[X] (Relatively) Calm
Sickened is losing, so consolidating to something better.
Sickened is losing, so consolidating to something better.
Son Quest (Dragon Ball)
- Thread starter Leingod
- Start date
Daniella_c2
Commie Ice fairy
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] (Relatively) Calm
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Votes are not closed yet.
[14] (Relatively) Calm
@Kosjurake @veekie @Ambit @Zaratustra @KnightDisciple @Derek58 @burningclaw2 @D King Hecht @Selias @Prince Ire @RLDX @wingstrike96 @Alanek @Derekc2
[6] Sickened
@Thriceboiled @NavySeel @Darktommorow999 @Eisenstein80060 @shademaster @PewPewBangBang
[10] Excited
@Kerfirou @alid610 @Varano @Tel Janin Aman @igfry @Corvo Montés @Trondason @Chiperninerm @RomanDragon @Lost Egos
[2] Write-In: Calm
@Zimary @King Arthur
[7] Write-In: Contemplative
@Walkin' Man @Skybreaker @Cjdavis103 @will408914 @saiman @Barret @TerrisH
[1] Write-In: Saddened
@Hanashinobi
[14] (Relatively) Calm
@Kosjurake @veekie @Ambit @Zaratustra @KnightDisciple @Derek58 @burningclaw2 @D King Hecht @Selias @Prince Ire @RLDX @wingstrike96 @Alanek @Derekc2
[6] Sickened
@Thriceboiled @NavySeel @Darktommorow999 @Eisenstein80060 @shademaster @PewPewBangBang
[10] Excited
@Kerfirou @alid610 @Varano @Tel Janin Aman @igfry @Corvo Montés @Trondason @Chiperninerm @RomanDragon @Lost Egos
[2] Write-In: Calm
@Zimary @King Arthur
[7] Write-In: Contemplative
@Walkin' Man @Skybreaker @Cjdavis103 @will408914 @saiman @Barret @TerrisH
[1] Write-In: Saddened
@Hanashinobi
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Excited
[X] Excited
[X] (Relatively) Calm
Changing vote.
Changing vote.
- Location
- Israel
- Location
- New York City
Changing vote
[X] (Relatively) Calm
[X] (Relatively) Calm
- Location
- Too Deep in the Midnight Sea
[X] (Relatively) Calm
King Arthur
The Once and Future King
[X] (Relatively) Calm
will408914
(slouching towards bethlehem)
- Location
- California
[X] Excited
All aboard the unconventional protagonist train!
All aboard the unconventional protagonist train!
King Arthur
The Once and Future King
I feel like being excited at the thought of killing people isn't the best for, you know, a prince who wants to become a king and be beloved by the people and stuff.
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
[X] Excited
- Pronouns
- Tuan/Mahakuasa/Abah
No, but it makes for an interesting character.
imagine it, a nice, patient, wise and beloved king who is also a battle lust warrior in his youth. Still is, in fact.
@Walkin 'Man @Skybreaker @Cjdavis103 @will408914 @saiman @Barret @TerrisH @Thriceboiled @NavySeel @Darktommorow999 @Eisenstein80060 @shademaster @PewPewBangBang
How about changing your vote into excited?
Being battle lust one doesn't mean we can't be a good person as well. And it's much more interesting than a normal 'calm/logical' or 'sickened/soft hearted' SV protagonists.
Last edited:
- Location
- Israel
Sicken/softhearted in SV? Such bold lies. No really. I don't think I've seen a single quest here, with a protag who's not either calm, an anti hero(read exited) or somewhere in between.
But worry not. I already changed my vote to exited(the laser evil of the two) a couple of posts ago, when i realized sicken won't win.
Arkatekt
Harbinger of Shitluck
Current Tally
Vote tally:
##### 3.21
[X] (Relatively) Calm
No. of votes: 20
Kosjurake, veekie, Ambit, Zaratustra, KnightDisciple, Derek58, burningclaw2, D King Hecht, Selias, Prince Ire, RLDX, wingstrike96, Alanek, Derekc2, Thriceboiled, Hanashinobi, Walkin' Man, King Arthur, Arkatekt, Darkcrest
[X] Excited
No. of votes: 16
Kerfirou, alid610, Varano, Tel Janin Aman, igfry, Corvo Montés, Trondason, Chiperninerm, RomanDragon, Lost Egos, Darktommorow999, Geordiefan, shademaster, Iceshard, will408914, KnightofTempest
[X] Calm (Write-in)
No. of votes: 1
Zimary
[X] Sickened
No. of votes: 3
NavySeel, Eisenstein80060, PewPewBangBang
[X] Write-In: Contemplative: You just killed a person, who was trying to kill you. Who had a mother and father just like you. Who chose to become a murderous bandit. It was a mistake. But the intention was rightful... remembering the lessons of your tutors, you take a deep breath and meditate until you are at peace with what happened.
No. of votes: 5
Skybreaker, Cjdavis103, saiman, Barret, TerrisH
[X] Excited this seems the more interesting option
No. of votes: 1
Fastrike
Vote tally:
##### 3.21
[X] (Relatively) Calm
No. of votes: 20
Kosjurake, veekie, Ambit, Zaratustra, KnightDisciple, Derek58, burningclaw2, D King Hecht, Selias, Prince Ire, RLDX, wingstrike96, Alanek, Derekc2, Thriceboiled, Hanashinobi, Walkin' Man, King Arthur, Arkatekt, Darkcrest
[X] Excited
No. of votes: 16
Kerfirou, alid610, Varano, Tel Janin Aman, igfry, Corvo Montés, Trondason, Chiperninerm, RomanDragon, Lost Egos, Darktommorow999, Geordiefan, shademaster, Iceshard, will408914, KnightofTempest
[X] Calm (Write-in)
No. of votes: 1
Zimary
[X] Sickened
No. of votes: 3
NavySeel, Eisenstein80060, PewPewBangBang
[X] Write-In: Contemplative: You just killed a person, who was trying to kill you. Who had a mother and father just like you. Who chose to become a murderous bandit. It was a mistake. But the intention was rightful... remembering the lessons of your tutors, you take a deep breath and meditate until you are at peace with what happened.
No. of votes: 5
Skybreaker, Cjdavis103, saiman, Barret, TerrisH
[X] Excited this seems the more interesting option
No. of votes: 1
Fastrike
The Diablo Desert, pt. 5
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
[ ] (Relatively) Calm
"Uh… So Jin, are you… feeling okay? You've been… pretty quiet." Bulma asks you nervously after a few hours of silence, watching your reflection in the rearview mirror. You take a deep, steady breath to calm yourself before you answer.
"I've never killed a person before," you say quietly. "It… was not a pleasant experience."
"Yeah, I don't think anyone enjoyed seeing that," Bulma says, a sickened look crossing her face at the memory. "Um… if it helps, I'm pretty sure most courts wouldn't convict you. I mean, it was totally self-defense, seeing that he was trying to shoot us full of holes and all. Most people give you a pass under those conditions."
"I'm aware," you say simply. "But I'm also aware of the fact that there were a hundred other ways to neutralize the threat he represented, many of which would have left him alive."
"Jin…"
"My father warned me this might happen. That I might kill someone, or that someone would die and I would blame myself. He told me that the only healthy thing to do was to realize what I could have done to prevent it, if such a thing even existed, and resolve to learn from it. Not to forget or to repress, but not to obsess, either."
"That's… surprisingly good advice," Bulma admits.
"I know he probably left a terrible first impression on you, but I promise you he's not always alternating between mean-spirited pranks and intimidation," you say, managing a small, if shaky, smile. "He often gives my siblings and I advice like that."
"If you say so," Bulma says, looking unconvinced. "So… does that advice help? Are you… you know, okay with what happened?"
"No," you say bluntly.
Bulma searches for something to say, but is spared as you continue. "But I will be. Eventually. I know what my mistake was: I misjudged how durable my opponent was, and I was too careless in how I applied my strength. It will not happen again."
"Well… You're definitely taking it a lot better than most kids your age would. Heck, you're taking it better than most adults would. I completely flipped my lid when I first met Goku: I ran him over on accident and thought I'd killed the poor kid."
"Your car likely took more damage than he did. Especially if it struck him on the head."
"Yeah, no kidding. He dented the thing so bad it looked like someone dropped a rock on it. And that was before he thought it was a monster attacking him and broke the thing. I liked that car, too," Bulma grumbles under her breath.
You spare a glance at Goku, snoring away by your side, seemingly without a care in the world. "I'm a prince who has spent his whole life in a palace and you're the daughter of one of the richest men in the world who has probably never left the city until this journey, but I think Goku might be more sheltered than either of us," you observe.
"Heh, I know, right? Kid's like a wild monkey that learned to talk, sometimes," Bulma says, a fond smile on her face despite her words.
"Dunwannatakabath, Grnpa," Goku mumbles in his sleep, prompting Bulma to giggle and you to shake your head.
---
For two more days you travel towards the heart of the Diablo Desert, where the Dragon Radar says your quarry is located. It's an uneasy journey, as you constantly stay on watch for more bandits during the day and keep watch in two and a half hour shifts with Goku and Bulma at night, despite the fervent protests of your companions, who are both used to sleeping as much as they want.
"They're following us," you report on the morning of the second day.
"What?" Bulma asks in confusion.
"The bandits. They've been following us the past two days, watching from a safe distance."
"What!? And you're only telling us now!?"
"It was hard to be sure with how far away they were," you explain. "I could never quite be sure, but one of them slipped up last night and came close enough that I could tell."
"Oh, that's just perfect. We get to get shot at again," Bulma complains.
"It gets worse. There have been more and more of them over the past two days; they're gathering more numbers, somehow. There could be as many as a hundred this time."
"… Please tell me you're joking," Bulma pleads desperately.
"I don't joke about things like this," you say seriously.
"So what do we do?" Goku asks. "Do we just beat them all up like last time?"
"That's too dangerous," you say. "There'll be far too many of them for Bulma to be safe, and they're not going to hold anything in reserve this time. We need to find somewhere to mount a better defense, so that we can fight them without worrying about Bulma the entire time."
You haven't wasted time, thankfully, and mapped out the immediate area.
This area of the Diablo Desert is mostly hard, baked earth, flat ground interspersed with many thin, tall sun-bleached rocks jutting out from the earth like massive, skeletal fingers. A little ways to the east, they're so numerous that they create a virtual maze.
The Devil's Spine, a large chain of craggy red mountains, runs from north to south and splits the desert in half, save for a few narrow passes. One of those passes is relatively nearby.
Native to this area are a species of giant worm-like creatures, commonly called "Devil's Roundworms." They feed on earth and rock and have tunneled a large network of caves beneath this area of the Diablo Desert.
So… what's the plan?
[ ] One of the mountains in the Devil's Spine nearby has a large, deep cave in it. Bulma can take shelter in there while you and Goku guard the cave's mouth, beating back the bandits.
Bulma will most likely be safe in this plan, but you and Goku will have to stand your ground against the full force of the bandits.
[ ] A large pit in the ground is almost certainly an entrance into the tunnels carved by the Devil's Roundworms. Use Goku's staff to lower Bulma into it, leaving you and Goku to fight the bandits
Bulma will be safe from the bandits, and you and Goku won't be forced to defend a single spot, but while the Devil's Roundworms aren't hostile, they've been known to kill humans who wander their tunnels by accident.
[ ] Bulma will drive straight through the pass through the Devil's Spine, while you and Goku will defend the pass from the bandits
Again, Bulma is safe from the bandits… unless there are more on the other side. On the other hand, it will be much easier to fight the bandits when they're squeezed into the narrow pass.
[ ] The three of you will take refuge in the maze created by the white, bone-like rocks
The maze is too narrow and winding for vehicles to pass through, so the bandits will be forced to abandon their vehicles, including any vehicle-mounted guns they may have. On the other hand, you and Goku will have to defend Bulma from attacks that could come from any direction.
[ ] Write-In
---
"This doesn't look good," Yamcha said as he surveyed the area. "Raion's lackeys have come out in force now, and they probably won't hold back this time." If those two kids died here, any hope of dislodging the man who was uniting the various bandit gangs and tribes under his banner would likely die with them.
"So what are you going to do, Yamcha? You're still hurt," Puar said, trying to ignore the ticklish sensation of Yamcha using her as a telescope. Since Yamcha had to stay out of sight of both the travelers and the bandits, he'd had to stay so far away that his binoculars weren't doing the job anymore.
"And? I'd be more than a match for any of these milk-drinking jackals if I was on my deathbed," Yamcha boasted, perhaps a little defensively.
"Yeah, but so what? There's a hundred of them! With guns!"
"All that means is that I need to be careful with how I help them," Yamcha said with a sly smirk.
"And be careful you don't catch a glimpse of that girl and turn into jelly," Puar teased.
"Yes, Puar, thank you for stating the obvious. Your contribution has been noted," Yamcha said drily, trying in vain to fight back a blush.
AN: Don't worry, I'm not going to turn this into a total slog by tracking all hundred or so bandits, especially after the last fight. This is going to be fairly quick and cinematic, and mainly serve to both introduce Yamcha into the narrative and set up what is essentially your first "boss fight."
"Uh… So Jin, are you… feeling okay? You've been… pretty quiet." Bulma asks you nervously after a few hours of silence, watching your reflection in the rearview mirror. You take a deep, steady breath to calm yourself before you answer.
"I've never killed a person before," you say quietly. "It… was not a pleasant experience."
"Yeah, I don't think anyone enjoyed seeing that," Bulma says, a sickened look crossing her face at the memory. "Um… if it helps, I'm pretty sure most courts wouldn't convict you. I mean, it was totally self-defense, seeing that he was trying to shoot us full of holes and all. Most people give you a pass under those conditions."
"I'm aware," you say simply. "But I'm also aware of the fact that there were a hundred other ways to neutralize the threat he represented, many of which would have left him alive."
"Jin…"
"My father warned me this might happen. That I might kill someone, or that someone would die and I would blame myself. He told me that the only healthy thing to do was to realize what I could have done to prevent it, if such a thing even existed, and resolve to learn from it. Not to forget or to repress, but not to obsess, either."
"That's… surprisingly good advice," Bulma admits.
"I know he probably left a terrible first impression on you, but I promise you he's not always alternating between mean-spirited pranks and intimidation," you say, managing a small, if shaky, smile. "He often gives my siblings and I advice like that."
"If you say so," Bulma says, looking unconvinced. "So… does that advice help? Are you… you know, okay with what happened?"
"No," you say bluntly.
Bulma searches for something to say, but is spared as you continue. "But I will be. Eventually. I know what my mistake was: I misjudged how durable my opponent was, and I was too careless in how I applied my strength. It will not happen again."
"Well… You're definitely taking it a lot better than most kids your age would. Heck, you're taking it better than most adults would. I completely flipped my lid when I first met Goku: I ran him over on accident and thought I'd killed the poor kid."
"Your car likely took more damage than he did. Especially if it struck him on the head."
"Yeah, no kidding. He dented the thing so bad it looked like someone dropped a rock on it. And that was before he thought it was a monster attacking him and broke the thing. I liked that car, too," Bulma grumbles under her breath.
You spare a glance at Goku, snoring away by your side, seemingly without a care in the world. "I'm a prince who has spent his whole life in a palace and you're the daughter of one of the richest men in the world who has probably never left the city until this journey, but I think Goku might be more sheltered than either of us," you observe.
"Heh, I know, right? Kid's like a wild monkey that learned to talk, sometimes," Bulma says, a fond smile on her face despite her words.
"Dunwannatakabath, Grnpa," Goku mumbles in his sleep, prompting Bulma to giggle and you to shake your head.
---
For two more days you travel towards the heart of the Diablo Desert, where the Dragon Radar says your quarry is located. It's an uneasy journey, as you constantly stay on watch for more bandits during the day and keep watch in two and a half hour shifts with Goku and Bulma at night, despite the fervent protests of your companions, who are both used to sleeping as much as they want.
"They're following us," you report on the morning of the second day.
"What?" Bulma asks in confusion.
"The bandits. They've been following us the past two days, watching from a safe distance."
"What!? And you're only telling us now!?"
"It was hard to be sure with how far away they were," you explain. "I could never quite be sure, but one of them slipped up last night and came close enough that I could tell."
"Oh, that's just perfect. We get to get shot at again," Bulma complains.
"It gets worse. There have been more and more of them over the past two days; they're gathering more numbers, somehow. There could be as many as a hundred this time."
"… Please tell me you're joking," Bulma pleads desperately.
"I don't joke about things like this," you say seriously.
"So what do we do?" Goku asks. "Do we just beat them all up like last time?"
"That's too dangerous," you say. "There'll be far too many of them for Bulma to be safe, and they're not going to hold anything in reserve this time. We need to find somewhere to mount a better defense, so that we can fight them without worrying about Bulma the entire time."
You haven't wasted time, thankfully, and mapped out the immediate area.
This area of the Diablo Desert is mostly hard, baked earth, flat ground interspersed with many thin, tall sun-bleached rocks jutting out from the earth like massive, skeletal fingers. A little ways to the east, they're so numerous that they create a virtual maze.
The Devil's Spine, a large chain of craggy red mountains, runs from north to south and splits the desert in half, save for a few narrow passes. One of those passes is relatively nearby.
Native to this area are a species of giant worm-like creatures, commonly called "Devil's Roundworms." They feed on earth and rock and have tunneled a large network of caves beneath this area of the Diablo Desert.
So… what's the plan?
[ ] One of the mountains in the Devil's Spine nearby has a large, deep cave in it. Bulma can take shelter in there while you and Goku guard the cave's mouth, beating back the bandits.
Bulma will most likely be safe in this plan, but you and Goku will have to stand your ground against the full force of the bandits.
[ ] A large pit in the ground is almost certainly an entrance into the tunnels carved by the Devil's Roundworms. Use Goku's staff to lower Bulma into it, leaving you and Goku to fight the bandits
Bulma will be safe from the bandits, and you and Goku won't be forced to defend a single spot, but while the Devil's Roundworms aren't hostile, they've been known to kill humans who wander their tunnels by accident.
[ ] Bulma will drive straight through the pass through the Devil's Spine, while you and Goku will defend the pass from the bandits
Again, Bulma is safe from the bandits… unless there are more on the other side. On the other hand, it will be much easier to fight the bandits when they're squeezed into the narrow pass.
[ ] The three of you will take refuge in the maze created by the white, bone-like rocks
The maze is too narrow and winding for vehicles to pass through, so the bandits will be forced to abandon their vehicles, including any vehicle-mounted guns they may have. On the other hand, you and Goku will have to defend Bulma from attacks that could come from any direction.
[ ] Write-In
---
"This doesn't look good," Yamcha said as he surveyed the area. "Raion's lackeys have come out in force now, and they probably won't hold back this time." If those two kids died here, any hope of dislodging the man who was uniting the various bandit gangs and tribes under his banner would likely die with them.
"So what are you going to do, Yamcha? You're still hurt," Puar said, trying to ignore the ticklish sensation of Yamcha using her as a telescope. Since Yamcha had to stay out of sight of both the travelers and the bandits, he'd had to stay so far away that his binoculars weren't doing the job anymore.
"And? I'd be more than a match for any of these milk-drinking jackals if I was on my deathbed," Yamcha boasted, perhaps a little defensively.
"Yeah, but so what? There's a hundred of them! With guns!"
"All that means is that I need to be careful with how I help them," Yamcha said with a sly smirk.
"And be careful you don't catch a glimpse of that girl and turn into jelly," Puar teased.
"Yes, Puar, thank you for stating the obvious. Your contribution has been noted," Yamcha said drily, trying in vain to fight back a blush.
AN: Don't worry, I'm not going to turn this into a total slog by tracking all hundred or so bandits, especially after the last fight. This is going to be fairly quick and cinematic, and mainly serve to both introduce Yamcha into the narrative and set up what is essentially your first "boss fight."
- Location
- Too Deep in the Midnight Sea
[X] One of the mountains in the Devil's Spine nearby has a large, deep cave in it. Bulma can take shelter in there while you and Goku guard the cave's mouth, beating back the bandits.
Meh, we can take them.
Meh, we can take them.