Post by Jie Shan Lan Dian on Jan 29, 2016 23:53:52 GMT -5
(Heavy weights on!)
Jie Shan waited in the antechamber, tapping his foot impatiently as he awaited the arrival of a certain someone. It was with great annoyance that he was here this day. Great annoyance indeed, he thought as he leaned against a wall, his blade pressing into the small of his back. Slowly and without purpose, he tapped the wall he was pressed against. The rhythm was erratic and without pattern. It was kind of like his life. Randomly popping around, seemingly without reason.
Born on Natto, taken from Natto, back on Natto, sent away from Natto again, and back again. There was no predictability in it all. No reason. What was next? Was he going to be sent to Namek? PTO space? Jie Shan had no clue. Damn the man who had called him here. Jie Shan could swear on it, by whatever gods there were, if that man was going to send him somewhere else… The half blood sighed. He’d do little. The man who called him here was his superior. And Jie Shan would have little choice but to obey. And besides, he thought, it was not the idea of being sent away that upset him. No, Jie Shan might welcome it. After all, he was quite fond of traveling. It was the idea of being ordered around by that man. And, thought Jie Shan, where in the Hell was he? Jie Shan had been waiting in the antechamber for almost twenty minutes now. This was not like his superior. The man was usually punctual. That was one positive thing Jie Shan could say about him.
And, as if on cue, the door to antechamber slid open. Jie Shan sighed as he pulled himself upright, his muscles straining slightly beneath the bulk of his weighted armor. And the man he had been waiting for finally revealed himself: it was Gai, his father.
“Sir,” mumbled Jie Shan, managing a small salute. His father looked him at him, as if entertained, amused. And then Gai smirked. Jie Shan hated it when his father did that. Smug bastard, thought Jie Shan.
“At ease,” commanded Gai, not even bothering to return the salute, “Now, Jie Shan, I am sure you are wondering exactly why I called you here today.”
“Yes, sir,” sounded Jie Shan, his voice clear and even.
Gai scrunched his face and smiled oddly at his son. “There’s no need to be so formal, son.”
“Yes, sir,” stated Jie Shan. He was being formal on purpose. Anything to dig under his father’s skin a little. And his formality earned him a sign from his father.
“Alright then,” said Gai with a shake of his head, “Anyway, I have news for you. You just got a lot more free time.”
Jie Shan tilted his head, looking at his father with curiosity. “What?” He asked.
“I’ve pulled some strings. You are now operating directly under me. Ergo, I control your duties and such.”
Jie Shan grimaced. The last time he’d been under his father’s direct control, he’d been a child and it had led to some intense training. Somehow, he got the sinking feeling that he’d actually somehow managed to lose free time.
“And what are my new duties, sir?” He asked, his voice low, as he tried not to betray his emotions.
His father grinned and held his arms out, as if expecting something. “That, son,” his father began, “Is the beauty of it. I have no duties for you. Save for one: keep training.”
Jie Shan’s father stepped closer to him, putting his hands on the half-breeds shoulders and drew him close. “I need you strong, my son,” whispered his father, “I have ever told you about my past?”
Jie Shan shook his head. He knew very little about his father. Only bits and pieces that his father had mentioned offhandedly, or stories from people who knew him in the days before Jie Shan’s birth. No, his father’s life was a mystery to him.
“Well, son,” his father said, his voice low and serious, “I remember a time before the Alliance. Back when the Saiyans were united under one banner. You know, I was there on Earth that fateful day. The day the schism occurred in truth. The Queen might have survived the invasion of Earth, but the Empire did not. You know, I was just about the same age as you are now, Jie Shan…”
His father shook his head. “That’s the past, though. I joined the Saiyan Alliance in its early days, Jie Shan. Why? Because I saw an opportunity. An opportunity for a new life, an opportunity to carve out my legacy. And you, son, are part of that legacy. That is why I need you strong. I-we-need to carve out our place in history. Together, you and I will be remembered.”
Gai stepped back from his son, and smiled at him, ever so slightly. He looked proud. And Jie Shan found that despicable. His father was a man only concerned with himself. He might speak of ‘their’ legacy, and he might use ‘we’, but Jie Shan was utterly unconvinced.
“You know, son, I never thought that I would rear a half blood. I always thought I would have a pureblood son, someone to carry on my name. But it seems that fate had other things in mind. Your mother, she… Well, a Saiyan is not heartless. And besides, I think it turned out for the best. You do have a certain Saiyan quality about you…” His father looked at him, like someone who was admiring something they had created, like he was some sort of artist.
And Jie Shan said nothing at all.
“You know,” continued his father, filling the silence, “You might pass for a fullblood, were in not for the hair and the… Thing you do with the electricity.”
His father was, of course, referencing the Elemi “flare-ups”. Jie Shan had inherited that from the Elemi, and his manifested as that of lighting. For some odd reason, it almost seemed to make his father uncomfortable… If only Jie Shan could do it on command.
“Is that all, sir?” Asked Jie Shan. His nerves were running thin, even if he’d technically gotten good news.
“I suppose. I guess you’re going to be busy, huh? Keep that armor on. Weight training helps. I’ve done it myself,” his father said as he continued to back away.
“As you say, sir.”
His father sighed, “You know, you could call me “father” every once in awhile.”
“As you say, sir.”
And his father simply shook his head and stepped out of the antechamber, leaving Jie Shan alone. Jie Shan finally let out his own sigh. Well, he thought, this is not quite what he’d been expecting. But at least he had a little more freedom now. Even if it was under that man. His legacy? As if Jie Shan cared at all about that. But he’d bide his time for now. And find out just how long his new leash was. Perhaps it extended to amazing lengths. Perhaps his father had unintentionally handed Jie Shan exactly what he wanted. Because his father would never intentionally do that.
Jie Shan waited for a few moments, to be sure that his father had had ample time to get far away. And then Jie Shan Lan Dian left the antechamber as well.
Jie Shan waited in the antechamber, tapping his foot impatiently as he awaited the arrival of a certain someone. It was with great annoyance that he was here this day. Great annoyance indeed, he thought as he leaned against a wall, his blade pressing into the small of his back. Slowly and without purpose, he tapped the wall he was pressed against. The rhythm was erratic and without pattern. It was kind of like his life. Randomly popping around, seemingly without reason.
Born on Natto, taken from Natto, back on Natto, sent away from Natto again, and back again. There was no predictability in it all. No reason. What was next? Was he going to be sent to Namek? PTO space? Jie Shan had no clue. Damn the man who had called him here. Jie Shan could swear on it, by whatever gods there were, if that man was going to send him somewhere else… The half blood sighed. He’d do little. The man who called him here was his superior. And Jie Shan would have little choice but to obey. And besides, he thought, it was not the idea of being sent away that upset him. No, Jie Shan might welcome it. After all, he was quite fond of traveling. It was the idea of being ordered around by that man. And, thought Jie Shan, where in the Hell was he? Jie Shan had been waiting in the antechamber for almost twenty minutes now. This was not like his superior. The man was usually punctual. That was one positive thing Jie Shan could say about him.
And, as if on cue, the door to antechamber slid open. Jie Shan sighed as he pulled himself upright, his muscles straining slightly beneath the bulk of his weighted armor. And the man he had been waiting for finally revealed himself: it was Gai, his father.
“Sir,” mumbled Jie Shan, managing a small salute. His father looked him at him, as if entertained, amused. And then Gai smirked. Jie Shan hated it when his father did that. Smug bastard, thought Jie Shan.
“At ease,” commanded Gai, not even bothering to return the salute, “Now, Jie Shan, I am sure you are wondering exactly why I called you here today.”
“Yes, sir,” sounded Jie Shan, his voice clear and even.
Gai scrunched his face and smiled oddly at his son. “There’s no need to be so formal, son.”
“Yes, sir,” stated Jie Shan. He was being formal on purpose. Anything to dig under his father’s skin a little. And his formality earned him a sign from his father.
“Alright then,” said Gai with a shake of his head, “Anyway, I have news for you. You just got a lot more free time.”
Jie Shan tilted his head, looking at his father with curiosity. “What?” He asked.
“I’ve pulled some strings. You are now operating directly under me. Ergo, I control your duties and such.”
Jie Shan grimaced. The last time he’d been under his father’s direct control, he’d been a child and it had led to some intense training. Somehow, he got the sinking feeling that he’d actually somehow managed to lose free time.
“And what are my new duties, sir?” He asked, his voice low, as he tried not to betray his emotions.
His father grinned and held his arms out, as if expecting something. “That, son,” his father began, “Is the beauty of it. I have no duties for you. Save for one: keep training.”
Jie Shan’s father stepped closer to him, putting his hands on the half-breeds shoulders and drew him close. “I need you strong, my son,” whispered his father, “I have ever told you about my past?”
Jie Shan shook his head. He knew very little about his father. Only bits and pieces that his father had mentioned offhandedly, or stories from people who knew him in the days before Jie Shan’s birth. No, his father’s life was a mystery to him.
“Well, son,” his father said, his voice low and serious, “I remember a time before the Alliance. Back when the Saiyans were united under one banner. You know, I was there on Earth that fateful day. The day the schism occurred in truth. The Queen might have survived the invasion of Earth, but the Empire did not. You know, I was just about the same age as you are now, Jie Shan…”
His father shook his head. “That’s the past, though. I joined the Saiyan Alliance in its early days, Jie Shan. Why? Because I saw an opportunity. An opportunity for a new life, an opportunity to carve out my legacy. And you, son, are part of that legacy. That is why I need you strong. I-we-need to carve out our place in history. Together, you and I will be remembered.”
Gai stepped back from his son, and smiled at him, ever so slightly. He looked proud. And Jie Shan found that despicable. His father was a man only concerned with himself. He might speak of ‘their’ legacy, and he might use ‘we’, but Jie Shan was utterly unconvinced.
“You know, son, I never thought that I would rear a half blood. I always thought I would have a pureblood son, someone to carry on my name. But it seems that fate had other things in mind. Your mother, she… Well, a Saiyan is not heartless. And besides, I think it turned out for the best. You do have a certain Saiyan quality about you…” His father looked at him, like someone who was admiring something they had created, like he was some sort of artist.
And Jie Shan said nothing at all.
“You know,” continued his father, filling the silence, “You might pass for a fullblood, were in not for the hair and the… Thing you do with the electricity.”
His father was, of course, referencing the Elemi “flare-ups”. Jie Shan had inherited that from the Elemi, and his manifested as that of lighting. For some odd reason, it almost seemed to make his father uncomfortable… If only Jie Shan could do it on command.
“Is that all, sir?” Asked Jie Shan. His nerves were running thin, even if he’d technically gotten good news.
“I suppose. I guess you’re going to be busy, huh? Keep that armor on. Weight training helps. I’ve done it myself,” his father said as he continued to back away.
“As you say, sir.”
His father sighed, “You know, you could call me “father” every once in awhile.”
“As you say, sir.”
And his father simply shook his head and stepped out of the antechamber, leaving Jie Shan alone. Jie Shan finally let out his own sigh. Well, he thought, this is not quite what he’d been expecting. But at least he had a little more freedom now. Even if it was under that man. His legacy? As if Jie Shan cared at all about that. But he’d bide his time for now. And find out just how long his new leash was. Perhaps it extended to amazing lengths. Perhaps his father had unintentionally handed Jie Shan exactly what he wanted. Because his father would never intentionally do that.
Jie Shan waited for a few moments, to be sure that his father had had ample time to get far away. And then Jie Shan Lan Dian left the antechamber as well.
