Roar of The Crowd - Friends Meet Again [Phakk]

"AH-" Ward would hear in reply, as Phakk jumped from where she had been sitting on the edge of a building with some food, and then spent the next few seconds attempting to swoop through t he air to catch her burrito before it landed  on the ground. Fortunately, this time it was a success! The woman came to a stop, burrito clenched in her hands, inches away from the ground. Hovering there she lets out a sigh of relief, before moving to sit back up and rocket into the sky. "Sorry about th-that! Hi Ward! It's great to hear your voice. Did you get my texts last night?" She'd sent him a few memes she thought had fit him rather well, but wasn't sure if there had been a response. ...Or if he knew how to work his gifted phone. Silly man. 

"You know you can call me, right?" She continues, even as the Shinjin looked up the location on her phone and set off into the distance to reach him. Wait. How did she know he was actually at the Papaya islands? Maybe he was somewhere else. "But yeah I've heard of it! The Budokai, r-right? A few people I've met are participating, and if you are, I'll be sure to show up and cheer you on!" Phakk was doing her absolute best to put forward a peppy and confident demeanour, like she had been practicing, and she hoped it was working! After their last meting, she had endeavoured to never be referred  to as the 'grass  eating girl' by him again, and this was part of it! She wanted to seem cool, dang it!

Thus many hours were spent late at night researching ways on how to talk to people, all the while curled up in her onesie and staunchly ignoring her sister, sipping at some hot cocoa. Phakk had immediately done her best to put what she had read into effect with some of the other people she met, like Beowulf or Faustus! She had found that it helped to be able to think on what her favourite videogame characters were, and to just emulate them. They'd always been so competent and capable, and the ones that spoke were always so amazing, so how could she not want to be like them? The results had been... lacking, for instance, but... maybe she could get tips from Ward? He was probably her best friend. Even if they'd only talked once. Was... was that sweet or sad? 

"Oh, it wasn't anything big, honestly! Just... You know it's fine to ask for help with the phone, r-right?" Phakk waves off his concerns, flying through the air fast enough that her hair smacked against her head hard enough for it to actually hurt, thee woman shaking her head in an attempt to keep it out of her eyes as she continued forward. "And yeah, it's called an elimination round. They happen all the time in games. It's what happens where there's an odd amount of competitors than can't be split up into even brackets. Some people are automatically put forward, while others have to contend for a right to compete!" She explains the situation with no small hint of pride at her own knowledge. Now who knew things, hm? 

"Mm?" She responds with curiosity at his request, pausing in mid air and beginning to count, taking a glance around. Was he nearby or- "AH-" She barks in surprise as the other Shinjin just appeared, reached out to grab her by the arm, and then all of a sudden their surroundings changed and they were on the beach. "Woah." She murmurs, a little wobbly as he let her go. "H-... Hi Ward!" Phakk returns his smile, her own rather genuine as a he would note the slightest of giggles at the look on his face. He was trying, she could tell, and at the end of the day that was all that really mattered. "It's good to see you! I like your smiiiile." While Phakk did notice his increase in strength, that was the last thing on her mid. After all, this was her friend! Who cared about power levels when you could just suspend time with a friend of yours? "How have you been? It's only been a week or two, but it feels like ages. Have you gotten up to much?"

"Have you... just been... here?" Phakk couldn't help but ask, blinking in surprise at the sheer amount of activity that could be seen on this beach alone. The woman had known that ward too his duties and training seriously, but she had hoped that the Shinjin had gotten out a little more than she could currently see. After all, it was hardly as if he could experience the mortal world by just hanging out on one island! And... while she did want to give him the benefit of the doubt something told her that staying on one island and training to his heart's content wasn't something that the other shinjin would be opposed to. Call it the intuition of a friend, as she playfully narrows her eyes at him, grinning. 

"And I still like it! Even if it hurts a little." She tacks on at the end, her own smile natural and easy to do, reaching the very corners of her face. An almost... predatorial look. tilting her head, her own smile lessens as he spoke, nodding along with what he said. She supposed that a lot of things had happened... What an interesting life she had bee living, now that she thought about it. Someone new being met almost every second day... it was exhilarating! But... also kind of exhausting. SO much effort, so much... need for improvement when it came to talking. She was pretty mentally drained, herself. And the more tired she became, the louder the Dark seemed to whisper. "I um... well..." She starts, swallowing and looking away. "N... not... reaaalllly? I've met a much of people! B-but.." Her hands come up to tap index fingers together with embarrassment. "I... Haven't really... done much in the way of... anything really." The most the girl could remember doing was visiting Hell that one time, and healing that boy Erbia had found! The rest had really just been her exploring and meeting people. or people meeting her.

"Eh, you don't need to pretend for anyone. I think you're plenty cool as you are! By yourself, I m-mean. N-no um... acting. Yeah." Ah yes. Phakk, the master of compliments. At least she managed to get one out this time? "Just um... r-remember to take care of yourself, okay? Training's good and all, but if you push yourself too far, you won't be in tip top shape for the combat tournament! Healing magic is good and all, but it's nothing compared to some good food and a night's rest!" The white haired shinjin would find a finger waggled in his face, Phakk's cheeks puffing up for her best attempt at a stern look, brow furrowed as she did her best to look scary. Like a puppy growling. Or doing anything, really.

"..Try not to give up on mortals that easily, Ward. I get that it can be... tough with some of them, but they often mean well." Phakk comments after a moment pause, tilting her head and looking up at the man, before moving to boop him on the nose. "Some of them are bad, yes, but you'll find that despite their life spans, they can do a lot. Change a lot. You're an ancient, powerful god. Older than all mortals in this young galaxy, and in a universe that's not even out of its diapers yet. There's still so much time to go. So... try not to get too stuck in your ways already, yeah?" She gives him a soft smile. There was no judgement there, simply concern for her best friend. She didn't want him to turn out like her dad, after all! 

And someone would need to stop her.

Phakk hummed, nodding along with wat Ward was saying. "And you're right for thinking of the bad they can do. But just... don't let it overshadow the good, okay? There's a lot we can learn from them, especially when it comes to fighting. Which is something you dooooo need to learn for your upcoming fight." The other Shinjin gets a smile from the lady, as she does a small spin on the sand,  her dress billowing out around her. Once that was done, she then moves to tuck it under her butt and legs, moving to sit down in the sand and work on taking her shoes off, digging her toes into the hot sand. A small sigh leaves her at the feeling of it, running the warm granules through her feet. 

"You should try this. It's great." She calls up to the taller man, before humming and starring out across the ocean. "... It really is a pretty world, huh...?" Phakk eventually murmurs, after a few beats of silence. "All that blue, and life... nothing I've seen, at least, can compare when it comes to Otherworld." There's another pause, before she pats next to her, grinning at him. "It's a lot like the mortal themselves, I guess. A lot more in depth than they get given credit for, and can be dangerous and challenging in their own right. ...Wh-what i'm trying to say i-is that things aren't that bad. I-i guess." Words.  Bad. Aaaaa- She was trying though. She wanted Ward to be able to get it, and to know that his feelings weren't wrong. He just needed to... grow a little from it.

"Give them time. As I said, both they and their universe are rather young." Phakk smiles gently at Ward, nodding along with what he said. "You're smart, Ward. And perceptive too. You'll see what I mean soon enough. There's good in the mortals." There has to be. "The reason you're so doubtful is because you're being you, silly. You entered into a fighting tournament trying to find the best of the best, when instead you found people kind of like yourself. Good, but I know that you don't think of yourself as the gold standard. Too much time devoted to the acts of violence and defence." Her smile persisted as she sat there, looking towards the white haired shinjin whilst she spoke to him. 

"If you want to find good, true good... Don't look to the ones throwing fire, punching mountains hard enough that they crack, or screaming all over the place. Look to the side lines. The helpers, the quiet ones that ask no recognition and very rarely receive any. Have an honest, down to... well, down to earth conversation. I think you'll find a lot of what you're after will be found there." It was where Phakk had seen it, after all. Not in the dragon, or the Namekian warlord. But in the little Majinn girl that had invited her to stick together when Phakk was scared, or the Saiyan woman that played a prank on her but taught the Shinjin the ropes she needed to know. The wolf man that offered to help her learn to defend herself, and the android that had taught Phakk about the various games, and even bought them for her!

"You are open minded, Ward. But you're in a place that's new and exciting and altogether different than what you're used to. Of course you're going to flounder for a bit. but you'll find your legs, and stand as tall here as you do in otherworld. Trust me on that. All that you need to do is stop seeking out fights, and going to super deadly tournaments, silly." He gets a punch on the shoulder by mis noodle arms, who was well aware that without her magic she couldn't even scratch him. Then, finished talking for the moment, she returns to watching the wave with him. Simply... enjoying the moment. It was a beautiful sight, and Phakk wouldn't lie to herself in saying that the company didn't increase the splendour of the moment.

"Hehe. Well, I am older than most~" Phakk hums in response. "And I guess with age comes character. Even if that majority of that time I spent inside, apparently. I don't really regret it though." Sure, she had been bored sometimes, but hey! Things had worked out! Phakk had some great hobbies, and she was meeting some amazing people. "If you want to find substance, I'm sure each mortal you find is just as much a person as even ourselves. It's an emotion called Sonder, actually. The realisation that every single other person out there has lead lives just as interesting and nuanced as your own. Of course, it was developed by mortals so maybe not strictly accurate to us gods, but... My point is that they're people. Not side characters, or NPCs." She was pretty sure that he didn't kow what that meant, but hey, it let her feel mysterious. 

As he poked her nose, he would receive a wink and her tongue sticking out at him. "Bleegh." She giggles at the man, before nodding. "I'm heading to Plant too. My parents wanted me to go there, claiming it'd show me some of the harder sides of being a mortal. I'm hoping to be able to do something there to help. I..." She looks down at her hands, a black mist beginning to seep from them. "My power isn't friendly, or like yours. It's... dangerous. Not like yours. It's why I didn't sign up for that tournament. I didn't want to... want to hurt anyone. But on Plant... i'm thinking I could use it. As a sort of... deterrent? You know, scare them away from one another and keep them from being able to hurt themselves." Phakk knew she was going to need help o pull this off, and Ward was pretty strong...