You expected chanting.
A spell of this magnitude, channeling this much power, and you expected there to be some chanting going on. Some ominous, rhythmic utterance to lend some rhythm to the procedure.
You have been cruelly disappointed.
Instead what happens is that the sorcerers form a polite, orderly line, and all walk past Dazarel touching him on the forehead while you hold him in place.
Where are the candles? The ritual circles? The ominous latin chanting? These people are shit at proper magic.
I mean, I do kind of love that they don't invest much mysticism into the whole thing, since the Exiles have had to be pragmatic, but still, no style whatsoever.
"Not everything is exciting and grand. I suppose little Kakara has a monopoly there, today," says your grandmother, ruffling your hair.
Well I'm glad to see that despite being an Ancestor Cultist Apra didn't start treating Kakara any differently. Although possibly that's just because as the Matriarch and a Super-Saiyan herself she regards herself as a demigod so she's not getting overawed. Gods know how the actual Cult proper will react to all of this.
The next sorcerer, a woman with grey actually tinging the roots of her hair, snorts as she overhears you. "It's not. The mountain-sized dragon is whining." She smacks him on the snout.
Well random Gokun Granny Sorceror has shot up to being one of my favourite characters instantly. She gets it
He makes a reedy noise and belches a tiny fireball into your face. You power up just as it bursts on your face. The smoke clears. You run your thumb along your cheek. It comes away black with soot.
Your eye twitches.
Literally perfect animal mascot. Harmless but he still retains the power to be incredibly annoying.
"Certain lords and ladies, in the past, have made it their business to set the standard of sorcerers being improper company for nobility," says Berra, glaring at Yammar. "They're used to getting out of sight whenever they aren't needed."
The Patriarch sighs, folding his arms. "Penitent above, don't look at me, boy! I never did that!"
Not a surprise but Berra has issues with Yammar, to the point of viewing him the font of all ills apparently.
You're actually quite glad you're already looking away. It saves you having to be obvious about doing it to hide your expression. "Just...came to an epiphany," you say.
And then something odd happens. Your father stiffens. You hear a tiny gasp from your grandma.
You look at them. "What?"
But the moment has already passed, and grandma is shaking her head with a rueful smile on her face. "Just like that, hm? Incredible."
HMN.
Interesting reaction there, but not an easy one to get a read on. Could be they think she's visiting the Ancestors, could be they think she's receiving inspiration from the Ancestors and doesn't know it, or could be they think she just discovered it herself and are amazed.
I mean, she
did visit the Ancestors, but really the last is actually perfectly accurate given the weirdness of the Genki Dama.
Namely that you
can't be taught the Genki Dama. Every user of it has to reinvent it for themselves. You can give
tips and
advice to someone trying to learn it, but they have to come to the final revelation on their own.
So the biggest thing she can do to help other Exiles learn it is telling them that the Foundation of the technique is Ki Sensing, not Ki Control as would be the obvious guess.
Grandma hums in agreement, looking you up and down. "Yes, growth spurt well in swing, by the looks of it. In another couple of years, you should be done." Her gaze sharpens. "And by the look of it, your mother will soon need to take you out to get a-"
"GRANDMA!" you shriek, everything above your collarbones crimson. You fold your arms tightly as she and Dad begin to laugh at you.
"So she is still mortal!" says Yammar, smirking. "And here I wondered."
You turn on a heel. "I'M GOING NOW!"
Very pleased that the Super Saiyans at least are treating her normally.
You tilt your head back, eyes closed. You sigh. "My father is the Lord Goku," you say in Vegetan-esque cadences.
Beginning to learn Vegetan protocol really has been a fantastic choice that's paid off a lot. Refining her knowledge there would probs be a sound investment, if it can possibly be fit into the schedule.
She lets out a sigh that sounds almost like disappointment. "Yes."
"...best friends?"
And then something happens that's never happened before. Maya...laughs. Snorts, really. At you. Not at a joke, just...at you.
This had the potential to really blow up that relationship and I'm so glad it didn't.
"Yes, Kakara," she says. "Best friends." There's something rueful and exasperated in her tone that's a wonder to hear from her.
You have absolutely no idea what it means.
Poor Maya ;-;
Reputation Gained: The Spirit Saiyan! At the moment where Garenhuld was the most threatened in the history of the Exile, you recreated the legendary Genki Dama and channeled the combined ki of Garenhuld in a moment of shining, transcendent glory, securing the victory and your place in the legends of your people. Your star, long ascendant, can finally be said to have eclipsed Jaffur's, as you at last have surpassed him in the Exile mindset as a warrior Scion. You are viewed with outright awe, and in some cases worship, by your fellow Exiles.
Victory Gained: Wyrm of the Void! Dazarel, a mighty and savage dragon, came to Garenhuld intent on genocide. You stopped him. Not only did you stop him, you did so by way of reinventing and perfectly controlling the legendary Genki Dama. Not only did you do so by way of the Genki Dama, you did it non-lethally. Not only did you do it non-lethally, you did it in such a way that rendered Dazarel harmless. NOT ONLY did you do it in such a way that rendered him harmless, you managed to leave him physical freedom while you were at it. A more complete victory would be hard to envision.
Welp. Yeah, heck of a reputation maker there, and it wasn't like she was doing badly there with her prior major actions. First 'The Mighty', which was impressive but not astounding. Then 'The Gold' which was starting to form her Legendary rep. Then the Council...and the nukes...and the alien scouts. And now
this.
Why am I really really hoping that Kakara has a sexuality where KakaMaya is possible? Because they are just great and I don't want Maya to be sadly holding a torch anymore.
Personally I've already deciding where I'm voting on that, should it come to an actual vote. Bi/Pansexual.
My reasoning? MAXIMUM EMBARRASSMENT.
Kakara has teased her friends plenty on this topic, and now SHE SHALL REAP WHAT SHE HAS SOWN.
She'll see a cute boy and feel all embarrassed and try to escape to the safety of girls. BUT, OH NO, THEY ARE ALSO CUTE!
EVERYONE IS CUTE AND THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM THE MORTIFYING CRUSHES.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, considering all the hints that Kakara's Protector trait is a major reason she was able to do this, this is an opportunity to spread our mindset a bit. Kakara's whole little narrator speech was entrenched with the inherent value of life and how everything was connected.
I mean, really a fantastic argument she could make is that if she wasn't who she was, if she didn't value life everywhere and dislike violence, she
wouldn't have been able to use the Genki Dama at all.
And the Exiles would have been wiped out.
It's a pretty strong argument as these things go.
We need to check on Jaffur right now. Dandeer has sensed him making a hole in the seal.
Really don't think that's the case, I doubt anyone could pick out individual Ki Signatures out of the Genki Dama, except for Kakara who was the one actually doing it.
I think she just took off because she took a heavy blow to her view of the world and didn't feel like she could really deal with it.
Jaffur will find out through Jaron since he's in the Misfits when we talk to them.
He won't be able to have a proper convo directly with her about it, but yeah, he'll know what happened.
So, Dazarel read all of our memories right? What's to stop him from just telling Berra of the free Jaffur conspiracy?
That's really not indicated. From the looks of it, it seems he just skimmed her surface thoughts, saw that they 'Knew' he'd be arriving in a week and decided to go 'Fuck you Prophecy! I do what I want!'
Some(Maybe most?) of the humans panicked when we used the spirit bomb and we did take the talk to the humans side of the action this year. I want to know what's going on.
Presenter: Thank you for being here Miss Marsden. As you can imagine we're rather eager to find out what exactly happened after...well, after you spoke to what seems to be every person on the planet.
Kakara: Not a problem! And to keep it simple...basically a dragon showed up and decided he wanted to eat everyone on the planet?
Presenter: A Dragon!
Kakara: Yup! Kind of a moody one if that wasn't obvious. All 'Rargh I am unstoppable and will eat you and also I painted my bedroom black and you can't tell me what to do'
Presenter: What.
Kakara: Big into the drama. Really powerful but also kind of hard to take seriously? Like he was trying so hard to be all threatening and ominous and everything.
Presenter: So...a moody teenage dragon?
Kakara: ...Pretty much? Anyway thanks to all of you, thanks to everyone on the planet we managed to defeat him.
Presenter: You killed it?
Kakara: No, of course not. Took his powers away and shrunk him so now he's harmless. Well...mostly harmless, he keeps on breaking into my fridge and stealing my sandwiches, the complete
ass. And ranting about how he'll escape and kill us all, which doesn't really come across very threatening when my little sister has tied a really cute hat to his head and he's the size of cat.
Presenter: I...
