Picking up the Niece (Reikiko Closed)

It had been early in the morning when the early rays of sunlight shone into the cottage, alongside the symphony of bird chirps that came from outside it was truly a peaceful way to wake up. Of course Reikiko didn't exactly need sleep, she was a bio-android. However, she had become remarkably fond of using the thing people normally called sleep for something akin to daydreaming. In the end she would spend the days wandering around the forest, and the nights honing her mind with the little exercise the old hermit had taught her. Of course when she woke up from her 'sleep' the little bio-android would rise from the bed and walk over to the basket for her usual habit. Her tail flung into the basket, her stinger ready to pierce in apple when finally the only thing she hit was the bottom of it.

"No..."

A soft almost desperate cry came from the bio-android as she peeked into the basket on the table, having discovered that her fears had been confirmed: She had ran out of food. Without any apples to absorb she would soon lose that pleasant feeling she had grown so accustomed to. Did it mean that she would have to go and hunt humans again? That certainly would make the hermit sad, but speaking of him... The man had yet to return, what kind of troubled her a little. Did he forget or abandon her? A groan of annoyance escaped her lips when a sudden pair of knocks on the door made her eyes instantly turn toward the doorway. Someone was there! However, the voice that despite holding a certain nostalgia to it, was unfamiliar to her. The little bio-android's thoughts quickly stirred into motion. Who was that person that was outside the cottage? He somehow knew her name, and claimed to know everything about her. That by itself bothered her a lot, for only someone belonging to Chimera could have held truth to such a claim. While she silently started to channel her ki into her hand, readying a attack, the bio-android's tail swished forwards, coiling around the door handle and pushed it backwards.

Of course at the instant the door opened both sides would have been in for a surprise. The highly condensed beam of ki she had unleashed had served as a warning shot, an attempt to intimidate a potential enemy, for she had aimed slightly off-course to ensure the beam wouldn't hit the individual, but still shoot past their shoulder, but at the same time Reikiko couldn't help but look up at the green-skinned alien with a hint of bewilderment in her eyes.

"You're not a part of Chimera... Who are you? Speak quickly because I'm in a foul mood."

The bio-android's gaze shifted sideways to the empty basket on the table before looking back at the man before her. His appearance was clearly Namekian, she knew about their race thanks to the genes she possessed. However, seeing one was still fairly rare to see on Earth, and she didn't knew anything about having made a friend before...

Scargot... It was a name she wasn't familiar with, but the fact he knew about Chimera still left her wary. It wasn't that often for someone to walk up to a cottage in the middle of nowhere, a spot where she had been hiding and waiting. Of course if that person also knew about a highly professional crime syndicate, then it was understandable why she was concerned. The bio-android frowned lightly at his statement, yet when there was the mentioning of a certain old man it seemed there was a reaction from her. The bio-android's eyes had widened just a little, a hint at her surprised reaction from the revelation that this man knew the old hermit.

"..."

A silent stare was the old treatment she had given him in response to the explanation the Namekian had provided her, when finally the moment he stepped forward her tail twitched lightly. Initially she had planned to stab him, but the gentle pat on her head was surprisingly nostalgic, and for a moment she could have sworn that the old hermit was standing before her, a smile on his lips as he reassured her that everything would be alright.

"Y-You..."

A mixture of confusion, anger and a certain feeling she could classify as joy dwelled up within her but before she could respond the Namekian walked away from her. There were plenty of trees around the cottage, and while she quietly followed the man, her tail still swaying around threateningly the bio-android felt slightly fascinated by the sight before her. This man was clearly different than most, or even herself. She might had held some Namekian genes in her, but the connection this man had toward nature and the wildlife inhabiting it was something unique. She stopped right beside him, her tail slowly coming to rest behind her while she eyes the birds around Scargot.

"I don't know... I am made to become the perfect being. My sole interest is to devour others so that I can become the strongest being in existence."

She paused for a moment, her gaze lifting upwards to a bird that was descending toward the Namekian. The bio-android's hand raised itself toward it, but the moment one of her fingers drawn near toward it the bird suddenly panicked and flown away. A deep sigh escaped the bio-android's lips, knowing all too well that she wasn't designed for a peaceful existence like this. Something like he was made to kill threats, absorb worthwhile suspects and destroy civilizations. Then why was it that she felt a certain longing toward this peaceful scenery.

"It's... unique. It stirs a certain longing within me. Nevertheless, I do not belong amidst such peacefulness and beauty."

Her tone was bitter as she turned her back at him, looking back toward the cottage. However, no matter how much she wanted to change things, it didn't change the fact that currently she was imperfect. She was a rough foundation of the being that would become the perfect creation someday.

"I am akin to a parasite. To survive I need to feed, and to evolve I need to devour. There's no way of changing that."

It was the bitter truth. To become the perfect being she needed to obtain the necessary materials for it, and that meant killing and absorbing certain individuals. A soft sigh followed before she turned to face the Namekian once more.

"It's a sensation you can't come to comprehend. The satisfaction of absorbing something of a high enough quality is pure ecstasy, an euphoria that mere words can't describe. In fact I would have tried to absorb you right now, if not for the fact that you have my curiosity in you to thank for your survival. However, I am hungry, so you would be wise to not test the limits of my interest."

Yep, she was in a foul mood, even if the conversation had briefly drawn her attention away from her hunger. It was then all of a sudden that a soft sound, akin to a girlish giggle fit came from her.

"How pathetic. I am supposed to be the one to become the perfect being someday, and yet I have to rely on old men to help me get the power I need to get there? I'm not sure if I should be amused or annoyed."

And indeed, she did feel a mixture of amusement and frustration at herself. She should have been strong enough to actually be powerful enough, and yet when she thought back... Her recent encounter with a humanoid known as a Saiyan made Reikiko aware of the fact that she was weak, way too weak to truly survive without aid.

"You're a weird one... Most would have run or tried to kill me, and yet you're sitting here, being all casual and friendly. Did you drop out of a basket and hit your head on a rock, or maybe fell out of a cradle when you were born? You're 'almost' weird enough to terrify me, that is if I actually knew the sensation known as fear."

Finally the bio-android took a few steps sideways, as if to enlarge the distance between them, albeit her tail clearly started to flail more energetically.

"Your little friends shouldn't stay here too long. They might not look tasty, but I'm sure they be full of energy either way."

Was it her attempt at being kind by telling them not to test her tolerance for their presence? It seemed that at first that might had been the case, but when she soon started speaking again the true reason revealed itself.

"There are plenty of predators in this forest, and right now all those little ones are gathering around you... To describe you in the eyes of one of those predators: You're a giant vegetable with a collection of mini-snacks all around."

Clearly she meant that at this rate a predator might get lured to Scargot... Speaking about being a nice little bio-android for warning him!

So the Namekian wasn't running away because he knew the real her? What a bitter irony when one kept in mind that she was struggling with finding what it meant to be 'Reikiko'. She was a bio-android, what meant she could never be like everyone else, and yet this man was so confident and genuine in his words, as if he truly believed in them. And then the talk of the fact that everyone had their own destiny, and that it was up to themselves to decide if they would pursue it. What was her destiny? Was it to become the strongest being in the world, by any means possible... Or would she have a different path to travel? The mere thought of it all made her realize one thing. That man really was either a fool or saw something in her that even she herself didn't. The moment the man tried to take a hold of her hand, the bio-android couldn't help but wonder what kind of silly thing he would have tried to do next. The more she talked to him, the more she couldn't decide if she was fascinated or annoyed by this Namekian. For a moment she couldn't help but find herself utterly baffled by the trust he put in her.

Didn't he realize that the moment he left her hand to rest on his chest, she could have killed him?! And yet any thought of murdering this man had been left behind due to the slight drum that resounded in her ears. Baduum... Baduum... Baduum. A strong yet calm sound that she was able to identify as his heartbeat, and for a moment she shook her head in response. While she comprehended his explanation: the fact that he believed that she possessed a heart and emotions, she wasn't entirely certain of the former. Part of her actually wondered if she shot a ray of ki through her chest, right around the area her 'heart' should have been... Would she have found anything? Would there had been the same thing she heard resounding so strongly in the Namekian's chest? Or would she find a dark abyss?

It was after those thoughts drifted through her mind that Scargot seemed to resume his philosophical bantering, explaining that even if she didn't work for Chimera and followed a so called 'good' method, she would still be capable of evolving into the perfect being. It sounded attractive, but at the same time also incredibly ridiculous.

"To accomplish that means to sacrifice someone. So you're pretty much saying that it's fine for me to devour those who are deemed evil?"

It was clear that she seemed to be taking him slightly more serious than before, yet the action that followed truly toppled the scale of ridiculousness. She had noticed the apple, albeit part of her assumed it had been a trap, a bait to lure her in but when he suddenly rested the fruit before his forehead she knew all too well about the words that would follow. The question about whether she trusted him or not was a bit confusing, in the end she wasn't really one to think about trust until now. All her actions had been done so far out of the calculations that she had something to gain from it. Even her interactions with Scargot had been more out of interest rather than trust. For a moment her tail swished forwards, the stinger flowing in a fluent motion from the ground upwards toward the man's face. She was this close, that at a point like this she could have easily stabbed his throat and devoured him.

Just a mere inch and he would have died, and yet this Namekian looked at her with eyes that betrayed no distrust. Feeling frustration boiling up within her the bio-android's tail changed its angle and suddenly pierced the apple from the bottom, trying to fling it out of his hands so she could rest it on top of her stinger, and pull her tail backwards.

"Idiot! No, you're the king of idiots, the god of fools! What would you have done if I stabbed your throat?! You can't just trust people blindly like that, especially MONSTERS like me!"

The bio-android shouted in anger, and while her words pierced the air one could visibly notice the apple shrinking bit by bit, bits of the substance disappearing into her tail.

"You're annoying...."

Her cheeks turned a slight tint of red, her gaze shifting sideways while she raised a hand to point at him.

"But not annoying enough to be unlikable."

Swish, swish... the tail of the bio-android wagged behind her, almost like a happy little puppy while she whispered those words. The apple itself was even more delicious than the ones she had absorbed before, and for a moment she couldn't help but wonder if it was because she was hungry or because it was given to her by Scargot.

"But to go back onto your earlier statement. Unfortunately the characteristics of my evolution progress involve the devouring of powerful entities. No matter how much training I'd undergo, I'd never be able to obtain that what I desire without a sacrifice. And yet you're still willing to trust someone like that?"

For a moment the mouth of the bio-android curved up slightly into a smile, clearly amused by something.

"I'm not certain how effective this 'goody-two-shoes' approach of yours will be, but if it means keeping an eye on you to ensure you don't get killed or absorbed by someone because of your foolish trust then I don't mind. At the very least it will be less troublesome than training by myself in here."

And there she went again, arms folded up beneath her chest in a certain look of defiance while she turned her head sideways, her gaze drifting away from him.

"But don't think for a moment that I'm doing this for you. This is all for the sake of evolution, yes evolution and apples!"

Seems the progress was running smoothly for the Kami, but would he be able to manage this little one?

Now she was actually a bit curious. A Namekian's home on earth certainly couldn't be normal, and when he mentioned that he would be able to create something at his lookout the bio-android felt her interest stirred even further. For a moment she watched Scargot open another apple, seemingly causing a bit of a surprised response in the bio-android whose hands briefly lifted upwards, clearly trying to stop him. However, it had been too late, and left in a state of bewilderment she could see him pull out some seeds from the apple's core, and give a half of it to her. How in the world was she going to absorb an half apple? Shrugging her shoulders lightly in a 'the devil may care' attitude the apple that had been on her stinger had shrunken into a shriveled skin, allowing her to easily toss it aside while placing the halved apple on top of her stinger, making it almost look like a miniature hat. It seemed that she no longer would have any reason to remain within the forest, so perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to accompany Scargot toward his home? It was when Scargot started to walk away, seemingly at a pace that told her to follow him the little bio-android decided to step forwards, a hand trying to grasp a hold of the Namekian's before declaring with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"If you think I'm going to walk all the way to where you live, then you'd better think again."

A slight buzzing sound came from Reikiko's back, her wings parting slightly to increase the speed of her ascend and with a firm tug tried to pull the Namekian into the sky. If he objected to her idea she would have merely remained to float around him. However, if he did follow her the two would have likely been flying over the blanket of trees, and once a fair distance away she turned a final glance back at the cottage that was disappearing amidst the trees. It was a nice place, one she had grown a little bit fond of during her stay there.

"So where exactly is your home?"

While she waited for the Namekian to guide her toward the lookout, clearly oblivious to his real identity the bio-android's gaze drifted along the landscape. Below them was the cave she had met the old man before, the hermit who had shown her the cottage, a bit to the east was the large cave belonging to the ape woman--- ahem Saiyan who trashed her terribly the last time she challenged her, and a bit further was the small lake where she met another Saiyan. However, as they continued their trip Reikiko couldn't help but notice the ruined city they passed. The place where she had been chased by Chimera and devoured her two sisters. Turning her gaze away Reikiko couldn't help but find herself growing increasingly curious at the fact they were ascending higher, and when the Namekian's house came into view she finally connected the pieces together, smiling wryly.

"And here I thought you were only a figurative god of fools. Seems it was in fact literal."

The lookout was quite high, likely impossible for someone to climb without a lot of training or the ability to fly. Nevertheless, the two of them had soon reached their destination, causing Reikiko to look around with a hint of fascination. The lookout was a lot different from the forest, and honestly it made her just a little bit restless.

(Feel free to close up the thread once you posted/so we can continue in the lookout. I'll be requesting PL~)