GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Again, Eslaria really hated to acknowledge it, but her son was right. It was in everyone's best interests, hers included, that they went on this journey together. It would mean that for the first time ever he'd be away from home, and really away, not just at a neighboring city. The concept of going off the planet was known to her, sure enough, but she couldn't fathom actually doing it. T'charrl seemed genuinely thrilled at the prospect of traveling, and it'd be selfish to deny him that just to keep herself happy. Relenting then she smiled at her son adoringly, nodding her head and folding her hands behind her back.

"If you put it that way I certainly can't keep you from it. If I tried to say otherwise it'd be out of my own selfish desires, and not what's best," Eslaria said, shaking her head. Looking up at T'charrl she smiled meekly, her eyes watering up slightly. "I know that it's for the best, and that you'll come out better for it. As your mother I can't help but worry about you still, and no radio contact is going to change how I feel about all of this. It's just not the same as having you here at my side. But... This is something you need to do, and I understand that. I'll not stop you. Still..."

The Queen took a step forward, smiling up tenderly at the Prince. Then, rather suddenly too she lifted a hand, giving her son a gentle smack upside the head, her expression hardening just slightly. "As your Queen, I demand that you come back. My plans for you remain, they'll just be postponed a little, that's all. We'll handle things here, your father and I, and wait for your return. I'd best see a strong, capable young man when you do come home."

Eslaria paused for a moment, getting on her toes and wrapping her arms around T'charrl in a tight hug. She held it for a long moment, closing her eyes and keeping the embrace for as long as she could. When she finally let go she gave him one last smile, her eyes glazing over as she wordlessly passed by, starting to walk off towards town. She had to go see to the General's sentencing, and all her doing by staying around would do was make things more difficult, for herself and for her son. Perhaps she would stop by to see them off, provided that she had the time to do so.

Takeshi watched as the Queen walked off, not sure what to make of their interaction. So that was what a mother was like. The lady wasn't as scary as he'd initially thought, and definitely had a soft side to her. Honestly, it made the Saiyan feel awfully envious of T'charrl for having someone like that in his life. Sure, there was Shu, and his friends, but those were different. A mother's care seemed to be... Something else, something that the others couldn't give. All the more reason then, he mused, to be done with all of these other distractions. He and Shu had still yet to meet their mother, and damn it all if they never were. As soon as they got the chance Takeshi fully intended to collect the Dragonballs again and finally get back to their original quest.

"You're one heck of a lucky guy..." Takeshi mumbled, smiling as he looked back at T'charrl. "Seriously, don't worry, we'll be back before you know it. And you'll have mastery of your powers then, so everything's going to work out."

Yumi opened her mouth to make a reply to Choi, instantly shutting it again as he complimented her. Well, she thought it was a compliment about her ears, which was a tad odd. Still, it made her cheeks turn a light pink, and she sheepishly itched at her nose, looking down at the floor. Then just to ruin the moment Choi began to ramble again, going off on a tangent that only served to confuse the Beastman a little. Puzzled she looked up at the Saiyan before rolling her eyes, smiling in exasperation as he tried to scramble and cover ground.

"Thanks for that... And I know I'm a strong fighter, I beat you didn't I?" she said teasingly, cocking her head to the side. "We're not done fighting yet, so don't get too comfortable. There's a long way to go until we're in the clear, and we still got to find a place for your parents to stay. Which... Now that I mention it, there's a small problem with this plan of ours..." Yumi bit her lip, looking between the twins before shifting her weight, embarrassed at not having thought of this before. "We can't fit everyone on our ship, not comfortably anyways. And there's definitely not enough supplies for everyone. So... How is this going to work then?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Eslaria didn't know quite what to say to her son about his plans. Travel with his friends? She was all for him socializing, and would encourage it, but maybe not quite in the way that he proposed it. In a way it made sense, she knew that none of them were familiar with his abilities. Whereas his friends, especially Yumi and Shu, had already demonstrated to some degree they had the same powers, it made complete sense for him to go off. Still, that didn't mean the Queen was overly keen on seeing her child leave. Even if he stayed and took over ruling she'd still be at his side, something she rather liked the idea of. This way though she'd have no means of knowing how he was fairing. She trusted the Saiyans, sure, but they couldn't keep him completely safe. The addition of radios offered little condolences, and her expression was showing very clear uncertainty over the idea. So her husband and Katas were in on it too by the sounds of things, she was the only one that didn't know of it yet. Even if she were to say no chances were T'charrl would go anyways, that was clear. So why should she bother even answering? She didn't want him to leave, but in a way he had to, it was for his own good.

"He will be okay with us, Your Majesty," Takeshi added, smiling confidently. "We'd sooner let ourselves get hurt then have anything happen to him, you can count on us for that much. We'll show him how to use his powers, one way or another, and he'll come home completely in control of them." Reaching up he clasped a hand on T'charrl's back, smiling up at the Prince. "He's already shown he's tough as hell anyways, so I don't think there's a lot of reason to worry about him anyways."

"You're absolutely certain this is what you want, T'charrl...?" the Queen asked, looking at her son torn. "I won't stop you from doing it, but... Think it over carefully, will you? Maybe... Maybe there's something in the books that can help us? Whose to say that they'll be able to help you learn control anyways? You could go off with them and never be any better for it, and have wasted time. It might be best to just stay here, and let us help you..."

"I really hope they weren't kicked out... It makes me feel bad then that someone might be homeless right now, and we're living it up in this place in their stead," Yumi remarked, frowning as her ears folded down sadly. "When we're done, before we leave, we've got to find out who lives here. I want to try and bring the people home, if they're still around. It doesn't seem fair at all that this is someone's house and we essentially stole it." Choi offered a... Unique view on things, one that she wasn't so sure she was keen on. Considering the man who had been in power it seemed like a likely explanation, all things aside.

Handing over the final plate to Choi the Beastman grabbed up her own rag, carefully drying her hands with a soft hum.

"At least you're being honest about it. Though I know you two must have fought too, I don't see you being content with sitting on the sides." Yumi dropped her rag onto the counter, turning her back to it and leaning up against it. Giving Choi a curious look she smiled gently, crossing her arms and leaning over, playfully bumping her shoulder against his as he worked. "So that jerk had doubters before we even went into action, huh? Maybe it won't be such a problem getting things under control then. If more people than us suspected something was wrong it shouldn't take a whole lot to prove they were right. I guess the only problematic people are going to be the ones who were fiercely loyal to him. But... I'd guess they're far and few between, so shouldn't be a big issue for these people to round them up."

"You know... I'm glad to say that trust isn't an issue here." Smiling softly Yumi reached over, putting a hand on Choi's shoulder and giving it a small pat, looking to his brother as well. "I... Was wrong about you three. You're decent people in a bad situation, I can't really blame you for what happened. Besides... I only have some different ears. Well... And sharper canines... And my senses are stronger than before..." Shaking her head she piped up again, looking back to Choi cheerfully. "Point is that I'm okay in the end, and you guys are finally going to be free from that king of yours. So it didn't turn out too badly."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Hey, no reason to get down on yourself," Takeshi said gently, smiling as he gave T'charrl a pat on the back. "We'll get answers sooner or later, he's bound to spill it all. Especially if he's just going to be locked up, there's going to be loads of time to tell everyone what he knows."

What a strange little race the Kaesstrians were turning out to be. If this power that the Prince had used to be dominant, and apparently hereditary, then it was safe to guess that there was more people with it. They had most likely kept it hidden better however, unless the General had already gotten to them. That was something Takeshi wouldn't mind having answered either. This whole unknown force that had wiped out nearly all of their ancestors, what had that been? If their forefathers had been as powerful as T'charrl had been earlier than it would have been no easy task to beat them, not in a battle. Perhaps it was a natural cause then and not war? Of course that in of itself raised more questions, only furthering to add to the confusion. But, it also gave the Saiyan a little epiphany, bringing a wider smile to his face.

"Hey... How do you suppose the General found out about all of this?" Takeshi asked, looking between T'charrl and Eslaria. "He had to have read it somewhere, there's no way that he'd be able to find it out otherwise! You could find the books he used to learn what he did, and fill in the holes from there. I mean if that maniac could do it then you definitely can."

"Provided the books are still around, and in one piece," Eslaria pointed out. "But... That may be very possible. Now that he's in custody we'll have free reign to search over his quarters, and anywhere he may have stored information. I would bet in one of his research centers we can find hints at what he knew, and we can put things together from that point on. Given enough time I'm certain we can recover enough to understand what all of this is about. What's more, there's bound to be at least one other person who knew something, assuming that Yusef didn't keep it all to himself. We don't need to get everything from the General if that's the case though." The Queen then smiled at her son, stepping closer to him to give his head a gentle ruffling. "Once you are through helping your friends and they've been seen off we can get started on our research, provided you're up for it. I'm willing to devote as much time as necessary to get the answers you want."

Yumi smiled gratefully as the twins got to work, busying herself still with the washing. They were surprisingly agreeable for someone who she wanted to beat up before, it was a nice surprise. It was a chore and a half getting anyone else to do this kind of work, so having them around was definitely helpful. Off to her side it sounded like Choi was trying to strike up some conversation with her, and having a fair hard time with it. Earnestly puzzled by what he was getting at she kept quiet as he spoke, though unable to suppress the amused smile across her lips. Had the Saiyan never spoken to a girl before? He seemed to have no problems with her before, and now he was tripping over his own tongue trying to talk. Hearing him ramble on for a moment Yumi finally looked over at him, smiling amused as she shook her head.

"I don't know if this is the best place for your father really, Choi. I mean... The General is done, but there's going to be a lot of fighting going on before things really settle down. It won't do him any good to be put in a different war zone now will it?" Yumi gave the dish in her hands a good rinsing before handing it over, giggling softly. "And I don't think burning the house down is really such a good idea either. It's not ours, and we probably could get away with it, but it's got to be someone's home. Would you want your house ruined? Heck, for all we know the real residents of this place are locked up somewhere, the General was the one that gave us this place after all. Poor people..." It was an unfounded concern, none of them really knew what the story with this home was. Maybe they should have thought to ask before. "I suppose I ought to thank you two, while you're here. For helping us and all. And keeping T'charrl safe, that too. You two did a good thing today and we're grateful for it."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

But of course the Prince was going to question him now. Powerless to do anything and in a perfect position to be interrogated Yusef wasn't thrilled with his predicament. The boy wanted to know everything pretty much, and considering his position chances were the Prince was going to get it. Realistically if he divulged that information it wouldn't be of any harm to his cohorts, it was only further burying himself. As far as he was concerned he was already a dead man, so the General had no inhibitions there.

"I know quite a lot about your powers, boy..." Yusef replied in a raspy tone, letting out a short, harsh laugh. "Since you are all so keen on finding out I'll indulge you. Can't do any harm at this point..." Carefully adjusting himself about the General righted himself up, laying his head back against the trunk of the tree and staring at T'charrl coldly.

"Your powers aren't anything unusual really, as it turns out. Our people used to have them, nearly every single one of us in fact. Now... This was generations ago. It's how our planet became so prosperous, it was because people were literally one with nature. It's why we've been so fortunate when it comes to outside forces. Our planet does have a history with space... Though it was all with invaders. With the powers enabled to them by the planet itself they deterred everyone who tried to attack us. While we were stuck on our own world we never had to leave, not really. Everything was provided for our people, and we had the power to stand up for ourselves. It was a... Golden age, you could call it. There were advances in medicine that we don't have today, and even technologies we lack... After all... Do you even know where those pillars came from?" Yusef paused, smiling bitterly as he looked in the direction of one such pillar, finding it by the burst of energy being fired off. "Those were placed by our ancestors long ago, to enrich the atmosphere and spread the natural energies further. It's how the world flourished, and continues to do so."

"But... Like all good things it eventually came to an end. Heh... My team and I could never uncover precisely what happened to our ancestors, or why they lost their powers. Records that we've found mention other people briefly, but there's no indication that they were the cause of our downfall. As it seems however something killed near every single Kaesstrian capable of this power. A methodical massacre... And you think I'm a bad man..." Yusef gave a shake of his head, having to take a brief respite to catch his breath. Even just talking right now was tiresome, he was just that out of it.

"Out of the thousands of our people that were alive, perhaps... Two hundred remained. Those few rebuilt into what we have today, and were the ones that led to our separation as a peoples. There were those who, seeing the energy as something that brought ruin, settled in cities above ground. My people. Then there were those who clung to old ways, who thought the energy would bring salvation and one day redemption, your people. That rift has persisted to this day... And I feel it will still. While it was thought that all of the energy users were wiped out by this event, clearly a few survived, otherwise you'd not be what you are. I've never been able to figure out what grants only some of our people these abilities now and not others..."

"As for how I picked you out... Well, informants were helpful in that area," Yusef mused, grinning triumphantly. "They're all dead now, of course, courtesy of your dear mother. But I found what I needed to. A little bit of eavesdropping and some spying confirmed their reports, and a careless display on your part gave me all the proof I needed. You know the rest, Prince T'charrl... Though I don't know how much you may recall vividly. You were in a bad sorts for the duration of your stay..." Getting a violent second wind the General abruptly thrust himself forward, smiling widely as he looked at T'charrl, his eyes wide. "I was so close to rekindling what our people had lost! We were going to become powerful again! We'd not have to rely on this single, lonesome world for everything, we'd have the strength to travel among the stars. But now... Now that is gone, because you were too selfish to use your power for the greater good! You refused to-"

Takeshi had heard more than enough of Yusef going on and on. With really no rhyme or reason he stepped forward, lifting a hand and bringing it across the General's face. It wasn't that hard of a strike, but enough that the Kaesstrian let out a pained groan, instantly clamming up. The Saiyan then leaned down, grabbing the man's shoulders and pressed him against the trunk of the tree, glowering at him angrily.

"The only selfish thing is what you tried to do. You were going to use that power for yourself, don't lie! And you were willing to kill a lot of innocent people just to get your way!" Takeshi snapped, throwing Yusef back down against the ground. "Including my brother and my friend! You're not kidding anyone but yourself here, creep. Your people will get their power back if they're meant to, simple as that. No psycho is going to play god and do it themselves, meaning you."

"Psycho...? Is that what I am to you...?" Yusef asked, looking up at Takeshi and grinning. Probably for his own good the restraints were undone, and Katas and Garesh subsequently lifted him to his feet, securing his arms behind his back. "I know the truth of our people, I'm enlightened! I know what we need, and the rest of you are too blind to realize it!" At the Queen's word the General was being walked away, off towards the city surprisingly enough. He wasn't done talking though, and continued to yell over his shoulder. "If I don't finish this work then someone else will! We are going to regain our powers, and we will rise again! You people can't stop it, no one can! The wheels have been set in motion already!"

Yumi smiled at Shu adoringly as she went back to her chores. It was nice seeing him in such high spirits again, sitting still and being somber really didn't suit him all too well. Satisfied that he was feeling alright now she then turned her attention to the twins, wondering just why they were still hanging around. When she asked she was a little surprised that they were offering to help, even if she did kind of hint at them doing so anyways. Looking at Kai and then Choi she smiled, noting the curious little blush that the latter was sporting. Lifting her shoulders in a shrug she continued the task at hand, flicking one of her ears to try and ward off an itch.

"I'm not going to say no if you two do help, you know." the Beastman mused, smiling thoughtfully. "If one of you wants to get over here and dry things, that would be a ton of help. Then whoever else is left can clear plates off in the garbage and give them to me. Think you two can handle that?" Yumi asked, glancing over at the two teasingly.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Takeshi stared up at the plastered ceiling idly, laid up in bed with his arms tucked behind his head. Right now he just didn't feel like doing a whole lot besides this, having been worn out today from all that had gone on. Physically he was recovering, and arguably fine now, but emotionally he was under a lot of duress. Having been healed and now in better health he could take a bit of solace in the fact Shu and Viral were going to be okay. The guilt of being the cause of it all in the first place hadn't vanished though, whether warranted or not. Speaking of the Beastman, the Saiyan now felt bad too for making his friend feel even worse. The whole matter of forgetting Viral being brought back into focus stung a lot, and altogether made for one rather lousy day. If he could just be left alone then until they were ready to take off then that would be fine by him. He could let things sink in a little while longer and perhaps get over it, for a lack of a better term. It would be the usual, with him suppressing things and keeping them to himself. With the exception of his little outburst in front of Viral moments ago. Takeshi just didn't do that, not regularly anyways. While it had felt relieving to get his feelings it also made him uncomfortably vulnerable. It was easier then, he reasoned, to keep things inside. Already determined to remain isolated for the time being he frowned when a knock came at the door. Not answering immediately there was a second knock, followed by T'charrl's voice.

"Yeah... We might as well..." Takeshi called back, still staring at the ceiling. "Be right out."

With a reluctant sigh Takeshi sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed before standing himself up. He'd sort of lost his desire to go through with this, but he knew too he'd end up being curious if he didn't go now. Besides, he wanted answers for why they had been attacked too. After slipping his boots back on the Saiyan opened his door, offering a faint smile to the Prince before following him outside to where Yusef was. The General was still tied up as before, and now Eslaria, Garesh and Katas all stood around him. He had come to, looking like he'd just woken up, and didn't seem terribly thrilled to be there. The inclusion then of Takeshi and T'charrl only served to further increase his nervousness. There was a little smugness in seeing the man so unsettled like that, as he realized just how deep in it he now was. It was over for him and his little plans, and that fact looked to finally be dawning on him. If he thought things were bad now, just wait until they actually got to his sentencing.

"Good, so everyone is here then?" Eslaria asked, glancing around at her group. Nodding to herself then the Queen put all four hands on her hips, looking down at Yusef with a barely restrained hatred. "We'll serve as your judge, jury, and executioner, if it comes to that. You're being held for crimes against our people, for the murder of countless of innocents, and for trying to assassinate several key members of government, both on our side of things and your own. The odds are against you here, I'd say, General. Do you have anything at all to say in your defense?"

Yusef lifted up his head, glaring at Eslaria wordlessly. It was surprising, especially to T'charrl who had seen him before, how tired he looked now. Quite a bit of energy had been sapped from his body, and the after-effects of his injection had left him ragged. By no means was he dying, but he looked as though he'd aged about ten years in a matter of hours. He finally emitted a low, guttural sound that was akin to a growl, but besides that he said no more. The General knew it was over, like it or not, he'd not waste his breath begging for his life. Someone would take up his mantle, he was sure of it. There were plenty of men still loyal to him, plenty that would further his cause. If he died then so be it, it hardly mattered.

Eslaria sniffed in disgust, resisting the urge to slap the man before her. There was plenty of pent up aggression towards him, the least of which stemmed from him imprisoning her son. If they were going to do this right though they couldn't cause him any harm, not yet. Shaking her head in disbelief at the General she looked over to her husband, then to T'charrl, smiling faintly.

"He's going to stand trial once more, against our peers from both cities. It'll ultimately be their decision to sentence him, we're too personally connected to this. But... While we have him, is there anything you two wish to say to him?" the Queen asked, referring namely to her son and Takeshi.

Yumi heard plenty of chairs scraping across the floor as people left, paying little mind to it all as she washed away. Noticeably a few people had decided to stay, and she was a bit curious as to why that was. The twins were both here, and so was Shu, though one glance over her shoulder told her why the latter was still present. Smiling sympathetically in his direction she finished cleaning off another plate, grabbing a cloth and drying her hands as she walked over to the little Saiyan.

"Head hurting?" she asked, putting a hand on Shu's back and giving it a gentle rubbing. "You've got to remember to take it easy, for a little while anyways. Just because you can move around doesn't mean you should be bouncing, understand?" Smiling gently she leaned over, placing a light kiss on the top of his head before going back to the dishes. If anything was to happen to Shu now it'd be simply because he was incapable of being still for any longer than a minute. She almost wanted to tell him to go lie down, but when he'd spent the last hour or so doing just that she doubted he'd want to. Really so long as he didn't jostle himself at all he could walk around with no problem. That, and no fighting. Which considering his usually timid nature when it came to fights she doubted that would be nearly as much a problem.

"What are you two still doing here?" Yumi then asked, referring to the twins. "Need something? I can do this on my own, unless you really want to help me. I won't say no."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

If it means nothing to you, Takeshi thought, then why was Viral always so upset over it? The guy always seemed so dreadfully lonely, and the solution to that, he had found, was to surround himself with family. In a way, he saw himself in the Beastman. By that they were both worse off when they had no one around them. He had very much been the same way before he met Shu, and never would have listened to a word that anyone said to the contrary. How things had changed though once he finally welcomed someone else into his life... Things had been rocky at first, sure, but over time he'd become better for it, that he was realizing now. All Viral had to do was take the same step in the right direction and recognize what he had around him. Maybe that wouldn't make him completely better, but Takeshi liked to think that perhaps it'd at least give himself something more to think about than his problems.

"You tell us to hope for more... And we do... We hope for you to be happy. That's all we want, and we're sorry if it comes across as trying to force things. We just want to help..." Takeshi shook his head again, sighing as he rubbed at his head, looking back at Viral sadly. "My life became a million times better when Shu came into it... He made me a lot happier. Everyone else has to, and that includes you. Just... Give it a little thought, if nothing else? You'd be amazed how much different your life can be if you let people into it."

Takeshi would leave the plate there, just in the off chance that Viral did choose to eat. Sending one last sad smile his friend's way the Saiyan went back to the house to relax. Since he'd already eaten a meal himself there wasn't much reason to go back to the kitchen. A conversation was being held in the room, and by the sounds of it there wasn't any particular need for him to be involved. Besides, they sounded happy, and he didn't want to bring anyone down by sharing how Viral was still struggling. Instead he opted to go to his and Shu's room, shutting the door silently behind him. So they'd be out of here pretty soon then, now that the General was captured. From here he wasn't too sure where they'd be heading next. Earth was still a long ways off, and they weren't exactly going to see the rebels any time soon. Chances were they'd be going to whatever world was next, wherever that might be. Somehow he doubted it was going to be quite as... Fun as this one had been. Then again maybe that was a good thing, they might actually get some time off for a change.

"And we'll help you do it T'charrl," Yumi said, smiling cheerfully across the table. "If you're going to be part of our group then you'll probably train with us. We'll figure out how your powers work and you'll be able to use them in no time! You'll be confident in your powers and you can fight with us even, if you want."

"Strength isn't everything, of course." Vegeta had to put his two cents in, giving Yumi a bit of an admonishing look before smiling at T'charrl. "Being able to fight is fine and all, but there's a lot more that you'll be able to do with your power. Healing is definitely a big one, you could do a lot of good with that. And, when you master it, you'll be able to confidently come back and lead your people. You'll grow in more than one way traveling around, trust us."

"Yeah, but he'll also be able to kick the butts of any jerks we come across!" Yumi exclaimed, grinning as she clenched her hands into fists. "It'll be great!"

Whatever T'charrl ended up doing with his abilities would ultimately be his decision and his alone. None of them would force him to become some kind of tool, or work for some power that he didn't believe in. Hell, the reason they were traveling as they were was precisely to oppose those kinds of things. They were a group, sure, but were here for their own reasons. Yumi smiled cheerfully at that, taking a glance around at everyone with her. With the exception of Katas and Garesh these people were going to be traveling with them, and they were going to become closer and closer as a team as a result. While the Saiyans were still going to take a little getting used to she even figured they'd warm up to her soon enough. And, given time, T'charrl would be considered as one of them, if he wasn't already.

Everyone finished eating not too long afterwards, and thankfully they had polished off nearly all of the food. That meant that cleaning was going to be a relatively quick job, and not nearly as many people would be needed as there had been with preparing it. On that note Yumi opted to clean up on her own, perfectly content with doing so while the others saw to their own matters. Chances were the General was going to be questioned now, which would take the boys away, as well as T'charrl, Katas and Garesh. Vegeta was opting to speak with Viral a little more, and see if there might be anything that could be done for him, like bringing him inside finally. That left the squad to essentially linger wherever they pleased, having earned their stay for helping bring the General down. Kabocha had opted to go to the family room, laying himself down on the couch in favor of taking a little nap. Yumi wasn't sure what the twins were going to do, she was already busy at washing away the grime on the dishes they had used. Really she wasn't sure why they should care about cleaning up, they'd be out of here soon enough. It just seemed like the polite thing to do, she supposed.

Return of a Princess (Nydie & Vena)

Tora was hardly enamored with the prospect of going over literature, especially basic stories like this. Romeo and Juliet, to them it was a classic. To him a lonely man's lost love transcribed throughout the ages and wrongly heralded as a work of art. There were plenty of works of literature that were good, like Homer's Iliad, or Joan of Arc. Those were sincerely intriguing stories. Or Greek mythology, that was something that he could really be invested into. But this... It was a classic adaptation of an every day interaction, taken to an extreme for some unnecessary reason. Really, if you wanted to see the same thing nowadays you only had to go as far as the hallway, or even the television. Hell, near everything he had seen on the television thus far had been some hormonally driven, angst teenager show. Not to mention some deplorable, sparkly vampire movie. Admittedly that might be worse than Shakespeare, actually it definitely was. Point being though there was no reason to waste time reading an outdated, depression driven, prepubescent tale of two star struck lovers. These students would never use it anyways, of that Tora was utterly certain. Some nonsense about "becoming rounded" as his instructor had told him when he'd taken it. After the fact he had never needed the story, and certainly hadn't learned any lessons from the tale. Just a waste of time.

There was one girl that sounded to share his opinion, rather openly too. The answer she gave to the instructor made him smirk a bit, watching the girl with amusement as she kept on going. Definitely a trouble student, no doubt. Tora had seen plenty of people like her too in his own classes, and they hadn't really ended up going anywhere. Sure they graduated, but the things they did now were hardly worth writing home about. In the end all they amounted to was another laborer, or whatever they might call people here. Deadbeats, that might fit them too. So yeah, the girl might get some laughs here and there, but that wasn't going to do anything for you in life. Not in a position to say anything on the matter or even care about her future really he kept his trap shut, letting the little show carry on. Unfortunately her snappy attitude eventually came to an end as the conversation moved on, and the lesson was carried on with. The remainder of the class was spent going over key points of the story, and painfully obvious questions were asked and muddled up by the idiotic class. Thankfully because it was assumed that he had little to no knowledge of Romeo and Shakespeare Tora was never called on, left to dawdle and think the entirety of the lesson. That was a welcome relief, as he had to start to seriously think about just where he'd be finding the person he was looking for. There was no appearance given, all he had was a name, and that was even questionable. Sooner or later he'd locate the girl, he was sure of that. Hopefully sooner rather than later though, he loathed this place already. He had to find Jocelyn, whoever she was. She was in the school, somewhere, just waiting for him to stumble across her. If only he had a clue.

Saved by the bell, literally. Tora had felt himself becoming restless as the class had drawn on, lacking the patience to listen to the droll lecture any longer. Dropping his textbook back into his messenger bag he quickly got to his feet, being among the first to get to the door in a hasty walk, glad to be through with that. He wasn't even entirely certain where he was supposed to go next, so as he walked through the throngs of students he had to fish his schedule back out again, digging through the clutter to get it out. After English was... Chemistry? Well... Honestly it was hard to find any issue with that. While he never really used any of this it was a bit interesting, at least where had come from. Chemistry afforded those who were proficient in it with all sorts of gifts, which compared to dated stories it was much more rewarding. Tora had a basic knowledge of how it worked here, and a bit more proficiency back home, but he was by far not an expert. Still, ought to be enough to get him through this pathetically easy course of theirs. Graciously the next classroom wasn't far off, in room 308, just one wing over. To his surprise as he approached the door he spotted a familiar face standing at the door, waiting for the other students to exit the room. The mouthy girl from English, and the only one that had made the lesson interesting, even if so briefly. Maybe there would be another repeat of her attitude this time around, he could use a good laugh.

"No teen love in this class, still going to bash it?" Tora joked, smirking as he walked up behind the girl. "Nice job in English, the teacher looked like she shat herself. That's one hell of a mouth you've got." His tone was decidedly teasing, and the accent he spoke in certainly different from what was usual here. If anything it might be a bit more comparative to a Scottish accent, slightly anyways. Not that he really knew what that was.

He wasn't here to make friends, and certainly didn't care to. While it may make his task easier overall he couldn't be bothered, it'd only ultimately make things take longer than they already were. Perhaps he'd ask around for Jocelyn after this period, as he knew lunch was coming up. There wasn't any better time to question other students, as it was clearly difficult to hold any kind of conversation during class thanks to these stick-in-the-ass teachers. Right as the final student from the period before had filed out the next class began to pour in, and Tora slipped around the girl to get in first. The classroom was different in that there were lab tables as opposed to individual desks, each with two stools placed at them. Each table had a sink to it, and a few beakers and containers were already placed at each one. Apparently they'd be doing some sort of experiment today, wonderful. Watching as students began to file in and take their seats something dawned on him, a fact that made him die a little inside. They were all lab partners, and therefore already had someone to work with. Assuming he wouldn't be allowed to work alone then who was he going to be partnered with? He was about to find out, as the instructor was approaching him. It was an older man, with a mess of thinning black hair on the top of his head and a matching goatee sprouting around his mouth. He was a bit thin and wore glasses, definitely a science guy. Going by how he spoke he was eccentric too, wonderful.

"Ah... You must be the new student!" the teacher said, smiling as he placed an arm around Tora's shoulders, blissfully unaware of the boy's angry glance. "I'm Mr. Gervais, the chemistry instructor. I bet you could figure that much out, you seem like a bright young man. I trust you've been given all the material that you need for our studies, yes?"

"Yes sir, I've got everything." Tora answered, straining a smile. "Um... Where am I to sit? I'd like to get settled in before class begins, if it's all the same."

"Of course Tora! See that desk over there? Yes, the third one on the left, by the windows. You're welcome to sit there. The young lady that sits there doesn't have a partner, so I figured I'd pair the two of you up. Perhaps you can encourage our... Difficult student to start to embrace the studies, yes? Feel free to take a seat, I'll begin the lesson shortly."

Sure, whatever you say weirdo. Shrugging off the teacher's arm Tora took the offer eagerly, cutting across the room to his desk. Opting between a view of outside and a quicker route out of the class at the end he opted for the latter, taking the outside seat. Since it all their necessary materials were already laid out for them he had no need to take anything from his bag, and he gladly placed it on the tiled floor, right beneath his seat. Just one more class, then he could begin looking in earnest. At least Chemistry promised to be interesting. He hoped so anyways, it could turn out to be an utter bore too. Smirking faintly he leaned forward on his seat, lifting a hand and using his middle finger to push the frame of his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Maybe he could have a little fun with his partner once the lesson started. Have them combined the incorrect ingredients and see what would happen. It was doubtful they were given anything with any potential to be seriously dangerous. Considering the average intelligence of his new classmates it was a safe bet someone would try something stupid, and hopefully the instructor had the foresight to prevent any mishaps. If not, well, it could be just as funny.

Return of a Princess (Nydie & Vena)

Nice, and it's fine ^^

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Okay, so everything he was saying was backfiring. Rather than making any sort of progress it looked like they were backtracking, and if anything making matters worse. Apparently the only thing he was capable of doing then was making things worse, was that it? Takeshi even opted to let out a little emotion for a change and that didn't do a whole lot. Regardless of what was said to Viral it either fell on deaf ears or was completely rejected. The Saiyan looked to his friend as he spoke, his mouth pulled down in a sorrowful frown the entire time as he listened. Having his episode of forgetting Viral being used as ammunition against him really hit him hard. It was something he hadn't been proud of since the moment he'd realized what had been done, and had only festered since. Being scrutinized and having his own words thrown back in his face made Takeshi feel awfully small all of a sudden. These attempts on his behalf were as earnest as could be, he wanted things to get better. With how things were going it didn't seem probable.

"Viral... I'm sorry... I'm sorry I forgot you when we were all captured by my father, I mean it. If I could change that so I hadn't then I would, believe me. And... I know it's selfish... But I'm not happy with just Shu..." Takeshi gave a frustrated shake of his head, rubbing at his face before looking at the ground dismally. "No... That's not right. I'm happy with him... There's always room for more though. I went from having no one to having a brother, and then Yumi gradually became like family, and even Vegeta. I want you in that too, and because of that I care about you... You know? Like I said... You're like an older brother or something... I don't know, an uncle maybe..."

The Saiyan chuckled bitterly, shaking his head as he sniffled again. What did he know about families other than second hand accounts? Viral was right, he was clueless. His own family was just his brother and father, and he scarcely counted the Saiyan king among that. The fact of the matter was he wanted to make every single person around him count, that included Viral.

"We know enough of you to understand we want to keep you around..." Takeshi continued, shifting about in his spot uncomfortably. "Not as a tool... Like I said... As a friend. Someone that we like to have around, and an ally for fighting. And seeing you like this... It sucks. We don't want you to hurt, we don't want you to feel bad or doubt yourself. And... Those things you did... Like I said, you can't blame yourself for them... It wasn't really you..." With a sad sigh the Saiyan got himself up to his feet, offering a meek smile as he dusted himself off. "The food's there if you want it... I'm going to go back inside. I hope you feel a little better soon."

The overwhelming support for T'charrl was touching, everyone seemed to agree with it. To have friends like this, there was no greater luxury in life. All of their social standing and royalty would never afford the Prince something like this, he was truly blessed. Garesh smiled gratefully as everyone made their thoughts known, finally nodding his head in thanks to them all. It would be a tough journey, both for T'charrl and his parents. They had never been separated before really, certainly not to a degree such as this. He would grow for it though, and see things that their people had only ever dreamed of before. In a small way he was envious of his son, yet certainly more happy for him. When he would finally return to them, and he would, his life would be enriched beyond what any of them could ever achieve. Or, maybe not. Who knows, they may even join him in the stars soon enough. All of these possibilities were bringing a new light into things, and a very bright future laid before the Prince, Garesh was certain of it.

"What if we created a relay system of sorts...?" Vegeta suggested, looking to Kai thoughtfully. "If we can find a means of tapping into Saiyan communication centers, like the one we took over with the rebels, we can extend communications infinitely. And all I would have to do is remove the communications from our ship and find somewhere to set it up here. Of course... Then we're without radio..."

"If I may... We may be able to replicate your systems, to some degree. I may be able to alter our own systems... If I can take a look at yours that is..." Katas tapped his chin in thought, humming softly as he mused things over. "And... It's an excuse to take a look at your technology! I've been trying to create a craft for some time now, and I've made a lot of progress with the resources available here. I'm still lacking something though, and perhaps I can find out what that is with your help!"

"I can't see any harm in indulging you," Vegeta answered, smiling amused. "I can certainly let someone else with a love for technology to give the ship a look over. We can do that once things are seen to here, and I'll see about leaving some instructions with you to get a radio established."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Viral... You don't lack control... Really. You're in control now, aren't you? Despite your worries it's you that's here, not your other form. Doesn't that mean you're in control of it?"

Takeshi didn't know how to make the Beastman see things his way, he didn't know what else could be said. No one except for Viral thought of himself this way, yet no matter what was said none of them could change his mind. Perhaps everyone had to get together and try to reassure him? It could well be that one on one just wasn't working, maybe he had to hear it from all of them. Or it could be that nothing they were saying had any effect whatsoever. Everyone who had tried so far hadn't gotten anywhere productive, and it didn't seem like Takeshi was going to have much more luck either. If none of his friends could be of any use then who would?

"I don't know why you're asking me about purpose, honestly. I'm not trying to be rude about it, but that's not something we can tell you. Finding your purpose is something you have to do for yourself. We can only help so much really." Takeshi said, smiling apologetically. "And I'm not lying, honestly. I... Can't believe I'm saying it, but I do envy you." Taking pause he looked away for a second, and his cheeks flushed a soft pink. "All the way back to when we met. I couldn't beat you when we first fought, then fight after fight you seemed to do so much better than I had. You were more of an opponent to the Saiyans than I was, and before that, when we fought the Red Ribbon Army together, you were the one standing up to them. And I just know that once you get better you'll be right at the front of things again. I miss fighting alongside you, and so do the others. You're one hell of an ally to have during a battle and we all want that back."

Putting his pride aside for the time being to say all that made Takeshi feel rather silly. Not because of how he envied Viral, that wasn't the issue. Realizing how idiotic he had been before, thinking he had to beat his friend in terms of strength and be better. He'd been so obsessed with power and had treated the guy like just some obstacle, always trying to outdo him. Now that he could look back on it all he felt absolutely terrible, it was a selfish and arrogant thing to do.

"Look... I've never had a ton of people around me growing up, never like this... So I might not say it a lot, but I really appreciate having you all around me, and I don't want to go back to being alone." Takeshi sniffled softly, drawing his knees to his chest once again and hugging them tightly. Talking about things like this was... Different, but it felt relieving at the same time. He'd certainly never have thought it'd be with Viral either. "Before I met Shu there was no one else around to talk to. I left my master and had lived on my own for a long while, and I was so lonely. When I first met my brother I was a jerk to him to, but he didn't turn me away. Neither did Yumi, or Vegeta. And I owe them so much for that. And... That just leaves you. And I know I messed up with you. I was a jerk, I was rude and I even forgot about you. I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry for all of that... But I don't want to lose you either. You're... I don't know... Like a big brother, or something. I don't know how a family works, but I'd be very glad if I could count you as part of it. And to do that we've got to get you better."

Garesh didn't know how Yusef discovered his son's abilities. In fact he was fair certain none of them did, which raised a great many questions. Now was not the time to address those however, there was already plenty going on as it was. Thanks to Garesh's own questions a new issue was brought up, namely how T'charrl would learn to cope with his ability. There was most certainly not anything on Kaesstra to help him, no one they knew of shared in his power. There were others however to might be of assistance, others in the form of the Prince's friends. They had unique abilities that could well be like his, and who better then to train him in its use? Proposing that idea he wasn't at all surprised when Shu bought into the idea more than eagerly. One vote wasn't going to completely sway things however, they'd need a group consensus to let T'charrl join.

"I don't see why not, we're already bringing in more people. What's one more?" Yumi smiled across to T'charrl, folding her hands on the table. "I think it's a really good idea. You'd definitely be safe with us, and we'd be more than happy to bring our friend along! You can be the first one to travel in space too, isn't that something?"

"I'm all for it. It's a fair bet to say he won't be safe here for long, not when so many people have seen him." Vegeta spoke, folding his arms with a small smile. "He'll have to expect to pull his own weight from time to time, everyone does their part. But if everyone else is okay with it then I've got no complaints."

"I say he's coming too!" Kabocha declared, grinning as he gave T'charrl a thumbs up. "The more the merrier, or something like that. And we can always use someone who can heal in bad situations, it'd definitely be handy. Then we can gloat we've got something the king doesn't!"