GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Well that was true, Aito supposed, Viral didn't have to worry about aging. After all, aging was due to a body's processes slowing down and cells dying, that was par for the course knowledge. If someone like the Beastman had near instantaneous regeneration of their cells however then they would cease aging at a certain point, which he had done several years ago it seemed. Both a blessing and a curse in a way, there were some things that the Saiyan figured you got to enjoy with age, things that Viral may never experience. Or perhaps he could, who was to say just because he didn't age physically he couldn't have the same experience? "If you truly wished for it I may be able to activate the Saiyan genes in your body. I can't even guess to what extent you may gain the abilities we have, but you'd certainly gain something from it. Of course, we should focus on curing you before we consider further augmenting you." Any additional without getting the Beastman to 100% could cause further problems, something that nobody wanted right now.

Yumi couldn't just keep standing by and watching Viral be hurt, even if that wasn't Aito's intention. If her friend needed to know about his birth and upbringing then there had to be a better way to explain it, a way that didn't involve causing him to worry more than he already was. Doing all she could to try and show her support she stood at Viral's side, smiling up at him as she stroked his hair. "You can have doubts, but you can't just accept that you're a failure," Yumi said, nodding her head as she smiled, "Everyone fails, that's a part of life. I failed martial arts classes more times than I can count, I know Vegeta's failed in tons of the projects he's done, and I can't even speak for the others. It's okay to fail and have doubts, that's natural, but you need to understand we get better from those. You know what to do, what you can't do, and you work from there." If you let yourself be defined by failure then you'd never rise above it, that's what she had been told by one of her sensei once. Sure, there were some points where it seemed impossible to do such a thing, but if you toughed it out and came out on top then you were all the stronger for it. If Viral could weather this storm, make it through the treatments and get healthy again, there was no doubt in Yumi's mind that he would be better for it.

"So it seems like you still have some of your memory left," Aito said with a satisfied smile, "Enki is one of your abilities, a sort of trump card for you. I'm going to assume that, when you've used it, you've noticed you're extremely exhausted after? Enki uses the energy within you to create a sort of protective exoskeleton, and the attacks are obviously based on your energy as well. While your various forms are all suited for something they are not ideal for every situation, that's where Enki comes in. It can do everything the forms can and more, but it is far more taxing than just changing. If it's knowledge of your powers and abilities you want I can more than happily share that with you. Though... I think there's something else we need to do first." Hopefully Vegeta wasn't overly busy, it seemed like his work with Viral hadn't quite come to an end just yet. Looking up at the Beastman he gave him a clap on the shoulder, "Listen, I can have you back to your original form by the day's end. I'll need to ask Vegeta for a hand with this, but I have a solution that will have you change back. In short, it'll be a sort of serum that is injected to stabilize your body, and we can make an auto-injector to apply it whenever you feel a change coming on. Think of it sort as a... Epi-pen for diabetics, the same basic idea applies."

The War for Baji (open)

Tetsuya was trying to be polite as could be with Yuudai, not wanting to outright tell her off. When he was lifted up like a sack of grain however that was as much as he could take, squirming fitfully before giving her a small smack in the face with his tail, relieved to finally be put down. Blushing indignantly the Neko fixed his robe, tugging the drawstring tighter around himself and folding his arms in a childish manner. If they were back home the Oni would never... Actually nevermind, she completely would be doing this to him. Every time they came across one another she had this innate urge to treat him like a plaything, goodness knows why. Maybe if they could just get back onto the topic at hand without his being mauled then this night wouldn't be too bad.

"I did see her as a matter of fact, and I even got to speak to her before someone else did," Tetsuya said with a smirk, unable to conceal the bit of pride seeping through, "She and I... Well we did plenty of talking." Unfortunately not very much information was gained from it, or actually none whatsoever. This was hardly the type of place to be discussing what he had or hadn't found though, it was a really private matter and should be discussed somewhere far less open. Especially now that another person looked to be joining them, someone that he didn't quite as readily recognize as the others. They seemed to be with Yuudai and Jiang though, so he supposed he ought to trust the man.

He had never met Kenji before, but the first words out of his mouth made the Neko not a huge fan of him already. "Impostor? I am not an impostor!" Tetsuya said annoyed, his tail swishing about as he balled his hands into fists. He was getting fairly annoyed with how he was being treated here, he was supposed to be one of Lord Shima's guards! Realizing he was at risk of acting... Well like a child he took a proverbial step back, sighing and closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. I agree, this isn't the place for this kind of conversation. And since it seems that we're using my bedroom as the meeting place..." Tetsuya trailed off, smiling slightly as he gestured to the hall where his room was before walking off to it.

"It might be a bit cramped, I didn't expect to have any visitors tonight," the Neko explained, opening up his room and stepping aside to let the others in, "Make yourselves comfortable, just uh... Please don't touch my things?" Not that he had very much on him, save for his armor, sword and shield. Not quite knowing what to do with himself right now Tetsuya took a seat by the door to the courtyard, managing a slight smile as he looked up at the trio gathered in his room. "I have to ask... Just how many of there are you? How many more did Lord Shima send...?"

The War for Baji (open)

Just randomly writing from work... So bored.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Viral needed to know all of this, it gave him a sense of identity that he was sorely lacking. Yet, at the same time in learning all of this the Beastman was clearly becoming upset, not at all liking what he was told. It had never occurred to Aito until now how his experiments might turn out in the long term, and now that he was seeing them first hand he almost regretted it. Not that he regretted Viral, he never could do that, but maybe it would have been better if something else had brought him about, maybe if he'd been born naturally instead. "You do age, or you did. When you were born you were every bit a child as Vegeta was, but as I said you grew at an accelerated rate. As of right now I can only theorize why your aging has come to a halt, or at the very least barely a crawl. And there is no shame in what happened to you, you were manipulated against your will. I'm certain you fought it as hard as you could, but given the intimate knowledge Volkov had it was a fruitless effort, I'm sad to say."

Just how many times had Viral been placed into stasis anyways? It sounded like he was locked away every time he acted up, hardly the way to handle him. It was no small wonder then he was in this state, and why he was so angry and bitter. Long gone was the Viral who could smile and laugh, and it was certainly a far cry from the child-Beastman that he had played with day in and day out. Hiding information from him, trying to deceive him... People back at Capsule Corporation were going to pay. It was difficult to believe that Vegeta would have so willingly done this to Viral, meaning someone else had to have been orchestrating his treatment, but who? A board member? One of the staff who'd worked on the project? When they did finally return to Earth he was going to scour every single inch of that property for clues, he'd be damned if the person who caused this still worked in his building. "You would have ended up the same way regardless of whether you remained in June or not. Our only concern was how you might develop inside the womb, and what damage it may potentially cause both you and your mother. It's for that reason we moved you, for both of your safety. As for your Saiyan powers I can only imagine they must either be dormant or locked away, as you should have some."

This conversation wasn't helping anyone's moods any, not Viral's nor Aito's or Yumi's for that matter. The circumstances surrounding the Beastman's life were anything but pleasant, and the Saiyan couldn't help but feel responsible for nearly all of it. Had he only been more careful, more considerate then perhaps all of this would have been prevented. Instead of delegating duties to his associates he'd surrounded himself with work almost obsessively to keep busy, and as such Viral was neglected. Looking over at the Beastman somberly he frowned when Viral began to get up, hoping he wasn't trying to leave. "Viral... You were against an unknown enemy, there's no shame in losing that kind of fight," Aito said, stepping closer to Viral, "And you have not failed in your purpose. Earth still remains, it has been protected by you one way or another. And once we return you'll be one of the strongest fighters again, I have no doubts of that." Letting out a sigh he reached up and grabbed hold of Viral's neck, wrapping his arms around it and pulling him down into a hug. "Listen to me son... You were able to fight with me, something Vegeta never could do, and likely still can't. I didn't assign that job to you because I felt you were incapable, and I don't think you are still. You're sick, but once we make you healthy again you'll have no problems."

"Besides Viral... You don't have to protect Earth alone..." Yumi added in, smiling sadly as she stood by his side, "You have a family, and all of your friends to help you. It's not a job that only Vegeta has to do, or you, or any of us. We're all here right now because we're friends, and we'll fight beside one another no matter what. Next time something happens back home no one's going to be taken away, because we won't let that happen. We'll watch your back and you watch ours, that's what friends do." Viral wasn't alone in his purpose, everyone on this ship shared that goal now. Earth was home to most everyone here, and in the case of Kai, Choi and Kabocha it would likely become their home. What had started as a small, rag-tag group's efforts to defend their planet was becoming an organized group, and Yumi had no doubts they would be better prepared next time. Reaching up she began to stroke Viral's hair gently, giving him a kind smile as she did so. "And it won't just be Earth you'll protect Either. You already saved Namek, or did you forget about that? Maybe your purpose shouldn't be so specific, maybe you should just try to protect the people you meet, and the people you care about."

The War for Baji (open)

Oooh wolves, Tetsuya's favorite :D

The War for Baji (open)

We have the package, go go go!

The War for Baji (open)

Tetsuya wasn't too thrilled about this, having been found by a pair of strange people. Yuudai he knew perfectly well, unfortunately, and Jiang he'd seen maybe all of twice before leaving, but both were making this reunion plenty awkward. Maybe it was a stroke of mercy that the man decided to give up his drunk act, making dealing with him plenty easier. "My room...? Oh, it's down in the eastern wing of the inn. I was kind of hoping to wait for my clothing to be finished though..." the Neko mumbled, glancing down at his robe-clad self. While certainly more dignifying than just a towel he still felt awfully exposed, this wasn't any way to be greeting someone.

"Yeah, Lord Shima said there would be others along the way, I just didn't think it would be you," Tetsuya said, a hint of disappointment in his tone. He would have taken literally anyone else, someone that didn't treat him like a pet. It didn't help him either that he was dressed in such a demeaning way right now either, goodness only knows what the Oni might be thinking. If she really wanted to she could just grab hold of him and not let go, she was probably leagues stronger than he was. By some grace she hadn't decided to do such a thing yet and he only could hope his luck held out. "W-What? Yuudai please, try to act decent!" the Neko whined, frowning as his face reddened yet again.

Hearing out what Jiang had to say further, Tetsuya had stopped paying Yuudai any mind for a moment, which evidently was a mistake. Feeling a hand rubbing at his head again he scrunched up his shoulders, reaching up fitfully and grabbing the offending limb to make her stop. "I'm a guard of Lord Shima, not some play thing! Please stop doing that!" Tetsuya said fitfully, looking back at the Oni. There was no one else like her, thank the gods, otherwise he'd probably go insane. Eyes widening when Yuudai offered to carry him the young Neko gasped and tried to avoid her, instead yelping as he was lifted up and placed over her shoulder. Pushing against her haplessly he let out a low growl, his ears folding flat as his tail tried to smack her in the face. "P-Put me down! This is no way to treat a guard!" How humiliating! And right in front of a lobby full of people no less!

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"I was happy with our success, yes, but happy does not always mean content as well," Aito pointed out, "I said I didn't get to spend much time with you due to other duties, that much is true. But it also holds true for Vegeta as well, I didn't spend much time with either of you. Now that you're both so old I feel it's a moot point to try and fix that, but I do feel badly for it." Other duties required his attention at the time, in particular trying to keep the secrets of Viral's creation just that, a secret. Not from the public persay as artificial life was hardly anything new, but more from the RRA. After Dr. Velkov's less than friendly departure he had grown worried what the man might do in trying to replicate their work, and so much of his time had been spent sealing away important information and entrusting much of it to Ikura.

There was no doubt that learning all of this was making Viral feel even worse, yet he needed to know. At his age it wasn't right to keep secrets anymore, the Beastman had certainly more than earned his due and deserved to know his origins. Much as Aito was willing to spill the beans now he wasn't overly fond of what he had to say, having been just as conflicted back then as he was now. What he had initially hoped to do was to create life from nothing, to use proteins and some other kind of method to create a living being. When it had become increasingly apparent however that some kind of base organism would be needed then they had to go for what they did, even if he didn't like it. What Aito had hoped to shed some light on Viral's existence only seemed to upset him further, and understandably so. In a way he had been denied a normal human life, and in others he was essentially just a curiosity, a pawn in some mad scientists' cruel game. What could possibly be said to make this right?

"As I said, I didn't ignore you, not willingly. Work kept me away more often than not, but there was a two year span where we spent plenty of time together, and I don't regret a single day of that," Aito recalled, smiling sadly, "June ended up being busy with Vegeta, but she still found more time for you than I did. You didn't quite need the attention that your brother did, so she could simply play with you and that would be that. Given the fact you aged at an accelerated rate as well it didn't seem like you'd want or need the same kind of attention either. Perhaps I was wrong in that regard too." Physical development didn't necessarily mean emotional or mental, and Viral could have been every bit as much a child as Vegeta was. In fact, looking back at it in retrospect it was more likely or not, and giving a child that kind of burden was a terrible thing. The more they recounted the experiment the less fond of it Aito was becoming, beginning to truly have to face the ramifications of his actions.

Letting out a somber sigh, Aito ran a hand through his hair as he looked to the door, wondering if perhaps they should end this session. No, he couldn't well go and do that just because he felt uncomfortable, he needed to be open with Viral here and now. "I used myself to fertilize the egg... So you really are our child," he admitted, giving Viral a pained, apologetic look. His own son... The conflict he had felt back then was resurfacing, and seeing the Beastman so hurt and angry over everything just made it feel a hundred times worse. Perhaps he was a little rash in thinking he could make this all better, maybe arrogant even. It was his fault any of this had started, if he had just abandoned the project as he'd first thought this never would have come about. Though... If he did then Viral never would have been born. Was it an ideal life? No, not at all, but it was life. Viral had plenty of time to turn things around, to make it something worth living, but first he needed help.

"I conducted the experiment because of the dwindling number of protectors for Earth. Over the course of my grandfather's life the planet was constantly attacked, and the foes who came were increasingly more and more powerful. With it seeming as though our family was the only one left of Saiyan lineage we needed someone to help defend Earth and her people, as there was no way Vegeta could be expected to do it alone. As we were doubtful that we could produce someone like him again naturally I had opted instead to try and create something, something that could not only hold a candle to but surpass Saiyan might, to defend Earth. Your genes were carefully selected to give you enhanced abilities, to further set you apart from a Saiyan and make you your own being. In the end I can see that everything we did was incredibly selfish, that we had no right to deny you a normal, happy life and turn you into this. Even if you had been born normally you may have been born without the strength that Vegeta has, and maybe that would have been a happier life for you, I can't say now. But..." Aito paused, shaking his head as he looked at Viral steadily, "What is done is done. The only thing I can do for you now is try to help you heal and get you back to where you once were. I already failed as a both a father and a creator, all I've got left to offer is my support, if you'll even have that."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"It's simple really, if you'll allow me to explain," Aito began, "See... The hormones in your body dictate quite a lot, from how your body develops to your moods, from the chemicals your brain produces and the structure of your body itself. It's a very simplistic way to say this, but hormones influence a great deal of our being. If someone's is out of sync or running amok then they may experience, oh... I don't know, mutations, mood swings, and the latter can lead to depression and anxiety. At face value they seem to have little to do with anything, but if you delve into things a bit deeper than you can begin to see where patterns might emerge. And besides... I suppose to truly clarify your problem I should be completely candid with how you came about..." Aito couldn't force Viral to trust him, that would either come with time or not at all. In response to the Beastman's doubts he could only smile and shrug, having no words to offer for that; his actions would reflect his true intentions, and it would ultimately come down to whether his actions gained trust or drove Viral away.

There would have to be another way to temporarily halt Viral's transformations, and Aito thought he might have an idea as to what he would need. Just as a whimsical idea he had gone and tried petting Viral, just having a funny idea of trying to soothe him that way. Far as he could tell it was more akin to giving a cat catnip in that it became unwillingly complacent and almost unable to resist, so calming it was not. Stepping back and folding his hands behind his back the Saiyan smiled knowingly, "Well I would imagine Vegeta wasn't sure of what to address in order to change you back. See... His focus was on the genetics and your DNA, which while not wholly incorrect is far more time consuming and difficult to adjust. If we tackle the problem from my perspective I can develop a pill, a serum, some kind of medicine, and it will restore your form to its regular self. Mind you it will be temporary and repeated dosages will be administered, but I am confident that we can at the very least give you your regular form back for a decent period of time, and as long as it takes to develop a permanent cure. If you're willing to try my methods I can have something developed for you within the day."

"But back to my previous point, about the imbalances. There's a reason why you're struggling so much, and I will fully admit it is my fault. While it is true that you are my greatest success you are also the only one to ever survive the process, and as such I've not had any data prior to see how someone like you develops. I regret to say that I am now witnessing problems I didn't consider before hand, problems that have arisen due to your unique make-up. They are reversible and even preventable, but it was my short sightedness that caused them in the first place, and for that Viral..." Aito explained, taking a knee before the Beastman and bowing his head, "I am sincerely sorry. It is my own folly that you're even here to begin with, that you've suffered so much. Maybe it's guilt that drives me to help you as well then, but I do wish to see you healthy again. Ah... But I'm rambling again! That's what I get, harboring that guilt for so long!" he added, laughing bashfully as he lifted his head and grinned.

"The reason for your difficulties is quite obvious. But tell me something... Have you ever considered how you look? I mean the base form of you? Why is it, do you suppose, that you've got such a human-like form? That, some features aside, you could easily be mistaken for a human being?" Scrutinizing Viral for a moment, Aito got back to his feet, leaning down as he placed a hand on the Beastman's shoulders. "In order to create you we needed a catalyst, something to hold together all of the strands of DNA together. We needed a bonding agent if you would. You see... Just splicing two strands of genes together does not an organism make, at least not one as complex as you. In order to truly make you we needed something to work with as a base, and so we used something... A human egg." Aito's smile waned rather quickly as he began to get into the topic, not at all enjoying this aspect of their work. "I discovered the missing component was a human embryo, one that we could use early on and make the necessary adjustments. In the early stages of development its common for humans to mutate, though normally these mutations are minor at best or fade. However, through careful manipulation we could introduce the genetics from various creatures into the embryo, and in turn allow it to produce traits of the desired creatures."

Letting out a sigh Aito removed his hands from Viral, looking a bit tired all of a sudden though his smile had come back. "No one would willingly give up an embryo or egg to try this, which is understandable. We were about prepared to give up on the matter entirely when someone finally offered to give us the last component, the final piece to the puzzle so to speak. And that person was June, her egg was used to create you, just like how Vegeta came about. So now perhaps you understand why we refer to you as our child, and you and Vegeta as siblings. In every sense of the world you are, as you share much of your genes with both June and Vegeta. In fact... Aside from the alterations you are every bit our child as he is."

This was a lot to take in, and none of it was very pleasant. Yumi couldn't believe her ears when she heard Aito speaking, only able to stare at him blankly as he spoke. Why did he look so upset when he was sharing this? Earlier he was all eager to go and proud of himself, so what changed? Did he not want Viral finding out about this for some reason? It had struck her a little as odd that both he and June refereed to Viral as their son too, but she figured it was just a show of adoration as they kind of had raised him as one. But to think that he was really their son, or at the very least June's... "You're telling me that he was a human, and you changed him...?" Yumi asked, blinking as she looked over at Viral in disbelief.

"No, he wasn't even developed when the process began, he was mostly just a single cell or two. Though the introduction of the DNA continued into the embryonic stage the entire ordeal began before he was even beginning to take shape. We had no plans of having another child even, so it wasn't as though we were forcibly changing another being. At any rate you were removed from June after a certain period and placed in a tank, as we didn't know what might come of things during your development. You grew as any human child would, but there were most certainly differences as you developed. Larger hands, for example, a stronger skeletal frame, and as we would find out after your birth, enhanced senses. But that isn't the point of sharing all of this with you, of how you came to be. My point is that you are at your very core human, but a human changed by the tampering of myself and my peers. Where I found success I seemed to have caused you nothing but hardships, and now I feel it's only a petty thing that I am offering you help, after all this time. The reason you struggle now is because I never had a proper chance to help you learn to adapt and control your unique traits, but now perhaps we can reconcile that and make things right."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Your genetic damage is purely due to the hormonal imbalances. Your body is unable to properly balance out the different genetic structures that were placed in you, resulting in precisely what you are now. By balancing the hormones we even out the body, and through that the genes will cease misfiring and you will be able to control yourself better. I suppose that's as simple as I can phrase it for you, but hopefully you understand the gist of it." That all being said there were a few problems with the proposed treatment, particularly in regards to memory. While it was true that the hormone therapy would balance out the physical aspects, much more precise and deliberate treatments would be needed to cure other problems. The brain, for instance, did not possess readily-reproducing cells, at least not to the extent that other organs do. In order to solve that issue they would have to use stems and re-purpose them for brain tissue, then find a way to passively insert them into the afflicted area and let the cells sort themselves out. Once the tissue had returned so too would functionality, and a little therapy should more than spur along the recovery. "Side effects, most likely, will be lethargy, irritability, and perhaps even lost of appetite. With all due respect however those aren't anything new to you. As you recover however the effects will become less and less, to the point where they'll be minor inconveniences."

Truth be told Aito didn't know Viral all that well. At least, not this iteration of Viral, they were practically strangers to one another. It may be a little incorrect to say they only knew one another for two years as well, as it had been in reality five before his passing. If they were to count genuine time spent together however, and uninterrupted time, then two years it was. "I did say two years, I know, but that's only if I consider time that we spent together constantly. You were technically five when I passed, so I suppose five would be correct. However you spent more and more time with Vegeta and Yumi, as well as instructors, whereas I became busy with managing the company. For a while I managed to shirk my duties, but inevitably I was called back," Aito admitted, smiling sheepishly as he let out a chuckle, "My intimate experience with you is limited, yes. But my understanding of your workings are far more elaborate and in depth than someone like Vegeta, who knows you very well. I hope that our discussions here might help me understand you better however."

Viral having no clue whatsoever how to relax was a little inconvenient, as now they didn't even have a place to begin conversations. There had to be something that would work, some method they could use to help reduce stress. Aito watched the Beastman silently for a moment before having a switch go off in his head, smiling amused as he got to his feet. It may not work whatsoever and only serve to anger Viral, but nothing ventured nothing gained! Standing just behind the Beastman he reached down and began to scratch his head, watching curiously for the reaction. In a somewhat hilarious fashion Viral quickly tried to cease the petting, but his hits came more as playful swipes as it quite clearly had a sort of effect on him. "Well... At least now I know this works in calming you down!" Aito declared proudly, grinning as he resumed the scratching, "Relax, I'm not going to abuse this, just keeping it in mind should we ever find ourselves in a bad situation, that's all." Retracting his hand for now he figured he'd best spare Viral's dignity, placing his hand on his hip and smiling. "I suppose we should get you changed back now though, hm? No sense in just waiting idly for you to resume your normal form."