Bardock
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Soul: Main
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Post by Bardock on Aug 19, 2023 21:39:58 GMT -5
Seven used his gem and showed up in the meadows, it was a plain grassland with fields as long as the eyes can see. It looked pleasant and safe and blissful, a crisp breeze kissed his pale skin and his ravenous hair swayed to and fro.
He then recognized a figure that appeared to have been the Saiyan he had fought on Earth before. He was large, burley, and hulking. Hmm, what was his name? Seven didn't know, which was a shame. He enjoyed battling him, especially when he transformed into a great ape. That was exciting!
"Oh it's you," He said. His expression held no malice. "I never caught your name. You're strong!"
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Nappa
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Organization: Saiyan Empire
Race: Saiyan
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Post by Nappa on Aug 20, 2023 1:38:50 GMT -5
The Saiyan fiddled with the stone in his hand, turning it over experimentally. He hadn’t really messed with it since being given one on Valhalla for better combat training. He’d entered into some other dimension by accident and met a robotic being named EP-3, and had... a virtual beer? Imaginary food?
A strange occurrence to be sure.
He’d been so distracted by one thing after another upon his arrival to Earth that the idea of using the Gem for more activity - be it combat-based, or in just meeting the other warriors in the galaxy and making connections - had just kept getting passed by for other things. He’d only found the Gem this evening by doing some hard cleaning around his house, and realized that it had still been in his suitcase from when he’d traveled here via public transit.
Perhaps I should start using this again. It was fun.
If nothing else, he would probably get another beer out of it.
He turned the rock over once more in his palm, but this time with a determined look in his eye; something about adding intent to the action seemed to trigger the effect within the smooth surface, and it began to glow, a rainbow of hues glittering. He started to feel a strong heat in his palm, and before he knew it, the Saiyan had been transported to the other realm.
A plain clearing, for as far as the eye could see. Grassy plains like this were the stuff of idyllic heavens, and he could immediately see why, feeling at ease within moments.
“Oh, it’s you!”
Someone spoke, and he turned, listening carefully.
“Yeah, you’re that person, the one from Kame Island! I’m Nappa, it’s nice to meet you. I... I’m sorry about you seeing me as the Ape. I don’t think my friend knew what he was doing when he turned me.”
Word Count: 324
Nappa Word Count: 324
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Bardock
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Soul: Main
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Post by Bardock on Aug 20, 2023 17:01:47 GMT -5
"Nappa huh?" Seven repeated the name. He definitely had to be sure to remember that one. He was large and physically imposing, his muscles bulged which made it plain as day how hard he worked to maintain them. He was such a specimen! He reminded Seven of one of his heroes, an alien named Basso'larr. Bassolarr was an extremely brawny dino-like alien that was a hero to all of the Brutes and Grunts within the Planetary Trade Organization. His strength was stuff of legends, and Seven loved to gawk at him and his build. He wished that he could have a body like that! Maybe he loved muscles a little too much?
"Oh! Don't worry about it! I've always wanted to have fun with a Saiyan, even in their Great Ape form. It was so exhilarating!" Seven exclaimed with a heartfelt smile. He spoke of the ordeal as if it was a field trip of some kind when, in reality, he really could have died.
"My name is Seven by the way, and I'm a member of the Planetary Trade Organization. You should join us! We could use someone as strong as you. I actually recruited someone recently and she seemed very eager. I think her name was..."
Seven cupped his chin in thought.
Then it came back to him.
"Oh that's right, Ember!"
224 / 338
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Nappa
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Organization: Saiyan Empire
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Post by Nappa on Aug 20, 2023 17:39:55 GMT -5
He managed a smile at Seven’s words, though with extreme difficulty. He wasn’t one of the Saiyans who had an intense hatred of the PTO, but the idea of him joining that cult of murderous planet stealers was certainly not something he had on his agenda. Even if he planned on leaving the Saiyan Empire - which he absolutely did not - Nappa’s work as a youngling in the Army had largely centered around clearing up uninhabited worlds for reselling. Taking a planet with an already established, sentient species and then turning them all into slaves, mercenaries, or soldiers was disgusting.
At absolute worst, there were wild animals and beasts on planets that he’d needed to clear off that he had fought with to lay claim to the world; he didn’t consider that anywhere on the same level as what the Planet Trade Organization did.
Having a fumigator come out to a home to kill the roaches before selling it to a new family was not only a nice gesture, but in most advanced civilizations was a necessity. However, having a serial killer come in and murder the family living there so that he could buy the home at a massive discount?
Not exactly the same type of career path.
But then he heard a name: Ember. He immediately perked up, and stared at the raven-haired individual with suspicion. Was this a trap? Had he been set up? It didn’t seem likely in this realm, but he still didn’t fully understand how it worked, so he was cautious.
“Ember, huh?” He paused. “I think I might know her. Red hair, right?” He felt sick. “How exactly did that recruitment go? It sounds like a fascinating story.”
Word Count: 291
Nappa Word Count: 615
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Bardock
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Posts: 359
Soul: Main
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Post by Bardock on Aug 20, 2023 18:15:45 GMT -5
The PTO was a wonderful experience. It was a group of loyal, fun-loving space wayfarers. Seven himself was a former slave that was taken in by the Planetary Trade Organization when he was a child. He was raised on Camp Frost and worked in the mines. He didn't have a name, but he had a number - Seven. He never held any ill will towards his Handler even when he was punished by being deprived of food or being subjected to lashings. When his Handler realized that Seven had a dormant power dwelling within him, and he was recommended to enlist within the PTO. From there, he chose to serve faithfully with honor and distinction.
Seven perked up when Nappa said that he was familiar with her. When he referenced her scarlet like hair, he nodded profusely.
"Yep! That's her!" Seven shot him a wide smile. "You know her too? She's pretty strong, and she's lots of fun too."
When Nappa asked about the recruitment process, Seven's emerald eyes lit up.
"Oh, it went well! First we played around a bit which was lots of fun. I asked her to join because she seemed to enjoy herself, and the PTO is big on fun!" Seven raised his arms to emphasize his point.
"We also went to Arilia and she fought in the arena. She killed a giant three-headed dog and everyone applauded her! It was great. She really took to ordering them around. She's a natural!" Seven's eyes sparkled with admiration as he recalled the event. He could see her becoming a great Praetor one day.
"You should join too! I think you'd fit right in."
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Nappa
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Organization: Saiyan Empire
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Post by Nappa on Aug 20, 2023 22:11:52 GMT -5
Nappa already wasn’t a fan of this Seven character - who names their child after a number, anyway? - but immediately his distaste for the man grew when he referenced ‘playing’ with her. What exactly was that supposed to mean? He started to think that Seven was touched in the head when he followed up with how ‘fun’ the galactic slave trade actually was. He’d heard a lot of words to describe the PTO, but fun was definitely a new adjective in his dictionary.
Perhaps they had different meanings of the word.
Still, the ever-present smile and slightly unhinged tone left Nappa as unnerved as he’d been on Kame Island; he just wasn’t used to people being that... pleased for no particular reason. It smelled of brainwash - or, again, brainmelt. But Seven kept going, talking about a trip to Arlia. So she’d gone planet-hopping with this guy?
I’ll have to ask her about this at some point.
“I, uh,” Nappa began as Seven fell silent, grinning into the distance for Yamoshi knew what reason, “I don’t think the PTO is going to be great for me personally, bud. Me and them just differ on what ‘fun’ means, I suppose. Glad you like it, though.”
He took a second, before deciding he actually was a bit curious... and it wasn’t like he’d have many chances to ask a question like this, anyway. He took a step forward, feeling the cool touch of the wind on his face and allowing his body to enjoy the sensation.
“What do you actually do in the PTO, Seven? Like, you specifically, I mean.”
Word Count: 275
Nappa Word Count: 890
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Bardock
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Soul: Main
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Post by Bardock on Aug 20, 2023 22:30:26 GMT -5
Seven was already a fan of this Nappa guy. He had the looks and the strength, he also seemed to have the disposition for the work required that most Brutes would be subjected to. But how exactly did he know Ember? She never mentioned knowing a Saiyan before, and that made him curious. It seemed that the Half-Fae got around quite a bit more than he had thought. That served to pique his interest even more.
However, when Nappa denied Seven's recruitment pitch the raven haired PTO loyalist frowned. What a bummer.
"But you seemed to have fun when we fought on Earth," Seven countered. Saiyans loved combat right?
Then the Saiyan asked what he did in the PTO in particular, and this made Seven rub the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well, I've done lots of things before actually! I learned the proper protocol to torturing a prisoner, and one time I worked with Lord Cooler to help quell a rebellion on Planet Namek when it was occupied by our forces for awhile--Oh! And I just completed a mission to kill my friend at his wedding. Too bad though. I really liked him too!" Seven rattled off his service record and beamed with pride when he did so. Even when he mentioned that he killed his good friend Tarble, he stated it as if it had been a routine occurrence.
That's because to him...
...it was.
"How about you Nappa? What do Saiyans do in their spare time?" Seven asked.
Then his expression remained curious as he added one final question.
"And how do you know Ember?"
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Nappa
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Organization: Saiyan Empire
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Post by Nappa on Aug 20, 2023 22:48:36 GMT -5
“Yeah... yeah, I did have fun,” Nappa admitted. Despite how weird Seven was, and how creeped out he’d been by the entire experience, there was no denying that it was the most wildly pure combat encounter he’d had since he was doing grunt work across the galaxy; it felt positively exhilarating to be that lost in the joy of fighting.
“You ki... killed him?” he trailed off, face twisted in deep consternation. Even at this admission, the man barely reacted with anything other than the same simple joy he’d reacted to everything else with. How could someone be so callous about murdering someone they cared about in cold blood?
Nappa considered that perhaps the friend wanted to die - or maybe he visited the friend regularly in Other World. He just needed Seven’s words and actions to make sense, desperately. Nothing he could do in his mind helped, though - clearly, the higher ups at the PTO were doing some serious voodoo to have those in their employ be this devoted to the cause.
Then Seven brought him back to reality with his final question.
“What? Oh, Ember, yeah...”
A flash of a woman’s crumpled body lifeless in a park swam across his vision, but he managed to push it down with some difficulty. “I met her on Earth some time ago. She was trying to find herself when I met her, and I did my best to help her with that. Since that day, we’ve... gotten closer.”
That probably covered it well enough.
Word Count: 258
Nappa Word Count: 1148
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Bardock
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Post by Bardock on Aug 20, 2023 23:05:44 GMT -5
"Mhmm! I could tell! My body was tingling the entire time too. Your friend Uub was tough!" Seven praised him. Uub truly had been a fierce martial artist. His speed, power, and technique were off the charts. Seven would have to double his efforts to get stronger. He loved to fight and learn from his opponents, every experience was a rewarding one - win or lose.
"Yep! It was a pretty elaborate plan too since he was so strong. I had to slip some poison into his drink during his wedding and kill him after I've isolated him from any witnesses. I'm honestly not suited for jobs like that! It was outside of my comfort zone," Seven admitted wholeheartedly. Espionage wasn't his strong suit - he wasn't a Headhunter nor an assassin. But he would perform any and every task to the best of his abilities if the PTO commanded him to.
When Nappa explained how he met Ember, Seven's mind flashed to the moment he ran into her in the forest on Earth. She had been picking herbs in the clearing all alone, and then they had some fun together and he invited her to join the PTO. It seemed that Nappa had a similar experience.
"Oh cool! I met her on Earth just like you, and we've gotten closer too I think. We fought and we both ended up naked. She gave me a pretty nasty bite on my neck actually. See look," Seven gestured to his right side. Just above his shoulder blade was a purple bruise that hadn't finished healing yet. There were a ring of ridges that resembled bite marks.
"Did she bite you too? I think she likes it. She seemed happy to do it."
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Nappa
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Organization: Saiyan Empire
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Post by Nappa on Aug 20, 2023 23:32:54 GMT -5
With every sentence, the Saiyan felt more and more like it might be a good idea to simply leave the Astral Realm and head back home. His body was tingling? The words didn’t necessarily mean anything bad, but combined with his tone and his blissful happiness, the word choice truly unnerved him. He had met absolute terrors in the galaxy with power, and had seen visual horrors that would make any man’s stomach turn.
This was something entirely different.
Something about the description of the murder had caught Nappa’s eye - it sounded less like a murder now... it had the hints of a contract killing.
He was starting to understand why Ember may have been headhunted by their group, and it actually somehow soured him even more to the concept of her being a part of the Planet Trade Organization. He had just started to believe that with time she would fully shake her past of being an assassin and settle down with a much less bloody career - if she was now being bankrolled to do it by the largest family of organized crime in the galaxy, she would never give up being a butcher for hire.
“Did she bite you, too?”
The words rang in Nappa’s mind as he stared at the bite marks on Seven’s neck.
Did she bite you too... bite you too... you too...
Perhaps he was too slow to realize what he was saying, and perhaps he actually knew what he was saying and this was his form of torturous revenge for the fight they’d had. He didn’t know, and he didn’t care. His temper could no longer be held back, and he rushed that grinning moron, ready to hike him up by his shirt and bring them at eye level with each other.
“You watch it,” he managed; with fury laced through every syllable, he found those three words were all he could get out.
Word Count: 329
Nappa Word Count: 1477
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Bardock
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Post by Bardock on Aug 20, 2023 23:50:54 GMT -5
There was a change in Nappa's disposition. It was subtle, but it was evident that Seven's words were akin to a drop of poison in his well of emotions. Truly, he couldn't understand why the Saiyan had been upset. Fury radiated from his brutish body, the very temperature itself rose and his anger reached its boiling point. In one swift movement he had grabbed Seven by his collar and held him up to eye level with him.
Nappa's irises had been set ablaze and he bore into Seven's eyes - his were a serene emerald green and he was as calm as a spring meadow.
However, a grin crept up the PTO patriot's lips.
Now this was more like it.
"Did I say something wrong?" Seven asked. He dipped his head to the side, he had truly been puzzled by the bald Saiyan's unexpected shift in demeanor.
Though, it wasn't an unwelcomed change.
"Or did you just wanna have some fun with me too?" Seven's lips curled into a mischievous grin, it was so wide that his eyes were like slits.
"I can bite you just like I bit her. In fact, I bit her right here..." Seven rose his hand and pointed to his left pectoral.
"...right on her chest."
211 / 1382
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Nappa
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Organization: Saiyan Empire
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Post by Nappa on Aug 21, 2023 0:53:31 GMT -5
His pinprick black eyes didn’t waver from Seven’s, taking in the glassy calm in the man’s green irises. Nappa hated to admit it, but perhaps he’d miscalculated by letting his temper flare up. The complete lack of reaction to his being hoisted up reminded the Saiyan that they were in fact in a realm where nobody could physically damage anyone.
He was still angry, but he tried to center himself at least enough to continue the conversation reasonably. After all, if Seven decided to bait him, what exactly could he do about it?
Seven decided to bait him.
“...bite you just like I bit her...” his grin had the snarky whimsy of someone who knew they had done wrong and gotten caught, but was simply too proud of having done the deed to even pretend to be sorry. It made the barrel-chested Saiyan apoplectic to see that look on Seven’s face. And, of course, it got worse.
Nappa’s eyes watched as the man’s hand raised, and a single finger pointed... right at his pecs. He was bragging about biting Ember on her... chest? Heat from his chest began to radiate off him in waves, despite the ice that now rolled through his veins.
With a heave, he tossed the man to the right, throwing him as hard as he could towards the grassy plain. He barked out a quick yell, and did a slow circle, raising his head to the skies. He didn’t know if this was something he wanted to discuss with her, but he knew this wasn’t something he wanted to discuss with Seven.
But fighting him here was pointless.
He merely turned back around to face the carefree individual and murmured, “Did this happen before or after you met me on Earth?” He wanted to know if he should regret the Ape not managing to kill him in their fight.
Word Count: 322
Nappa Word Count: 1799
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Bardock
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Soul: Main
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Post by Bardock on Aug 21, 2023 1:21:11 GMT -5
Seven's jade irises studied Nappa's abyssal orbs. Seven began to imagine how Nappa would react. Was he going to punch him? Choke him? Toss him?
This was the astral realm after all, but physical sensation was still real. Even now Seven felt the Saiyan's hot breath on his visage, the steam that oozed from his pores like a kettle. Seven wasn't the type to taunt nor boast, he always spoke in earnest. He truly didn't mean to set Nappa off, however, once he realized the effects that his words had on him then...well...his mischievous side took over.
In one heave the burly brute tossed Seven like a rag doll. Seven's body flung towards the emerald grass, his body was rocked so hard by the ground that his head bounced off of its soil. For a moment the PTO patroit saw stars, but he quickly shook off the cobwebs in his head and hopped back onto his feet. He was prepared for the Saiyan to pounce on him, but instead he opted to ask Seven a question.
"I think it was before, but it happened so close together that it's all a blur now," Seven admitted. His posture was lax, and his voice was even as well as jovial. Even though the Saiyan had just tossed him in a fit of rage, Seven held no ill will towards him.
"She never mentioned you though, and you're not a forgettable person to me. So I'd guess that she must have met me, and then you. But I could be wrong huh?" Seven had a hunch that he was wrong but it wasn't his place to probe or pry.
"She's on planet Frieza right now if you're looking for her. I'm there now too! I'll look after her for you if you want me to," Seven offered genuinely. He figured that they could all be friends at least.
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