GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Alright! I like busting right in, my kind of approach." Kabocha chimed, grinning ear to ear as he gave T'charrl a pat on the back. "And if bad things are going on then all the better we shut it down. Heck, we're doing people a couple favors by doing this." Personally he was completely fine with getting a bit more out of their work, as they were taking care of a fair bit. The others certainly wouldn't agree, and asking for even more was bound to get someone mad at him. Plus making requests in front of soldiers who still may turn on them probably wasn't the best way to buy favor. So their party had expanded a bit, and as such was going to be a bit more difficult to handle when and if a fight broke out. The Saiyan couldn't help but look back at the Kaesstrians behind them, frowning in their direction. Should they take the general's side they'd not be much more than a hassle, but it still complicated their job. Once the prince had pointed out their path Kabocha was all set to go, his smile returning as he gave his knuckles a good cracking. "This guy is going to pay for messing with us, I hope he does try to fight 'cuz I wouldn't mind knocking him around a bit."

Together the group flew over the city, causing quite a bit of a stir from their sheer numbers. No one down below was quite sure what to make of it, seeing both the enemy Prince and Saiyans along with some of their own soldiers. A few people saw it as an unlikely surrender, cheering for the men who followed as they flew by, thinking that the war had come to an end. To a degree they were right, the war was ending, but not the way they had hoped. Perhaps having the soldiers along was a good thing, as no matter how many other troops they passed no one decided to fly up and give pursuit. They even came precariously close to the special operations branch, and while not that far away from it no moves were made to get them. Thus the trip over to the abandoned lab was quick an uneventful, not a single obstacle in their path. The building sat nestled between some seedy looking streets, almost hidden by a tall stone structure and another overgrown building, apparently a lower end of the city. Landing down in front it appeared to be utterly abandoned too, certainly unkempt. A few windows were busted and the walls had a thick ivy growing up them, giving it a properly tarnished look. Junsei might be lying about this, as it seemed unlikely this was an active workplace. Curiously enough the door in the front was free from vines, possibly meaning it was opened regularly. So... Perhaps the timid aide hadn't been feeding them false information after all.

Kabocha whistled softly as he gazed at the building, putting his hands on his hips while scuffing a boot on the ground. "So this is it...? The place where they kept you?" he asked, glancing over at T'charrl before back to the building. "Some dump... Makes me curious how they get anything done in there." Taking a look around them he thought to ask if anyone had seen anything interesting, but there wasn't a single soul in sight. Well, worst case scenario they got the wrong building, that's all. But this looked to be the only one around not inhabited, and if they went much further they'd be leaving the city, so it was a likely spot as any. "Might as well get on inside, no use in waiting around." The Saiyan smirked as she stepped up towards the door, putting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a roll. Before doing anything drastic he gave the door handle a test, jiggling and trying to turn it to no avail. A small push told him it was a bit more stable than a regular wooden door, as there was ample resistance behind it. Putting a hand on his chin for a moment Kabocha wondered how best to get inside without making too much noise. Remembering then they were hardly going for discretion Kabocha decided to hell with it, grinning as he gathered Ki in his palm and blew the door apart. The metal door clattered to the ground in pieces, revealing a fairly dusty room inside. "It's open!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Junsei had spilled the beans and knew he had a nasty punishment coming his way. He'd be knocked around by the general later for sure, and that would be leagues worse than what these children could do. Even so he couldn't help but be nervous around them, as they were still properly intimidating in their own rights. Thankfully the group looked to be departing, but not before some rather unsettling last words from the Prince. He was hoping the soldiers were going to do something about this, but as the Saiyans and T'charrl left the troops went with them, not seeming particularly opposed to the plan. Did they believe them? It was a hard pill to swallow, as General Yusef was a decorated and acclaimed soldier. No one questioned him, or very few did and kept it to themselves. Feeling pretty lightheaded from the stress the timid aide sat down again, sighing as he glanced at the paper work before him. There was still a ton to do, but the desire to do anything had left him along with his nerves. If he was as good as dead then should he even bother with it anyways? Looking out through the window panes he sighed as he decided not to, not seeing much point. Instead Junsei smiled meekly, lifting up his feet and laying them on the desk, getting comfortable in the chair. He was alone, for now anyways, so why not enjoy himself?

"That couldn't have gone any better!" Kabocha was pretty proud of himself, having scared the piss out of that little alien guy. Not that it seemed to take a lot to get him worried, the Kaesstrian probably went to bed shaking. They had the information they needed now, finally, which meant they could be done with this matter. More importantly their parents were going to be safe, and as such they wouldn't have to worry and could focus on other things for a change. The soldiers led them right on out of the building and to the gates, but that would be as far as they went. It seemed like they were sticking to their posts even if their orders may possibly be coming from a crooked leader. Ah well, not like they needed more help anyways. Once beyond earshot of the base Kabocha turned on his heels to face the group, walking backwards as he gave his chin a thoughtful rubbing. "So T'charrl... What do you know about this lab? Any way we can sneak in, or are we just going to bust down the front door?" He rather liked the latter, but if the general ended up fleeing because of it then a lot of good that would do them. "And do we have any idea how many if any troops might be there?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"He's got an anger problem, I won't deny that," Kabocha said with a nod. For that reason he was sort of glad Shu had him so restrained, since their old leader had been known to snap pretty suddenly and violently at them. If he had to use one word to describe Takeshi it would have to be immature. Goodness knows he'd never say that to his face, lest he want to be blown to smithereens. He'd definitely not been brought up to behave, that was for damn sure. Narrowing his eyes slightly at Choi he sniffed unamused, turning his nose up and away. "Please... I might be arrogant sometimes, I'll admit, but I don't do what he does. I was raised better than that." Having someone to smack or chastise him for acting out of place had taught him to behave moderately well, as well as a Saiyan might hope to anyways. Comparatively speaking, Kabocha noted too that Takeshi really wasn't that bad by Saiyan standards. Normally he had always seemed brooding and distant, but mild mannered enough to get along with. Shu changed that almost completely, further breaking him from the mold. As the group stopped outside of the general's office the Saiyan smiled eagerly; he couldn't wait to give this general a piece of his mind.

Junsei had been busily working on some paperwork for the general, as he always was nowadays. He was an aide, but he used to deliver orders, help sort out communications and once in a while even handle the weapons. As a bookworm in essence it wasn't as though he got a lot of real excitement at the job, so that had all been nice. The past few days though had just been "sign this" and "read over these", some of which papers were sealed, only the authorization sheet stapled to the top of the folder they were in. With his boss out at the moment he had taken the brief chance to get a novel out, slinking into the comfortable armchair to read to himself. Not a second after he'd settled however a knock came at the door, and fearing the worst he quickly gathered up the papers again, hiding the book under the desk. "I'm coming!" he called, hurrying over to open the door. Expecting General Yusef on the other side he was perplexed to see a grunt before him, and said surprise turned into shock when he saw who was beyond him. Startled a fair bit he took refuge in the office, doing the only thing he really could and taking cover behind the desk. Oh no, the enemy was here, and he was utterly defenseless. Were these men turncoats? And those aliens... They were Saiyans? He was dead, several times over.

By some good grace there was no attack made on him. Instead the Prince started shouting at him, rather angrily at that. The wiry Kaesstrian stood up from behind the desk, acting as defiantly as his timid state would allow. "Y-You're not seeing him! And his business is private, you filthy p-prince! I wouldn't tell you!" What a stuck up brat, marching in here like he owned the place. But... This was an ample opportunity to be rid of him once and for all. Already behind the desk the aide slowly reached towards a drawer, sliding it open and reaching for an alarm inside. "The general is a busy m-man, and he's got better things to d-do than play with you!" Grasping at the button to signal the base to the intrusion Junsei found only air, blinking confused and glancing down in the drawer. "W-Wha....? Empty? Why is it empty?!" he whined, pulling the entire drawer out. A soft chuckling made him look back towards the prince, spotting one of the Saiyans holding the button in his hand. "Give that back! Y-you've no right to be taking it!"

"What? This little thing?" Kabocha asked, smiling innocently. Giving the small black box a look over he scratched his head, shrugging before looking at Junsei indifferently. "Fine, you can have it..." On 'accident' he wrapped his fingers around the device, and with a little effort crushed it into a mess of plastic and wires. "Oops..." So much for whatever that did, guess they'd never find out. Besides, who was going to attack them? The whole base knew they were here, and they really didn't feel threatened by anyone on this planet, at least as far as the Saiyans were concerned. Dropping the scraps onto the floor Kabocha stepped over them, standing at the desk and putting his hands flush across the surface, staring down at Junsei. "Now listen here little guy, here's how we're going to do this. You tell us where the general went, and we'll walk on out of here, won't hurt so much as a fly." There was a brief pause as the young Saiyan smirked, leaning across the desk and making the aide shirk back. "Or... You refuse to tell us and I make you the first Kaesstrian to go into space with a kick to the ass. How's that sound?"

Junsei was almost shaking at the glowering Saiyan, his small stature seeming to shrink under scrutiny. As defiant as he wanted to be the reality of it was he was fairly useless, even against one of the grunts. Simply put he wasn't a fighter, no matter how much bravado he wanted to show. "Oh... Oh this is bad..." he whined, stepping back again and rubbing at his forehead. "The general is going to kill me for this... He's going to be so mad..." There didn't look to be a whole lot of choice in the matter. It was either be killed by Yusef later, or the Saiyan now. Though as self preservation kicked in he had a treasonous thought... That if the general were to fall he'd be spared? It was a slimy move, but why should he be punished? "F-Fine, I'll tell you! But you've got to promise to l-leave me alone after that." The Saiyan looked to think it over, and for a moment Junsei seriously worried he'd just done himself in. Finally the boy agreed, sealing their sneaky little deal. Sighing to himself the aide removed his spectacles, cleaning them on his shirt tediously. "Very well... If we're a-agreed..." he began, placing his spectacles back on. "General Yusef went to a b-building in the N-North sector of the city. It's a l-lab that Mr. Katas used to use but was d-decommissioned. He's been looking i-into reinstating it, and w-went there to have a look around. T-that's all I know, I swear!"

Until the End (Scout and Vena Sera)

From happy to distraught in a matter of seconds, was this what their lives were going to be like now? One moment they felt elated, on top of the world and genuinely pleased with themselves, and now reality was crashing back down like a waterfall. Hanta couldn't make himself move as he saw the other player meet his demise, both out of fear and uncertainty. He couldn't save the boy, not against five monsters, not alone. Shiemi shared his despair, sounding properly frightened but what they had witnessed. As the pixels of the player fluttered into the air something inside of Hanta snapped, it felt like a fire was surging through him all of a sudden. That boy had no chance, it wasn't even a fair fight. A cheap trick pulled by the game, by Kayaba Akihiko. That was not a just death, the boy had his life stolen because it was all a game to GM, because Kayaba could. Hanta was enraged at that thought, and in a fit of fury took his sword back out and went after the wolves with no inhibitions. In reality they were all ones and zeros, they had no clue as to what they'd done, but that fact was well beyond him, as was reason. They had to die, he had to show Kayaba that they weren't just going to roll over and die, not for his amusement. He could take them... He'd easily do it. Before he could even lift his arm to swing though he was hit from behind and stopped by Komada.

"Komada! Get off of me!" Hanta snapped, wriggling from under his friend. He managed to turn himself around so he came face to face with her, and even in his tempered mood he was fairly put off by how upset Komada seemed, because of him. She was in a proper fit over him, and her being right on top of him made it difficult to get moving again. His anger began to ebb gradually as he heard out her tearful pleas, his grip loosening on the hilt of his sword. She needed him here? To keep her safe? Like he kept that other player safe? Bitterly he moved his gaze away from a moment, out of spite of himself for being incapable of stopping that death. What was he training for if he couldn't keep just one person out of harm's way? If he couldn't save that boy then maybe he wasn't fit to save Shiemi either... "Shiemi... I..." Hanta began, glancing back up at her sadly. He hardly noticed her position, but as soon as he gazed in her direction she let out a timid squeak and scampered off, leaving him a bit puzzled. She was trembling... How badly had he frightened her just then? Smiling sadly he rose to his feet, paying very little mind to those that had gathered around them as he walked over to his friend. "I'm not going anywhere Komada... I'm here." he said softly, placing a hand on her head. His own eyes were stinging as tears gathered in the corners which he quickly blinked away, not wanting to cry now. "Food sounds like a good idea, let's go eat." After sheathing his blade Hanta leaned over, gently placing his hands on Komada's arms and helping her to her feet. People had begun to disperse, as did the monsters thankfully, but it seemed like they had one individual lingering by them.

Another boy approached the pair of friends, looking a little angry for some odd reason. About Hanta's size the boy wore a gray jacket over a black and gray stripped shirt, a simple pair of denim pants and black sneakers, and on his back was a greatsword. His cool blue eyes settled on Hanta once he stopped, folding his arms across his chest and giving a small kick of his head to knock his blonde bangs from his eyes. "Why didn't you help him? You were the closest to him," the boy commented, his tone rather cold. "He didn't have to die, you know."

Hanta flinched slightly as he was questioned, fairly vulnerable to that at the moment. He already felt guilty as it was, and having another player point out his ineptitude just made it worse. Noting the boy's username to be "Izumo" he lowered his gaze, looking away from both the other boy and Komada shamefully. "I... I don't know... I'm sorry." What a weak reply, that didn't help anything. Biting his lip Hanta scuffed his shoe into the dirt before looking back at Izumo, frowning worriedly. "Was he a friend of yours...?"

"No, I've got no idea who he is. But that doesn't matter, he was someone's friend. Now he's gone, and you could have stopped that." Izumo felt justified in his blaming Hanta, and the boy seemed more than willing to take the blame. It was only the first day, people couldn't be dying. If they hoped to clear this game then everyone had to be strong, and more importantly people had to look out for one another. His eyes shifted onto the Komada girl, almost accusingly as he shifted his weight on his foot. She had kept him back, no doubt, and as such those wolves weren't going to be killed. "You two have got to look out for others too, not just yourselves. We're in this together until the end, so try to be there next time?" A distant call drew Izumo's attention away, a group of boys that were presumably in his party. Giving the pair one last spiteful glance he walked off, heading back towards town with his own group.

Hanta stood still as he watched Izumo walk off, feeling perfectly numb at the moment. It was his fault that boy had died, he shouldn't have been so casual about someone being on their own. If he'd had just one person with him then that player would be alive still, or maybe they could even have beaten the wolves together. "He's right... It's my fault..." he mumbled despondently. Breathing a heavy sigh he looked over at Komada for a moment before wrapping an arm around her, hugging her against himself as he closed his eyes, trembling slightly. "Nothing is ever going to hurt you, I promise. We're going to get out of this game." So long as he believed that much they would be okay. Now though he felt the burden of the other players, the other few thousand. He was already getting ahead of the curve, and as such wasn't it his responsibility to protect the weaker players? With one last sharp inhale he placed a hand on his friend's back, gently ushering her along as they moved back towards the safety of the town. For now they'd eat, it was safe to say that training was through for the day, and possibly the next.

Until the End (Scout and Vena Sera)

Places (Many of these will be taken directly from the wiki.)

Town of Beginnings

Town of Beginnings: The first major of the city, consisting of nearly 20% of the first floor. The Black Iron Palace rests in the center of the city, and is the site of Kayaba Akihiko's revelation that SAO was no longer just a game. It is the basis of every player's journey and has the capacity to play home to near 6,000 people, NPCs and Players alike.

Until the End (Scout and Vena Sera)

Hanta felt bad for slipping out unannounced, even if Komada told him she was fine. Tears and sniffling didn't mean she was okay, he wasn't blind. It looked like she was willing to drop the topic, and not wanting to press and upset her further he silently agreed to do the same. Turning and moving to close the door he paused, looking over his shoulder a bit surprised when Komada suggested they make themselves useful. Her equipping her gear told him precisely what he was afraid of; Komada wanted to go out and train. Having just gotten back from that he was admittedly not thrilled, nor was he eager to put her in any sort of danger. Realistically she'd have to do it sooner or later though, meaning that keeping her out of danger was an moot effort. "Sure thing, let's go out," Hanta replied, masking his concerns behind a smile. "And you're talking about sword skills right? Those aren't too hard to get a grasp on, I'll be glad to teach you." Really it was perhaps the most simplistic thing about this game, seeing as combat was solely based around it. It gave him idea though of just how ill versed his friend was in the game, only serving to add to his reservations about bringing her out. So long as he tagged along he reasoned she ought to be all right, he could certainly handle a mob or two. Pushing the door back open he stepped into the hallway, gesturing for her to follow him out. "By the end of the day I promise you'll know how to fight, so let's get started."

A fair portion of that morning and afternoon would be spent training out in the fields. Along with potentially hundreds of other players the area was quite crowded, and spawns were thus being set upon by half a doze players at a time. Being rather difficult to find an available spot the two friends had to travel a bit further out than most, ending up a fair ways away from the bulk of players. Just as well, the privacy meant Komada had all the time in the world to practice. Were it still a game she would have been given every opportunity to practice to master the skills, but it really wasn't anymore. Hanta had a difficult time then letting her fight, even against a single mob, often stepping in to kill the mob when he worried it might hurt her. Realizing how badly that was inhibiting her and that she had to do this herself he finally relented, standing off to the side with sword in hand. It was a bumpy start to be sure, though gradually she was getting the hang of it. For someone who was utterly unfamiliar with the game Komada had begun to get a rather good grasp of the combat quickly. One level was gained, and after some effort a second was as well. It eventually got to a point where Hanta felt confident enough to let her fight without being watched over incessantly, so instead he went off a little ways to train on his own. It was relatively simplistic fighting, the Frenzy Boars weren't difficult at all to beat. Now and again he'd glance over to his friend, smiling as she beamed proudly at her accomplishments. She was having fun for perhaps the first time since yesterday's announcement, and genuinely happy. Thank goodness for that.

"Okay, I think that's enough for today Komada." They had been training for a few hours at this point, and Hanta himself nearly twice as long. With only a few hours left until sunset there were other things they could be doing, namely getting lunch or perhaps even supper. In all Komada had gained herself a few levels, and he one more himself, so it was a worthwhile trip all in all. Standing at his friend's side he looked around them contently, taking a minute to watch a few of the other players wrapping up their own training. People seemed properly tired, but all around them was a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. It was a successful day for nearly everyone, and arguably people had fun despite the very real toll of death they now faced. "You did really well, I'm proud of you. But how about we go get something to eat, yeah?" Hanta asked, smiling gently. A nice steak sounded good, though realistically they'd probably have some stew or fish, something cheap. Well and ready to leave he stopped himself when he spotted a lone player still training, taking a moment to watch him. It was a spear user, and he was doing fairly well for being on his own. Hanta couldn't help but appreciate skill, and even if they ought to be moving on he had to take a second to watch. "Look at him go... Not too bad." he mused, letting a hand rest on his sword idly. As he started to turn away however it seemed like time slowed briefly and things took a turn for the worse. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a few dull flashes of light, and when his head swiveled back his eyes widened in shock. A group of five wolves had abruptly spawned around the spear user, and still fighting a boar he hardly noticed them. For a moment Hanta froze, fearing what was to happen as his fingers froze on the hilt of his sword. "No..."

The spear user didn't stand a chance. As soon as he fell the boar and checked his loot the ominous chorus of growls signaled something was amiss. When he turned around and came face to face he saw what was awaiting him, the color draining from his features in shock. In an attempt to protect himself the young man lifted his spear, managing to fend off the first wolf that lunged at him. In a heartbeat the other four descended on him, biting and clawing away at him ferociously. His spear was useful when fighting foes at a distance, but with them so close now he couldn't so much as scratch them. In a fit of fright he dropped his weapon, throwing his arms up to cover himself from the attacks. As he fell back onto the ground and was swarmed he emitted a shrill cry of fear, his health bar dropping unnervingly fast. At his final moments Hanta could have sworn their eyes met, and seeing the sheer look of terror on the boy's face snapped him out of his own stasis. A cluster of blue shards rose up out of the group of wolves, immediately being carried away by a gentle breeze... The last remnants of that boy, who for all intents and purposes was now dead. Someone had died, on the first day. From a cheap ambush attack no less, something no one could have prevented. That wasn't fair, that wasn't how the game should have gone. From his shock rose anger, and Hanta quickly had his sword back out and at the ready. "Dammit...! I'm going to kill you!" he shouted, starting off towards the wolves. They turned and saw him, bearing their fangs instantly. He didn't care if it was a five on one, he had to do something, he couldn't just let that person have died for nothing.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Kabocha was feeling pretty darn triumphant that they'd gotten their way inside relatively easily, even if they didn't get to fight. It did seem though that it was more the soldier's confidence the general could beat them that got them inside, rather than their story being believed. It had been enough to cause a bit of hesitation, but it would take a little more to absolutely convince them of it. Looking to the twins when their parents were brought up the Saiyan smirked slightly, shaking his head in reply. "I'm not so much close to them as I need them..." he admitted, folding his hands behind his back. "But I suppose now that we're leaving I really don't huh? We're just saving them on principle now, leave no man behind or whatever." It was unusual for Saiyans of their age to be really even speaking to their parents, let alone trying to rescue them. It was an unusual situation and thus required an unusual approach, Kabocha reasoned. Even if it was unconventional they had to do it. "And Takeshi was hurt, I doubt he'll be up anytime soon. Probably for the best too... You know how vindictive he can get. Our being here is already a mercy."

There were definitely more troops inside of the building, as well as plenty of non-combatant personnel. Word must have traveled rather quickly in this place, as every single person inside gave the group the same uneasy, silent stare. It may have had something to do with being with T'charrl as well, seeing as he was an enemy of the state at the moment. It was a good thing that the three Saiyans were there, as chances were someone would take action against the Prince. A few hallways jutted out from the main room, several doors lining their walls, but they'd not be seeing any of those just yet. Instead the soldiers with them directed them to a desk at the back of the room. Behind it was another guard, working away busily on a computer and barely noticing the group as they approached. One of the men cleared their throat to grab his attention and slowly he glanced up, frowning seeing T'charrl and the Saiyans. "What is this...? Are they prisoners...?"

"Not exactly, they're here to confront the general." the foremost soldier said. Sensing his comrade was going to take that wrong he put a claw over his mouth, making a shushing sound. "According to them the general sent troops to attack the two Princes and nearly killed them. These three are their friends and want to know why it happened. As for the other prince... I can't speak for him, but I doubt the general would have any trouble with him anyways. As far as we can tell its a fairly harmless visit."

The desk guard narrowed his eyes looking at the group, debating silently for a moment if they should be allowed in. They were still unsure of the Saiyan's strength, but estimates put them at least on the special operations level, possibly even with the general. Three people that powerful against their leader was not the nicest idea. If these four were told no what kept them from breaking in? Really he supposed that allowing them inside was the safer route, for every one in the building and not just the general. "I want at least four of you outside of the room, understood? And if any of you try anything..." he paused, staring at T'charrl in particular. "This whole base is prepared to fight. We won't let you walk out of here."

Point across the soldiers gave a nod, ushering the group to continue on. Right past the desk and down the rightmost hallway, they were led down to the end and the final door on the left, designated as the general's office. In customary fashion the soldiers filed against the opposite walls, standing with their weapons at rest and their free arms tucked behind their backs, sans for the one who was to open the door. Tentatively he gave it a light knock, assuming a similar stance as they waited for a reply. "Pardon us general, but we've got visitors for you," the soldier called, hoping to make their presence known. It was taking a fair moment for there to be a reply, but finally the sound of papers rustling and a chair dragging across tiled flooring could be heard. Someone came to the door not too long after, a rather short and unimposing someone. Surprised the soldiers all looked down at the tiny Kaesstrian, too puzzled to speak for a second. "Junsei? Where is General Yusef? Is he in?"

The smaller Kaesstrian glanced up at the soldiers uncertainly, blinking at them from behind large spectacles. "G-General Yusef...?" he mirrored, adjusting the stack of papers in his arms. "Well... No. The general left a while ago on business, he said he'd be back in..." Junsei paused when he looked past the soldier, shocked to find that there was a tribal native amongst them, and Prince T'charrl no less. For a second he simply stared at the boy before dropping his papers, giving a soft yelp as he ran into the room and went behind the desk. "W-what is he doing here?! He's the enemy you fools!" the Kaesstrian shouted, poking his head up from behind the furniture. "This is t-treason! Why isn't he restrained?!"

Far From Home

Suto was elated, they'd come so far already. Given it had been five months now, but with a fifth of the game cleared they were gathering steam and pushing on ahead. Had anyone told him they'd be making progress like this four months ago he may have been skeptical. Now things were genuinely looking promising though, and the day that they'd finally go home, however distant was gradually approaching. As if that weren't enough to brighten his day they also had a celebration for the day; Yari's birthday. With it coming up he and Fitch had spent the last few days planning things out in hopes of surprising her. Had she forgotten amidst all the chaos? Hopefully not, it was still a rather important day. For perhaps the first time since the game began Suto made it a point to save his money, hoping to put everything he could into the gathering to make it something truly worth celebrating. Of course, when it came down to it Fitch really took the reigns on organizing, he was just along for the ride. Luna was gracious enough as well to put into it, though not quite as outgoing when it came to setting things up.

That was a rather nice change as of late, Suto reflected. Luna, while still very much her own person was a bit more agreeable with everyone else, especially him. The whole 'saving her life' aspect may have something to do to that, though in reality all he credited himself with was killing a few imps, hardly worth boasting. Regardless of the reason it was a pleasant turn of pace, as he really wasn't usually a confrontational person. For the sake of Yari's birthday they agreed to put aside their bickering and get along... Or, rather, Luna agreed not to chastise Suto for his eccentricity. When the party began it couldn't have done so in a better fashion. Fitch had agreed to take Yari out to the shop, and while she did that they set up the local in for the celebration. It had to be done quickly, but with enough help, even from the NPCs they had gotten the task done. Upon their friend's return the surprise was sprung, and the look on their friend's face told them it was a job well done. A friendly embrace from both Suto and Luna were had before Yari even so much as made it through the door before finally being allowed to sit. And ever the master of amusement Suto took it upon himself to declare the party a go, grinning cheerfully as a bit of music began to play and food was brought out. They might be stuck in the game, but they'd make it a birthday party worth remembering.

Eating, dancing and making toasts was fun and all, but the group was perhaps most earnestly excited for the gifts. They had all pooled together on these as well, with little ones from each individual person to boot. The highlight of the day would be the group gift though, a flowing white gown crafted from fine spider's silk. It wasn't a rare item really, but then again it was the thought that counted, right? Besides, it looked amazing in of itself, and Yari certainly did it justice once she put it on. When she revealed it to everyone there were a fair share of cheers, and even one or two cat calls that were quickly silenced courtesy of Luna. Yari really did look good in it, and as the birthday girl she was receiving all the attention and praise that she should be. Not only was it another year but she had done so much for the group, and from fighting on helped who knows how many players have hope and move on. It might be a small party, Suto mused, but it was a celebration from the entire player base to her, even if the players didn't know it. With a wide grin plastered on his face Suto walked over to Yari, taking her in a hug with a happy laugh. "You look like a bride! Holy cow!" he exclaimed, letting her go and stepping back. "Seriously, nice dress. Hope you get plenty of use out of it!"

Luna had come up as well behind Suto, letting him have his own meet and greet before smiling at Yari herself. "Happy Birthday again Yari," she said gently, hugging her friend as well. Under any other circumstance she'd be a stick in the sand, complaining that they ought to be a little more productive. Even she recognized today's importance though, and honestly she was really having a lot of fun. All of the socializing and activity did leave her feeling a touch out of place, meaning she spent as much time as she could near her friends. Luna was warming up to it all though, albeit gradually. By floor twenty five or so she could hopefully stand to be in a crowd without feeling anxious, that was her own little goal for their journey. Once releasing Yari she moved back as well, clasping her hands behind her back contently. "The boys are right, you look beautiful in that." Giggling a bit she managed a surprisingly cute smile, scuffing her foot against the floor sheepishly. "Just don't wear it too often, as it seems to attract attention." she added, referring to a small group of players who were watching in, the ones she'd smacked previously. Narrowing her eyes at them the old Luna came back for a second, threatening to string them up from their bootstraps if they weren't careful.

"Let's get another cheer for the birthday girl!" Suto exclaimed, gesturing for everyone to shout once more time, beaming as they did. Ecstatic at how much fun everyone was having he moved in between Fitch and Yari, slinging an arm around both of their shoulders and pulling them into hugs. "See guys? I told you we could have fun here! I've been telling you all along!" He'd been doing this kind of thing since the game began, always spending money on superfluous parties. If he had to be honest with himself this was the first one he genuinely enjoyed, and found himself properly happy in. How could he not be when his closest friends were in attendance? Spotting Luna standing before them on her lonesome he smirked, letting Fitch and Yari go to try and hug her as well, instead getting a heel to his toes. With a small yelp he hopped back, looking down at his foot with a pout as he shook it. "You were hugging Yari a second ago! Am I that bad?"

Luna reacted a bit hastily towards Suto, not quite having grown use to him even now. Seeing the disparaging look on his face she softened up a bit, offering an apologetic smile before shaking her head. "You're not bad... I just don't like getting really close to most people. It's nothing against you." she replied simply. More precisely she'd noticed she was a bit nervous when close to boys than girls. It didn't matter who it was either, be it Fitch, Suto, a raid party member, or even Nero on occasion, she always got fidgety. How embarrassing, to be so unnerved by some silly boy. Opting for a change in topic she smiled at Yari nervously, shifting her weight on her feet for a moment. "By the way... There's a second part to the gift, if you're interested..." she began, her cheeks flushing slightly as she turned her gaze away sheepishly. "Yuna and I figured a girl's night out might be fun... So if you want to we can do that later on. Though I don't know what we'll do exactly."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

The soldiers were fairly determined to remain defiant, even against far superior fighters. It was a sense of duty and honor that kept them in place, even when a sword was broken like a twig. As far as they knew the Prince was their enemy, and if these Saiyans were with him then they must be as well, and not aligned with the other two. A definite problem arose when T'charrl spoke out about the supposed attacks, corroborating the other boy's story. This made the soldiers exchange uncertain glances with one another, not quite sure what to think of it all. "Come to think of it... A few of the spec ops were wandering around the place earlier, for a drill or something I think..." a soldier mumbled, frowning to himself. Now that he said it aloud it sounded rather off, as those kinds of troops normally had their own barracks and headquarters.

"And they all left in a hurry too," another quipped, frowning. "What was that all about?" Their idle chatter was silenced as T'charrl got back to talking, seeming to become more bold as he continued to speak. Again the men weren't certain what to believe, but even in their hesitation they were hardly compliant. Really it was beyond their pay grade to know most of what went on behind the scenes, so what was being suggested could possibly be true. "The general is inside, in his office!" the soldier answered back, not quite as loud as the Prince had been. "And let's say he did what you're telling us... That he attacked the Princes. Why would he do that if they were helping?"

"Because they were working with this guy too," Kabocha pointed out, gesturing to T'charrl. "They found out the truth about what's going on, that the general is doing way more than just trying to 'help people move on'. My guess is he was hoping to kill the brothers to keep things quiet, but instead all he's done is piss us off." Man, these guys had the wool pulled over their eyes big time. He could understand not being told things, but there had to have been something to tip them off. "So are you going to let us inside, or are we breaking in? Your call soldier."

Being spoken to like that from a child was demeaning, and worse still was their inability to do anything about it. "You do realize what will happen if he sees you..." the foremost soldier replied, looking at T'charrl uncertainly. "He'll try to kill you, and we can't stop that. If your friends can't either then you're all walking into a death trap. He's the highest ranked officer for a reason you know..." Looking to his broken sword the soldier tossed it aside, shooting the Saiyans an uneasy glance before looking to his comrades. "We're taking them in to see the general, but we'll escort them. If anything happens you're all to stand clear, the general can handle things himself." Even if this were a trick the men were confident that their commander was able to beat these four, Saiyans or not. After all the special forces had felled the two Princes, and they were not quite as skilled as the general was. With a fair deal of resignation the soldiers turned around, two pushing open the gate before they started on inside.

"There, that wasn't so hard was it?" Kabocha smirked triumphantly, taking the lead now as his excitement began to bubble up. The general was in there, somewhere, just waiting to get a face full of fist. What an easy task this was going to be, as if a Kaesstrian was going to give them any problems. A quick one and done, they'd drag the man back and have their parents safe and sound not too long after, and with that all of their worries would be washed away. He couldn't help but flash a smile in the twins' direction, giving them a thumbs up. "Read to see your dad? It won't be long now!"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

The entire squad descended together, landing at the gates ready to go. For obvious reasons the soldiers saw their landing as a threat, especially with the prince of the enemy in their ranks. Whether they were a match for the Saiyans and T'charrl or not they had a job to do, and thus the closest men moved in on the visitors, weapons drawn and poised to strike. Near immediately one of the Saiyans thought it necessary to speak, acting rather nonchalant about the entire matter. His words were hardly comforting, as they could just as well harm or even kill them now that they had landed. The strength of the aliens was not lost on them, the reality of what they were faced with was rather unsettling. After the alien's quip the Prince had something to say as well, and a demand no less. To see the general, what an outrageous request. Yet conversely the men also knew that what T'charrl said was true, they couldn't stop these four. At most they were a mild inconvenience, a speed bump to their target. Maybe their taking this approach meant they weren't looking to harm anyone.

"W-Why would we let you in?" one of the soldiers stammered, speaking directly to T'charrl. "You're the enemy! Your people are going to be the death of us all!"

"The general is a good man!" another chimed in, waving his sword angrily. "He's helping us move forward. It's your family and soldiers that are destroying our future, so why then should we listen to you?"

Uninformed or brainwashed, these men weren't really in an agreeable mood, even if it was for their best interest. When one of the Saiyans stepped forward they responded in the only way they knew how, by taking a big step back themselves in fright. They weren't the same ones the general had been employing, the men were quick to realize this. Just how many of these aliens were on their planet now? "Where are the other ones...?" the first soldier asked, frowning as he pointed his sword at Kabocha. "Takeshi and Shu... The princes! The general is dealing with them, not you!"

Kabocha's eyes narrowed at the sword in his face, glancing down at it silently. Okay, so they knew the princes, but not them. They could argue they were with the brothers, but when there was only T'charrl to confirm this it was wasted breath. Annoyed, the Saiyan lifted his hands and grabbed the two sides of the sword, easily enough snapping the tip of the blade off and tossing it aside, smirking at the startled man. "The princes are hurt right now, thanks to YOUR general." he explained, crossing his arms. "The jerk betrayed them, had them attacked and nearly killed. We're here to ask him why he did that, that's all." These men were harmless really, yet he couldn't help himself but having a little fun and frightening them. His word was unfounded, but even still the soldiers seemed surprised by what he said, taking a moment to talk amongst themselves in hushed whispers. In the meantime Kabocha looked over his shoulder at T'charrl, gesturing to the building with one hand. "Anything to add, prince?" he whispered, nodding his head in the soldier's direction. "Because if they don't buy this I'm going to knock down the door myself, I'm not playing negotiator..."