GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Oh, well... Don't hunt like that, got it? I mean yeah we try to kill the things, but that's just mean! I guess it's quick but it's gross, though it's easier to do than making a trap..." Or stabbing it, or trying to hit it just the right way to kill it... Hmph, blasting things like that just didn't seem right to him. Takeshi couldn't be bothered much to care right now however, a bit more concerned with being splattered with brain matter to focus on that. After a fruitless attempt to shake himself clean he let out a sigh, wondering now how in the world they were going to slice this beast up. Suddenly getting a big creature didn't seem such a good idea, perhaps going for a tiny thing would have been better. "Well... I guess a rock would work best, even if it'd probably be jagged or whatever. Let's see..." Spitting to the side again he went wandering around on the forest floor for a moment, trying to find a suitable big rock to use. After finally picking one out he began striking it carefully, using small Ki blasts as well to chip away the edges and sharpen it. Once through it was about the size of his forearm, sharp enough to pierce the skin hopefully and to cut through muscle as well. "Shu, this is usually the part you don't watch," Takeshi called out, standing over the beast and wrinkling his nose as he got ready for the nasty business, "We'll be real quick, then back to the ship to eat."

"I did want to watch you, you're missing the point! I wanted to take care of you and help, but I didn't feel like I could. I was only trying to find someone I thought who could do a better job than me, that's all... Never once did I think I had to be rid of you because you were dangerous, or that you were a nuisance. In fact how's it make sense that I'd try selling you if you were dangerous, huh? I'd have kept you closer if that was the case." Back then he had no idea of the truth of his parent's deaths, but if he had then selling the Beastman would have been a non-issue, it never would have come up. Damn shame he never knew either, as well it would have hurt at the very least he could have done more, and maybe these problems they were having now wouldn't exist. Just another reason for him to feel guilty and useless despite the best of intentions. When asked what Viral might truly want only one thing came to mind immediately: a chance to be alone and do as he pleased. Obviously with his behavior a little erratic it was risky, but maybe they had to allow this for him to feel better. "They wouldn't be abused, that's what they've always been used for... For happiness. You wishing for something for yourself isn't abusive or selfish, and we'd all be fine with you doing it."

Aito agreed to the idea Vegeta proposed, but they couldn't be as casual about it as he might hope. The fact of the matter was, sadly, Viral was unpredictable even now and could potentially be dangerous if provoked. He was more than content to give his son a chance to be happy, yet they couldn't ignore the safety of their gracious hosts in favor of letting the Beastman wander aimlessly. Keeping tabs and regular check-ins ought to remedy that, and chances were they would keep an eye on Viral periodically just in case. Smiling when Viral agreed to their proposal and terms, the doctor gave a nod of his head, reaching out and giving the Beastman's hair a playful ruffle. "Excellent, then it's a deal. Please, don't feel like you must stay on the ship either, or even in the atrium. Explore the city if you wish, take a walk through the woods, whatever you want. As I said, all I ask is you be sure to get in touch with us if anything comes up." Seemed a reasonable enough request, the only risk therein really bring whether the Beastman would call if he felt things were becoming troublesome or not; Viral could well not call out of desire to not show weakness, or perhaps not wishing to bother someone with 'trivial' issues, but he really needed to be communicative if this was to work.

"I think it's brave! It's one thing for a Saiyan to do it, we all do, but you and your people never have. You're the first, and that kind of makes you a hero to them, doesn't it?" Haku asked with a smile, "I think it doesn't even matter if you go back and become king now or not, you'll always be a hero to your world. The first to go into space..." It was a pretty big acclaim, something that people were going to always look back on and appreciate. In a small way he was a bit jealous, but maybe he could still do something big with his life too, who knows? If Haku had learned anything in his few years so far it was that life could change pretty quick, and there was always a chance to do something, like make a friend with an alien you tried killing, for instance. When T'charrl doubled back and began doubting himself again Haku was quicker to deny him that, trying to convince him otherwise. "Yumi and I have a lot of time to, maybe that's why? Or the others don't know how to talk to you about it?" he suggested, folding his arms across his knees as he smiled slightly, "I'll be honest, it's hard trying to help you, but I'm happy to do it. I bet the others are too, it's just not easy and who knows how to do it right? No one I bet."

---

Dawn had just recently broke on the small world of Numina, but already there was plenty of activity. The normally quiet plains and mountains of the world were echoing with the sounds of battle, of its people falling before an unfathomable foe. Up until now they had been safe from the Saiyans, managing to slip into worlds after their attacks and scavenge what remains they could grab. Neither siding with the rebels nor the empire, the Numina people had begun to profit off of the war itself, yet at last is seemed like their days of pillaging had come to an end. Perhaps foolishly they had denied the Saiyan king when he arrived early that morning, refusing to join forces with him and preferring to stay out of the fighting. Perhaps their own king was too brash in denouncing Yamate too, as now their entire world was paying the price. Despite far superior numbers the Numina simply did not have the strength to fend off their assailants, and with Krom at his side, the King of Saiyans swiftly put down any resistance he found. As it stood currently nearly 50% of the world was in shambles, and if they were insistent on fighting then more would follow.

"Damned fools... What are they thinking trying to fight us?" Yamate grumbled, frowning as he turned over the charred corpse of a Numina fighter with his foot. How many soldiers had they killed in this pointless struggle? Hundreds? Thousands? These people were taking advantage of the war and stealing from other worlds, worlds which needed to be rebuilt and prepared. How in the world might they manage that if all the resources were being pillaged? Asking these people to join their cause wasn't unreasonable, he had even offered to help them develop their own world, but it had all fallen on deaf ears. Idiots the lot of them, they had brought this upon themselves.

All this wasted potential, and to think that these people would rather fight than simply submit. They weren't bad fighters either, and their technology could prove useful; just how much of it was their own though, he wondered, they seemed to pillage and re-adapt more technology than even the Saiyans. "Krom, we'll head south from here, try and find someone with some damned brains on this world. Surely by now they must realize what a fruitless effort this is. Killing their men is solving nothing for either side and I grow tired of their games." If this continued then pretty soon there would be nothing but women and children, and then it would be the same story as so many before. They couldn't well be left on their own, so the Saiyans would have to take to converting this world and handling the local population. Rule would be strict to prevent uprisings, the natives would likely loathe them as usual, but it was to ensure their survival, like it or not.

In the southern quadrants of Numina, troops were hastily mobilizing and defenses being prepared. The Saiyans were destroying their very world, with news of cities being razed to the ground spreading quickly. Though they shared no alliance with the rebellion the desperately needed aid now, and it was only Korian and his army that they could turn to. While chaos was spreading those few left in control in the south were busy trying to get in touch with Uuonoe, it being known to be the place that the rebels regularly stayed. After much difficulty in getting a signal through they had at last managed, finding a small detachment of rebels manning a post on the world. The connection was a bit unstable and the worlds came out in a jumbled mess, but hopefully it got through clear enough:

"Saiyans... Numina, destroying cities... Help please, troops are..." the voice came through, static disrupting every few words, "Two, strong... The king..." It was all the voice from Numina would say as static quickly disrupted the call entirely, evidently the communications systems of the world having taken a beating in the battles. They had managed a distress call, albeit a patchy one, now their only option was to sit tight and wait.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Takeshi didn't want to cause a mess, nor did he want to accidentally throw the animal into someone. So maybe trying to talk it down had been a bit of a stupid move, but it was worth a shot! He had clung onto the tail of the beast when it came crashing down simply out of panic, having the common sense to get off and roll away when they got closer to the ground. In all it was a bit of a sloppy hunt, yet it would have been fine if not for getting splattered with brain juice. Standing there with a look of disgust Takeshi tried to wipe himself down, looking over at Kiton annoyed when he burst out laughing. "So glad you found that funny! Jerk, got me covered in crap..." he grumbled, shaking both arms once before grimacing as he noticed the smell too, retching once and putting an arm up to his face to mask the scent. "That's a little dark, don't ya think? We're not exactly the kind of people who get off on killing someone you know." Kind of a warped way to look at hunting; Takeshi had killed people before, but he'd never once gotten any satisfaction or amusement out of it, while Kiton almost made it sound that way. Figuring he didn't have much choice but to stink for the moment he walked over to the creature, reaching out with his foot and giving it a small kick, finding that unsurprisingly it was quite dead. So much for not using Ki, though he figured it wasn't like they would eat the head anyways. "Great... Well now we've got to figure out how to dice it up, and then we need to skin it, dump the organs and cut up the meat. Really wish I had a knife or something..."

"That's not it at all Viral... I didn't know how to run a business, and I didn't know how to help take care of you. The doctors back then said I had to keep an eye on you, since there might be something wrong with you and I was to tell them if anything came up. Like I said... Trying to find someone else to handle you and help you just seemed like the best course, since I didn't feel like I could do it. But I did all of that without ever asking you what you thought about it, which was wrong..." He had done a lot wrong in the last few years, more than he could even begin to recount. It was only natural that Viral be unhappy with him, and more so that he turn down any attempts to reconcile, but he had to try. So desperate to make things better between them he even went as far as groveling, getting down on his knees and begging his brother to give him the chance. "The others don't need him right now, we can get the Dragonballs for you if you want, it's easy to do. Please, if that's what you want then just say so," Vegeta replied, frowning when Viral turned him down completely. Lifting his head to glance up at the Beastman he remained silent for a moment, adjusting himself so he was instead kneeling, lowering his gaze once more. "What you want... What you want is to be alone, if only for a little while... That would be what I think," he answered, looking up at Viral again with a slight smile, "If I'm right then I'll give you tomorrow, you can have it all to yourself, as long as dad's okay with it."

"I don't see any problem. Might not be a bad idea to take a break in our work here anyways, too much could wear you down," Aito responded, giving a small nod before placing one hand on the edge of Viral's bed, "So how about it? Tomorrow the day is yours, but I want you to promise me one thing: If at any point you feel the need to come see me then don't hesitate, I'll be right here in the atrium if you need me. If that's what you want then I trust we've a deal?" That would give him a chance to try coming up with more stimuli to bring back memories, or perhaps consider alternative approaches as well. Realistically though they should focus more on trying to deal with the bad, rather than restore the good; pleasant memories would have more impact when they could be properly, as it stood Viral was questioning the truth of the memory, hardly enjoying it whatsoever.

There was just no way T'charrl could end up a bad person, no matter how much power he might get. The alien was too nice for that, and Haku would sooner see his friend lose his power than become a monster because of it. Seeing him so disheartened, the Saiyan knelt down and put a hand on T'charrl's shoulder, doing everything in his meager power to try and convince him that things were okay. "Yeah really, I wouldn't lie about something like that! And I don't think you're stupid at all, or being scared. Look at you, you're the first of your kind to travel like this, right? And you have all this stuff going on too, I think that's really brave to take all of it on at once." It was a big burden for anyone to carry, and with everything seeming to work against T'charrl it was pretty normal he feel stressed. Even so, he didn't have to deal with everything he was, at least not alone. Maybe the rest of the group just needed to be shown how badly T'charrl needed help, or they had to be asked to make time for him. "You aren't a monster though! You're T'charrl, that's all you are!" Haku said defiantly, sitting upright and pointing at his friend, "They're your friend because you're a good person, and you're helpful and you're fun to be around, that's it! Maybe you intimidated them before, maybe you still do, but they like you and they're your friends, even I can see that."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Takeshi would have rather set up a trap and capture the creature, but that whole plan went to crap the second it spotted them. Being the first and only animal they had seen thus far he was terribly reluctant to let it go, making a mad dash after it and grabbing hold of its tail. While he managed to clamp on and even drag it back down slightly that too went south when it began swatting its tail back and forth, the Saiyan yelling as he held on for dear life. "HEY! STOP. THAT. YOU. DUMB. ANIMAL!" he screamed, words coming out every time he reached the top of the arc. Getting all kinds of motion sick he tried to make the tail stop swinging, hardly hearing Kiton over his own yelping as he fought for control. When there was a sudden sound of the creature howling followed by bone cracking he lifted his head, just in time for blood to splatter onto his face and chest. Having little time to be disgusted however Takeshi let out another yelp as the creature plummeted to the ground, being dragged down and managing to roll to the side and avoid being impaled as it slammed into the forest floor. Well, they killed it alright, there was definitely a decent hole in its head now thanks to Kiton. Sputtering as he climbed to his feet, the Saiyan made a look of pure disgust as he hastily wiped his face off, looking at his clothes and squirming. "Eeeeew.... I need a shower, like right this instant, this is gross...!"

"It's not that you had no use, you're misunderstanding! I didn't feel qualified to care for you, and I didn't know what I was supposed to do with you. I wanted you to end up somewhere you'd get proper care and be with someone who can direct you the right way. I'll admit it, I hardly knew how to help you, let alone how to run a business, I was way in over my head. I just thought getting you a better home would make you happier..." Vegeta had kept him in the building a lot too, if only because he was afraid of what may happen if Viral went out. From what he understood the RRA made a handful of attempts while they were traveling for the Dragonballs, only serving to confirm his fears from before. Looking at his brother shamefully, the Saiyan let out a sad sigh and rubbed at his head, giving a small nod and casting his gaze downward. "I know... I figured you would be safe with them, and I could try solving things at the company. It wasn't fair to you, I was only trying to help myself, it was selfish and I'm sorry for that. If you want to see Shenron then we can summon him again, whenever you want to. I'll gather all the Dragonballs myself so you can make a wish, whatever it takes to make what I did up to you." What a crappy feeling this was, Vegeta wanted nothing more than to keep Viral from hating his guts right now. Not knowing what more to say on the matter he got down on his knees, bowing forward with his hands to either side as he closed his eyes. "Whatever it takes Viral, please. I just want you to feel better again, and I want to prove that I care about you and always have. So anything that comes to mind just name it and its yours."

Where Haku had tried to help he only seemed to make things worse, feeling really awful over doing so. T'charrl was a good person, so why was he having to suffer like this? Maybe the others weren't doing enough for him, especially if he was questioning whether they even liked him or not. It wasn't his place to demand anything of anyone here yet he had half a mind to storm back to the ship and tell everyone to spend more time with the alien, just to perk him up a little. Frowning when T'charrl sat down, Haku walked closer and did the same before him, offering a sad smile as he reached out and placed a hand over one of his friend's. "You're not a bad friend, you got to stop saying that. Would you be here with them if you were a bad person? Or a bad friend?" he asked, sitting down before T'charrl instead and sighing, "Like I said before, I've never had friends before. I don't know what you're supposed to do with friends, or how to treat them or anything. But you know what?" Looking back at T'charrl he broke into a grin, tears at the corners of his eyes as he reached out and clasped the alien on the shoulder, "I'm really happy you're my first friend ever! And I know everyone else has to be glad too! So don't feel bad, please? Everyone here is your friend, no one thinks badly of you, I just know it."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

It was weird to think that there was a pseudo-war going on between the Church and Magi right now, as there was no sign of it all the way out here in the countryside. There were troops here and there of course, but they were so far and few between and in such small groups one was hardly going to raise alarm over it. After all, why would people? So long as you weren't a Magi then the Church had no problem with you, you could do about living your life without any problems from them. And even if you were a Magi you were safe, so long as you weren't an idiot and kept your head down. Most of their kind was keeping low and out of sight as of late, avoiding anything and everything that might draw attention to them; most Magi were trying to stay out of sight, there were a few who were more interested in causing trouble and lashing out at the Church. With magic dwindling to pitifully low quantities in the world someone had to take the blame, and naturally the Church, the organization who conducted worship, would be the target. Justifiably or not, Magi had begun to attack the multiple churches throughout Adelon, met often with swift and violent opposition. It was no wonder then that many of them were just trying to hide, not wanting to be taken in for other people's misdeeds.

Ethan didn't share the fear of being arrested, nor did he have any plans of causing trouble. Hiding wasn't something he could afford to do either, not that he had any intentions of running away from all of this. He knew very few people outside of his tiny home of Kinsgrove, and even those within the vale were few in number. Of those few there had been one man he had taken a particular shining to, an older gentleman by the name of Cedric who was well known locally to be a Magi, and a skilled one at that. While the man was never able to teach Ethan anything in their time together he treasured the stories and the wisdom he received, coming to see Cedric as a sort of grandfather figure. Had nothing happened to their town he'd just as well stayed out of this whole business between Magi and the Church, but now his hand was forced; Cedric had been taken away, and likely because of Ethan's own mistakes. There was no way in good conscience that he could abandon the man to his fate, he had to try to find and save Cedric, wherever he might be. Easier said than done of course, seeing as he was utterly clueless as to where the troops might have even gone.

"Aw man... This map tells me nothing!" Ethan groaned, slouching in his seat as he laid his forehead down on the table. Staring at a sheet of paper for 20 minutes and praying it told you what you wanted to know was infuriating, so was not understanding it whatsoever. Having never exactly traveled beyond the reaches of Kinsgrove he knew little of this area, and things would only get even more difficult the further out he got. At current he had found himself in a small settlement, stuck up in a tavern as he had just finished up with an early lunch. Traveling alone as he was one never knew when you may get your next meal, and he'd be a fool not to stop here and grab a bite to eat. The soup was a bit too salty and the bread hard, but with how hungry he'd have been he'd as soon just eaten his stool instead. Sitting back upright he returned his eyes to the map before himself, staring at it yet again.

"Gotta think, let's see... I came this way out of home and headed East... I think..." Ethan mumbled, frowning as he scoured the map for familiar landmarks, "Or did I go west... let's see... I passed the river, so it had to have been East. Which means I should be roughly..." Uh, what was the name of this settlement again? There were a handful around and they were spread out here and there, he couldn't quite recall which one he'd come across. Glancing around for someone to ask he frowned at his options, having to pick between the table of drunks laughing raucously and the burly barmaid currently yelling at another patron about why he couldn't have more mead. Smiling uncertainly Ethan gave a shake of his head, opting to instead head into town and see if anyone might give him directions. Should he ask about troops, or was that too obvious? With patrols coming and going it could just be a moot question, though it may be worth the chance if someone did know something.

Right then, best to go ahead and get moving, he'd never find Cedric just sitting around here. Pushing himself away from the table he tucked the map away in his bag, fishing into his pocket and pulling free a handful of copper coins, heading over to the counter and laying them out for the barmaid. "Thanks again for the meal ma'am, it was... Good!" he lied, smiling politely as he began to leave, only to pause when the woman shouted at him.

"Anytime kid! Come around again sometime, ya hear? We don't get many cuties like you!" she called, her surprisingly deep voice carrying over the laughter of the other patrons.

Ethan visibly shivered at the compliment from the burly woman, chuckling uneasily as he turned back to thank her, meeting her gaze, a pair of deep brown eyes resting under a bushy brow, with a sizable mole on her right cheek and a mess of frizzy black hair on her head. She was... Ah... What was a nice way to put it, imposing. "Uh... T-Thanks! I'll be sure to do that!" he called, turning around promptly and hurrying out the door, shuddering once he was well out of view. That was definitely not how he wanted to leave that place, now he was probably going to have nightmares about her. Making a face between disgust and worry he shook his head, slapping both his cheeks and smiling to himself. "Can't think about that now, need to focus on finding some answers," he mumbled to himself, looking around as the townsfolk walked to and fro, "Now... Where to start...?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Man, Kiton was really defensive over little comments! He was just poking a little fun at the guy, instead he was getting all bothered and sounding like he didn't want to be there. Maybe some food would change his mind, now they just had to find some. Takeshi wasn't seeing very much in the way of creatures yet, wondering if maybe they had spooked off animals with their training and now they were all alone out here. If that was the case then they may really have to head into the city for a meal, and somehow figure out a way to pay for it; if they offered free food then it'd be taken in a heartbeat, but it wasn't like they were going to waltz in and expect it. Nor would they need to either, they had finally found something to snack on! It was an interesting looking thing, but probably a herbivore and a big one at that. Surely they could take it, even with that tail of theirs. "Well blasting it would probably ruin the meat, and charging it is going to make it run off. I figure we can either try and kill it quick, break its neck or something, or..." he began, going quiet when the creature seemed to look over at them. Smiling slightly he cursed mentally, slowly lifting one hand and aiming to take one of its legs to prevent it from running away. Much to his dismay however, a pair of wings which evidently were folded flush against its side stretched out, and with an odd, squeaky howl it began flying up, trying to get over the canopy. "Oh no you don't, you're our lunch!" Takeshi shouted, rushing down the fleeing creature. With it slowly distancing itself he shot ahead, grabbing onto its tail a few meters above the spikes and holding on tight, gasping as it began shaking to try and get him off. "H-Hey! Cut that out damn it!"

"N-No! It was never business to me Viral! You've got it all wrong!" Vegeta remarked, frowning as he shook his head in frustration, "You've been a friend my entire life, I never wanted to get rid of you! But... I felt unable to provide for you, and I didn't know what you might need or what to do if anything happened. I was scared and I felt overwhelmed, and because I was incompetent I looked for someone who might be better able to take care of you. It's my fault for being weak and unable to cope with everything..." Ugh, this was just depressing, he hated having to talk about this. Not because he didn't wish Viral to know, that wasn't it, but he hated revisiting those feelings and how vulnerable they left him; he couldn't run the business on his own, he hardly had time for Yumi, Viral had become more or less an afterthought and he was still upset over his parents, all of that was returning to him with this discussion. Feeling his chest tightening slightly, Vegeta placed one hand on it and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before looking back at the Beastman. "My first thought...? I was worried where you were going, and what you might be running for," Vegeta responded, being completely forthcoming, "I didn't even know about the Dragonball until I got a call moments before finding you, but that was hardly my primary concern. I worried that one of those bastards had taken you after I refused them, that's why I had left in such a rush."

Haku tried to think of anything he had heard before, anything the Elites had discussed or his fellow soldiers concerning Oozaru transformations. He knew the very basics from his training, but he'd never had a chance to change for himself, nor had he ever actually seen anyone change in person. If there was someone here more knowledgeable about the topic, like one of the Princes or Takeshi's former squad-mates, then they could hopefully get the answers they needed. It was hard, not having the answers, but he wasn't about to give up just because it was difficult. "Isn't that what friends do though? Help with problems? They're all helping Viral, so why wouldn't they help you too? Hell, we only just met Kiton and they're even helping him, I think they would definitely help you if you asked," Haku said confidently, smiling and shaking his head at the question asked then. "No, well... It's frustrating that I don't have the answer, but like I said, you're my friend and I want to help you. I've never had a friend before really, and I'm not going to screw this one up, not because of a little problem like this."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

So! Working with the assumption we'll see Olminu soon, I'll put up the IC post before I go to bed tonight. I figure a decent way to begin for now is have people meet up in pairs/groups, and we'll all converge at one place "by chance". Feel free to talk it over here to decide who you wanna meet up with :D

Deductive Reasoning

Sorry about that :( I just figured it's fair to drop new ones as opposed to ones I've had, which unfortunately means ours. This isn't to say once things wind down again I wouldn't be happy to try again with you!

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"It's not that complicated, and how do you get those two mixed up? Fur is hair, fruit is... Fruit, two totally different things," Takeshi responded, frowning as he tried dropping down some to be closer to the forest floor, "I guess just look for the actual animals, I'll keep an eye out for markings down here, okay?" No sense in making the new guy do all the hard stuff, as chances were anyways he was bound to overlook something; with Uuonoe being an alien world and all it might be tougher than normal to notice things too, so they had to be extra attentive if they were going to spot any potential meals. "We didn't come out into the woods like this, we were in the city and on the lake mostly. Still... It's not like forests are all that different, I mean trees are trees, you know? How hard can it be to find our way around here?" Was that movement out of the corner of his eye just now, or was he imagining things? Coming to a halt he turned his head as Shu probably flew past, looking back in the spot where he had sworn he'd spotted something, and sure enough they'd nearly missed a creature. It was decently sized, about a small car just with its body alone, and six trunk like legs with a long, spiked tail connected to the back. It had a long neck stretching out the front, with what looked like frills on either side of it, supporting a small-ish head at the top, two big black eyes resting on either side of the face. From the looks of things it was nibbling away at a tree, probably a plant eater then. "Hey Kiton... Found our dinner, look."

Vegeta felt quite awkward being here right now, particularly over why he was here. He hoped that Viral simply would refuse to hear him out, maybe he could get out of having to go through this discomfort if only a little longer. As if, not only did his brother sound ready but their father wouldn't likely let it go, meaning he had to do this. Sighing to himself, Vegeta rubbed at his forehead briefly before crossing his arms, looking at the floor and furrowing his brow. "Yeah, I know... Fine, I'll talk, though I don't even know where to begin," he said, glancing briefly to Aito before back at Viral. "What I did to you back then, trying to sell you off... I didn't want to do it, that's the truth. But there was just so much going on, I had a million things to deal with every day in addition to you, and I hardly felt like I was good enough to be working with you to begin with. So... I figured it might do us both a favor if you were with another company, or someone who could properly look after you and train you. I turned down countless companies that wanted to do exactly what the RRA did, which is weaponize you, but they were persistent, kept calling back and requesting meetings. There were some who told me they just wanted to study you, but I wasn't crazy about that either. If it's any condolence then... You were never sold not because no one wanted you, but because in the end I couldn't let you go, not unless I felt it was right for you. So... Yeah... That's the very barebones version of it anyways."

"Shu is controlled, I think. I don't know, I've never seen him change, but you should be able to answer that yourself. Does he change when he gets mad, or if he uses a ton of Ki? Those are two ways a Saiyan can change, and depending on which one it is we'd know whether he's controlled or not." Even if Shu did change by getting angry though that didn't mean he couldn't control himself; Saiyans learned to control their Oozaru forms, usually by being beaten into submission as far as Kortal was concerned, but there had to be nicer ways to train them. No way was anyone going to beat Shu, meaning they had to find an alternative way to subdue him when he changed and make him relax. Again his mind inevitably went back to Yumi, albeit in Shu's case maybe even Takeshi would make the cut. "I don't know why... But just think about it for a second. If everyone's trying to support you then we probably think that it can work, right?" Haku asked, smiling as he looked up at T'charrl, "If we all think that there's a chance of things working out then there's got to be, yeah? Even Vegeta and his dad were sure, and they're super geniuses! Just let us support you on this one, we'll find a way to help."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Shu ought to be more than content with two big pieces of fruit, and the eager squeal the little guy gave was proof enough of that. Now maybe Takeshi could focus on getting himself and Kiton something to eat, a real meal other than some fruit. He didn't get what the deal was with the Frost Demon, sure getting sticky was annoying but it never stopped him from eating before. Was the guy a clean freak or something? On the hunt for an ever elusive meal, the older boy took point once more and headed deeper into the woods, trying his best to keep the city on their left for reference; Uuonoe was still largely an alien world to them, getting lost out here would really suck. "So we've gotta keep an eye out for anything that might give something away: footprints, tufts of fur on plants, scratch marks, look for those kinds of things," Takeshi explained to Kiton, scanning the area below as best he could on the move, "Hunting's easy, once you get the hang of it. I guess it's a little trickier when you're on an alien world and all though, you know? Don't even know what we're looking for." So long as whatever they found wasn't all wriggly or gross looking it ought to be okay to eat.

"Hah... Well you are my son, and we've missed some fifteen or so years together, so having you to myself wouldn't be the worst thing," Aito joked lightly, smiling slightly as he lowered his gaze, "No one is going to do anything to you, you're safe now. We are going to get you healthy again Viral, mark my words. I will not cease until you're back to full strength, and even then I'll be here to offer support if you need it. I know your mo- Er... June feels the same way." He should at least try and avoid the familial titles for the time being, seeing how much discomfort they caused the Beastman; Would Viral appreciate what they were to one another once he was healthy again? Or would he still be as turned off to the idea as he was now? It would certainly hurt to have their own child refuse them, but after all that had happened Aito supposed he couldn't fully blame Viral. Becoming frustrated over hearing how hopeless Viral sounded about his future, the doctor inadvertently lashed out against the building, putting a sizable dent in one of the stone pillars in his anger. He may have let some words slip as well, words he just as soon never would have shared. Frowning hearing his son question them, Aito turned around and looked at Viral steadily for a moment, turning his attention immediately to the door with a smile. "Ah, Vegeta! Perfect timing!"

Why had he even accepted this call? Vegeta didn't know if he was up to the task of discussing this, it was still eating him up inside even after all these years. Knowing all that he knew now too made it a million times worse, there wasn't any way in good conscience that he could face Viral now. Nonetheless he had come along, respecting his father's wishes to try and reconcile what had happened. When he had landed outside of the atrium he stared at the door for a long, silent minute, contemplating some way out of this discussion. No... He couldn't chicken out, he owed this to Viral as well as himself to come clean with everything he'd done. Taking a deep breath he reached out and pushed the door open, slowly walking through the entry way and to the secondary door leading inside, easing that open as well. No sooner had he stepped inside was he greeted by Aito, smiling faintly in his direction and giving a small nod, turning his gaze then unto Viral. Swallowing uneasily he walked across the room, stopping just a meter shy of his bed and looking at his friend, or brother as it was, with a pained expression poorly masked behind a small smile. "So... Here I am... Uh... Anything you want to ask before I come clean?"

Furrowing his brow as he heard out his friend, Haku fought with himself to try and come up with an answer. There had to be some way he could help, but how? How did Saiyans handle power and transforming? Maybe it was kind of like Oozaru transformations, or in particular those brought on by the moon. Those were kind of sudden and involuntary, but people could control themselves during it, couldn't they? Maybe T'charrl needed the same kind of training then? "Saiyans change too... To Oozaru, or a Great Ape," the young Saiyan began, looking at one of the flowers as he shifted his weight about a bit, "Kids can change but they don't have control, they don't know how to control it, but adults learn how to keep it under their power. Maybe... You could use the same kind of training they do?" It was a long shot, but that might be at the very least a decent place to begin. "I think Choi and Kai might know something, or Kabocha? They all must have trained to do that, maybe they can tell you what to do? Or even Takeshi, he must have used to have a tail right? I don't think Shu would know, but someone else has to. I know you're not a Saiyan, but the idea's the same, so maybe the same trick will work for you too?"

Far From Home [ Scout & Vena Sera ]

"Hah... That's it! That's what I like to see!" Doku shouted, a wide grin spreading across his face as he saw a familiar green mark appearing by his health bar, "Now it becomes a waiting game, who dies first and who outlasts who? This is grand!" It was a bit of a lackluster way to end a duel admittedly, yet there was something he wanted to get out of this. Firming up his grip on the sword, the brunette made sure he and Fitch weren't going anywhere, lifting his head to whisper in the other boy's ear. "Listen... I'm going to chase you and your little friends around, for fun. It's been too long since I met anyone like you, and I want to see if they have half the tenacity that you've got."

Not wholly content to end their duel in such a deplorable manner, Doku lifted his head again abruptly and smashed his forehead into Fitch's nose, managing to free his blade in the brief confusion that followed. Pushing the other boy off of himself he then got to his feet, one hand over the wound on his chest as he held the blade at his side. "You've not got much health left... It's kind of disappointing, really. Meanwhile the poison isn't doing much for me," he remarked almost boredly, glancing up as his health seemed to simply quiver in place, going down albeit in small margins. "Tell you what... See if you can kill me before the poison gets you. Let's make these last few moments something to remember, shall we?"

Fitch grunted as he was thrown up off of Doku, stumbling back. Doku was trying to run out the clock. Once the brown-haired was figured out, he wasn't a hard brain to pick at all. At least not for this duel, there could be more than met the eye, however. The words were disturbing, but it could have just been another distraction. The shield-user nodded, "Oh, we will."

He grinned and opened his hand, letting the shield fall before catching it at the rim. His hand whipped over head before he released the piece of equipment, sending it hurtling at Doku's torso, edge-first. It didn't take long for Fitch to kick off the ground after it, his health getting dangerously close to yellow, ensuring the duel would end more quickly than he'd like. With a cry of fury, his blade shimmered and began to glow vibrantly, activating a simple, single-hit swing attack. A stab could be dodged too easily - this might just work.

Their duel, sadly, was almost at an end. It hadn't been quite as thrilling as Doku had hoped, yet it hadn't exactly been a complete letdown either. Fitch had potential to be a great fighter, he just needed a driving force to get him there; the duelist would gladly play that part, especially if it meant he got enjoyment in the process. After sharing some 'gentle' parting words he broke the hold he was in, rising to his feet promptly and sending Fitch a grin. "I like that, still ready to fight even though you've nearly lost, good! I hate when people just give up."

Watching curiously as Fitch dropped his shield Doku recognized what he was trying to do, the cogs turning in his head as he swiftly prepared to react. Deflect the shield, that was all there was to it. Raising his blade he smirked as the shield came hurtling his way, having to put his weight behind it to knock away the weapon and send it tumbling to the side. He had easily avoided the shield, but now he was in a precarious position. Spotting Fitch closing in on him rapidly he scoffed to himself, knowing he was caught out like an idiot. He could still finish off Fitch, but it likely meant also taking a huge hit.

"So be it..." Making no effort to dodge the incoming swing, Doku reared back again and sheathed his sword, a red light pulsing out of the sheath for a second before he stepped forward, making a wide, horizontal cut as he felt Fitch's own blade slice into him. With a reflexive grunt it cleaved him deep, from his right hip to his left shoulder, leaving him with a massive slice on his torso. Fitch didn't get out free however, taking a deep cut of his own across his torso from side to side. Just like that too both of them had taken a big hit, and both their health bars dropped to the halfway point. In a rare turn of events the duel would end in a draw it seemed, much to both the dismay and delight of Doku. Yes... He was a unique one, this boy, he couldn't wait to play more.

With an audible ding the duel came to an end, both of the duelists had lost. Cheers erupted in the crowd around them, no doubt the idiots reveling in getting to enjoy such a fight; Doku felt it was lacking, but evidently these simpletons found no problem with it. "I wonder... Might you have killed me if you had the chance?" he asked whimsically, smiling as he stood upright and chuckled, laying his blade over one shoulder, "Such tenacity... And all over someone flirting with your friend. You're a loose cannon, I like that." Ah, and now their fun was coming to an end too, wasn't it? Not long thereafter both Suto and Luna came up to their friend, glowering up at Doku. "Come now, it was a friendly duel! No reason to look so sour."

"You cheated, you jerk! Of course we're going to be mad about that!" Suto retorted sharply with a glare, pointing over at Doku, "If that was a real fight then Fitch would have kicked your butt, bet on it!" Ugh, he HATED that smug look that the creep was wearing, he wanted to knock it right off of his face. Watching him casually look away and sheath his sword made it even worse, and he very nearly tried striking out until Luna grabbed his shoulder and held him back, turning to look at her confused.

"Don't bother, he's done here anyways and he's not worth our time," Luna mumbled, frowning as she met Doku's gaze steadily, "But if he thinks he can come around here again and cause problems then we'll make time for him, won't we?" The fun must have ended for Doku there because he simply turned and walked away, though she swore he was laughing as he went. What an infuriating man he was, next time she'd be the one to duel him. Waiting until Doku was gone and the crowd had begun to disperse, Luna finally released Suto's shoulder only to push him towards Fitch, placing both hands on her hips as she stared down the two boys. "So... Either of you want to fill me in? Or am I being kept in the dark now?"

Fitch made no response, sheathing his blade and letting his shield return to his unseen equipment list. He crossed his arms - that fight was thanks to a last-hit weapon from a twenty-fifth level boss. That's why his power was on par - Doku had the strategy and the cunning to win that fight. This one was all luck on that last strike and getting the other guy poisoned.

"He didn't cheat. If using stackable poison were cheating, the game would strip status effects from the duel. It's my fault for not making that a condition. Oversight, that's all," He said roughly, shrugging everything off as he swiped his menu open. The boy stripped off his armor and replaced it with a plain, forest green jacket, white shirt, and black pants. He put his hands on his head and looked at Luna, "He can. I'm outta here." He turned slightly and walked past the two of them, in the opposite direction of Doku. He needed to train some more - boost those stats, work on his blocking reflex. "Later, Luna."