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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 4, 2015 3:23:58 GMT
[PL: 89,130]
Articho sat atop Capsule Corporation building in the West Capitol. The breeze gently blew through his hair, pushing his bangs across his forehead. His eyes were closed and his brow was furrowed in frustration. He sat with his arms and legs crossed and he listened to the busy sounds of the multi million dollar company beneath him. He was slightly peeved that, even with his end goal for the Dragon Balls, Capsule Corp refused to aid him. Apparently restoring a planet and its population is worth 5,000 Zeni and more for the damn batteries. One would think that they would know how to create a battery that lasted longer than one use. Clearly, packaging larger things into small as hell capsules is easy. Making a battery that was actually worth a damn, not so much.
"Hey, kid!" a voice shouted at him from below. Articho opened his eyes and looked down at the source. Who he found at the bottom made him roll his eyes and sigh in exasperation. It was a security guard, about fifty with graying hair and a stocky build, though in no way muscular. A rent-a-cop, it seemed, and a mad one at that. "Get off a' the building!" the guard continued. "We told ya ta leave if ya weren't buying anything. So, git!" The hybrid hesitated, studying the guard for a few moments. He could ignore the man and continue his brooding on the roof, but that would only lead to more rent-a-cops showing up. He didn't need a bunch of people yelling at him, so Articho stood up, dusted himself off, and flew off of the building without a word. The guard simply stared at him in annoyance before reentering the building after the young man cleared the gate.
Articho landed fifty feet from the Capsule Corp front gate and started walking. His tail swung lightly back and forth like a pendulum. He walked past multiple people on the street. Some ignored him, some gave him sideways glances, and others walked up and thanked him for the getting rid of the vampires. In reality, it hadn't been so long ago, but it felt like years had passed since then. So much had changed and he was caught up in it all. Everywhere he turned, some new threat reared its ugly head. First, Vi-Poi, and now he had been dealt with. Now, it was the Saiyan Empire. He didn't match up before and he had the sinking feeling he wouldn't this time. Not unless he reached Super Saiyan, the goal that was so close, yet so far. He sighed in frustration and continued his slow walk down the street.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 4:01:39 GMT
Holo awoke with a start at the sudden noise of someone shouting nearby. For a few very scary moments he didn't know where he was, but then the previous night all came flooding back to him. How he got lost in the city and couldn't find his way home, and his panicked escape from the people who (As far as he knew) wanted to kill him. Holo took in his surroundings quickly, and remembered. He was in a somewhat cleaner alleyway than the rest, huddled up against a wall for warmth. He sniffed and pushed back the tears that threatened to rise when he thought of his family, and how mad they'd be when he got back. He stubbornly refused to entertain the idea that he might not find his way back home. After all, he'd walked here. It's not like he could be that far away, right? But the city was huge, and people might even still be hunting for him! No... Dr. Remus had always said that people would try to kill him if they knew what he was, but Dr. Yumi said that was nonsense, and she always had the right answer. Holo decided that he wouldn't get anywhere sitting around, and got up to his feet. Looking down at himself, Holo realized how terrible he looked. His white shirt and trousers were stained and covered with dirt, and his shoeless feet were caked with the dust and grime of the city. He briefly tried to brush himself off, but his hands were as dirty as the rest of him. Shrugging, Holo proceeded to the edge of the alleyway and tentatively took a peek around the corner.
What Holo saw wasn't particularly cheering. The street was rather busy, with cars filling the road and honking at each other occasionally. At least the sidewalks were fairly clear, as far as he could see there was only one other person walking down this street. When he took a closer look, all his worries suddenly melted away. That guy had a tail! Holo had read about the Saiyans in books, but he never thought he'd see one in real life! He was speechless, and couldn't manage to do anything but stare (a little creepily) as the individual drew closer.
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 4, 2015 4:17:25 GMT
Articho didn't notice the kid in his way until he felt the feeling of eyes boring into him. He paused on the sidewalk, people still pushing past him to get where they were going. He looked around a bit, trying to find the source of his bizarre feeling. He scanned his eyes across the area until he spotted his source. A small child, no more than eight, in grubby clothes and staring directly at him. How utterly strange. The hybrid looked around for maybe a parent of the child, but no one came forth to claim him. He looked back down at the child. He really was filthy. Probably hungry, too. New clothes didn't make a difference if one was too hungry to actually enjoy them.
"Come on, kid," Articho said, grabbing the kid's shoulder and pulling him along. It couldn't be safe for him to be just out in the street with no one to keep an eye on him. "You hungry? I'll buy you lunch. Sound good?" The hybrid sounded like he was making a statement rather than asking a question. He would make this kid eat before the end of the day.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 5:12:54 GMT
Holo was more than a little startled when the guy grabbed his shoulder. He was already tense from last night's events, and the fact that the guy was (possibly) a Saiyan, (which Holo had read were generally fairly bloodthirsty) put him over the edge. His heartbeat's rising tempo in his ears, Holo let out a shriek and began to struggle ineffectually in the well-meaning fellow's powerful grasp. He was so panicked, he didn't even hear the guy's next words. His panic ever rising as the man began to pull him along, suddenly the veins in his eyes glowed a bright blue and Holo (probably unintentionally) screamed at him telepathically, inserting a shriek a thousand times louder than anything his lungs could ever produce directly into the man's head as Holo continued to writhe in his grasp.
(OOC: Sorry, Holo is a little high-strung right now. Please don't hurt him... er, fatally. He's not in control of his actions.  ) |
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 4, 2015 13:17:03 GMT
Articho grimaced as the kid started shrieking in fear. It was drawing a lot of attention, none of it good. He could feel glares burrowing into his back from the people around him and a few whispered statements about how he had gone from hero to kidnapper. No one did anything about it either way, so the hybrid kept his grip on the kid to keep him from running away and possibly getting himself into more trouble. "Kid, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you," he said, trying to soothe the panicking child. In hindsight, he should have taken a different approach to this.
Then the screaming started.
Articho's grip on the boy tightened as he held his free hand to his ear and scrunched his eyes up in pain. He couldn't even hear himself think, it was so loud. No one on the street was screaming or were affected by it and people gave him weird looks as they passed by. He was the only one who could hear it. The hybrid looked at the kid. His eyes were glowing blue, when they hadn't been a moment ago. This was his doing and it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon. Time for a change of plans. Articho swiftly brought his free hand down to the base of the boy's neck in the spot that would knock him out, making sure to move faster than people could see. If he managed to knock the kid out, he would quickly pick him and carry him into a nearby fast food restaurant and set him in a seat.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2015 19:25:28 GMT
Holo was only getting more hysterical by the second, when suddenly everything went black, and his body went limp. Soon, too, his blood lost its glow and returned to its normal muted hue.
(Sorry for the short'un here, don't really know what else I could add.)
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 4, 2015 20:21:25 GMT
Articho sat down heavily at the table and stared at the kid across from him. He'd seen some weird stuff, but he was certainly thrown off by this random turn of events. At least the screaming had stopped. What was this kid's deal? First, he was walking around the city by himself looking like a homeless person. Second, he had some sort of weird psychic abilities. Third, the energy he felt coming off of this boy was very strange. It was like a mix of multiple different species. It was baffling, really.
Someone clearing their throat next to him pulled his attention away from the boy. It was a waitress and she was holding two menus, one adult, one child. "I'll just leave these here," she said, placing the menus down. "Anything you want to drink?"
"Water, please," Articho responded. "Thanks." The waitress nodded with a pleasant smile and walked away from the table, leaving the young hybrid alone with the sleeping boy.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2015 2:08:43 GMT
Holo drifted in and out of half-consciousness for nearly five minutes before he finally woke, maneuvering himself upright and quietly taking in his surroundings. He had never been in one, but he recognized from descriptions of them that this was a restaurant of some kind, where food was served. It was then that he remembered what had happened last before he blacked out. He turned his head to face the individual sitting across from him, and just stared, wide-eyed at his captor for a while. Finally, working up the courage to speak, he said in a small voice "You- you're not gonna kill me, are you?" and swallowed audibly.
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 5, 2015 4:44:39 GMT
Articho smiled at the boy across from him and shook his head. "No, no," he reassured the kid, "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to talk." He smiled again and gestured to the menu in front of the boy. "Go ahead and get some food. You look like you could use it." The hybrid waited patiently as the boy whether the boy chose to order or not. He would give him a few moments to recover before resuming his questions. As he did, the waitress came by with his water and he ordered himself a few sandwiches.
"Alright, kiddo," Articho said after the waitress left, "I want to ask you a few questions. Can you tell me your name and why you were out there?" He did his best to imitate his mother's soothing voice that she used to pry information from whoever she asked. It worked fairly well from his own experience and the boy may take the bait without much of a fuss. While the reason he asked was partially out of concern, Articho still needed a few touchier questions answered without directly asking them. He would need to be careful about throwing off the boy opening up to him.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2015 20:18:42 GMT
Holo visibly sank into his seat with relief when the man said he wasn't going to kill him, and Holo's expression noticeably brightened when he mentioned food. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, and was quite hungry. Tentatively reaching out to grab the menu, anyone who was paying attention would notice the track marks (Scars from needles) all up and down his arms. Looking over the menu, Holo didn't actually recognize most of the dishes. He lived mostly on a diet of prepackaged food, since nobody actually knew how to make anything besides coffee in the facility. When the waitress came around, he held up his menu and mutely pointed at something called "pancakes". He wasn't sure what exactly that was, but he liked cake, so he figured it was a safe enough bet. When the Saiyan started asking his questions, Holo's face gained a very conflicted expression. "Ummm... I don't think I'm supposed to tell people that." he stared down at the table for a while, clearly working something over in his head. "Well... I'll tell you, but you're not allowed to tell anyone else, okay? And... you have to tell me your name too!" The promise of food had swayed Holo, and he was very proud of how clever his negotiations were. After a moment's hesitation he leaned in as close as he could to the Saiyan and whispered "My name's Holo. And I got lost and can't find how to get home."
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 5, 2015 21:05:36 GMT
Articho's face hardened for a moment after seeing the scars on the boy's arms. Even though he wasn't in any danger, he couldn't help but feel tensed up. Was the kid behind hunted? Would someone burst into the restaurant and try to take him back to wherever he had come from? There were too many questions to be asked and he got the feeling the boy wouldn't be able to answer them. It might be too hard for him to explain or he would be uncomfortable telling him. Articho would need to do some digging elsewhere to find out what the deal with this kid is.
The hybrid returned to smiling as soon as the kid put his menu down and looked at him. No need to make him any more scared than he was. He nodded in agreement to the boy's negotiation. "Nice to meet you, Holo," he replied. "My name's Articho. Where's home for you? And who are your mom and dad? They must be really worried about you."
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2015 22:01:01 GMT
Holo's face fell when Articho mentioned family. "Aww, I hadn't even thought of that, they're gonna be so disappointed... I never meant to stay out this long," Holo said, giving Articho a somewhat defensive look. "I swear! It's not my fault all the roads look identical!" After his outburst, Holo put his chin down on the table and muttered "I'm definitely not allowed to tell anyone where we live. They'd be furious." then, with downcast eyes, said "But I can't figure out which way I need to go to get home. I can't even sense my way back, it's too far."
Holo proceeded to sulk for a little while, tracing letters in the dust on the table with his finger and periodically making rather pathetic groaning sounds. After a while he raised his head to say "So... what's a pancake?"
(OOC: Sorry about the wait, internet went out just seconds before I hit the post button. Drove me insane. Also, I get the feeling we won't be able to finish this thread before the invasion happens. How d'you wanna handle that?)
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 7, 2015 21:34:38 GMT
Articho studied Holo as the little boy began to pout at table. He was confused at why his parents, or guardians, it seemed, would be angry if anyone knew where they were. What if Holo got lost, like now, and didn't know how to get home, also like now? It was very strange, but it also through the young hybrid for a complete loop. Why would anyone want their home to be a secret? Didn't they get mail ever? Or order takeout? He glanced down at the marks on Holo's arm, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place. It was a long shot, but long shots were pretty common in his life. The scars on the boy's arms like needles, a secret home, it was almost like Holo was some sort of experiment. Now all he needed was the boy to say that his guardians were scientists.
"It's a breakfast food. Pretty good with syrup and butter," he answered before asking a question of his own. "Who are the people who take care of you? Maybe I can find them if they don't want your home to be found."
(It's alright. Don't worry)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2015 0:36:11 GMT
Holo mulled it over in his head for a while before deciding that telling Articho their names probably wouldn't hurt, since he didn't even know their real names. "Hmm.. Okay, there's Dr. Azure, Dr. Yumi, Dr. Field, Dr. Remus, and Dr. Pine." Of course, these didn't sound particularly like real names, and Holo was aware that they were just names that they had chosen. But, they chose Holo's name too, and that was his real name, so why couldn't they pick their own names, too?
Holo had begun to look around in earnest as he calmed down, taking in the interior of the restaurant with enthusiastic fervor. He particularly gawked at the plates of food carried by the waitress to other tables, and his thoughts came back to his own hunger. He was looking forward to trying new things, though getting home was still at the forefront of his mind. Still, maybe the city wasn't so bad as he had thought.
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Post by Articho Reville on Sept 9, 2015 16:47:26 GMT
There it was. The final nail in the coffin. Doctors, most likely scientists, and way too many of them for it to be a coincidence. If there had been two, Articho may have considered that they were simply both scientists. That wouldn't be too far fetched. But four scientists all taking care of one little boy with needle-like scars and psychic abilities threw up one too many red flags. Holo wasn't a normal little boy, that much was clear, and everything stacked up didn't put him into the "sickly child with ki training" category. The hybrid didn't like it and he got the feeling it wasn't safe for Holo to go back. Who knows what they did to them in there?
Articho paused. Holo would know and the hybrid figured the next round of questions would be about his guardians. The food arrived soon after and Articho took a bite from his sandwich. He chewed slowly for a moment, figuring out how to ask the question without making the boy clam up, then swallowed. "What are the doctors like?" he asked. "Do they treat you well? Plays games with you and stuff?"
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