fashionably_strong | IC contact post/Appointments

I had a great dream. I had a new boyfriend that Dad didn't hate, and the whole family, plus all our friends from home and here were all going out for dinner together.

[It wasn't really an exciting dream, but it was a pleasant one nonetheless.]

...it wound up being at an all day breakfast place. I guess that was because I smelled your cooking before I fully woke up.

[As Bulla speaks, telling her about her dream, Bulma reaches for a chair to sit besides her daughter's bed. The dream makes her smile, it was something so simple, so mundane that there was something unique on it since it came from such a special kid. It was something that worried her at times, how similar Bulla seemed to be at times to her when she was young. Except that Bulla seemed to be more mature and with her feet on the ground more than Bulma did, and that's all that keeps her from worrying too much about it. That and the knowledge that if somehow Bulla ended with her own personal Yamcha she could break his arms the first moment he hurt her no matter how lightly.]

What, can't you have dinner at an all day breakfast place? Sounds pretty logical to me.

[There's a pause as she looks at Bulla, which is something she often does, as if constantly looking at the child would somehow burn her image in her mind enough to keep it from vanishing once she returns to her proper time and place. She knows it's impossible but... There was a time in which she thought it would be impossible for her to have more than one kid.]

Would you like for that to happen? To be able to see the friends you have made her even when you're back home?

[Not only could she break the boy's arms, but she's actually aware that she could, now that she finally understands that her strength is, in fact, superhuman. Bulma might be pleased to know that Bulla's politely declined dating one of the local ladies men in Luceti.

In the meantime, she begins eating the carefully prepared breakfast that includes all of her favourites.]

I would. If there was some way to call them up and visit once in a while, I'd do that. I've met a lot of nice people here.

[It's not something impossible, not in Bulma's mind. On paper and theory creating a machine that allowed moving between dimensions as well as time and space shouldn't be out of her reach. Not when she has two thirds of that covered already. The problem, though, would be remembering to work on that once she returns and knowing where exactly to go once the machine would be completed.]

Maybe you should gather data about your friends' worlds and universes then. If there's a way out of here that allows us to keep our memories I could try to build a machine that would allow you that.

If I started working on it on my time, maybe it would be done by the time you're fifteen.

[It certainly would give her a lot of time to do it, which is appreciated as she technically hasn't built a time machine yet.]

[Bulla is incredibly touched by the offer. If there's anyone in any world capable of making such a thing, it would be her mother.]

I don't know if there is any way for anyone to keep their memories, but that would be amazing if we could actually visit people and bring them over for visits. I'd love to show Quinn how great our local shopping mall is. And Asami would love your inventions.

Well, personally I'm guessing that if there's a way it would be related, if not a direct consequence, to finding a way to leave this place on will. Even if finding the way to leave at will would still cause a memory loss, it's possible we could bring data over with us in the form of documents which would allow me to work on that. I think the main reason why we forget upon returning is a defense mechanism, maybe from our minds or this world itself, to avoid altering timelines too greatly.

[She remembers Goku being worried when Piccolo started telling them about the future, probably because Trunks' very existence was in danger at the moment. Back then, she doubts that either Vegeta or her would have reacted positively to the news, and she could see them never getting together just because of that. Because back then he still was, well, him, and Bulma was still stubborn and clinging to Yamcha out of pride and desperation.]

That makes sense. One of my friends is the reincarnation of another friend I've met here, so there's lots of potential for timeline alteration in some worlds that could have lasting consequences.

[It's a good argument against it, so Bulla shakes her head.]

I appreciate the offer, Mom, but there's way more important things than me getting to see my friends from other dimensions. I'll just be glad for the time I have with them now.

[Sometimes she can be spoiled and focused on normal teenage girl things...but once in a while signs that she's growing up emerge.]

[Bulma hums appreciatively and proudly.]

There are, indeed. But right now you know I don't have much more to do, even with the beauty salon. Maybe I'll check to work on that, just in case, even if it's not for you to meet your friends, there's a lot of potential in the idea of being able to access to other dimensions.

[There are also a lot of risks, but that's normal with most advances. If she dropped an idea every time she saw the kind of risks there were included on it, she would have never even gone out to get the dragon balls. Much less built all the machines she had.]

You know, you're growing up beautifully, both on the outside and the inside. I'm proud of you.

[It's just like her mother, to think of the possible risks, but also to consider all of the potential advancements, and to move forward. There's some caution involved, but there's a greater focus on the possibilities.]

The most important thing would be finding ways to keep dimensional travel away from the wrong people. I wouldn't wish any of the creeps who've caused trouble in our universe on anyone else.

[Pause.]

...and thanks, Mom. I'm glad you think so.

That would require those creeps to be alive by the time the machine is completed, which I find hardly possible with your father and the others around.

[Still she agrees with Bulla and nods as the girl comments on it. Ironically it's not those "creeps" what worry Bulma, but the normal people, like the stockholders of the company. She knows what she wants and why she wants it, she's confident in her own judgement regarding what's worth the risk and what not and regarding what could be taken from another dimension and what couldn't. Same with what could be brought to another dimension, everything with advancement in mind at the cheaper price possible regarding risks and consequences. She's not above altering things and "destinies" but only for the better, if that's not the result then it's not worth it.

However, with stockholders who are just a bunch of rich idiots who only think of getting more money and don't really care about how or the risks it would have... That's the real problem.]

Honestly, I'm more worried about the stockholders than about someone like Frieza getting his hands on dimensional travel. Though I suppose we could just keep it as a private project and limit its use to just us. It wouldn't be different than the dragon ball radar, can you imagine what the world would be like if we had actually published the radar and made it available for everyone?

[Chaos. Pure chaos and madness. It's one thing that people hear of the legends and some dare to try to find ways to locate the magical items, or that have the means to actually manage a system similar to her radar -but never as precise and good-. It's another to have the whole world knowing about them and trying to get them at the same time.

Bulma chuckles at her daughter's reply to her compliment.]

I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say it, and that you don't really need to hear so. But it's true, and I wanted to let you know so. You're better than what I could have imagined... And your father too, which is more surprising giving the way he used to be.

Oh wow, I didn't even think of that. They'd probably want to use it to take the natural resources from Earth in other dimensions, or steal music from other dimensions and copyright it on our Earth or...I don't know, but it would be something selfish for profit.

[It's not the first problem that comes to mind when thinking of the risks of dimensional travel, but now that it's been brought up...]

Yeah, let's just keep it to us. I'd trust our family and friends with it, but nobody else.

[She does smile at her mother reinforcing the compliment. Bulla's happy that her mother gets to see that things really will get better, and that she'll have a faithful husband and a son and daughter who love her.]

[Bulma laughs softly as Bulla realizes that.]

Don't worry, I don't think anyone would actually think of it unless they were used to dealing with them. Though I think that stealing music from other dimensions would be a lesser evil, after all, we have studied and reproduced alien technology in order to improve our own products and we claim the discovery to be ours. Which technically it is, but, you know, we don't exactly say that we discovered those things because we have aliens with us.

Our planet stopped being interested in the outer space a long time ago, and it's probably for the better. Things are very good now, but it wasn't until your grandfather began to work and use alternative energies that things really got better. Had humanity continued that path we probably would have ended with less advancements and with a very polluted planet. Humans can be very selfish and uncaring for their own living arrangements, imagine how they would be with other worlds, be it in other dimensions or other planets.

[She snorts softly and shakes her head.]

I'm pretty sure that the only reason why no one ever tried to dissect Piccolo was because his father was evil and didn't waste time showing his power making people believe he was a demon rather than an alien. If word came out about his origin or the saiyans...

[She doesn't put it past anyone to try to study them to discover ways to improve the healing regeneration of humans or to maintain a longer youth. Same with the senzu beans, or the dragon balls... No, definitively there were many things that were good and should not be shared with the world, no matter how much profit that could mean, the cost would be way too much even if not economically.]

[Bulla looks absolutely horrified.]

Dissect him?! What kind of sick people would do something like that? He's a person, not a thing!

[But he isn't originally from Earth, nor are her father or Goku...really, the idea of anyone treating anyone as a lab experiment is disgusting and wrong to her, but the idea of it happening to someone she knows is just that much worse.]

At least I don't think they'd have any luck capturing him. No one we know and associate with would help with something like that.

[It's a horrible idea, Bulma agrees with the sentiment, though there's nothing in her face that actually indicates so. She knows far too well what could be done to Piccolo and her friends if word came out, at least in her time. Part of her hopes that by Bulla's time that wouldn't be an issue, but that would be expecting human nature to change. She can't really throw stones around, though, she has been luckily raised in a way that actually respects all types of life, it's both one of Capsule Corpn's disadvantage and biggest success, it's not that they don't experiment with living beings at times, but normally it's just to test the finished product and when basically everything is working well.]

It's indeed a relief, but still it's good to keep those things quiet. For several months I had the whole Namekian race living at home, and most of them aren't warriors like he is. Fortunately most people are idiots, and the few times someone spotted them we could make them believe that they were just normal humans from a far, distant and almost incommunicable town.

That's also why you should be careful about what you say about yourself back home, though I'm sure there's no need to tell you that.

[A half-alien would probably create even more interest than a full alien, the living proof that two races can mix positively, the differences between her and a human girl... Bulma shakes her head, trying to not think about the kind of things they would want to study.]

Let's forget about that, the point is that dimensional travel is definitively one of those things we won't share with anyone. Assuming it's even possible. We have both theoretical and practical proofs that it's possible, but there's still a lot to take into account, starting by the amount of energy that would be needed for it. I doubt that even if we managed to make it using that machine would be like hopping into the car to go to the mall.

If anyone asked, I just told people I was a natural athlete and that it runs in the family. Right along with looks and brains.

[She grins a little at that. She'd even deluded herself a little into thinking her abilities were just peak human. But then, considering what a few of the fully human warriors she knew were capable of, it wasn't that far off the mark.]

...I wonder if a machine like that could be powered by ki. It's an energy source that can be renewed with a good night's sleep and a big meal, and then it would be impossible for any of the stockholders to use it even if they discovered that we had it.

[She may not be a genius like her mother, who can invent just about anything, but she's definitely not as much of an airhead as people take her for when she talks about fashion and dating.]

Hmm...

[It's certainly not an idea she hasn't considered herself, it's an idea she often comes back to, considering all its possibilities and its problems.]

I'm pretty sure it could be powered by ki. In fact, any machine could be powered through ki, it's an idea we have often considered. But it's tricky. And by itself it wouldn't stop the stockholders from trying to use the machine, they would be unable to because it certainly would require a huge amount of ki for it to work, but it wouldn't stop them. As far as I know about ki it's something every living being has, even if most rarely come to gain control of it. And while it can be renewed with a good amount of rest, any machine powered by it should be built so it uses the smallest amount of ki possible to its fullest potential, otherwise we would have a machine that works, but forces the user to rest for a good while after using it. And that may not be wise when talking about dimensional travelling, you never know when you're going to land in a dangerous situation.

And it's not as if saiyans don't get tired as well, so even restricting its use to you guys would be tricky.

[There are more things about it in her mind, more problems, more risks, but she doesn't voice them. She already unnerved her daughter enough when she mentioned the risks of aliens being known by the general public back home.]

Well, at least if it was powered by ki, it would be limited to people who not only have enough to tap into but who can also focus it enough to use it.

[They would need to rest, it's true, but it would prevent people from being able to use it for common greed.]

There's risks, but I can't think of any other energy source that couldn't be used by just anyone.

That's true, we would have to make it so it only activates when ki is actually put into it, rather than have it automatically extracting it. That way it could also be powered by several people, reducing the strain... Assuming that mingling people's ki doesn't make the energy explosive, that is. I will have to look into that and study it in more detail.

[Her hands move almost on their own will before she stops and looks around. Oh, right, this is Bulla's room not her laboratory back home or even her own room.]

Mind if I use one of your notebooks at pens, dear? I want to write this all down.

[Not that she would forget but she prefers to write those ideas down for further study later on.]

Well, several people's ki can go into one person without it being explosive...so I think it could be done.

[Admittedly, a person could consciously adjust themselves to the ki they were receiving, but she has faith in her mother's technology being similarly adaptable.]

Sure. Don't mind all the fashion scribbles. I don't think I have a single notebook that doesn't have at least a few of them.

[She has more than one - some pages outlining Fashion Club meeting plans, and others that she just writes down ideas in and doodles in. She finds one and a pink pen.]

Here, Mom. This one has a few completely blank pages.

[Bulma smiles and nods at her daughter, taking the notebook and the pen and starting scribbling right away.]

Thanks, Bulla. When I was your age my notebooks were also full with fashion scribbles and blueprints.

[She laughs at the memory, whoever looked at them without knowing her would have probably been quite confused by how they seemed to be used by two people instead of just one. Dresses and more specially hairdo ideas surrounded and lived together complex blueprints and mathematical calculations as she worked in a new invention while wondering what hairdo would be the best for her the next month.]

It's true that when ki enters a person it isn't dangerous, but that's because the person can adjust to the ki received, right? Accept it and combine it with its own. I'm not sure how we could get a machine to adjust the ki it would have stored already and combine it with the new ki entering it.

Hmm, maybe if rather than doing it one by one several people poured ki into it at once... Or maybe we could just make several ki storing compartments. That could work, several motors built into one, taping on the ki stored depending on how it's needed. What do you think?

[She can only imagine that odd combination of fashion and engineering in her mother's notebook. It probably would have been quite a sight. Bulla's notebooks have no calculations or blueprints in them. Her grasp of technology is well above average and she can follow instructions to do repairs others would require training in, but she doesn't have the genius level intellect to create advanced technology. Her understanding is still reasonably advanced for a teenager, though. Enough that she can have conversations like these with her genius mother.]

I think ki storing compartments would be a great idea. Then it could be fueled over time on peaceful days...but maybe have just a little spark of ki needed for starting it up? That would make it a lot harder for someone to randomly steal it. Especially if you programmed it to only allow it to be started up by the ki of people we know.

[It would be a shame, after all, to have the machine fully charged and then one of the stockholders (or more than likely a hired thug) take off with it.]

[It's refreshing, to be able to do something like this with someone who isn't her father and who can actually provide ideas and pointers. That said someone is her daughter only makes it better. She nods in agreement to what Bulla says.]

True, if we go with storing compartments and charge it slowly we run the risk of it being stolen... Assuming they get past your father and our home's security measures.

[Which is unlikely but certainly a possibility, and Bulma isn't known for ignoring those things.]

I'm not sure if I could create a system of ki recognition, I know that each ki is different, and that's how you all can recognize people just by their ki, but translating that to a machine reading may be harder. And this project would be too big and important to just do a halfassed job like some laboratories do with DNA tests. Maybe we can change it to an iris recognition combined with something else... Oh, maybe combine it with a DNA recognition for saiyans, that way you would need two people to activate it even, one allowed user whose iris is registered and a saiyan.

[And given that the only saiyans available are either in her family or in Goku's family, it's quite impossible for someone to be able to steal the machine. Sure, fooling Goku wouldn't be hard, but it's something she can prevent by making sure that no one will use the machine without her permission and active presence. Unless they cloned her, which would be annoying, but she has to admit that if someone is willing to go through so many troubles and risks for the machine they may deserve to use it.

Besides... A somewhat evil smirk comes to her lips as she scribbles quickly.]

And, of course, a remote control that will allow us to destroy the machine at distance and even through dimensions, in case someone actually manages to steal it in our world or another.

[It would be a waste and a pity but if someone is willing to go through so many loops to steal one of her creations? She's willing to destroy it to avoid them to steal it. Besides, if she has built it once she can build it again.]

IC contact post/Appointments

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