GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Yumi didn't have a clue what to say at this point, as clearly nothing was working in her favor. Calling Viral human seemed like a safe bet, since maybe there were things humans had that he didn't which he may want. Apparently not, since all it served to do was further upset him. Everything she tried to offer in terms of reassurance was blowing up in her face big time. "I wouldn't think I was a monster... I might be a little frightened at first, but I know I'm not a monster. It would just be... A new part of me, another version I guess. Just like your transformation is still you. The only ones that have called you a monster are the people who are afraid of you. Those who know you better than that, like us, we know you're not a monster. And you changing doesn't make that any different. The creature you turn into is still you as far as we're concerned. Just like we don't consider Shu a monster for the Oozaru we don't feel that you're a monster for your change. So... Please stop calling yourself that. It's not true Viral, it isn't."

"I can't accept the truth if it's false Viral, I'm sorry. So maybe we can say you're an animal, I guess that's true in part. You're made up of them, so it's wrong to say you're not an animal. You're smarter than most animals though, yeah? I mean... How many animals can fly a spaceship? How many can teach humans and Saiyans? If you're going to say you're just an animal then fine, I'll agree with it. But only if you agree you're a special kind, and you're more than just some simple animal. I don't want to hear you devaluing yourself like that, because you're so much more!" Tears weren't going to fall this time, but Yumi was beginning to stress quite a bit again. Viral had to see himself how they saw him. As it was he thought so little of himself and viewed himself in the worst possible light. "Everyone has a bad side, but that doesn't define them, right? So maybe you do get violent as that creature, but we don't consider you to be that all the time. Until you accept that you're not just a monster, that you're a good person, I can't just 'get fed up' or stop trying, I'm sorry, but I can't."

Takeshi wasn't able to find anything on the far right side of things either. So this plateau really was just in the middle of nowhere, well darn. It was looking more and more like they'd chosen to land on the wrong side of this world. Sighing once more he turned about to see how his brother and T'charrl were doing, hopeful they'd made a little more progress. Just as he spotted the Kaesstrian did he see him pulling himself up out of the ground, and not a second later his scouter came to life with intermittent words. It sounded like his friend was pressing the button repeatedly as his utterances were coming in and out, but he understood the gist of it. Something had him panicked, and judging by the absence of Shu it was fair clear what the issue was. Immediately rushing over to the Kaesstrian to try and spot out his brother he noticed the fair large hole before him, apparently having been covered up by grass. Frowning he stood at the edge of the hole, kneeling down and putting his hands on either side and glancing down in the hole worriedly. "Shu...? Hey, can you hear me? Shu?"

Shu had ended up down in a little burrow beneath the grass, a relatively small room hollowed out among the rock. With the exception of a few dim burning wicks hanging from the walls and the sunlight coming from the hole there was no light, and visibility was very short as a result. No doubt he'd be disoriented, and probably utterly unaware of whatever else was lurking in the room. One creature had seen the Saiyan fall into the room and was currently hidden along the dark wall, wary of the alien being in his home. A child himself he was fair meek right now, having been left at the home as his parents went out to gather food. Worried he may be hunted the creature began to try and pad to a nearby tunnel, his claws lightly scraping along the dirt as it walked. At the strange sound of someone shouting indistinctly however it froze, letting out a meek yelp as it figured it was corner now. With a tiny whimper the creature instantly curled up into a ball, using its protective scaling along its back to keep it safe. All it had to do was stay like this until its mother and father got home, then it would be okay.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"N-No! You're like human! That's what makes you different from any other animal, especially the ones that make you up. You've got traits of them, but you're a lot more human than you are any individual animal." Oh this wasn't going right at all. Yumi knew precisely what she wanted to say, but actually getting it out was proving to be one heck of a hassle. All she wanted to tell Viral was that he wasn't just some animal or creature, and for that reason they saw him more human than anything. "I do think it's different! Because... Well it couldn't raise two children like you could. For all intents and purposes you were a father to me and Vegeta, and that's something any animal can't do for us. And you're right, I didn't see it. But just because you've got a form that might make you more like an animal doesn't make you one, or a monster for that matter. Shu isn't a monster for having his Oozaru, and T'charrl isn't a monster for what he is now." She wasn't getting anywhere with this and she knew it. Oh what a headache, if only this were easier. Sighing softly Yumi rubbed at her temples with her fingers, closing her eyes and trying to think things through. If she could only get the right words then maybe she could help settle the Beastman down.

"You act more human than anything most of the time, with or without your animal traits. And I'm not saying all animals are bad, I love most animals, any kind really. But there are some things that are just bad, and from how the others were talking about it this thing sounded bad. Look... I was wrong what I said about animals. But let me say this then. Animals, like people, can be bad and good, okay? I don't think they're as intelligent as we are, but I do believe they can know right from wrong, to some degree. So by that logic there's good and bad animals, right?" Yumi smiled nervously, figuring she was getting into dangerous territory with this conversation. Pressing her fingers together uneasily she shifted in her spot, rolling her legs out from beneath herself before crossing them and sitting down. "Well, if that's the case then you're good. One bad moment doesn't change that, you've always been good and you always will be. So yeah, you're an animal, you can even say you're like that creature if you'd like. But you're not a monster, okay? You've never done anything to make any of us think of you that way. We all know you're a good man, that's why we're standing by you. It's why we stood with you when Korian went nuts, and it's why we're trying to help get you better. We wouldn't be going through all that trouble if you were a monster, or evil, would we?"

Truth be told Takeshi had utterly no clue where he was running off to. The edge of the plateaus were bound to have something, though chances were it was just more endless fields. Even so, it was worth checking out if only for curiosity's sake. They might be technically doing a job right now, but the Saiyan was enjoying himself, glad to be able to wander around like this at last. With all the traveling they had done there had never really been a time he'd just walked about and enjoyed the view. Of course the world he finally did get the chance was pretty much empty, but it was nice nonetheless. Landing on one of the flat peaks Takeshi eased himself to a stop, not even bothering to go all the way to the edge. From where he was, a few hundred meters off, he could already see the seas of grass peeking up from the edge of the rock face. That was a bummer, he was hoping for a little something more to see than just grass. Snapping his fingers before putting his hands on his hips the Saiyan sighed, looking around himself again. The plateau stretched off a little more to the right, not so much to the left, where he could already see there was just more grass. Odd that this place was randomly sitting in the middle of some fields, he wondered why that was. Shrugging his shoulders Takeshi looked down at his feet, wrinkling his nose before kicking a small rock, watching as it tumbled down into the crevice before him. Hopefully Shu and T'charrl found something, he'd keep looking in the meantime. With no other way to go he cut off to the right, running along once more.

Return of a Princess (Nydie & Vena)

Okies. Hope things start looking up soon :3

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Shu's delight and laughter was more than enough to bring Takeshi to a wide smile as well. If he was having this much fun as a passenger then he'd have infinitely more so when he could fly under his own power. They were definitely going to have to train, preferably even once they were finished on this hunt of theirs. It would be some time until they got back to Earth after all, so they may as well pass the time with something useful. After playfully giving Shu a little bounce he set his brother down on the grass, taking a gander about the area. It seemed so barren here, it was probably just the part of the planet they had landed on. Go figure, all the inhabitants could be on the opposite side of the world for all they knew, and here they were scrounging around in the boonies.

"I don't know how tiny it's going to be, but you might be right. There could be little tiny people on this planet, who knows?" Still, even if they were small Takeshi figured they would have seen someone by now. "Take a look around all you want, just be careful about the edges. We'll go down to the ground after we see what's up here, okay?" Hopefully they could spot something up here, anything. Even if it was something as simple as smoke that would at least five them an idea on direction. Letting Shu do as he pleased then Takeshi wandered himself over to the edge of the plateau, putting his hands on his hips and looking out around them. More plateaus stretched on for maybe a kilometer, he could just barely see the end of them before the horizon. So this went on for quite some time, that was unfortunate. If the people did indeed live here they were going to be wandering around for some time looking for them. Smiling exasperatedly he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Well, probably best that they get started.

"Hey Shu? T'charrl? I'm going to go take a look on some of the other peaks, I'll be back." Shu ought to be perfectly fine on his own, and T'charrl was certainly not helpless. They could all do their own thing for now then and meet back here, that would work. Smiling at his brother and friend Takeshi gave a quick wave before leaping across a chasm to another plateau, then another and another. He wanted to see just where this outcropping ended and the plains continued, maybe there would be something worth looking into on the other side. Or it could be a total bust too. The only way he'd know is if he went over there and looked though.

Leaving Viral alone was never the intent at any point in time. Everyone worried what would happen if he were alone, so they tried to keep near him for his own safety. That didn't absolutely guarantee they were always around, as the Beastman was quick to point out. Yumi cringed visibly at his words, frowning and lowering her gaze to the grass below them. They had figured at that point he could use the sun to heal, and being stuck inside would only make him miserable. And admittedly he had slipped their mind, if only for a moment with everything else going on. But that was one instance in quite a few others where they had stuck by him. It wasn't fair that he was picking out that single moment to hold over her head. Even so, that single moment was more than enough to make her feel bad about it. It seemed awfully backwards to claim they'd always be there only to have left him alone, it was a lie and a cruel one at that.

"All of those different animals might make you, but that doesn't mean you are them." Yumi said meekly, finally lifting her gaze and looking back at Viral. "You're a mixture of them, and that makes you something else entirely. Just because a something that went into you did something doesn't mean you'll do it too." Like he wasn't going into the water and thrashing about, tearing chunks out of fish and goodness knows what else. He might be a little more animal-like in behavior, but that didn't make him an animal. Sighing softly at his question she released his paw, putting her hands in her lap and shrugging her shoulders. "I know you're made of them, but that doesn't make you them, get it? And... You are better than the creature that attacked. I mean... You're part human too, and probably even part Saiyan somewhere. Growing up you were just another person as far as Vegeta and I knew, your appearance didn't really strike us as odd. It was only later that we found out what you were that we knew, and even then we didn't care." Managing a small smile she shook her head, rubbing at one of her hands nervously. "You've got emotions, and feelings, and you can think things through. Animals might have made you, but you're a person. So yes... You're better than that creature."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Don't worry Shu, I'm not going to crash," Takeshi said, smiling, "Just hold on tight and you'll be fine buddy!" With a small kick he launched up into the air, flying off a bit quickly but not too suddenly as not to jolt his brother. Looking over his shoulder to make sure T'charrl was following them he began to fly along in earnest. They still had no idea where they were even going yet, that hadn't really been discussed. The idea was to find some people somewhere and ask them for help on the creatures, that was about as far as the plan had gone. Heck, they couldn't even be certain that there were people on this world. It was safe to assume so, since the Saiyans had stopped here for some reason, and it sure as heck wasn't for resources. It could have been a rudimentary pit stop for all they knew and they were chasing ghosts, wasting their time here. It would be impossible to know until they actually came across somebody, or couldn't find a single soul after scouring the entire planet. If it took that long, Takeshi mused, they were going to be here for quite some time yet.

The roving hills went on for quite some time, though it did frequently turn into plains and valleys. So far this planet didn't have a whole ton going for it. There were more plants out here at least, yet not a single one that looked like it bore any sort of fruit. Takeshi was bent on finding some kind of food here, preferably fruit for Shu's sake. It was a pretty safe bet that there weren't a ton of fruits on their ship, he couldn't quite imagine soldiers munching down on apples and bananas when there was the option of meats. Bummer, he'd hoped to do something nice for Shu. Drawing ever nearer to the plateaus Takeshi was a further disappointed that there were still no signs of life, not at the base of the rocks nor on top. Even in spite of having a river running alongside it there were no indications of any kind of civilization, no tiny huts or anything. This first area then seemed unpromising, they'd probably have to head even further in. Well, they should at the very least stop on the top and get their bearings, see if anything could be spotted from there. So rather than passing on by when they got near Takeshi opted for them to land, leading himself, Shu and T'charrl down onto the rocks below. Even up here there was a bit of grass growing, albeit in patches compared to the seas of it below. Once his feet touched down on the ground the older boy glanced back at his sibling, smiling and giving him a gentle little bounce.

"This place seems kind of empty, but it can't hurt to look around a bit. Want to get down and help?" There were some crevices they could check, though it was unlikely that anyone would live in between the rocks. There didn't look like a whole lot of sun down between the plateaus, and being so far from the water the further in one went was counter-intuitive. It was a little difficult this, trying to guess how the people on this planet lived. So far everyone they'd encountered had all been pretty similar, and Takeshi doubted this was going to be an exception. Maybe the world really wasn't inhabited by anything remotely intelligent.

Yumi shook her head again, frowning as she looked at Viral sadly. "I told you I won't leave. I don't care what might happen, leaving you alone can't help anything. I mean... It would make us safer, but is it going to do you any good? We can't go hide somewhere knowing you're in pain Viral, and we refuse to do that. We're not going to leave you alone on this." It was a pretty widespread belief that Viral would likely end up going utterly mental or worse if left alone. Even among his friends and the others he seemed edgy, it was an uneasy thought then if he might be left to his own devices. Not so much concerning what he would do to others, but to himself. None of their efforts to help would amount to anything if he should be lost to them, and so they were persistent to stay with him.

"You would do whatever you want when you're better. You can keep traveling with us and fight, or you can go home, or anything you want. I think we'd all like it very much if you kept fighting with us though. It wouldn't be the same not having you with us in battle." Healthy or not Viral was a fair integral part of their team, and losing him would definitely send ripples through the group. They could all probably get along in his absence, but it wouldn't be the same. Yumi kept one of Viral's paws in her grasp, putting both hands around it as she held it to her chest, smiling kindly at him. "We'll make you feel better somehow. If you're in a nightmare then we'll wake you up. Everything is going to be okay, we just have to keep working for it, right? Just remember that no one thinks you're a monster, and no one is giving up on you. We're all here for as long as it takes to help get you through this, I promise."

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Well, maybe it'll be because of Shu and I that you learn to control it too!" Takeshi said, grinning broadly as he folded his hands behind his head. "We're nothing if not determined, and sooner or later we'll help you get this power of yours down. Just be ready to practice a lot, especially since you're so new to it." Maybe they could even give T'charrl the same kind of training that Shu would receive for his Ki. The energy they used weren't exactly the same, but in theory anyways it ought to work in the same manner. Of course it was a little tricky to say, seeing as the Kaesstrian drew his energy from the planet, whereas their being Saiyans they drew power from their bodies. The only exception in their case was in using something like the Spirit Bomb, not that either of them could remotely pull that off.

It was probably high time they got moving, seeing as Shu wasn't wanting to train any longer. Not a big deal, they had ample opportunities later to do just that if he chose to follow up on lessons. Smiling at his brother then Takeshi squatted down slightly, helping the smaller Saiyan onto his back before clasping his arms around the boy's legs to keep him secure. "No my head can't be knocked off. At least... Not that I know of. I don't imagine it would feel very good." Would he even be able to feel it at all? Technically wouldn't being decapitated cut off all feeling to the body? Ah, he was over thinking this, and it wasn't like he had an answer anyways. "Believe me, I'm not going to drop you. I'll sooner crash myself into one of those cliffs than drop you buddy." That wasn't any sort of attention he needed, as there were plenty of people that would have his rear for hurting Shu. Once sure that his brother wasn't going anywhere and T'charrl was good to get moving Takeshi gave a small nod of his head, looking towards the plateaus. That would be a good place to start, and if empty then at least they had a better vantage point. Taking just one step forward he pushed himself off the ground, flying away at a modest pace as not to spook Shu, or possibly outrun T'charrl. Best to stay in a group here, they didn't know what they were going into.

"You were, but you didn't. I'm not going to run away because you might have done something." Viral was really having it now, he was absolutely down on himself. Smiling sadly Yumi knelt down before him, placing one hand over a paw as she looked at him tenderly. "The pain is real, but maybe it isn't physical. We'll find out what it is, together, you and all of us. And we'll find a way to beat it so you can feel better again. We're all here to help you Viral, no matter what you might believe sometimes. All we want is to see you get better." Whatever the cost that was the intent, within the main collective anyways. Viral's well being was becoming everyone's priority, they all wanted to see him well again. "I know things are looking glum, but they're going to get better. We're all going to keep trying, as long as it takes, to make you not hurt anymore. And we don't mind doing it, honest. We're happy to try." Yumi explained, gently trying to remove Viral's hands from his head. "You'll be okay eventually. Maybe not until we get back home, but it will happen."

Return of a Princess (Nydie & Vena)

The entire night had more or less been completely uneventful. It was a good thing there was no reason for his presence, but Tora couldn't help but feel dreadfully bored over the lack of action. For a few hours he simply sat by, watching Jocelyn's house for any signs of disturbances that required his intervention. Should he be spotted by anyone doing this he'd be pinned as a stalker, and certainly for good reason. More or less he was stalking her, albeit the purpose was to protect her, not because he held some fanatical adoration of the princess. Nah, she was pretty to look at but that was about where it ended. Even if she was fun too when it came to conversations he couldn't fathom them being anything more than acquaintances, especially with their social statuses considered. Ah well, that was probably for the best anyways. Goodness knows the headaches that would ensue if he had to deal with Jocelyn both as a protectee and a partner. Chuckling beneath his breath Tora shook his head, leaning back against the bark of the trunk and closing his eyes. Definitely would not be an enjoyable undertaking, he couldn't imagine what dating her must be like. Orders galore most likely, and such violence that only a true sadist would enjoy it. Yeah, probably best to steer clear of that bombshell. Minutes continued to tick on by, and finally his watch's alarm went off, signaling it was one in the morning. With class in just six hours he really should get home to sleep, and seeing as Jocelyn was safe there was no longer a need for him to be there. First stretching his tired frame out Tora then slid off the branch, landing easily some eight feet below and dusting himself off. Hopefully he could get enough rest before he had to be up again, otherwise tomorrow was going to suck.

And suck it did. Sleep had taken a little while to come, mainly because he'd chosen idiotically to eat before going to sleep. Having the energy from the food meant he didn't fall asleep until around three, and he awoke promptly at six, only three hours later, to be ready for class. A cold shower did little to alleviate his grogginess, and so he shuffled into the school with utterly no enthusiasm. The only thing he might look forward to today was seeing Jocelyn in chemistry, albeit he didn't know if he even had the energy to harass her today. What a drag that would be, having her around and being unable to push her buttons. Whether he was up to the task or not was going to take some time to be seen, he had other classes to get through first. In spite of fearing the worst today Tora actually managed to catch some breaks here and there. In English for example they were watching a movie, an adaptation of a Shakespearean play. He knew it well enough to bull the assignment, and so as soon as the lights went off his head hit the desk, and didn't rise until well after the movie had concluded. Next was mathematics, and were it not for the teacher's insistence on him contributing to the lesson he'd definitely have had gone to sleep here as well. It was all he could do not to nod off, the lesson itself contributing his drowsiness. It came to the point that he left the classroom for a second, and went to the boy's room to splash himself with cold water. It did the trick a little, and he was further helped along with a bit of a cheeky peek into the girl's locker room on the way back, that certainly got the blood flowing. Rejuvenated to a degree and with a smirk on his face he returned to the class, riding out the final ten minutes with ease.

The last period before the lunch break, delightfully enough, was chemistry. Now a bit more awake than he had been Tora was more than ready to confront Jocelyn, prepared for another period of teasing. She had gotten off easy last night as he had tried to refrain around Aidan, but now there was no relative to watch over him. Nope, the princess was fair game, just how he liked it. There were other reasons that he was excited to see her too, of course. It meant he could do his job, which so far this morning he'd been incapable of doing. Having the chance to keep an eye on her helped settle his nerves a bit, as whether he showed it or not this task was stressful. In a small way he was eager just to see Jocelyn again too. However unusual a way it might be she was really his only 'friend' in this place, and he could use it. Not that he would ever openly admit to thinking this way, he'd never hear the end of it. But every time he saw Jocelyn he got excited, knowing there was fun heading his way. The back and forth they did had a special bit of delight within itself, he couldn't get that kind of enjoyment anywhere else here. Tora wondered if Tony might be able to do the same kind of thing, he was the princess' friend after all. Then again the kid seemed kind of an air head, and not exactly the type to throw insults around willy nilly. Nope, it was just going to be him and Jocelyn. Mutual teasing aside he did enjoy the eye candy that the girl brought with herself. "Those legs..." he mumbled, smirking to himself cheerfully. That was one image he was going to keep for a while.

Entering the chemistry room once the other class had cleared out Tora went immediately to his table. Being one of the first inside he figured he had a moment before Jocelyn showed up, so he got comfortable with his bag on the table and his arms laid across, his head down upon them. No doubt he'd be rudely woken from his attempted nap once others came in, but for now he'd enjoy the relative quiet. Finding it rather difficult to keep his eyes shut for long however he quickly abandoned the idea of a nap, sitting up with a slight slouch, keeping his arms across his bag. Mercy be that there wasn't going to be a movie played today in this class too, otherwise he'd be out in a manner of seconds. That was provided of course that the bickering with Jocelyn wasn't enough to keep him going throughout the period. Speak of the devil and she shall appear, Tora mused with a grin. Sure enough the redhead was stood at the doorway now, making her way into the classroom. Instantly he felt the urge to make a scene, hoping to star the class off by embarrassing her. Then remembering his vow to try and behave a little he backed off that plan, instead just giving her a small wave and wink. "Hey there Jocelyn!"

Return of a Princess (Nydie & Vena)

He seems so grumpy :o

Return of a Princess (Nydie & Vena)

Yeah, we'll definitely define things a bit more when we get to it. And ooooh, cookies! :3

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Shu's enthusiasm for learning absolutely delighted his brother. It would make teaching him to fly a lot easier too, since his willingness would mean he'd put in more effort. Not that the monkey boy had ever not put a lot of effort into his tasks before, he'd always been quite good at that. Changing the topic for a second to help reassure T'charrl then Takeshi was glad that their friend could enjoy himself a bit. He was accomplishing something major here after all, there had to be a lot of pride in that. Being the first of his entire race to leave his home planet, and not only that but to set foot on another was a big achievement. "Hey, you're controlling them just fine now it looks like. Just keep it up for now, we'll find a way to help you out soon enough." T'charrl was already handling it well, yet by the sounds of it keeping his powers under wraps took a little effort. It was only fair to him then they found a means of taking some of the burden off of him.

Takeshi was all excited over training his brother again, it being awfully reminiscent of how they used to spend their time. Shu had been a little turned off by his first attempt however, and it probably wasn't going to happen again anytime soon as a result. "Yeah, we can do that instead. Probably best we get to work anyways, I don't want to get my head knocked off by Yumi if she gets angry." Shirking on a mental cue the older boy smiled, turning about with his back now to Shu and gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. "Want to get a ride? I mean we could walk, but flying is always so much faster. And this way we can have a little fun while we're traveling. Do tricks and whatnot." Just a little sample of some of the things that one could do while flying about. If Shu ended up wanting it even more then he was bound to take up practicing again as soon as possible.

Yumi didn't know what needed to be said right now, but clearly the path that she was taking wasn't it. Viral continued to stress about things, and that in turn made her even more taught with emotion. He had this horrid obsession with death, and while she wanted to blame it on PTSD she couldn't be sure. If only he could forget about that, move on and focus on just how good his life really could be, then he'd be happy. As it stood however it was impossible to make him think of anything but. It was times like this she really wished Vegeta were here, albeit he didn't really know how to deal with the issue either. No one among them was a psychiatrist, and she doubted anyone from the rebellion was too. Sayomi was the most intelligent as far as she knew, and the Saiyan only seemed familiar with technology. Yumi just wanted to find someone to help Viral and make him feel better once and for all. It wasn't fair that he had to suffer for so long, especially not when happiness could be found all around him, if only he looked.

"Your memories are all real Viral, the good and the bad ones. Like everything else they make who you are." For better or worse everything that Viral had experienced was indeed real, no question about that. The way it had sounded earlier there was no way to fabricate memories, so they had to be true. She desperately wished that there was an answer as how to cope, but Yumi couldn't fathom where to even begin. Shaking her head and looking at Viral flustered she sniffled softly, freeing up one hand to wipe her cheeks dry. "I'm not afraid of you. I know you can be dangerous, and I don't care. Every single one of us can be dangerous, but we don't avoid one another. You could never make me hate you Viral, or make me not want to be around you. I just want you to understand how much you mean to me..." Finally relenting in her grip Yumi took a step back, rubbing at her face again before smiling at her friend tearfully. "You're like a dad to me in some ways, and a brother in others. And you're always going to be a friend, one of my closest friends. You can tell me you're a monster, that you might kill me, or hurt me, or whatever, and I'm still going to be here for you. And so are the others. Viral... We're going to stay with you no matter what happens, and we'll help you through this, whatever it takes."