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

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.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

That does sound... really nice. I'm glad that you got to spend time with her. ... And-- that the time you spent with her was good. Or it sounds like it was. [She smiles, contemplating Bulla's situation.] I don't even know what I would do if my father showed up, from before my brother and I were born. [Warn him, maybe. Hah.] I think ...I'd like it, though. Like you said. ...Getting to know what he was like, before.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

What's your dad like, Wanda? I know you said he's powerful, but just...personality-wise and hobbies and stuff.

[She's wondering if he's a quiet person like Wanda is.]

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

[Wanda considers for a moment, as this is not something she's ever actually been asked before. She's had a lot of people tell her what they think her father is like, but no one's ever asked before.]

He's... ... Serious. And very busy. But-- he genuinely wants to make the world a better place. So I can't fault him for that. I don't really know if he does have hobbies, he's always working. Always. But I remember he used to read to us, when we were little. And we had little toys that he made for us to play with...

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

He sounds like a good father.

[Bulla smiles a bit.]

Are you close with your brother? Mine's a lot older than me, but we do get along pretty well.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

He is. [She says, in response to the comment about her father, with a fond smile.]

With Pietro? ... Yeah. I wish we were closer, but it's not really... possible. We're very different. He puts up with me really well, though, and I know he cares. He has super speed, so just day-to-day-- life, the things everyone does, every day, take forever for him, and... he gets annoyed, because of it. And then there's me, and I have to be cautious and slow-- because of my powers. [She smiles, at the contrast.] It's not a very good combination. But... I know he tries, more with me than with anyone else. ... I appreciate his effort, and I enjoy whatever time we can spend together. He's in charge of my homeschooling now, which is... [Different? New? Intimidating? ] nice.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

[It surprises her, that Wanda's own brother doesn't have remotely similar powers.]

It's nice that he puts in that extra effort for you. It sounds like powers are really varied in your world. Powers in mine mostly come from extensive martial arts training or from being full or partially alien. Or both.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

Yeah... Almost no two people have the same power. Well. Almost. There are some that are more... that you're more likely to run into. But even then they're not usually exactly the same.

Your world... sounds like it would be much easier to-- train in. Easier to find a teacher, and learn control. That must be nice.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

Wow. That must make learning basic control difficult at first.

[She can't imagine having powers that were completely different from even her own family members. Well, she can, but she has no idea how she'd have managed without the benefit of a teacher. Being possessed by Eferin gave her pretty good insight into what it would be like to suddenly manifest new powers.]

There aren't too many people in the world who can use ki...but anyone who has enough to be able to fly or use ki blasts will probably attract the attention of the people who can. Especially if it's because the person is a great martial artist rather than just born with an abnormally high amount of it. The annual world tournament is a pretty big deal in my world.

[Action]

[maximoff_girl]

"At first." ... Yeah. ... Luckily not everyone's powers are destructive. Like-- I live with this guy who has skin you cannot cut. And he's basically impossible to move, once he plants his feet. Not much training there. ... Of course, he's pretty inhumanly strong too, that needs training. [She shrugs.] ... Training is always important, if you want to get better.

Is-- Ki something you can train to have? Or do people just have it or not? ... What's the Annual World Tournament? ... It sounds important.