#oh and for context Trunks' visit to the past plays out the exact same from DBZA

[autism-aint-a-flawtism]

Future Gohan Survives AU Part 3! The Waiting Game

20 minutes after Trunks left to go to the past, Gohan woke up. Again. Gohan looked like he was pleased with himself. Bulma was at his bed with a bowl of meat soup in hand. Gohan looked Bulma in the eye

"Trunks left to fight Frieza, didn't he?"

"Yep."

"Good. I have complete faith in him."

"Mm-hmm"

"Are you mad at me?"

"Yep."

Gohan fell silent to think about what Bulma was mad about. Then, he hit himself in the head on purpose because he realized that Bulma was obviously pissed because he literally woke up to fight her son just to pass out

"Look, Bulma, I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have fought Trunks. What I did was moronic and when Trunks gets back from the past I'm going to apologize to him. I'm sorry. Really I am. I'm an idiot-"

Bulma finally snapped

"Oh my God will you shut up?!? You're not an idiot! Odds are, you're one of the wisest people I know! I get that you're angry you missed out on Trunks' training, I get that you're sad because you think you failed Trunks, I get it! But whatever funk you're under, I need you to work through it before Trunks gets back! He's going to be the future! Let's try to not be like your father and leave the future in some less traumatized hands!"

Gohan was speechless. He knew that he was off, but he didn't expect to be told that in such a straightforward manner. He was completely aghast. He figured that he should might as well do what Bulma says. Plus, he's absolutely starving and Bulma's the only one with hot stew

"Yeah. You're right. Thanks for that."

Bulma calmed down. She had gotten that visibly overwhelmed to prove a point. But, when she snapped at him, she realized something.

Gohan's only 23.

She realized that Gohan's really just a kid. When she was Gohan's age, his father was fighting Piccolo Jr. Sure, that was stressful, but that's nothing compared to everything Gohan's gone through. Bulma comes to a conclusion, that she's going to be a mother of two children. Just one of them is going to be a lot more stubborn and have a lot more of a savior complex than the other.

"Yeah, dummy. I'm happy to help. Now eat this soup I made for you. You haven't eaten real food in literal years. Do you need me to feed you?"

Gohan shakes his head

"No thanks, Bulma. I'm ambidextrous, so I didn't lose my dominant hand. But I appreciate the help!"

"Alright, kiddo. I'm gonna go, call me if you need me!"

Bulma exits the room

"Hey Gohan?"

"Yeah Bulma?"

"I love you, kiddo"

Gohan took a pause. Nobody told him that in years. He shed a single tear. He'd missed being validated. He'd missed his mom. Gohan figures that he definitely needs to stop by to visit once Bulma will let him out.

"I love you too, Bulma"

Bulma shut off the lights before leaving

"Goodnight, kiddo. Now go get some rest. You need it"

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

Over the next few months, Gohan began to train. In both physical and mental. Gohan decided to finally properly learn a one armed technique: The Makankōsappō. Gohan had tried his best to visualize how Piccolo used the move. Luckily, he had a couple of recordings to figure how out how Piccolo used his stance. So, naturally, he copied that. He took as many notes as he possibly could. Gohan wished that he listened to Mr. Piccolo more when he was describing how to the use Makankōsappō.

After a month and a half of trying and failing and taking notes, all Gohan could manage to do is just shoot his Kamehameha through his fingers. Gohan punched a tree and it snapped in half

"DAMMIT! HOW THE HELL DID MR. PICCOLO DO THIS MOVE?!?!"

Gohan felt a familiar hand place itself on his shoulder

"It's because you're not focusing your energy into your hand, runt."

It was Mr. Piccolo. Gohan didn't know how that's possible, and he didn't care. He began to bawl tears of joy and hugged Piccolo. He then fell through Piccolo's body and prompty ate the curb like a total champ. Piccolo chuckled to himself, wiping away a tear that he would vehemently deny if asked about it.

"Sorry, runt. I'm just a voice and a vision. I figured that the least I can do is bother King Kai into playing a free game of telephone at least once. Being on King Kai's planet with your father and Vegeta has basically been my equivalent to Hell anyways."

Gohan then heard the piercing voice of King Kai

"YOU SHOULD GO TO HELL!"

Piccolo chuckled again

"Okay, lemme teach you this real quick before King Kai decides to kick me off his planet. He's already done it to Yamcha and I've got a feeling I might be next"

And so, Piccolo and Gohan began to train. Piccolo taught Gohan how to use his signature move, and for a few hours, everything felt perfect. Just a master and his student, training. It reminded him of the old days, when he was training with Piccolo for the Saiyans. Only, this time things were different.

Gohan and Piccolo were equals here

After four straight hours of training, Gohan finally did it. He finally used the Makankōsappō. Flawlessly, too. Piccolo gave his usual 'nice job, runt' and King Kai told him that he had five more minutes due to the fact that he had to feed Bubbles soon. Piccolo took the form of a vision once more and looked at Gohan straight in the eye

"Look, kid. I know I haven't been all that present, and I'm sorry. But before I go, I just wanted to let you know that I'm so proud of you. I love you more than you could ever know. And you're going to be a great teacher. I believe in you wholeheartedly. Continue training Vegeta's brat to your fullest extent. He may not say it, but I know that Vegeta's proud of his son. And I know that your father is proud of you. Next time you get the chance, try and talk to him. He'd love to talk to you again,"

Piccolo began to tear up

"I love you, my student. My family. My friend. I hope to see you again after you send those Androids packing down to Hell. I believe in you!"

Gohan felt a flurry of emotions. He felt the happiest he'd ever been. He felt odd that he wanted to talk to his father again. He'd hated Goku ever since he died. Maybe he's finally learning to move past his trauma like Bulma had told him to. But, most of all. Gohan finally knew that fate and the gods were on Trunks and his side.

Gohan finally had hope.

[atamascolily]

another JAT fic snippet

In which there's Sexual Tension and my OC is a huge shipper AND a troll. (I love her so, so much.)

For context, Mara has just landed on Yavin IV after agreeing to help out with the academy, and my OC Tor shows her around the temple complex, pointing on what she, Luke and Corran have fixed in the old Rebel base and what still needs to be repaired. Their last stop is the most interesting.

"So, what about the hot springs?" Mara asked. "I can't imagine anyone wanting to indulge in <i>this</i> climate."

Tor grinned. "Too hot and humid for you, huh?"

"It reminds me of Myrkr," she said. "I prefer more temperate planets."

"Myrkr... that's where you met Luke, right?"

Mara frowned. How much had Luke told this woman about her? "We actually first met in deep space, although he wasn't aware of it at the time. I pulled his unconscious body out of his disabled ship and onto the <i>Wild Karrde</i>. We were based out of Myrkr at the time, and Skywalker didn't wake up until after we'd landed."

"Ah," said Tor. "It sounds like an amazing place. All those metal trees! I'd love to see it some day."

Personally, Mara hadn't considered the biology of Myrkr to be particularly exceptional in any way but one: there were creatures there that hunted or hid via the Force that difficult to ignore. The Force-dampening ysalamiri were irritating enough, but the wild vornskrs were a damn nuisance and occasionally life-threatening. She could imagine how a botanist might view things differently, though.  

"Well, perhaps I'll go with you," she said, surprising herself even as she made the offer. She barely knew this woman, it wasn't like her to volunteer to spend travel with a virtual stranger--

"Thank you," Tor said simply. She looked up at the sky, then at the chronometer on her wrist. "We can go to the hot springs now if you like."

"What about Luke and Corran?"

"Oh, they're unlikely to pull themselves away from X-wing repairs for at least another hour. We'll have the whole place to ourselves."

That hadn't been what she meant, but she let Tor lead her through the maze of stone corridors out into the open, towards the ruins of yet another temple. Unlike the Great Temple, the roof had caved in long ago, leaving the remaining walls exposed to the open--and the jungle had quickly infiltrated the gaps. Now the trunks of great trees entwined the rock walls and towered out of the rooms--except for bare patches here and there where no seed had managed to take root.

"Apparently, the Massassi civilization enjoyed a good soak; we found a whole network of pipes and aqueducts when we started poking around," Tor said. "They channeled both hot water from the volcanic springs and cooler water from the river using gravity alone. Most of it was still intact--it only took a few minor repairs to get everything up and running again. We only have one pool set up right now, but I think you'll like it."

Mara opened her mouth to politely decline--there was no way she was getting in the water now, it was far too hot, and she needed to finish unloading her gear off the Headhunter and settle into her new quarters--

Tor patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, I brought a towel for you," she said, and started towards the entrance. "Well? Aren't you coming?"

--and the moment was lost. She swallowed, wondering what the hell was wrong with her nerve. "Yes," she said, and hastened to catch up.  

***

Somehow, Mara hadn't expected the communal showers. They'd left their clothes and footwear at a bench near the complex entrance, and a naked and completely unselfconscious Tor had made a beeline for the nearest faucet so she could scrub herself under a stream of water. The fixtures themselves were shiny and modern, in stark contrast to the volcanic black rock to which they were attached; clearly, they were a replacement for whatever the Massassi had used.

Tor interrupted her ablutions long enough to notice Mara's hovering. ""You've never done this before?"

Mara nodded.

"Well, it's awkward for about thirty seconds and then you get over it," Tor said. "Everybody who didn't grow up going to public baths has the exact same reaction on their first visit. You should have seen Skywalker blush--."

"You took Skywalker to a <i>public bathhouse</i>?" Mara's mind whirled at the mental image.

Was that a smirk on Tor's face? Yes, yes, it was. "He tried to play the dispassionate Jedi, but his entire face was bright red. One of the hazards of such pale skin, I guess. And how he <i>stared</i>! That's usually impolite, but in my opinion, it was only fair, because everyone else was staring right back at him."

"Why?"

Tor pursed her lips. "Have you <i>seen</i> him? He's quite an attractive man."

"I thought you said it was impolite to stare," Mara said, trying to keep her own face from reddening in embarrassment at the direction this conversation was going.

"I didn't stare, I merely <i>observed</i>," Tor said cheerfully. "Besides, he's far too young for me."

She turned away and closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the flow of water down her face and back, so Mara was spared the need for a response. She took that as a sign to venture into the room and turn another showerhead. The water was icy cold at first, and then warm, and once it reached a comfortable temperature, she stepped under the flow of water, letting it fall over her in a steady stream.

"You don't have to shower long," Tor said, her eyes still closed, as if sensing Mara's next question. "Just enough to slough off any dirt and skin flakes that would be unwanted in the communal pool. You shower when you're finished soaking, too, so don't worry about that bit either."  

It was an odd system, but it make sense in context. Mara shrugged and washed herself as best she could. She waited for Tor to finish and pad down the hall towards the communal pool before she followed.

"Careful not to slip," Tor said. "We're going to put mats down at some point, but we haven't gotten that sophisticated with so few of us here now."

 Even with Tor's warning, Mara had to concentrate not to slide on the slick dark volcanic flagstones with wet, bare feet.  She followed Tor down the hallway, past stone walls covered with life--lichens and orchids and epiphytes, bromeliads and colorful blooms.

"It's beautiful," Mara said in surprise.

"Yes, it is," Tor agreed. "Ah, here we go."

She led Mara to a series of stone steps, descending into a large, deep pool of water, clear enough that Mara could make out every detail of the black flagstones at the bottom. Steam issued from the water's surface. Every now and then a flurry of bubbles issued from the bottom, only to ripple and vanish once they reached the surface.

"If you feel something wet and squishy in the water, don't panic," Tor said as she splashed down the steps and lowered herself into the water with a sigh. "There are colonies of sulfur-eating bacteria in the spring itself, and sometimes they get sucked through the pipes and end up in here. They're completely harmless, but they can be disconcerting if you're not expecting them."

"What do they look like?" Mara said. She hovered on the lip of the pool, uncertain of whether she should gradually ease herself in or plunge in all at once.  

"White, amorphous blobs. Nothing too dramatic. Come on in!"

Mara gave up and lowered herself into the water. As Tor had promised, the warmth was pleasant and comforting, despite the tropical heat around them.

"We don't have a cold pool set up yet, so if you get overheated, you have to go back and shower with the cold water," Tor said. "If you feel dizzy or your heart starts racing, get out of the water immediately and cool off. You can come back in when you feel better."

Mara nodded. "So you and Skywalker spent a lot of time in the bathhouses on Sawara?" she asked, as casually as she dared. "He must have gotten the idea for this hot springs business from you."

"He was quite taken with them," Tor agreed. "On Sawara, people have private 'freshers in their homes, but the baths are where they go to socialize and relax. It's the one place where everyone is welcome, no matter your rank or your station. Old age, scarring, accidents, unfortunate tattoos... there's no hiding who you are in the baths. It's come as you are or don't come at all."

It sounded... oddly liberating. "And you don't stare."

"Not usually. Like I said, Skywalker was an exception. Speaking of which, I think I hear him now."

Mara turned to see a pale blur pass from the hallway behind them and into the shower room. There was a hiss as water turned on. "Skywalker? Now?"

Tor's grin kept getting wider and wider. "He usually comes to bathe after completing his work for the day. I suppose he and Corran must have finished early."

"Corran comes to the baths, too?"

"Not usually. He's... rather modest, our Corellian friend."

Well, that was a relief. Only <i>one</i> embarrassing encounter with her new colleagues at a time.

"I hope you're going to appreciate the show," Tor said gleefully. "I certainly am."

"I thought you said it was impolite to stare--"

"I'm not staring, I'm <i>appreciating</i>--"

The water ceased. Mara heard footsteps behind her, accompanied by the unmistakable sense of Luke Skywalker's presence in the Force.

"Mara! I'm so glad you’re here!" he said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet you when you arrived, but I assume Tor showed you around?"

Mara turned, careful to keep her eyes on Skywalker's face rather than straying downward, and mostly succeeding. Though from Tor's palpable amusement, she wasn't hiding her discomfort as well as she wanted to. Damn her.

"Yes, she's been telling me a lot of things--like what an impression you made on the Sawarans," Mara said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, that's right," Luke said easily, sliding into the water with practiced ease and sitting back on the submerged steps, between her and Tor. He was now covered up to his chest, which helped to ease some of the awkwardness, but not as much as Mara would have preferred. "I'm several centimeters shorter than your average Sawaran, not to mention a heck of a lot paler. They couldn't take their eyes off me. I even had young children coming up to touch me to make sure I wasn't a ghost."

Tor shrugged. "Mostly, they were teasing you. It's not your fault you greatly resemble a mythic land demon, Skywalker."

They both laughed. Mara noticed the easy, unconscious rapport as a twinge of jealousy curl down her spine.