This doesn't look like hell

[saiyan_prince]

Who: Vegeta and Trunks, ~Vatheon~
Where: The plaza
When: Five days after his death!
Style: Brackets. Real men don't have enough feelings for prose
Status: Open~

At first:

[Vegeta doesn't even seem to be aware that he had died just yet. He turns abruptly upon reviving, belatedly trying to dodge the kick that snapped his neck. Once he realizes that it's already connected and that he died from it, he stands there quietly, looking defensive.]




Later on:

[The prince wanders the city aimlessly, looking just a little lost. What does it mean that the only two Super Saiyans he's ever known of are such emotional creatures? Does that have something to do with their strength, after all? He doesn't know anymore.]

Comments

alright boys use your words this time

[fighting4afuture]

[Five days. Five days of agonizing over what he wanted to say, how he felt, and he still didn't feel at all ready for this confrontation.

Because that was what it was going to end up being.

He'd gone to the plaza in the morning, knowing that was where Vegeta would come back to when he revived. And he'd waited. There were dozens of times when he very nearly lost his nerve and left. But he hadn't, and here he was.

Here they both were.

...all the words Trunks thought he might say flew out of his head. What could he say? Nothing he'd considered over those five days sounded right now.

He just quietly approaches, trying not to look nervous.]

[saiyan_prince]

[An expression that might be described as guilt or regret flickers over Vegeta's face before it hardens into a wary frown. What did the boy want now? Did he want a rematch? Vegeta knows he doesn't stand a chance without any tricks. Worst of all, he feels no stronger from the death he's just experienced - the coral simply rewound his body to its last healthy state. He takes a defensive stance but doesn't say anything either.]

[fighting4afuture]

[Trunks...doesn't. He's not here to fight--his sword is gone from its usual place on his back, he left it at home today. He just stops a few feet in front of Vegeta and stands there, hands at his side.]

I'm not here to fight.

[saiyan_prince]

Then what do you want?

[He's honestly confused, here. There's no reason that Trunks should want to talk with him. Vegeta genuinely tried to kill him, he almost succeeded despite the overwhelmingly low odds. Even though he's no threat to Trunks, he's no friend either and the idea that Trunks wants to talk is strange to say the least.]

[fighting4afuture]

[You're his father dammit, that's a reason.]

You misunderstood me, and I wanted to explain. And apologize.

[saiyan_prince]

You want to apologize to me? To me?

[A short, barking laugh escapes Vegeta.]

How have you survived this long, boy?! I tried to kill you - I would have killed you if that teacher of yours didn't kill me first! He has the right idea.

incoming tl;dr bomb.

[fighting4afuture]

He wouldn't have had to step in if I had been able to handle myself.

[Yes, he is quite capable of blaming himself for everything, thanks.]

When I said I achieved the transformation after Gohan died, you attacked me. You thought that because he'd died, I could transform, that the ability would pass to me?

That isn't what happened. I transformed because Gohan died, yes, but it was because I'd lost one of the two people left in my life that mattered to me. Gohan was my teacher, yes, but he was also my friend, my brother, and he practically raised me. I found his body after the androids killed him. They left him lying like a piece of trash, just one more broken toy they'd gotten tired of playing with.

[Trunks' fists clench, his nails digging into the palms of his hands.]

That feeling...it was the worst. Like my heart was being torn apart, like I wanted nothing more than to have died with him. That was when it happened.

[Trunks' eyes harden. Think him a fool all you want, Vegeta, he is a survivor.]

I've survived because I don't show any of the regard I'm showing you to heartless monsters. You don't fit that.

[redcladidealist]

[There's something to be said for distinctive hairstyles. It makes it easy to recognize people you know when you pass nearby on a street. Lloyd's on his way back from training up on the island, his mind on thoughts of where to stop for dinner, when he happens to spot Vegeta, that wild, gravity-defying hair like a black beacon to his eye. Lloyd's pace slows just enough for him to confirm - yup, it's him - then he waves to the man.]

Hey, Vegeta!

[saiyan_prince]

[Upon hearing his name called Vegeta stiffens. Of course, he's already so rigid that it's difficult to tell. He doesn't relax one bit upon discovering that it's Lloyd talking to him and not Gohan or Trunks.]

...yes?

[redcladidealist]

[Lloyd doesn't catch on to that stiffness just yet. He just approaches the man with a cheerful smile on his face. Yup, cheerful. He's decided to forgive him for pretty much ruining his sword.

This was, of course, greatly helped by Lloyd's discovery of two very nice twin swords in the Nostalgia Nook. His old swords, the ones Dirk made, are now mounted on the wall in his room. Even if one of them is damaged, he's not going to get rid of something his dad made for him.]

Just saying hi. I haven't talked to you since we sparred. How've you been?

[Someone hasn't learned how bad the Saiyan is at making small talk yet.]

[saiyan_prince]

[Vegeta seems a little boggled that Lloyd is talking to him, as well as slightly annoyed. Speaking with this human is a waste of time. He's not a suitable sparring partner, he doesn't have any useful technology like the Lombax. This is an entirely pointless conversation.]

Dead.

[Maybe that would shut him up.]

[redcladidealist]

[Dead?

Yeah, no, Lloyd doesn't think Vegeta is being literal with this. Why would he assume something like that when Vegeta is right here talking to him face to face? Much easier and more natural to assume that he means something quite different.]

Bad day, huh?

[He gives the man a sympathetic look.]

Anything I can help with?

[saiyan_prince]

...what do you want?

[He's finally decided to just be blunt. Vegeta has no idea why this human is chattering at him, and he's not in the mood to wait around and figure it out. Lloyd had better just get around to the point quickly.]

apologies for the tl;dr

[neededahand]

[Gohan was beginning to realize why his parents had always chosen to live in relative isolation. For all that the city was clean and orderly, it was so... artificial. Distracting. Hardly a peaceful place to read or meditate, and the island, the one place around here that did feel somewhat like home, had been... well, slightly ruined for him. He didn't think he'd ever be able to see that grass again without remembering who had decomposed there.

Being able to fly helped a bit, though. He was resting on the roof of some shop, trying to decide if he had the motivation to keep training postmortem, when he caught sight of--well. The five days were indeed up, a quick count confirmed.

I ought to apologize, was the thought, and I ought to make sure this won't happen again. Exactly how he'd pull off that last one escaped him, but there was always the option of knocking Vegeta out and trying again the next day...

He flew in Vegeta's direction, overtook him, and landed directly in his path. He was human enough to wish that he had both arms to fold, just for the effect, but Saiyan enough to recognize that it didn't matter. Wouldn't help.

Vegeta had to be feeling terrible. Angry. Upset. His pride was dear to him, and he'd been effortlessly, accidentally, killed by a low-class, crippled half-breed. No intimidation tactics would work after that. Intimidation would just make him more eager to best Gohan, and Gohan didn't want to egg him on down that path. There was nothing for him there.

His arm remained straight down at his side, and aside from the furrowed brows, his expression was neutral. His voice was clear and crisp, every inch the lone warrior standing before the enemy. What he says isn't a boast; it's recited with the same calm, matter-of-fact inflection warranted by statements like "ice melts into water."]

We may as well talk. You can't outrun me, and you can't overpower me.

[saiyan_prince]

[The prince draws back and takes a defensive position when Gohan overtakes him, ignoring the feeling of panic rising in his chest. People may know Vegeta for his temper, but he can actually control it if he feels that it's necessary. How else could he have survived under Frieza, dealing with the indignity of serving someone who treated him as a pet? He would have died if he'd let his emotions take him.

And so when Gohan starts speaking to him, bluntly telling Vegeta that there's nowhere he can run and that he can't fight, he listens, forcing himself to stand straight instead of in a battle-ready stance. Gohan didn't even have to say it - he knows. He allows his anger to bubble up just enough to mask his fear, far more comfortable showing that emotion. Once he's certain he has control, he speaks.]

Why should we talk? There is nothing to say.

[neededahand]

If you'd rather listen in silence, feel free.

[Gohan has been on the losing end of this match-up enough times that anything that deviates from that pattern draws his attention like blood in the water. Vegeta, taking a defensive position when he approaches? As a child, Gohan hadn't been able to match Vegeta without him being severely weakened, and even then, the most he'd done was stall.]

I wanted to apologize. Explain, possibly.

[saiyan_prince]

[He almost snaps back that Gohan shouldn't apologize. After all, he plans to kill Gohan the first chance he gets now. All he has to do is become strong enough to do so, first. He's not going to be able to do that if he makes Gohan aware of his intentions, so he levels an even stare at Gohan and waits for whatever explanation the third-class Saiyan wants to give.]

[neededahand]

[Odd. He expected an outburst or a protest.]

What happened was that I lost control of myself. If I was rational, I'd just knock you out and explain why you wouldn't be able to set that up twice.

[saiyan_prince]

[If Vegeta is understanding this correctly, Gohan is saying that he killed him on accident. The very thought fills him with white hot rage, spiking his power level considerably. He still has very little practice with keeping his power concealed, after all. Even so, his ki doesn't flare up around him - it's entirely an internal response.]

I am no fool. Reusing a cheap tactic like that would end terribly. What are you trying to do, here?

I just can't get enough of your CR :C

[unkindness]

[Seven is out and about, walking around the downtown district with a tote bag full of miscellaneous technical odds and ends. Trying to build a subspace transmitter with this low level of technology isn't going to be easy, but she's determined to do it. She needs to contact Voyager.

But she's accepted that for now, she's trapped here, despite her efforts to escape. It would be logical to cultivate connections here, individuals that could possibly help her in the future. Working alone was inefficient. When she very nearly runs into Vegeta, she stops short.]

You appear troubled.

[Tact? What is that?]

hey baby hey~

[saiyan_prince]

[Vegeta turns to snap at the woman, then notices the strange device on her face. He takes out his scouter and taps at it a bit - yes, definitely advanced technology. His scouter can't identify it. She might be useful like Ratchet, so he chooses to be polite.]

It's nothing. What do you have there?

heeeeey~ ;3

[unkindness]

[Seven tilts her head, that 'device' on her face rising as she gives Vegeta a curious glance.

Her own scans have determined he's not human, though determining exactly what is inconclusive.]

Technological components. I am attempting to construct a subspace transmitter.

[saiyan_prince]

[He perks up slightly. It seems his guess had been right, she's not like most of the humans around the bubble that wouldn't know a space shuttle if it landed in their backyard. He taps his scouter.]

This is a communicator with similar functions. We're out of range here. I looked at the sky, we're not in civilized space.

[unkindness]

[She's probably landed a spacecraft in someone's backyard.]

The starfield is indeed unfamiliar. However, there is nothing to be lost in the attempt. We may be out of range of two-way communication, however, a message can still be sent.

[...but with Voyager in the shape it is, after the Krenim attacks, retrieving her may be low on their priority list. If they were capable of it at all. It was inefficient to waste resources during a time of conflict on retrieving one stray individual. Even if they could find her.]

[saiyan_prince]

You have a point. Did you find all the parts you need? There's another engineer in this city, Ratchet. He might be able to help you.

[Vegeta? Being helpful?

...he doesn't like feeling stranded, okay?]