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Post by Bass on Nov 25, 2020 11:13:01 GMT -8
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Post by Bass on Nov 25, 2020 13:05:02 GMT -8
[Continued from the events of: Mushroom Stalking (2-Star Mission) (Bass)] Hearing about King Piccolo hammered another nail to hold his conviction true. It was part of why he'd turned on the engine again and gotten to work breaching the next tiers of power. The only problem- and the reason he was here currently was because he needed the funding to afford technology capable of supporting the power output he could reach. It was bleeding edge tech, bordering technology and resting at the gates of outright magic- something rare the Namekian realized. Yet he had words to speak about King Piccolo. " I can't speak for the World Government, but last I'd checked they aren't wholly malicious. If they're being held captive it's likely out of fear rather than evil intent. Any problems regarding that could likely be circumvented through simply becoming more influential and using that to pull a few strings.
Piccolo, though." Bass said, pausing to organize his threats more. The crackling remains of the large mutant mushroom released orange particles into the air above it whilst the embers settled. Starting to pivot on his feet he'd begin walking the other way. " He's different. You told me your story, so I'll tell you mine. It's not really like a child of another family, but I am technically one of his. Thankfully maybe he was having a good day or wasn't feeling so angry on that particular day- I'd say I came out looking pretty awesome. That being said, a day doesn't go by while I don't still feel responsible for the atrocities he causes, and I feel obligated to be the one to bear the weight of the world to bring the guillotine down on his head. Don't pity me for it, either, I want to do this. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way if people felt like they had to defend and protect me, it'd just mean I'm not yet strong enough." Brushing a couple digits across his nose before rubbing the back of his neck he'd continue to walk. Eventually they would break through the fungal forest and revealed to them would be the Pilaf Land that covered the majority of the land, urban environments and a bustling amusement park. " As for helping you, I'll be honest. It depends what you're going to do on that throne. As it stands I already have enough people I'm keeping tabs on, I don't need another party that has no... Fulfilling goals, dreams. If you just want a throne to be a tyrant, I won't stop you until you reach the peak of your power, but I won't go out of my way to help you either." There was a pause as they set foot on solid ground for the first time in the passed hour after having dealt with the mushrooms. Looking in the distance (towards a particular flyer) Bass would speak again. " But if you are doing this to make Earth a better place- no, not for biased reasons, I'll give you more help than you could ever imagine. I didn't just end up as strong as I am because of a freak accident like some shard shark, I worked for it. I to can show you that path, but it's not easy." And to defuse a very serious dialogue he'd just given, the Namekian ripped the flyer from the wall. " Next job on the plate is running a cotton candy concession stand. Hope you like kids." With that Bass started moving through the amusement park, giving Taras ample time to respond if she needed it. 590 590/2,000 Queen Taras
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Post by Queen Taras on Nov 25, 2020 14:39:32 GMT -8
It might be surprising, given her general obnoxious attitude, but Taras actually listens to what Bass has to say. As he said; she’d shared her story, it was only fitting that she listen to his in turn. Truth be told, she only had the barest idea of who King Piccolo was or what he was up to. A legend like his reached into the desert, of course, but she had never gone out of her way to hunt down more about him. It was the World Government she knew had stolen her authority; King Piccolo was, as far as she was concerned, just another part of that whole corrupt nightmare.
Even more surprising is the fact that she doesn’t just immediately bluster or respond frivolously. The woman’s brow is furrowed as they walk, and she considers everything else. Why did she want the throne? Well. Because it was hers. But was that truly a good enough reason?
“It’s my birthright.” She said, at last. “If everything had carried on like it should, I’d have lived in a beautiful palace and not a hole in the ground! I’d never have had to get shot in the head or set on fire or stabbed and beaten up. I don’t care why the World Government did it. Things should be set right.”
She sniffed, and one hand reached up to pull the bandage back from her head. The injury has stopped bleeding now, at least; and perhaps that’s an inkling of where some of that fear came from. Taras is a tiny thing, but she’s far more durable than anyone like her has any right to be. And she’d burned that mushroom to cinders without much difficult at all. Not hard to see why King Piccolo would want to harness power like that, or why the World Government would want to lock it away.
“If you’re asking what I’d do with the throne, though, that’s easy. I’d lead the world! It’s mine after all, so that’s only natural. I can’t tell you what the best way to do that is. That’s why I’m on this journey, I suppose. I can’t very well lead the world if I don’t know it. It’s a Queen’s duty to understand her people. So far, I only know how hard it is to live in the desert. I bet that stupid dog has never had to gnaw the marrow out of coyote bones just to get through the winter.”
She nodded to herself, satisfied with that answer. This level of introspection wasn’t something she was accustomed to, but it was healthy! And it wasn’t as though she’d never thought about it; it just wasn’t usual that anyone asked her to explain what she would do with the throne. Mostly they just dismissed her out of hand or assumed it was all a power trip.
“As for strength… well, I’m not naïve. I know that I’ll need to get stronger, but don’t mistake me. I’m not one of those might-makes-right monsters. The world is full of strong people. The fact they feel like they can do whatever they like because nobody can stop them is what makes it such a mess! My right to rule comes from the blood that flows through my veins! The same blood that belonged to the first people to look at this world and see that it could be more than trees and rocks if they worked at it!”
It’s a good little speech, or at least, it was to her way of thinking. It was only undermined a little bit by the next, quizzical statement which – again – betrayed just how much she still had to learn about the world she purported to be the rightful ruler of.
“… What’s cotton candy? Isn’t cotton what they make clothes out of?”
Wordcount: 670 Total Cumulative Wordcount: 1260 / 2000
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Post by Bass on Nov 25, 2020 17:30:39 GMT -8
The Namekian seemed to hold the flyer in his hand as they walked towards the stand for work. When he heard everything that Queen Taras had to say, surprisingly there wasn't any sort of direct response. No doubt whatever thoughts he had were internalized, catalogued for the future. Bass did find himself to be a thinker more than a muscle-head, as much as other people may convince themselves that wasn't the case. The fact of the matter remained that Queen Taras seemed to want to rule the world because that's how it's supposed to be. It wasn't an answer that necessarily enthused the Namekian, but people could grow and change- even if she didn't and that haughty nature became more malicious when paired with true power, Bass didn't believe in fighting enemies that he dwarfed, nor did he believe in being weak enough to want to kill an enemy instead of simply taking them down again and again. Only the future would tell the whole tale, or perhaps nothing would come of it. Meeting a clerk at the busy concession stand, Bass grabbed a little hat and donned it upon his head. He looked a little comical with his normal attire and a fast food headband advertising the stand as some no name Pilaf Corporation oppressed subsidiary. Nevertheless Bass found himself swapping places with the clerk as he went off for the lunch break he'd so desperately needed after being overworked for most of the morning. The two of them, he and Taras would only have to keep the civility at the place for the duration of that hour long break. " About the cotton candy, I have no clue what makes it but it's not too hard to make with the uh... Bits and bobs. I think it's just like sugar or something and you spin the stick in the machine and it builds up more and more sugar fluff and it's sometimes... Colored..." Bass said as he appeared to be talking himself through the process with mixed results. What came out wasn't necessarily a customers order- and that was great considering it looked terrible by comparison to the normal fluffiness of a cotton candy ball. " I imagine it's good, but I'm not much of a sweets guy. I prefer to get my spare energy from proteins when I'm not on the You-Vee H-two-Oh diet that's all the craze among Namekians these days." That was probably a joke, though his deadpan delivery of it perhaps made it seem less like one (or perhaps made it funnier). The next batch he would make would have corrected the mistakes from the previous, and off to the races they were. Bass was more than willing to put on a smile despite his feelings about retail work, whipping up the stuff and handling the cash. However Taras wanted to help if at all, the magic was in her hands. 485 1,745/2,000 Queen Taras
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Post by Queen Taras on Nov 26, 2020 0:51:27 GMT -8
Unfortunately, the joke goes completely over Taras’ head. She just nods sagely, as though she understood completely the importance of ‘You-Vee H-two-Oh’. She’s always just called that ‘sunshine and water’.
She took the first, too-gooey batch of ruined candy, and after examining it for a moment, ate it, stick and all. Immediately, her eyes lit up. The sweet taste was absurdly good. And it had a crunchy centre, too!
“That’s AMAZING.” She exclaimed, childish glee immediately apparent in her voice. And when the first real order is produced, in all its fluffy glory, she couldn’t contain her excitement. It was inevitable that the first of those, too, would be sucked down with a muffled, ‘Can’t sell what I don’t know!’
But after that little bit of ‘breakage’, Taras proved to be quite evangelical in her approach to selling the cotton candy.
She leapt onto the top of a nearby trashcan, brandishing three sticks of the delicious stuff in each hand so that she could gesture wildly as she spoke.
“BEHOLD! Citizens of PILAF LAND! I stand before you with only the finest treats. This COTTON CANDY is fit even for a Queen such as I! It’s light fluffiness transcends the boundaries of common foodstuffs, melting sweetly on the tongue. It’s sugary goodness invigorates and energises within a few nibbles! The tart fizziness of its texture goes beyond snacking, beyond dessert, beyond the known boundaries of TASTE ITSELF! EAT IT!”
Well. It might not be the classic kind of marketing, but her over the top shouting seemed to do a good job of drawing attention at least – and really, when kids notice that there’s candy around, it practically sells itself regardless of the skill of the salesperson.
Wordcount: 294 Total Cumulative Wordcount: 2039/2000
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