Irrelevant. It damages communication needlessly to refer to a post without quoting it or even referencing the idea that Poptart said anything like that. I had no clue why you were assuming that and couldn't even reasonably assume there necessarily was something to find that would explain things.
For everyday purposes, yeah, but if there's a major issue that threatens the Exiles or planet as a whole, then them getting involved would be expected, not shameful.
Well, actually, we don't know if they're not supposed to be involved at all during the normal stuff. We know that if a Lord/Lady needs a break, the Matriarch/Patriarch fills in. And I imagine that if they want to, they can still get involved/help out, especially during the early years while they're settling into the role while simultaneously dealing with being a parent.
I raised the possibility of calling Grandma or Yammar for backup during the first scout fight when Berra was preoccupied. The response was that calling them in was heavily frowned upon and suggested incompetence on the parts of the current lord and scion. Naturally, everything is relative, but a perceived attitude of, "I don't need to be good at my job because I can call in the patriarchs to bail me out", is going to be seen as extremely inappropriate. The Lord and Scion are supposed to behave as if they are the only ones available and prepare accordingly. If the patriarchs have to get involved it means that somebody has failed to fully live up to their duty in some way regardless of justifiability.
For everyday purposes, yeah, but if there's a major issue that threatens the Exiles or planet as a whole, then them getting involved would be expected, not shameful.
Well, actually, we don't know if they're not supposed to be involved at all during the normal stuff. We know that if a Lord/Lady needs a break, the Matriarch/Patriarch fills in. And I imagine that if they want to, they can still get involved/help out, especially during the early years while they're settling into the role while simultaneously dealing with being a parent.
I imagine that in most cases where the parent-child relationship between the reigning Lord and the previous generation is basically healthy, the new grandparent is likely to play at least some degree of advisory role.
Though it looks like a lot of effort normally goes into making sure the Scion is ready for their task well before they have their first child and inherit the Lordship. There's a reason Kakara hit full-power super saiyan at a younger age than Gohan, and why she's getting fairly intense political training directly from Berra himself.
I raised the possibility of calling Grandma or Yammar for backup during the first scout fight when Berra was preoccupied. The response was that calling them in was heavily frowned upon and suggested incompetence on the parts of the current lord and scion. Naturally, everything is relative, but a perceived attitude of, "I don't need to be good at my job because I can call in the patriarchs to bail me out", is going to be seen as extremely inappropriate. The Lord and Scion are supposed to behave as if they are the only ones available and prepare accordingly. If the patriarchs have to get involved it means that somebody has failed to fully live up to their duty in some way regardless of justifiability.
That's because the scouts are small potatoes, Lailoken. They're not very powerful, they're not very hard to deal with.
Taking the long view, Berra and Kakara (and the saiyan warriors working for Berra) took the scouts down and barely broke a sweat doing it. There was like ONE point in the entire process where they had any chance of scoring a significant victory, and even that was only because they managed to crit a scouter detection roll after we had to power up to deal with an entirely unrelated problem- major good luck on their part. There was ONE other point in the process where they even stood a chance of actually killing one of Berra's warriors. As it is, that didn't happen. We took down their whole force with zero casualties.
They were just not that big of a problem. So yeah, if Berra weren't up for dealing with comparatively petty stuff like that? That would embarrass him and put a dent in his status and respect. But bigger threats like the dragon are an entirely different order of problem.
Again, don't assume that real people are going to be so grimly fixed in their mindset that they hold people in contempt for things that anyone with common sense would recognize are necessary and appropriate. Context matters.
[x][TRAIN] Desperate Research (spirit bomb) [2 AP]
[x][TRAIN] Ki Manipulation [2 AP]
[x][FIGHT] Cynthia Balor vs. Mitsuba Roma. Odds favor Mitsuba, and heavily; Cynthia's not a fighter by trade. It won't be a very good fight. Pity, but there'll be other fights for you to watch today.
A Betting Girl
You peer down at the schedule and then glance at the ring. "Cynthia Balor and Mitsuba Roma. Odds are...seven thousand, eight hundred and fifty-six to one, in favor of Mitsuba." You whistle. "Wow."
Dad goes still for a moment. "Cynthia Balor is not known for her fighting skills. She's a part of the main branch of your tutor's House, but she's not the designated Heir. She never trained."
"Makes sense," you say. "What does she do instead?"
"Something to do with a scholarly field," says Dad, looking away from you and down to the ring. "I've only met her in passing."
"She's pretty nice, though," you say. "I ran into her during the attack on Horus Bay. She was helping people. Apparently she helped pull people out of the wreckage."
"I saw her footage, as well," your Dad murmurs. "Ordinarily I'd chide her for the indiscretion, but she was actually quite discrete. Nothing a normal human couldn't have gotten on film."
You hum in agreement. "Oh, who's that with her?"
Standing with Cynthia is a fairly short man. Judging by the way they're angled towards each other, they're talking with telepathy.
Dad clears his throat. "No idea." He wipes at his forehead.
You glance at him and then lean backwards over the back of your chair, fixing your gaze on one of the warriors guarding the door. "Hi! Sorry to bother you, but could you turn up the air conditioning?"
"That's not necessary, Kakara," says Dad.
"But you're sweating," you say.
Dad stares at you for a moment. "...fine. But do it yourself. I didn't raise you lazy."
You roll your eyes and twist your finger, and a surge of telekinesis turns on the air conditioner. Dad shivers.
"So you've never met him?" you ask.
"Nope," says Dad, folding his arms. "Must be from a branch line."
You peer at the man. "...he looks weird. Not sure how, though. Dad, do you think he looks weird?"
"Kakara, that's impolite," says Dad, pushing you back in your seat. "Don't stare."
"But he's weird," you say. "Who do you think he is?"
Dad takes an annoyed breath. "Boyfriend, maybe? How would I know?" Kakara's Social Perceptiveness [Communication]: 52, Pass.
You peer at them for a moment before shaking your head. "Nah. I don't think that's it."
"Just let it go, Princess," says Dad, sounding exasperated. "You don't need to know everything."
"Fine," you sigh, throwing up your arms. "But only because you look like you're going to have a stroke. Are you sure you're not hot?"
"Fine," he growls, looking down at some papers in front of him.
You sigh, looking at Mitsuba. Take Two [Communication]: 89, Pass-ish.
You narrow your eyes.
Mitsuba is staring at Cynthia and her friend, looking between them. She looks...surprised, and a little concerned.
You look at Cynthia and her friend. The man looks...focused. Eyeing up Mitsuba, and passing along his thoughts to Cynthia if you're any judge. Cynthia, though...she looks confident. Not arrogant, but she's clearly very certain that she's got this under control.
Also, she seems more comfortable in her Masque than Mitsuba does. You know the tells.
You look up. "Dad, can I have some money to make a bet?"
He snorts. "Save it, Princess. Not worth your time, with those odds."
"No, I'm not going to bet for Mitsuba," you say.
Dad...blinks, and looks up at you. "...why not?"
You nod out into the arena. "Mitsuba looks like she's seeing something she didn't expect and Cynthia doesn't," you say. "Cynthia looks like she's not worried at all."
Dad blinks and looks. "...I suppose you're right. Why do you think that's decisive?"
"Because if a newbie is going up against a professional tournament fighter and still thinks they have a good chance, and the tournament fighter isn't yelling at them for insulting their skills, the newbie probably has a good reason to be confident."
Dad nods slowly. "Alright. How much were you hoping for?"
"A hundred zeni," you saying fidgeting slightly.
He lifts an eyebrow. "A hundred zeni. You want a hundred zeni so you can make a seven thousand-to-one bet?"
You swallow, but stand your ground. "I already said why."
He evaluates you for a moment before slowly pulling out a wallet. "If this goes south on you, you do Mato's chores for a week."
"Deal," you say, snatching the bills as he pulls them out.
"And you explain to your mother why I'm a hundred short," he adds in a bland tone of voice.
You grimace. "...deal."
He chuckles. "That confident, are you? Go on, then."
You nod, and head off to make your bet.
* * *
Miss Fren's voice rings out over the stands as you return to the box. Your mom and siblings are back in place as you sidle past them and sit down. Mom raises an eyebrow at you. "And where were you, young lady?"
Dad nudges her, smirking. "I'll explain later."
She transfers her skepticism to him, but drops the issue as Miss Fren continues speaking.
Of course she's the announcer; at an event this big it was only to be expected. You listen as she begins. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! The next round of preliminaries is about to start! This round is Cynthia Balor, non-inheriting daughter of Head Balor, against Mitsuba Roma! Most of you will recognize Mitsuba as a frequent competitor in the Cap Circuit, where she regularly advances into the quarter- and semi-finals! A seasoned competitor, Mitsuba has never yet claimed a championship! Looks like she's brought her family along for this one, though! Feeling confident, Mitsuba?"
Mitsuba looks away from the little saiyan child at her side and smiles up at Fren's box, shouting back, "Confident at ever!"
There's some cheering in response. Mitsuba's not a massive crowd-pleaser, but she definitely has fans, and plenty of respect. The little boy bounces in excitement, grinning. With your hearing, it's no challenge to hear him say, "You gonna win, Momma?"
Mitsuba's smile flickers as she glances at Cynthia again. "Maybe, Taro. Still, as long as I put in a good show, I'll win no matter what, remember?"
"On the other side we have Cynthia Balor!" says Miss Fren. "Miss Balor is a historian by trade, and doesn't have much fighting experience. It's good to see newcomers to the ring stepping up during this time of need."
Cynthia gives an awkward smile and a quick wave, to polite applause.
You cock your head. Interesting. Either Miss Fren doesn't see what I see, or she's not talking about it.
"Miss Balor, what brings you to the ring today?" asks Miss Fren.
Cynthia shrugs, looking vaguely uncomfortable with the attention. "Hey, everybody has to step up, right?"
Liar, liar. Even I can tell that.
"Well, it's nice to see," says Miss Fren, sounding completely unconvinced. "Alright! Contestants to the ring! Victory by submission, ring-out, or knock-out! Exchange a few words, ladies, and then let's get this show on the road!"
Cynthia and Mitsuba climb into the ring. You immediately eavesdrop.
Mitsuba speaks first. "I see you've been spending that time out of public wisely."
Cynthia shrugs. "I train. All saiyans do."
"Mhm. They do, yeah. Thing is, I know that look. You've trained a lot, haven't you? And you've trained hard."
"Maybe," says Cynthia, settling into a stance -- Krillin Style. "Let's find out."
Mitsuba gives her a smile, settling into a Piccolo Style stance. "Fair enough. Still, though, don't get cocky. I can see that you've trained well, but I have a lot more experience than you do."
Something like irritation flashes through Cynthia's eyes at that, and-
"Kienzan!"
You blink as the saw blade of ki slams into the ground at Mitsuba's feet, sending shrapnel everywhere and destabilizing her footing. Mitsuba immediately launches up and back. Cynthia seems to anticipate that, and by the time Mitsuba's ki kicks in to bear her further aloft, Cynthia is there, hammering into her and kicking her towards the edge of the ring.
Gasps ring out across the arena as Mitsuba tumbles to a halt just short of a ring-out, eyes wide.
Miss Fren says, "A very aggressive opening from Cynthia, everybody! Mitsuba looks like she wasn't expecting this kind of pressure at all!"
Mitsuba shakes off her momentary surprise and narrows her eyes. "Masenko, ha!"
Cynthia rolls away from the beam and starts peppering Mitsuba with some basic blasts. The two circle each other, probing for weaknesses. After a second Mitsuba cuts in on her next turn, shooting directly for Cynthia. "Evil Explosion!" she shouts without pausing her charge. Cynthia raises her arms to tank the blast and rolls backwards, just barely evading Mitsuba's charge.
She does not evade Mitsuba's follow-up kick, and slams back-first into the arena.
Mitsuba raises her arms. "Masenko, ha!"
Cynthia grits her teeth, snaps her fingers to her forehead-
vip
thump
Mitsuba whirls and catches Cynthia's blow as the younger woman appears behind her. They clash their shins together in an abortive attempt to gain the upper hand before disengaging. Cynthia immediately charges up a Kamehameha, and Mitsuba doesn't react quite in time to stop it firing.
bang
Miss Fren finally gets a word in. "...definitely one of the more active matches we've had today, folks! These girls are really driving hard! This is a lot more than we were expecting to see from this fight, that's for sure!"
Then Mitsuba rockets out of the smoke towards Cynthia and catches her while she's recovering from her shot.
As the two begin to clash, it becomes clear that Mitsuba holds the advantage up close. Cynthia's not bad -- far from it -- but Krillin style doesn't like one-on-one. Cynthia is having to adapt to an uncomfortable situation. After a moment, she dodges back and snaps her fingers back to her forehead.
Mitsuba immediately whirls-
vip
-as Cynthia appears, spreading her hands with fingers splayed. "Taiyoken!"
You snap your eyes shut just in time for the Solar Flare, and open them in time to see Cynthia kick Mitsuba in the chest, zooming back, and cupping her hands. "Ka...Me...Ha...Me..."
Mitsuba, even blinded, reacts quickly, bringing her fingers up to her own forehead. "Makankosappo!" She snaps her fingers out, dead in line with Cynthia. Ki sense, obviously.
Cynthia's eyes widen. "HA!" She fires into Mitsuba's beam and then twists to the side, using her blast to slow the attack enough for the dodge.
Mitsuba scrubs at her eyes and peers up at Cynthia. For a moment, the two eye each other up as the crowd comes out of its stunned silence and starts to go wild.
"Looks like Cynthia is trying to open the range," says Fren. "Mitsuba is trying to stay on her, but that IT is coming in a lot of handy right now. It looks like they're stopping for a moment, though. Listen in, if you can..."
"...who taught you?" asks Mitsuba, lowering her voice in an attempt to keep the chat private. It probably works for the crowd. "I know everybody who could have taught you that well, and none of them taught you. At least I thought I did. Was it your friend? The one passing you tips with telepathy." She nods to the man on Cynthia's side of the ring.
"Passing advice isn't cheating," says Cynthia.
"Didn't say it was," says Mitsuba. "But is he the one that taught you? Why are neither of you in the Cap Circuit? You could hit the finals easily, Cynthia, and your friend honestly looks bored, watching us."
"He didn't teach me jack shit," says Cynthia.
"Thank the gods," mutters the man, his first words that you can hear.
Cynthia flashes him a rude hand gesture by way of reply. "He's just a friend," she says. "Just here to watch. Neither of us like publicity."
Mitsuba's eyebrows raise. "That's it? You don't like publicity? Come on, it's the Circuit! I'm sitting here telling you that you could go far. You'd be famous!"
"I don't want the fame of being a fighter, and he's an arrogant jerk who thinks nobody is worth his time. He'd be a terrible tournament fighter."
"I'd be out in the prelims," says the man, shrugging.
Mitsuba frowns, looking between them. "I'm...not sure I believe that...but I don't feel like you're lying."
"Get used to disappointment," says the man.
"He is a jerk," you say, propping your chin in your hand.
"Be nice," says Dad.
"Besides, I want to be known as a scholar, not a fighter," says Cynthia, dragging your attention back to the ring.
Mitsuba frowns. "You don't have to choose! You can do both! Look at the crowd! They love you! Wanting to be known for your other work doesn't change that. You don't have to choose just one!"
Which is...fairly incontestable. The crowd is looking more engaged than they have in hours. If Cynthia was hoping for instant celebrity, she would have found it difficult to find a more effective way.
"Don't we have a fight to be finishing?" asks Cynthia, ignoring that comment.
Mitsuba looks on the verge of contesting that for a moment before relenting. "Fine." She takes her stance again. "I see you're hoping to keep me at range."
"I thought it was a good idea, given our styles."
"Unless your enemy trains to get in close against a ranged fighter." She grins. "Which I have."
tsew
Cynthia blurs back as Mitsuba chases her, throwing wild blasts. After a moment, the blasts slow in mid-air before rocketing at Cynthia's back. Cynthia evades, but that gives Mitsuba enough time to close to zero range. Cynthia immediately goes on the defensive, struggling to open the range.
Fren interjects once more. "After a quick chat, the two are back at it again! It looks like Cynthia is having a tough time getting her space, though, and this is Mitsuba's territory right now! How does she plan to get out of this one?"
Cynthia will have a very tough time of that, it seems, because Mitsuba is pressing so hard that Cynthia can't even raise her fingers for an IT. She dodges back again and again, only moving to the side to avoid the arena boundaries. It becomes increasingly clear that she can't keep it up. With a triumphant shout, Mitsuba manages to land a blow at last, throwing Cynthia's arms wide apart.
What happens next happens quickly to everybody but your father and you. A tiny spark of ki flickers up over Cynthia's palm. The spark solidifies and grows and spins and sharpens.
Mitsuba cuts off her lunge into Cynthia's wide-open guard with a yelp, jerking her fingers back from the swiftly-formed Kienzan.
And then Cynthia turns her backwards momentum into a backflip, landing a brutal kick to Mitsuba's chin. Already shaken by the near-amputation she just suffered, Mitsuba takes it square-on.
Ending her flip, Cynthia lunges in close and lands a palm strike to Mitsuba's sternum. The older woman rockets backwards and shatters the intruder ward surrounding the arena. A horn blares. The crowd goes nuts.
"Ring-out!" says Fren. "Cynthia Balor wins by ring-out in one of the biggest upsets in years! A brilliant maneuver with that Kienzan at the end, and a great reversal! Mitsuba, how are you doing?"
The woman climbs to her feet, letting out a wheezing chuckle as she shouts back, "Bruised ego, but I'm fine."
Cynthia touches down nearby. "Sure you're good?"
"Yeah, I've taken worse. Wouldn't have even been the first time I've needed my fingers reattached." Mitsuba waves it off as her sideliners run up. "Excuse me."
Her son slams into her leg. "Momma!"
"I'm fine, Taro. And hey, it was a good fight, right?"
"Very good fight," says a man in a fighter's outfit. "You looked good out there."
Mitsuba rolls her eyes and gives him a hug. "You always say that." She looks at a pair of young men trailing behind the rest of the group. "And what did we learn today, boys?"
The two trade glances before one ventures. "We...learned...that Kienzans are great melee weapons, master?"
"They kinda suck, actually," says Cynthia, rubbing at the back of her scalp. "Too unwieldy."
Mitsuba nods. "They were unexpected. Nobody uses them like that because they're unwieldy. Except masters." She eyes Cynthia side-on before returning to her students. "Alright, go find your seats. I'll continue the lesson later. Bana, could you take Taro back...?"
"Of course, hun," says the man, picking up their son. "See you back in the stands." He sets off. "Your parents should be here soon, by the way. They called, said they're running late."
Mitsuba nods and smiles. Then she whirls on Cynthia. "Seriously, who trained you? I know -- thought I knew -- all the Krillin style masters."
Cynthia shrugs. "Like I said, private. I learned from a lot of people, here and there." She looks up as Fren starts announcing the next contestants. "Anyway, looks like we should clear the ring. Nice fight, Mitsuba." She holds out her hand.
Mitsuba keeps giving her a suspicious look for a moment before nodding sharply and shaking the outstretched hand. "Nice indeed. Pleasure to lose to you, Cynthia." The two women give each other polite smiles and part.
You and Dad stop listening in and nod at each other. In unison, you say, "They're in."
And then you hop up, heading for the door.
"Kakara, where are you going?" asks Mom, standing herself.
"Collecting seven hundred eighty-five thousand, six hundred zeni from the gambling booth," you say, grinning.
Mom's eyes widen. "Seven- Kakara Goku, get back here and explain this instant!"
"Dad can explain!" you sing, stepping outside.
As you leave, you hear her shouting, "Berra Goku!"
Going into the next day of the tournament, preliminaries will be done. Dad's scheduled the target shooting competition for tomorrow.
You also have time in between helping Dad watch over these events to talk to somebody. Who?
[ ][CHAT] Cynthia Balor. She's nice, you remember, and you'd have fun catching up.
[ ][CHAT] Mitsuba Roma. You've heard a lot about her, and since you and Dad both want her on the force, you figure you should get to know her.
[ ][CHAT] Papata Fren. See what your idol has to say about the tournament. Maybe she'll have you do some announcer work with her on the side!
[ ][CHAT] Write-in. Every saiyan not in House Senzu is in attendance. If you want to chat with them, they're here.
THIS VOTE IS NOW CLOSED.
Okay, you all should never expect this again. Generally, if I say I can't get an update out, I just can't. I only barely was able to crank this out, and only because I pulled a fast one on time management. We are all very fortunate, and it is definitely a one-time stroke of luck. I will be nearly incommunicado until Monday, starting now! If somebody also participating in Terminus Quest could get over and let them know that I'll be away until Monday (reason: in-laws visiting, which is good since we like them but fills all free time with hosting duties), I'd greatly appreciate it. Sorry if this is a little bare bones, but I am hitting the hard limit on time availability and need to go immediately. If I'm around, it will be in quick doses via mobile. Bye! Hope you liked!
...Holy shit, 52 when we've got +50 to Communication? Meaning a roll of 2 on a d100?
Also, I'm not sure if Zeni are yen or us dollar equivalents, but the fact that 100 is apparently worth punishment for wasting, I'm guessing us dollars equivalent. Which would mean Kakara just made off like a bandit.
To clarify: I suspect that there is a grace transition period (though this is ideally completed before ascension to lord), and nobody cares about minor ministerial assistance since that's more a matter of convenience than necessity, and nobody's going to give Berra and Kakara much crap for calling in backup against an OOC threat which can challenge multiple GGAs simultaneously as long as they did everything they plausibly could to avoid needing it, but they are expected to prepare as if the patriarchs don't exist, even if that's ultimately impossible to fully implement. Once the patriarch retires to seclusion they have no formal authority and are supposed to be hands-off in a manner akin to the former Japanese emperors. They are not formally part of the system anymore, hence why Apra was comfortable letting her power and combat ability deteriorate during retirement before the sealing crisis. A lord or scion seen as making decisions based on the assumption of their continued assistance is tacitly admitting that they aren't up to the job and the patriarch remains the de facto lord for the most important part of the job. Neglecting intensive combat training in light of multiple imminent invasions because there are unofficial reservists to pick up the slack would not be considered appropriate behavior for one half of the planet's official defense force regardless of whether she was technically correct or not. She is expected to behave as if they are not available.
Berra could be sick/cursed/whatever... or he could just be tense about something. What about the situation immediately before the fight might make such a man nervous?
[X][SKEET] Join the target shooting brackets.
[X][CHAT] Mitsuba Roma. You've heard a lot about her, and since you and Dad both want her on the force, you figure you should get to know her.
Poptart's doing something interesting with her, I think. And yes, I can see the fight being lost that way. Mitsuba tends to pick what looks like a good strategy and commit to it hard. She's smart enough, and has a flexible enough library of strategies, for it to work out for her a large fraction of the time. But now and then it backfires, and she ends up overextended enough that things get... pretty interesting.
I suggest not taking Balor. We have an existing relationship with her which is a satisfactory start. We need to get to know the others on the force.
That, or do something unexpected. Meet the man who was counseling Balor. Possibly meet with Yammar and discuss the kaiju-busters plan since his Clan's Vegeta style is more suited to it than Gokun.
Getting publicly in with Yammar would probably also seriously crib Dandeer's options for screwing with Kakara. She knows painfully well that a lot of Vegetans would take their cues from Yammar rather than her if it came down to it.
[X][SKEET] Join the target shooting brackets.
[X][CHAT] Mitsuba Roma. You've heard a lot about her, and since you and Dad both want her on the force, you figure you should get to know her.
Besides, a ratio of 7000:1 is completely insane. At that level, betting is entirely economically rational even without a reason, because I refuse to believe that in Saiyan fighting, upsets happen as rarely as 1 in 7000 fights.
