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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 18, 2015 3:38:55 GMT
[PL: 80,516]
The forest was quiet, save the sound of the wind rustling the leaves on the trees. Articho didn't find it a nuisance or annoyance, though. The sound was peaceful and it gave the young hybrid a feeling of serenity. Which helped, given that he was meditating on top of a somewhat tall flat rock. He made a mental note to bring a cushion next time. The rock, no matter how fond he was of good, strong stone, was beginning to make his butt hurt.
Articho had been spending a lot of time with Ninjin during the past week. He was incredibly grateful that the former Turtle Hermit had agreed to help him reach Super Saiyan despite her fast approaching due date. The hybrid boy did what he could to help his previous teacher in return for her training him, despite her protests. He would clean, make tea for them, and run her errands during the breaks. Just a few small things that Ninjin insisted she could do herself, but her relieved expression during the moments when she thought Articho wasn't looking said other wise.
Today was different, though. Ninjin had said training would have to be on his own for the day, which Articho didn't question. He simply asked if she needed anything done before he left, Ninjin, of course, said no and offered her usual advice. It was typically about keeping himself focused, drawing from the deepest anger reserves he had, and other trivial enouragement. He bowed and thanked her, promising to be back in time for tea, before taking off into the sky and to a nearby clearing.
Since then, he had been sitting and meditating. Not much had happened since he had started, save a few animals running by. He was grateful for the quiet. Articho's meditation had proved fruitful in benefitting himself. Would it be enough for him to reach Super Saiyan and be of some help against Vi-Poi, he didn't know. Only one way to find out.
Articho stood up and faced in a random direction, staring at the trees ahead. He took a deep breath, slowly in, slowly out, before narrowing his eyes as if he was glaring at an unseen enemy. He pulled at his anger to push his limits and reach new level of strength. With a mighty roar, power explouded from the young hybrid's body. His hair and tail flashed gold for a moment as his eyes turned light teal, as well. Strength surged through his body and he'd never felt so alive in his life. But just as quickly, it disappeared, leaving Articho in his base state. Not again.
"Dammit," he muttered in frustration. He would get Super Saiyan if it was the last thing he did, which it very well may be. So he tried again. And again. And again. Still, nothing. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he shouted one final time.
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 18, 2015 4:07:57 GMT
(Thread PL: 14,216. Suppressed to 5.)
Raisu strolled through the forest, a light breeze ruffling through the leaves. It was lovely, the day as fine as he could hope for. Today was strangely peaceful, given the circumstances. He'd not been beset by homicidal androids or met any super powered farmers. In fact, this was the most perfectly average day that he'd had in weeks. Some part of him suspected that wouldn't last long, but a man could hope.
Not that he disliked the days that were out of the ordinary. Quite the opposite in fact. The unique experiences they offered made life worth living. Well, Raisu thought, he could do without the murderous robots. Yes, he'd much rather meet anything else.
It occurred to him it had been sometime since he had seen another person. Not since the family of farmers. He thought he had been on the path to the next village, but a seed of doubt sprouted in his mind. It was possible he had strayed from the path without realizing it. Entirety possible, likely even. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone astray. And if he had, well, sometimes the road less travelled is the interesting one.
If he was far from civilization, who knows when he should find it again. He sighed. Best correct himself now. He closed his eyes and focused, searching for a kid signature, some sign of life. And something jumped at him. A large signature. A close signature. He swallowed. Should he head towards it or not? If the signature was hostile, well, that would go poorly for him. If it was friendly, well, it would be an interesting meeting. Either way, he was masking his own ki. Perhaps he could avoid trouble if he didn't seem like a threat. He sighed, and turned towards the signature. He began walking.
Some time later, he felt himself drawing nearer. And there it was: a man, perched on a rock. Dark hair. Strong "looking". Human? That remained to be seen. He approached, and cursing reached his ears. Was he upset? Hurt? Or something else entirely?
"You okay up there?" He shouted up.
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 18, 2015 14:37:26 GMT
Articho was breathing heavily. His failed attempts at transforming were beginning to wear on him and his energy was quickly draining away. His tail flicked angrily as he stewed in his frustration. What was he missing? He was certain he had a good enough control of his own emotions to trigger it. Or he hoped he did at least. Someone dying or being fatally injured was the last way he wanted to use. The hybrid had seen enough death for the time being, thought the second fight with Vi-Poi may result in more, possibly his own. It was a daunting task and without Super Saiyan, he wouldn't be ready.
A thought clicked in his head. Maybe that was it. Articho just wasn't ready yet. His body simply hadn't reached he level necessary to be a Super Saiyan. And that made him mad. The young hybrid clenched his fists tightly and decided to go for one more push. He would make himself ready. He pulled what he could from his neat spent energy and any strong emotions he had left, the largest being frustration and anger at himself. Articho tilted his head back and roared towards the heavens. Power rolled off of him in waves as his aura flashed around him. His hair spiked up and turned golden like so many times before, as did his tail. The form held itself longer than it had previous times, but in the end, the golden aura and hair disappeared and Articho collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.
The hybrid lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath and slow his heart rate. "Dammit..." he muttered to himself as he heard someone approaching him. Articho propped himself up on his elbows and looked down at the man who had arrived in his clearing. He hesitated for a moment before answering the man. "I'm fine..." he said, sounding not fine at all. "What do you want?"
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 18, 2015 20:32:16 GMT
Whoever this man was, he sure was putting out a lot of energy. But for what reason? Surely there was some reason to his sitting on a rock and amassing energy. Whatever the reason, it seemed the man was having a hard time doing whatever it was he was trying to do. His voice sounded laboured, a direction contradiction of what he had said. 'I'm fine'? Hardly.
But what did Raisu want? Why, that was simple. To see another person. To find the taletell signs of civilization and no longer be wandering the wilds without aim. That was what he wanted. And it was a reasonable want. Not like some of the things people longed for or asked after. Like riches or power. By comparison to those, his own wants seemed small.
But still, here he was, his only sign of people this notable not fine man on a rock, whose power outstripped his own. At least he wasn't dead yet, though murderers did not always reveal their true colors at first meeting. He knew that much from experience, sadly. Hopefully this would prove different.
"I'm just looking for the next town," he said.
He waited a moment, deciding to call up after him again, "You sure you're okay? What're you doing up there anyway?"
Curiosity had gotten the better of him. It would be interesting to know what brought him out here. And if he wasn't inclined to tell him, he could hopefully at least point Raisu in the right direction.
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 19, 2015 3:35:50 GMT
Articho, with some effort, pushed himself back up to a sitting position. He nearly fell onto his back as he did, but his arms managed to hold his weight. They were shaking from the effort, but they held. The young hybrid took one long breath in an attempt to finally return his heart rate to normal. Why was training to reach Super Saiyan so exhausting? His reasoning seemed to hold true given how tired even trying made him. His body simply wasn't compatable with the form, which frustrated him even more. Articho couldn't recall a moment where he had felt so inadequate. Vi-Poi was coming and right now, he couldn't do a damned thing about it.
After a few more moments of recovering and brooding, Articho directed his attention to the young man below him. Slightly long brown hair that stuck up all over the place, a little bit older than he was, and what he considered to be a strange sense of fashion. Then again, he was in a blue and gold dogi. He didn't have much room to talk. "I guess you can't fly, then," Articho commented. "Because if you could, then you'd know that the next town over was that way." The hybrid pointed to the east, before dropping his arm to support himself again. "It's a pretty far walk. May take you another day unless you're quick about it and run. If you could fly, you'd be much faster and be there after ten minutes, give or take."
Articho went silent for a moment at the man's next question. It hadn't been long and the frustration he felt was off the charts. But he figured he owed the man an explanation. "I'm trying to reach Super Saiyan, but i just can't. I don't know what I'm missing and the deadline to have it is approaching all too quickly." After that, the hybrid fell silent again for a few more moments before continuing. "What's your name? I'm Articho."
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 19, 2015 15:43:42 GMT
The man was right. Raisu could not fly. It was quite the inconveinance, really, not being able too. He'd have to try and figure that out soon, or find someone who could teach him. It seemed like quite the useful skill, even if Raisu felt there was something to be said for walking. Either way, it was good to know the town was close. A day wasn't so bad, in terms of time. And Raisu could run it. That wouldn't be so hard.
He looked up at the young man, observing him. He looked interesting. The aforementioned dark hair seemed oddly familiar to him, as if he'd seen the shade somewhere before. And he was wearing a dogi. A martial artist, Raisu decided. And then he said something about Super Saiyan. The term struck a chord with Raisu. He'd heard it before, and had a vague idea of what one was. He, however, was incredibly out of touch with his Saiyan heritage, a fact that did not upset Raisu. But if this man was attempting to become a Super Saiyan, that would explain the high ki readings. And it would explain his strained tone. That could not be an easy task.
The man recited his name, Articho. Raisu nodded, making a note of it in his mind. He'd remember that. He prided himself on being good with remembering people. He cleared his throat, and ran a hand through his red hair, red like his mother's. Raisu smiled at the man and waved.
"I'm Raisu. Nice to meet you."
He continued to smile, searching for something else to say. What did you say to an almost-Super Saiyan? 'Don't attack me, please'? Maybe he should ask him about himself, get to know the guy.
"So, you're a Saiyan, eh? I didn't think you guys went many places without the intention of conquering."
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 20, 2015 13:09:17 GMT
Articho flicked his tail in annoyance and glared at Raisu down below. The last thing he needed to be was compare to a Saiyan. Sure, he was half of one, but the only thing he had in common with the second half of his heritage was a love for fighting, desire to be the strongest, and his appetite. Not even close enough to lump the hybrid with those war mongering dick wads. "Please," he muttered. "Do I look like I want to kill every person on this planet? I'm half Saiyan and a damn useless one at that." Maybe that wasn't true, but it sure felt like it was. He wouldn't be able to do much of anything against Vi-Poi without Super Saiyan. There was always the possibility of going Oozaru, but he would need a full moon for that. He may not have such a luxury when the time came. He sighed heavily before standing up. He stretched his arms and legs to loosen them up and bounced on his toes a few times. The hybrid was still surprised at how tired trying to transform made him, even if he had been doing it for a few days. He felt like he had been exercising non stop for hours, even though it had only been maybe ten minutes.
Articho looked down at Raisu again. "Do you need a lift to town? Or someone to walk with, at least?" he offered. He paused for a moment, an idea forming in his mind. "Maybe I could teach you how to fly, too. Travel's not the only thing it's good for." His thoughts flashed back to him shooting Benetto towards Vi-Poi and to his death, but he quickly pushed the memory away. Jarvis had come back to life, so the hope that Benetto would was still there. He would have to make sure the man didn't get into any battles that were way over his head, though. "It can help in a fight, too. You're no good on the ground when your opponents ten stories up."
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 20, 2015 21:26:25 GMT
Judging by the man's response, Raisu had clearly struck a nerve. He frowned. He supposed he had been a bit rude with that comment. After all, he didn't know Articho or anything about him. Stereotypes, he thought, are bad and he would do well to avoid them in the future. He'd have to choose his words more carefully from here on out.
But still, his heart skipped a beat at the mention of his being half-Saiyan. He'd never thought he'd meet another, especially not by chance in the forest. All those things he said about fighting, his appetite... Finally, someone who could understand his own feelings and impulses.
His guard dropped, and Raisu gave the other half blood an easy smile. He shrugged off his suppression, and let his own ki signature loose. His tail sprang out and wagged too and fro, a relief overtaking him.
"Sorry, about that. I know how you feel."
He paused, and let the air stand for a moment. He cleared his throat, finding the words, "I'll have to take you up on that offer sometime. But for now, if you just want to walk awhile, that'd be cool."
And so it would be. Raisu continued his smile.
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 21, 2015 3:07:39 GMT
Articho studied Raisu, looking rather unimpressed and irritated. So the man across from was hybrid like he was. Saiyan-human by the looks of it. The man was weak, too. His lack of control overflight made that more apparent. But it was nice to see someone who knew where he was coming from. There was only so much his mother could do and he would never accept any advice from his father, no matter how unlikely an encounter with his father would be. The young hybrid took a deep breath to try and calm down some. His heart rate had risen in thinking of his father. After the fight with Vi-Poi, Turrip was the next person on his hit list.
Articho debated with himself for a moment, before hoping off of the flat rock and landing on the ground. "Pleasure to meet you," he said with a half grin. He waved his hand, signaling for the other hybrid to follow him. With that he began walking into the woods. He was looking around, studying the flora around him. He may not see it again for sometime, so right now it was nice. "What brings you by here, Raisu?" the hybrid boy asked as he tried to keep up on the small talk.
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 21, 2015 3:22:57 GMT
The two began to walk into the woods. Raisu studied the other hybrid for a moment, sneaking glances when he could. He seemed to be looking at the plants. They were quite lovely this time of year, being in full bloom. Raisu smiled, remembering the windowsill back home. His mother's potted flowers would be coming along quite nicely by now. She always did take such pride in them. And she was right, too. It seemd that flowers were far and few between in the ashpalt lands of the city. The occasional weed managed to push up through the concrete, a tenacious sign of life where there was none. Raisu aspired to be much, but if he could achieve one thing, he hoped he could prove half as hardy as a weed in the city.
But what brought him here? He was out of the city now, far from home. Far from the potted plants that decorated windowsills of cramped little apartments, and far from the weeds that refused to stay downtrodden. A great many things brought him here, he decided. The road, the strings of fate, or was it chance? He did not know, but something had brought him here, regardless. Why had he allowed himself to be brought here, or rather if there was no grand design such as fate, why had he chosen to come here? Or perhaps Articho's question was more specific in-nature: why was Raisu here, in this exact spot, talking to Articho.
"Well," he began, "I was a bit lost. So, I looked for ki signatures and your's was the first to pop out at me."
He walked in silence for a few moments, humming to himself. He looked to Articho, and opened his mouth to offer a deeper explination. "See, I'm a bit of a wanderer. I want to see the world."
That wasn't all he wanted, but he was content to let his statements sit as they were.
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 21, 2015 14:05:39 GMT
Articho shrugged as he brushed a leaf with his hand. "Makes sense for you to find me," he said, not looking at the hybrid next to him. "My ki would be fluctuating pretty quickly and I wouldn't be surprised if other people could sense it. Not like I was really trying to hide it, though. If someone wanted to come by and challenge me, I would have accepted. I would be quite alright with it." He didn't know why, but the young hybrid had had a desire to hit something. It couldn't just be a tree, though. He needed to hit something that would hit back, something that would make his blood rush and his adrenaline spike. He supposed it was just his frustration getting to him. Maybe Raisu would be willing to fight him. Maybe...
Articho shrugged again. "You do you, man. I'm pretty content with living in a house that has food, air conditioning, and TV." It wasn't like he couldn't go wherever he wanted, anyway. Flight made that task fairly easy. He could be training in the highlands one minute, then eating lunch in the South Capitol the next. It was incredibly convenient. Plus the feeling he got when he flew was incredible. He felt free and powerful, which was a good way to cool off and think. No one to bother him or make him mad. Just him. "Any place you want to settle down to eventually?" Articho asked, looking back at Raisu.
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 21, 2015 18:19:47 GMT
Raisu watched the other hybrid with curiosity, as he seemed almost distracted. Which would make sense, given the circumstances Raisu had found him in. And then Articho mentioned that he'd like a challenge. Raisu grinned at that. He could try and provide it, but given the difference between them, it would probably be over quickly for Raisu. Still, something primal stirred in Raisu's core at the thought of fighting a more powerful openent, as if some beast living in his heart had suddenly gnashed its teeth and roared a challenge. It was a good feeling, like the kind of feeling one gets when they drink a hot cup of tea on a cold winter's day. Hot and burning, almost painful too, but ultimately it brings one pleasure. He could feel his heart begin to beat faster, its steady rythm increasing to a tempo one might expect of drums marching to war.
Calm down, he chided himself. They weren't fighting yet. Hell, Articho had even just asked him a simple question. The more primal side of his being projected an image in his: Raisu pivoting in place and throwing a hook at Articho's jaw. He shivered. No, he'd asked a question. Raisu should answer it. And besides, a sucker punch just wouldn't be honorable. Even more, he realized, he was an idiot to think that someone of Articho's level wouldn't see it coming.
After all, he'd just found someone who could understand him, maybe. He'd talk first. And maybe, just maybe, if Articho were willing, they could duke it out. He'd talk.
"Nah, haven't found that place yet. Maybe one day."
He sighed. Maybe one day indeed. He turned his head towards Articho, and tilted his head.
"What about you? Any grand plans?"
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 22, 2015 13:33:56 GMT
Articho nodded in understanding. Finding a house wouldn't have been hard for anyone, but finding a home? That was difficult. He was lucky that he had his mother and friends to go back to whenever he needed. That was home. Somewhere you could go and feel truly at peace. "I wish you luck on finding somewhere to stay that feels right. I'm sure you'll find it." He smiled warmly a the other hybrid. The desire to fight him was still there, but Articho meant what he said. He had no bad blood with Raisu, an uncommon thing for those with Saiyan blood he'd met, really.
Articho shrugged in response. He really only had one plan. Reach Super Saiyan, then find his father and beat him into the ground. Pretty simple and not really all that grand. Though, he supposed going into space with COSMOS was pretty grand. If they ever got a ship, that is. He could have sworn Glecisr had told him he was about to get one months ago. And there was that one idea that had been stirring in his brain. The hybrid pushed the thought aside for the time being. He doubted that Raisu would even know what he was talking about. "I just want to beat my father," he said simply. "He gave me that challenge before I was born and I'm going to make good on it."
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Post by Raisu Hanamura on Aug 22, 2015 14:31:45 GMT
Articho gave him a smile and wished him luck. Raisu returned the smile, the corners of his mouth starting to ache from all the smiling he had been doing. Still, it was a good feeling. Not so much the aching, but the feeling of good will between the two was something Raisu could appreciate. It put a certain pep in him.
And then the other hybrid shrugged. Didn't he have any dreams? Though, Raisu supposed it might be hard to put dreams in to words. How many times had people asked him about his own and all he had been able to say was 'travel'? Far too many. Most people accepted the simplicity of it, but never did it sit right with himself. Not that he disliked traveling. Quite the opposite in fact. It was something he loved and something that brought him a lot of joy. Sometimes, however, he felt he was missing something. Some direction, something concrete, something more than a vague image on the horizon.
And then Articho mentioned his own father. Raisu frowned and nodded as the other hybrid spoke of defeating him. How many times had Raisu had the same thoughts? Too many times to count. There is a distinct difference between sympathy and empathy. Up until now, Raisu had only empathize. But now they had crossed deep into sympathy territory.
"Your dad sucks, too?" Raisu asked.
"Man," he continued, "I know that feeling."
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Post by Articho Reville on Aug 26, 2015 19:38:34 GMT
Articho let out a snorting laugh. Did his dad suck? Thats almost like asking if grass was green and Saiyans had tails. He didn't hold it against Raisu, though. For all he knew, there were some Saiyan dads, and moms, he supposed, that hadn't skipped out on their kids' lives and hadn't left a cryptic challenge to beat their head in. Saiyans were confusing. "Yeah, he's a typical Saiyan dad," the hybrid said. "Wasn't ever there, left my mom alone with me on the way, no child support. The usual. Maybe I'll force him to come home after I beat him. It'd be funny to see how my mom would react to knowing he'd be staying with us." Articho smiled and chuckled. He was certain his mother would be absolutely ecstatic to have his father back. Either that or she would hit him with a frying pan. It wouldn't be the first time she had used something like that.
Articho's laughter fell away as he looked back at Raisu. "So, what about you?" he asked the other hybrid. "You know anything about your dad? Or your family, for that matter?"
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