#oc: fallafal

[fluffybunnybadass]

3 facts about Fallafal

He's not much of a fighter, and would rather find less violent/punchy solutions to things. Unfortunately, he's usually in the wrong genre/series for that.

He spoils his nieces with attention/wins whenever they visit, and is their favorite uncle!

Boy saw an alien girl exhibit strength beyond his human expectations and decided that's what he was into

[fluffybunnybadass]

Juniper: I feel like I'd be Earth element...ed? Elemental? It's ridiculously strong and can become mountains and immoveable!

Fallafal: ...Don't ya mean that mountains are made o' Earth?

Juniper: ;>> Exactly what I meant. Strong things, big things, like mountains or cliffs or boulders... They're all pretty immovable! You can't change it easily! It can be whatever it wants to be!

Fallafal: I don't quite get ya, I mean, people made shovels an' hammers an' drills to get through Earth, ain't that right?

Juniper: Fallafal! That's beside the point! We're focusing on the strengths of an element and why we'd pick it!

Fallafal: Sis, I think 'ey were all talkin' 'bout what'd'you pick, nawt the strengths

Juniper: You're being about as fun as a wet bag, Fallaffy! >:T

Fallafal: ....

Juniper: Fine then! What would YOU pick, my dearest little brother?

Fallafal: ... Iunno. I ain't ever thought 'bout that 'fore.

Juniper: Really? Not even while watching any cartoon shows?

Fallafal: *shrugs* Not really. I just thought 'bout bein' support, 'cuz I can't stand the thought of hurtin' others jus'to get 'round some issue or whatnot

Juniper: *nodding* That's true. You really don't like to fight...

Fallafal: But I wouldn' mind helpin' others...

Juniper: So... Maybe Healing? Or Support? Although I suppose that's more of a role than an element.... Maybe Life, but I'm not sure that'd fit you.

Fallafal: Why not?

Juniper: I'unno. Just doesn't seem like a good fit.

Fallafal: Well, I'm thinkin' I can call it a "weird" element, and go with Support. But since yer so strong an' Earthy, Junnie, I think ya be jus' fine without mine!

Juniper: Oh don't be like that!

Maris cast, or at least anyone interested in answering.

If you were given elemental powers, which element would you pick (and why, if you feel like elaborating)?

Elements aren't limited to the classical western/eastern elements, even though they count. But you can pick "weird" elements as well.

Hikaru: Lightning, obviously, that's kind of my thing. I mean, my name itself means light, but in practice I'm a lightning user, just like Pikachu. Also we have a Light and Darkness user in Loaño, just want to throw that out there.

Naota: Hmm, Juniper isn't here but I get the feeling she's wood or plant elemental. But I can't say for sure. Any thoughts Juniper? @fluffybunnybadass

Fletcher: I like birds so I kind of want Wind but also I kind of feel some attachment to Darkness for no particular reason... so maybe that?

Ham: Hmm Water, Wind, Electricity combo. I don't care if three feels unfair, that's what feels right to me. No particular reason really.

Justin: Honestly, I feel like I'd be a Non-Elemental type. Like a Normal type in Pokémon. Just don't feel much affinity either way.

Aron: I'm Darkness all around, guess we're going some overlap. But unless you want us to all get really weird, it's only natural.

Erica: Grass type all the way. I love plants.

Naota: Well if we're all gravitating toward Pokémon types I want to be a Fairy. Maybe. Either that or a Cat Type. Cat Type works. I just vibe with those options.

Ham: Oh, maybe I can be Dragon then.

Yukari: Hmm, Insect maybe? Or Light~ if we break back away from Pokémon. Oh maybe I can be Astral, like in Cassette Beasts.

Montana: Hmmm, really no clue.

Alicia: Me neither.

Yuu: Time. In several Tales of games, Time is an Element. Or at least one of the games features Time as an Element. Even I don't have perfect memory.

Montana: Oh I like Time.

Alicia: Same.

Yukari: Wait, wasn't there also an Elemental Element in Eternia? I mean, other than a dumb sounding name that might be fun.

Yuu: Yes, it had an association with Space, as in spacial magic. Might be perfect for the teleporting Horse Holder.

Naota: Oh that does work, I was thinking maybe Wind, but Space works too. Or maybe Fighting. I mean, nothing. It'd be her call anyway.

@wingedcatgirl

Sonya: I... feel like I have an association with Darkness at this point, though I am not particularly fond of it. You know what, I pick Bubblegum. I'm a Bubblegum type.

Naota: Bubbles are cool- oh maybe I can be Peppermint Elemental. Or a dual type. Peppermint Fairy.

Carmen: Oh this all sounds fun. I think I want to be either Fairy like in Pokémon or borrow from Cassette Beasts and be an Astral Type.

Daichi: Just gonna be boring and say Earth.

Daisuke: I'm a fighting type.

Arc: I feel like the obvious answer would be Water type. I mean, two of my 'aumakua are se creatures. But I don't know if I vibe with it that much.

Owen: If Inari was here he'd probably sya Fighting type. Either that or he'd try to come up with something super cool. Like God Type. I myself feel like leaning toward Psychic Type.

Mr. Aldaine: I like fishing, so I have to say Water.

Roxanne: Is there a Healing type specifically, I want to Heal people. Err that's usually Light based I guess. I just want to heal people.

Velicia: Wow this team seems unbalanced. I guess Fire just ro round things out maybe? I don't feel particularly attached to any to be honest.

Ms. Li: I pick- Balance.

[chikorithesaiyan]

FIC;; Chikori's No Good, Very Bad Day

Word Count: 10951

Summary: Today hasn't been off to a very good start. First, there's a reminder of her old life that spawns suddenly in the middle of TokiToki City. Then, some guy named Greg offers to let her blow off some steam by having her fight him-- and lose! On top of that, he expects her to just mosey along with him to do some Parallel Quest that she's nowhere near strong enough for?

It's a very bad day to be a trainee Time Patroller, that's for sure.

Featuring: @roberttheglitcherino's oc Greg, references to this RP with @bounty-hunter-amara's Yaro, canon compliant violence... and then some!, Chikori having PTSD and flashbacks (not the fun kind), Fallafal having a crush, Great Ape Vegeta, and best of all: Ginyu getting to be Ginyu.

Content Warnings: detailed violence, PTSD, terrible attempts at writing country dialect

------------------

It was already a bad day. Things were made worse when Chikori saw that former Saiyan Army commander appear in TokiToki out of nowhere. He claimed to have no idea as to what was going on, and while it seemed to be true, Chikori couldn't help but doubt that those closest to the king could be just as conniving and evil as he was. She had all but caused a scene, one that was hurriedly covered up by the good grace that was Fallafal. Sensing no immediate threat from the Saiyan, she had abruptly turned tail and left, wanting to let off steam somewhere away from them.

What little bit of reason she had thought that leaving Fallafal around him might be regrettable. His kindness could easily be turned against him, and she had no doubt that the commander could do that. Or any Saiyan with a brain cell, for that matter. His safety was also a concern. But between the waves of Patrollers coming and going from the central hub, and her anger, she couldn't be assed to worry. Instead, she did her best to focus on the PQ board, trying to find something she could throw herself into.

That said, trying to find something was difficult when you were too angry to read the unfamiliar language. Scowling, she tried to skim for pictures, numbers of suggested power levels, anything, but her mind was just too pre-occupied by her frustrations that all she did was glare angrily at the board. That was all it took for an older Saiyan named Greg to notice her. He was a few good feet taller than her, but he couldn't ignore the waves of anger heating up below him. He wasn't sure when she would notice him, but he offered a friendly smile as he watched her.

“Yer lookin' a bit too angrily at them boards, little lady. Got a quest that's been kickin' yer ass?”

Chikori pretended not to hear him. It wasn't hard, given how hard she was focusing on picking one out of the list available to her. The damn Majins that were training her and Fallafal had restricted their access to what missions they could do without a senior Time Patroller to help.

The older Saiyan rubbed the back of his head. Something had definitely set her off. He knew that it wasn't like most of his kind to be open to sharing their issues, but that didn't stop him from trying to help where he could. It was that sort of helpfulness, willingness to listen, and his caring demeanor, that had earned Greg the title of “dad friend” in his own squad. He tried again.

“So what quest you need helpin' with?”

Chikori didn't say anything, but merely glanced briefly in his direction, confirming whether or not he was talking to her.

He was.

Fuckin' great.

She let out a short sigh; the last thing she needed was someone else getting in her business. And she couldn't trust anyone yet to believe her, much less be on her side. Everything here was just too... new to her. She couldn't get the vibe of the place, where people allowed those who were on the wrong side of history to train those who sought to protect it. Nothing about it felt right.

It was almost as bad as being on that peaceful planet the Majins left her on for two years.

“Look, I can tell ya's got sumthin' on yer mind, and I'd like to help ya. How's 'bout this. What do you say to a little friendly sparring, Saiyan to Saiyan?”

Chikori quirked an eyebrow. She turned around to get a better look at Greg. He was perhaps as wide as she was tall, muscles on muscles. Perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but she felt dwarfed looking up at him. She might be able to get in a few punches, but the density of the older Saiyan made her feel almost as impotent as she did earlier with the Saiyan Commander. It would have to be a long fight, but whether or not she had the stamina for that anymore...

Greg was rolling up the cuff of his jacket, looking down at her. He cocked a grin.

“Got'cher interest wit' that, did I?”

Her eyes traveled to his waist; there was no tail resting there. Then perhaps....? She tried to nonchalantly look behind him, but wasn't able to see anything. She couldn't tell his ki from the next person's while they were standing in the central hub.

“You're a Saiyan?”

“Yer damn right I am! Hell, I can best e'en the strongest Great Apes these PQs can throw at ya!”

It sounded like an exaggeration to her, but she didn't acknowledge it either which way.

“Where's your tail?” she asked, suspicious of him.

“Eh? Oh, is that what y'were doin' just now, tryna look for that tail-tell sign? Hahaha!” He slapped his knee, laughing at his own joke. Chikori crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting. “You must be one of 'em newer recruits, huh? Don't know yet that it's mighty common for us to cut off our tails here, didja?”

She felt her stomach twist in disgust, and her breakfast threatened to come back up. Saiyans never cut off their own tail; it was a matter of pride and power! She recoiled physically, taking a step back from him in horror.

“What Saiyan in their rightmind--”

“'Ey! Don'cha know it's policy if you wanna go on some of these missions that you ain't got a tail, or you ain't going. We can't have no accidents where you be fighting wit' us one minute, an' the next we gotsta be fightin' YOU.”

She tsked. Of course that would be the case. Maybe that was the real reason why so many of those missions were restricted to her; only her squad leader could unlock them for her, and Nanna had impressed upon her that she wouldn't be able to go on them until they had a 'talk' later about some of the other rules and guidelines that the Time Patrol had. That had been a few weeks ago, and Nanna hadn't brought it up since.

“So we mutilate ourselves, in order to appease some higher power so that we can work for them?” It reminded her a little too much of Frieza.

Greg scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “Well, w'en you put it like that...” He shook his head. "But that's neither here nor there! I was askin' youwhat ya needed help with. 'Cuz you sure were givin' them machines a mighty hard stare. If looks could kill, why I think Miss Bulma might have to come out here an' fix everything herself!”

Chikori had no idea who that was or what any of that mattered. Instead, she crossed her arms again and stared up defiantly at the taller Saiyan. Sensing that he was about to lose her interest in fighting, much less getting out what was bugging her, Greg tried again.

“So, how's 'bout that spar? If you beat me, I'll drop it an' leave you 'lones, if you wish. But if I beat ya, ya gotta tell me what's eatin' at ya.”

She sized him up again. She didn't need a scouter to tell her that he outclassed her. Survival instincts told her to flee, but her boiling Saiyan blood refused to turn down the challenge. And she still needed a punching bag to let out all of this tension, if she couldn't do any of the PQs. She'd like to not destroy the first one she set eyes upon.

“...Fine. You're on.”

Chikori followed Greg to an unused training arena. She stopped some paces behind him, looking around. It was like a coliseum, but instead of the stone, blood-stained seating that she knew, the seating here was made of metal. The walls that separated the seats from the arena were colorfully decorated with flags and symbols of unfamiliar origins to her. The actual arena itself was a simple, open area. Tiles marked the ground upon which combatants would fight. There was nothing to hide behind or use as an object to throw at someone. Surrounding the ring was grass, upon which some debris was being picked up by the bots that helped keep Toki Toki City clean.

There were hardly any Patrollers in the stadium at the moment. She could see some in the bleachers, spread apart enough that it was clear none of them were interacting with the others that they weren't already talking to. None of them would bat an eye at a couple of Saiyans using it.

Greg turned around to face Chikori. He crushed his hands together, cracking his knuckles as the easy-going, jovial face he wore instantly changed to serious.

“Alright! Now I wants ya to come at me like yer life depends on it!”

Chikori didn't hesitate.

“Haaaaaa!!!!”

She charged at him, aiming a kick at his head. It connected, giving herself a small satisfied smirk... until she realized that he wasn't giving under the force of it.

He didn't even flinch.

“Gahahaha!! That's a nice kick!” He held up a hand to push her away, and immediately she jumps far back, like a cat. Fear is alight in her skin, every sense in her screaming to dodge before he can touch her. She hasn't been this agile in years.

“But didn't I say to come at me like yer life depended onnit?”

He's quick. Quicker than her. Before she can realize where he is, he's already thrown several punches at her. All she can see is the sky spinning. The force of the wall-- no the ground-- that hits the side of her head as she crashes into the tiled floor comes far after she realizes the spinning has stopped. She can feel a deep impression in the ground, and struggles to focus her vision on the line of sky that separates ground level from her depression.

“'Ey! I reckon' you's got more'n that in ya, right?!” She can hear him shouting from somewhere far away, somewhere above her head. It's somewhere far away from this depression in the ground. “What happened to all that anger, lil' lady?”

Well, it sure wasn't beaten out of her in just one blow. Chikori reaches out a hand to pick herself up out of the ground. It travels up the uneven, rough rocky cavern until air tickles her fingers. She lifts her hand up and slaps down on the smooth tile, pulling herself out of the ground. She spits out the dirt and gravel that had managed to find its way into her mouth. Blood trickles down her head from where she hit the ground, and she wipes it out of her eyes. Those green eyes of her glare down Greg with a fiery passion that she hadn't dare show before. One that she hasn't felt in what feels like decades.

“That's a good look in your eyes. Great! Now c'mon, hit me with all ya got!”

With a yell, Chikori launches herself at him again. He easily dodges the flurry of kicks she sends his way, a smile on his face as he closes his eyes. Air breezes past his ears. He ducks to avoid a swinging kick aimed at his head, and sidesteps the incoming punch. He doesn't need his eyes open to read her movements.

“Ha! Yer like an open book.”

With a scream, she throws a punch at his head; it goes sailing past. Without any wasted movements, he's taken ahold of her and thrown her all the way over his shoulder. Chikori crashed into the wall on the far side. Tile falls down around her. Letting out a hiss of pain, she struggles to stand straight on her feet. Move! she yells at her legs, which threaten to buckle under her weight. Move! Get up! Stand!! With each thought she's taken a step forward, out of the ground. Panting, she looks up at him. Glaring.

“Is that....” She gasps, sharp pain taking the air out of her as she forces herself to speak. Chikori grits her teeth, fangs baring. A scream welling up inside her, as she yells, “Is that... All... YOU... GOT!?!?”

He had to hand it to her. He didn't think she'd be getting up so quickly from that one, even if she was struggling to stand, much less breathe. Probably broke a rib or something, but now wasn't the time to worry about that.

Now was the time to egg her on. To let that anger out in full force. Now was the time... for a hearty laugh!

“Gahahaha! Well, it's nice ta' see that ya got our indomitable spirit! But where's some of tha' fight?! I'm gettin' kinda bored here just watchin' you buzz 'round me like a fly. Don't wanna pull out the fly swatta just yet.”

Chikori gave Greg a rude gesture. He laughed loudly, a big guffaw.

It wasn't funny to her.

She charges at him again. And once more, he dodges her as easily as one moves around a toddler. He takes ahold of the punch she's thrown, and she twists herself like a cartwheel to throw a kick at his wrist to let herself go.

It's ineffective.

She feels like a toddler, just trying to hit him. Like when Fallafal's nieces would throw a tantrum and wail and bang against him because he wouldn't let them play with the model truck his family kept on a high shelf. She felt... helpless.

And she hated that.

Growling, she charges up ki in her hand and shoots it at his face, causing him to loosen his grip on her and stumble backwards. She floats high into the air, aiming more ki blasts at him. She's trying to keep him on his toes, growling and screaming in frustration as she shoots off the small energy blasts. But he regains his footing from the surprise blast. In no time at all, he's easily swatting them away like it was nothing. Clouds of dust burst from the ground where the scattered blasts landed. It gave her an idea. She changed tactics, shooting at the ground around him to build up a dust cloud.

“'Ey! What're you aimin' at?! ….Ahaha! I git it now. Thinkin' yer can sneak up on ol' Greg with an attack like this? Ain't no trouble for me!” He spins around at an impossible speed, building up a blue tornado that gathers up the dust. He's rising into the air with it as he controls the force. The tornado's still going when he stops spinning, eyes quickly searching for the small Saiyan. Behind him, he senses her ki. He turns around and grabs the outstretched leg, stopping her kick as she now struggled mid-air.

“Gotcha.”

He spins around like a discus thrower, tossing her into the ground.

This was beyond frustrating. Tears were welling up in her eyes. She pushes herself off the ground, stumbling to get her footing. She wasn't going to give up. Focusing, she stretches her arms in front of her, hands close together, palms facing outward. She charges ki into her hands, holding it long enough that when it launches, there's a trail of energy that follows behind. But rather than swat it away, he leaves an afterimage that dissipates the moment her attack touches. She wasn't even able to get a read on his movements.

“Now... lessee if you can take some of what yer tryna dish out.”

He's in her face before she's realized it.

“Boo!”

He claps her on the shoulder, and she's immediately swatted sideways into another wall. This time, he doesn't wait for her to recover. He's coming out her with his own techniques, holding back his true strength so as to not kill her. It was a playfight, after all. Training, if you could call it that. He could tell that Chikori needed some kind of catharsis when he first talked to her. Whatever was upsetting her, he knew that knocking her out before she could achieve it was counterproductive to what he was trying to do.

“Don't'chu go passin' out on me! 'Ere.” He tossed a capsule at her. It fell to the floor with a soft clatter. Worried that he might have knocked her out already, he looked at her more closely. She was staring back defiantly. She spat out what was probably blood and a tooth that he might have knocked loose.

He gave her a disapproving look. “I ain't tryna poison you, if tha's what yer worried 'bout! It's a healin' capsule. Swallow what's inside it an' you'll get yer energy back. Like a Senzu.”

Chikori didn't know what a Senzu was, and she didn't care to find out at the moment. She ignored it, instead getting herself into a new ready position.

“Take it, little lady,” he growled, his voice low with a warning tone. “You'll thank me for it later.”

In response, she stomped the capsule into the ground.

“Don't want the help? Fine, suit yerself. Don't say I din't offer!”

One more beating later, and he had managed to force-feed a nearly-passed out Chikori a Senzu Bean that he had fished out of a shirt pocket. The shorter Saiyan struggled out of his hold like a feral cat when she came to. She scrambled to get away from him, heartbeat still pounding from the excitement of battle. Her tail was puffed out; she was practically hissing at him to stay back, despite the fact that he was more than capable of taking anything she could dish out.

He crossed his arms, and tried to keep his frustration from showing.

“Ya should be thankin' me, ya'know. Us Saiyans git stronger every time we pick ourselves off th' ground.”

“...”

“You don't like to talk, do ya?”

“...”

“Alright, alright, fine. Here's an easier one. My name's Greg. What's yer name?”

“....It's Chikori.”

“Chikori! Why, I ain't heard a Saiyan name like that in a long time-- not too many Saiyans got them traditional names anymore. Ain't nuthin' wrong with that, though! So, 'bout wha'cher upset about earlier...”

There was a tense silence as she leaned away from him. He took the sign and sighed.

“You ain't gotta tell me what's actually goin' on, if you don't wanna. You jus' seemed madder than a wet hen. Well, I'm here ta' tell ya' that a fledgling Saiyan like you ain't got nothin' to worry 'bout, here with tha' Time Patrol. We're good people, doin' good things. Well, as good as you can let 'em be, given that it's 'bout protectin' history. Good, bad, an' ugly.”

“...I'm 25.”

He laughed. “Yer still a fledgling! I ain't callin' you one 'cuz of yer size, it's 'cuz of yer heart!! Ain't nothin' but a youngin' that goes 'round getting' upset an' lettin' strangers fight 'em ta' 'void talkin' 'bout it. C'mon, I'll take ya out on a PQ. We'll kick some apes' asses, an' I'll show you how it's all done in one go.”

The way he said it felt a little patronizing to Chikori. Her tail unfurled from around her waist, swishing angrily in the air with short, curt movements. But more than that...

“Didn't you say earlier--”

“Eh, I could take ya if ya turned Ape.”

“For what it's worth, I don't plan on turning into a Great Ape,” Chikori said when they arrived at their destination. Greg gave her knowing smile.

“Yah, no one plans on it. Doesn't mean accidents don't happen! 'Ere.” He tossed a pair of goggles to her. She caught them, giving him a questioning look. “Moon glasses. Think o' 'em like sunglasses, 'cept they block out the moon an' them whatchamacallit waves that transform ya. I know, I know, they look like goggles an' not glasses, but it's'ta keep it on ya better.”

Chikori looked around, noticing the bright sky and lack of night.

“It's day.”

“Ya, these Great Ape fights are durin' the day! Didn't ya know 'bout the artificial moons? Thought all ya old-fashioned Saiyans knew 'bout 'em...”

She shook her head. Chikori had heard about the technique called a Power Ball, but had never bothered to learn it. It was beyond her skill level, and she was fortunate enough that she had hardly needed it, much less worked with other Saiyans when she was part of the Frieza Force. As part of the scouting and recon ships, they hardly needed the manpower that required Saiyans to turn Great Ape. They hardly needed a Saiyan's power at all, in her experience.

She felt a sharp pain in her head, and clutched at it, letting out a small hiss of pain.

“Woah, woah. You ok there Chikori?” Greg quickly looked up, confirming what he knew. “There ain't e'en a moon made out yet.”

She gritted her teeth, bearing through it. Some echo of a memory threatened to resurface, but she couldn't remember what it was. What the words were. Something... blinking? Black, white lights, several others. Bright, blinding, something her ship's captain was saying.....

“Chikori?!”

She let out a gasp when Greg placed both hands on her shoulders, squeezing her gently.

“I'm... I'm okay.” The pain was beginning to subside. There was just this heavy, dull ache where sharp, blinding pain had been, and soon, the headache was gone as well. Greg handed her a flask, commanding her to drink from it. She eyed it suspiciously.

“It's jus' water.”

She gave the canteen a sniff, wrinkling her nose at the metal smell. But she didn't smell anything acrid, any alcohol---anything that would remind her of him. No, she didn't need that thought right now. She pushed it down, out of sight, and drank. A bit metallic, but it was definitely water. She handed the flask to him. He gave her a concerned look, doubting that she was altogether alright; if it even was a good idea after all to take her on a mission.

“Can you control yerself in yer Great Ape form?”

Chikori frowned. It was a genuine question he had asked. She had little experience with her Great Ape form. Everything would black out, and, she, like most Saiyans, wouldn't remember what happened during that time she was transformed. The thought of not knowing what happened, of what she did, of who she might have killed, was enough to keep her from using that form as much as possible. The night of the last full moon on Planet Tuffle, the night that turned the tide of the war... She hated the memories that the Great Ape forms dredged up.

Asking about it only made her feel even more inadequate.

Greg gave a slow exhale. He took in a deep breath, recollected himself, and decided to bring back the happy spirit by carrying on like usual. He gave her one last stern reminder.

“Well, you better put on 'em glasses if you wanna see o' remember the rest o' the mission.”

Reluctantly, Chikori put them on, adjusting her scouter over it. Greg gave her a grin and a thumbs up.

“Now yer lookin' ready to fight! An' just in time, too, 'cuz here comes one of 'em now.”

The air shook with an intense pressure that greeted the two of them before the Great Ape ever landed. The ground crumbled under the large ape's feet. Even Greg, with his massive size, was like an ant next to the looming giant that glared at the two Saiyans with its red eyes.

Chikori felt her body go weak at the sight of it, but caught herself. She was a Saiyan, she reprimanded herself. Saiyans don't flee from fights. And she wasn't planning on fleeing from any fight, ever. Fists tightening, she charged right in, sending a blast at the Great Ape. It bounced off its armor like a pebble. The Ape laughed, a deep chuckle that sent shivers down her spine. Behind her, she could hear Greg shouting after her.

“'EY! You don't need ta' go chargin' in recklessly like a bull! These damn fledglings...”

With an effortless swat of its hands, Chikori was sent flying into the nearest mountain. Gritting her teeth, she clawed her way out of the depression that it left. She was ready to fly back in there when she heard Greg shouting at the enemy.

“Now look 'ere, Nappa. I knows you ain't too happy to see me beat yer ass again, but that's what it's gonna hafta be. Gotta show these youngsters how to have some Saiyan pride, right? Gahaha! Don't worry, I'll take the real you out for drinks after this!” Greg zoomed past the transformed Saiyan, getting behind the giant beast.

“Chikori! Can ya hear me? Now, to beat these fellas, all's ya gotta do is just... give their tails a great big squeeze--” Greg was big. Big enough that he could wrap his arms all the way around the tail of a Great Ape and lift. “--And lift 'em up into the air like so, and—hup!!” He tossed the Ape into a mountain, the force of which managed to knock it out. “Knock 'em senseless in one hit! Ain't nuthin' else to it!”

And that was it. The fight was over before she had a chance to counterattack. Anti-climatic. Chikori watched him effortlessly toss the Great Ape like a doll, disposing of it before it could ever even fight back against him. Greg was dusting off his hands, looking over at Chikori to see if she had gotten out of that hole that Great Ape Nappa had smacked her into.

“You got all that?”

She nodded slowly. Then... Wait... “...Did you call him Nappa?”

“Yeah?”

“As in, the Saiyan general that works directly under the King's son?”

“Err, yeah, I reckon he did... What's this got to do with anythin', Chikori?”

“I...” Chikori shook her surprise off. No wonder his ki felt intense. No, it wasn't worth worrying about. If he could clear them easily, then it should be fine. After all, these PQs were just little off-shoots of the real timeline. “What-if” scenarios, as Nanna called them. Training material. These weren't the real people, there wasn't any reason to be scared. Nothing to be afraid of. These people wouldn't know that she had dared to raise a hand against them in the real world.

“...No, it's nothing.”

Greg gave her a questioning look, but didn't prod further. “Alrighty, if you say so, little miss. Now, how's 'bout you take on the next one?”

The thought made her body shiver. But she clenched her fists, willing herself to be brave.

“...Sure.”

The next one was a bit of a struggle. Chikori wasn't anywhere near as physically strong as Greg, nor was she was big as him. It was easier for her to grab onto individual strands of the ape's hair than it was for her to grab onto its tail. Greg was doing his best to help subdue the Great Ape long enough for her to lift, only for her toss to be not more than a few yards away.

She was huffing from the exertion it took.

“Well, I reckon' when we git back I oughta help ya build up some muscle...” Greg said, watching the Ape pick itself up. “C'mon now, Chikori! You can do this! I'll give him a good punch in the face, an' you can finish 'im off with another toss!”

Letting out a frustrated growl, she flew behind the Great Ape. Greg flew above, punching hard into the transformed Saiyan's head, knocking him down into the ground. Chikori tugged and pulled at the tail, but the beast recovered before she could lift him off the ground. He moved his tail and grabbed at the tiny Saiyan that was clinging onto it, squeezing her as he picked her up.

Chikori screamed in pain.

“CHIKORI!!” Greg sped down to aim a kick at the Ape's fist, but was backhanded away.

The Ape glared down at Chikori with its red eyes.

“You....” He breathed heavily, ape breath stronger than the pain he was causing her. “You're a Saiyan too. Why not join us in our rampage?”

She gagged, though it wasn't from the offer alone.

“Bite me!”

“Oh, I'll do more than just that. I'll tear you, limb from limb. Should I start from your tail, since you don't want to transform? Or maybe I'll show you some mercy, and tear your head off first?”

There was something... unsettlingly familiar about the threats. About the voice. But she had no way to be certain. She had never met him. Never heard him speak in anything resembling public speaking. She had only heard stories about the self-proclaimed King's son, about the so-called Prince. About how his cruelty rivaled Frieza's... or so the stories said.

She tried to push her way out of his grasp. She couldn't get a single hand free.

He put a claw right in front of her face; it was larger than her head. The threat was not lost on her.

“Well? Have you decided?”

“VEGETA!! A'HM NOT OUTTA THA' FIGHT YET!!!” There was a surge in ki, and before either of them could blink, Greg had kicked through the Great Ape's hand. Blood spewed. In his pain, the Great Ape Vegeta had let go of Chikori, clutching his missing hand and roaring in pain and anger. Greg caught Chikori before she fell, safely transporting her to the ground.

“You okay, lil' miss?”

No. She wasn't okay. Her muscles ached from the tight grip. Perhaps she had even broken a bone or two. She couldn't tell, because her entire body ached. But more than that, her pride was wounded. She absolutely hated the feeling of powerlessness. Of being unable to do anything. Of having to rely on other for help. She needed to get by on her own power.

After all...

Help never came when you needed it.

Groaning, she pushed herself away from Greg. He put her down next to boulder. He leaned her down until her back was resting against it.

“Careful. Yer mighty hurt right now. I reckon this mighta been too high-level a mission for ya, but I thought it mighta been worthwhile for ya to see tha' yer anger ain't gonna git you nowheres if you keep on like you were. Guess I was wrong in thinkin' you might be a decent team player.” He let out a low whistle. “I'd hate ta be in yer trainer's shoes, if yer like this all the time.”

Chikori coughed, her throat scratched to hell and back from the screaming and blood she was hacking up. She looked down. Her armor was cracked and falling apart. She could see the brightly colored clothing that Fallafal's older sister was kind enough to give her when they were back on Earth. Fallafal would have something to say about how it was torn up, and she knew he'd tell it to her while he mended it. The blood though... Heh. He might faint at the sight of it. Her breath caught in her throat as she took a raspy gasp. She covered her mouth with her hand while she choked on her cough. She pulled her hand back and saw something red on it. Blood. Her blood. She tried to move a leg. It felt like a massive weight was sitting on it, something as heavy as the Great Ape that lumbered towards them. She couldn't even feel the pain from it. She coughed again, trying not to think about the blood.

Her blood.

She was losing blood.

Wasn't that bad?

Somewhere, she was faintly aware of thunder. Of the rumbling ground. Pebbles that jumped up and danced around on the ground, while she laid there, struggling to move. That wasn't fair. She wanted—no, needed—to move too. C'mon, body. Move! She was shouting at it, struggling to assess just how badly it was hurt. She wasn't supposed to die like this!

(She wasn't supposed to be here, either.)

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair!

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. The thunder was louder now.

Greg fished around in his pocket for a handkerchief. He began to wipe the blood away from Chikori's mouth, and she jerked away like a petulant child. She didn't want the assistance. She could do that on her own when they got back to Tokitoki City. Besides, there was a storm coming. Didn't he need to do something about it? He was supposed to, wasn't he...?

Greg frowned at her. “Hold yer head still, Chikori.”

She whispered something.

“I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear ya on account of all the blood yer coughin' up! Seriously...” He didn't seem bothered by the towering figure that loomed over them now that it had finally stopped howling in pain. Greg was still struggling to wipe the blood away from Chikori's mouth, despite her barely conscious mind jerking her head away from him.

“I...said......Fuck... THIS!”

With what strength she could muster, Chikori pushed Greg away from her. She ripped off her scouter, the stupid damned moon-gogglesthe Time Patrol had invented, and looked above to see the massive figure of the Great Ape blocking out every bit of light. Blood was dripping down his arm, falling in big droplets that splashed when it hit the ground.

“I'm sorry, but that offer to join us has expired. You're going to die now.”

“Like hell it has!” Her eyesight was blurring. Hair was sticking to her face from a mixture of blood and sweat, and she struggled to ignore it. She concentrated a ki blast in her hand, throwing it at one of the Ape's eyes. He snarled, holding a hand up to block it. While he was distracted, Chikori shot out from under his shadow, quickly looking around for that artificial moon that was allowing the Saiyan Prince to maintain his transformation. She could hear Greg shouting something behind her, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the ape as he turned his attention onto him. Chikori's small size made it easier for her to hide amongst the rocky scene, and it was clear to Vegeta, even in his Great Ape form, that she was no threat to him. Even if she transformed...

There! She could catch the glimpse of something bright. Her heart beat faster. She had never changed intentionally before. It felt like she was crossing a line, one that she didn't realize she had placed so much emphasis on before. But it wasn't to turn on the Saiyan that had invited her here. It was to beat the shit out of the one that mocked and hurt her. To prove that she was capable of great strength, even if she had to go to lengths that... that what? The thoughts stopped there. She couldn't chase that sentence anymore. It had gone on too far ahead of her, and her eyes were closing, struggling to stay open...

The distant roar of the Great Ape rumbled through her. Her eyes snapped open again. Her body ached. She was sure she had broken bones somewhere, but not enough that it would hinder her if she changed. Her Saiyan blood was rushing now with adrenaline, from the anticipation of battle. It had given her a spurt of vigor that she hadn't known she was capable of. It was bleeding from the cut on her head again. It was in patches over her clothes. It pounded with excitement. She had never been pushed like this before; she had always played it safe. Could she, would she--?

Everything blacked out.

Nothing could have prepared Fallafal for what he saw when he walked into the nearby diner in Tokitoki City.

He had only wanted to stop in for some pop, and take some time to wind down from the day's events while seated at the counter. He had called Nanna and Mulla to help him with a person who had mysteriously arrived in the Central Hub. He was someone that he had seen Chikori talking to, albeit with very little excitement. That Saiyan that he saw Chikori talking to out in the Central Hub was identified as a Saiyan Commander, and it sure explained why her mood had suddenly gone sour. They had finished questioning him, with Fallafal taking notes, and now he was on his way to see her. Or, well, he needed to find her first, then see how she was doing.

At the counter, near where he normally sat, was Chikori, slouched over the counter like she was asleep. Her armor was broken in places, the clothing underneath looking torn to shreds. There was a white jacket draped over her backside like a blanket. Next to her was a large man in a blue shirt, itching at his goatee while he talked to someone on his left. The guy had ordered a water for her that was left untouched, and was drinking a strawberry shake for himself.

Fallafal was beside himself. He rushed over, unable to restrain himself as he fretted over her passed out form.

“WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED TO HER?!”

The man next to her took a sip from his drink and calmly answered him.

“Saw a moon.”

“...W-what?”

“She's better now. Ain'cha girl?” He gave her unconscious form a prod. “How're we feelin'?”

They could barely hear the utterances of a groan come from her.

“Yeah, yer fine.”

“I'll be...” Fallafal shook his head, turning to address the stranger more properly. “I'm so sorry, sir, for her... outburst. Do you mind tellin' me what happened?”

“Yeah!” He laughed. “It ain't no problem at all! See, she saw a moon, wen' an' become the Ape, so 'ah had to smack 'er against a mountain a coupla times to get her all incapacitated-like. She'll be fine.”

“WHA-- WHA'S THAT S'POSED TO MEAN?? YER TELLIN' ME SHE'S S'POSED TO BE OK AF'TA THAT???" That was more than enough for his normal dialect to slip out.

“Don't worry, I'm sure no one was recordin' it, if dat's what'cher worried 'bout.” He took another sip from his drink. Seems this younger feller's awfully worried 'bout her, he thought with a smile. He couldn't help it.

"R-recordin'? What th' hell's that got to do with anythin'?! I'm worried 'bout her health!! Got damnit, I ain't got none of those capsules them Majins told us 'bout...." He fumbled about his pockets, trying to find something to wake Chikori up with.

"Don'chu worry yerself none 'bout that. I already used a coupla when she got back t'a normal, she'll jus' need some rest. It ain't my first time wranglin' Great Apes; I know how 'ard to hit 'em to make 'em stop without lastin' damage. Enough to get 'er knocked out, but not to cause lastin' damage. Prolly wake up with a headache, though.”

As though on cue, Chikori let out a groan.

“There's our girl.”

“The hell?! Yer tryna' tell me tha's ok!?” Fallafal turned his full attention to Chikori, helping the Saiyan slowly sit up. “Hey, hey... You ok?”

“Fallafal...?” Blinking awake, she looked around. This wasn't that rocky outcropping where they were fighting the apes. This wasn't... anywhere that she was familiar with! Panic seized her, making her jump up, suddenly alert, ready to fight-- only for the motion to cause a pounding headache to nearly knock her back down. Fallafal kept her steady as she gritted her teeth, trying not to sway. He slowly guided her back down to her seat.

"Ah, there we go, already up'an'attem. Take it slow, Chikori. Yer head's gonna hurt a bit, but I got painkillers on hand."

Greg dug through his shirt pocket for one. Chikori glared at him. Fallafal barely had the water in hand to pass to her when she grabbed the pill out of Greg's hand, swallowing it dry.

"Uh... Ch'ikori? I ain't thinks yer s'posed to take that dry."

Chikori turned her glare on him and Fallafal kept his mouth shut.

Greg slapped his knee, amused at that little event.

“Hah! Thought I was th' only one who took 'em dry too!” He gave them a hearty laugh, but when neither of them join in, he stopped, sobering up for the moment. "Ah... but uh, seriously, don't worry little lady. Yer in good hands. Ah made sure yeh got out of it a-ok."

Bitter thoughts embroiled Chikori. She didn't say anything, too stubborn and prideful to concede her loss. It didn't seem like she often had the traits that Saiyans were known for: hot-headedness, pride, stubbornness. But this time was one of those times. Rather than say thanks, she glared at the Saiyan who had helped her, against her will. And took her on that PQ, against her skill level. Irresponsible of him, really. She had nothing to thank him for.

Fallafal, on the other hand, couldn't stand the lack of manners that she was displaying right now.

"A-ah, Chikori!” Seeing that it was hopeless, he turned towards Greg and bowed. “.... Err, S-sir, thank you for taking care of Chikori!"

"Heh, any time! I always make sure mah team is taken care of! But uh, no need ta be so formal 'round me, ya can relax. I ain't needin' it."

Greg rubbed the back of his neck, not used to such formalities directed towards him.

"Don't think I got y'er name, by the by. Judgin' by your concern, ya must be friends with Chikori. The name's Greg.”

"Haha... Thank you, sir. I mighty appreciate it. Name's Fallafal." Fallafal held out his hand for a handshake, not aware of the incoming squeeze he was about to receive. "If ya don't mind me askin', where're you from, sir? I aint' heard too many people with our kinda accents here... an' it's already hard 'nuff bein' a human round here too."

Greg gave Fallafal a remarkably firm handshake. He made sure not to use his full strength, but he couldn't help giving it a bit of a squeeze nonetheless. Fallafal winced at the grip, but he did his best to give his own right back (with whatever meagre strength he had, compared to so many other fighters, he found himself thinking in the back of his head--)

While they were talking, Chikori took a look around the... bar? cafe? Whatever it is that they're in. All sorts of Patrollers were there, taking a break from their busy lives. Friends were laughing together, others clinking glasses together. The merriment reminded her so much of the bars back home-- and something inside of her ached, unrelated to the physical injuries. She winced, and took a sip from the glass that Fallafal had put back on the counter. It was dry before she was done drink, and, with some regret at its emptiness, she placed it back down on the counter. Someone on the other side of the counter came over and filled it up for her, and she thanked them. It was out of the corner of her eye that she saw it.

Purple skin. Black horns. A height nearly as tall as Greg, and an ego that couldn't be dimishned, even among a crowd. Her skin crawled. Her breathing quickened. Her pulse was pounding in her head worse than any headache could give her. She took her hand off the counter and hid it underneath. She curled it into a fist, squeezing with as much strength as she could at the moment.

That... couldn't be... right... Was this a nightmare? Was she still unconscious, trapped in some haunting memories that were bleeding together to make whatever this could be?

"Heheh, well ah can tell ya I ain't's a human, though guess without th' ol' tail, wouldn't be able to tell a human from a Saiyan!” Greg laughed, and Fallafal joined in nervously.

"Ah, I sees. I heard 'em talkin' 'bout how somes of the Saiyans got'er tails removed, an'--" he stopped, his eyes glancing at Chikori as he remembered the topic when it came up before. Guilt started to gnaw at him. But before he could feel bad about the topic that came up, he noticed that she's more rigid than a right angle. Her tail, which had been lifeless while she was knocked out, is now puffed out to twice its width. It quickly wrapped around her waist instinctively, fur still bristling. He could see beads of sweat forming. A trembling that he hadn't gotten used to seeing in her.

"Chikori? You ok?"

He reached out to touch her, and she jumped in her seat, scowling at him for startling her. Fallafal gave her a sheepish smile, holding his hands up defensively.

Greg was quick to notice the sudden rise in Chikori's ki. The fear that she held was plain on her face as she struggled to keep her composure. It didn't take him long to figure out why, as one look at his drinking buddy explained it all.

"Oh... uh, right then, guess I should uh, 'splain this. Fallafal, this is mah drinkin' buddy, Captain Ginyu."

Captain Ginyu gave the pair a surprisingly welcoming wave. Surprising, considering who he worked for, and the reputation that preceded him.

Fallafal hazard a glance at the Captain.

"A-ah... Pleasure to meet you, Cap'n Ginyu."

His gaze went back to Chikori again, trying to register how okay she was right now, or if he needed to figure out an emergency exit. He tried again to let her know that he was there for her by putting a hand on Chikori's shoulder, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze. Hoping it could help ground her. She jumped in her seat again, instinctively wanting to spin and toss him, before seeing that it was Fallafal, and not an enemy, that had taken hold of her.

"This 'ere's Chikori, sir. We're newer recruits to the Time Patrol."

"A pleasure to meet the both of you two! Glad to see your Saiyan friend has gotten back on her feet! I'll admit, I was concerned when Greg had to cancel our usual drinking night when he mentioned a work incident, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't check in on him?!"

Greg chucked under his breath. He was more concerned about Chikori.

"Eheh, yeah... Guess I can gauge Chikori don't have any good memories with none of Frieza's men, as I think is normal with a lot o' races, I s'pose, 'specially us Saiyans... If it means any sort of comfort, Chikori,” he began, turning towards her. Her wide, green eyes were focused on Captain Ginyu. Greg continued speaking as calmly and clearly to her as he could, “Ginyu is off the clock, an' the Miss Kai of Time's got some pretty strict policies in place so people like 'im can help train some o' the other Patrollers, so yer safety is assured. Ain't he nor no one else s'pose to hurt you while yer in TokiToki."

The more the two men spoke, the more Chikori's nerves felt like nails on a chalkboard. The cheerful laugh, the humor and camadrie... but no, all she could hear was the sound of Captain Ginyu's voice recorded along the halls of the various stations, encouraging everyone to fight for Frieza, long live the Frieza Force! The background noise of the (pub? cafe? eating station? she couldn't tell anymore) bleeded into the sounds of a cafeteria. Of a recorded speech where Ginyu talked about the greatness that is the Frieza Force amongst a Saiyan barracks' cafeteria, the hall lined with silent, fuzzy tension that everyone wanted to break, but none had the power to.

She screamed, lunging past Greg--

--only to fall silent as he hand-chopped the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. His movements were calm and concise. Her forward momentum allowed him to catch her in his arms, and he lifted her back up by the back of her shirt. With great care, he guided her unconscious body back to her seat, doing his best not to add to her injuries.

A small exhale escapes him after a couple seconds pass.

Fallafal was the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, sirs!!" He rushed to take Chikori from Greg. “I--”

Greg held up a hand to stop Fallafal midsentence, and the human fell silent.

"...Fallafal, I 'pologize for knocking her out ag'in. If you would, please take 'er to 'er home an' make sure she is settled."

He turned around to address his friend. But before he can say anything, the Captain's already on his feet, hands on his hips as he looked indignantly at the passed out Saiyan.

“What in the world was that for?! I did absolutely nothing to her!”

“Well didn't I say tha' maybe we Saiyains ain't got the best history wit' you an' yer employer?”

“And?! That gives her absolutely no excuse to go attacking me on the street. Of all the nerve... And she didn't even do a battle pose beforehand!”

Greg was quiet for a moment. He let out a long sigh, deciding that it wasn't worth it to explain to his buddy right now why now wasn't the time nor the place for that conversation again.

"Might be in yer best interest for ya t'a git on th' trail. If she wakes up sooner than later an' sees yer still here, she might try to git yeh again."

Which meant nothing to the captain, who merely laughed off Greg's concerns.

“Greg! Buddy of mine!” Ginyu slapped Greg on the back, leaning onto him. He was completely unaware of the glare that Fallafal was giving him, even though the Earthling had no idea who this strange man was. “Do you really think a little Saiyan girl like her could do any harm against someone like me? I'm Captain Ginyu! She couldn't even make a dent in my armor!”

Greg slowly took Ginyu's hand from off his shoulder. He spoke slowly this time, choosing his words carefully, so the captain might glean their meaning.

“It ain't 'bout whether or not she could take ya. It's 'bout whether or not she could live from it. An' don't forgit. We's in TokiToki. Ain't no fightin' allowed on the city streets, but I git you to any sort of trainin' facility...”

Finally getting the hint, Ginyu backed away slowly. “Well then. I think it would be prudent if I head back. The Ginyu Force's Special Pose Training is soon! We're working on a new formation to welcome some special cadets with!” Ginyu looked over at Fallafal, completely unaffected by the human's glare, his composure back to normal. “I wish you two Time Patrol recruits luck!”

And with that, he left.

Fallafal was conflicted on whether or not he should have offered another apology to Ginyu, unsure of how to respond to him after that. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding once the captain had left, and adjusted his hold on Chikori. He was muttering quietly to himself about this being “a pickle of a situation”. Although this wasn't the first time he had seen Chikori lash out suddenly, it was still a time that he had seen it, and he was once again powerless to help her.

It was a good thing that they lived in the countryside, back on Earth....

"I... I'm..." He let out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry I couldn't... help....."

Regardless of whether or not he have done anything to restrainher, he felt bad that he couldn't help her feel safe. But what was done was done.

"Can I tell ya sumthin', Greg?"

"Go ahead, Fallafal. Jus' hope a'h haven't made a bad first impression."

Fallafal shook his head. "No! Not at all, sir! You've..." given him something to hope for? A goal to reach? Ah, but it wasn't possible for him; Greg said he was a Saiyan, and Fallafal... he was just an ordinary Earthling. A human.

"I... I only joined up with th' time patrol 'cuz of Chikori. She didn't ask me or nuthin', hell, I wasn't even part of the equation that our trainers were asked to solve." He looked down at her passed out form. Even then, she hardly looked like she was at peace.

"I jus'.... I wanna see her happy, y'know? Not... having outbursts like that ag'in. I know, I know, it ain't easy, an' I ain't qualified to be no therapist or nothin', but... I wanna be able to help 'er when she gets like that. I wanna be able to calm 'er down, or hold 'er back, or, or... just SUMTHIN'!" He slammed a fist onto the counter. Chikori started to slip, and he quickly adjusted his hold on her again, cursing under his breath.

"....I'm startin' to see that jus' ain't possible for an orn'ary human like me."

Greg nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Fallafal. The more the younger guy talked, the easier it was to see that the human had a crush on the Saiyan he was holding. All the signs you could check for, he could tick the box right off. He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, but quickly let out a couch to hide the fact that he found Fallafal's crush charming.

“I think I'm pickin' up what yer puttin' down. I'd rightly say she's lucky to have someone lookin' out for her. I'll let you in on a little secret, just between you an' me. Us Saiyans can be pretty darn stubborn. Many of 'em have a deep sense o' pride, sometimes too much if ya ask me! Makes 'em wanna keep fightin' e'en when the odds are ag'inst 'em. Reckon partly mighta been 'cuz of ol' King Vegeta enforcin' such a brutal lifestyle when he were around, but I couldn't tell you for sure.”

Fallafal rolled his eyes at the “secret”, hearing it from Chikori herself how stubborn Saiyans could be. “You could say that ag'in. Ain't ever met someone so stubborn in my entire life, an' I got two little nieces! Them girls is more spoiled than days old milk!”

Greg laughed, clapping Fallafal on the back.

“Sounds like them girls just got you wrapped right 'round their pretty little fingers.”

“Naw-uh, they just thinkin' they do. Moment they start actin' up, they go tellin' on me to their ma for not lettin' 'em have their way. Reckon my sis just thinks it's even for how I was when we was growin' up.” He let out a wistful sigh; he never knew he could miss his family so much. It almost made him want to go home, but the shifting weight of the Saiyan he held up reminded him of why he stayed.

Greg thought for a moment. Talking about Earth reminded him about how Vegeta—the same one that had thrashed Chikori and threatened to pop her head off-- had heavily mellowed out after making Earth his new home. He always found it interesting, how such a small, remote planet could calm such vicious fighters. He had half a mind to ask Fallafal about what Chikori was like when they met, but decided to save that for another day.

“I'll have you know, not everyone's got that kind of patience with Saiyans as you seem ta with Chikori.” Sounds like you an' her are mighty friendly towards the other if she brought ya along to the Time Patrol.”

Fallafal nodded, though he pretended to not hear the subtle hinting the Saiyan man was getting at. “I been told patience is one o' my virtues, an' I don't e'en feel like it's been tested 'round her that much, 'cuz she's usually more reasonable, but...” There were times. Like earlier today, with that stranger he had seen her speaking to. “Reason goes all out the door when it comes to PTSD. An' sure'n'uff, she's got plenty of it. She ain't told me all the details of her life, but I reckon it's got a lot to do with.... whatever yer 'friend' Ginyu does, judging by what happened... An' it's not like she asked them to bring me along!” Fallafal found his face warming at the memory, much to his dismay. He looked away from the two Saiyans, deciding to fixate his attention on a very interesting part of the wall. Verrrry interesting. But not enough that he couldn't keep himself from talking.

“I asked-- no, demanded that them Majins bring me. Told 'em I wasn't gonna let 'em take Chikori without me.” Nope, the wall was too high up, time to burn a hole in the floor while pretending that he wasn't blushing. Yep, floor. Much safer. Ain't no eye contact down here. He cleared his throat. How the Majins had responded to him was always sobering, and it didn't take long for that embarrassed smile to fade. “....They laughed at me, askin' me how's I was s'pposed to stop 'em from takin' her if I couldn't e'en beat 'em in a fight.”

He let out a long sigh. He didn't like remembering, but the Majins didn't make it easy to forget, with the constant “oh yeah, you're here too” attitude that they gave him. They treated him like an afterthought. Worthless. It made him want to tell them to put a sock in it, but they were kind enough to let him join them afterall. Even take responsibility for him when they got chewed out by the Kai of Time for taking him with. Maybe it was just hazing? Though, they didn't treat Chikori with the same indifference as they gave him.

Greg watched Fallafal fall quiet. The mood was getting sulky again, and he didn't want the two youngings to leave him with a sad smile on their faces, even if one of them was passed out at the moment. He placed a hand on Fallafal's shoulder, getting the young man's attention.

“I will say tha' you shouldn't sell yerself short, though. If yer dead set on tryin' to be able to keep her from getting' hurt or lashin' out on others like that, then use that drive to make yerself stronger! Ya got somethin' you thinks is worth defendin'!”

Fallafal's face was pink again at Greg's words, but he nodded in agreement.

“Yer right. It's not like I did this without havin' somethin' I wanted to protect. It took a lot of courage to be able to just leave my kin; my Ma and Pa, my sister an' nieces. Kami knows I didn't wanna leave 'em behind, an' I miss 'em e'ery day tha' I'm here. E'en writin' letters that I ain't sure how yet to send 'em. But I left, 'cuz I... I figured I might be of more help to her 'ere than if I stayed at home, wonderin' if she were okay 'til the cows came home.”

His face was burning again. He used his free hand to hide his face for a few moments.

"GAH!!! This is so embarrassin'... I prolly sound like a sap to some seasoned warrior like ya."

He couldn't help but make a dorky grin as he realized how much he had spilled his guts out like this.

"Hah! Not really! We all need someone, an' seems like you got your heart out on her! I'd say she's a lucky one!"

“S-Sir, pleaaase....”

If anything, he felt like the lucky one between the two. Even though life on Earth was peaceful compared to what she had lived, her coming into his had somehow livened up and brought new perspectives to what he knew as mundane.It gave him a new appreciation for his life, and everything in it. That included her, and he had told her as much one time.

He doubted that Chikori would ever feel the same towards him, though. She seemed confused at his sentiment, and always spoke with detachment when it came to her life, back then or even before they met. If anything, seeing raw emotion out of her was such a rare, and sometimes ugly, experience. He often didn't know what to do. So maybe that was why he thought coming along with her, he might learn enough about her to figure it out. To be better able to help her.

“C-can we talk 'bout sumthin' else?!”

Greg laughed, patting the human's shoulder. As much as he enjoyed seeing young love, there was still one more topic that he had wanted to address with the young man.

“That all said... if e'er ya wanna know more 'bout us Saiyans, I reckon I could give you a crash course. 'Course, that don't mean the history lesson's gonna be easy. I'm one o' the lucky ones, ain't from the time that I reckon she might be knowin', if her name's anythin' to go by.”

“Her name?” Fallafal blinked. He didn't understand what her name had to do with anything.

“Ah, it ain't much, but some time ago we Saiyans used ta have names that were mighty diff'nt than yours an' mine. They all say mah name's weird, but I think theirs is weird too. But that's neither here nor there. If ya wanna know, I'm more'n free 'nuff to tell ya.”

“I... see...”

Fallafal was thinking about it when Chikori groaned.

“I'll hafta take a raincheck on that, sir. I reckon Chikori's needin' sleep more'n I need answers.”

Greg nodded. “Seems wise. Well, I'll give ya my contact info so ya two can get 'hold of me if ever you need me. Oh! An' I reckon y'all might need some mentors, if you ain't got some yet. They help ya train an' teach ya so you can git yerself outta any scrape. If yer gonna be callin' yerself a Time Patroller, yer gonna wanna partner up with one of 'em. Krillin is usually a safe bet, very friendly an' good with newcomers! He's a human, too! Yeh'd like 'im, I bet! I'm thinkin' Chikori might liken a no-nonsense girl like his wife, 18. She's kinda scary, but yeh'll know she's sweet 'nuff on 'er husband. Heck, maybe e'en Krillin can give ya some pointers!”

Fallafal was listening earnestly to the older Patroller's suggestions, all the way up until that last thing he said. His face turned bright red and he looked far away from Greg, as far as his head would let him turn. “I ain't--”

Greg laughed, clapping his hands. “Boy, you sure are easy to tease. I better lighten up 'fore you pass out from heatstroke!”

“I-wh-but you--” he sputtered, before giving up and hanging his head. “Well, I oughta let you git on with yer evenin', sir. Thank you, for the history lesson. ...An' for helpin' Chikori, I reckon', in what mighta been a way that only you Saiyans would understand."

“Yer welcome. And hey, try not to think too much 'bout what's going on. If she wants ta tell ya, she'll tell ya. I reckon she trusts you well 'nuff, if she didn't push you a way's way from her like she did me!”

Fallafal gave him a doubtful look. He started to pick up Chikori, if only to noticed that the white jacket was still around her. It made the already small Saiyan look even smaller.

“'Ey. This jacket yours, sir?”

“Ah! Yeah, that'd be mine. Y'see...” He lowered his voice, leaning in towards Fallafal. He figured that neither of the two newer recruits would like the embarrassing, yet well-known fact shared aloud. “When a Saiyan turns 'to a Great Ape, they grow mighty big. If they got the right armor on, it'll stretch with 'em. But if what they's wearing ain't 'specially made for it... Well... I figured yer girlie might 'preciate somethin' 'til she's got her armor repaired. Yeh can give that back tomorrow.”

There was a sputtering of words as Fallafal tried to process how to even proceed from there. Now he knew why she had gotten out her old armor when she was leaving Earth. Why she was adamant about wearing it until she could buy something new here-- and maybe that had to do with why she was having such a hard time finding anything to replace it with.

He hadn't taken the time to truly process how bad the damage was to her armor, much less her clothing.

“Issit that bad?” he whispered, now afraid to touch her unless it somehow got misconstrued as inappropriate.

“Nah, son! I jus' figured she didn't wanna be caught dead walkin' round with crumbling armor and holes in her clothes. Not that she wasn't almost dead,” he added quietly. “You know how some women are! They git real mad 'bout their clothes in public.”

“A-ah...ahahaha.....hahaha...... right.........”

[ofieugogyshz]

7, 17, 29!

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

getting to escape, experience another world, be someone else entirely and experience catharsis from that. stuff like that.

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

i havent touched anything lately, my most current wip is over a few months old i think. I'm not even sure what will or won't make it into it, because it's the db xenoverse squad fic. there's just. SO MUCH to ramble on about, following 5 diff characters even tho it'll focus mostly on Chikori.

i will admit that i still dunno what i'm gonna do for Kian for most of the series. but the story starts about 3-4 years before the events of xv1, with the Majin Time Patrollers Nanna and Mulla investigating a time anomaly/rift, and coming across Chikori. after vague exchanges in which both parties have varying levels of suspicions, the majins decide to drop the saiyan off on the saiyan rehabilitation planet Earth. they go back, chikori spends 2-3 years living on the peaceful planet in a sort of dull haze (and i'm... just realizing how that echoes my own irl... chikori so full of parallels of life for me circa freeing of my previous shackles.) meeting Fallafal and living with his family, until the Majins come back 2-3 years after dropping chikori off, going "oopsies" (well, nanna mostly) because they got yelled at by the supreme kai of time (skot) for not bringing her back. and then chikori goes with them and fallafal is just like wtf and demands to go with bc he has a crush on chikori is concerned about her wellbeing and doesn't trust people who just. forget to take someone back with them? and drop them off in the woods on a planet they're not even from???? so yeah that's def sus but also golden retriever puppy dog fallafal :c

and then they both become time patrollers over some time (maybe a year, maybe less), making friends with a few others' xv ocs, and then... the events of xv1 happen!!! and then it just becomes a regular retelling with ocs slapped in. there's a different saiyan arc, of sorts, that is centered around Chikori and her PTSD and closing the doors on some parts of her life that she was forcibly extricated from, and learning how to walk away and/or heal from that. Fallafal learbs some self-confidence/to not attach himself so closely to Chikori bc he feels all alone and useless being a human among super warriors that could destroy earth with just one finger, and his own feelings of inadequacy because he can't keep up with the squad. i don't know what the others' arcs are, beyond Kian opening up to the squad on the side, a la "powerful lone wolf joins the friendship squad and begrudginly accepts their friendship". Maybe something where Nanna's just been set up as this frivolous squad leader and then it's revealed how much she actually protecc/care her newbies. Mulla.... idek yet.

then idk somehow they defeat demigra with the power of friendship or some shit and chikori never learns ssj bc i'm just following my og playthru and i never used that skill at all LMFAO

this is a lot of pre-game story to set the fuck up though, a lot of fucking "how they all meet" details, and oh also i love fallafal's sister bc she's trans and gr8 but i'm sad bc i didnt make her a mc and she deserves to appear more but just. wouldn't fit in with most of the story. but she deserves her own shit. love her.

29. Where do you draw your inspiration? What do you do when the inspiration well runs dry?

we just don't know. sometimes it's a "i have a MUCH more interesting idea based off this one random thought and i am going to take it and RUN WITH IT." most times its just "this random idea popped up and it sounds so amazing for a fic that i have to write it RIGHT NOW OR LOSE IT."

sometimes it's just the "here's how events would unfold if it was me or my ocs" and that's how you get my retelling fics LMFAO.

when the well is dry:

[fluffybunnybadass]

Ngl but the thought of chikori getting adopted by the Ginyu Force is a thought that is allowed to live rent free in my head

Moreso when it's part of her training as a Time Patroller

I mean, she's already part of her own team/unit, but i absolutely love how oddly supportive the dorky ginyu force is in xv and legends. Like. Idk

Also I had Ginyu as one of my first trainers in Chikori's xv files and ngl it felt really sweet checking in with him xD supportive ginyu !

[fluffybunnybadass]

Chikori: having a Saiyan on your side is good if you need muscle

Fallafal: he can cook, probably. It feels like something he'd be good at. Not like cuisine, but hearty, filling meals from ordinary ingredients

Nanna: she'll never fail to make you laugh and she's wiser than she acts. A great listener

Mulla: loyal, good for spending time around if you're feeling lonely but don't wanna talk

Kian: if you've gained a good enough rep with him, he'll fight on your side. Not for you, but with you.

What are some benefits of being friends with your OC?

[fluffybunnybadass]

Worth More Than You Think

Fandom: Dragon Ball Xenoverse

Word count: 3300

Content warnings: brief flashback of a child being harmed, high emotions about past friendships, and uhhhh I don’t think there’s another but if there is, please hmu

Rating: uhhhh Teen?

Summary: It’s a restless night for the otherwise stoic Saiyan that had been deposited on Earth after two Time Patrollers found her. It’s clear to the human that has been trying to befriend her that something’s bothering them, but, as usual, they refuse to say anything. If only he could just get Chikori to talk...

This features two of my Xenoverse OCs, Chikori and Fallafal. Chikori is a she/they non-binary Saiyan, and Fallafal is an ordinary Human living with his family on their farm. This story takes place well before the events of Xenoverse 1, yet it is only one of the first ticks that the wheel of fate has taken in creating that tale.

---

Heyyyyy I had a high emotions and frustrations morning, a friend asked me to vent, and afterwards i just really felt like I could maybe work the remaining balance of feelings into a story. So this is, in the most vaguest way, based on actual events, but also twisted to fit within the framework of “canon”. 

I’m testing out how to work in flux/dual pronoun usage while writing. It is intentional if you see both used for Chikori within the same sentence, and not at all laziness. Enjoy! 

---------------------------

Chikori was restless tonight. The purple-haired Saiyan had found themselves a comfortable tree branch that oversaw a lake, with just enough clearing in the tree above it that she could see the stars and half-moon above. Her tail flicked and swished, irate, as thoughts surrounded them. A frustrated growl startled the nearby wildlife, before they resumed their nightly routine.

That was how Fallafal found them. He had gone looking when the Saiyan had disappeared after the meal they shared with his family, more quiet than usual. Sulky, almost. He came to stand under the tree, watching the brown tail above flick about like it was swatting flies. It reminded him of the farm's cat. He let out a sigh and ruffled his hair, not sure where to start with her.

“You know,” he began slowly, building up his courage to speak to the Saiyan. What if they didn't want to talk? What if they were somehow mad at him or his family, or felt like they were keeping her here because she had no where else to go in the galaxy? The Saiyan had been dumped on his family's property by some “Time Patrollers”, or whatever they called themselves, and the Saiyan was awfully quiet about its history. The Patrollers had said very little themselves, though he was certain the yellow one wanted to share with him everything that she? It? Could.

“You know,” he began again, swallowing his fears. “If sumthin's botherin' you, you could've just talk to me an' my family.” He paused. “Nuthin' good came of not telling anybody how you feel.”

The Saiyan didn't respond, but Fallafal could see her tail stop for a second, slowing down, with only the tip of it flicking in thoughtfulness.

“Aaaah.... I don't kno' how to help you if you're keepin' quiet. N-Not that you hafta talk!!!” he added in a panic. “I jus' know that, when my sis was feelin' bad growin' up, even when none of us had the answers to her problems, she felt much better sharin' than tryna hide it from us.”

There was a long pause. Fallafal sighed, about ready to turn in and go home, when the Saiyan finally spoke to him.

“......I'm not hiding anything,” they said in a level voice. “I'm thinking.”

Fallafal felt a sliver of relief that she was willing to talk to him, and sat under the tree to talk with her.

“That's great! Mind sharin' what's on yer mind?”

Another pause. There was a soft flicker in the tail, much like his cat when it was deciding something. Perhaps Saiyans were more like cats than monkeys...? But who was he to suggest that, when he didn't know anything about this alien species that had apparently gone extinct hundreds of years ago, the remnants of their bloodline so diluted amongst the humans and other species, that no one even knew about it.

“..... I'm remembering something.”

Fallafal fell silent. Chikori had barely shared any of her past with him. All he knew was that she was a member of some space army-- or had been--, and that she had no recollection of what happened to the ship she was aboard between being cryogenetically frozen and being picked up by the Patrollers. She had shown a few times her amazing, inhuman strength, and refused to go outside on certain nights, claiming it was for his and his family's safety. Whatever it was, if she was going to share it, it had to have been important.

“I'm listening, Chikori.”

The Saiyan kept quiet for a moment. Fallafal thought that maybe she had changed her mind about sharing. He watched her figure in the moonlight. Though it fell on her, he couldn't see her expression. But based on her tone and usual demeanor, he could hazard a guess that it was the same as always: placid.

“There was this... other Saiyan in my training unit on Planet Vegeta. This started before the Saiyan Army had been annexed into the Frieza Force.” She stopped.

Fallafal kept still, deciding to let Chikori speak at the pace she preferred.

The Saiyan looked down at the human sitting on the ground below her. His tousled brown hair, his green and brown clothes that almost blended into the planet's surface... She felt... uncertain about confiding in such a weak creature with such a low ki power, and yet... she was curious, as to what this low-leveled, hardly-worth-mentioning human could give her, if she told him this memory.

“I was upset with this new life we had created for ourselves. The planet had undergone what you would call a civil war. A selfish Saiyan had created an uprising, and slaughtered an entire race that I had known all my life to be peaceful. He declared himself King of the Saiyans when the battle was over, and many of the Saiyans left alive were of the sort to support him and agree.”

There was a lull as she carefully thought about her words. Fallafal half-wondered if that was it. Already that was a loaded history she had given him, but he sensed there was more to what they had been thinking about, so he kept quiet until they would tell him it was over.

“Any who opposed King Vegeta were left to work the mundane jobs or executed on the spot, per his orders.

“I had lost many Tuffle and Saiyan companions in that war that comprised my childhood. I was angry. I was hurt. But I wanted to live. So I kept silent, and bid my superiors the respect they demanded, and did not challenge anything. I knew I couldn't be the only Saiyan left alive who was struggling with this, but I did not seek them out. None of us could. It would only mean death if we had.”

The Saiyan wrapped their tail around themselves, the tip flicking softly against her body like a metronome.

“His name was Turnip. You would probably call him a friend; but I do not think any Saiyan left alive back then would have called each other that. He had commiserated with me initially about the training we were going under. It was difficult, moreso than the training during the war. Perhaps enough Saiyan lives had been lost that they were eager to fill in the space left behind with stronger ones. He seemed to enjoy my company, I think. I could tolerate him, out of all my peers.” There was a small exhale of air from her nose, as though what they had said was humorous. “I think he even preferred me over some of his companions, some days.

“I don't think he knew, but he helped me through a difficult transition. Perhaps we both did. I used to suspect that he was like me, but we never discussed it.” She let out a long exhale, sounding tired. “I apologize. I am not used to talking this much.”

Fallafal adjusted his seating for a more comfortable position.

“It's okay,” he said. “You're welcome to talk for as long as you want. I'm more than okay with it. I—” He cut himself off, catching what he was about to say, and cleared his throat. “I am more than willin' to listen, if you want to share.”

There was a pause.

“I don't, but I feel like a small part of me wants to. Is it unusual to want to indulge in that?”

“Not at all! Given where ya come from, I can understand a lot better why you're always so hesitant an' avoidant when it comes to talkin' 'bout yourself. A lot of army people are like that.”

Pause.

“I do not hesitate.”

“You do! You're hesitatin' right now!”

Chikori scowled at her human companion, wishing that there might be something she could throw at him from up here in this tree, but the branches of Earth's trees did not seem promising. And a ki blast would be far too much for such a low-level creature.

Fallafal fell over laughing, which only made her scowl more, until a soft growling could be heard coming from her.

“Okay, okay! I give! You're not hesitatin'! You're completely an' 100% eager to tell me this story.”

She frowned at him, recognizing the human dialect of sarcasm in his response. Her tail had unwound and began flicking in the air out of irritation.

“You do not need to be like that.”

“I'm sorry, I promise. I really do wanna hear your story, Chikori.”

The growing irritation in the Saiyan's spirit was hard to abate, but she had to remind herself that he was not her enemy; and that he would not take this information and use it against her. How could he? Unless he was a spy this entire time for the Frieza Force.... Capable of masking his ki and looking like a simple human being. No, she doubted that. He couldn't even see her moves when he had asked her to train him one day.

“Fine. I will continue.”

Fallafal sat back up and nodded, and the serious tone befell the both of them once more.

“He had been a good companion at first. But as time went on, and the Saiyan Army soon became part of the Frieza Force, I noticed a change in him. There was a change in the whole Army when Frieza happened. But I didn't notice it until I saw it in Turnip. He was enjoying the fighting a lot more. Those companions that he disliked, he grew to tolerate. And there was less time spent around me. I don't think he realized what had happened. I mentioned this to him, that there was a change once we became part of the Frieza Force, and that it felt far worse than what we went through on the whole from the Tuffle-Saiyan war.

“But he didn't think so.”

She fell silent. Her tail drooped over the edge of the branch, hands curled into fists as the frustration welled up once more.

“I wanted to punch him right then and there for that.”

Chikori let out a sudden guttural scream that had startled Fallafal, and she shot a ki blast at the moon. It went far away into the sky, dissipating into nothing as it reached the planet's atmosphere. She screamed again, beating her fist against the tree that she sat in. Leaves rustled, animals flew or skittered away. Those that were on the ground had scattered far away.

“I hated him so much for that!”

There was the sound of pain and anguish in her voice. Fallafal had stood up quickly, worried that Chikori might hurt someone, even herself. Beings with supernatural power, growing angry or getting hurt, was a recipe for concern in his mind. But more importantly-- he had never heard her have so much raw emotion in her voice in the short time that he knew her.

“Chikori!”

“What?!” she growled down at him. She felt the emotion well up again, the pain and resentment and hatred, yes, even hatred of this person that she had felt some level of comfort around. Hot moisture fell down her face, much like the sweat from the intense training she went through growing up, but it didn't taste like it. It almost felt like...

A flash went through her mind of her childhood. Of being seven, and seeing her Tuffle friend get taken away from her by the Saiyans that fought for King Vegeta. Her friend, dragged by the ankle as a soldier carelessly let their body scrape across the ground. Her friend's face as they screamed at her to help them, when she couldn't do anything herself.

She screamed again and shot a ki blast at the ground. It narrowly missed Fallafal. She quickly curled up into herself, her arms around her legs as she cried into her knees, tail wrapped warmly around her waist as though it was the only thing holding her in place.

Tears. She was crying tears again.

“Chikori, please... I hate sayin' this, but you need to calm down. You're goin' to hurt somethin', or sum'one, or even yourself. You got every right to be angry, but please don't destroy my planet or the forest for it.”

“I THOUGHT HE KNEW!!!” she screamed into her legs. “I THOUGH HE KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE!!!! I THOUGHT--!! I THOUGHT HE UNDERSTOOD!!!!” She felt so out of sorts that she didn't even know how to begin to explain herself, to put into words what she meant to say. It was all, just... so hopelessly helpless to her. That she had even given him a chance, only for him to turn around and become one of them...

“Chikori!” he shouted up at her. “Please...! I can't.... I can't help you from up there.”

At that, she stuck her head out, a nasty scowl on her face. “I never ASKED for your help!! Why?! Why do you keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?! Aren't you better off, not knowing these things?”

“Chikori...” Fallafal let out a long sigh. He put his hands on his hips, looked at the tree, and ruffled his hair. “Look, I 'aven't done this in a while, so jus' give me a moment.”

He took a deep breath, and exhaled. He charged at the tree, jumping onto it. He grunted as he climbed up, until he was on the nearest branch to where Chikori had curled themselves up.

“What-- What are you doing?”

“Look, I don't like talkin' to people on diff'rent grounds. Whether that's up high or way down low, neither's gonna help us understand one 'nother if we ain't on same ground, right?”

“I.... I don't quite follow, but I suppose...?”

He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he tried to think about the next part.

“Look, it's... It's hard, what you went through. Like, a lot of that. A LOT a lot. We might have to see 'bout getting' you to some psychatrist or sumthin',” he added in an aside.

Chikori had stopped her sniffling. She tilted her head, more confused than she needed to be. “What's-- what's that?”

“Uh, never you mind that. I, uh. I don't really know what to say, honestly. You been through a lot. An' you thought you had that with this Turnip guy, right? That you had a companion you could at least relate to, yea?” Chikori nodded slowly, unaware of where Fallafal was going with this. “Well. That's... That's tough. I ain't got anythin' else to say for it. But what can you do 'bout it? He's long bin dead, right?” Well, probably, he thought to himself. That whole Time Patrol kinda made it confusing for him. “So's he ain't gonna bother you anymore, right? You can't talk to him anymore. Yer just holdin' onto all of this anger, or you been doin' that, and I'm hopin' this helped ya figure some of that out or made it better, but I ain't got any tricks goin' forward to help you with it. I jus' know that talkin' about it makes it lighter. It doesn't make it go away, like my sister's always said, but it makes it easier and lighter sum'times, when that weight gits too heavy to carry.”

He looked over at Chikori, cautiously. She hadn't said anything while he spoke, and instead had been looking at him with intense interest. But the emotional state that she had worked herself up into seemed to be receding. Her breathing seemed calmer, and the tears that had fallen had become a trickle.

“A-are... are you good?” he asked cautiously. “'Cuz I mean, I don' mind carryin' that weight withya a bit longer.”

Chikori looked at him, slowly coming back to the calm state of mind that she had honed during her time in the two military forces that had plagued the universe. He didn't say anything to her, just watching her face for the tiniest chance that she might go one way or the other, and she didn't answer him immediately either. They both had kept quiet, until finally, she had found her calm.

“I think... I am fine, now,” she said slowly, as though her mouth was slowly getting the hang of words again.

“Whew, good. 'Cuz I didn' know what to do if you weren't.”

That had earned him a soft chuckle from the Saiyan.

“Wait-- Wait a min', did you-- did you jus' laugh?”

“I did no such thing.” There was the smallest hints of a smile at the corner of the Saiyan's lips. Fallafal leaned in a bit, squinting as the Saiyan looked back at him, concerned. He kept leaning over until he forgot that he was on a branch and nearly fell off, barely hanging by one hand. Without saying anything, Chikori got up and pulled him up so he could sit onto his branch again.

“Are you okay?”

“Who, me? Pfff. Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Happens all the time.” He waved off her concern. “But you? Are you fine, for sure?”

“For the second time, yes, Fallafal. I am fine.”

He let out a relieved sigh. “Whew, okay. Good. I'm glad. I... I got worried, there, for a sec'. 'Cuz you an' me... well, I don't know you too well, an--”

“Stop.” The Saiyan looked away. Her face was starting to warm from shame. “I don't like showing such weakness--”

“Hey. It's not weakness. I mean, I don't know if it's the same for you as it is for me, but I think it's okay to be a little human an' have some emotions every now an' then. I don't think anyone's going to come here and hurt you.”

The Saiyan didn't say anything in response to that. Then... “Did you want me to continue?”

“There's more?!”

“Well.... Not too much more.”

“I'm supposin' so, if you wanna.”

“I stopped talking to him after that. I was mad, irate for days. I apparently did better during training sessions at the time. But he never said anything. He never talked to me unless we had to, unless I approached him. When we finished our basic training, and had been assigned to different squadrons, I never saw him again. I don't know what happened to him. Sometimes... I hope he reflected on the past, and held immense regret. Especially for someone who had favoured me so much, at one point. At other times, before I arrived here, I wanted to find him and defeat him with my own two fists. But that wouldn't have served any purpose except to make him stronger.” At this, she stopped, taking note of Fallafal's sudden confused stare. She mirrored it with one of her own. “Were you not aware? Saiyans get stronger whenever they're pushed to death. It's what turned the tide during the long war. We had eventually become stronger than their numbers and technology. This is most likely the reason why Frieza had wanted us added to his armies so much. ...We were the perfect weapon for an evil bastard like him.”

“Ah. I see... So you never saw Turnip again?”

“No. Though, as I said, there are times where I wish I did. No doubt he would have used it for his own gain, though I suppose someone like you might call it his loss.”

“Well, you're right. It is his loss.”

“I will never understand that.”

“You don't hafta just yet. Maybe we'll get to that another time.”

[fluffybunnybadass]

Question about favorite OCs! How tall are they compared to you? Like are they a ton taller or shorter or about the same as you and those you are usually around in life?

okay so

chikori’s shorter than me, because i thought it would be funny. tiny puffball of anger and stoicism except she doesn’t really get angry but it’s still funny to imagine. she’d be like, idk, 5′2? 5′0? I don’t remember. [I’m 5′6]

Nanna is small too but i can’t remember if she was gonna be shorter or taller than chikori T B H . i don’t think i ever thought about it. i think she’s about the same size, maybe an inch or two taller but looks smaller bc she’s lithe and small-frame majin and chikori is maybe stocky muscle saiyan? i don’t even know if stocky is the right word but its not like she’s bulky....but then you have them stand back to back and even without nanna’s majin “hair” she is still like a tiny bit taller

Fallafal is prob average human male height? idk man he’s like. lower quarter of six-something. 6′0-6′4 idfk. this also makes it funny that he has a crush on the smol anger bc he’s impressed by them.

Mulla is uhhhhh TOL to nanna’s SMOL. she’s taller than fallafal, so like. maybe 6′5?

Kian is probably around Mulla’s height, maybe an inch shorter than her, but he’s still taller than Fallafal

so they’re either several inches shorter than me or several taller and i am the only one inbetween all of them

[fluffybunnybadass]

mulla 84

84. “I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

The purple Majin had looked at her girlfriend. She watched as the much smaller, yellow Majin was assessing/casing the scene, making calculations that Mulla couldn't fathom. The larger Majin let out a short, quiet sigh, and turned her eyes back to the situation at hand. A cold wind blew by, causing her to shiver. The cold was always an unwelcomed presence, no matter where they were or how they were dressed. And here she was, crouching behind a hill with Nanna, still calculating a plan.

Something flew overhead. It splat against the mountain behind them, sprinkling them with its splatter.

“Time's up!” someone shouted from above.

Quick as a whip, Mulla looked sharply at the person above them. Scowling, she scooped up some of the snow and stretched out her arm, throwing the snowball with all the velocity that she could manage. It swirled through the air, and its target dodged at the very last second.

A devious grin was on Nanna's face as she eyed her opponent. She crouched down, fingertips barely touching the snow, before launching herself at her opponent.

“Alright guys, SCATTER!!”

“Wait!! What's the plan?!” The person that asked was one of their trainees by the name of Fallafal, who barely dodged a few snowballs thrown his way.

“Formation B! See if you can keep up with us, Fallalala~!”

The trainee frowned, muttering something about how that wasn't his name. It didn't take long before he was immediately clobbered. The opposition was picking off the easiest target. Mulla felt bad for him, but she didn't waste any time. Before more people tried to hit her, she'd jumped away from the area, taking up a large amount of snow with her. Two people had stuck behind to wait for the Majin; that was a mistake. Stretching both of her arms, she spun around rapidly, launching out a lot of snowballs in a few seconds. The two opponents were quickly hit with several snowballs, covered from head to toe (or tail, in some cases) with snow. Mulla slowed down as she heard the whines and groans from those two, smirking at their naive mistake.

It still didn't make her dislike the cold any less.

There was a loud EEP from far off that Mulla recognized as her girlfriend's voice. She sped over, watching her girlfriend quickly shift her body around to dodge all the snowballs being thrown her way. Five people had surrounded the yellow Majin, now trying to see if they could take the leader out who had gone far ahead by herself. Mulla stayed back a bit, watching. Her girlfriend was laughing and teasing at the opposition, looking much like a zany cartoon character with how she nimbly avoided their assaults.

Two other people had joined up, masking their ki so the opposing team wouldn't know that they were there. They were in different places, making a triangle with Mulla around the circle of five that surrounded Nanna. They all glanced at each other, nodding. Lowering themselves, they scooped up large snowballs, as large as each of them could carry, and took aim. Two people in that group of five had stopped, noticing that they had been surrounded, but it was too late to warn the team. They were the first to be hit with large snowballs. Mulla swung with all of her might, her snowballs so large they caused each of their targets to fall backwards. The remaining three all stopped, looking around when they heard their teammates cry out, only for two more of them to be pelted by large snowballs from the other two on Mulla's team. This left one person standing around, confused, trying not to panic, as they watched their teammates all fall one by one.

Growling, they launched themselves at Nanna, catching the yellow Majin and using her as a shield.

Nanna giggled.

“My heroes~!” she teased in a singsong, as she was spun around while her captor tried to face the three people that surrounded them.

“Can he do that?” asked a purple hair Saiyan, tail flicking as they thought.

“Dunno. I never did this before,” answered a Namekian.

Nanna was giggling still, as though she were merely being swung about in a large hug. Her childish enjoyment of the situation only served to agitate her captor, causing him to growl at her to keep quiet.

Mulla made eye contact with the other two. They showed no signs of getting closer, so she took the first step. Nanna's captor immediately swung towards her, barking out threats that would have no consequences under training.

“Oh, Mulla! Hi sweetie!” Nanna waved her hands a little, as though the position she was in meant nothing to her. Whether that had to do it being training or not was uncertain.

Mulla stopped, and frowned at her girlfriend.

“What?” Nanna tilted her head. “Are you still mad because I signed us all up for this?”

Mulla looked at everyone, before nodding her head slightly.

“Aww, c'mon sweetie. It'll be over with quickly! As soon as we win the tournament! And then I'm sure we can find a nice, cozy place to warm up~”

Mulla blushed, her purple cheeks turning indigo. Even though it was an innocuous flirty banter, it still had the effect of making her want to hide her face behind everything.

“Are the two of you seriously flirting right now? Really?! Do the two of you act like this on a real mission? Holy shit.”

“Ugh.” Nanna made herself thin and slipped through her captor's grasp, jumping away from him. Before she hit the ground, she scooped up a large amount of snow and tossed it at him. “Can't you see that I'm talking to my girlfriend?! Mind your beeswax and go lose somewhere else!”

A buzzer went off somewhere, signaling the end of the match. The last player of the other team sat up, wiping snow off his face with a loud, annoyed grunt of frustration.

The Saiyan just blinked, confused by everything that just happened. The Namekian gave an annoyed scoff.

“See, this is why I never wanted to team up with these two. They're insufferable.”

Nanna smirked at her ex-captor, and held out a hand to help him up. He glared at it.

“Fine, suit yourself. Just consider that a lesson in not underestimating who your opponents are, or who's really the threat. You're welcome, by the way.”

Turning around, Nanna walked over to her still embarrassed girlfriend. She smiled at her, finding it so cute when the Majin blushed.

“...Can't believe you talked me into this.”

“But you're having fun, aren't you?”

“........Yes.”

[fluffybunnybadass]

I have so many ocs that i reached the tag limit of 30 tags. I thought that limit was a myth.

Does your OC consider their own parents good parents?

[fluffybunnybadass]

10

What does your OC keep in a special drawer?

SDJKJDKJSKDJKS I PARSED THIS TOTALLY WRONG AT FIRST AND I WAS JUST LIKE “....but not all of them--wait why would you be keeping something special wrapped up like tHA--oHHHHHHHHH wrong drawer.”

Chikori: Very little. Probably her old badge from the SA/FF, maybe something cool the crewmates that liked her gave her. Fallafal’s sister probably gave her some stuff and Chikori has no idea when or how the hell she’d ever use it, but it was a gift, and she don’t have very many of those.

Kian: ?????????? WE JUST DON’T KNOW im sorry kian. He might have his old/first training gi, maybe some mementos of whomever he’s trained under, that he’d called Master. 

Fallafal: A photo of his family, some special letters that he’s managed to get/receive no this definitely does not reference @urumisu totally not gonna make vague references if it comes up to the mail shinjin,  and probably some tech or other things that are useless in Toki Toki/as a Patroller, but have deep sentimental attachments to.

Nanna: literally anything she feels like cherishing or keeping for the time being. She still has mementos from her first date with Mulla, as well as other people, in her keepsake box. 

Mulla: not very much, but she definitely has mementos from all her dates with Nanna and anything that Nanna’s given her. ....wait i said not much. Well. you get the point, I think.

[fluffybunnybadass]

65 for any OC

i’m doing a 5 for 1 with my xenoverse OCs!

What is your OC’s favorite drink?

Chikori - She thinks soda pop is an interesting Earth drink that sometimes fascinates her. just don’t tell anyone you heard about that. But she actually likes juice more, i just think it’s cute/funny for her to be surprised by the bubbly pop the first time she has it. which incidentally becomes more frequent after she goes to toki toki city, despite having it only a few times on Earth

Nanna: Smoothies! The fruitier the better.

Fallafal: A simple sort of coffee; he’ll take cream and sugar in it, but he’s not needing anything fancy. Can take it Iced or Hot

Kian: i think it’s canon somewhere that namekians really like the water that’s in the Time Nest(???) cuz Piccolo said it once in the game.

Mulla: Water. Sometimes flavored water.

[fluffybunnybadass]

When the story finally gets to the point where Chikori sees/meets Xeno Trunks, she spends a lot of time just watching/looking at him, a strange interest in him that she doesn't normally display

Everyone [except Kian] thinks it's a crush, but no, she's just really confounded by meeting another purple-haired Saiyan, and how different he is from not having grown up under the same culture. Also noted is the lack of tail, but she sees that among enough the Saiyan Time Patrollers that it doesn't bother her as much as everything else, though the tail is a point of pride. Cutting it off or having it removed would be shameful, and even though she dislikes much of Saiyan culture, that was one of the things that is so deeply ingrained to her, well before the tuffle-saiyan war. So why there is a saiyan in a leadership position that has no tail is of utmost concern for her.

But because she rarely voices her thoughts, everyone else just thinks it's a crush.

[fluffybunnybadass]

My squad of characters are Juniper, Fallafal, Nanna, Mulla, Kian, and Chikori. maybe I'm forgetting someone. If you wanna ask their marisverse/au counterparts questions, lmk and I'll either log back into @chikorithesaiyan or you could just drop them here. (maybe it'll be quicker to just send it here and then I'll rb later under an au/marisverse tag on there.....)

Same lack-of-guarantee about how 100% the answers might fit towards Kira's imagination of events or adaptations to her story/characters, but she's usually pretty good about checking back with us if she's unsure, so I'm not too worried about a severe inconsistency just yet.

(also, yes, this is the dbxv oc squad. Juniper doesn't get much light in her original verse, so I thought I'd let Kira borrow her for the marisverse! It's been so much :D)

What is the Marisverse?

Maris Stella is a Miraculous Ladybug Original Character Alternate Universe, or a MLBOCAU. The Kwamis remain the same, but the humans Holders have all been replaced by OCs.

Originally I was going to use only my own OCs but I borrowed some from friends (and some of their friends joined in.) Oh and a few canon characters from other series ended up in here.

I'll be focusing as my OCs here, and mostly the major ones (being the Holders) though if you have a question for some of the Kwamis, that might be fun too. I'll probably just be answering questions from friends and not interacting much with other posts- maybe.

Spoilers Below

Naota Yamaguchi- Ladybug Holder Maris Stella

Fletcher Aldaine- Black Cat Holder Tenechat

Yuu Akimoto- Temporary Rooster Holder Dawnbringer

Hikaru Reinhardt- Fox Holder Fennekit

Erica Cruz- Bee Holder Ceratina

Sonya Remington- Former Turtle Holder Lavinia

Arc Kingsolver- Turtle Holder Kaihonu

Ham Malderess- Dragon Holder Czar Wyvern

Alicia Thompson- Rabbit Holder Cheshire Rabbit

Justin Rhodes- Monkey Holder Discord

Yukari Akimoto- Butterfly Holder Riodinidae

Aron Vector- Peacock Holder Paravani

Carmen Vector- Eagle Holder Eatos Occasional Peacock Holder Sukima

For Hallie Mathews-Elakha (Tiger Holder Tigris Cantus) and Hitomi Elakha (Horse Holder Nightmare) please visit @elakha-house-cube

The Dog Holder, Current Rooster Holder, Ox Holder, and Goat Holder are not my OCs so I will not roleplay as them, but for reference sake

Eva Talbot- Dog Holder Labros

Loaño Ishida- Rooster Holder Chanticleer

Juniper Kempton- Ox Holder Io

Natasha Alexton- Goat Holder Sylvana

Further Holders will be added as the story proceeds

[fluffybunnybadass]

I’M TAKING MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS

27. What are some things your OC admires about his/her soulmate?

most of the squad don’t have ‘soulmates’ or believe in the idea of like, a single one. or any. most of them also are not dating anyone. nanna and mulla are the only couple who are like, long term partnership, but they wouldn’t call each other soulmates or get married anytime soon. they’re just gfs, and if they stay together forever, then cool, and if not, well that’ll suck but it’ll be fun in the meantime.

6. What is one word you would use to describe your OC’s appearances? Chikori - 90s Fallafal - Earthy Kian - ???? ( we do not have a particular style in mind...................) Nanna - your short bouncy commander whose spirit looks good in anything she wears. Mulla - tough

13. How many siblings does your OC and what is his/her relationship with them? Chikori - ??? maybe a half-sibling, maybe not, i haven’t really figured out for myself what saiyan culture would have been wrt dating/marriage.... Fallafal - at least one older sister, and they have a great relationship. c: he supports his trans sister! Kian - ?????? I’m not sure wrt Namekian culture........  Nanna  & Mulla - majins so the whole family tree is just ???????? but with their specific lineages..... Nanna probably had a ton of siblings, because she’s probably 2nd or 3rd gen majin, but Mulla’s specific lineage is no. she’s much later in the timeline than Nanna.

36. What are your OC’s thoughts/opinions of his/her current profession?

They’re all Time Patrollers, so this is a very cool question to ask! I don’t know Kian’s reasons for becoming a Patroller, or have figured out his motives, but I think he thinks it’s a decent...day job of sort? A good way to train or learn training of all different sorts of styles?

Chikori has complete indifference towards it. She was getting bored with having nothing to do on Earth and shrugged and said sure when she was asked to go back with the Majins.

Fallafal is intimidated by the weight of it and initially only followed Chikori, but he eventually grows to like it in his own way, because oftentimes people are trying to stop the heroes, so he likes being on the side of heroes, too. But sometimes the missions are difficult (like having to let bad things happen so the timelines can progress the way they should), and it sucks, but he has to remind himself that ultimately it’s for the good in the end. He has doubts at times, but still fashions himself a hero and thinks it’s a really cool gig. He definitely never saw himself as being part of something so big like the Time Patrol.

Nanna: She thinks it’s super cool!!! She always plays it off like it is! Because it is! but she also takes the job pretty seriously and understands the weight behind all of it, no matter what her outward demeanor may suggest. She hates when she gets the tough missions that require doing things that go against her moral grain. But she ultimately has fun with it, and wouldn’t’ve met her longtime gf Mulla because of it.

Mulla thinks it’s a good job. That they’re doing good.

[fluffybunnybadass]

⅀

Send me a ⅀ and I’ll explain one of my characters’ backstories really badly

lone farmboy runs into ex space soldier and becomes part of the canon police as a result