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Post by Bass on Aug 4, 2021 6:32:52 GMT -8
Now sitting on one of the stools, the Namekian filled out the provided menu with the provided writing utensil. He was fairly straightforward about it, his food selection being nothing necessarily exotic. After all as someone who steamrolled through his energy reserves, he often needed a lot to sate his appetite. Izakaya's weren't meant to dish out that amount of food, and so he wasn't really here for it to begin with. Still, he'd get something at least, and he'd certainly get some water- that was fairly standard for him. Seeing the phone come into his field of view, he'd look over towards it. Truthfully, Melody's phone was significantly more advanced than his own. If he really wanted to chances were Bass could get something a lot better than what he had, but for the moment he simply used a clunky and bulky device with a series of key-board button sized numbers to dial people up. It tended to rest on his belt, and as such it was there even now. Needless to say it didn't have the same visual potential as Melody's, nor was it capable of apps. Just calling, and receiving calls. It wasn't even able to send or receive written messages, it didn't have a screen. When she elaborated on the concept of the game, Bass glanced off to the side. It wasn't as if he was particularly against it, but games should be for games sake, and he was getting a feeling people used it to try and emulate the real thing. Looking back towards Melody as an elbow rested down on the counter to support his head cupped by his palm. At any rate, he'd about finished skimming the rules of the board game. He was mostly going along with it to understand what point Melody was trying to prove with it. What she chose to say last really threw him for a mental loop. She'd help him find a way to start a family? His brow hiked up as his expression turned to something portraying confusion. He... Didn't want to start a family. After that expression surfaced, his expression just went neutral as he looked back forward into empty space. A lingering silence followed, and his index finger silently tapped once, twice, thrice, on the countertop. He was searching for a way to fix this new assumption about him. He figured being straight forward would do the trick. "I do not want a family, Melody." He said, his finger still tapping on the counter. Given he wasn't using his nail to do so, it was a soft thud and not really all that audible. He was still thinking of how to follow up that statement. Coming to at least a passable answer, he'd elaborate. "But before you mentioned that, the subject of hidden technology piqued my interest. So long as nobodies using it, I see no reason why it wouldn't be opportune to retrieve it to reverse engineer and replicate for my company." He said. At this point while he was addressing Melody, he was still facing that empty space across the way from where they were sitting. A hand raised up and pinched the bridge of his nose in acute frustration around the same time the food showed up. That was enough to pull him out of his own head, grabbing the chopsticks. Surprisingly, he wasn't completely inept with them. His fingers were a little bulky for them, and his technique was far from what a Western Lands native might be able to pull off, but he'd been there before and had to learn at least passable form when it came to using chopsticks. If he ever did want a family, it was ironically Melody that made him lose those ambitions. The person he was talking to now wasn't like the person he remembered two years ago. She once seemed radiant, untouchable, and always had a sharp quip to throw. Whether or not his opinion was even right, it was based on the stark contrast he was seeing now. He figured it was due to being trapped, and having to give up her own dreams to raise her children. It... The more Bass thought about it, the more nauseated he felt about those circumstances- even if they weren't the truth, they were the truth he perceived. He wanted to hear it from her, in her own words. "So why give up on your dreams?" He asked, not pointedly, but the words and question alone were fairly blunt. He wasn't sure what to expect, that tick of tapping the table still continuing. He didn't face her either. Contrary to the claims she'd made of him, he'd always gone it alone and found entertainment. He lived two lives, the life of a Martial Artist and the life of a businessman. He had plenty of friends and colleagues in the business world, but he couldn't say the same with the other. The answer was obvious, it was just a matter of reconnecting with those lost souls or making new connections. He had a feeling he'd know the answer, but he'd see how it turned out. 859 | 7,409 Melody
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Post by Melody on Aug 4, 2021 7:48:13 GMT -8
It was mortifying to hear Bass express his solid belief that he would never have his own family. While she thought she knew everything about the blue skinned Black Heart Namekian on the surface, she failed to notice that he was always straight forward in his choice of words, a behavior that was often practiced among the warlords in the western lands. The only reason she attempted to decipher the silver lining, was because she recounted everything they discussed at the park all at once, in an effort to reach a better understanding, and now the conversation was completely stalled. Since he looked away from the Onitama game with disinterest, she immediately reached out for her Capsule Corp phone, folded it up in half, and slid it back inside her boot. Once the drinks and appetizers arrived, there was a long pause as the server placed everything on the table, and Bass was quick to pick up a pair of chopsticks to settle into their shared environment.
Melody was given the chance to formulate her thoughts again for a brief moment. Had she known what she knew now in the past, would she have spent less time with him, rather than waste any more opportunities with other prospects? As a Duchess with a narrow point of view, the truth would have not have mattered, at the end of the day she already accepted that they were only friends when she kept failing at anything else. The fleeting moment of happiness she felt when he first arrived in Oolong City immediately after she sent him an email was crushed by the company he dedicated his life to once they collected their first place prize winnings two years ago. After that encounter, her ambition of making a fortune effectively diminished, she learned from Bass not to become so cold in social interactions just to make another zeni. It only made sense that she gave up on him ever since, she would never leave the comforts of Truffle Village for anyone, the same could be said about him and Momentum Corp.
The whole point of casting a net was to trap the fish and be good enough for it not to leave.
“I realize I made a mistake. I sincerely apologize.” Melody leaned forward, bowing her head long enough to make an impact, and she resumed her seated position while she held a deadpan expression as he added to the subject of searching for a tuffle bunker that would benefit the lab they were in. The subject of business resumed, that’s just how it's always been, and ever will be. In her displeasure, she rolled her eyes, and then straightened up in her seat.
“I never gave up my dream, apart from amassing a great zeni fortune, having an heir was always part of it. I am simply refocusing on the latter part of my ambition with the fiefdom. The villagers have great expectations for me, it is simply the way things are in my homeland, an heir will secure the future for all the families that live in Truffle Village for generations to come. Once my sons are of age, both of them will be arranged into marrying into a prestigious clans, which will expand our control of our neighboring territories with blood.”
While Bass resumed his senseless tapping, Melody picked up her chopsticks with ease, she had the finger dexterity and strength of a blade master to eat one of everything from the assortment on the table with elegant refinement. As she glanced over with his continuous struggle with a pair of wooden sticks, her violet eyes looked up at his line of sight, she drank from the glass of the draft she ordered, drinking it half way before setting it back down.
“Is the issue with holding chopsticks because they are too small? The chefs have larger ones that are used for deep frying which are thicker and longer.” [659] [6,190]
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Post by Bass on Aug 4, 2021 8:52:17 GMT -8
A vein stressed on the Namekian's forehead, a visible sign of increasing agitation. Particularly when she rolled her eyes. "No, I'm fine with the ones I have." He wasn't, but he said it anyway, starting to eat his food. He tried and tried to explain the person he was, but at the end of the day he wasn't an Earthling, and he came from evil. He was inherently different from those in society, perhaps that was what he needed to come to terms with. He just couldn't be understood, and he'd need to live with that. Thinking further, what did she want? The source of all of this, and the choice even so minor as to go get a bite to eat. She'd reacted sharply to his mild perspective on the suggested game, so much so that she completely retracted the device and bowed to him. That fueled his agitation even further, he hated formalities, but because of his enjoyment for business people thought he lived for it. Quickly retorting he'd speak, even before she had a chance to lower her head. "What are you sorry about, Melody? There's nothing to apologize for." He'd say, the tapping coming to a sudden and abrupt halt. It was true, while she assumed a lot about him, it wasn't nearly worth an apology in the Namekians opinion. His frustration was largely turning in on itself by this point, more frustrated at his own incapability to form the perfect sentence to convey how he thought and felt than anything else. Given how rigid she was, he was tempted to call things off before the mood dampened even further. Though he wasn't about leaving things without closure- that always bothered him. "How long have we really been around each other, Melody? We visited each other a handful of times a couple years ago, and then we met up in Oolong City." He thought of how to continue that line of thinking, but instead chose to take it in another direction. "If you do know me, you'd know that I don't like to play cat and mouse. I don't like subversion. These couple years have given me the benefit of hindsight, and yes, the signs were there. Yet you never asked, you never said a thing. What did you like about me?" He said, thinking back to what traits of him she was actually exposed to in that brief period back then. He was tough, he was proud, he was proactive and he was far less sociable than he was nowadays. Of course he had the potential to be sensitive, to feel, to be empathetic, but he never recalled Melody seeing any of that. Those weren't the only things he asked however, he wanted to get to the bottom of anything and everything, no more misunderstandings. "What are all the things you thought but never said in regards to us?" Quite a massive question, but he'd be courteous enough to buy her time to think about it to lay down some things about himself. "It's not hard to tell when I bring up work you lock up. Do you hate business? Do you hate my company? Do you hate that I focus on my job? If I don't know the problem, I won't be able to find the answer. I like my job, I've always, liked my job. It's my passion, it's what keeps me going, it's what keeps me grounded. The people that work for me are a reminder of where I to started, why I started, and they're a reminder of what I'm trying to protect. I enjoy it, but you... Well, I don't know." He said, elaborating. "All I know is that when I talk about it, you get cold and distant. Maybe your Duchy is the same way, a job that you like. Is it?" He asked. It was already more than enough for her to process. "When I talk about my company, it's because I'm passionate about it. It's not because I'm all work." He clarified in a concise manner. He had mostly regressed from being agitated, but was still sternly trying to get to the bottom of the web of subtlety. "I still want to play your game, by the way." He said. He'd never stated he disliked the game itself, his only thoughts on it was that if it was played, it should be for playings sake, not a punchline. Needless to say she never heard those thoughts, and so he didn't need to defend them. She'd gotten the impression he just outright wasn't interested, which wasn't his intention. At any rate, he was definitely concerned with how she might respond. More if she would even bother to respond. They were fundamentally different people, and it might be in the Western Lands nature to practice subtlety. He wanted to confide to those rules, but they were actively causing miscommunication. 816 | 8,225 Melody
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Post by Melody on Aug 4, 2021 10:12:30 GMT -8
The apology was mainly to make herself feel better about pushing Bass too far just to give her a little bit of direct attention. However, he rejected her attempt of being courteous immediately, just like everything else in his life that he disliked, either because he was insignificant for living outside of what he was born to do, or anything she said held little to no value on a personal level. Only one thing was certain, he did notice something was amiss, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. What for? Why now? Their outlook in life was polar opposite to each other, it was evident in their tone of voice, and facial expressions that the gravity between them had shifted. “A game of cat and mouse?” Melody’s brow twitched as she held her breath a moment before speaking again, “I do not enjoy playing with emotions. You have been around all kinds of earthlings for so long, you would think that you would have picked on social cues by now, no matter how subtle. Even a game of poker requires you to keep a straight face to win the game. Ironically, life is not a game, now is it?”After a beat, she reached for her glass on the table, drinking the rest of the ale until it was empty. It was important to remain calm, there was storm brewing, and she needed to keep a clear mind in order to handle it. How odd that he brought up the very memory she was thinking about in her own head space, as if it meant something else to him, and yet he left as soon as he arrived for him to ever learn the answer to the questions he was asking now. “How could I ask you anything?” Melody finally said, “Did you expected me to write you another email and say what I wanted to say during the winter festival in Oolong city in plain black and white text? Of course I would never do that. Who do you think I am?”
As a noble, it was beneath her to stoop to rigid business etiquette, and discuss what was on her mind on a personal level. As she reflected on what she liked about Bass, it was quite simple, they were similar, she understood what it was to suffer at a young age and work so hard as an adult that it painted a somber picture without any color for a potential happy ending. Perhaps the loneliness she was feeling was not exactly the same, Bass probably never allowed himself to feel anything being a workaholic, and for a brief period of time she enjoyed being able to talk to him directly; while it pleased her to know that he was interested in what was on her mind so long ago, she was actually feeling cautious, based on his initial reaction from the conversation so far. “It is nothing to be concerned over, the past will remain the way it is, as an unchanging memory. I regret nothing.”While Bass asked her to answer how she truly felt about the time they spent together in the past, there was no point, and if she truly wanted to keep him as a friend it was wiser to keep things simple at this point. So that the next time they went out somewhere she wouldn’t need to use her sword to cut through the tension in the air in a casual setting by establishing minimal expectations. “All you ever talk about is in regards to your occupation...I thought we already moved past that point as friends, which is why I keep getting annoyed by it, when you bring things up like another business transaction. Momentum Corp is great, I know you’re the reason it is a global success, and I admire you for it...I just figured you were comfortable being around me that we talk about anything else. Instead we’re solving past mysteries, when all I want to do is enjoy our time alone together--somehow it’s not turning out well for either of us right now.”A sigh escaped her lips, she wondered where she took a wrong turn, if this was a game of Onitama she would have realized her mistake by now. Bass then clarified his interest in the app and she tilted her head slowly with a concerned gaze. “Well...the game is better on the actual board, with the wooden figure pieces, and the different die cuts of each martial art style.”[755] [8,980] Bass
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Post by Bass on Aug 10, 2021 18:05:04 GMT -8
Ah... He'd gotten out of hand. It was a fact that he was born with evil and malice in him, but he usually did a good job in handling it. It seemed that the gravity and depth of their relationship had put him so on the ropes that he'd succumbed to his baser nature for a moments time. His pointed gaze and agitation seemed to fade. His eyes... Dimmed, slightly. It wasn't in apathy, but rather the sort of melancholy a bruised soul shows after weathering the storm of life. So much happened in his life already, so many memories, all memories that involved him being the anti-thesis of his reason for being made. He really did like his job, it was his passion, his hobby, and his hopes and aspirations. He could be a tough guy and try to protect the world with his own two hands, but that didn't solve any of the everyday problems people struggled through. He'd never have the time to stop small crime, solve poverty, and do things like that with his own two hands. That was why he jumped on creating a business out of the shell of The Momentum Corporation, so that he could raise an army to try and usher in a better economy, and a happier society. Ambitious? Absolutely. Naive? Sure, but Bass was never a genius, he was just a man trapped between Earth's peaceful society and its most menacing warlord. "I... You should have said that from the start." He said, sad eyes trailing down towards the table. "I'm sorry." He said, the bottom of his eyes seemed to glisten a little. It was hard to tell given the black retinas of his eyes, but... He might be tearing up. "I've... Been trying my best all of these years." He said, looking away from her and downwards. "I extorted people when I started working for Momentum Financial, threatened their safety and livelihoods. I was a terrible person. At least, I thought I was terrible, but I was even worse than that. Every time I think I've become better, I come to realize that I've been terrible again." His lip quivered slightly, he was really trying to hold it together, opening his soul to her. "I just don't want people to get hurt and I've... I've done a bad job of that. I didn't care about how people felt emotionally, for the longest time I only acknowledged physical danger and pain." He pinched the bridge of his nose for a second, a palm brushing over his eyes as he was still looking away from her. "I have my strengths, but wow I'm hopeless sometimes." He said, eyes trailing up towards the dim lights illuminating the shop. He was passed caring about the environment they were in, but he figured the peaceful and snowy park would've made for a much better backdrop than the dimly lit Izakaya, though life was chaos. Looking towards Melody, he'd mostly recomposed himself. He didn't care about his chopsticks or the ramen right now, and he told it to her as directly as possible. "I don't know how to use the word love yet, but I like you, Melody. It's because I care for you that I didn't want you getting too close. The closer you are to me, the more in danger you are. I don't want to lose you, I don't want those precious memories to be the last I ever make of you, and the others."But maybe there was another way. "Would... You let me train you? If you got stronger, it'd put me at ease that you could protect yourself and your family if anyone I ever crossed came for you. Or..." He looked off to the side, there was another thought on his mind. He didn't want to suggest it though, thinking it more than a little absurd. She he trailed off. "Let's eat. But remember, I seriously do want to play your game. You have to remember, I lived most of my life in the tropics, I'm clueless about how formalities and whatever work out West. Sounds like all kinds of superficial nonsense, could get the same thing done in have the time, but that's just me." He mused, slurping up noodles. He was actually overly engrossed in slurping up noodles, trying to ease his mind as to how she might answer given the things he said. If he was great at punching people, he was terrible at being vulnerable and letting people in. 756 | 8,981 Melody
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Post by Melody on Aug 10, 2021 20:05:12 GMT -8
The root of the problem was revealed, Melody was stunned to discover the reasoning for Bass’ agitation, it was neither aimed directly at her, or himself but rather the implications of the risk they would be faced with. The final piece of the puzzle was beginning to come together, she shifted her gaze in their surroundings, as she tried to focus on their conversation, and visibly struggled to address the issues at hand. Gravity began to pull down on her slumped shoulders, she sighed as she lowered her guard, and practically stared at Bass as she listened to every single word he had to say.
It was unbelievable that Bass admitted being afraid for an uncertain future, one where her own life was at risk for being close to him, and at the end of the day no one was capable of promising someone to always be around.
“No...it’s not a matter of being to protect the lives of people you care about in your life by maintaining your distance for their safety. It’s the opposite of that, no one can guarantee that they will always be there, so you do what you can to be together as long as possible. I am only human, I could fall ill at any given moment, which is why I live my life without regrets, knowing that I did my best to enjoy every second of it with the people I care about.”
After a beat she smiled weakly, “I appreciate your honesty. I know it’s not easy to share this with me, when you have to find the words to describe what it is you’re feeling, especially if it goes against your nature. Do you really think I am weak?”
Melody’s violet eyes narrowed at Bass, she trained every day of her life to be physically strong, and she shook her head, “I liked you from the start because you listened to everything I had to say, I had no idea you were restrained from doing the same, and I should have realized that sooner rather than---give up as time moved on. If training me will boost your confidence in my abilities, so be it, I have no reason to deny it. I have people I wish to protect so our feelings are mutual on that front. Let’s do it as soon as possible.”
While her mind was now at ease, she was occupied with the notion that there were a few emotions Bass was unfamiliar with, he genuinely admitted not fully grasping the differences especially when he proved that he cared a great deal, but it was not significant enough to determine whether it was love. Just hearing him say that four letter word, caused her to blush, she was hesitant to divulge her own experiences with love itself since there were different types, love for friends and family, and romance.
The Duchess snapped out of her train of thought as the blue namekian gestured for her to resume eating, he even went as far as slurping his noodles to prove that it was delicious, a frequent mannerism of appreciation for the meal in western land culture.
“Excuse me, it is not superficial nonsense, the western lands exhibit a culture that spans over a thousand years. I get it, as an islander, you’re not fully exposed to other global cultures so often, but it is time to come out of your shell, Bass-kun.”
Once all the food was finished, the staff were quick to clear the table, and her glass refilled with the imported draft. Melody rested her chin demurely on top of her fingers, as the other held on to the glass, and she smirked.
“Alright, so what are we doing after this? Play a game of Onitama? Or begin training?” [631] [9,611] Bass
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Post by Bass on Aug 16, 2021 14:48:05 GMT -8
Eating what remained of his food, he listened to Melody respond to what he'd shared. He couldn't quite face her as he listened to the answer, just sharing it was hard enough for him. Well- not exactly the words, but rather the vulnerability necessary for them to be delivered with the correct weight. If he'd said the same things in a light and seemingly casual tone, he knew that it might not be interpreted that way. Not that the emotions were planned by the Namekian, quite the opposite, he just figured it was better that it had ended up that way as opposed to a dryer version of it that seemed half-hearted. Hearing Melody's response and the official diffusion of the rapidly planted and armed bomb, the Namekians body noticeably relaxed after having been a little tense. As much as he'd gotten frustrated, the last thing he wanted was for Melody to be pushed away because of it. She and many others were precious friends to him, even if he struggled to admit that he cared about friends, happiness and rainbows- well, he didn't care too much about rainbows. She did have a question she asked in return however, one that he needed to carefully skirt around. He could give the pragmatic efficient answer, or he could give an answer that might go over a little more smoothly. Yet if he looked at it without any bias, Melody was incredibly strong. She was equal to tens of thousands of ordinary Humans, and that spoke to her skills. Chances were if a villain did go for her, she'd certainly give them a run for her money. His eyes trailed down. Was he just roping her into his paranoia? He was convinced if it wasn't Piccolo Daimao, something else would arrive. History said it best, monstrous entities have popped up in the past, present, and certainly could in the future. He wanted to know he did everything he could to be ready for those moments, to proactively have the power to fight it off as opposed to scrambling to get stronger in that point in time. He didn't acknowledge the concept of 'good enough'. He spoke. "I... No, you're incredibly strong. Just from what I can sense, you're stronger than just about everyone else I've met. Even the last time I saw Kiryu, he was weaker than you are now. I just think it's important to be proactive and beat the curve, get ahead of the enemies that you don't even know exist, so that when they do appear you can handle them. To that extent... I don't think my question was asked for the right reasons. I'll still train you if you want, but don't feel like it's an obligation, especially if it starts taking a toll on your other responsibilities." He hoped he conveyed his thoughts accurately. They were touching on subjects that looked at the deepest part of a person, and as is true for many, Bass didn't even know the full extent of his own person. He did however realize the potential selfishness of his question, being critical of himself after the minimal blowout he had earlier. He came to the conclusion that this night could never repeat. Similar things could happen, the sequence events could be mimicked, but this exact point in time would never pass again. To make it the best it could be, he had a choice of moving it in two ways. Training, or Onitama. Ironically he saw training more as 'business' than his own company, training required discipline and wasn't fun by nature to him, whereas his work was. In that sense, thinking about what was said earlier and his wishes to have a nice night, he'd give his answer. "I think I want to play Onitama. It's pretty late, I'm not sure if anywhere would be available to rent it out, but we could go to a supermarket and I could buy one of them? Or if it's more uhm... Delicate than the games that exist on store shelves, perhaps we could go to the Western Lands?" He asked, tapping his temple twice. He could probably get them there fairly quickly. "Could be a good opportunity for me to be around the Western Lands for a bit. I-" He stopped himself, as his thoughts were a couple words ahead of his voice. The topic of his company was about to come up again, so he figured he'd stop it there. Not wanting to leave her confused however, he'd address the awkward cut-off of his sentence. "Sorry, I was going to mention the company again." He said, laughing it off whilst rubbing the back of his head. 784 | 9,765 Melody
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Post by Melody on Aug 16, 2021 19:25:39 GMT -8
Melody blinked as Bass explained she was strong, she always thought she was, it was part of the reason she was so confident, and she trained every day to improve. The Duchess was hopeful she was doing everything she could to be able to protect her land and the villagers who relied on her. Being stronger than Kiryu meant nothing, even if her power level was higher, and her willpower was stronger the magus always had a trick up his sleeve to avoid her.
“It’s funny that you bring up Kiryu, I had a bout with him one night at South City Beach, along with a mysterious android, and a saiyan named Cayle who used a technique he called kaioken to punch that magus, yet he avoided it. Honestly, it would be a waste of time to fight him without burning through all my ki just to land a single hit. So as strong as I might be, I still lack the technique to apply on someone who utilizes sorcery. I threw the match, I needed to continue training, until I figured out how to hit him, and we had ramen afterwards.”
After some reflection on training she nodded her head in disapproval, “I have vassals who run things in my absence, I am sure you do the same at Momentum Corp, so training with you will not interfere with a Duchess’ duties.”
In the end, Bass chose to play the board game, if she had brought a special capsule case with her she would have been able to simply purchase a new one. However, it was getting rather late, they had spent their day clearing out Port Lumina, and neither of them were nearly as fatigued as the staff working at the izakaya. Melody finished her draft in one sitting, she winced one eye from the malt taste, and placed the glass back on the table.
“Well since you’re willing to go as far as the Western Lands...Why not play the game in a traditional setting at my home estate? If you’re avoiding going to Truffle Village, for whatever reason, we can just go to the Duchies Ducal Living Quarter Towers in Oolong City. Every leader among the Pig Demon Duchies fiefdom has a penthouse suite at the base of the Grand Duke’s summit.” Melody leaned in on the table, placing her palm on the back of her neck, as she felt some of the tension loosen up.
“How often can you use instant transmission? I am just wondering in case you want to try that route again...of course we can travel by conventional means just for the experience as you have mentioned before.” The greenette smiled, she found it amusing how Bass integrated himself with earthlings, to learn and observe them after all this time they were apart. “Eh? I have nothing against you talking about Momentum Corp...I just wanted a real conversation not a business meeting or an interview...If you get my meaning, Bass-kun.”
The last time they had a real conversation was on a deck of a ship, where they were able to relax after a day of hard work saving the ignorant passengers from angering the sea by littering the ocean with rubbish. After that fateful encounter she had hoped to see Bass again and when he arrived at Oolong City he quickly left after participating in the ice block event; she noticed he was being distant then and he confirmed his reasons for it. At no point did he attempt to contact her or visit her at home, so she wondered what his reasons were, but she wanted to avoid another argument by silently waiting for an answer for their next destination. [622] [10,233] Bass
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Post by Bass on Aug 18, 2021 11:09:51 GMT -8
From the sounds of it, they were taking a trip to the Western Lands. Given the distance of North City from his Military Compound, he'd actually used something a little less potent than the real deal. After all the fatigue induced was relative to the distance traveled, at least... Well, it was a nuanced thing. He could use it just about as often as he liked, but he often limited himself so he didn't dig into strength he wanted saved for if he needed to defend himself or got into a fight. Though she'd said some other things, and in particularly regarding her story about Kiryu, a memorable name came up. Cayle. It was certainly a fascinating first impression and probably one of the first good things Bass did- being charitable to the Saiyan trying to help his compatriots. Though it technically could've been any Cayle... But the odds? Especially a Saiyan. Hearing about 'Kaioken', Bass seemed... Confused. Sounded like the same kind of sorcery Kiryu used, but he honestly had no idea. "Interesting. I remember meeting Cayle in South City years ago. It's good to hear that he's been doing well for himself, sounds like he's made a lot of progress since back then." Bass reflected, rolling one of his shoulders as the were just about finished up here. Bass would've phrased what Melody said about vassals and running things in absences a little more modestly, but it was true, companies by their nature effectively did the same thing. He had a group of executive stand-ins that could call the shots if he wasn't there. Even if he was against it, he was a busy man. He often had to chase after the consequences of their decisions to resolve things. The jumbo farm was one such disaster. "Your home? Sure." He seemed confused at the idea of him not wanting to go to her home village. There was no reason for him to want to avoid it, right? His mind searched for an answer, but the objective fact was that he was fine with the idea. She probably had the game there anyways, so it made things easier. "Anyways, while I could Instant Transmit us I don't think the night breeze has ever hurt anyone, at least the night breeze outside of a blizzard. As for conversations..." He hoped his definition of conversation didn't sound like either of those things. He'd never intended for anything he'd said to sound that way, but... "Yeah." He brushed it aside, all he could do is try to live in the moment. If he got self-conscious he'd start acting artificially, and he knew for certain Melody would rather him be genuine than fake even if one would've been more palatable than the other. With that being said it was time to get up and head out. Hopping off of the stool which had thankfully held together over the course of the meal, he'd thank the cook and look to Melody before heading towards the door. "Hey, we might even be treated with a lightshow." He said, eluding to the lights that dances in the Northern skies on occasion. It would certainly be a charming sight. He was ready to take off with her. 540 | 10,305 Melody
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Post by Melody on Aug 18, 2021 23:45:38 GMT -8
After Bass paid for their meal, they set off together, the mention of the northern lights inspired Melody to recommend taking the train. Since the black heart namekian was motivated to travel by conventional means, the windows on the trains were large enough to enjoy the view of the northern lands, and the snowy landscapes under the night sky. The windows were also adjustable to be opened to enjoy the cold snap as much as he desired, the greenette wondered if Bass liked the cold, after being born out here.
The train station was situated at the heart of North City, it was a 78 hour train ride, so they reserved an entire car to avoid people per the Duchess’ request. At some point she was planning to sleep since her human body had its limits. While it was meant to be a brief trip for a game of onitama, they would arrive by nightfall, and Melody was due back to unite with her siblings at Emerald Isle.
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