4th shopping trip [Voice] Backdated to August 13th

[fashionably_strong]

[Though she typically prefers video communication, Bulla deliberately selects voice. It's difficult to tell whether she sounds a little off because she's tired, depressed, or sick, but she's definitely not her usual upbeat and sociable self.]

Hi, everyone. I could use some suggestions for a distraction or three. Preferably something where you don't have to move around much.

[Truthfully, she's tired, depressed, and not feeling well, though it's due to an injury rather than illness. Her mother has vanished from Luceti, and she's recovering from the worst injury she's ever had in her life courtesy of a cultist.]

...and if you're suggesting reading, please suggest a specific book, because I've already read everything I have here in the house.

Comments

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

I got stabbed by a telekinetic cultist right around when everybody's powers came back and everyone's memories were starting to come back. He was aiming for my dad.

[Who then went on to kill all of the cultists, thanks to recovering his super saiyan abilities.]

I'm actually doing a lot better than I was a couple of days ago.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

I'm-- I'm so sorry to hear that! ... That you got stabbed, I mean. Not-- that you're doing better. [Wanda is back to her original, uncertain self, in contrast to who she was in the valley. She holds the books out, as if suddenly remembering them. ] I-- I brought you these.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

[Bulla smiles, still confident in spite of her nasty injury.]

It's okay. I knew what you meant.

[She takes the offered books.]

Thank you for bringing these. I've been too sore to really do much. Today's the first day I've been able to move around without it being a big problem.

[Which is part of why her father isn't home. She's functioning enough that she can get around the house.]

Re: [Action]

[maximoff_girl]

Oh-- Do you need to sit down? I'm sorry. You should rest, of course! [She feels awkward. But Bulla is the only person she knows right now who was the same in her true memories, and in her fake ones. That is to say: Nice, helpful, and friendly. Wanda would very much like to actually get to know her, hence showing up with the books. The books are the two self-help titles that Billy gave Wanda to help control her powers.]

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

Oh, I've been getting in a lot of rest already. That's why I'm healing so well.

[Saiyans and half-saiyans did recover much faster than normal people, even if it wasn't instantaneous.]

Are you thirsty?

Re: [Action]

[maximoff_girl]

I-- ... Yes. Let me help you? [She wasn't sure what she was offering to help with, exactly, but she did want to help.]

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

Sure.

[She's probably less likely to make a mess of the kitchen this way. Though she is superhumanly strong, at the moment, it hurts carrying anything that weighs at least a few pounds with her left arm.

She flies to grab cups on an upper cupboard shelf rather than standing on her tip toes and stretching, or moving a chair over to stand on, and passes them down with her good hand one by one to Wanda.]

Re: [Action]

[maximoff_girl]

[Superhuman strength or no, it's perfectly understandable to have pain when there's stabbing holes in your muscles. Regardless, Wanda takes more notice of the flying than anything else, as she carefully accepts the glasses. It's far too cool, and she wishes she could do the same.]

Thank you...

[She takes the glasses to the sink to get water, more out of habit than anything else. ]

How long do you think you're going to be hurt?

[Action] ...and here's a good opportunity for Wanda to discover Bulla's not a mutant

[fashionably_strong]

I don't know. I've never been hurt this badly before. Saiyans and half-saiyans heal pretty quickly, so I think I'll be okay in a month or so? I don't think it would be eight weeks or more.

[In fact, in the few days she's spent recovering, the injury has healed up enough to the point that it looks more like a normal person's injury would after a week and a half to two weeks. She's still got plenty of healing to go, but with all the sleeping she's been doing, that ki of hers has been working hard to get her out of the danger stage.]

Re: [Action] ...and here's a good opportunity for Wanda to discover Bulla's not a mutant

[maximoff_girl]

Say...in? I'm sorry, I don't know what that is. [She remembered Billy telling her that not everyone was a mutant. Apparently Bulla was one of those? She tries not to feel too disappointed. At least she wasn't calling herself human!]

... It must be a good thing, at least? If it means you'll ...heal faster.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

The Saiyans are a warrior race, from a planet with ten times Earth's gravity. I'm half-saiyan and half-human and was born on Earth.

[She'll just avoid talking about the genocide of the Saiyan people at the moment.]

It is a good thing...that's why I've got the powers that I do. Although the strongest human martial artists can learn to use ki, too.

Re: [Action]

[maximoff_girl]

[Wanda nods along as Bulla explains. So. Alien then? No, 'alien' would probably be rude. "Saiyan.' Like she called herself.]

They're very cool powers. I-- do wish I could fly... like that. On purpose. ... It looks very useful. Do you ever get-- scared? Like you... might fall? Oh-- Yours? [She finally remembers to offer the glass of water to the other girl.]

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

Scared? No.

[She takes the glass with her right hand and has a sip.]

I'd only worry if my powers suddenly got nullified in mid-air. I'm pretty durable, so unless my powers were nullified, if I fell, I'd probably survive.

[The injuries might suck big time, but she'd survive and recover.]

I'll tell you what - as soon as I'm better, I'll try and teach you how I use my ki to fly. I don't know if that'll help you control your magic the same way, but it might work.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

It... couldn't hurt to try. [She attempted a small, friendly smile.] Once you're better, though, yeah.

Anyway, falling still sounds scary. Even if you know you can survive it. But it just looks so amazing.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

[Bulla considers this for a moment.]

I wonder if maybe being scared of falling is what's holding you back from being able to fly, if your magic lets you do that while you're sleeping.

[Being scared of making a mistake was what made her poor at ki blasts, but she's begun gaining confidence in her abilities.]

Maybe if I'm flying right beside you, that might help you relax a little?

Re: [Action]

[maximoff_girl]

[Wanda's eyebrows go up, as she had not considered that.] That... is entirely possible.

I-- wouldn't mind flying with you. You could at least help... slow my decent to earth if I did fall.

Ah. But-- I came over to help you... not see how you could help me. I-- can I help, at all?

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

Actually, just having company right now is helping. The Malnosso sent my mom home right around when all of this happened. Dad took care of me at first when I needed to spend most of my time resting, but now that I can walk around, he's gone off for some private time.

[Specifically to brood. He probably feels guilty that she got hurt trying to protect him, when he'd once said he wouldn't let anything hurt her. It was her choice, and she wouldn't take it back. The only thing she'd do over would be moving just a little quicker so that the cultist would miss them both.]

Probably in the mountains. Maybe the Battle Dome for some of the time.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

Ohhh, no. That's awful! [Wanda remembered that Bulla's father was here, but her mother was new information. To have your family here, and then to have them taken away? Wanda shuddered.] I'm so sorry... [A sigh.] Guys are not always the best at dealing with... emotions. I'm sure he'll be back....

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

The Malnosso's timing was pretty awful. Although for Mom, it was always a little weird because Dad and I are from a much later point in time than her. Mom came from a time before my brother and I were even born. She was attracted to my father by then and had broken up with the womanizing loser she was dating before...but yeah.

[Bulla knows that the situation had consistently blown her mother's mind, even though she'd been happy to know that her dreams of finding someone who was right for her and having kids came true.]

I'm happy that she gets to go home where she belongs, but I'm also going to miss her.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

Yeah... Of course, you want what's best for her.

The way... time... exists here-- with people coming from different points-- It's beyond weird. Can you even imagine something like that?
[Wanda shakes her head.] I... admit, I'm jealous that you have your family here. I wouldn't wish this place on anyone, but-- if someone has to be here. Hm. ... At least you still have your father? [The more she spoke, the more awful she felt what she was saying was coming out as. "Hey, this place sucks! Glad your dad is still here." What?! Shut up, shut up, shut up!]

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

I do, and I'm glad that he is here. I'd worry a lot more about my mother getting drafted than him.

[She'd rather that no one get drafted, but if she had to pick a family member or friend to get drafted, she'd pick someone powerful who's been training for decades.]

Re: [Action]

[maximoff_girl]

[Wanda was not yet that familiar with the draft, but she had a basic understanding.]

... He sounds very capable. I'm glad you still have him. And-- your mom will be waiting for you, when you get to go home... right? [A bit of a risky assumption, she knows. After all, she herself doesn't have a mother waiting at home. But she doesn't get that impression from Bulla.]

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

[And she'll be in the right timeline, where she remembers raising her.]

It was just really bad timing. I'm glad she's free of this place, but I wish I could have had at least another couple of weeks with her.

[She suspects her father would be in a better place mentally if her mother had been around while Bulla recovered from her injuries. Selfish as it is, she knows she would have been, even though she knows there's nothing she could have done about this.]

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

... I get that. [And she does. That desire for just one moment longer, another week, another afternoon, hell-- another hour. Sometimes a selfish desire, but one which springs from a well-meaning place.

All of which doesn't leave much to be said. What can she say, to that? Instead, she just awkwardly takes a sip of her water.]

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

Too bad there's not really anything I can do about it.

[She starts to shrug and then remembers exactly why she's not supposed to be moving that shoulder. There's a slight wince before she offers a little smile.]

It was kind of cool getting to know firsthand what she was like before I was born.