Hey everyone and welcome to the new look for Dragonball Universe's U6 forum! We're going to freshen things up for everyone and hope to bring a new light to the forum and the brand new lore.
We are now known as SUPER Dragonball Universe in an attempt to reflect our shift from Universe 7 to Universe 6.
Events
Universe 6 Event: Galactic World Tournament
Updates
29/06/18 We have an updated Beginner's Guide for New Members! Please browse through it to get a feel for our systems before diving in! It is here. 22/04/19 Brand new site skin, what what!!
Hwa-Jae enjoyed her time in West City. The place was large and expansive and with all the different shops and attractions around, it seemed like a wonderful place for people to dwell. She felt that she had some time to explore the city a little more before she headed for the Northern Regions. As she explored West City, she always found one more nook or cranny with interesting goods and services. Provided she had the funds for such, Hwa-Jae could enjoy West City indefinitely. Perhaps once the threat to the Kasai Temple was over with, she would convince the Old Master to let her and Cineza come here. Cineza would enjoy that.
The sights, the smells, the sounds, and of course the foods Hwa-Jae was able to enjoy were but a small highlight to her visit to West City. In fact, she quite enjoyed the urban life, though she did not see herself ever living in a metropolis. While the city seemed pleasant enough, she longed for the simple life of living in the secure stone of the Kasai Temple. She was starting to feel homesick but knew she could not go back home until her mission was done.
Koge, on the other hand, did not seem fond of West City in the slightest. "I'm tired of this place, Hwa-Jae," he said with a whine, "It's loud, noisy, and I can't seem to go anywhere because I'm a big bird! I swear, the people in the city are just the rudest."
"You don't have to stay, you know," Hwa-Jae told him as she looked into the window of a store. "You have wings. Why don't you fly to the east side of the city, find somewhere to roost for a while. I'll come find you later tonight. If I send a flare, I'm in trouble and you can fly in and save the day like the hero I know you are."
Koge ruffled his feathers in indignation, but then leaned close to Hwa-Jae. "I'll go if you give me a fireball. I need a snack for the trip."
Sighing with a smile, Hwa-Jae tossed one of her hinotamas into Koge's mouth. The hikui bird happily munched on the fire, then flew off towards the east side of the city. That would keep him out of Hwa-Jae's hair for a while at least.
She returned to gazing into the window of the store and saw that sold all manners of apparel for women. While her cheongsam uniform looked difficult to move in and utterly covered her, Hwa-Jae never had a problem practising the martial arts in her typical clothes. Many of the outfits in the window display seemed utterly impractical to wear and next to useless in combat. Than again, that was not their function, was it? The clothes she looked at now were all meant to be form than anything else.
"Clothes like those are meant for pretty women," Hwa-Jae said wistfully as her gaze lingered on the mannequins. She sighed then walked away from the display. Maybe she should distract herself with some lunch.
Melonia had been enjoying the sights of earth with little care or direction since she had arrived. The earthlings were not so different from her own race, albeit a fraction of a Sayain's strength in battle. They also appeared to have greatly inferior technology, which was just fine by Melonia, it made her feel all the safer here. Today though she'd taken the day to indulge her girlish pleasures, flying to the nearest city for matters of personal shopping. The earthlings had a keen eye for fashion, a sensibility most of her Saiyan kin sorely lacked. The earthling metropolises were great venues to browse for all many of luxury items, from hair care products, to jewelry, to full sets of clothing. It made Melonia as giddy as a schoolgirl fresh into the Saiyan academy.
As Melonia flew high above the city streets she was looking for the downtown districts, there would be located the best shops and hopefully the most lively social scheme. She was always eager to make friends, one could never have too many. Moreover though she was just looking for a place to relax away as much time as possible before Jie Shan Lan Dian called her back into service for some task or another. He'd had good reason to come to earth, but he'd requested companions while giving them little oversight. Still, this vacation, as it were, was a welcome distraction from the tedium of day to day life. She had every intent to enjoy it as much as humanely possible.
The Saiyan beauty was dressed in her normal flair. Her curvaceous form adorned in the opulence of her well maintained Saiyan Battle Armor. Her long toned legs and luscious thighs flaunted beneath the violet under layer of her armor. Her thin waist and enormous bust highlighted by the ceramic polymer chest plate that adorned her slender frame. The Saiyan warrior styled herself in her trademark bright pink shoulder and hip guards, as well as wearing a set of pearl white matching gloves and boots. Her hair tall and in a mass of spiky protrusions, a deep shade of black hued with a dark crimson touch. A long ponytail extended from the back of her mane, extending down to mid thigh and held in form by a set of heavy weighted bracelets. She took great pride in her physical appearance, something the males of her kind seemed to sorely lack. They were like unwashed barbarians to her at times, thought some of them cleaned up well.
Coming to her destination the Saiyan warrior banked hard for the ground. She landed gracefully amidst the busy foot traffic, all around her a myriad of busy shops, cafes, and other shopping venues and an endless bustle of busy foot traffic. Melonia began walking down the street, admiring the window displays and looking for a store that interested her, of which there were quite a few. Though her stomach was rumbling, and she had barely eaten all day. Shopping might have to wait until after she'd found a place for a hearty meal. Ignoring the looks she was getting for her attire Melonia was still lost in thought, deciding what kind of earthling food she likely prefer for lunch. As she was mid thought she happened to accidentally walk right smack into a rather buxom red headed woman. WC: 561
Hwa-Jae always viewed herself as plain compared to many of the sisters of the temple, especially compared to Cineza. Many of sisters simply walked with an air of elegance and sophistication that Hwa-Jae tried to emulate but always felt she came up short. Hwa-Jae came to the conclusion that since she could not meet up to the standards her sisters possessed, she would keep a low profile in comparison. She even resorted to chest binding to appear smaller and thus not nearly as noticeable using sarashi bandages. Hwa-Jae found a more practical use for the bandages after, as they allowed her to resist some injury during training.
To that end, she felt incredibly uncomfortable in the city when she saw all the women walking around in their fine clothes and looking pretty. If she felt like a country bumpkin before, then she might as well be tumble weed now. Her clothes were still a mess of dirt and patches, while she had yet to take a proper bath to clean herself. While the pretty women of West City walked by, Hwa-Jae knew she could never be like one of them. She stared into the window of another store front and saw the fine clothes and wondered if she could ever appear even remotely like them.
Ah, but she was thinking thoughts of vanity, something that simply did not go with the Kasai teachings. Modesty and humility were two important lessons Old Master Fuega and it would distract Hwa-Jae from her mission if she lingered by the stores for too long. Instead, she would get herself a proper meal, gobble it up, and head to the east side to meet up with Koge. So long as she focused on her mission, she would not be distracted by thoughts of vanity.
However, her thoughts were distracted and she ended up colliding with someone on the street. She staggered backwards, only for embarrassment to take over her entire thought process. She quickly bowed to the person she walked into, averting her gaze out of shame.
"I'm so sorry!" Hwa-Jae apologized, "I wasn't watching and I hope you didn't get hurt by my foolishness and I humbly ask for forgiveness!"
However, as she stopped bowing and opened her eyes, her breath caught as she stared at the women she hit. The woman was a Saiyan, like the ones she met in the Timeless Lookout, yet not looking nearly as serious or surly as Nasu and his family. The tail wrapped around her waist like a belt and she wore what appeared to be armour. Despite the more martial attire, the saiyan woman was very pretty to look at. Immediately Hwa-Jae blushed and turned away, already feeling inadequate around her.
Not only that, but she could not get a good reading on the saiyan's energy. She must have been hiding it. Hwa-Jae wondered if she was as strong as Nasu and the others but only holding her power back.
"I'm sorry," she said again, "I should be more careful. My name is Seuta Hwa-Jae. I did not expect to meet a saiyan in West City. Are you another Saiyan from the planet Natto?"
Melonia blinked twice after the impact, gathering herself and regaining her composure. The woman she had run into was apologizing profusely, despite the fact the Saiyaness had been the one to hit her. "Yes." She replied slowly. "I'm terribly sorry about that. No need to ask forgiveness darling, I wasn't paying much attention." Melonia paused to look the woman over in greater detail, she was quite lovely, despite her quickness to become sheepish and shy. "Seuta Hwa-Jae, well, you're absolutely precious. And utterly adorable to boot." Melonia said with a smile on her face. "Indeed, I am a Saiyan of Natto, here on what is technically Alliance business. Though in truth, I was given precious little instruction on what to do."
The Saiyan beauty paused to let out a long sigh, looking to the skies before speaking again. "Most of my assignment has thus far consisted of sight seeing and wasting time. The other Saiyans I traveled with are...well beyond my abilities. We even brought a Super Saiyan amongst us. So I'm of only moderate use." Her stomach growled, and Melonia patted a hand to her lithe midsection. "Seems I'm also hungry. So I guess my priority right now is finding something to eat. You wouldn't happen to know a good place to get something tasty would you Sueta?" At that Melonia gaze her a sweet look, motherly in its appearance, her black eyes twinkling with a warm light as she looked up the woman before her head to toe. "Also...I can sense the Ki within you, you are no mere earthling. Might I eventually get the privilege of you telling me just what you are?" WC: 283 TWC: 844
Hwa-Jae did not think there would be many saiyans who knew a thing a two about style and appearance. At least, the three she met on the Lookout appeared as rugged as can be, though Nasu was just in a battle and Cambia was a new mother, so that excused those two. Not much existed for Komatsu but he was surly so she didn't bother paying him much attention. As a people of warriors, appearances seemed low on the list of priorities. Maybe some practised good hygiene and grooming. Maybe some just held natural good looks. Regardless of which, the saiyan in front of Hwa-Jae put her own presentation to shame.
Still blushing from embarrassment and shame, Hwa-Jae bowed again. "I'm glad we can move past the unfortunate first impression, and please call me Hwa-Jae. That's my personal name; Seuta is my family name. May I ask your name?"
When the saiyan woman called her both 'precious' and 'adorable', Hwa-Jae only blushed even harder. She hid her face beneath her gloves as she tried to calm down, but the heat of her burning skin did not help matters. No one called her such terms except the Old Master and that she chalked up to simple grandmotherly praise."Uh... uh..." She muttered as she tried to think of something to say, to distract herself so her cheeks could recover. "T-thank you and... welcome to Earth! I hope you enjoy your stay! If you need anything at all, I can do my best to help!"
As the saiyan asked if Hwa-Jae knew of any good place to eat, Hwa-Jae realized this was the best opportunity to not only get a meal herself, but also to learn more about saiyans, this one in particular. Her head spun like it was on a swivel on the lookout for a place to eat. What did saiyans eat? With their outward similarities to humans beyond the tail, maybe they ate the same things?
Her own stomach rumbling, Hwa-Jae needed to find a place soon. Just a few blocks away she spotted a small place that offered rice bowls. That sounded good to her. "There's a place just down the street," Hwa-Jae said, "they serve different rice bowls like beef and chicken. Maybe even curry if you like spicy foods. Unless you are in the mood for something else?"
As Hwa-Jae made her way to the restaurant, the saiyan mentioned that she could sense her ki. She wanted to know what Hwa-Jae was. That was an odd question, so she decided on a simple answer. "I don't know what you mean," she replied, "I'm just an earthling who trains really hard. It seems most Saiyans don't really look on our people as much."
"So you came here with other saiyans, and a super saiyan?" Hwa-Jae asked. "What brings more Saiyans to Earth?"
Melonia could not help but smaller at the shorter woman in front of her, Hwa-Jae was not like any Saiyan, she was far more innocent and bashful it seemed. The woman bowed and blushed almost as much as she spoke, a trait that Melonia found rather endearing, if not befitting of a proper warrior. Still, the girl was very sweet and innocent, which was either a very charming facade or she was simply incredibly endearing. Melonia was also keenly aware she was the better looking of the two, and tried not to let it dampen her new friends spirits. Though all the while she could feel Hwa-Jae’s eyes exploring up and down the Saiyan warrior’s sinfully curvaceous form.
Melonia couldn’t help but smile with a kind sense of motherly affection as she spoke in reply. “No first impression is unfortunate if it leads you to new friends. And it’s a pleasure to meet you Hwa-Jae, I apologize for addressing you by your family name. I will admit I am not well versed in earthling culture yet, so I’d like to apologize in advance if I make any more blunders. That said, I am Melonia of Natto. Just Melonia, we Saiyans do not place as much stock in family names. We believe it is up to the individual to earn their prestige, rather than relying on the history of their family or the deeds of their ancestors.”
As she finished the Saiyan warrior could only watch and smirk as the woman tried to hide her face and blushed a bright red. Melonia give a wry grin and reached out, arms outstretched to pull Hwa-Jae close into a tight hug, squeezing her new friend against her enormous bust. The woman’s face flush with the Saiyan Battle Armor chest plate and its cold ceramic polymer plating. “Hwa-Jae…” Melonia said sweetly, running a hand through the woman’s hair. “You’re absolutely adorable when you get like that darling. Thank you for welcoming me to earth. It’s been quite the experience so far, and you’ll be the first to know if I have need of anything darling. Also...you are very warm sweetheart.”
At that Melonia pulled away, her black eyes locked on her friend’s as her heart surged with joy. She could hear the other woman’s stomach rumbling, and her own answered in concert. “Any place with good food that you enjoy sounds wonderful honey. I’m not terribly picky, though I do tend to eat a lot.” The Saiyan woman’s head craned to look down the street where her friend’s head had craned to look. “I do like spicy food… But what’s curry? Or rice for that matter or beef and chicken? I’ve never actually had earthling food before, but I’ve heard it’s quite good. So I guess I don’t know if I want something else until I’ve tried enough to figure out what that something else is.”
Hwa-Jae led the pair down the busy streets towards their destination. The two continued to get a number of strange looks, most of them directed to Melonia. A fair few were gazing directly at her tail as she walked, though others were staying dead center at her chest. She silently hoped they were marveling at her battle armor, though it seemed earthling men thought on the same wavelength as Saiyan men did. Melonia cocked an eyebrow at her friend as she spoke again. “Hwa-Jae, you are a terrible liar. Firstly, I can sense your Ki from here. It is far stronger than any of these other earthlings in the vicinity. Secondly…” Melonia’s nose twitched at the air as it sniffed. “You smell faintly of sulfur and brimstone. And your body was unnaturally warm during that hug. You’re not the same as the rest of these earthlings are you?”
The Saiyan woman smirked harder following her declaration. “I’ll tell you more about my kind, if you promise to tell me more about what you are. I did come with other Saiyans, there were three of us and an Earthling. As to what brings more of us to earth at all, I am not entirely certain. I was out training when we were requested for, so I was brought back by a runner. From what I gather though, overseer Nasu had need for Counselor Jie Shan Lan Dian, and he decided to bring the rest of us along for the trip. I am at the bottom of our pecking order though, so my instructions are few and far between. Mostly I have taken to sightseeing until my presence is needed.” She paused to look over at her companion. “Does that satisfy your question?” WC: 803 TWC: 1,847
The small restaurant offered a multitude of foods Hwa-Jae recognized. The sisters in the temple mostly cooked with rice grown in the patties outside the temple grounds, as well as a well stocked vegetable garden. They did not keep livestock, but traded with merchants to bring in meat like beef and chicken. Those on kitchen duty were able to create many delicious meals that now sat on a menu on the restaurant window. She licked her lips in anticipation at the upcoming feast. Perhaps this would be a good introduction for a saiyan to Earth cuisine.
After introductions were made, Hwa-Jae smiled at Melonia. "It's nice to meet you, Melonia. As far as names go, the Sueta name doesn't have any big prestige to it. My father was a woodcutter and my mother simply took care of the home. I just introduce myself that way because it's what I was taught. That, and the name is the only thing I have from my parents. They passed away a long time ago."
She coughed and gave a small laugh to distract from what she just said. "Sorry! I don't mean to bring the mood down, it's just the truth. Let's move on, shall we?"
It did give Hwa-Jae pause as she thought about it more. Her parents died when she was young, and the most she knew about them were their professions and their shared family name. Shouldn't she know more about them? After they passed, the Kasai Order became her family. Should she have been more curious about her own lineage? Melonia did not care, but should Hwa-Jae not have investigated her own roots further? Perhaps it was something she needed to look into as soon as she was done her journey to the four mountains.
Suddenly Melonia grabbed Hwa-Jae and hugged her, pressing the Kasai's face right into her chest plate. If Hwa-Jae did not blush red enough before, her features might as well resemble a tomato. "Ha ha ha! Yes! I am quite warm!" Hwa-Jae laughed nervously, "I just... am not used to this kind of attention!"
Thankfully things were broken up by Melonia's questions about Earth food. As Hwa-Jae was released from the marshmallow hell, Hwa-Jae pointed to the items on the menu. "Well, curry is like a series of spices mixed together to produce a spicy flavour. Rice is a small grain. Chicken is a small flightless bird that goes with a lot of things if cooked properly. Beef is from cows, which is a large land animal raised by our farmers. You'll find that Earthlings can turn a lot of things into delicious meals. Fish from the seas. Vegetables from the ground. People even eat sea urchins, little balls of spikes from the sea. Not really my thing, though. I guess I'm a lot like a saiyan in that I need to eat a lot. I've been told I have a blast furnace for a stomach after all!"
When Melonia accused her of lying about who she was, Hwa-Jae could not help but take offence, though she did not show this outwardly. Not once in her life did she tell a lie, she was not going to start now. "I'm telling the truth," she said, "I'm just an earthling like these people here. I've just been training under the Kasai Hato Katachi ever since I was small. Most humans don't train to be martial artists like me, and many more don't know how to use ki. I'm also not very good at suppressing my power. There are some Earthlings of considerable strength. My mentors, for example, though they are in advanced ages. As for smelling like sulphur..."
Hwa-Jae opened her palm and created a small fireball. "I am Kasai, one who ignites her ki to produce flames. I also have a fire-eating bird as a companion, so I produce a lot of fire. My body still produces a lot of heat, especially in my hands, which is why I wear these gloves, otherwise I burn everything I touch."
After Melonia answered what the Saiyans were doing here, Hwa-Jae nodded. "That does. I met Nasu once. Helped him when I found him in a crater. He was in a fight with someone and was hurt, so I helped him get back on his feet. I also met his family and he showed me forms of Super Saiyan beyond simple blonde hair. He even gave me this!"
Hwa-Jae pulled a small crystal from within her bags and showed it to Melonia. "He said I can go to Natto whenever I liked and be treated like any other citizen. Apparently I'm the first to be granted this, though I don't know when or why I would ever leave Earth. To be fair, I never even thought about space travel at all. I didn't even know it was possible until a few weeks ago. It's all very exciting but I think it's meant for other people, not me."
Hwa-Jae then motioned to the restaurant and opened the door. The establishment was small and not very fancy but the smell from the kitchen was incredible. She approached the counter where a man waited for customers. "Hello, ladies," he said with a coy grin, his eyes lingering on Melonia. "What can we do for you?"
As she looked at the menu, Hwa-Jae asked, "I don't know, it all looks good. What size are your bowls?"
The man blinked. "Our... bowls?" He picked up two spare bowls behind him and placed them down. "This is our standard bowl as well as our jumbo bowl."
"Oh these won't work." Hwa-Jae shook her head. "I'd like the beef bowl with two dozen gyoza, the same amount of sping rolls, and fresh water. Oh, and could you put the beef dish in your biggest bowl? I'm really hungry."
The man blinked but nodded, typing away at his computer. Hwa-Jae turned to Melonia and asked, "So, what would you like? I've got plenty of small finger foods to share."
"So... if you are a saiyan, that means you can fight right?" Hwa-Jae asked out of curiosity. "What else do you do besides fight and train? Like, for fun and such?"
The Saiyan could only smirk playfully as she released Hwa-Jaw from the confines of her bust. The woman looked as red as her jacket, and twice as flustered. But as she rattled off a list of foods Melonia's interests piqued. "That all sounds delicious. Even the spiky balls. I can't wait to try it all." She said already licking her chops. "If you can eat half as much as me I'll be more than impressed. I hope your wallet is ready." Melonia leaned in close and blew a kiss into her friend's face. "As for the attention, you'll get used to it. Trust me, life's more fun this way." At that the two continued their walk, quickly reaching the restaurant.
It was rather surprising how Hwa-Jae reacted to Melonia's accusations, the Saiyan had not expected the theatrics. As the woman conjured a fireball from her hands Melonia couldn't help but be intrigued. She stroked her in chin as she witnessed the feet. "So you are an earthling after all, just an order of magnitude above the rank and file. I'm not sure what's more surprising, the fact you can turn Ki into fire, or the fact you have a bird that can consume it." The comments regarding her body's ability to generate heat had Melonia's gaze wandering towards Hwa-Jae's hands in response. "I suppose that does explain your outfit. I assumed it was just personal fashion. I rather like the glove look myself." Melonia commented, flexing the fingers on her own extended gloved hand. She gave a teasing smirk and leaned in to quickly take her friend's hand as the two continued their short trip to the awaiting restaurant.
Melonia's mouth was practically salivating at the plethora of food available. She'd been eating nothing but processed meals on the long journey to earth. The plastic taste of packaged foods had long since worn thin on her pallet, and the Saiyan woman yearned to taste something more delectable at her earthling friend's behest. As the pair stepped inside Melonia couldn't help but look at the various displays and drink in the rich scents that quickly filled the air. "Are you sure I didn't just die and go to food heaven?" She asked, ribbing Hwa-Jae playfully in the shoulder. The man at the counter soon greeted them, though his gaze quickly wandered to Melonia's bust. She would have rolled her eyes, were this not standard treatment. It was all par for the course for her.
She watched patiently as Hwa-Jae moved to the counter and placed her order. Melonia was already looking up at the menu stroking her chin as she decided what on earth to order. When it was her turn she put her hands on the counter and looked to the man. "I want two beef bowls, two chicken bowls, a curry bowl, and a bowl of those spiky balls.... sea urchins. All jumbo size please. Oh, and I'll take fresh water too. That'd be great." Her tail was swishing eagerly at the request, and the man could only blink numbly as he processed the order. "Is that all for you?" he asked numbly, to which Melonia simply nodded yes. The man at the counter then turned and slowly punched in the order, looking rather dazed at the events.
At that Melonia turned cheerfully to her friend. "I'd love to try anything you'd offer. It all sounds rather delicious, though I don't know if I'll dislike anything unless I try. As for me being a Saiyan, indeed I can fight. Although, I will be the first to admit I'm far from the strongest of my kind. In truth towards the bottom of the pecking order." Her grin turned somewhat sour. "Very bottom of the pecking order... I may or may not have only recently graduated the Saiyan Military Academy." She let out a sigh, thinking of how badly others like Counselor Jie Shan Lan Dian outclassed her physically. "Besides fight and train, I do the same things anyone else does. That's a rather silly question don't you think. What do earthlings do for fun?" WC: 689 TWC: 2,536
The water's eyes seemed to glaze over as he punched in the total of the meal. "This is going to take a while to prepare," he said, "We'll just bring out each dish as the cooks prepare them. And uh, how will you be paying for this, ladies?"
Hwa-Jae reached into her sack and held up a single gold coin. It was octagonal in shape with many different characters etched into the side. Old Master Fuega gave her a small bag of the coins and they proved to be worth many goods and services. As she placed the coin on the counter, the waiter's eyes went wide. He picked up the coin and looked it over making Hwa-Jae feel nervous. The last gold coin she gave to a store was accepted with great gusto; was this not considered legal tender here?
However, the waiter then smiled at the two. "We'll make sure this is the best meal you've ever had!" He said, clapping his hands, "You've spared no expense, so we won't either! Please, take a seat and prepare your tastebuds for heaven!"
As they took their seats, Hwa-Jae thought about Koge. "Maybe you can meat Koge one day," she said, "He's the hikui bird I mentioned. Very smart; he even knows how to talk. Though there are days when I wonder if he talks too much. Also a bit of a glutton as he is always begging me to feed him more fireballs."
When Melonia said that her question about what Saiyans did for pastimes was a silly one, Hwa-Jae tried to back up. "Please understand that my first meeting was with Nasu, who claimed leadership of the Saiyans. He didn't seem like the type to do anything beyond fight. When he saw his nephew he made mention that most saiyans were raised in tube-like machines when they were infants. That doesn't seem like the right way to raise a child. Unless you were raised in a tube? I can't imagine starting life out like that."
As they waited for their meal, Hwa-Jae brought up examples. "Well, what about things like Saiyan music? Art? Do Saiyans play games? My first meeting with Saiyans suggest no, unless they consider punching and kicking each other to be saiyan games. Then again, now that I think about it, I guess I've met two saiyan men and two saiyan women and if that is any indication, then men are all surly and wanting to punch one another while the women are less so? That's what I'm getting."
Hwa-Jae then thought about what humans liked to do for fun and mostly used herself as an example. "I can't speak for most people, but I do like to train as well as any saiyan, but I also like to do other things. I was practising to play the shamisen when I was at the temple, and nothing feels better than a swim by Lake Potto. Can't stay in too long or the lake begins to boil though. There's reading the books in the temple library and just being with my other Sisters. Really, I'm one of the more simple humans. As I've stayed in West City for the last couple days, I see that people do a bunch of things for amusement. I see them play different sports, some like to shop for things... there's lots to do besides fighting, I guess."
There was one subject Hwa-Jae was uncertain of asking, but Melonia seemed to be an agreeable sort and much more approachable than Nasu and his family. "If you don't mind my asking," she began, "what is like having a tail? I know that seems odd but it looks so... strange to me. Like an extra hairy limb."
Melonia watched in silent pleasure as the waiter hurriedly rung up their order. He acted like he'd struck gold, fingers a blur at his register as he punched in their total. Upon asking how they'd pay, Melonia stood silent. She actually had no earthling currency...and she very much doubted there was any kind of Saiyan-Earthling exchange rate. Maybe she'd help set up a bank? Imagine that, First Intergalactic Nattian Bank of Earth. But, more to the point her friend pulled out a strange sack, retrieving a single even stranger gold coin. Some rare currency no doubt, given the way the man gazed upon it like he'd found a lost treasure of yore. His immediate declaration of the grandiosity of his feast was a welcome reassurance, Melonia had no desire to scrub dishes to compensate for a meal.
The dynamic duo took their seats at an empty booth for two. The quaint restaurant was bustling from the midday lunch crowd. But they found room easy enough, and Melonia's interests returned to their conversation. "Hikui bird huh? I've never heard of a bird that could master human speech...much less eat fire. How big is this pet Koge of yours? I picture him rather large, like a mighty phoenix with wings made of pure flame." Melonia replied, imagining a fearsome companion befitting of a woman that could wield flame-like Ki. The Saiyan woman could only sigh as Hwa-Jae recited what she new of the Overseer Nasu. "Nasu was correct, he claims dominion over the Saiyans of Natto, my home planet. It's also the home world of the Saiyan Alliance, though not our true home world. That planet is lost to us, though we will reclaim it some day."
Melonia leaned back to recline in her seat, she had a great urge to kick her feet up on the table. But she was on a mission of diplomacy to earth, anything she did that reflected ill on her kind would hurt every Saiyan of her race. She was, for all intents and purposes, on her best behavior. "Nasu is... a very traditional Saiyan. War is in his blood, hell, it may be his blood. He lives to fight, and that means training without end in sight. He is always striving to become stronger, to be the example for the rest of us to live up to. Between his duties as Overseer and his prowess as our greatest warrior and champion, he has precious little time for actual leisure. He probably uses it to sleep, which I sometimes doubt he actually does." The Saiyan warrior closed her eyes and pictured the Overseer, he had a look of determination about him unlike any she had known, and this was coming from a woman that had never met the man in person. She had only seen him in videos, and stately appearances.
"As for Overseer Nasu's claim of our infancy, he is one hundred percent correct." Melonia folded her arms across her ample chest, sighing before she began her tale. "Saiyans are born like any other mammal. The father impregnates the mother, the mother carries the child to term. Birthing is a painful and sometimes arduous process. But, that's when the medical tanks come into play. You see, our culture is one of martial prowess, war and battle are the legacy of our ancestry. A saiyan's training begins in the womb as they say, the reality is the moment we are born we are plucked from our mother's arms and placed in the vats. There we are connected to mental inputs that feed us a twenty four hour stream of information, day in and day out. We stay there until we are old enough to walk on our own. Being monitored for weakness or any physical or psychological imperfections. Once we our released from the vats, we are returned to our parents to be raised as any other child, now imprinted with the knowledge of the Saiyan's birthrights and longstanding traditions." Melonia looked to the waiter, now approaching with their food. A jumbo sized bowl of beef and noodles steaming hot had Melonia licking her chops. "I realize it might sound cruel to an earthling, but it is our way. And as you can see I am no worse for wear for it, excluding the fact I turn into an engine of pure destruction when exposed to Blutz waves."
Melonia ate greedily from her bowl, slurping up noodles by the mouthful like if she stopped the food would be taken away. Having little consciousness for manners or pacing, gorging herself on the delicious stew of rich hearty meats and thick juicy noodles. Mixed with steamed vegetables and a number of seasonings. "This meal... its delicious. Is the animal it comes from horned and spiked? Any animal worth eating on Natto is armored and capable of defending itself quite fiercely." Melonia swallowed a mouthful of noodles, letting out a content sigh, having gluttonously eaten over half her first bowl. "We have art, and culture. Music, song, dance, just like any other species. We just don't have as much... admittedly. In a society that prizes the strength of its warriors above all other criteria, there's little love left for the artisans and scholars." Melonia took a sip from her broth before continuing. "Our sports and games are all very violent in nature, lots of play fighting, wrestling, full contact ball games. Our music is generally heavy with war drums, a holdover from when we'd bring them along as we marched off to war. And our art is mostly depictions of powerful warriors and rulers, and great battles from our past." Melonia gaze a wry smile.
"It's all very dull, I know. We are indeed a surly lot. Our men have too much testosterone for their own good, and our women aren't much better. I'm... notably complacent and good natured. I think it's why I'm so weak. I've never felt as pressed to train day in and day out. Maybe something will light my fire some day, but for now I simply wish to enjoy my life to the fullest. Leave the war to the warriors. I'm keenly aware I'm a gnat compared to the likes of Nasu and our elite." Melonia returned to her dish as she finished her speech on Saiyan life, slurping up noodles by the mouthful and happily munching on each portion of beef. Drinking down broth as she listened to the last request of her new friend.
"My tail." Melonia said as she set down the bowl, now void of its contents. "Well, it's prehensile, so it can manipulate objects near as well as an arm." She demonstrated by having it reach up the table, coiling around a glass of water and lifting it to the Saiyan's plump lips to take a drink. "It's hardly strange, especially when your whole species has one. Maybe I think you look strange for not having one. Mostly you don't notice it. I brush and wash it religiously, they start to build up a funky musk if not groomed... you should smell our barracks at the academy. It's like living inside a sweat sock, my superior officer called it good team building. Anyways, they are also very sensitive. Almost paralyzingly so. It's due to the density of nerve endings, there's hundreds more than even the lips. We can overcome that weakness, through rigorous training, though it's something still beyond my reach." Melonia wrapped her tail back round her slender waist, coiling it up like a brown furry belt. "Mostly it can be a nuisance in battle, hence the need to wear it like a belt. I used to dye mine, I might start doing it again so it matches my hair." The Saiyan beauty gave her friend an innocent smile, content that she had answered all questions. WC: 1,316 TWC: 3,852
Hwa-Jae smiled at Melonia as the two shared the table, though she found herself utterly eager to begin her meal. She could smell their various dishes being cooked as they waited and Hwa-Jae knew if she were not careful she could end up drooling. Composing herself, she listened intently to Melonia as it was only polite to do so.
"Koge is a pretty big bird," Hwa-Jae said as she looked for something to give visualization aid. She then pointed to the ceiling. "He could poke the ceiling with his beak because he's so tall. Also, he would like you comparing him to the sacred phoenix, but he's not nearly so grandiose. Don't let him know I said that though. Koge is rude but he means well. He's more of a tall ostrich-like bird. It would be easier to show him to you, but he went off on his own. He didn't take to the city well. One last thing; he's not my pet, he's my friend. We travel together because he wanted to accompany me, because he wanted to explore the world beyond his home in Mount Kiwi. The last thing anyone needs is to hear him squawk about being called a pet. We already encountered that when we first arrived in West City."
Melonia then went on to describe Nasu from the point of view of a saiyan not related to him. It seemed accurate enough after Hwa-Jae's last meeting. As Melonia continued to educate Hwa-Jae on the subject of saiyans, she realized that these creatures, despite looking almost human they were from a culture completely different from her own. The idea of raising children in tanks and feed them information through tubes sounded utterly cruel. Where was the joy? Maybe it was because of this method that Nasu and Komatsu and other saiyans were made into the surly bunch they were now. It may have been the saiyan way, but Hwa-Jae did not have to agree with it.
Then Melonia mentioned Blutz waves. Hwa-Jae scratched her head in confusion. "Blutz waves? What are those?"
As they continued, the waiter brought over Melonia's food with smaller bowls while another man carried Hwa-Jae's bowl on a rolling cart. It took both of them to life the large mixing bowl full of rice and beef and as they set the meal down, it shook the table with a powerful thud. They both took a deep breath to steady themselves and then placed the rest of Hwa-Jae's order on the table. Hwa-Jae licked her lips in anticipation as she picked up her chopsticks and clicked them as she felt the eagerness set in.
"I got plenty of gyoza dumplings and spring rolls if you want to try some," she said to Melonia. "As for the animals, some cows have horns. Chickens are mostly defenceless, but urchins are spiny balls that will sting you with their spines if you try to pick them up. There are a few animals on earth that will try to eat you first. Bears, sharks, dinosaurs. Bears don't make good eating, sharks are tasty though, and dinosaur is incredibly lean meat. Anyway, I'll leave you to try this assortment of Earth meals. There is even more variety, so I hope you can explore more places like this."
Melonia seemed to enjoy her food and used the opportunity to explain the saiyans further. This gave Hwa-Jae a chance to begin on her own food. While she did not eat as sloppily as Melonia, she did move her chopsticks incredibly quickly, snapping up strips of beef and clumps of rice and quickly popping them in her mouth. Her hands seemed to move like a blur as she ate, consuming rice, beef, and the appetizers to the side with swiftness. Despite the food she ate, she did not appear to slow down nor did she make a mess. Even though she ate with speed, she still savoured the flavours of her meal and was thankful to eat something that wasn't cooked on a camp fire. To the side, the waiter and several of the cooks watched in awe of the two women as they consumed enough food to be considered a good percentage of their body weight.
Hwa-Jae slowed down her eating to continue her conversation. "When it comes to training, I often believe you have to have your heart in it to be effective. If you don't want to train, then you won't get much out of it. You need to have focus on your goals and the passion to pursue them. If you don't, you'll begin to resent training and then you won't get anything from the practice."
Still partway through her bowl, she looked up to Melonia. "How is your food tasting so far?" she asked, "Hope it's to a saiyans liking. You ordered a lot, so I'm guessing saiyans have an appetite as big as mine. Like I said, I have what my mentors call a blast furnace of a stomach. I need lots of food to maintain myself. Fire burns and it takes a lot of energy to use the Kasai as I do."
As Hwa-Jae made it to the bottom of her bowl, she regarded Melonia's tail. She had a point, it would seem odd for someone without a tail to a saiyan just as simply having a tail was odd to Hwa-Jae. It did seem like a pretty significant weakness though. Wearing it like a furry belt seemed like the best option, but was still an extra target. "Neat," Hwa-Jae said at last in regards to the tail. There was simply nothing else to add since she did not have a tail or any other extra appendages.
She finished her massive beef bowl and took a deep breath. "That was delicious," Hwa-Jae said, "I needed a good meal like that. Travelling the roads, hunting and gathering can only do the palate so much. What would you like to do after this though? There must be something else that interests you on earth."
Melonia watched as Hwa-Jae motioned with her arms at the size of her pet. It was hard to imagine a bird that large, surely it couldn't fly, and if it could, it would be rather slow at it. It was a particular relationship the to seemed to have, certainly not what the Saiyaness would have expected. But if her friend was happy with her bird, then clearly something was working out correctly. "Sounds like a very big bird, and I'll try to remember to call him a phoenix should I meet him. Though I don't know what an ostrich is, I can imagine what Koge must look like, at least I think." Melonia took a few more bites of her own food, trying to pace herself and eat slower after observing the calm fury with which her new friend ate. "Is your p- friend a fearsome warrior? If he can eat fire, surely his powers are somewhat formidable, or is he particularly durable? Can he do anything with fire himself? Like breath it from his mouth?" Melonia had endless questions about this strange beast.
The Saiyan's tail swished rapidly at the reply regarding Blutz waves, and the genuine inquiry. Her face peaked up, having finished her first bowl of beef and noodles, draining it to almost dishwasher levels of cleanliness. "Blutz waves... are the key to the Saiyan race's natural gift, the Oozaru, the Great Ape. It's a form of energy emitted by large celestial bodies like moons when they reflect a star's rays." Melonia pointed to her eye, opening it wide for Hwa-Jae to see. "When a Saiyan absorbs more than seventeen million zenos of through their retina..." She grabbed the end of her tail and held it up for her friend to see. "It triggers a cellular reaction in our tails that transforms us into a giant ape anywhere from fifty to a hundred feet tall. More so, it also amplifies our powerlevel by a magnitude of ten." Melonia grinned as she released her tail. "It allowed us to destroy everyone in our way throughout much of our history. Nothing could stop an army of Saiyans under a full moon. But, it makes us wild and feral during the transformation, and you wake up with no memory of the event. Like it was all a dream, though with great training a Saiyan can overcome that limitation and retain full control of themselves when they are in their Great Ape form. That's when our enemies are really in trouble."
Melonia licked at her lips as she finished her speech, returning to her meal. The server had brought he second bowl, and she happily dug in. Hwa-Jae offered some of her own strange pastries and Melonia gladly accepted. "I'm not sure what dumplings and spring rolls are, but it would be rude of me to turn you down." She said, taking a few for herself, eating them happily as the fire warrior described earth creatures. "This are absolutely delicious... I must take a recipe back to Natto, this could revolutionize Saiyan cooking. Also, earth's animals sound rather silly. Especially chickens, what's the point if you are mostly defenseless? Someone bigger and stronger will just come along and gobble you up." She flashed a grin, biting into a dumpling. "Like us."
The Saiyan beauty continued to gorge herself on her food, bite after bite ceaselessly without pause. Hwa-Jae seemed to be no different and the two ate with their own senses of ravenous hunger. It was a lot like the barracks at the academy, which was effectively an endless whirlwind of chefs preparing food for the saiyan warriors to eat almost as fast, always complaining for more. Bowl after bowl dumpling after dumpling. Melonia's belly, normally flat and toned, began to become a soft curve of flesh as she stuffed herself on the delicious earthing food. Even the bowl of spiky urchin things was rather delicious, despite the odd nature of the creatures it was cooked from. She was thankful she was in her armor, she'd be putting the armor's elastic qualities to good use with this meal. She paused to look up as Hwa-Jae resumed their conversation.
"A very wise assessment my new friend. And, unfortunately very true. Thankfully for me though, I put my all into every task I do, even cleaning. A job worth doing is a job worth doing properly. All things in life should be pursued with passion, from training to friendships to war." She then resumed her meal, only to pause as Hwa-Jae inquired about it. "The food is delicious, simply delicious. It's simple but amazing, I could eat it every day. Far better than the slop I've been eating for the last six years. And yes, we Saiyans have very big appetites, it takes a lot of energy to keep us going, and our metabolisms are very high. It takes a truly lazy Saiyan to end up fat." With that remark Melonia returned to gorging herself of the succulent feast.
Hwa-Jae's last request came as a slight shock to the woman. What did she want to do after this? Melonia hadn't come to the city with any particular goal in mind, she'd only wished to explore the strange new planet and had happened to wonder here by chance as she followed the isles and the seas. As Melonia swallowed the last of her hearty meal she gave her now rather plump belly a pat, snug beneath the elastic confines of her battle armor. "Hmm... well to be honest Hwa-Jae, I hadn't actually put much thought into that. I've barely begun to explore earth, and you're honestly the only earthling I've spoken to at any great length. I'd be up for anything you want to do! Maybe show me some of those earthling activities you claim to do for fun. Or introduce me to that Koge bird of yours. Beyond that I'm not really sure, my being here is essentially a vacation of sorts. At least until my commanding officer orders me to do return to his side." WC: 1,019 TWC: 4,871
Last Edit: Jun 11, 2016 16:33:01 GMT -5 by Deleted
Hwa-Jae giggled at the thought of a saiyan like Melonia just loading praise at the feet of Koge, calling him a majestic phoenix. She could already see how he would react, standing tall on his long bird legs and extending his short wings as if they were a magnificent set of feathers. As amusing as that imagery was, the last thing Hwa-Jae needed was Koge getting a big head over such words. It would make him an unbearable travel partner and she did enjoy his company. As such, she simple laughed off Melonia's praise and kept working on her food.
"I wouldn't say he's a fearsome warrior," Hwa-Jae said as she scooped some food out of the large bowl to put in a smaller one. "Granted we met inside a volcano, the same one he was trying to drop around my head. His beak is strong enough to break rocks, and he knew where the weak points of the volcano were to spout lava, but other than that he's just an absurdly large and strong bird. As far as I know, he only eats fire, as in sucking it up trough his beak. I've never seen him exhibit any fire breathing or other abilities."
As Melonia went on to describe what Blutz waves were, Hwa-Jae could only blank out as she went into intricate detail. She didn't understand anything Melonia said about cells or such, but she did manage to catch two important words: "giant" and "ape." Hwa-Jae blinked at this and then closely regarded Melonia.
"So if you are exposed to the moon," Hwa-Jae concluded, "You turn into a giant monkey."
She then shook her head. "I'll believe you, but it sounds utterly ridiculous. I guess that means no night prowling for you. The last thing I want to do is fight you if you turn into an out of control mammoth monkey."
Melonia mentioned how silly chickens seemed to be, but Hwa-Jae shook her head. "They have their part to play on earth, even if it seems to be only to lay eggs and be eaten. I always give thanks to all the animals and plants on the earth for what they give to me, as without them I would not have the strength I have now. Every being in the world, perhaps the universe, has a spirit, including animals such as chickens. It may not be exciting like on your planet, but Earth has a large population and that population needs to be fed. Thankfully we have sustainable methods of food production for the massive population."
After several minutes, Hwa-Jae finally finished her massive beef bowl, scooping up the last of her rice and popping it into her mouth. She downed a glass of water then wiped her mouth, signalling that she was at last finished her meal. The entire restaurant staff stared in shock, their jaws hanging open and their eyeballs bugging out of their sockets. Once finished, Hwa-Jae stood up and bowed to the staff in thanks.
"Thank you very much for the meal, it was delicious!" She smiled at them as she looked to Melonia. The saiyan seemed satisfied as well. She was glad that Melonia took so well to Earth food. Maybe they'd share a meal in the future.
"Um... ladies...?" The waiter approached with a small plate holding two small folded cookies. "Don't forget your fortunes now!"
"Oh right!" Hwa-Jae took a fortune cookie for Melonia, passing it to her, and then took one for herself. "Don't bite into it right away," she said, "There's a small slip of paper inside. Just crack the cookie first, take the paper out, read the fortune on the paper, then eat the cookie. In that order or the fortune won't come true."
To demonstrate, Hwa-Jae cracked her fortune cookie in two and took out the small paper within. She then read the fortune aloud:
"You will soon discover a major truth about the one you love most."
Hwa-Jae raised her brow at the fortune she received. "Well that's... different," she said, looking to Melonia. She then ate the cookie as was tradition, but still felt rather uneasy. The person she loved most... she wasn't in love with anyone. Maybe the cookie did not mean a romantic love, but a more familial one? If so, the only person Hwa-Jae could think of was Cineza. Did the fortune cookie direct her to go back to the Kasai Temple then?
No, she couldn't do that. Hwa-Jae would spend the day with Melonia so as to help the saiyan get acquainted with Earth, but then by tomorrow's first light she would head to Mount Frappe to continue her journey. If the cookie told her 'soon', then the definition of 'soon' would have to be stretched a little bit. Hwa-Jae thanked the restaurant staff once more before stepping out into West City.
She turned to Melonia, unsure of what to do next. "Let me think," she said, looking around the city. She then spotted a large structure were many people were walking in and out of. Hwa-Jae recognised it as the large urban marketplace where she bought her winter gear. The building went high into the sky, which gave her plenty of ideas of what to do to make Melonia's visit memorable.
"There's one of the city's large marketplaces inside that building," Hwa-Jae said, pointing it out. "There's lots of stuff inside from all over the Earth that people make and sell there. It could be a good chance to see the different things earthlings make like clothes and such. Then we can make our way to the top of the building. I told Koge to meet me if I ever launch a flare to the sky. The top will be the best place to launch the flare and Koge can fly down to meet us. He doesn't really like the city after all."
"Shall we go?" Hwa-Jae motioned to the building, hoping that it was interesting enough for Melonia.
Melonia listened intently as Hwa-Jae further described her traveling companion, Koge sounded rather impressive, despite her repeated protests he was not. Any creature that could do half the things he was said to was further of adoration. "Well..." Melonia said in reply, carefully choosing her words. "If he is as mighty as you say, and you have no reason to lie, then he still sounds rather formidable. A bird that can bring down volcanoes, shatter boulders with his beak, and is as you say 'absurdly large and strong'. Half the Saiyans I know do not fill all those criteria, and he can consume fire as a food source of top of that. Even if he's not a mighty phoenix, its still an impressive resume." She closed her eyes and gave her friend a cheery smile, "It's a shame about fire breathing though. It's a rather potent ability, one some of the wildlife on Natto are very adept at. I suppose Koge would be their...predator? Should he end up there. Chasing down Fire Salamanders and Basilisks to eat their own defensive ability."
Hwa-Jae's face was clearly lost for words during Melonia's long winded explanation of Blutz waves, and Melonia couldn't help but furrow her brow as she struggled to explain the phenomena. "That is correct, sufficient exposure to a planet's full moon will turn any Saiyan still with their tail into their Great Ape form. I could also do it with a Power Ball, though I have absolutely no way to create one of those at the moment. Its a fearsome weapon, since it allows us to become engines of destruction at will." Her expression turned less serious as Hwa-Jae cracked her joke. "Oh don't worry silly, I'm fine for night prowling. Just be sure to give me a lunar calendar and a sleep mask when the full moon rolls around." The Saiyness flashed a grin as her eyes glinted with light. "Unless of course, you feel like challenging an opponent strong enough to level whole cities."
The conversation turned more easygoing as Hwa-Jae shifted the focus back to chickens, and Melonia couldn't help but laugh picturing the little birds as simply egg laying food sources. "I'm sure Koge loves the idea of other birds being so useless. One can destroy a volcano with his beak, the other can only poop out eggs and turn into our lunch. Quite the disparity. You take a very philosophical look at life my new friend. I apologize for being so blunt... but I merely think that might makes right is the greatest truth in the universe. Yes it's all well and good chickens help feed Earth's population, but chickens are weak. No chicken 'wants' to be a chicken. They want to be a human, if they could. Earthlings eat chickens, build space ships, build cities. You are the most powerful species on this planet, so you made it yours. On Natto almost every species is formidable, they fight endlessly for their place on the food chain. And Saiyans are stronger than any of them without question. So its our planet to lord over as we wish." Saiyan pride naturally poured through to her words, they were a boastful people to begin with, and Melonia was a rather proud and vain Saiyan. Such bravado tended to surface naturally in any lengthy conversation.
As the two finished their respective feasts their fellow patrons and the kitchen staff seemed in universal shock at how two slender women had eaten enough food for half a dozen burly men. Melonia patted her belly and let out a loud burp. "Excuse me haha. I think that was the urchins disagreeing with me." The wide eyed stares of the restaurant staff had Melonia chuckling to herself as she stood upright, taking a long stretch as she arched her back. She looked over at Hwa-Jae as the woman explained the odd nature of fortune cookies. "It's a dessert...that predicts the future???" Perhaps earthlings really were more advanced than she first believed.
Taking her own fortune cookie in hand Melonia cracked it open in the center, one gloved hand retrieving the small white slip of paper from the split in the middle. Holding it up to her face to read as she popped half the cookie into her mouth, causing her to speak as she chewed. "Hmm...look at this."
"You will overcome great tribulation in your future, always remember to be strong in the face of adversity."
"Rather vague don't you think?" Melonia said plainly, not convinced of a cookie's prophet powers. "I always overcome tribulation by being strong. Telling a Saiyan to be strong is like telling a bird to flap its wings to fly." She tossed the rest of the fortune cookie into her mouth, happily munching it down in an instant. Melonia followed her new companion outside, once more enjoying the warm sunlight and the crowded streets of the bustling earthling city.
Melonia looked up as Hwa-Jae instructed her with regards to the marketplace. It was as good a destination as any, she was still simply biding time in her adventures before her presence was requested again. "Yes! That sounds perfect." Melonia turned to pull her friend into a smothering hug, pressing hew fiery friend's feminine face firmly into her considerable endowments. "I adore shopping." Said the Saiyan as all seriousness was stripped away for girlish delight. "I would absolutely love to purchase some earthling clothes. Maybe some souvenirs for home, and a warship, if they have any in stock." Pulling away from her hug to take Hwa-Jae's hand Melonia darted the pair off towards their destination. "Home on, I can't wait to model outfits for you!" WC: 955 TWC: 5,826
Hwa-Jae was uncertain about why Melonia seemed incredibly interested in Koge and she wondered if the saiyan was just going to be disappointed when she met the oversized ostrich. She didn't want to let Melonia down, but Koge was... well, Koge and not a magnificent beast held sacred by the Kasai. There was nothing Hwa-Jae could do at this point at least. Koge was Koge and if Melonia was unimpressed, then that was that. Hopefully Melonia could get along with Koge's rather abrasive and self-serving personality. Hwa-Jae knew all too well just how grating the hikui bird could be once he got going.
Her thoughts about Koge seemed to be disrupted when Melonia mentioned the giant monkey form again. She did not understand the saiyan people and their seemingly need to exist purely as beings of war and violence. Hwa-Jae was no stranger to such, for she was trained in the ways of the Kasai Guardian. Yet as a guardian, she was meant to use her strength and skills to protect the earth. Who did the Saiyans protect? Or did they just travel the stars, looking for planets to conquer and take their own? Hwa-Jae was starting to understand why Hisashi did not like the Saiyans at first glance. They appeared brutish, even when they were not.
This was only reinforced by Melonia's comments about how might makes right. Hwa-Jae sighed and looked Melonia in the eye. "If you believe might makes right, then I am said for the saiyans." Hwa-Jae looked Melonia plain in the eye, her smile all but evaporated. "If you want to use my friend koge as an example, know that I have never seen him lord over birds. In fact, he sees them as his kin, and can communicate with them in a language I could never understand. In fact, despite my being stronger than him by magnitudes, he often pities me due to being human and living such complex lives. Perhaps 'might makes right' works in the animal world, but not the sentient. People, no matter who they are or where they are from, deserve to live life in peace. If there are two truths to the universe, it is these."
"First, there is always an apex predator. Maybe it is the saiyans, maybe it is something else. Frankly, there is always a bigger fish waiting in the deep to swim up and snatch you with its jaws. Second, even the apex predator knows not to glut itself with its prey. Eat too much, and not only will the bigger fish find the predator, but the smaller predators will find a feast waiting for them. Also, eating too much means there will be no more prey, and if that happens, the predator loses its purpose."
At last, Hwa-Jae smirked at Melonia. "Besides, I thought you didn't know what a chicken was. Now you are telling me you can tell what one wants? Do saiyans have long range mind reading abilities as well? Something tells me no, you don't. Everyone on earth has their role to play. Chickens feed our population, but the farmer protects them from their natural predators. The clothiers are not fighters, but they make the clothes they wear. This is the same sentiment where I come from. There are those like me, Kasai Guardians, who protect people, while we have the other Sisters fulfil their duties such as acting as healers and scribes. I imagine it is the same on Natto."
Melonia seemed rather enthralled by the fortune cookie and the fortune that was hidden within the cheap pastry. Hwa-Jae chuckled. "It may not seem obvious now, but that cookie is trying to teach you something. Never ever doubt the cookie."
"In any event, that's enough heavy philosophical debates for now," Hwa-Jae said, her smile returning. "We're here. I hope you like this place. I would have explored it more, but I didn't exactly have the time."
Thankfully Melonia was very receptacle to the idea of buying things, so as they walked into the mall, Hwa-Jae managed to relax. Such in-depth discussions required copious amounts of tea and no stress in her life to be successful. As it stood, there was a severe lack of tea and still the threat of the Black Fire Witch looming over her head. Taking a deep breath, Hwa-Jae eased her tension and decided to move on from such. Instead, she focused on the mall ahead of her, motioning to the different stores ahead.
The mall was just as large an expansive on the inside as it was on the outside. Hundreds of people milled about going from shop to shop from couples to families to individuals just on a day out in the town. Calming music played on the loudspeakers. Large sculptures and fountains acted as centrepieces throughout the layout, giving it a classy feel. Hwa-Jae was always impressed by the magnitude of such a gathering of people and goods.
"I don't think anyone here has warships for sale," Hwa-Jae said, "Everything here is meant for the citizenry of the earth. Like I said before, most people want to live their life in peace, so the goods offered in the store reflect that. There's plenty of other things though. Clothes, like you mentioned, can be found in abundances and in many different styles based on the region they came from. There's also more food offered in the food court, as well as many other things, like items from Capsule Corps."
Hwa-Jae pointed out a store that specialised in camping gear like tents and clothes meant for the outdoors. "This is where I got my winter gear for my journey north. It probably doesn't have anything for you here, but it's just an example of what we can find. Just point the way and we'll go there."
Super Dragonball Universe is the original work of Komatsu and Nasu. Any and all content is copyrighted to Super Dragonball Universe.
Copying, altering, or stealing any of the site's content is prohibited.
All of Dragonball Universe's characters are the original work of their owners may not be replicated or stolen.
All images and graphics belong to their rightful owners and Super Dragonball Universe does not claim to own any of them.
The skin was created by TIMELAPSE OF ADOXOGRAPHYv2.
