GambolMuse

Under the Light of a Crimson Moon

Kael couldn't answer Lydia's question nor did he feel he needed to. It was as Josephine said, he was responsible for their Master's death. His hubris and eagerness to prove himself had cost them dearly and now he was going to have to live with the consequences. Wasn't it simply fitting that the man was somehow Josephine's father? That declaration hadn't been lost on him and though he had trouble believing it he supposed it wasn't the most outlandish idea. Nodding numbly Kael lifted himself off of the floor and fell in line behind Lydia, his bow dragging in his grasp, shoulders sagged and eyes downcast. Whether or not he remained an apprentice as a Hunter was yet to be seen though he was confident this would result in his expulsion at best, execution at worst. If it were just another student he'd killed then perhaps the consequences wouldn't be so drastic but this had been their master, everyone's master, the man who by many's own views was nigh invincible. Being responsible for the death of a man like that was horrible.

There was no putting off their return and Kael wasn't going to try and run away either. He knew what he had done and if they were going to kill him for it then fine, he'd accept his punishment. Lifting his head he looked at Josephine somberly, opening his mouth before closing it and casting his gaze down again. Apologies would do nothing no matter how sincere, no words were going to bring their master back and nothing he could do would likely ever earn Josephine's forgiveness. They were supposed to be comrades and yet he was certain she regarded him now even lower than the beasts which they fought.

Everyone froze when Lydia did and chills ran up Kael's spine when he realized why. These beasts had been attracted by the battle with the Abhorrent, hadn't they? It was his fault Edmund was gone and now they were going to be set upon by who knows what again because of his carelessness. With no fight in him he looked around at the red, piercing eyes penetrating the fog and simply sighed, hoping his death would be quick at the very least. Or perhaps he could stay and fight while they escaped, it would be some kind of redemption for his misdeeds. As if trying to deny him such a thing Lydia brandished her weapon and demanded the two of them flee and leave the battle to her. That brought him back to his senses and he gave the older Hunter an incredulous look, thinking she was absurd to try and take these on alone. Edmund could have managed but then he was perhaps the best there was, who did this woman think she was attempting such a thing?

They had to leave, if Lydia could take them on her own then they had to put their trust in her ability. They had a destination and a woman to meet and perhaps she would have the answers that Josephine wanted. Kael had nothing to his name besides those within the shop and if he was to remain here it was only natural he stay with Josephine. He didn't need to be told to stay by her side and he would gladly travel with her and keep her safe, he owed her at least that much. Nodding firmly he turned and prepared to run off, getting only a few steps before realizing Josephine wasn't moving. Gritting his teeth he reached back and took her by the arm, pulling her along as they raced back down the streets. Behind them the sounds of battle raged on and everything he knew demanded he go back to help but it sounded like Lydia was more than capable on her own. They had their job and she hers.

Several blocks later and the pair finally stopped running to catch their breath. The echoes of the battle were lost in the maze of buildings but Kael was optimistic that Lydia was managing. If she knew Master Edmund then she was likely a veteran hunter herself and had been in similar situations before, they had to have faith she could win the fight. Panting breathlessly Kael leaned against the banister of a stairwell and slouched down, draping his weapon over his knees as he laid his head back. He'd run out of energy much earlier and the adrenaline was beginning to wane leaving him utterly exhausted, and yet they had so much more to do. Neither of them knew where this Clocktower was but they had to find it and find whoever this Lady Maria might be. An old associate of their master's? If so then it would make sense to seek someone like her out.

"Look... Hate me all you want, I don't care anymore. I really don't care if I die trying to get you to this place either," Kael muttered as he wiped his face of blood and sweat, shaking his gloved hand to try and clean it, "But we're going there. Whatever reason that woman had for us to go there must be a good one, maybe you can figure out if... Edmund really was your father..." He had just killed this girls father hadn't he? If she felt anything like he had towards beasts for the death of his family he wouldn't be surprised if she turned her weapon on him now. Smiling bitterly he glanced down at the blade in his hands and shook his head, placing it at his feet and leaning back again. "Or if you want to kill me, kill me now. I'd rather you do it now than wait until we get there."

Avatar: The Price of Freedom

Name: Katsu Takumi

Age: 18

Gender: Male

Nationality/Birthplace: Fire Nation, Khimori Village

Current Residence: Republic City, Panther Lily Residential District

Appearance:

Katsu

Occupation: Thief, Avatar

Elemental Affinity: Fire

Theme: Thief - Imagine Dragons

History:
Katsu’s birth presented a bit of a conundrum for the Order of the White Lotus; an Avatar born in an era of peace wasn’t needed quite as much as before. What should they do then? Take him from his home? Or leave him be and let him grow up in a normal life. It was a hard decision, but a choice needed to be made and ultimately a compromise was reached. Katsu would indeed be trained, but in the comfort of his own home village rather than being whisked away. His parents liked the idea, and initially Katsu had no problems with the arrangement. As he got older however he began to have quite a different opinion on the matter.

How was he supposed to keep his identity as the Avatar a secret when these strange men followed him everywhere? His family wasn’t well off and yet he had escorts, was waited on like nobility and provided for whatever he needed. Any other child may have been enamored with the treatment and yet Katsu came to resent it immensely. He had no autonomy like this, and it was near impossible to get away to have some time on his own. Pretty quickly being in the comfort of his own village meant little, it was every bit a prison as moving away would have been. The only solution in his mind then was to leave, abandon the Lotus’ training and his parents in favor of a freer lifestyle, a lifestyle he would find in Republic City.

It was an ideal plan on paper, but upon arriving in Republic City it became quickly apparent he hadn’t thought things through entirely. Here he was, hundreds of miles from home, with hardly a coin to his name and nowhere to stay. What little money he’d saved up over the years had near all been spent on the boat ticket, so now Katsu found himself in a dilemma. He unsuccessfully tried getting jobs here and there but was turned down constantly, and returning home was not an option. At the age of 13 he settled on doing the only thing he could in order to survive: theft. Republic City certainly had its fair share of criminals, so he would only be one amongst the crowd. Or he might have been if he didn’t have something of a superiority complex. He was going to be a thief, but he wanted to be the thief. He would join whatever group he could find and work his way up, and from there he’d be somebody. He’d live life how he wanted, do what he wanted, and get what he wanted without the meddling of the Order of the White Lotus.

Much as he might have resented the White Lotus he had to be grateful for all the training they had given him. With both bending and martial training of the highest caliber he was an exceptional fighter, a fact that helped him climb the ranks of the gang he eventually joined. Nimble, strong and a capable bender he ascended to the second hand of the gang within two years, and not long thereafter he succeeded the previous leader. Granted… The gang had all of twenty members, many around his own age, but he still managed to succeed them all. Renaming the gang the Khimori Bandits after his hometown, Katsu began a life of “luxury”. The Khimori Bandits amassed a fair fortune in a matter of a year, and yet Katsu kept very little of the coin for himself. It was never the money he was after, he'd argue, but the thrill and delight that came along with the act of theft. Even now he remains one of the poorer members of his gang in spite of being the leader, and he tends to carry out as many jobs as his best associates.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"No kidding? Then what's the idiot going and pushing hybrids for? If pure blooded Saiyans like us are stronger then isn't he just shooting himself in the foot doing this crap?" Okay now he was really confused if that was true, so what gives? Did Yamate just really not want to give any of his own, pure-blooded kin any real power? "Man this crap doesn't make sense does it? It's like the King is trying to screw his own people over which makes absolutely ZERO sense!" All the more reason to wait until that nuisance was out of power so that someone with a bit more brains could take over. Or even more reason to go somewhere other than Kortal, it'd be amazing to have power back home but then there wasn't much he wanted on Kortal either. Maybe this was all a bit too much to be thinking of right now anyways, they had a hot plate of tasty food demanding their attention. Taking a mouthful of his meal Kabocha nearly dropped it as he stuffed his mouth far too full, covering it with his hand as he chomped away to make his bite fit. "Mmphh... Whatever, I don't need cash anyways! I'd be a hero!" he muttered before grinning at the twins' surprise of his claim. "Yeah, what about it? He doesn't have Ki, that's already a huge disadvantage. If I train a bit more I could beat him handily, and so could you guys. Saiyans are just naturally stronger like that."

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Yumi was absolutely right and he knew it. Aito hadn't entirely abandoned Viral or ignored his plight and had been working on a solution yet perhaps a little communication could have gone a long way. He'd gotten so preoccupied with everything else going on that'd he'd in large ignored the major reason he and June had even been brought back to life. If Viral was cross with him then it was deservedly so and he'd take whatever harsh comments or lashing out that the Beastman had to give. It would have been easier to deal with being screamed at or swung at than it was to hear the comments Viral had to make. There was a pain he certainly didn't miss in the slightest.

"Viral, don't go anywhere. I've neglected you for long enough," Aito said firmly though his voice held nowhere near the command he'd hoped. Looking at the Beastman's he smiled sadly before letting out a somber sigh and running his hand through his hair. "I owe you an apology, but more than that I owe you the help you so rightfully deserve. I don't expect you to forgive me for my negligence, but give me a chance to help. I do have a way we can make everything right." The PTSD, the difficulty with eating, the genetic instability which had been tempered but still remained, there was so much that Viral needed. Aito couldn't even argue he'd been spending time researching methods because he'd had the solution staring him in the face all the while and had failed to recognize it sooner. "Once you're cured if you want nothing to do with me that is fine, but at least allow me to do my job and help you. You've suffered with these issues long enough." It was a lot to ask for to be forgiven after so blatantly lapsing on what he should be doing. But he had solutions now, he had a means of curing Viral and his troubling thoughts and restoring him to some semblance of normalcy.

"We have three options, the way I see it, and for the most part they would be non-invasive. Foremost perhaps is group therapy, discussing your trials with others who share similar experiences. It does wonders for putting matters into perspective and helping to minimize the anxiety and distress that comes with traumatic memories. An alternative could be exposure therapy, which as the name suggests we would simply discuss the topic repeatedly, exposing you to it, and over time you would become less disturbed by the events... Ideally. We could also try cognitive behavioral therapy if neither of those appeal to you. I can explain each more in detail in private, I just want you to know there are plenty of options for you."

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T'charrl wasn't wrong, Eslaria likely wanted him to be a Prince first above all else. Of course that was before they began to completely change how their cities were run. Royal families had always overseen the cities before but after seeing what Garesh would do, a single person with power, it had been decided power would be shared. So there would still be royalty but they would not hold all of the power any longer, just as the general would only command the military. It made far more sense to have a group of people running the city than a single person, experts would make far more informed decisions than any single person ever could. "It's good to look forward to taking your post some day but remember that isn't all you'll ever be. Even your mother has hobbies you know," Yusef pointed out with an amused smile, "She loves painting, not that she'll ever admit it. And she had a soft spot for poetry a while back. I can't be sure if she still does, tough last time I tried to have her recite some..." The general trailed off and rubbed his head reminiscently which probably said enough. "Being royalty isn't only just being royalty, remember that. Even Kings and Queens are more than just their title."

Haku apologized profusely to the cross museum worker, his face flushed red in embarrassment. He'd just been curious to check it and hadn't thought touching it would be so bad! "Having music on the sh-ship would make our trips a l-lot less boring! And I could l-learn with you too, it would be really f-fun!" Most of his days consisted of lounging around in the sparse library or speaking to whoever in the crew would talk to him. T'charrl was still really the only person in the group who he'd consider a friend and he was a bit too intimidated to even try befriending the Princes. "Uh... I d-don't know where you'd get an i-instrument from... Do you sir?"

"We could buy one in town when we get home, there's a few people I know of that make instruments. Or we could even buy one here before we go home," Yusef said thoughtfully while tapping his chin with a claw, "Or I suppose we could commission one for you if you'd like! Though instruments seem like weapons, if you don't know how to use one then having one made might be a waste. We'll look into it my son." Admittedly he knew nothing of instruments and could only hope at least one soul in the palace had some semblance of an idea. "What do you say to getting some food? The museum will be here tomorrow and we can certainly come back before we leave. Nema wanted to see us as soon as possible and it would be rude to make him wait too long. Have you seen your fill boys?" Haku seemed contented though the Saiyan continued to wander over to other cases and inspect their contents. What of the young Prince?

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"Right, we're not as good as hybrids or whatever. I never got that, how the heck do hybrids beat pures, huh? Some stupid stuff about emotion or whatever I think, doesn't make any sense." Come to think of it there were some hybrids who got better treatment than even he did, and he was nobility! Yamate had some messed up ideas if he was pushing the Saiyan race but treated mixed blood Saiyans better than his own people. Sure they had the potential to be stronger but that didn't mean much, you didn't just wake up and be powerful, it took training and hard work. Tch, whatever, they weren't on Kortal anymore and wherever they did end up Kabocha was going to be sure to land himself a decent place. "The way I see it Earth's been attacked loads before yeah? So I'll get in that way, be a soldier or a commander for their armies. With how weak most humans are it should be easy rising up in the ranks, and after that I can relax and have the easy life!" That was the whole point of getting up there in rank, so he wouldn't be made to do this kind of nonsense again. Sure maybe the military wasn't the best way to avoid fighting, in fact it was probably the worst, but he'd be fighting humans, that was easy. "Why? It's not like I'm going to be burning down cities or anything, I'll be helping people. Unless he gets mad I'm taking work from him then he can just sulk, I really don't care," Kabocha admitted with a shrug, grinning as he bit into his meal, "Besides I could totally kick his butt..."

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"Ah... So there were Elites there... That's troublesome." Back to sipping at his glass Aito listened closely to what Viral had to say as his eyes shifted to Yumi. So a concussion then? What of the others? And what of Viral? Refilling his glass again the doctor smiled slightly and leaned against the counter, taking a silent moment to appraise Viral and Yumi both. "Both of you are alive and well enough, I'm glad to see that. I don't imagine it was smooth sailing with Elites running about though. Is there anything you'd like me to take a look at?" Not that he was doubting the doctors on whatever world they went to... Okay, he might be doubting them a little. But no one else really understood Viral's anatomy, and now that she had been altered Yumi's was different as well.

"Viral's in pain but he hasn't told me where no matter how many times I asked." It was June offering up a response in their stead, worry etched on her face as she looked at their son, "And he's still refusing to eat, I was hoping the food would make him hungry." It was a big betrayal of trust regardless of how little Viral had said but Aito needed to know. He'd been right in that she couldn't help, but he certainly could. Though why hadn't he already?

"If you two were injured you should come see me, I can at least make sure everything is healing right," Aito offered with a sigh, smiling exasperatedly, "As for the eating I suppose we never did completely look into that, did we Viral? Though I suppose that's a lapse on my part, apologies..." Chuckling under his breath Aito rubbed at his neck awkwardly, taking a moment to sip from his water and try and figure out where to go from there. He had completely forgotten about Viral's issue in the midst of everything else going on, perhaps a wee bit too much stimulation after being dead for so long. "If you'd like to talk about any of that I believe I'm through with Shu and Takeshi for the morning. I may actually have something in mind that can help you, if you'd like to give it a try." Of course that was little more than an idea he'd had before that hadn't reoccurred to him until now, he probably should have developed it a bit more. If nothing else it was a start.

Viral did have one or two things that could be worked out, most everyone knew this by now, but was that how he wanted to spend his day? Yumi wanted him to feel better but not if it meant he was being forced around and told what to do all day. But then that was how things always were with him, wasn't it? "If you'd like me to I can help too Viral. I'm not sure how but I'm sure there's something I can do," Yumi offered before cutting across the kitchen, "And as for you," she resumed as she prodded Aito in the chest, "How could you forget? Are you just going to forget with Shu too? What kind of doctor doesn't remember something so important, huh?" He tried to defend it but she cut him off abruptly as she refused to hear any excuses. She liked Aito but he really was messing up a lot with this one. "Whether Viral wants your help or not isn't important, you have to actually go through with it if he does ask, even more if you offer."

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T'charrl had a point about the instruments on Uuonoe, there really weren't any suited for people like him were there? Not that Haku could know for certain but he didn't know any other people who had four arms like Kaesstrians did, so could he only play Kaesstrian instruments? "W-Well then you just have to learn here! And like your d-dad said, there's probably p-p-plenty of people who could teach you! Maybe you can even learn wh-while we're here, getting you help. It would make things l-less boring, right?"

"If nothing else it will help the time pass faster while we're here," Yusef offered as well with a hopeful smile, "Perhaps we could both learn? I've never tried either but it could be fun. Of course your mother would probably kill us for practicing in the palace..." Bless her heart but Eslaria could be a proper frightening woman when she wanted to be. And like anything new they would be terrible at best when they began which meant subjecting his wife to some awful music. "Maybe we should practice elsewhere... I mean your mother wouldn't want the surprise spoiled, would she?" the general added with a nervous chuckle, "Yes... Maybe we'll wait to show her until we're actually talented..."

Haku laughed at that because he knew exactly how scary T'charrl's mother could be. She was a nice enough lady but she definitely could get mad and put you in your place, not unlike many Saiyan mothers or nurses. That would be neat though to learn an instrument and it'd be interesting to see father and son play together. Or, try to, seeing as neither knew how. "M-Maybe I will try to learn after all! Th-though I don't think I can p-play these instruments..." he muttered, trailing off as he reached into a display and plucked a string only to promptly jump as one of the museum attendants yelled at him. Hastily apologizing he gave T'charrl an excited smile and pointed to the instrument, "You could play th-that one! I bet you'd be good at it!"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Taliya was forcing training upon these kids for their own good. As they were they'd be snatched up or killed by even the most half-decent Magi the Church had, never mind if one of their more lethal hunters showed up. If they were aiming to hurt the Church in any way possible then it was in her best interest to make sure they could stay safe, the less power those bastards had the better. And, if the kids were ever to join her at least she'd know they were somewhat competent when they came in. With more than enough reason to receive training she was surprised that Amuné was so against the notion of learning how to fight. Her excuses and alternatives would almost have made Taliya laugh if she wasn't giving the Ydran such an incredulous, disbelieving look already. Did she sincerely think any of that would be enough? As a snide smile crossed her lips the Muran folded her arms and scoffed, arching an eyebrow at the little girl before her.

"And what's going to happen if you get attacked? Are you going to bake them cookies and hope they stop? Or will you offer to wash their underpants, maybe they're just mean because there's a shit streak running down the middle? Wake up kid and face the world you're in, you have to fight. And that cute little sling of yours isn't going to do much either, not against anyone who's a decent fighter. If you give two shits about your friends you'll learn to actually use a real weapon. And don't you think it's unfair, putting it on your pet kitty there to fight for you? What if he gets hurt then huh? What do you do?" The fact these kids had been attacked several times now and Amuné still thought something so small would be enough was outrageous really. Taliya shook her head and walked across the room to a wide cabinet along the wall, prying open the doors and retrieving a crossbow from within. "Something like this is easy to use, even for a kid like you. Gage can teach you to use this thing in his sleep and your ass doesn't have to be anywhere near the enemy to fight with it. It's like your pissy little slingshot, only it might ACTUALLY do some damage."

Ethan bit his lip as Taliya went about shooting down Amuné's suggestions and further pushed for her to learn to fight. Whether the woman was right or not wasn't really the point, the fact was Amuné most likely wouldn't be fighting at all. If she was far enough to use a bow then she was far enough not to even be in the fight in the first place, right? Maybe there was something to making Wyth fight for her even if Ethan knew the moorcat did so willingly but even then that was a guilt trip at best. "She's been safe so far with us, why would she have to fight now?" he asked as he smiled uncertainly. Taliya gave him a perturbed glance and he backed down slightly, swallowing before continuing. "I mean... If we all get trained then we'll be able to keep her safe no problem right?"

"And when you're not there who's going to help, huh? Just going to leave it up to the cat to do all the fighting again?" Taliya asked with a sneer, "Or are mommy and daddy going to fight? Until the Church is dealt with those fuckers aren't going to let any Magi rest easy, not unless they're one of their dogs. And they know she's traveling with other Magi by now thanks to you lot, she needs to know how to fight. And she's going to learn, it's not like I'm sending her out to fight, she'll shoot at some fucking targets or something, that's all. What's the problem with that?"

There was none, and while Nymira could sympathize somewhat with Ethan's point Taliya also wasn't wrong either. "We can't always be there to keep her safe, knowing how to fight may well mean the difference between life and death some day," the Dimuran agreed with a nod, "And it cannot hurt to learn how to fight. If nothing else it means she could hunt on her own and protect herself if we ever get separated again. I say you should do it, Amuné." Really children in her clan and others knew how to fight even younger than Amuné so knowing the Ydran was all but defenseless save a sling, a child's toy in essence, was surprising.

"Good, then it's settled. Gage you'll handle weapons training for the runt, Kensen you handle the training for these two. I'll let you guys decide on how to train them, if you need anything let me know. I think that's it... Get them out of here will you? I've got other stuff to do today besides chewing out you brats." There was always so much damn work to do since she took over this place. Taliya was getting used to it but being cooped up in a building and organizing shit all day was really not her idea of a fun time, she needed to find a replacement. Or someone she could dump the work on so she could go out and actually fight, do some field work instead of playing manager to what was mostly a group of misfits. "Oh and send Adrian in on your way out, he and I need to talk. And get Lionel's ass in here too if you see him, I need to smack that bastard for running off yesterday," Taliya grumbled as she sank down into her seat and groaned, folding one leg over the other and reclining, "Moron's always running off..."

Ethan didn't need to be told twice to go, dealing with Taliya was never exactly a fun experience. Smiling awkwardly as she told them to effectively sod off he waved before promptly turning towards the door and ushering Amuné along ahead of him, relieved to be through with their meeting with the boss lady. Passing through the door Ethan exhaled in relief once they were out and stood against the wall, leaning back against it and smiling wearily. "So uh... That's that then, huh? Looks like we're going to be training together." Though he wasn't entirely sure what for if none of them were going to be joining this group. If they continued traveling then maybe there was some use there, but what else? Was he even still going to keep traveling after learning about Cedric?

"I guess it'll be fun though! I can't wait to see what you've got to show us," Ethan continued to Kensen. With a friendly smile he extended a hand towards the Dimuran and ignored Nymira's groan at his display, figuring he might as well try and make friends with the man who would be instructing him. "I'm looking forward to it! You were really impressive against the Vazra, you must know an awful lot!"

"Shit kid, work the balls while you're at it," Gage grumbled as he rolled his eyes, smirking at Ethan's shocked expression. "Quit buttering the guy up its embarrassing. We aren't doing this because we like you or want to be your friends, we're doing it because Taliya told us to. Don't think we're going to be sitting at a tavern throwing back ale together, it's a job, that's it." Honestly teaching a bunch of snot nosed little kids how to fight was about the last thing Gage ever imagined himself doing. He'd instructed people coming into their group when they had still been bandits sure but that was a completely different beast. "Get that girlie? Don't expect me to be all sweet to you while we train, you'll do what I say, when I say it," he continued as he smiled down at Amuné, "But no pressure, it's only life and death if you mess up right?"

"Hey come on now, you could be a bit nicer than that don't you think? She's never really fought before so all of this is new to her." Gage was even worse than Taliya right now and Ethan was beginning to not exactly love the guy for it. More than a head taller than him it was a bit intimidating when the former bandit stood before him though he tried to keep his ground, tensing up as he lifted his chin to look at the face of the man. "Besides... Uh... If she doesn't want to train then Taliya will get mad, right? So uh... You should be nicer, otherwise you might not be able to do your job." Two could play at that game and use leverage. Though immediately after Ethan had spoken he regretted it when Gage's face went dark and his jaw visibly taut, a vein protruding from his thick neck. The fact they were just outside Taliya's room was probably the only thing saving him from getting pummeled right now and he realized that, taking a half step back from the man.

"Let's just focus on our training, I'm sure Taliya will keep her men in line," Nymira spoke up. "When will we begin, Kensen? Do we have some time to rest before then? I think we need a moment to speak among ourselves, if you'll allow it." Having to defer to him, an outsider and a defector was a little humiliating. People like Kensen were generally treated as criminals and those without honor, made into slaves or servants for abandoning the clan. Yet here he was clearly the one with power and she had none, that much she'd recognized.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"We didn't even get fish. The bastards above us got plenty but we only got stuff from the countryside. And they weren't even warriors, isn't that screwed up? We're noble fighters and they weren't even soldiers, they were just fat nobles with some influence. I mean who has ever heard of a Saiyan noble that couldn't fight?" Especially when their people were known pretty much for being warriors and nothing else it made absolutely no sense. Maybe his father wasn't the best person to use as an example, he was way past his prime, but his mother still had taken on regular missions until they had all left Kortal. Come to think of it too he should go and see his folks, not because he missed them but because he was curious about what was going on back on Kortal. The King had probably long since revoked their status but he was wondering how other noble families were getting on. "It depends on what I can do on Earth. I'm not settling into some mediocre job like you two, I'm destined for a lot more than that. Maybe I'll get a government position, or I can join their military. Humans really aren't all that powerful so I'm sure they'd give me a spot in a heartbeat. Then again their fighting is so boring..." Aside from the whole finding a decent position on Earth there were certainly worse planets one could settle on. Kabocha had of course considered too returning to Kortal and taking up a seat somewhere once Yamate was gone. But there wasn't an awful lot to rule on Kortal and the world itself was largely unremarkable, not inhospitable but nothing special either. Earth it was then.

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June was frustrated that there wasn't anything she could do to help Viral. He was so visibly in distress and yet for all her desire to help Viral was right, she was all but useless to him. "It does matter... People are supposed to help one another with their pain, even if they can't fix it. No one should be made to suffer alone Viral." Sharing the pain helped even if the people you shared it with couldn't necessarily make it better. Wasn't knowing that someone cared enough to listen to you and at least empathize worth something in of itself? Seeing that she wasn't going to get anywhere with her insistence June smiled sadly and gave a slight nod as she got to her feet, returning to the food to see how it was coming along. "Well we'll be having dinner shortly, even if you're not hungry you're both more than welcome to stay of course. I know Shu's been asking after you Yumi." The poor little boy wanted someone to play with and not to be doing all the tests that Aito was conducting. They were necessary but her husband was forgetting Shu was really just a child and needed to be given time to have fun and relax, not be cooped up and drilled with tests. As she began stirring a pot of vegetables June heard the front door open and set down the spoon, going to the family room and smiling at Aito who was making his way in. "Welcome home, you finished early."

"Yeah... The doctors insisted we let Shu and Takeshi go for the day so we did, which means my entire day just opened up," Aito answered in disappointment, sighing as he closed the door and removed his jacket, "What am I supposed to do for an entire afternoon? I don't have a lab here to work with, the rebels won't let me use theirs and our ship isn't stocked well enough. I suppose I could go train..." But with who? Training on one's own was certainly an option but it was dreadfully boring, and it was impossible to measure your own strength without a partner. Oblivious to the nervous look on his wife's face he went directly to the kitchen and past the table, not noticing anyone else was even in the room until he grabbed a drink and began to sip at it. Staring at Yumi and Viral over the rim of the cup he silently finished before smiling, giving a half wave as he set his cup in the sink. "Welcome home you two, I didn't know you'd come back today," Aito said casually, "How are things? How did the mission go?"

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"You'd like to learn an instrument? Well... There are plenty of people back at the palace who could teach you. Or I'm sure one of your friends might know something. I never knew you wanted to learn an instrument though, you should have said something. And everyone is bad when they start something new, you'll get better the more you do it. You weren't exactly an excellent warrior when we started training years ago but now I couldn't be prouder," Yusef added with a short laugh, "If you want to learn an instrument I'm sure you'll do fine. But no playing the ones here, I don't imagine they'd be too happy if you tried." Ushering the children up stairs Yusef was pleased to find the displays up here nowhere near as crowded, making access to the spots they wanted far easier. The instruments were clearly labeled and there was an entire wall dedicated to their display, multiple types hung up and others placed carefully around the museum floor, roped off from wandering hands. Stringed instruments, refined bones and skulls, drums, ridged sticks and things Yusef couldn't even begin to guess how they worked, it was quite interesting to see. Music played a large role in their many festivals but anything their musicians used was much more modern and refined, he'd never seen where many had originated from. "I imagine other worlds have different instruments still. Imagine trying to learn so many..." The Kaesstrian mused, folding his hands behind his back as he read some inscriptions, "You could spend your entire life trying and maybe never learn them all there's so many."

Haku couldn't imagine ever trying to learn an instrument, it seemed like it would take so long to even become remotely good at it. Especially looking at some of Kaesstra's instruments it was pretty obvious none were designed for people like him with only two arms, he couldn't even figure out how he'd hold some of them save maybe the drums. "I bet there's s-someone on Uuonoe who could teach you. There's all kids of p-p-people there, so there's got to be at least one m-musician, right?" Maybe he should pick up some kind of hobby for himself too, but what would he be any good at? Should he learn an instrument alongside T'charrl? He'd never really had the luxury of free time so he'd never gotten a hobby but Haku would love to be able to do something fun for himself. "O-Or... There's other stuff you can do t-too... Like making things, there's l-l-lots of craftsmen on Uuonoe too! O-Or uh..." he mumbled as he trailed off, brow furrowing as he tried to think of what else he'd seen. Cooking? What else did people do for fun? He'd seen the Princes run around playing tag but he'd hardly call that a hobby.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

The food wasn't nearly as bad as Kabocha had expected it to be. Sure the sauce was a bit much and maybe the spice could be toned back but he couldn't say he hated what he was eating right now. "It's certainly not the worst thing I've ever eaten. Those grubs we had back on that other world earned that," Kabocha recalled as he grimaced, taking a bite of his meal as if to satiate and wash away the disgusting memory, "Mmph... It is. I guess that's what happens when you got all kinds of people here, all their foods end up here too. There's way more variety here than there is on Kortal. Food's good but its always the same crap, over and over." The twins could do a pretty decent job cooking but even they could only make whatever they were given for ingredients; nobles got to enjoy better food than commoners for sure but only royalty and really high rank nobility got anything of value from off-world. Uuonoe was like a buffet of all kinds of foods, much more than anything Kortal could ever offer. "Hm... You know, maybe there's a point to cooking after all. Maybe when I take over for one of the idiot Saiyan governors I can have you two cook for me then too!" Kabocha laughed as he stuffed another bite into his mouth, "Or... Mmm... You know, maybe I can just do something on Earth. They probably could use a real leader, and since you two will probably settle there I may as well too. I should go where the good food is after all!"

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"Nothing I can do so it doesn't matter... Really? Is that what you're going with, Viral?" June asked crossly, sighing as she shook her head. Getting up from her seat she went to the refrigerator and fetched a pitcher of water, getting a glass and setting it before Viral, "I can't save the world like you can, but since I can't do it it doesn't matter. Or I can't perform surgery like Aito can, but again since I can't do it means it doesn't matter." Pouring Viral a glass of water she slid it towards him before frowning and setting the pitcher down on the table. "Just because I might not be able to help doesn't mean you can't tell me honey, or that I don't care. And if I know what's wrong then I can talk to Aito for you and straighten things out. But I can't help if you don't talk to me." Yumi seconded the sentiment and June was surprised Viral hadn't at least opened up to her. Of all the people Viral was around she figured Yumi was absolutely the closest and could be confided in, apparently not however. Returning to her seat June smiled sadly and folded her hands in her lap, looking at Viral hopefully as she pressed further. "So please, whatever it is you can tell me, I'll gladly listen. Anything at all just get it off your chest."

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Haku was thrilled that T'charrl was becoming so excited over this idea. He hadn't seen his friend smile in... Well really in ever, there always seemed to be something bringing his friend down and any smiles were half-hearted at best. It was maybe a bit of a long shot to go and collect things from other worlds with everything going on but it was something to work towards, and if it made T'charrl happy even better. "The fighting h-has to end some time, and when it d-does we can make the museum! I'll help f-find things for it, if you'll l-l-let me!" He already loved traveling to other worlds and getting to experience what it had to offer, any world aside from Kortal was brilliant. If they got to collect items and bring it back to share with T'charrl's people then all the better. "I b-bet people would be happy to give us stuff, especially p-people you've helped. And if your w-world gets space travel then other p-people could come to see it too!"

"That would be interesting, having more off-worlders visiting us. I'm excited and a little uneasy about the idea." They had never truly been visited by anyone aside from a handful of times, the majority of which now belonged to T'charrl and his friends. So to open their world entirely to outsiders would be a drastic change. And not only would it pose risks, as naturally Yusef worried about security, but it would take the agreement of every single kingdom to allow such a thing to happen. "We can talk to your mother about it when we get back, I don't imagine she'll hate the idea. She's the one that's been pushing so much for more arts for our city. We'd just have to find the space to put the museum, or renovate an old building..." One way or another they would make it happen, now that it had been brought up Yusef was determined to see it come to fruition; T'charrl was positively enthralled with the idea and there was no way the general could let his son's optimism and excitement go to waste. "Let's look around a little more before we go eat, hm? I hear they have some old instruments on the second floor, it might be nice to see those. I'm curious what we used to use."

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I just posted so does that exclude me? :3

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Why didn't the twins aspire to have more? Weren't they sick of being in everyone else's shadows? Didn't they want some kind of power? Kabocha couldn't understand them or their willingness to just be cooks for the rest of their lives. To busy to continue arguing as he was trying not to lose his lunch over his lunch Kabocha tentatively prodded the meet with his fork, grimacing as it sloshed about and the meat peeled apart. "Sensitive stomach nothing, this looks like food you'd feed prisoners. It's slop..." the noble grumbled, turning over the meat and furrowing his brow at the pink ring around the meat. Was that normal? Didn't pink mean it wasn't good to eat? "Sure, but if this kills me I'm haunting your asses for all eternity, that's on you." Well worst case scenario he'd probably be propped up on the toilet all day while this mess worked its way through his system. Sighing to himself Kabocha made a face and pulled a piece of the meat off of the plate, studying it before throwing it into his mouth. "Huh... That's not bad..." It was sweet and spicy and the meat was quite tender, the sauce was a bit heavy but at least it was tasty. Eyebrows rose in surprise as he looked at his plate, smiling despite himself and quickly peeling away another slice, throwing it back with a contented sigh. This would do just fine.

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"You don't want anything at all? I'm cooking and I figured you might be hungry after your mission," June asked as she watched Viral slowly sit himself down. Immediately something didn't seem right and she was determined to find out what had happened and why he was in pain. She knew they had gone off on a mission but she didn't know any of the details of it. "He's very busy, I think he's working with Shu right now. I'm sure he'll be by soon to eat though, if you want to wait here. Yumi, would you like a drink dear?" Smiling she went to the refrigerator and took out a jug of water, filling a glass before handing it over to Yumi. Now then what was wrong with Viral? Looking at him carefully for a moment June grabbed herself a chair and placed it in front of Viral's, frowning and reaching out as she grabbed one of his paws. "Honey, you're not hiding your pain from me, I can tell you're sore. Where does it hurt? Let me help." Wanting to make it absolutely clear she wasn't taking no for an answer June tightened her grip on Viral's paw slightly, both hands wrapped around it as she inched her chair closer and smiled at him. "And please don't give the the 'it doesn't matter' piece because it does matter Viral. Now tell me where it hurts and if there's anything I can do."

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"People are afraid of new things, once they get used to it you won't be scary anymore. And King Nema is going to help us, remember? If all goes well you won't be like that for much longer." They could only hope that the King had made progress with his research and his people had found something that would help them. To keep his mind off of the problem at hand Yusef suggested they make their own museum back home and share things from other worlds with everyone. It would be something entirely unique to their planet and would bring in people from the kingdoms over, and to his delight T'charrl seemed to be on board with the idea. "That would be splendid! Keep some for yourself too of course, I'm sure some were gifts, but if you don't mind sharing them then I know everyone would love it." Yusef himself was extremely intrigued and wanted to know what lay beyond their own world, he was several seasons older than his son and yet his son had vastly more knowledge on that than he ever likely would.

"We could probably g-g-get an awful lot on Uuonoe t-too, T'charrl," Haku suggested eagerly, "They have l-lots of different p-people there, so there's got to be a lot of d-different things for us to b-bring back!" There were Saiyans, the Uuonians themselves and then countless other races, every one of which had their own culture and goods they brought with them. Heck, Uuonoe itself was kind of like a museum if you thought about it, all those different people coming together and sharing what they had with each other. "We would h-have to probably buy m-most of it, but the rebels could do th-that for us! And that g-gives us another reason to c-come back here again later. I want to see more of K-Kaesstra." Yusef had mentioned those to the north and naturally Haku's curiosity had been piqued.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"It's not hard to figure out, Kai. If I'm going to end up ruling something then I'll need people to help me with that, people I can trust, understand? Wouldn't you two rather be able to live like royalty instead of flipping burgers for people all day? Come on guys, think about it! Money, food, whatever you wanted and its all yours." Nobility had those kinds of perks and Kabocha couldn't well imagine life without them. He wasn't looking for handouts, he'd earn what he got, but he needed that status. If you weren't high up in society then you were wasting your time with whatever you were doing. His parents' parents had been of noble birth and his parents, and now him, nobility was in his blood! "Think about it, I'm offering you guys a way out of doing that for the rest of your lives. Cook in your free time if you want but wouldn't you rather be in charge of a planet? Or even a country? Anything?" Anything had to be better than spending their lives working for other people like a servant. Who wanted that?

"Nobles do much more than that! You commoners just think that's all we do!" Kabocha answered indignantly, growing red in the face as he grew embarrassed, "We make decisions about how to run things, we decide on what projects we should take to try and make things better for people! We decide when to go to war, and we promote people if they've earned it, and..." And the twins weren't listening to him anymore were they? Kai was placing his order and Choi was busy staring at the menu trying to decide himself. Groaning inwardly and rolling his eyes Kabocha stepped aside and waited for the twins to finish, his foot impatiently tapping against the ground. A sever beside him offered out his meal to him and he didn't realize at first as he nearly swat the dish away, realizing only after it was meant for him. Accepting it from the perturbed cook he looked at his dish and wrinkled his nose, sloshing the sauce on the meat around uneasily. "You two talked me into getting this stuff... Remember that when I'm on the toilet all night because of you..."

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Yumi opened her mouth to try and correct Viral before thinking better of it. Why say anything when June herself could debunk that? She was for all purposes Viral's mothers, heck she was practically Yumi's at this point, and if anyone was going to heap praise and love onto Viral it would be her. He could be pessimistic as he'd like but Yumi was confident that June would brighten his day up. Or fluster him, more likely fluster him than help anything. Trying to keep from bounding ahead out of excitement she kept pace with Viral and somehow remained silent while they walked. Upon reaching their house Yumi took a moment and sniffed at the air, confirming that Aito was not present, nor were Shu or Takeshi. She guessed they were most likely off for Shu's sessions or some kind of training which was good, no Aito meant no angry Viral. June was however present and from the smells she was catching she was in the middle of cooking too. Beaming at Viral she hurried up the steps and into the building, sighing happily at the food in the air. "Hey June, we're home!"

When everyone got back June had every intention of sitting people down to have a proper meal together. Since she and Aito had come back they hadn't had a chance to and while some of their friends were off she'd take what she could get. They were a family darn it and they'd have at least one meal together like one. Humming to herself as she placed a large roasted bird in the oven she smiled broadly at Yumi's voice, closing the oven door before hurrying to the living room. There they were, Viral and Yumi back from their job finally! "Oh I missed you two, welcome home!" Hurrying across the room she threw her arms around Yumi in a hug and laughed as she was picked up off of her feet, smiling as she then walked over to Viral and gave him a hug as well. "The food's cooking if you're here to eat, so you're a little early. I hope you two don't mind waiting. I'm glad you're both home!" June continued, pausing as she looked up at Viral. Frowning she licked the pad of her thumb before reaching up and rubbing his cheek clean, nodding in approval once the speck of dirt was gone. "Come in, sit down, can I get you two something to drink? A snack while we wait for the food?"

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"Its a necessary evil but it is dark, wouldn't you agree? Or is war good?" Yusef didn't expect an answer nor was he asking for one, it was purely rhetorical in nature. "You're right, you need to know how to use these. As long as there's conflict there's a need for weapons, it's why people like me have spent our entire lives training. And don't get the wrong idea, a weapon in of itself is neither good nor evil," he continued as he reached into the display case and ran a hand over the glass, eyeing a decorative sword thoughtfully, "It's how the weapon is used that decides that. And you'll use your weapons for good, I know you will. So your past is never dark, remember that. Men like Garesh have dark pasts, but you don't." Those who fought for greed, for jealous or simply for fun were evil and their weapons equally so, and those kinds of things were very clearly dark. But T'charrl? The warriors celebrated in fables and stories? Those were hereoes and deserved their weaponry and belongings to be put in a museum. "I... Don't know if food would be a good idea. I don't know how well it would keep. Or if anyone wouldn't try to eat it," Yusef added with a laugh, smiling at T'charrl amused, "Plants may work, and other items might too! I'm not saying you have to go out of your way to gather things, but if you find something interesting then maybe bring it back with you? I'm sure everyone would love to see what other worlds have."