GambolMuse

Until the End (Scout and Vena Sera)

"You picked the inn... Because of it's name?" Hanta replied, looking at his friend incredulously. Leave it to Komada to do something like that. Then again he wasn't overly picky where they decided to lay up for the evening, and really the name didn't bother him in the slightest. Smiling slightly in amusement he lifted his shoulders in a shrug, relenting to go with his friend's choice. Since he had no clue where this inn was he let Komada take the lead, tucking his hands in his pockets as he followed. Curiously plenty of players were all seeking a place to rest or gather their thoughts, but they were moving in the other direction. That made Hanta a little concerned, wondering just what part of the town they might be going into. Towns were safe of course, but that didn't mean they couldn't be unpleasant. Either the regular player base was unaware of the inn or there was a reason it wasn't drawing large crowds. "Er... Are you positive this is the right way?" he asked, voicing his concerns. An answer wasn't necessary as sure enough they stumbled upon the... Skipping Kitties Inn... Well, it certainly had a cutesy name. It was all he could do to not facepalm, smiling hesitantly as he looked over at Komada to hear out her pleas. "Yeah, we can stay here, I don't mind."

The pair of friends stepped in through the doorway and into a warm and cozy common room. There were a few players besides themselves, but overall the building looked surprisingly empty. Name aside this may be a rather nice place for them to stay, and since it was smaller than most hopefully the price wasn't too bad. Opting to handle the arrangements himself Hanta went right to the counter, already pulling out Col to pay for the two bedrooms. It was in the midst of this that Komada spoke up again, having a rather different idea of how they'd be spending the night. The suggestion in of itself was innocent enough, yet it had Komada's face lighting up with a blush. As it did his own, Hanta realized. Putting a hand on his forehead and rubbing it he smiled meekly, nodding as he felt his cheeks burn. "Yeah... If that's what you want, we can do that." Wanting to keep his friend in as good spirits as he could he was in a rather accommodating mood, even if it meant doing some unusual things. Quickly changing the arrangements with the NPC he fished out the necessary Col, having just enough for tomorrow to buy supplies hopefully. With that done Hanta led his friend up to the room in question, a moderate, two bed abode on the third floor that overlooked the streets below. It wasn't extravagant, but it'd suit their needs just fine.

Graciously sleep had come relatively easily for Hanta. That didn't mean however it was a restful night, not by any means. The stress that had begun to build was manifesting itself in nightmares, and once or twice he awoke in the dead of night from them. Even while awake his thoughts were plagued with terrible scenarios, death of those close to him or even himself being chief amongst those. As collected as he tried to appear for Komada there was no denying that he was frightened. The reality of this... Death game was all too clear, and one false step could spell their demise. Never being an especially optimistic person like his friend his only hope was he gained the strength to overcome whatever might get in their way. The game would be cleared... One day. So long as he held onto that then there was a little hope, hope that they might see their families and the real world once more. As uneasy as Hanta felt eventually sleep began to beck and call for him once more. His eyelids grew heavy and eventually closed, and when they reopened once more the sun's rays shone through a crack in the curtains, unceremoniously waking him. A quick glance at his alarm told him it was still rather early, and a gaze across the room showed that Komada was still asleep. With little else to do and not nearly content with lazing about he silently climbed out of bed, opening up his menu and equipping his gear. He couldn't be sure for when his friend set her alarm, but a safe bet was knowing her it'd be at least an hour from now. Plenty of time to make himself useful, to do something to help their case. With her asleep she wouldn't have to worry, and he could go out and about with relative ease.

An nondescript amount of time passed since Hanta stepped out, he'd honestly lost track, something he was rather good at. By the time he reached the inn again the sun was just coming up overhead, casting long shadows on the roads below. A fair amount of players were out and about already, but with the shock of yesterday's events still setting in the city was eerily quiet, save for the cries of NPC merchants. Back into the Skipping Kitties, a name surely devised by the developer's daughter, he made it a point to sell a few items off to the inn keeper, albeit at prices lower than he might get elsewhere. Any amount of Col would help them, he'd take what they could get. Still in his combat gear he ascended the stairs, taking them slowly as if worrying he'd alert Komada. What a nightmare that would be if she found out, he reflected, swiping a hand back through his medium length brown hair. A change of attire might not be a bad idea, but really all he had were pajamas and this, and he'd not walk around in the former. Boasting a basic gray long-sleeved shirt and black pants it might almost pass for regular clothing, if not for the strap that slung across his chest, supporting the sword on his back. He also had on him a set of boots, something he'd bought that morning for himself. It gave a minute boost to dexterity and a near negligible amount of protection, but it was better than nothing. Opening the door and expecting to find Komada just waking up, Hanta froze in the door when she turned to look at him. She seemed properly concerned, and of course this made him feel guilty almost instantly. "What's wrong...? Bad dream?"

Far From Home

This idea, I like :) We shall sticky-note this for later!

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Kabocha halted himself along with the others as they reached the military base. It was just as he'd imagined, and no doubt there were people inside the building just as there were outside. From where they were in the air the guards were fairly small, and thankfully they were most likely out of range of any arrows that might come their way. "No doubt they've seen us already, I mean we weren't exactly stealthy flying on in here." he pointed out, frowning as he looked over the building. "So landing somewhere and trying to walk in is kind of moot, they'll see us coming. Since we're not supposed to attack... And I can't believe I'm saying this, but we've got to go down and talk to them." Diplomacy between warring peoples was possible, albeit incredibly difficult to reach. T'charrl was as good a leader as his mother was as far as these people were concerned, so they might deal with him if he tried making a deal. Goodness knows what they would say to get to their commanding officer though. A good soldier didn't sell out their boss, they were usually trained to never do that. "You talk to the guards, convince them that we've got to get in there. If we make them realize what's going on... Whatever that is... Then they might be more willing to oblige." Plus the presence of three healthy Saiyans would likely give them some leverage. "Kai? Choi? You two stick with him, since you work best together. I'll bring up the rear when we land and make sure they don't try anything."

There was little else to do right now but land and see how things went. They were already made by the soldiers, and in a matter of seconds no doubt the entire base would be savvy to their presence as well. Kabocha gave the rest of the group a final look before dropping down to the ground rather swiftly. He made sure not to land too close to the gates, keeping an easy ten meters away as not to alarm anyone too badly. The direct approach was really their only option, but that certainly didn't mean it was the best. Upon landing the guards immediately began to converge, weapons at the ready but not looking overly sure of themselves. These men weren't dressed in the black garb as the special forces were, meaning these were just regular old grunts. Not as skilled, and with any luck a bit more open to listening to reason.Given they weren't fanatics a few choice words ought to convince them to let everyone inside, or at the very least consider it. It was almost humorous, having them point swords and spears at them, essentially sharpened sticks. "We're not here to fight, so relax guys..." Kabocha said, rolling his eyes when the soldiers didn't seem to lighten up. "Jeez... If we really wanted to do harm we'd have just blown you all up. Just chill, will you?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Flying over the city was pretty bold for someone who was an enemy to the state. T'charrl had backup though in the form of three seasoned Saiyans, so really how much danger he'd face was debatable. In a sense really all the squad was there for was a deterrent, though whether the enemy would take the hint or be dim enough to strike was yet to be seen. As the prince was quick to point out they lacked the camouflage that the Kaesstrians did, making sneaking about even more difficult. "Black warriors? Gotcha." Kabocha replied, flashing a thumbs up. A frown tugged at his features at what else was said, finding the soldiers were akin to Saiyans in more way than one. It showed too who the real 'good guys' in this war were to boot, as if they'd needed much convincing after the attack. It took a good deal of morality to refuse to harm civilians in a fight, and even greater to protect them even if they hated you. There was something to be said to that, but Kabocha was scarcely the one to sing praises. "Military complex... You got it. I'm guessing we'll know it when we see it?" Guards, towers and walls or fences, or something along those lines should give it away. Chances were a fight was going to break out between them and the soldiers if they showed up, unless someone had a really convincing reason for them not to attack. "We'll get you inside, don't worry about that. It just might not be too pretty." The Queen didn't want them fighting? Yeah, easier said than done lady.

Kabocha scanned the buildings below and ahead of them, searching for any place that might scream 'military' to him. If it were Saiyan or even Earthling architecture he'd be able to spot it a mile away, but these aliens built such strange places. A good portion of the city were domed, or tall oval shaped sky scrapers. It was a real head scratcher, like picking a needle out of a haystack. "Sheesh... And I thought some Saiyan cities were cluttered..." he mumbled, referring to the densely packed metropolis below. There were some fairly wide roads between the blocks, but those were filled with people, stalls and various other objects. Noticeably as they continued on the crowds looked to be thinning gradually, eventually reaching a point where there were only a handful of people moving about. The reason for the thinning of the crowds turned out to be military personnel, quite a few blocking off various streets. It looked like people were being led from their homes, away from who knows what. Kabocha couldn't be bothered with that at the moment though, as up ahead he finally spotted a building that looked rather promising. It had everything he'd imagine a military base to have, and even if it wasn't the right one they could start from there. A couple of soldiers lined the perimeter, but as far as he could see from where they were no one was inside the walls. "Hey T'charrl... Is that it?" he asked hopefully, pointing down to the structure.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"They beat your friends because they ambushed them T'charrl. Do you honestly think they'd have triumphed otherwise?" Perhaps the boys and that other man were getting the benefit of the doubt, but Eslaria liked to think they were stronger. Realistically she figured even Yumi was more powerful than them, and she came across as perhaps the weakest of the bunch. It had to be the element of surprise that led to the injuries, otherwise it just didn't make sense. "So long as you're careful and don't make any foolish mistakes you'll not be caught off guard. We've trained you to do this, now you've just got to have confidence in yourself." What more could be say on the matter than already had been? The plan was set and everyone was ready to go, all that was keeping them back now was the prince waiting to give the go ahead. It was in the hands of the children now, and they had the complete confidence of both the Queen and the other men to see it through. No longer being needed there Eslaria gave her son one final smile before leaving them to join the others on patrols of the area. While they took care of the general the rest of them would look after the wounded, no one would come anywhere near T'charrl's friends.

Kabocha still had reservations, voicing the foremost of which; Just where were they going? From what gathered the Queen and the others weren't from the city, so how much of the area would they know? T'charrl had the answer for them thankfully, just as well seeing as he'd be leading them. "Read as ever, prince. Let's give these guys what's coming to them." The Saiyan lifted himself up into the air, smirking as he did so. Finally, they'd be doing something interesting. He was getting excited as he imagined storming the headquarters, taking down a few soldiers to ultimately drag this general out by his wings. A good old fashioned raid, it would certainly be fun. "We're flying right in then? I hope so, sneaking around really isn't my style." The time for digging up information was done anyways, courtesy of the princes. Now it was time for some good old fashioned brute force. Keeping in their group he flew off across the tops of the buildings, keeping in line right behind T'charrl. They'd be seen doing this no doubt, but he'd love to see someone try to stop them.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Eslaria had waited until her son was present to explain the plan, seeing as he would be at the precipice of it all. It just made sense to her to have one of the future rulers be there to take down this tyrant, it built his credibility and gained him favor. To her it was perfectly reasonable, and yet the prince sounded to have some concerns with it. "You won't have to face him alone T'charrl, these three will be accompanying you," the Queen explained, gesturing to the Saiyans. "No matter how strong he is he cannot compare to Saiyans, I'm confident of that. Regardless of any tricks or however many troops he might hide behind he'll not triumph over us." They had the element of surprise so long as they moved quickly, and so it was their turn to ambush their enemy. For someone who was going to be leading people some day soon he needed to build his confidence, otherwise it would be hard for anyone to look up to him. "And I know you'll do fine, I'd not have picked you for the task otherwise," she continued, smiling gently. "Your friends will be with you, you won't fail as long as they're at your side. As for your differences or disgracing us..." Eslaria paused, stepping beyond the Saiyans to place a hand on her son's head, giving it a gentle rubbing. "Nothing you could ever do would disgrace us, I promise you that. And your 'differences' may just be what you'll need to make the general submit. They're a gift T'charrl, don't think of yourself badly because you're different."

Once certain the air was cleared and everyone was prepared the unlikely team left the house in search of their target. No doubt the Saiyans might have mixed feelings about what was going on, chief amongst which were hesitation over following an alien. If what they had been promised was to be done though they had to comply, whether they necessarily agreed with it or not. Kabocha was probably the only one really with inhibitions, and that was in part due to his enjoying having temporary leadership over the squad. It was no small secret he had a pride and some ego, and having his command stripped even temporarily bruised it a bit. A little condolence came in the form of a chance to fight, provided that whatever troops they encountered were dim enough to even try that. After they had left the view of the house Kabocha figured it was safe to voice something he had on his mind, and for good reason. "Do we even know where to look for this guy...?" he asked, glancing sidelong to T'charrl. "I mean your mom didn't exactly tell us where, and I can't remember the princes or anyone else ever saying anything. Are we going to search this whole city for the guy?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Well jeez... Now we're taking orders from the aliens?" Kabocha asked rhetorically, looking at Kai surprised. He supposed it was fair in a way, as they were already being helped. It might not be so bad if they were actually allowed to fight someone, though now come to think of it fighting hadn't been forbidden, only killing. That gave him a mischievous little smirk as he pondered that over, wondering if they might get to go after some of the jerks that had hurt Takeshi and the others. Almost giddy at the prospect of getting to fight finally he almost pushed Choi right back out of the room when he returned, trying to get the twins to follow as he went right on outside behind the Queen. Whether these people could fight or not didn't matter much, he just wanted to have some fun. Plus considering what they had done it was to perhaps a small degree personal, and almost payback in a way. "Oh boy... I can't wait to fight some of those jerks!" Kabocha said, giving his knuckles a cracking. Walking outside he nearly bumped into the Queen as she stopped, blinking confused and looking up at her curiously. "Uh... Everything okay miss?" Did she sense something out in the woods? Perplexed the Saiyan stepped to the side of Eslaria, narrowing his eyes as he peered into the brush to try and pick anything out. Well, nothing out there was going to attack them, but the Queen was certainly all for that. A closed fist smacked the top of his head, making Kabocha hiss as he gave his skull a rubbing. "What? What did I do?"

"You're making plans when you're not the one in charge, that's what," Eslaria stated plainly, turning about to face the squad. "No fighting, we don't need more casualties. We need the people's favor to make things work after this is all over, and we don't do that by killing husbands, sons and brothers. If you must protect yourselves do so cautiously, and only fight to disarm or restrain. The only one I'm a little more lenient on is the general, but we need him in one piece." These boys were soldiers, and while she hardly knew them the Queen was fairly confident in their ability to follow orders. Over the heads of the Saiyans Eslaria spotted her son coming out, glad to see he'd gotten the word. "And here is the young man who will be leading you three into this. I expect that you give him your total cooperation." Putting her hands on her hips she looked down at the younger Kaesstrian, smiling at him cheerfully. "You're going to take these three boys with you to get the general since your friends are hurt. It seems fitting for you to be there to take him from power, and in the meantime your father, Katas and I will stay here to keep everyone safe." There wasn't much room for discussion on the matter. Eslaria knew she was forcing this upon T'charrl but it simply had to be done. The longer they waited the more time the general had to learn of his men's defeat retaliate. Now was the premier time to strike, when he was awaiting a report and didn't know exactly what was going on. "I hope you're ready, my young prince, because today you're going to become a hero amongst our people."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"You're not going to die Shu, don't worry." Rather than Takeshi's voice chiming in it was Eslaria's. The Queen stood at the doorway to the room for a moment, looking at the two brothers in pity. Why these two had been put together was beyond her, as clearly it was a bad idea. Takeshi was too guilty and upset to do anything other than mope and Shu simply couldn't handle that right now, it was a recipe for disaster. "To put it simply you were injured little one, a blow to the head by the looks of it. You're going to live, but you have to relax and rest." That meant no older brother having a breakdown in front of him. Her head shook in disbelief before she walked over to the boys, kneeling down at the older boy's side and smiling gently. "No one thinks you're at fault for this but you. Shouldn't that tell you something?" she asked, cocking her head questioningly. "Shu has to rest for now, and so do you. So I'm going to take you to your room..." There was a pause as she linked her arms under the Saiyan, scooping him up as Yumi had with relative ease. "And Shu will remain here. He'll have plenty of visitors, so don't you worry about a thing. Right now everyone has to get their strength back." It came across as gentle, but it wasn't up for discussion. Fretting like this would only serve to agitate everyone and make matters worse. Besides, they couldn't quite get on with taking down the general if they had to worry about these three at home.

Emotionally strained and just physically tired Takeshi put up little fight in being lifted up again. He was still crying, albeit to a far lesser degree than before, mostly out of pride before the Queen. Before they left the room he cast a glance back over to his brother, sniffling before managing a small smile. "I'm s-sorry... You're going to be okay..." It was a weak attempt to quickly reassure the boy but hopefully it did a little something at least. Taken out of the room they went down the hallway, and to his chagrin passed by the room where his old squadmates were sitting, hiding his face and hoping they didn't notice him. The walk to his and Shu's room was a mercifully short one, and once on the bed a bit of his pain was instantly eased. "Thank you... For bringing me here..." he mumbled, embarrassed at his inability to move on his own. Reaching at a pillow he carefully propped it up under his head, laying it back graciously and closing his eyes. Eslaria left not too long after, apparently just lingering to make sure the breakdown was over. Blinking away a few tears that clung to his lashes Takeshi lifted a hand to rub his face dry, staring up at the ceiling. He'd appreciated what the Queen said, but it was still hard to find it true. Even though Yumi had acted kindly towards him he imagined it was simply because it was for Shu's sake, and on his own he'd have been let be. Just as well, he didn't want to be seen groveling like a baby.

Eslaria made it a point to close Takeshi's door as she left, trying to afford him as much privacy as he might want. Even a tempered warrior like her could feel sympathy for the boy. It was never easy to see someone close be injured in a fight, least of all a family member. Remorse was a mistress she was rather familiar with, being a ruler in the time of war. Somehow she suspected that the general didn't share those sympathies and was perfectly fine with sending his men to their deaths. In fact she'd be surprised if he even acknowledged their deaths with anything more than disappointment or anger. That man had to be brought down, now. With the aliens out of it for the time being and their friends likely reluctant to leave they were shorthanded on fighters to help them. But wait... There were more fighters available to her, the ones who T'charrl were supposed to be helping. In a way they were then indebted to the prince, and always one to collect debts Eslaria smiled mischievously, knowing exactly where she'd find her extra help. Stopping right at their room she barged on in, putting her hands on her hips. "You three!" she bellowed, grabbing their attention. "I've got a job for you!"

Kabocha, Kai and Choi had been chattering amongst themselves when the Queen decided to come in on them. She had done so abruptly and shouted loud enough to make Kabocha nearly jump out of his seat, blinking in confusion before looking at Eslaria. "Wha...? A job?" he mimicked, frowning before settling himself down. "Why do we have to work now? Isn't everything taken care of?"

"No, everything is not taken care of. The general still needs to be apprehended, and your friends are currently unable to do that." Eslaria stated, folding her arms before smiling. "And that is why you three along with my son will be going to get him." Three Saiyans were certainly more than enough to deal with that man, and any troops he might have at his side. Without the element of surprise or an ambush they certainly had the upper hand, and with any degree of luck the general would be wise enough to surrender on the spot. When one of the boys looked to have issue with her plan she narrowed her eyes, clearing her throat before he could even speak. "May I remind you that my son is saving your families? The very least you can do is help us finish this mess of ours."

"Ugh... All right, all right." Kabocha relented, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. He looked between the twins to see if they agreed, and once he was assured they were he turned back to the Queen. "Just tell us where he is and we'll grab him for you. Are you sure you don't want us to just kill him...?"

Eslaria gave Kabocha an incredulous look before smacking her own forehead, groaning inwardly. What a... Saiyan thing to ask. "No... Because killing him would make a martyr out of him. And the last thing we need is to give even more reason for the forthcoming resistance to hate us. I want him brought here in one piece to be sentenced properly. And I'll be entrusting the command of this mission to my son, as he's more knowledgeable on the area and situation. I hope my faith in the two brothers isn't betrayed by any blunders you might make. I cannot stress how important this is, it has to be done right." In another brief pause she turned to look at the three boys, mulling something over in her thoughts before finally walking over and grabbing Choi by his shirt. "You, go get T'charrl, tell him what you're doing. I'm going outside to see how things are going."

Black Butler, Untold (Vena Sera x SilverRain)

Okey day ^^

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I don't know I suppose. A lot of what we've got on our planet isn't all natural though. Tons of chemicals and other things to make them work, and I've got to wonder if that's better or worse." It wasn't a miracle cure, but Vegeta was confident that what T'charrl was using would do the trick. How it paired up with medicine from Earth was a curious thought, and one that wasn't going to be tested for a while yet. Yumi's coming to join them meant an extra pair of hands to help, and carefully she and the Saiyan turned their friend over to continue his treatment. Having more people to support you was usually a good thing, but Viral hardly looked thrilled at the concept. Had he thought Yumi would leave or the Beastman wouldn't feel bad for sending her off Vegeta would ask her to step out. "I'm just saying a proper doctor can tell you if you're healing well, that's all." They might know a bit of medicine collectively, but someone who was actually practiced would be far more adept at dealing with Viral. Plus if his innards didn't heal properly on their own then surgery would be needed, and goodness knows none of them were going to touch that mess with a ten foot pole. "Of course... Even if you do heal then there's still the matter of Takeshi and Shu. I don't know what their wounds are but they might need a doctor." Not to mention the minor dilemma of the Beastman's PTSD, having yet to be addressed. For that they definitely needed a medical professional, as nothing any of them did worked out.

Takeshi was having a fair fit right now as his emotions crashed down on him. It was hard, keeping yourself composed when your little brother was nearly paralyzed, and one of your very few friends nearly killed. It didn't help the matter either that he placed all of the blame on himself, even when in reality he was probably the reason they even were alive. It was much too difficult to see it that way right now, his judgment was clouded and really blaming himself was easier. "No... No I didn't hurt you... I mean I did, but... Dammit...!" It was hard to properly convey what he wanted to, struggling to think over Shu's pitiful state. Looking at his brother tearfully he ignored the pain all over his body as he leaned forward, painfully crawling off of the couch and over to Shu's side. His face was contorted in discomfort as he moved, his wounds feeling like they were ready to burst with each small adjustment. Finally getting there he knelt at the side of the couch, using his hand to wipe at more tears. "L-Look... Some men attacked us, they ambushed us... And trapped me, then hurt you and Viral..." he began, sniffling. "When I saw you two I lost it...I killed all of them because... Because I thought you might be dead and... And Viral was going to die..." Pouting his upper lip he could scarcely contain himself any longer, letting out a soft sob as he laid his head down, hiding his face against Shu's chest. "Everyone is g-going to hate me... And I'm going to be alone...!" It was a piss poor time to be pleading his own case, but there was a very real concern that he'd screwed up for the last time.

"Please don't hate me Shu...! I'm sorry!" Takeshi lifted his head to look at his brother, wiping his face on his forearm. "I'll be better at protecting you... A-And I'll be nicer. Just please, please don't hate me." As much as he wanted to be accepted he knew full well if he wasn't there wouldn't be much he could do to change that. Should he be shunned then he didn't even know where he might go, other than Earth. Or perhaps back to the rebellion, he might as well be useful to somebody, even if it was just as a soldier. Just thinking about that wracked his body in fear, making him tremble at the idea of it. He didn't want anyone to hate him, certainly not Shu, but also the others. Yumi, Vegeta, Viral, the Kaesstrians. What if word got back to Earth that he was at fault? Then everyone would hate him there too, and he'd go back to being alone once more.