also managed to make him feel somewhat solemn as well. Staring at the calming waters he grunted when Yumi decided to comment on his insistence to sit by the lake, his eyes shooting to her angrily before he looked away, growling in annoyance. “If you want to hunt then find your prey, you don’t need me”, he spoke quickly, letting out a sigh instead, “I’ve taught you a lot about hunting now. You know how to make a weapon, how to find prey and now you just need to show me you can kill it without injuring it too much beforehand. Why do you need me for that…”

Kai was still aware that they were in a war and how he was going to be easily killed off if he was to go into battle without any support whatsoever. He would need his brother, but there was always going to be the risk that he might end up getting killed alongside him. It wasn’t that he was afraid of fighting the King, just that he knew he was probably going to die once they fought him because he would be too out of practice compared to when he was with the King. “Once he finds us, he will kill us. He doesn’t let deserters live without either killing them or enslaving them forcefully”, he spoke calmly, giving his head a quick shake, “You think we’ll be able to defeat him? I’m sure there’s always going to be that risk that we’re probably all going to die if we try. I’d rather wait and see if I can survive before I try to make any life commitments”.

Choi did notice Kai often spoke like this, especially considering he was his brother and had a general know-how over how he was feeling. Kai felt the same way as Choi when it came to the King and possible survival, but Choi was willing to put up a little more risk when it was someone else who drew their fancy towards him. He never thought he’d ever get someone to like him and it just so happened Yumi did, certainly making him the luckiest one out of all of them. Smiling a little to himself he barely realised Kabocha was talking to him, looking to his hands before he slapped out at them. “No! Don’t be stupid! Why would I risk something like that?? That would endanger Yumi AND me! Think about it, stupid!”

T’charrl wasn’t sure when he might be found or whether Takeshi was going to give up before that happened, but right now he was using this opportunity to be alone and try to relax. He wasn’t going to be seen anytime soon unless he moved out of his position, but even then he didn’t hear Takeshi around anywhere. Feeling pretty content sitting around and feeling around the energy in a calm manner, he couldn’t help but still feel a little uneasy for some reason. He was quite happy sitting around by himself but something didn’t feel right, like he wasn’t supposed to be relaxing but rather on his guard. Feeling like he should try to keep a look out at least he moved his antennae around, trying to pick up scents that were in the air. That was probably a bad idea; now he really was feeling uneasy as he was sure he could smell something. Lifting his head up he soon decided to move from his spot, making sure to keep low just incase it was someone other than Takeshi approaching him.

Shu was awfully amused by Takeshi’s obliviousness as he continued to try and find them, showing he really wasn’t the true master of hide and seek after all. He almost felt like he should try give Takeshi a fighting chance when it came to the game, seeing how he was struggling now. Watching him curiously he smiled when Takeshi only grew frustrated. If he was seeking he probably would’ve found all of them by now, but at the speed Takeshi was going at it might be a while before any real progress was made on his part. Looking around curiously he soon smiled as he found a pretty nicely shaped stone near him in the ground, digging it out carefully before he threw it straight for a tree near Takeshi, ducking down quickly after doing so.

[Vena Sera]

The lake was a prime spot for hinting, it just had to be. Any basic survivalist knew that finding a body of water could be both a blessing and a curse as widlife tended to congregate around them. Prey as well as predators would be nearby, if at all, so they should try being a bit careful. She should stake out the lakeside then and find a good place to hide, or she might if Viral didn't waltz right on out. Slumping as she looked at the Beastman confused Yumi followed suit, standing by his side as he sat down. She couldn't well hunt with him potentially drawing attention, and could she even really fish in this lake? He sounded fair angry at her comments, being pretty quick to dismiss himself from the hunt entirely and try sending her on her way. Well, hunting was the reason they had initially come out here, but she was looking forward to some quality time with Viral, time not centered around trying to flee or defeat some enemy. They never got to do much of anything anymore and this may be their last chance in a while to, she wouldn't give it up. "Actually... Maybe I should take a break from hunting," Yumi murmured, smiling as she took a seat beside her friend, "That animal roaring probably scared everything away for miles, I'm thinking that nothing is going to be nearby, not for a while anyways." The scenery around them was quite beautiful, it would be a waste not to sit down and appreciate it some. Leaning back and supporting herself with her arms Yumi sighed contently, folding one leg over the other. "It's so quiet out here... It's nice..."

Kabocha may have worried plenty about the Kaesstrians, but he couldn't find it within himself to worry so much about the King. They had the Princes and rebels going for them, far as he was concerned they were safe. Unless the King decided to target them specifically for whatever reason he couldn't fathom why any real threat would come their way. Sure, once a battle finally broke out there was danger, but not from the King, not unless they joined the others in facing him directly. Far as he was concerned their hands were washed clean of that matter, they would support if need be, but not really fight. "Come on, with everyone we've gathered and those people who we've met I'm sure we can win. He's strong, yeah, but he's one man. No one is invincible." All the more reason to live it up and chase some girls, they were going to be fine. Choi already had one himself, though what Yumi saw in him Kabocha couldn't guess. He was kind of a goof and looked just like Kai, but she didn't like Kai, so what was it? Bringing their relationship up in perhaps the most unsavory way possible he laughed when his hands were slapped, winking at his friend suggestively. "I did think about it, that's why I'm asking. Come on, two hot-blooded, young warriors always alone together? You must be insane if you're keeping it in," he laughed, shrugging his shoulders, "But don't let me tell you how to live your life!"

L'esta glanced back at his men to see how they were getting along, noticing a few were breaking into their rations already. Not unexpected, they had been working nonstop as of late to make sure the melding of both societies went as smoothly as possible. Few had deemed it necessary to cause problems, it had been a pleasant surprise that most Kaesstrians welcomed the joining of sides. Each benefited from something the other had to offer and their people became stronger for it overall, who wouldn't be happy with that? Smiling to himself the Captain nodded his head, continuing his scouting of the area mindfully. As a veteran soldier you picked up a lot of tricks and tendencies, one of which was to inspect your surroundings thoroughly. Even when seeming uninterested L'esta was picking apart every plant, every shadow for any signs of threat. The faint rustling of bushes was not something that would generally garner his attention, the wind could be easily responsible for that. But seeing something skulking out of the corner of his eye was more than reason enough to investigate. Turning his head he barely saw a figure slip behind trees, frowning and withdrawing his sword. It couldn't be one of their own, he deduced quickly, they wouldn't be hiding. An enemy then? Walking towards where he had spotted the figure he slowed his pace, readying to swing his weapon at a moment's notice. "You there... Show yourself! Come out slowly!"

It was nice no one was around, Takeshi would hate for someone to see him having a fit right now. No way was he going to admit he was stumped, no way in hell. He would find them if it took twenty minutes or twenty hours, though he doubted they would stay hidden for so long. Stubbornness and determination to win wasn't finding him anyone thus far, he should try changing tactics. Flying had never been barred had it? Maybe if he could get an aerial view it would be easier to spot someone that way as opposed to walking about. Nodding to himself he figured that was a sound plan, and if he did find someone and they complained then he wouldn't do it, no sweat. Smacking his hands together with a smirk he near took off right then and there but instead flinched when something smacked into a tree, making him whip around on his heels confused. Blinking owlishly he looked about the area before noticing a rock lying at the base of a tree, seeming totally out of place in the otherwise grass-covered ground. Walking over to it he picked it up in his hand and inspected it, taking a minute to process how it must have gotten there. When things finally clicked a vein popped in his forehead, and angrily Takeshi whipped the rock up in the air, his head seeming to expand exponentially as he yelled, his eyes white. "Okay, who is the wise ass messing with me?!" he shouted, throwing his arms down at his sides before wincing as the rock came back down and nailed him square on the head, whimpering as his hands shot up to the bump. Glaring down at the rock he kicked it away, huffing as he looked around the area. Okay, someone had to have thrown that, so where in the world were they?

[Mogtaki]

Viral saw no reason to keep him around or for her to have company when she already knew the basics, not to mention there was the fact he still suffered from mood swings and could endanger her life and her task. He didn’t think he needed to hang around her all the time just to make sure she was going to actually catch something, possibly eventually learning she couldn’t always have someone around her to make sure she was doing it right. A hunter always went in alone or as a pack for bigger prey, but Yumi was completely able to hunt by herself if she managed to behave. For him, he had too much on his mind to be able to concentrate on hunting with her and keeping calm, even snapping at her instead of saying why he wanted to stop by the lake. He didn’t know how much time he had left or how his treatment was going to go, but he couldn’t help but feel pessimistic about it. He didn’t get to have time like this just to watch the world go by and it had been a long time since he had been anywhere near water, even if the water was otherworldly and simply a lake. Keeping quiet he sighed a little, shifting a knee up and resting his arm on top, giving it a look over before resting his chin on top. Barely giving Yumi a look as she sat by him he only frowned, not much caring about the creature or what she decided to do. The water was his kind of environment, or rather one of them he could find calm in. He never got to go near water beyond what he experienced in that brief time of freedom he had when he was searching for the Dragonballs; shame that turned out to be not worth his while at all. “That’s what the wild is like…” he spoke lowly, just sounding fed up already. They had barely started and he already had enough, even if Yumi was the reason they were out here, “If we waited here long enough, something might appear…hmph, whatever. I don’t know what it is you wish to find here, especially when creatures probably get enough water from fruit or whatever anyway…”

Kai definitely didn’t feel the same courage the others did when it came to talking about the King and fighting against his men, probably because he knew he and his brother only got lucky because of their fighting style. They weren’t as strong as an Elite, there was no way they could stand up against one and even Choi knew this. It wasn’t easy to admit they had been the two weakest in their team when the King assigned them all meaning they were some of the weakest on the ship. It wasn’t much encouragement to rely on and it did manage to make him feel worried that he may never gain freedom and easily put him off speaking to girls over the possibility of finding a mate or even a friend. “Yeah, maybe we can win, but there will be casualties and I want to wait and see whether I become one of them. We’ll see what happens and whether we survive long enough to think about our future”.

Despite how Kai was feeling, Choi was not feeling calm at all and was about ready to slap Kabocha for his assumptions, especially when he should know Yumi was the one who should decide for herself whether she wanted that out of him. It was Yumi that asked to go out with him and it was Yumi who ultimately held the most control over their relationship. She was a scary woman and not to mention she had powerful friends and he was just one little guy. “Well don’t think about it unless you’re willing to ask Yumi herself! If you’re even brave enough. You can barely speak to her nevermind ask something like that!”

T’charrl didn’t like it when it was this quiet, especially when he was unable to tell whether there was someone out there or not without coming out of his camouflage. It could be Takeshi that was nearby and he was just being paranoid but he didn’t really want to take that risk. Keeping pretty low to the ground he shuffled along with his own interests remaining above playing, just trying to get around and along without being caught out by Takeshi. He could admit that it wasn’t Takeshi who was the problem when it came to getting caught but rather everything else he needed to be aware of. Being alone for so long had made him paranoid, but very quickly that paranoia paid off as he heard someone shout in his direction. It wasn’t one of the others, it was definitely another Kaesstrian and very quickly he sussed that out to be another threat. With wide eyes they quickly shifted back, his first instinct to remain still coming straight back into play in hope that they think he was anybody otherwise.

Shu didn’t know if Takeshi was going to spot him or not for the teasing, finding it all too amusing that Takeshi was as bad as he was at finding others. Throwing the rock in Takeshi’s direction made Shu hide away immediately, feeling all sorts of giddy over Takeshi’s possibly reaction over it. Waiting with great interest over what he might do he held his hands over his mouth when Takeshi went off his head instead, seeing his frustration practically explode over a little rock. Looking around again he found another rock, one smaller than the other and instead decided to throw it away in another direction, the sound it made when hitting off a tree proving to be a pretty loud knock.

[Vena Sera]

If hunting was no longer on the table for them then Yumi didn't even want to bother with it. Yes, she had been excited, and it did seem like fun, but she wasn't out here to hunt. She had hoped to just do something with Viral for the chance of improving his mood some, to help him relax and enjoy himself for a change. She had sort of loused up hunting near immediately but that didn't meant they couldn't find something else to do. By the looks of it the Beastman was content to just sit down and relax, and if that's what he wanted to do then she would play along. Taking a seat at his side Yumi leaned back, smiling as she looked out over the lake. There was nothing like coming to a natural gem such as Kaesstra after being penned up in a ship, it really was a drastic and welcome change of scenery. How much longer did they have before curfew, a few hours? If they spent the rest of it just enjoying the sights and relaxing then she wouldn't hate it, maybe they could even swim a bit. Glancing at Viral as he spoke a small smile formed on her lips, and she shrugged her shoulders before looking up at the sky dreamily. "Maybe we'll just forget about hunting today, it's not as if we really need the food," she mused, looking back out of the corner of her eyes, "Why pass up some time to enjoy a break from it all, right? We don't get to do this often enough." Maybe they could just sit here and let what may happen happen, take it with the flow. They were on vacation, no reason to rush around trying to stay busy.

"Casualties is a part of war, you've got to know that by now. But hey, look at it this way. It's basically a free-for-all in the King's military, but here we've got each others backs. So it's not like any of us are going to be left to die, that's why I'm sure we'll be fine," Kabocha said, grinning as he reached over and playfully pushed Kai, "Much as I hate your face right now I wouldn't let you die, so lighten up man. Besides, looking towards the future is the best thing for us, because what do we have right now? You're single and fighting to survive, I lost what I had back on Kortal, and Choi's not getting any. All pretty lousy situations if you ask me." Evidently the comments about Yumi were a tad bit off color for Choi's liking as pretty soon the normally chipper twin was all angry. Laughing at the flustered and perturbed expression his friend wore Kabocha quickly sobered up when he was told to speak to Yumi herself, shaking his head and holding his hands up defensively. "Hey, no way Choi! I know how strong she is, she took on all three of us back on Earth! And that was BEFORE she got augmented or whatever. No way in hell am I getting on the receiving end of that, thank you very much!"

That hadn't been a trick of the light, something had definitely just moved. The men were busy relaxing and enjoying themselves but L'esta was ready as ever to move, and he did so without a moment's hesitation. He was far off enough that the others weren't alerted by his demand, though if they saw him with weapon drawn they may well join him in a heartbeat. Edging towards the bushes where the figure had fled he stopped, his eyes scanning the immediate growth before him for any sign of where the stranger had gone. No one was coming out, but someone was certainly there. If it could be helped he would prefer not to attack, but if whoever he was seeking did not show themselves he had no choice. "In the name of Queen Eslaria I demand you come forth this instant! I've been granted full authority by the Council to apprehend anyone deemed a threat to our people. Show yourself or I will take action!"

Someone was messing with him, and they were probably getting a kick out of it too! He was no one's fool, except for women, occasionally his friends, and now and again the rebels, but beside that no one's! Growling in frustration he kicked away a pebble after managing to nail himself on the head, all sorts of bothered now. Coupled with the fact that he was really unable to find anyone things were not going his way at the moment. Where had that rock come from? It might be an alien world, but he knew rocks didn't just randomly fly into trees. Unless they were flying sentient rocks, but that was stupid. They had to be nearby too, and somewhere to throw the rock into the tree. Judging by the spot it had hit on they had to be in front of that tree, so somewhere to his left, or right, or maybe behind him. And given how it... Wait, again?! Just as he was getting his thoughts together someone threw another rock, they were definitely trying to screw with him. Luckily for him he'd managed to see the direction of where that rock had come, and what's more he spotted a bush rustling about. Storming over to it Takeshi stopped right before it, fuming as he reached down and parted the branches. There, crouched with a little grin on his face was Shu, probably having the time of his life. Forcing a smile as his eyebrow twitched irritably the older boy closed his eyes before leaning down, staring at his little sibling, "Hey buddy. Having fun throwing rocks?"

[Mogtaki]

Nothing was stopping Yumi from trying to find some food if she wanted to do that, just he didn’t want to right now. Food wasn’t a top concern for Viral and it was going to end up being a chore for him to try and hunt when he had no desire to eat. He was probably being selfish, but every desire he had to hunt had only been resting on Yumi’s enthusiasm. He just needed a moment to think to himself, his mind feeling all over the place with all of this going on. He might never see scenery like this again and wanted to savour it, even if he wasn’t too fussed about visual appeal when it came to the environment. He was just feeling so jaded and needed a moment to recover. He was not sure where his existence was going and was certain he was not going to survive very long, but of course everyone else was confident that this was just a phase in his illness. Maybe he should try the water and attempt to refresh himself, so long as it was safe. Staring out at it the water as it gently moved in the breeze his eyes shifted to Yumi a little, frowning as he looked away again. “You need food. If you want to get food then hunt. I’ve shown you the basics”. Once he got back to the ship he should probably take his medicine. The stress was getting a little too much for him to handle at the moment and he was getting a headache again as a result, but hopefully he could last a little bit longer without it. “There’s probably not many lakes like this on this planet. It’s probably got some monster lurking in it or whatever…”

“I know, I know. I still don’t want to be part of the casualty count”, Kai spoke up, giving Kabocha a sharp look when he was shoved a bit. His worries were completely valid, especially when he was well aware of what actual war was like; his main problem was he was on the weakest side. He didn’t think the rebels were going to lose, just that they probably weren’t going to be the winners either. Maybe if he fought against an Elite and won he’d feel a lot better about this, but for now he was going to be pretty worried all the time over his future. “’Fighting to survive’ is easily a call for pessimism, you know”. Hearing Choi and Kabocha argue over something juvenile was just a bit much for Kai, feeling that he was just in the middle of a conversation you’d watch on a comedy show above anything. Letting out a fairly audible sigh he looked down the street, eventually stopping when he spotted something. Finally they were at the bank by the looks of it, the building looking distinctively like a bank judging by the images in the window and the number of Kaesstrians using it. “Would you two shut up? We’re here already here”, he sighed, wandering over to the bank.

“Well then you’d know how I might feel if I wanted to do that with her! Besides, I respect her! I respect her need for space and that is why I respect her wanting to take a break”. Choi was about ready to give Kabocha a good shove by the time Kai spoke up, directing them towards the bank. They would have to put their little tussle on hold for now, but it wasn’t as if he should care about what Kabocha thought about their relationship. It was obvious that Yumi was the strongest in their relationship and it was her opinion that mattered the most, especially when she was the one who wanted to go out with him in the first place. Strength, endurance and terrifying qualities aside they were needing to get this money exchanged, maybe even fly back to the stall and get the food if they got loads of cash out of what Kabocha had. “Heh! Imagine trying to exchange the rest of the Kaesstrian money if you have some left after all this…that’d be impossible”.

T’charrl was in a lot of trouble, knowing he was close to getting caught out by another Kaesstrian that might just try to kill him. He looked like a monster to the rest of his kind and that was the most troubling aspect. It didn’t matter who he was, they were going to kill him if they saw what he was. Feeling pretty desperate he heard the voice call out to him again, threatening him with death if he didn’t show himself. This was not good, it was especially worrying when he definitely recognised the voice but couldn’t place it with a face. His memory must be terrible if he couldn’t even do that, but either way he was in trouble if he was to just sit here and contemplate his life. Quickly looking back he tried to find where the voice was coming from before he suddenly made a run for it, trying to keep as low as possible for someone of his size.

Shu was having a great time with this, finding this kind of teasing to be of great fun. Takeshi was so easily angered and over rocks of all things, but at least it was giving him a chance. Stopping himself from giggling he covered his mouth with his hands he soon tried to take another stone upon seeing his reaction, digging around for one before he let out a sudden squeak upon hearing another voice up above him. Raising his hands quickly he stared up at Takeshi, looking awfully frightened at first before giggling, jumping straight out of his hiding spot, trying to get up into the trees as fast as possible. “Can’t catch me! You no find me first!”

[Vena Sera]

"I can get food on the ship later, there's no hurry. Nothing in the ship is this nice, why waste time running around when I could enjoy it?" Maybe she should though, if only to not let Viral's efforts go to waste. He had given her quite a few pointers earlier and it would be almost an insult not to apply some of it now. Yumi wasn't quite on the same enthusiastic high as she had been moments before and the scenery definitely attributed to the lull in her energy. "I wonder if it's a tasty monster... Maybe you and I could find out?" she offered, grinning as she looked out at the lake, "I don't know though, I mean it's big but how big could something in there really get? And we weren't warned about anything, I'd figure if there was some lake monster T'charrl would probably know a little about it." Then again maybe not, he was subterranean for the most part. There was nothing around here to warrant concern for such a big creature, what little wildlife she could see didn't seem nervous or anything about approaching the water. There was only one way to find out if something was in the lake and that was going in yourself. Sitting upright Yumi reached down to her feet, untying her boots before slipping them and her socks off, tucking them together off to the side. Mindfully rolling up her pant legs to her knees she stood up, walking to the water's edge curiously. Hm, was it going to be cold? Dipping one foot in she recoiled slightly, finding it was indeed a bit cold. Easing her feet in then she waded just up to her shins, looking back at Viral and waving him to join her.

Maybe they would just need to agree to disagree, which wasn't anything new for them. Kabocha for all his worries couldn't be concerned about the war and being killed, not right now. They had been away from it for long enough that he was scarcely thinking of that, more concerned with what sort of wealth he could accrue as opposed to the actual fighting itself. And really when you looked at who they had on their side compared to theirs the odds looked stack much more in the Rebellion's favor. Whether it was irritating Kai by dismissing his concerns or infuriating Choi by making remarks about Yumi he had managed to agitate both twins maybe in record time, an accomplishment in his book. "Gah... Don't remind me Choi... I know how useless this money will be later," Kabocha lamented, sighing as he hung his head, "Who else in their right mind would take Kaesstrian currency other than Kaesstrians? I doubt anyone else in the universe even knows what it looks like, let alone what its worth." Really this was going to be a one way exchange, so they might as well binge and spend all they could while here. That was assuming too they got any sort of worthwhile amount and not just pocket change.

Someone was there, of that L'esta had no doubt. He had very little hopes for whoever it may be as they refused to show themselves too, telling him they had malicious intent. Was it someone that had come off of the ship perhaps? If they were hiding from him then he doubted it could be Saiyans, they would be either strong enough or foolhardy enough to face him, from what he understood of them. It was relieving in a way that it may not be a Saiyan, and yet worrisome all the same. Who knew what may have landed, and at a time when peace between cities was finally being established. Demanding again that the stranger show themselves the Captain was forced instead to take action when they tried to make a break for it. It may have been a successful escape if the individual was smaller, but as it were they were brushing against bushes and small plants, clearly giving away their position. Eyes locked on the moving brush L'esta spread his wings and dove right in swiftly after the unknown, flying right on ahead of it to try and cut off its path. Hovering just above the ground at the far side of the cluster he looked around alert, gripping his sword tightly in both upper arms. "I, L'esta, Captain of Eslaria's guard cannot permit you to go any further. Come with me peacefully or face me in combat!"

Takeshi was just about ready to go mental with all this rock throwing, it was infuriating. Someone was close and they were intentionally messing with him, nothing was more annoying than that. To the unfortunate luck of whoever was doing it he'd managed to spot where the second had come from, promptly storming over to the spot in the bushes and pulling them apart to get at whoever was in there. Somewhat surprisingly it was Shu, who after a brief look of shock was all giggles, probably having the time of his life messing around. Smiling tightly he closed his eyes, trying not to snap at his little brother for being a pain in the neck. "Shu... Since when does hide and seek mean throwing rocks...?" he asked, opening his eyes to find his sibling no longer there. Blinking confused he lifted his head at Shu's voice, growling angrily as the little guy went up to the trees. "I'm going to shave your head when I catch you!" Takeshi shouted, jumping up after him. Like their game of tag earlier it was quite obvious he couldn't keep pace, finding Shu getting a sizable bit of lead before he had managed to keep the gap from lengthening any further. Borderline angry yet also faintly amused he hounded after his brother, quite bent on getting a hold of him. "Shu, get back here!"

[Mogtaki]

“You were the one who wanted to go hunting…” Viral sighed, finding her excuses for stopping to be a little lazy. He was the only one who needed to rest for now and it was Yumi who wanted to hunt with the whole point on coming to the lake to use it as a main point of interest to come back to. If she wanted to do what she was doing before then she could, just he wasn’t up to doing it in his current state. Finding the threat of the lake to be near to nothing he simply continued to stare at it tiredly, giving Yumi a quick look before he sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t want to eat no monster…” he mumbled, feeling pretty annoyed already, “The guy’s a bug and probably knows to keep away from water so why would any of his kind go near water to find out?” If there was a lake monster then he wouldn’t want to eat it; he didn’t know if it would be one of the only ones or an important addition to the ecosystem here, especially when they were hunting with that sort of awareness above everything else. He wanted to see what was going to be living in such a lake before assuming there was some monster though, but with little desire to do that himself just now it was Yumi who was the first to initiate the venture into the lake. Watching her he soon let out a sigh, frowning when she decided to invite him in as well. Looking to her boots he simply pulled off his scarf, taking off his own boots and placing the scarf underneath them. He didn’t wear any socks when he had sharp toenails, but even considering that he only seemed to want to take his boots off to hold down his scarf and prevent it from blowing away; otherwise, Viral simply stood up and walked a little bit into the lake, going all the way to up to his waist before he ducked down under the surface, deciding to take a look around and see what was living beneath the surface. The water was pretty dark but he definitely saw life, even if it was strange looking aquatic creatures that fled from sight when they spotted him. Frowning, Viral eventually surfaced again and wiped down his hair, looking back to Yumi. “What purpose do you have of me in this water again…”

Kai really didn’t have the patience for the pair of them to be fighting like children so he was quite happy to see the bank, or at least what he assumed to be the bank judging by its appearance. Depending on how much they could get out of this money they should be able to get a reasonably good meal. With Kabocha complaining in the back he let out a sigh, feeling fairly annoyed. “Then think of it as a souvenir or something! It’s not that big a deal”, he spoke quickly before he shook his head, “Maybe it’ll be seen as something special if we try to exchange it back and get more for it on another planet…” Entering the building it was definitely full of Kaesstrians all doing business, a lot of them in one corner all talking to each other as they exchanged their goods. It certainly didn’t appear to be a traditional bank dealing in only money, especially when there was one dark coloured Kaesstrian at a booth exchanging furs and feathers for cash. Frowning a little he looked around, seeing if there was any space to exchange the money, his eyes spotting one that just became available to which he was quick to head over to it. Just like a lot of the citizens here it was a brightly coloured Kaesstrian wearing fairly smart clothes, silk definitely being the operable choice for these people. “Excuse me, can you help us?” Kai asked up as he lifted the bag onto the counter, not feeling overly confident to question their gender when they weren’t standing for him to know what it was, “We have some off-world coins here and we were wanting to know how much they’re worth on your marketplace. We need money for exchanging goods on your planet”.

T’charrl was in a bit of a panic, especially when this person had a weapon and was threatening him with his life. He didn’t want them to see him but they were fair set on doing just that, hearing them flying after him now. He had to try and figure out a way around this, his desperation to escape causing him to run erratically in an attempt to escape. Some time out this was turning out to be. Looking around when he heard them call out, letting out a gasp when he heard who it was and where they were, scratching to a halt fairly quickly. That’s who the voice was, he should’ve known; however, even then he didn’t want him finding out it was him. He was a monster to the normal people and it wasn’t as if L’esta had seen what he was like before; only his mother did, but even then it was just his father and family friend who had seen him before too. Panicking, T’charrl made a quick turn, raising his claws up momentarily to hide his face before he dashed away again, trying to find a hole big enough to burrow and hide in. He couldn’t face L’esta like this, not when he was anything other than Kaesstrian-like.

Shu knew how to play and even though Takeshi was slow to pick up on it he was still ready to race around and try to keep away from him, bouncing away to maybe try and hide again. He hadn’t actually caught him, he showed Takeshi where he was hiding by throwing the stones. Squeaking away as he attempted to flee he started to run around in the same area, hoping from tree to tree in an almost circle. “Nooo not my hair! I like my hair!” he squealed, feeling all sorts of giddy, “You must catch me! You no can’t! No catch!” He certainly did manage to find a thrill in being chased around like this, even when he knew it wasn’t a threat that was chasing him. He didn’t want to be caught so easily so he was definitely giving Takeshi a run for his money.

[Vena Sera]

"We've still got plenty of time, I don't mind taking a break from it and having some fun," Yumi answered with a smile, "We haven't been able to go out in the water in a long time, I miss it. So I'm going to enjoy it while I can." Plus Viral had been the one to initially come out and sit so she was hard pressed to think he had any problems with doing this. If this was what he wanted to do then it was what she wanted to do as well, today was her day to give him a chance to enjoy himself. The promise of a sea monster in the lake was a bit exciting, to her it meant a small adventure and maybe an interesting fight. How often did you get to fight against a giant lake monster after all? Probably not often. Slipping her boots and socks off Yumi rolled up her pant legs before venturing in a bit to the water, stopping just at her shins. Without having to even go under she could tell it was a bit murky, and certainly a little chilly. Waving for the Beastman to join her and only half expecting him to she was unable to hide her delight when he actually got up and came out with her. Not only did he join her in the lake but he even went under the water to inspect it, making her hopeful they could do a bit more while here. "What purpose? Oh no purpose really, do we need one? I don't think we need to have a purpose to have fun," Yumi mused, shrugging as she looked at Viral. He was already a bit soaked but that didn't mean messing with him a little was off the table. Smiling cheekily she leaned forward and began splashing at her friend, hoping he'd react favorably to it.

Such a busy day, so many customers. But this was good, the melding of two cities, it meant the banks were busier than ever. Busy banks meant more revenue, more revenue meant more wealth for the city. Unlike when the General was in charge people could freely exchange near anything now and it was doing wonders for commerce. Waving off the latest customer the teller glanced up a bit surprised at Kai, not having seen him enter. He was... A Saiyan, yes? She could vaguely recall seeing them before and hearing of them, and the description fit the bill. Smiling politely as he approached she was confused initially when he spoke and an electronic voice seemed to follow suit, coming out in their native tongue. Curiosity plain on her face the teller looked around before back at Kai, figuring he was somehow doing it. "Money...? I may be able to help you. You can exchange money for almost anything here. Let me see..." Reaching out she took the bag of coins from him, opening it up and pulling one out to inspect. It was metal, that much was obvious, and they were intricately designed. Pretty yes but how much was it worth? Cocking her head to the side curiously she looked back at Kai for answers. "On your world... What is this worth? Smallest denomination or largest?"

Would identifying himself help things along? It couldn't hurt, at most it would tell whoever he was chasing what they were up against. With luck knowing the Queen's Captain of the Guard was after you would be enough in of itself to make them stop. In spite of this however the stranger took off yet again, forcing L'esta to give chase. As he realized just trailing would quickly lead to nowhere he flew ahead of the individual, keeping to the air for safety as he tried cutting them off. He managed to do so and even catch a glimpse of them, only to witness something he wasn't sure about at all. They looked like a Kaesstrian but quite mutated, larger and with unusual protrusions. What's more they almost appeared ashamed to be seen, as though they were doing all in their power to avoid it. Okay, so perhaps this strange person was more afraid than malicious, but they still needed to stop. No one could wander around on the outskirts of the city without being checked, not when things were trying to be settled. And certainly not when they were unrecognizable, there was no telling who this may be. Moving to reach out and stop the stranger L'esta frowned when he took off again, racing after as his wings beat furiously to keep up. "I am not your enemy, stop! I'm merely trying to find out who you are and why you're here!" A routine stop for anyone, nobody tried avoiding him before when he was doing routes. So why was this person so intent on evading him?

It was a good thing the person messing with him was Shu, otherwise Takeshi was liable to kick their butts then and there. Brother or not though he was quite annoyed and looking to at the very least give his brother the mother of all wedgies, anything to blow off his irritation. Having found his brother he tried grabbing hold of Shu in the bushes, watching dismayed as he took to the trees and began circling, still obviously thinking they were playing. Well he wasn't wrong, they technically were, but it was more obnoxious than fun now. Forcing himself to maintain a smile, however strained, the older boy folded his arms over his chest and looked upwards to watch his sibling prancing about. "I'm not chasing you! We were playing hide and seek, not tag, and I found you!" he announced, smirking triumphantly, "So you have to get down now!" Knowing Shu he may make up some random rule about it not being done properly, or just altogether break out into another game to keep it going. Why did he have such a knucklehead for a brother? Watching Shu continue to run about Takeshi sighed, reluctantly floating up to Shu's level he stayed a bit ways away from the trees, just watching and hoping the little guy might tucker himself out soon.

[Mogtaki]

Viral wasn’t very sure about what he was supposed to be doing with this idea of getting in the water, feeling fairly conflicted over her idea of fun. There really wasn’t that much for him to go in the water other than try and catch those creatures but it didn’t appear as if Yumi was planning on going deeper into the water either way. She didn’t look like she terribly enjoyed the water so he was definitely feeling a little confused, but he wasn’t going to force her under if she didn’t actually want to go in any further. Staring at her awaiting her answer he was certainly left confused to what he was doing in the water with her. Frowning when she just gave him a cryptic answer he looked back to the centre of the lake, sighing a bit before ending up grunting when she decided to splash at him, raising his arm to shield his face when he turned to her, feeling confused. He was sure he had been in this situation before but wasn’t particularly interested in trying to remember. Giving her a sharp look he soon swung his arm around, throwing water right back at her to beat off her assault.

Kai wasn’t going to let the Kaesstrian short-change him if he could help it, feeling pretty determined to show these two he could get them a good deal and not end up coming out of here with the same coins they had before. Luckily for him the Kaesstrian was paying enough attention to him to understand he wanted to trade in off-world stuff and not something he was trying to pretend was off-worldly. Holding the bag out for the Kaesstrian to take he watched her carefully as she examined one, giving her a confident look that told her he knew what he was talking about. “The coins are of the largest denomination. On our world, the paler the colour the less they’re worth. Not very many Saiyans have these coins to call their own, but when travelling we came well prepared. What can you give us for this?”

T’charrl knew this was a bad idea, he knew L’esta was one of their best especially considering his rank so there was no way he could lose him. He had to try and find somewhere to go instead, try and hide from him and hopefully lose him. He didn’t know how this might turn out or whether he’d get his mother if he found out who he was, feeling fearful when he was so grotesque looking compared to other Kaesstrians. He probably had scouts out too and running into them was going to give him a worryingly high chance of getting attacked by them. Trying to take the evasive route he tried hard to lose him by searching for a hiding place and moving erratically, eventually trying to settle for hiding when he turned a corner and immediately went still, trying to imitate some shrubs instead.

Shu was going to have fun whether Takeshi wanted to or not, especially when he was in the mindset for playing. He didn’t want to end up getting caught by him so he was going to run. Bouncing around the branches he continued to keep away from Takeshi, giggling away as he swung around. “Why you no find me first? Why you need rocks to find me? You silly!” Keeping away from Takeshi he swung around branches in quick swings, grabbing onto them with his tail and swinging around and onto a larger branch before turning back around to Takeshi, bouncing on the spot when he noticed Takeshi instead decided to hang around and watch him instead. “Ooh! Why no chase? Why no chase? Not found me! I found you!” he announced, bouncing on the spot still, “I helped you find me because I find you!”

[Vena Sera]

Yumi was going to try her damnedest to make certain Viral had some fun out here. Her method might be a bit childish as she splashed the Beastman but hopefully it gave results. Beaming as she flung water at her friend she waited excitably, laughing when he splashed her back. Whether out of annoyance or willingness to play along Viral had done what she wanted, hopefully she could keep it going. Shielding her own face for a second she used one hand to splash back at him, peering over her arm. "What's wrong? Don't want to get wet?" she teased, splashing him yet again. The water sure was chilly, maybe she'd warm up to it though. Or maybe it was just her, Viral didn't appear bothered. Trying to deny him getting her back she ducked under water, not terribly hard to spot out as she swam a bit ways away and popped back up. With a shiver she shook herself out a bit, curious to find she was tempted to start licking water off of herself. Ignoring the odd urge she beamed over at Viral, sticking out her tongue playfully. "No fishing for now, you've got to catch me before I'll let you!" Probably not that difficult, he was likely a powerful swimmer. Ah well, she'd live it up while she could!

She had never seen coin like this before, but just from the work done on them she could guess they were valuable. Even so, her personal opinion on them meant little if they were handing out money for an unknown, that was above what she could do as a simple teller. "A moment please, I'll speak with the man in charge. Wait right here." she said, smiling before turning and disappearing into a door behind the counter. The owner of the bank was back there, and for a good few moments the pair discussed the coins and what they were potentially worth. It was difficult judging the value given it was alien money, and they had nothing really to compare it to here. Still, to the luck of the boys the owner expressed great interest in the money and gave the go-ahead to do a trade. Returning to her spot at the counter the Kaesstrian woman smiled kindly, placing the coins before Kai again. "We can trade you for these, but I'm afraid we can't meet the same level of currency. If you're still willing to trade we can give you Doma for it, one of our higher denominations still. It will be able to buy you plenty, shy of a home."

Darn it all, what did he have to say to make this person stop? Violence should only be used as a deterrent if absolutely necessary, those were Eslaria's own words. The last thing L'esta wanted was to attack someone and instigate a problem within the city, he had to be careful about how he handled this. No doubt his men had noticed his departure and were coming after them now, with luck he could sort this out before they arrived. Controlling them in the face of a potential threat may prove to be difficult. Keeping the distance between himself and the inflated-Kaesstrian short the Captain frowned when his target took a sharp turn, reaching the same point and screeching to a halt, expecting to find whoever it was still moving. Instead of seeing anyone there all he found on the other side of the tree was empty space, with no sign of the person. They had to be somewhere, no way could one of their people just vanish like that. It had to be camouflage, which while it didn't tell him where they might be it did tell him they should be close by still. With a frown L'esta sheathed his blade, trying to convey he meant no harm. "Come on out, you've no reason to fear me. The Queen has simply asked me to police outside the city and confront any unknowns, and you're one of them. All I ask is you speak to me and we can sort this out."

Shu was quite obviously not going to settle down, not any time soon. Takeshi was a bit too bothered to play along at the moment as he felt quite annoyed still. It had all been in good fun and he knew that, his brother meant no harm, but he had to try and save face for failing to find Shu. While the little guy bounded about on trees he just floated there in the air, watching and hoping perhaps his spastic sibling might wear himself down after a while. At last Shu did stop, but only in running, he kept bouncing like some toddler given pure caffeine. "Either way I found you first, it's not my fault you gave yourself away," Takeshi retorted, smiling tightly as he shook his head. He really did want to be annoyed and show Shu he'd annoyed him, but it was so damn hard to keep that front when his brother was being so goofy. The kid's good mood was infectious, and it was gradually getting to him and making him relax. After simply staring for a moment the older boy sighed, waving Shu over with a smirk. "Come on, you're found. Let's go get the others, I'm starting to get hungry."

Shouldn't Takeshi be good at this? Like, really good? The Prince had seemed plenty confident and yet near half an hour later or so Haku was still in the same spot. His butt was sore, a branch was pricking him in the side and he was pretty sure something was crawling on his head. Grumbling under his breath he wiped at his hair to make sure, leaning forward to adjust himself. They hadn't left him surely, they wouldn't do that. Almost getting out of his spot to double check he stopped himself, shaking his head and smiling knowingly. No, they were trying to make him think that so he would come out, like he'd fall for that. Sitting back in his spot the young Saiyan winced when another branch stabbed him in the back, turning around and breaking it angrily. It made a fair audible snapping noise, and with a bit of worry Haku glanced ahead, peering through the leaves to see if anyone heard him. When no one came around he rubbed at his head, going back to debating on at the very least changing spots. Takeshi hadn't even come this way yet so maybe he should, he ought to have enough time to.

[Mogtaki]

Viral was simply trying to amuse Yumi by splashing her like that, not really getting the concept himself. There was a lot that Yumi did that he didn’t understand but was willing enough to try and amuse her until she left him alone. She probably wouldn’t leave him alone, she wanted to watch him constantly and make sure he was going to be okay. Splashing her back he soon gave his head a quick wipe down, frowning at what she had to say before he was splashed. Grunting he gave her a long stare, not exactly all that happy right now. “Do you even think clearly when you speak?” She certainly had a strange idea over what he might be bothering him but if she wanted to think that way then he wasn’t going to question her, especially when he clearly showed water didn’t bother him. Watching her as she gradually made her way further into the lake by deciding to take a dive herself, watching her swim along before popping out elsewhere. He didn’t know why she was being so daring with the water despite the dangers, but then again she did have Ki and was probably going to use it anyway to defend herself. Staring at her as she made her playful threat after emerging he soon sighed, narrowing his gaze before lowering himself under the water, disappearing below the surface. Almost immediately Viral swam away from his spot rather silently and fast, keeping to the darkness so that she wouldn’t spot him. If she wanted to play like that then he wasn’t going to make it easy for her.

Kai was pretty sure they could get a good bit of coinage from that pile of money, seeing how they’d never seen anything like it before most likely. If they could get enough for a good time then he was going to do that, even if the money wasn’t his. Looking back to Kabocha and Choi when the woman disappeared he soon looked back forward again, tapping his fingers on the desk calmly. He wasn’t sure what she wanted to give him but it was certain that he was going to get a good amount of money from it. Finally once she returned he gave her a smile back, listening to what she had closely before his eyes moved to Kabocha at the mere mention of how much they were going to get. Being close to being able to buy a home on this planet for all that money certainly made him feel pretty proud that he was going to be able to get that much off her while Kabocha couldn’t even exchange it for food. Looking back to her he gave a nod, knocking his fingers on the counter. “That’ll be grand. We’ll be spending some time on this planet and will be happy to partake in your economy while we’re here”.

T’charrl didn’t know how L’esta would take knowing their Prince was a fat monster, he didn’t even know how the scouts would take it if they knew it was him. This was pretty terrifying; he felt completely cornered and didn’t know what to do about it. Taking the only option to hide he immediately ducked down and blended in with the environment, using his camouflage to the full effect because of his fear. Not wanting to be caught out he heard L’esta being pretty close to him but thankfully didn’t know where he was, even if he was right close. He was going to get stabbed and he knew it feeling that he was going to end up having to fight him off to prevent him from getting stabbed. L’esta was a competent soldier, he could trust him with a number of things but attacking him because of how he looked or calling for reinforcements wasn’t beyond his capabilities. Keeping low, hearing the sheathing of the blade certainly made him feel slightly curious to what he was up to, hearing him call out again. He really didn’t know whether he could trust him but if he started stabbing randomly then he was going to be in trouble, there was also the issue of his nerves causing his own condition to play up. He really wasn’t confident in this and if things went wrong then that was it for him. Hesitating for a good few moments he remained pretty tense, trying to decide on what he was supposed to do before eventually deciding to move slightly, moving his head up a bit before raising a set of claws to shield his face.

Shu didn’t want to be sitting still at a time like this and was certainly pretty ready to pounce at Takeshi if he wasn’t going to compromise on his play. Bouncing on the branches he stared at Takeshi, trying to anticipate his answer while doing his best to calm down somewhat. “What? What? No no! You took soooo long and you were soooo slow”, he giggled, shaking the branch, “You so silly!” Smiling away at Takeshi he watched him curiously, his tail waving around all excitably before seeing him waving him over, giving him a big smile before he jumped at Takeshi. “Yay food! Where be others? Where be??”

[Vena Sera]

Hah! How was Viral going to take to being splashed, she wondered. It was a bit childish and very unusual for him to do but it was fun, and hopefully something to help him relax some more. Their whole purpose of being on Kaesstra was for everyone to take a load off, and so far Viral was the only one not doing that. Teasing him over getting wet she quickly dove under the water, swimming a bit cautiously due to the murkiness as she moved some ways away before resurfacing again. "Of course I think! But you don't have to think everything through when you're having fun!" she called back, smiling as she shook herself off some. When Viral dipped under the water as she had Yumi beamed excitably; he was going to play along after all! Bearing in mind the fact that he could swim quite fast she looked around to try and spot him out. Between the water's dark color and the fact she couldn't really smell him because of it keeping track of her friend was proving to be very tricky. The most she could try to do was mind the surface and use that to determine where he might be next. Perhaps a bit paranoid, Yumi felt water moving by her leg and immediately jumped away, blinking owlishly as she saw it was a small fish that had swam by her. So that wasn't Viral, where was he?

Kai might be all happy and proud he was getting things done but in the back Kabocha was anything but. He was silently fuming, watching as his friend managed to do what he hadn't done. It wouldn't be so bad if they had only gotten chump change for their coins, then the exchange would be near moot and Kai wouldn't have room to brag; the words "shy of a house" however told him they were getting a small fortune in turn. It was good in a way as they could get food, and perhaps some other goodies while they were here on Kaesstra, but was it really enough to overlook his pride being shot? Nope, he was going to be properly sour over being shown up probably for a while now. As the exchange was finished and the teller dismissed them Kabocha stared at his friend annoyed, trying to reach out and snatch the money away from him. "Good job, but it's my money, since we exchanged some of my family's wealth! So hand it over, I'm in charge of the money," he snapped, frowning. Kai could brag about doing what he couldn't all he wanted; they had used Kabocha's money and that meant by all rights this new bag of coins was his in turn.

"N-Never mind how long I took! You were probably moving around so I couldn't find you," Takeshi huffed, sniffing before shaking his head, "I would have found you eventually, I was probably almost there too before you started throwing rocks." Whatever, the game was over as far as he was concerned. They should be looking into getting a bit of food at this point as he was certain everyone was probably a bit hungry by now; they probably needed to either go into town or double back to the ship, unless they planned on hunting. Waving Shu down off the tree he expected his brother to fly over, but instead yelped in surprise and watched wide-eyed as Shu flung himself off and jumped onto him. Finding the little guy's arms and legs wrapping around him Takeshi couldn't do much else but hover there, his arms bound at his sides as he smiled away slightly. "I don't know, Shu, that's what we're going to find out..." he replied, squirming slightly as he tried to get free of his brother's grip. "You've got to get off of me though so I can fly. Get on my back if you've got to, but I really can't do much with you on me like this, you know? Makes even hovering awkward."

Okay, sitting around was getting really old now. Look around as much as he might Haku was unable to spot Takeshi anywhere, coming to the conclusion that the Prince in fact had no idea where he was. If he were to sit here for another half hour and still not be found he may well go ballistic, so it was for his sake that he should move. Actually his stomach had begun to grumble as of recent too so if he was found and lost oh well, his concern was becoming what he was going to eat now more than winning some silly game. Slowly rising up as not to prick himself with branches he parted the ones in front of him, stepping out of the foliage carefully and brushing himself down of leaves and dirt. Leaving his hiding spot was fine and all, that wasn't so much the problem anymore; Haku didn't have the slightest idea where Takeshi or anyone else might be. He knew the direction he'd gone in from the start, should he just double back then? Having no better recourse he decided to do just that, going right on ahead and flying to boot. No use in walking when he wasn't worried about being spotted, flying was faster and would keep him from becoming some random wildlife's plaything.

They may have camouflaged themselves but L'esta was anything but deterred, he was going to find this person. No way would he give up only to have the stranger cause problems later on, he could never forgive himself if his failure resulted in someone being harmed. As powerful as their people's hiding ability was there were faults to it, faults he was all too familiar with. If you moved it did little to stifle sound, you were as audible as you might be if you were visible. To top that off it could create an odd shimmering effect if you were in the sunlight and it made you painfully obvious to spot out; air didn't typically sparkle and shimmer as it did. Putting away his weapon as a show of good faith he continued to look around, hoping that by showing he meant no harm he could coax the stranger out of hiding. Since it was nigh impossible to see whoever he was chasing now it became more a game of listening than looking, and to do so L'esta closed his eyes and tried to focus on what was around him. The effort paid off as shortly thereafter he heard someone moving; opening his eyes he turned in the direction to look, not wholly sure if he was actually looking at anyone or not. "I'm giving you the chance to explain yourself, don't squander it. Who are you and why are you sneaking around?"

[Mogtaki]

Viral didn’t think Yumi knew how good he was at swimming despite what he was, but it wasn’t as if he was going to show off either. Taking a very simple route through the dark murky water he travelled around Yumi and down, keeping his eyes on her and taking note of where she was moving. If she was wanting to play this game then he was going to make it hard for her to catch him out, especially when he was not someone you’d expect to need to take a breath. His genetics and abilities gave him an ability to last under the water for a pretty long time, but how long he had never tested. Playing the predator in the water was probably a pretty bad idea, but it was Yumi’s idea and he wasn’t going to disappoint her. Moving into the murky depths he also looked to the deeper and darker beyond, just making sure nothing was going to sneak up on him and try to eat him instead. It certainly seemed like Yumi had no idea where he was, her movements telling him she was fairly clueless to where he was. She was anxious, he could tell that much from her movements. Slowly moving closer to her he kept his eyes on her, watching calmly before suddenly racing straight up, powering through the water and trying to tackle her from behind.

Kai wouldn’t mind buying a home here even if it meant having to live with a bunch of aliens for the rest of his life, but maybe Choi would follow along too since they were twins which would be pretty nice. Having that much money definitely made him feel pretty powerful, but it wasn’t as if he was going to show how excited he was over hearing that much. Grinning a little he took the money, holding it as if it weighed a ton before Kabocha inadvertently snatched it right off him, immediately turning to face him with a frown. Great, what a pain Kabocha was, stealing all that glory away from him. Letting out a sigh he looked back to the teller, giving a quick wave. “Thanks. Great doing business with you”, he spoke, heading away before sighing, his eyes going to Kabocha, “Alright, Mr Greed. We’re going back to that stall now and getting all that delicious food. Okay? She had a lot to offer and she’s waiting for us”.

Shu could barely contain his excitement as he leaped right at Takeshi, grabbing onto him when he collided. When it came down to it he definitely won, having to give Takeshi a hint or two to where he was before he could find him meaning he let Takeshi cheat. If he never did start throwing stones at him then Takeshi would still be raging on the spot, shouting and bawling about not being able to find anyone. Smiling away at Takeshi he stared at him, keeping a good grip on him before looking around. “Ooh! You not good at flying? You silly!” he spoke up, looking to a tree before jumping straight off Takeshi, grappling onto the tree with ease, “We find now? We look now? Do I look now? I don’t know, you still it!”

T’charrl was rather ashamed with the way he looked and definitely was not ready to show it off, but L’esta hanging around meant he was eventually going to be found and possibly seen as a hostile because he wasn’t giving up. Holding his claws up at his face he kept his gaze low, feeling pretty worried he was still going to get attacked over the way he looked. L’esta wasn’t pointing his blade at him this time, that was pretty good but it still didn’t manage to make him feel relaxed. Feeling fairly nervous he gasped when he was questioned, feeling unsure about whether he was supposed to answer that. He couldn’t reveal who he was, not to L’esta and definitely not when he looked like this. Hissing fearfully he moved back a little, rising up slightly. “Get away from me! Was never sneaking after you…”

[Vena Sera]

Yumi couldn't put her finger on it but she felt antsy being in the water. Not uneasy at the potential threat of predators, that didn't worry her much. Nor was she concerned about it being dirty or anything of the sorts; simply being in the water was making her feel funny. Her squirming about was in part anticipation of Viral and in part her disliking being wet, but she had started this game of theirs and planned on seeing it through. Perhaps she'd been a bit too bold in challenging the Beastman to this, she had certainly forgotten what a good swimmer he was. Coupled with the fact the water offered near no visibility to her and she couldn't tell him apart from a reed in the water. Listen, stare, sniff out, none of what she tried helped her any, he was effectively invisible to her. Hmph, a lot of good her improved senses were doing her now! Scratching at her head confused her ears flicked at the faint sound of water being kicked up, glancing over her shoulder confused. In the time it took her to turn Viral was already upon her, rising out of the water and unceremoniously tackling her, knocking them both under. It was shallow here still, up to her waist at most, but the suddenness of the tackling left her disoriented for a moment. And that incurable urge to be rid of the water really kicked off now that she was under again, spurring her to try and get out. Squirming about she latched right onto Viral as soon as he stood up, legs and all as she tried to keep herself out of the water as best she could. Shivering slightly she glanced up at him, her eyes slightly glazed over as a placid look took over her face. Cocking her head to the side for a moment as if inspecting the Beastman Yumi then smiled, lifting one hand and giving his cheek a light pawing at, keeping her grip on him still.

Sure, Kai had handled the transaction, but it was his money they had used. So by all rights the money they had exchanged for was his too, it didn't matter to him who had handled the business of trading it off. As soon as his friend had gotten what they came for Kabocha wasted no time in snatching it back, smiling triumphantly as he jingled the bag of coins. They would still buy food with it as planned, he just intended on being the one to carry it. After all, what did he have left of Kortal and his family's affluence really aside from his money? "Greed? Nah, I'm just taking back what's mine," he retorted, smirking as he jingled the coins tauntingly, "And don't worry, I'm planning on going back there anyways. I've got to rub it in that lady's face that we got what I was asking for after all." Needless to say his priorities were a bit jumbled. They were going to get food alright, enough to last them the day and them some most likely; taunting the woman came above all else, he wanted to show her they got it after all.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to fly when someone's latched onto you like that," Takeshi repeated, sticking his tongue out at Shu childishly, "Which means you've got to get off of me." Adjusting his clothes once Shu had gotten off he took a look around, scratching at his head in puzzlement. Truth be he hadn't a clue where to look for the others whatsoever; Shu was the first one he found and that was with no small degree of help. Not that he was going to admit that, he liked to think he still found his brother on his own. Haku was goodness knows where, and T'charrl was likely even better than Shu was at hiding. Sulking a bit on the spot the older boy glanced back, giving a shake of his head before waving Shu along. "I'm not still it, we're taking a lunch break. That means you're helping me look," Takeshi explained, starting to move forward. Cupping his hands around his mouth he inhaled deeply before giving a good shout, "T'charrl! Haku! Game's over! Come on out, we're going to eat!" If they were going to be a pain and not believe him then he'd get really annoyed, more than he had with Shu. He was hungry darn it, games could wait until later.

If this person didn't relent this one last time then action was going to have to be taken. L'esta was affording them every chance to come along peacefully and they didn't seem to be taking to it. Staring in the vague direction of where he had heard rustling from the Captain, frowned, half expecting to be attacked now. Then the person spoke at last, and it threw him through a bit of a loop. He couldn't say why it was, but almost immediately the voice was recognizable. Distorted, but recognizable, and he couldn't for the life of him place it just yet. More curious than anything he looked directly at the invisible stranger, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "You... Who are you...?"

[Mogtaki]

Viral wasn’t going to give her a chance to retaliate by playing around with her even if that was her aim, he still didn't feel like playing around at this time. He was going to be pretty brutal with her if she wanted to play around, especially when there was a lot of worry riding on whether there was something in these waters they didn’t know about. Swimming right at her he made a leap right at her, managing to tackle her successfully with little effort. Grabbing hold of her he managed to force her under the water, pulling back when he was able to get his feet back on the lakebed he gasped when Yumi instead decided to clamber up on him, almost losing balance at the sudden weight he waved his arms to try and get balance again. “Hey! What are you-!” He didn’t know what was going on but it was making him very uncomfortable, staring at her in annoyance when she finally settled only for him to growl when she decided to paw at his face instead. “Get off me already!” he growled, moving his own paw up and pushing at her face in return to get her to let go.

It didn’t matter who owned the money, Kai still managed to get Kaesstrian money and managed to secure their ability to get proper food without hunting. If Kabocha thought he was taking all the glory just because it was his money he had another thing coming. “That coinage isn’t yours; it’s your parents”, he muttered, shaking his head, “And you’re not rubbing anything in anyone’s face! You were an ass to her when she was trying to be helpful”. Maybe he should do the talking to the woman and not let Kabocha speak, hopefully that will make everything better too. Getting the food was their top priority and they were hopefully going to get a lot, but where they were going to take it to eat was something they hadn’t really thought through yet. Maybe there would be somewhere to sit to eat and if not they could probably take it away with them pretty easily. “You know, maybe you’d have a mate if you were more polite to women”.

Shu probably had less of a clue to what he was supposed to do now since he was found by Takeshi, or at least made Takeshi think he had been found by him. It was most likely that he was supposed to just hang around with Takeshi until they found the others, probably not telling him if he saw someone; however, with that wonderment it sounded as if Takeshi was completely giving up on finding the others, wherever they may be. “Ooh! Lunch break? You never found the others, though”, he squeaked, finding it a little silly that Takeshi had given up that quickly; however, Shu was still happy to have lunch now and hopefully the others would eventually show themselves, “Friend T’charrl! Where you be? Friend!” He didn’t know how they would find T’charrl other than him responding to their calls, but the brief moment of silence made him wonder where his friend actually was, bouncing along the trees as he tried to have a good look around for him. “Ooh! Friend where Friend?”

T’charrl did want to try and flee again but it was most likely that L’esta would persue him and see him as a potential danger to the area and the local population. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do about this and was indeed scared of telling L’esta who he was, but when he noticed L’esta get ready to take his blade he was certainly beginning to feel scared that things will go south very fast. Hissing gently he tried to gently move away, hoping he might be able to find a way around this. “No one…no one! Leave me!” Suddenly throwing down his fists he snarled and reared up out of his camouflage, trying to scare L’esta now that he was out of options. He didn’t want this to happen but with the others nowhere in sight he had no cover and was essentially cornered, only hoping L’esta would flee before anything bad happened”.

[Vena Sera]

One moment Yumi was on high-alert, listening for any signs of Viral that might pop up; the next she was under water and awfully confused. She didn't have any issue with being beneath the surface just minutes earlier, she had swam around no problem. Now however she was flailing about to get free, trying vehemently to get out of the water entirely. Soon as the Beastman was stood upright she took him as her chance to get out, latching onto him in a way that kept her mostly above the water. It was nice to be dry, even if she was dripping wet. To get really dry she would have to get to land though, only then would she have a chance to lick herself off. Like a little child her attention quickly went elsewhere as she looked up at Viral, finding him to appear awfully soft. With a smile she reached up and began pawing at his cheek, continuing to do so even as he grew annoyed. Sighing contentedly Yumi let out an unusual yelp when a paw was shoved in her face, reacting as any reasonable person would. Squirming as she fought to keep her grip on her friend she craned her neck to get free before biting down on Viral's hand; no way was she going to let go after he just did that to her! Pulling a bit she tried to direct him towards the shore, which given the fact all she could do was move her neck really was quite difficult.

"Bah, semantics. What's my parents' is mine as well by inheritance or whatever. That's how it works, don't you know? So yeah, their money is my money," Kabocha bragged, smirking as he pointed to himself. His attitude quickly turned when Kai called him an ass, making him frown as he narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I wasn't being an ass, she was just being unhelpful. If she just did as I asked and gave me what I wanted then we would have had no problem." He didn't see the misunderstanding there, it was plain as day to him. Since they had a fair bit of coin now they really could go anywhere; Kai seemed to be set on returning to the stall however so they would begin their spree there. After all, Saiyans could really eat, Kabocha doubted they would only be making one stop. Giving his stomach a patting at the thought of food Kabocha turned yet again on Kai, making a face before huffing and shaking his head. "Funny, coming from someone else who has no mate," he retorted, "Being polite gets you nowhere, and Choi got lucky with Yumi. Why bother being a nice guy if it gets you jack squat?"

Takeshi was very reluctant to give up, he was ready to spend the rest of the day searching for the others. His stomach was perhaps the only thing that could overwrite his ego though, if it wasn't sated there was no way he could focus on the game. No doubt he'd be hearing from Shu about this one for a while, wonderful. "I know I didn't find them Shu, you don't gotta remind me," the older boy sulked, sighing as he folded his arms, "Food is more important though. We can always play later." Or not too, they had spent all day playing thus far. It probably wore thin on the little guy by now but Takeshi wanted to train some, even if for a little. He didn't do quite as well as Shu when it came to being lackadaisical about training; if he wasn't feeling on top of his game then it wasn't good enough. So maybe lunch, then training, and back to games, if Shu could be convinced to take a break. Both boys tried to call out to their friends, with Shu calling out to T'charrl in particular, but neither of them had any luck spotting anyone. What a pain, who knows how far they had gotten before finding a spot to hide. "You know which way they went don't you? How about telling me so we're not running blind here?"

It was rather quiet here in the forest; shy of the rustling of leaves near no sound fell on his ears. Haku was convinced of two things at this point; either they had left him out here or could not actually find him. Either way he was just about done sitting in a bush, it was uncomfortable and he was getting impatient. Freeing himself of his hiding spot he let out a groan, putting his hands on his back and leaning backwards to give his spine a good stretch. He was supposed to be hiding but now he figured he was going to be seeking, he had to find the others before heading back. Mostly because he hadn't a clue how to actually get back himself. What poor luck he had getting stranded out in a forest like this. Worst case scenario he supposed he could fly up and try spotting the ship as a means of finding out where he was. The alternative to that was spending an evening in some alien woods; given all the creatures probably lurking out here he really didn't want to do that. Lifting himself up off the forest floor he started doubling back towards where he had come, hopeful he'd cross someone's path along the way.

L'esta was having a very hard time deciding how to handle this person. Saying they were erratic wasn't too far off the mark, and he was rather concerned that one false signal could lead to a fight. It wasn't that he couldn't or wouldn't fight this person, but he didn't want to. An uncanny notion of familiarity kept pressing on him yet he struggled to find where in the world he may know this person from. They scarcely looked like any Kaesstrian he had ever seen, if they indeed were even a Kaesstrian. Given the ship that landed this could be a new species entirely, and they wore one of those strange devices the Saiyans had on before. Was this one affiliated with them then? It didn't appear to be a hostile take over, so what might Saiyans be doing here? There were so many unknowns, far too many for his liking. Watching the stranger he gasped when they left their cloak, rearing up and showing off their massive size. He was large, but this person was even more so. Grabbing his sword firmly he stepped back, watching as the ground was smacked and rocks broken under their claws. Being hit would spell trouble, he really should try avoiding a fight for his own sake. "I can't! I am under orders of Her Majesty to confront any unknowns and deal with them! If you are indeed a Kaesstrian then you must know Queen Eslaria, do you not? She would be much more benevolent if you do not cause problem for innocents, so I say it again; Come with me peacefully, we can resolve this. I will not be made to ask a third time."

[Mogtaki]

Viral wasn’t enjoying this at all, his personal space completely invaded and making him incredibly uncomfortable. Wanting her to leave he pushed down by her head, trying to pry her off but quickly had that backfire as Yumi instead decided to move her head and bite down on his paw instead. Letting out a sudden yelp that quickly turned into a snarl, his pupils sharpening as he immediately threw his other paw around and tried to force her off with a forceful palm down at her chest, throwing his other paw around to try and get her to let go. He was incredibly frustrated and pretty angry, losing self-control very quickly as he was soon flailing around in an angry bout of rage. With increased frustration he very quickly lost focus, trying to throw her off before he simply lost his footing and fell backwards into the water.

“You won’t be saying that when they tell you they’ve ran out of money and you have to go and make it yourself, which will probably happen”, Kai shrugged, seeing it as no big deal, “Imagine you getting a job…hm, not heard that one before. Sounds like the impossible for you, though”. He really didn’t see Kabocha being able to do any jobs when he just sucked off his parent’s savings, but if their savings became useless then he would need to find some way to buy what he wanted rather than go back to their old way and steal everything they came across. It didn’t help that Kabocha was absolutely awful with people and that was of course a massive factor, proving he couldn’t even talk to a female not all that long ago all by himself. “You were being an ass. You expected her to bow to you and do everything you told her to without asking for other options. It was unlikely she was ever going to take something unknown and hope it was worth loads, you know. You’re smarter than that, right…” It would be hard to believe it if Kabocha was able to find a girl who wasn’t just there for the money, but of course that was never going to happen unless Kabocha changed his ways. “I was polite to that woman, I was also polite to that teller. Choi is a polite moron when it comes to women and you get nothing because you’re an ass. Don’t you see the pattern here? That you’re not all that you’re cracked up to be and possibly need to not be such a Takeshi when it comes to women?”

Shu did wonder what they might have for lunch, curious to whether they would try and find something or head off to the ship to find something. T’charrl hadn’t changed back yet and if he did then he would’ve announced it to both of them through the scouter or something like that, but of course all that meant was they wouldn’t be able to go and see his mother and possibly get a nice meal from her instead. He didn’t mind either way, he was happy with food from whatever source so long as it didn’t taste strange or really spicy like last time. Looking around he couldn’t spot his friend at all, feeling curious to where he might be and whether T’charrl wasn’t kidding when he said his camouflage was great. “Ooh! I know food is important! But this means the game is finished? Ooh, no fun”, he squeaked, giving his head a quick scratch before he bounced along some more, holding onto the trees pretty well, “Umm, I was first away so I didn’t see. They may not be that far! I didn’t go far, you passed me loads of times! You were silly looking all confused and funny. Silly you”.

T’charrl thought he was best trying to scare off L’esta, hoping maybe seeing what he looked like to be the contributor in his scare tactic. This guy could probably end his life if he wanted to, he knew that, but showing he didn’t want him anywhere near him could possibly show he was more scared than wanting to fight. Throwing his fists down was a fearful reaction to show he meant business, but seeing L’esta grab hold of his sword again made him feel worried again that he might lash out and simply behead him. Hissing as he pulled back, dragging his claws through the dirt before standing at full height, managing to find it difficult to balance when he wasn’t using his secondary claws as feet too. “I’m not going to go anywhere near people, nor are you taking me anywhere!” he hissed, backing off a little bit, “Go away…leave me! Go back to your scouts or I-I’ll…do worse!”

[Vena Sera]

Yumi just wanted out of the water, what was so bad about that? And Viral was being mean about it, trying to push her off and force her back in! Getting a paw to the face was hardly helping her situation either; she was hard pressed to keep her grip on him as it was. Out of sheer frustration she bit down on her friend's hand, trying unsuccessfully to tell him she wanted to go to shore. Not only did it not work but it got her into even more of a pickle. Getting a paw to her chest Yumi simultaneously let go of her bite and Viral at once, falling back into the water with a frightened yelp. No, she hated water, why was he making her go back in?! Floundering to the top she watched wide eyed as the Beastman began thrashing a bit before falling over himself, spooking her a bit. She was afraid she had upset him and wanted to get away; Viral wasn't someone she had any desire to fight or hurt. In an almost doggy-paddle fashion Yumi worked her way over to the shore, clambering out of the water and sitting at the edge on all fours. Shaking herself in an odd fashion she huffed, looking back out over the water for Viral. Was he okay? Going back in to help him would be really bad, she couldn't bare having to get wet all over again. Looking down at herself her nose wrinkled in disgust, and tipping her head down she tried pulling her shirt of frustratedly with her teeth to be rid of the wet clothing.

Kabocha could only scoff at the notion of getting a menial job, it was beneath him. Even if they weren't nobility of Kortal any longer his family still had their sizable wealth. They had managed to trade it in on Kaesstra which meant he was more confident than ever that his money would still be good elsewhere. No way would he have to earn money, not that he needed it all that often anyways. Ninety percent of the time he was eating things caught and prepared by the group; this was the first time in a while he had to purchase his own meals. "Tch... She's a trader isn't she? I would think she'd be used to seeing all sorts of unique things. She didn't even consider trading with me, let alone giving us what we needed. I'm not so much ticked that she said no as she said no without offering anything else. Even regular metal is worth something!" It was insulting in a way, it told him his money was worthless. Money was money, even if the currency varied from place to place. Maybe once this damned war was over he could work on sorting out trade and finances on allied worlds, then he wouldn't have to bother with such a troublesome task as exchanging funds. "And again, I'm not an ass. I'm just not a softie like our buddy Choi here," Kabocha added, waving a hand dismissively, "It's not my fault a lot of women have thin skins. I mean come on, we grew up around girls who fought like we do, so excuse me for being used to girls who can stomach a little aggression or forwardness. And don't compare me to Takeshi, seriously. I have had girlfriends, he hasn't. And if I really wanted to I could get one again, he's totally hopeless though."

There really was no turning Shu off of games, was there? Once he had them on the mind it was easier to change the path of the sun than deter the little guy. Smiling exasperatedly he shook his head, looking back at Shu amused. "Oh hush, we'll play again later, so don't go whining about us taking a break," Takeshi said, "And I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear you say that... Squirt." Sticking out his tongue yet again the older boy looked straight again, narrowing his eyes as he spotted something moving up ahead. It was difficult to make out initially, whoever it was they were far off and pretty small. As it became evident they were moving towards one another, and at a fast pace he got a better idea of who it was. Leaning back and bringing himself to a halt Takeshi smiled slightly, watching as Haku finally realized who he was coming towards and stopped as well. It wasn't T'charrl but it was good they had found the kid too; having to come back out here later to search would have been a real pain. "Well there's one, now we've just got to find T'charrl..."

"If you're actually looking for him I'm worried if he ever gets found," Haku said, taking a jab at Takeshi casually. Seeing the angry look on the Prince's face he immediately regretted speaking like that, cringing back a bit with a nervous smile. To his luck he wasn't hit or anything, sighing with relief before rubbing at his head. Really though, they were still looking for the alien? He'd found Shu but not him or T'charrl; he was really good at hide and seek, wasn't he?

Doing his best to ignore Haku's taunt, Takeshi frowned as he looked around himself again in an attempt to get his bearings. T'charrl had to be somewhere nearby, he hadn't gone terribly far to find Shu, and if Haku just showed up he hadn't gone far either. Assuming they all went separate ways it was pointless asking which way their friend had gone; scouring the forest in its entirety may end up being necessary at this point. Making no efforts to hide his frustration Takeshi groaned, putting one hand on his hip as he waved a hand dismissively. "Okay, we've got to find him before we head back to the ship. Can either of you track him or whatever? Sniff him out, something like that?"

Without a doubt this Kaesstrian was abnormal, that much was obvious just by looking at him. Their sheer size alone was daunting, never mind their massive claws and teeth. L'esta hadn't turned tail just because he was uneasy before and he wasn't going to start now; the Captain of the Queen's guard couldn't flee from a foe, it was unbecoming. Having grabbed for his weapon yet again he watched the stranger warily, taking a slight step back as he slouched down slightly. Violence was the last thing he wanted, and even more so having to kill this person. If it meant protecting the greater peace then that may end up becoming necessary however. Watching awestruck as the Kaesstrian assumed his fill height L'esta frowned, drawing his sword and holding it down at his side at the ready. "I told you, I cannot just leave you here! I am under strict orders to control any potential threats, and until you give me reason to think otherwise you are one!" That was an odd thing to say, making the Captain pause briefly as he gave the large Kaesstrian a puzzled look. Scouts? How did this one know he had others with him? For all he knew it could just be L'esta and no others, so what made him say there were more? Frowning he took a small step forward, keeping his sword where it was. "If you know I have scouts then you know your chances of getting away are nil. We can save both of ourselves a lot of trouble if you simply agree to come with me. If you refuse once more you're coming by force, so think carefully about what your reply is." He knew this person, he knew he did, but how? Hopefully that answer came to him before swords went flying.