A Fireside Chat

A good deal of time had passed since Rhapsody's experience on Plant; while she'd dealt with plenty of brigands and scoundrels before, what she had experienced with the man known as, Lottus, was completely different. He was no man, and was well beyond a mere monster; he was a devil from the pits of the seven hell's, given the flesh of a Saiyan. His power was great, but it wasn't just his power that had overwhelmed her when they fought. Lottus had a ferocity and savagery about him that went beyond what Rhapsody had seen any Saiyan display; worse than that, was a clear insanity towards his inclination for combat. Papri had found herself at the devil's mercy, but so too had his own ally; it seemed that the more damage Lottus took, the more deranged he became. Unfortunately, Rhapsody had no way of verifying this before the Saiyan Captain and his mechanical ally arrived and forced her to leave.

As such, Rhapsody had done just that; though it wasn't simply the battlefield that she had left, but the planet itself. The wound that scarred her chest still ached, and as she traveled, terrifying images would haunt her dreams. Never before had an encounter been so impactful in her life; while she opted to return home, she instead chose to head to Earth to enjoy a modest rest in a nearer sector of space.

Her ship had landed a short few days ago deep in a clearing of a sprawling forest; but Rhapsody herself had taken to exploring the nearby mountains while she rested and healed. It'd taken several hours before for the strange transformation she had used to finally wear off; and with her strength returning, she was keen to take to some personal training to tap into that strange power once again. For now though, her primary interest was to eat; as such, she found herself traveling the length of a river, or perhaps a merely a stream, whilst carrying a bound boar over her shoulder. Her nose would flick as the smell of cooking fish caught her attention, and her ears would twitch as she heard an accompanying voice.

"Oh?" Rhapsody would announce herself curiously; tilting her head slightly as she emerged from behind a tree near the brook, "I'd not expected to find another so deep into the wilderness. Pardon me, I hope my sudden appearance didn't startle you." She'd continue, giving a slight bow in respectful apology before glancing over the mans campsite of sorts, "My name is Rhapsody, please excuse me if I'm being too forward in asking... but might you allow me the use of your fire?" Rhapsody would state as she nudged the boar off of her shoulder and set it upon the ground, "I grow weary from travel, and would be more than willing to share my bounty in exchange."

She'd hold herself firmly, doing well not to show the weakness she claimed to have. Her body still felt sore from her battle against Lottus, and her scar seemed to pulsate with an intense pain with frequency as if to remind her of the encounter. While she tried to maintain a dignified composure, the ruffled feathers of her wings and slightly bloodshot eyes would indicate a lack of restful sleep. As well, though her clothing had returned to its original blue color, the poor stitching down the center of the torso would be an obvious tell to the battle she'd endured days prior; assuming the bandages that hid the rather large scar down her cleavage didn't already give it away.

Taking a temporary vacation to go camping in Mount Panzu is the best idea since pizza was invented, it was difficult for the young Saiyan to continue living his daily routine without thinking about his fight against Marrow and that his incompetence caused the destruction of Battle Island. He isn't confident the boy will be able to fight in his "A" game anymore lest he'll screw something else up. It's in his best interest for Russ to retreat out of town until he can clear his head long enough to be a mentally rejuvenated college student and crime fighter again.

Russ took refuge near the river and build his tent, there were plenty of aquatic creatures to devour and water to stay hydrated for days. His equipment wasn't winning any merit badges, he only brought the essentials for a four-day camping trip. A survivor's backpack containing extra pairs of clothes, a bar of soap, a water bottle, a fishing rod, and some rations. Again, food and water aren't an issue and if he needed to cook fish, he can catch one and roast it alive with a concentrated ki blast.

Speaking of cooking food, Russ's nose caught a whiff of a bonfire's smoke in the air and also fish being charred and well-done. "Is that smoke? Is someone here?" said to no one present as his eyes follow the trail of smoke down to another area by the brook. He almost forgot other people come here for stress relief and normally he'll come to a conclusion someone else is camping and leave them to their own devices, common sense wouldn't allow it. The blue-haired young adult stood up from finishing his tent and went over there to investigate. He wanted to check if the fire is safe and not a danger to anyone here.

There were two energy signatures he picked up on as he approached the brook, technically three but he couldn't sense who they are. Russ spotted another Saiyan with power equal to his own, a mysterious person sporting a cloak possessing much weaker power. Lastly, a battle-torn woman could be described as a divine angel in appearance and a cute one at that. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he looked at the bonfire and at the group. "So this is why I can see smoke from out here, you guys roasting a five-course meal or something?" he quips and placed both hands behind his neck feeling nonchalant.

The man stumbled over his words, which wasn't too surprising considering Rhapsody had appeared mysteriously from the woods; the current state of her appearance certainly wasn't doing her any favors either, but regardless, that man saw fit to accept her request. She would give a respectful bow as she approached, dragging the bound boar along with her. The man didn't seem rude, and yet, not only had he not given his name in exchange, but he was quick to push a rather personal question onto her.

"I'm well enough, I thank you for your concern." Rhapsody would respond as she drew her sword and looked down upon the boar, "Is there any particular-?" She would begin, before her ears would twitch, alerting her to the sounds of movement and accompanying voice of another to arrive.

Shrouded as he was, it was difficult to make out who or what he was; his exposed feet, and the strange way his hood rested high above the mask he wore indicated he was no human however. The bounty he carried as well was quite massive, at least three or four times the size of Rhapsody's own haul. The creature had an uncomfortable resemblance to the people of her home world; akin to how many Ursakin appeared after transforming. Rhapsody knew better however, and paid no mind to the beast that the man set down; instead, allowing herself to make a curious request with the man.

"No apologies necessary, I myself am an outsider in this space as well, but... might I make a request?" Rhapsody would ask to Heit as her ears twitched slightly upon feeling a change in the wind, "My name is Rhapsody, I have nothing to give other than my expertise in skinning, and butchery. But could I impose myself upon you for a small portion of your prize?" She would ask; lifting the boar she kept with her by the binding around its legs, "This little one here yet lives; I took it for sustenance of course, but if I could have an alternative food source, I could release this one back into the wild to grow further." She'd explain, holding the boar out with one hand to show it off; it's breathing slow, but rhythmic to indicate its continued hold on life.

As she finished her request, yet another had made himself known as he came from down the rivers length; a curious fellow with blue hair. None of the three seemed inherently rude or villainous; yet, Rhapsody couldn't help but notice that none introduced themselves upon their arrival. Was this a difference in cultures? Was it considered unnatural on Earth to give your name before conversing? It was possible that the three were already acquainted, though that didn't seem to be the case; even if they were, Rhapsody certainly wasn't acquainted with any of them, yet here she stood, still unaware of their names.

"My apologies for having nothing more to offer..." Rhapsody would say to Celerous as she lowered the boar and gave an apologetic bow with a slightly sullen expression before turning towards Russ, "I'm unsure exactly of what it is you speak, but I am in fact negotiating for how best to proceed with the current game brought to this site." She'd explain Russ; feeling a bit befuddled with how suddenly convoluted the situation had become, "Ah! Apologies, my name is Rhapsody. A pleasure to meet you." She'd finish, giving a slight bow to Russ with a somewhat flustered expression.

Though she felt a bit sullen for potentially freeing the boar she'd offered to Celerous in exchange for the use of his fire; if she could spare the animals life, then it was an option she'd prefer to take. If Heit declined her request, then of course she'd have no choice but to continue with her original intention of eating the boar. More importantly however, she'd done it again... she'd given her name once again, and felt more than a bit embarrassed from doing it a third time. Why hadn't the others given their names!? Was she the strange one here??

Russ shrugged his shoulders and smiled, he forgot about bringing a bottle of seasoning for his camping trip assuming he will roll along whatever plans mother nature has in store for him. "Well that's too bad, but don't worry about it, there are a ton of resources here you can use as a substitute to spice up the flavor." The forest has a near-limitless supply of edible fruit and herbs they can use to enhance the flavor of cooked meals. The mystery man offered the blue-haired hero his share of food, stuffed in a bag beside the bear he slayed recently. Russ's eyes mildly expanded and he blinked his eyes twice at the large furry corpse sprawled out like this in front of him.

Somehow Russ overlooked this marvelous creature as soon as he arrived, and now knowing it's there made his joke morbidly funny in hindsight. Eating a bear alive or dead has never been his style, and it's a good thing he wasn't present in that unsee battle leading to its demise. He will be very uncomfortable with the hooded guy murdering a dangerous animal who is doing what bears are born to do. He won't call out or stab the man with harsh words however, it will be hypocritical to chastise someone for taking the life of a bear to eat when it's perfectly okay to pluck fish out of their habitat and eat them as well. Overall with the exception of killing fish for the essential need for protein, Russ will refrain from taking the lives of animals if he can help it.

Observing the cloaked figure gave Russ the impression he didn't appear to be human, he didn't feel any malicious intent either and he was kind enough to offer his share of food to everyone present, looks like he didn't have to worry about hunting for food in the next three days. Russ raised an eyebrow and looked on with concern watching the guy use a ki blast to cut down a tree to make logs for the fire....with hilarious results as he is trapped in a pile of logs but otherwise unscathed. Oof...maybe the guy is new to camping and he needs someone to show him the ropes. "Heheheh...Thanks! I'll dig in later." He replied with a smile and a sweat drop on his head, he was not feeling hungry right now anyway.

The angelic warrior also carried an animal with her to be devoured in her belly, except the boar is alive and she's willing to make a compromise and set the animal free, how noble of her. The half-Saiyan supports her decision in silence even if they haven't been formally introduced, there is a heart of a hero within her and he felt drawn to her compassion. He isn't able to discreetly bury those feelings again this time, Rhapsody approached him and introduced herself before he got a chance to pretend he didn't feel any attraction. Aw, what the heck..may as well be honest with her and get it over with, so what if she's battle-scarred and torn up from a fight? It won't stop him from complimenting her looks. "If you wanna set the boar free Beautiful, I won't stop ya. I'm Russ, nice to meet you too and the both of you as well." He flirted with a small grin and casually rest both of his hands on his waist as well as acknowledging Heit and Celerous.

Heit asked them their reasoning for coming to Mount Panzu while explaining the reason he was here and Russ quietly envied him. His goals are simple and innocent, traveling around the earth and sightseeing is something Russ would love to do if he had more free time. By comparison, his reasons for being here are linked to tragedy, trauma, and incompetence. Russ isn't keen on telling strangers what happened on Battle Island and bringing the mood down for everyone, but he couldn't withhold information without looking suspicious. "I..uhh...I came to Mount Panzu to take a vacation to relieve stress...from work. Balancing college and a job is too much to handle for me right now, I needed to get away from the city for a while to recharge for a few days." Technically he wasn't lying as he does attend Orange Star Academy and is self-employed in science engineering expertise, it's not the real reason he went camping. Russ did his best to put on a fake smile to conceal all traces of guilt and sadness, people who can read beyond surface-level emotion will be able to tell he's hiding something.

After a moment of silence he wanted to find an excuse to distract himself, he turned to face Celerous to continue their conversation. "Uhh, anyway as I was saying, lemon fruit juice is a great alternative to seasoning, you can sprinkle it on your fish and I promise it will rock your tastebuds in a single bite. I can go look around the forest for lemons and bring some back if you want." He offered the fellow Saiyan.

Everyone gathered round, and finally introductions were given. Rhapsody still felt a bit awkward about how the introductions had played out, but was quick to dismiss the feeling when Heit accepted her offer. She would give the strange man a bow as he went to gathering an absurd amount of wood, before herself, drawing her sword and cutting the boar she held free. Russ seemed to give his okay opinion on the matter as well, a strange gesture since the boar was neither his prize nor part of Rhapsody's arrangement, but she gave no indication of finding his comments strange. Once the boar was free, Rhapsody would make a quick leap over the river with her wings spread wide; placing the boar down so that it could escape upon waking, before quickly making her way back to the camp.

"Celerous, Russ-" Rhapsody would begin; raising a brow at Heit as she took notice of his strange way of making a campfire, "And Heit? I thank you for your hospitality." She'd say with a bow before keeping to her agreement with Heit and moving to inspect the bear upon the ground.

For not wanted to ruin the tranquility of the forest that the group found themselves in, Heit had certainly gone about things in a rather grandiose manner. From digging a trench, to dismantling an entire tree; it was clear he was likely no inhabitant of this plant based on his powers, but Rhapsody had no way of properly judging his actions. Celerous comments at least gave Rhapsody a bit of clarity on the matter; even he had seen the process as a bit too much for a simple fireside grill.

Russ on the other hand had caught her off guard; his brief remark reminded her of the bullies back on her home world that had changed their tune once all had grown into maturity. Naturally, she paid him no mind; he was somewhat whimsical and quickly engaged in conversation with Celerous and Heit, so it was fine to leave him be. Instead, Rhapsody would take to stringing up the bear to make preparations for it's processing. The climate of the mountains was far too warm to properly cure the beast, but a quick letting of its remaining blood would make butchering and skinning a much easier process. Once the beast was strung up however, Rhapdsody would hesitate; Heit had displayed a strange power to process things without tools, so did she even need to do this? Not only that, but she was in the presence of three boys; if they were anything like Aiden, perhaps they preferred bloodier meat for its tenderness??

"Um-" Rhapsody would speak up to draw the attention of one of the group, "I apologize if this question seems unnecessary, but how do you normally prepare your meat on this planet?" She'd would ask in a slightly flustered manner; her eyes focusing on Celerous primarily for a response thanks to his more approachable vibe.

Rhapsody knew very well how to prepare meals for herself while out in the wild; making use of every facet of an animal in most cases. She knew however that her preferences weren't the same as others; she always had to prepare food in a different manner with the guards back in her village. The picky eaters that boys often were, she knew she might have come off as clueless to the group for even asking; but better to ask so each could enjoy the meal, rather than simply do things at her own pace.

Heit, Rhapsody, and Celerous...names Russ will remember to engrave in his mind during his travels. It is a slim chance he will run into these people again anytime soon, he hoped the cosmic warlords in the universe don't do anything to ruin the rest of his day. Russ is sure to enjoy present company on this camping trip and they all seem nice enough people to make idle chit-chat endearing. Rhapsody wished to know how the group preferred to cook their meals and Russ grabbed his chin to think. He didn't plan to make his own bonfire unlike the others intending to go on a fish and fruit diet to survive in the forest for four days. "I plan to roast fish alive using my Ki after I catch them with my fishing rod by the river, I use fruit to give it flavor." it sounds morbid as hell but you do what you gotta do for nutrition.

Russ shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he continued half assuming they would all judge him for taking shortcuts. "Those survivor experts out there will chew my head for this, but any tool at my disposal is fair game." In a way using ki energy to cook meals instead of a campfire is a form of 'cheating" however none of the predators of wildlife have adhered to some principle in catching and eating prey, why should Russ?

Celerous questioned Heit over the excessive need for logs and the latter explained he owed a debt to some earth creatures. Humorously, he described their appearance and fumbled at their name, calling them...Beefers.

Russ figured out what he was talking about and chortled, a mental image depicting an army of Beavers chasing a down Cow and 'beef' them alive is not what he expected to imagine today. "Hahahaha, Beefers? No dude they are called Beavers, you really are not from this planet aren't ya" he didn't mean to laugh, it's just that beefers are a funny nickname Russ has ever heard so far. If he had any lingering skepticism about the cloaked man, it was gone entirely, he turned out to be an okay dude after all.

He watched him leave the area in search of 'beefers' and gave the blue half-breed a piece of paper. Russ blinked and examined the note quietly, It was poorly written but coherent enough to understand Heit's handwriting. He stared at the paper looking dejected 'Damn...saw right through me huh...' deep in thought. He doesn't know how Heit picked on his buried feelings and it's only a matter of time before the other campers caught on and he'll have to explain himself. With haste, he snapped out of his thoughts and Russ slipped the note into his pocket and looked at Rhapsody and Celerous with a cheerful grin. "Right, I'll go get those lemons now, I'll be right back!" he jogged out of the area and went further into the trees until he was out of sight in search of those blasted sour-tasting fruit.

It had seemed that Heit had misunderstood her silence as an attempt to be mysterious; it was unfortunate that she couldn't correct him, however she had been raised not to interrupt others. Since she was busy with her work of preparing the bear, it seemed only natural to leave the others to talk and to join in later; however Heit and Russ had taken to quickly departing the area for their own respective reasons, which left now only Celerous and herself for the moment. Neither Heit nor Russ had given much indication on their preference of meat preparation; with Russ even going so far as to show he hadn't much knowledge in the way of outdoor survival skills, taking shortcuts with his strange energy usage instead. That left only Celerous for Rhapsody to fall back on as a reference; though, by the way he spoke, it didn't seem like she would get much out of him either.

"Goodness, for all that size the two of you have, you both respond very much like children." Rhapsody would laugh as she turned back to the bear and began to simply prepare it to her preference, "You can say planet, I've already done the same." She'd mention upon hearing Celerous correct himself, "Those of my home world tend to enjoy their meats only lightly cook, and marinated in the blood of the beast itself. That's for the Carnivora at least-" She'd begin to explain in a pleasant, reminiscent tone, "While plenty like the Leporidae, are Herbivora and do not it meat at all." She'd explain as she cut into the bear with her sword to drain if of it's blood.

She gave a light sigh at the action; the size and shape of the creature really did make it a bit awkward to think about eating. She could imagine Aiden having no problem with eating it however in spite of its appearance; he'd always been one to quickly take to whatever his surroundings were. Rhapsody would quickly snap back to attention, pushing aside her thoughts while she moved back over to the fire Celerous had prepared and taking a seat opposite of him. The bear would need a bit of time to drain, and then she could take to skinning and butchering. As she sat down however, her wings would suddenly slump down; she hadn't realized it before, but she was much more tired than she had initial believed.

"You needn't stammer over your words with me, I'm not one to take offense to the curiosity of another." Rhapsody would say firmly, before taking a deep breath as she began to rest, "Your world is a mystery to me still; it contains many similarities to mine own, and yet so many differences as well. I expect I will most certainly be asking others questions again and again while I'm here, so I couldn't very well be upset about another doing the same of me." she'd explain as she looked up to the sky above, before dropping her gaze down upon Celerous with a soft smile.