Post by Jie Shan Lan Dian on Feb 2, 2016 22:21:52 GMT -5
Jie Shan waited beneath the awning of a building in the Soy Capitol. He was waiting for someone, his heart beating erratically and his palms were sweating. No, he told himself, he had to remain calm. Emotions betrayed people, and him particularly with his Elemi blood. The flare-ups made his emotions difficult to hide on occasion. And now, more than ever, Jie Shan had plenty of reasons to hide his emotions. Not just for this meeting, but these days in general, very rarely would he wish to betray his emotions, particularly in front of his father. His father would see them as weakness, or as rebellion against his choices. He would not want an unwilling son, or as Jie Shan thought of himself, a pawn.
Still, at least he had some free time. And he was going to make the most of the small amount of free time he had been afforded, before his father forced him back to training before long, or furthering his agenda somehow. Hell, he thought, at least he had been able to strip of his weighted armor for a time. His muscles were certainly grateful. Yes, he was on track to have a good time today. He just had to wait for his… associate. If she ever came by, that was. She had said she’d be coming… Hopefully, she intended to make good on that. But he’d already been here for twenty minutes. How much longer did Jie Shan plan on giving her? All day? No, he might be keen on meeting her, but he’d not waste all his time on this if she never came.
And finally she arrived. Potana stepped out from around a corner and revealed herself, coming before Jie Shan. “Hey, Jie Shan,” she said, her voice breathy, “Sorry I’m late, daddy’s boy. Cornel was giving me a speech about the good old days or something, and how I should try to be more like the old school Saiyans. I kind of zoned out half way through, though I’m sure I heard it a hundred times before.”
Jie Shan laughed. He knew those kind of lectures well. He’d heard them himself dozens of times before, maybe hundreds. Captain Cornel loved to talk. Not converse, but talk. More specifically, he loved to hear himself talk. To hear Cornel tell it, the old Saiyan captain had what was effectively unlimited wisdom, and people just had to listen to him. His squad knew better, though.
“Hey, no problem, I understand. The captain can go for hours if you let him. Though I’m glad you didn’t,” Jie Shan laughed, rubbing the back of his head. His heart was still beating.
“Yeah, I’m glad too. I really didn’t want to spend one of my free days listening to him ramble on about how things were when he was our age and all the other crap,” she ranted with a small grin, “So, uh, why did you call me here? Is it about our fight, or…?”
Jie Shan shook his head. “No,” he began, “I, uh, just wanna catch up. It’s been a long while, you know, and we really haven’t had a chance to talk since you guys got back. So, how are you?”
Potana gave him a knowing smile, with a tilted head. “Yeah,” she agreed, “It has been awhile. I’ve been well. Kind of bored, you know? Spending a few years on the same old backwater planet will wear you down, you know?”
“Yeah,” he said, “That’s kind of how I feel about being on Natto the past few years. It’s home, you know, but it isn’t the most exciting place in the galaxy. I’d have much rather been out there with you. Uh, by ‘you’, I mean the squad and all.”
Potana laughed, a sound that was clear, almost like a bell, “Yeah, I get you. Working for your dad must suck. I know you, uh, don’t really like him. Even if you are a daddy’s boy.”
Jie Shan frowned. She was right. At least about him not like his father. Still, that comment about him being a daddy’s boy… It did not sit well with, not one little bit. The look of displeasure was plain on his face. And Potana saw it.
“Sorry,” she whispered, “Sorry for everything. For that, our fight before, and… You know, before the squad and I left all those years ago. I was really bad to you, and for no reason, aside from me being, you know, upset.”
“It’s okay,” mumbled Jie Shan, his face flushing with color, “I was a little upset, too. We both let out emotions get the best of us is all. It happens.”
“Yeah, it does,” she agreed quietly, “But that doesn’t make it right, does it? Like, we’re friends, Jie Shan. Or, uh, something. I mean, we’re Saiyans and all, but we don’t need to be rough all the time.”
“Yeah, you’re right. You really are,” he said with a sign, “Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that. We’re warriors. Strength is our drive, or at least that’s what people say. We live in the moment, and think in it too. And sometimes, that can lead to some rough waters. And that distracts us from potentially smooth sailing, you know?”
Potana crinkled her nose and chuckled, “What the Hell kind of metaphor is that, Jie Shan? Stick to fighting, not poetry or whatever you were trying to do there. I don’t think you have the mouth for it.”
“I don’t?” Asked Jie Shan, sarcastically, “Well, damn. There goes that career. Now whatever will I do?”
She hummed, “Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you come with us? Come back to the field, you know?”
“Potana, look, I would like nothing more, but-”
“Yeah, yeah. I know, your dad. Normally, I’d just say to tell him to screw off and to do your own thing, but given that he’s now your superior officer… Well, that’s a good way to get yourself executed for treason.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” admitted Jie Shan.
“But still, maybe you could ask him. Maybe he’ll let you go. There’s a first time for everything, yeah?”
“Yeah, maybe if I get lucky. I’ll ask him, but Potana, I doubt anything will come of it.”
“Shh,” she said, stepping closer to him, “Let’s not think about that for now. We should enjoy the time, we have. After all, I might be here for a bit.”
Jie Shan looked in her in the eyes. There was a fire there, not unlike the fire he had seen the other day. He loved it, that fire, especially when he was the focus of it. Those black jewels she had for eyes held that fire well.
“Yeah, let’s. Potana, I’m glad you guys are back,” said Jie Shan quietly.
(Zeni please!)
Still, at least he had some free time. And he was going to make the most of the small amount of free time he had been afforded, before his father forced him back to training before long, or furthering his agenda somehow. Hell, he thought, at least he had been able to strip of his weighted armor for a time. His muscles were certainly grateful. Yes, he was on track to have a good time today. He just had to wait for his… associate. If she ever came by, that was. She had said she’d be coming… Hopefully, she intended to make good on that. But he’d already been here for twenty minutes. How much longer did Jie Shan plan on giving her? All day? No, he might be keen on meeting her, but he’d not waste all his time on this if she never came.
And finally she arrived. Potana stepped out from around a corner and revealed herself, coming before Jie Shan. “Hey, Jie Shan,” she said, her voice breathy, “Sorry I’m late, daddy’s boy. Cornel was giving me a speech about the good old days or something, and how I should try to be more like the old school Saiyans. I kind of zoned out half way through, though I’m sure I heard it a hundred times before.”
Jie Shan laughed. He knew those kind of lectures well. He’d heard them himself dozens of times before, maybe hundreds. Captain Cornel loved to talk. Not converse, but talk. More specifically, he loved to hear himself talk. To hear Cornel tell it, the old Saiyan captain had what was effectively unlimited wisdom, and people just had to listen to him. His squad knew better, though.
“Hey, no problem, I understand. The captain can go for hours if you let him. Though I’m glad you didn’t,” Jie Shan laughed, rubbing the back of his head. His heart was still beating.
“Yeah, I’m glad too. I really didn’t want to spend one of my free days listening to him ramble on about how things were when he was our age and all the other crap,” she ranted with a small grin, “So, uh, why did you call me here? Is it about our fight, or…?”
Jie Shan shook his head. “No,” he began, “I, uh, just wanna catch up. It’s been a long while, you know, and we really haven’t had a chance to talk since you guys got back. So, how are you?”
Potana gave him a knowing smile, with a tilted head. “Yeah,” she agreed, “It has been awhile. I’ve been well. Kind of bored, you know? Spending a few years on the same old backwater planet will wear you down, you know?”
“Yeah,” he said, “That’s kind of how I feel about being on Natto the past few years. It’s home, you know, but it isn’t the most exciting place in the galaxy. I’d have much rather been out there with you. Uh, by ‘you’, I mean the squad and all.”
Potana laughed, a sound that was clear, almost like a bell, “Yeah, I get you. Working for your dad must suck. I know you, uh, don’t really like him. Even if you are a daddy’s boy.”
Jie Shan frowned. She was right. At least about him not like his father. Still, that comment about him being a daddy’s boy… It did not sit well with, not one little bit. The look of displeasure was plain on his face. And Potana saw it.
“Sorry,” she whispered, “Sorry for everything. For that, our fight before, and… You know, before the squad and I left all those years ago. I was really bad to you, and for no reason, aside from me being, you know, upset.”
“It’s okay,” mumbled Jie Shan, his face flushing with color, “I was a little upset, too. We both let out emotions get the best of us is all. It happens.”
“Yeah, it does,” she agreed quietly, “But that doesn’t make it right, does it? Like, we’re friends, Jie Shan. Or, uh, something. I mean, we’re Saiyans and all, but we don’t need to be rough all the time.”
“Yeah, you’re right. You really are,” he said with a sign, “Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that. We’re warriors. Strength is our drive, or at least that’s what people say. We live in the moment, and think in it too. And sometimes, that can lead to some rough waters. And that distracts us from potentially smooth sailing, you know?”
Potana crinkled her nose and chuckled, “What the Hell kind of metaphor is that, Jie Shan? Stick to fighting, not poetry or whatever you were trying to do there. I don’t think you have the mouth for it.”
“I don’t?” Asked Jie Shan, sarcastically, “Well, damn. There goes that career. Now whatever will I do?”
She hummed, “Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you come with us? Come back to the field, you know?”
“Potana, look, I would like nothing more, but-”
“Yeah, yeah. I know, your dad. Normally, I’d just say to tell him to screw off and to do your own thing, but given that he’s now your superior officer… Well, that’s a good way to get yourself executed for treason.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” admitted Jie Shan.
“But still, maybe you could ask him. Maybe he’ll let you go. There’s a first time for everything, yeah?”
“Yeah, maybe if I get lucky. I’ll ask him, but Potana, I doubt anything will come of it.”
“Shh,” she said, stepping closer to him, “Let’s not think about that for now. We should enjoy the time, we have. After all, I might be here for a bit.”
Jie Shan looked in her in the eyes. There was a fire there, not unlike the fire he had seen the other day. He loved it, that fire, especially when he was the focus of it. Those black jewels she had for eyes held that fire well.
“Yeah, let’s. Potana, I’m glad you guys are back,” said Jie Shan quietly.
(Zeni please!)