Scene #2060: Sun-soaked Saiyan Meditations

Owner	Pose
Taylita	Spring. Where it is very often sunny and always temperate. Taylita has chosen an out of the way spot to set her ship down, and is currently seated atop it in a typical meditation pose. Legs crossed in front of her, eyes closed, and hands pressed palms together in front of her chest. She is wearing her usual grease monkey clothes, but by the look of how many bandages are covering her, she really didn't need to bother. Just one eye and her mouth are not bandaged. She sent Gohan the coordinates for her current location, and is now just waiting for him to arrive while getting some preliminary meditation out of the way.
Gohan	With all the information swirling in his head, Gohan needs meditation to an extreme degree. When the invitation that Taylita had extended a couple of days earlier finally comes to pass, he makes his way to her coordinates with haste. He's dressed, not in his armor, or even the modified Saiyan schoolboy outfit he had worn when meeting with Kakarot. Nope. Instead, he's dressed in his simple Namekian gi. The purple gi cinched at the waist with a blue belt. His shoes are the only off part, however, being the blue boots of his Saiyan armor. He passes through a warpgate and into Spring, and it's not long before he spots her ship, and her outside of it. His aura snaps loudly as he halts, then descends toward her. He's wearing a smile, but it quickly turns to a frown as he sees how heavily bandaged she is. He rushes toward her, then drops to a knee, studying the bandages he can see with a shaken eye. He seems to waver slightly. "... He... did quite the number to you," he says, looking down at the ground. "I... I am so sorry..."
Taylita	Taylita opens her one good eye, then smiles softly. "Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. It was my choice." she says, then motions to the spot beside her atop her ship. Gohan might recognize it. It is a PTO scout ship that she has repainted to the colors of her adopted home world. Mostly green, with some brown tones. She looks his outfit over, then smirks lightly. "That's a good look for you. Much better than that PTO armor." She stretches her arms over her head, then grks as something pops which probably isn't supposed to pop. She sighs, then lowers her arms and pulls on her left shoulder, and there is another pop. "Well...guess I'll have to be more careful. I usually heal fast, but it's been a while since I was pushed to the limit like that."
Gohan	Gohan waits a moment, then returns the smile slowly. "I... I should've been there when the Kamehameha came," he says, "I should've taken that hit, not... not let you take it." He keeps his head bent for a moment longer, then shakes it and sits down next to her. "I like what you've done with the ship," he says brightly. "Something good came from the PTO, at least. I... guess you should know that it won't exist for much longer." He smiles and blushes a bit at the compliment, then scratches the back of his head. "Yeah... the Saiyan armor's going away too." He's quick to move as he hears the pop as she stretches, eyes going wide at the sound. As she rubs her left shoulder, he places his hand gently against the back of her shoulder. "That sounded bad..." he says, concern in his tone, "I still can't believe you did that, Taylita. It was really... It got me thinking a lot," he says, settling back down. He keeps his eyes on her, smiling a bit though it seems a bit pained as well. "I've been in a state of panic since all that," he adds as he settles into a meditative pose.
Taylita	Taylita raises an eyebrow and her smirk morphs to something between a smirk and a smile. "You were getting sucked by a amalgamated monster, if I recall the reports." she says to that first comment, purposefully making it sound suggestive. She giggles, wincing a bit, then shakes her head. "No, I had to at least take the hit. I couldn't call myself a saiyan if I let someone else take it." she says, then her smirk fades to a contemplative expression. "You know...before all this started...not just Kakarot's stuff, but everything with you and Vegeta and Serori and the PTO...I didn't really care if I found out about other saiyans. From what the data files on this ship said, we were little better than attack dogs waiting to be pointed at a victim. I was ashamed of my race." Taylita says, looking down at her feet, then raising her head a bit to look at Gohan. "I wanted to be involved in how the saiyan society developed. I -needed- to be involved. To steer us away from that terrible past and toward a brighter future." She tilts her head back to look at the sky. "But, since I got to know you guys, and especially since Vegeta started...I dunno, he just seems genuinely different. Anyway, it's made me rethink my position. I don't feel so much like I need to be involved anymore. Every saiyan I've spoken to seems to want the same thing I do. I don't know if that's because of me, or just because Freiza is gone, but...real saiyans are much different than I thought."
Gohan	Gohan blushes again. "D... do you have to say it like that?" he says, cocking an eyebrow. "It wasn't the most pleasant experience I've been through," he adds, "Doesn't really match what... you were dealing with though." He crosses his legs, staring at the space between them with an intense gaze. "I guess," he says, "but where most have this instinct to fight for themselves... I've always forced it. I don't have that instinct, to go out for honor or pride. I... I want to fight to protect. I want to do what my first master did for me, and guard those I care about." He shakes his head. "Guess I'm not a good Saiyan in that regard, huh?" Taylita starts talking about her encounter with Saiyans, first the details in the PTO database, and then the Saiyans that had begun to flow into the Multiverse. How she viewed them through time. As she mentions that they want what she wants, he holds his tongue until she's finished. As she does, it's a moment before he's able to find his voice. "I... my experience with the Saiyans has been through invasions. Two of them, one which killed my dad, and the next that killed my master. They were savage, nasty beings, and I reviled the Saiyan blood in me. And then I thought about Dad. It wasn't Saiyan nature to be evil. It was learned behavior. If my dad could be so strong and have a heart like his, couldn't all Saiyans?" He shudders. "I held onto that thought, even as Vegeta tried... and succeeded in some regards, to beat the Saiyan lifestyle into me. Literally beating, by the way. But I held on to the hope that maybe... MAYBE, I could bring the race back, but as a race of kind-hearted and powerful guardians. I met you and Serori, and others, and I thought maybe it could happen. But I did it wrong. I wanted it for the wrong reasons. What happens to them now... I can't help. It... it's not my place." He curls his hands into soft fists. "I am only half Saiyan. Even if I wanted to lead the Saiyans, I am a halfbreed. If the instincts kicked back in and undid all the work I put in, would they even accept me? Would I blame them if they didn't?" He shakes his head. "I think they have the leaders they deserve," he says, and his tone is somewhat sad, though he tries to tick it up toward the end. "I wish them nothing but prosperity. Maybe, one day, they'll need someone like me." "Until then, though, I need to find a place."
Taylita	Taylita giggles as Gohan blushes, then listens to him. She shakes her head gently at the end. "No...they don't have the leaders they deserve. They have the leaders that the current saiyans need. Strong, brutal, ruthless...that is all the saiyans have known for so long. Kakarot may be as rotten as his name suggests, but he did get one detail right. If you take ruthless killers and try to turn them into peaceful humanitarians overnight...it just isn't going to work." Taylita sighs after that. "I don't think Kakarot wants to change his people, but I think Vegeta does. Finally. It took two saiyan women telling him he was doing it wrong to get it through his head, but I think he finally got it. He still wants things that are only slightly better than what the neo-saiyans are doing, but I think if Vegeta continues ruling the saiyans, they will turn out like I envisioned." Taylita looks over at Gohan, then smirks. "Until then, they need saiyans like us more than ever. To tell them when something they are doing goes over the line. To guide them toward the proper path so that our society can achieve balance and peace."
Gohan	Gohan smiles a bit. "Maybe," he says, "Maybe it's just what's needed now. I don't know anymore. I... I'm lost, and that terrifies me." He shakes his head again, body trembling for a brief moment. "Yeah. I know. It can't happen fast. I don't know if it can happen at all with this batch. They've already been exposed to it. Can they really learn other ways? I guess... with you at their side, it would be the best chance they'd have. I think your vision for the future is something I'd want to see. Vegeta, Serori, Raditz, Kakarot... none of them have what you do. An outside perspective. That may just be what is needed. When... when I met you and Serori... I was conflicted. I'd never met such powerful women. Never met Saiyan females. Never knew what they were like. Serori is what I would expect. You... you're more like what I think I would've ended up if certain things hadn't happened." He shakes his head to clear it again. "I know you can guide them to a prosperous future, Taylita. You proved you have the drive and, more importantly, the convictions to hold up behind that drive." He smiles, and this time it's a bright one. "I'm not going to abandon the Saiyan Empire, because I do want to help. But... things aren't the same anymore. I can't deny my nature any more. And... everything I've done up til now? The Confederacy and the PTO? I... don't think I can keep it up anymore.
Taylita	Taylita carefully reaches over and rests a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "You have to keep on believing that our people can change. Even the worst, most despicable ones. Vegeta did. If you told past you what current Vegeta is like, would he believe it was even possible?" She returns her hands to their clasped position. "If you'd like..." she hesitates, then looks at Gohan. "Corlan is the planet where I grew up. It is dominated by plant people rather than animal people like most places. I think that is why they are so peaceful. Most plants just want to soak in some sun and some soil, and they are happy. The monastery where I was brought up is dedicated to that peace, and how it is best maintained through balance. Balance in mind and body, balance in thought and feeling, and balance in destruction and creation." Taylita takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly, her eyes closing just as slowly. "If you want...I could take you there. If you are panicked about things, I'm sure my old masters could help you find balance again. If you think you are useless right now, they could show you purpose." Taylita opens her eyes again when Gohan says he can't keep it up. "Keep what up? Your plan?" She smiles. "I don't think you need your plan anymore. Kakarot is taking the hate for you. Once he is defeated, the neo-saiyans will know freedom unlike what they know now. Kakarot says he will bow to no one and that no saiyan should be enslaved ever again, but he doesn't see that he is shackling his people. He is keeping Freiza's spirit alive with his actions. I don't know if his world ever had Freiza, but if it did, he is blind to his own situation."
Gohan	Gohan smiles softly. "My people... I have either two sets of people or none. It's hard to tell at times. Except for you, my thought process runs against Saiyans. I don't know what that means, but it's there." He chuckles a bit. "If anyone told me that Vegeta, the one I knew, was going to become someone I'd actually respect, I would've laughed them off." He inclines his head for a moment, realizing too late that her hand had been resting on his shoulder. When the warmth is gone, he shivers slightly, despite the warmth of the area around them. He closes his form a bit more, hands resting on his knees. He closes his eyes, thinking. As Taylita describes her home planet, he tries to picture it in his mind. No need for war there. Just sunlight to foster growth. Peace through the balance of body and mind, and in all things. As he tries to focus on it, he smiles serenely. No wonder Taylita was the way she was. Free-spirited. Cheerful. A calming presence, now that he was thinking about it. Had that been why he reacted so strongly to her being hurt? Why he had gone to such lengths to try and solve his shortcomings? Gohan's eyes open back up. "I think that would be amazing," he says, "Something like that... sounds like just what I need. I need to recenter myself." He offers another smile, then feels a little foolish after he sees her eyes are closed. He keeps it up as she opens them, though. As Taylita speaks, he listens carefully. Now would be the perfect time for him to take his chance. Leave it all behind. Find a new life. He shakes his head lightly. It wouldn't be that easy. It couldn't. "Kakarot is taking a lot of heat, yes. But... leaving the life I've known since I've gotten here is a hard pill to swallow. At the same time, I can't keep denying who I am. It's counter to what's expected of me. For now... I'll start with disbanding the PTO. You're right on one thing: Kakarot is blind to his situation. I, however, am not. Not anymore. I'm ending the organization that killed my father. I'm going to publically return Namamura. Maybe I can soften my image a little." He smiles a bit. "You were right. I am crazy. But... maybe that's not so bad, huh?"
Taylita	Taylita considers that first point for a moment. "I think...you have two sets." she says with a smile. "That's much better than no people." she adds. She snickers as well when he thinks about what past Gohan would have said. As he smiles to her, she smirks lightly. "My masters are strict, though. And strong. Maybe not as strong as us, but they -were- able to keep a saiyan child from running amok. And I can assure you that I was a handful. It's why my adopted parents sent me to the monastery in the first place. I was pretty violent, prone to fits of rage and destruction. Like any typical saiyan, I guess." She shrugs. Then, he says he will disband the PTO and return Namamura, and Taylita blinks before smiling brightly. "That is wonderful! About time you listened to me!" she says, acting smug about it just to tease Gohan. "As for craziness...as long as it is the right kind of crazy. If you were Lute crazy, I'd have to blast you with my Star Child." she says, giving a wink. "And, I bet you could totally just pack up and go. The Confederacy wouldn't let you leave the organization, but they don't really care if you take a vacation, right?" Then, a thought hits Taylita. "Hey...is your mom okay? I heard Vegeta was using her as leverage against you...is that still true?"
Gohan	Gohan smirks. "I'd like to think of it that way, too. Two, rather than alone. It's hard at times, to keep from being negative, but I think that's because I've surrounded myself with negativity. Maybe I should stop that, huh?" He shrugs his shoulders a bit. It was nice, being able to talk about this without feeling obligated to follow a certain path. Taylita seemed to still care, even after everything he had done. That had to speak a lot to her personality. He... he's been a bastard at times. He offers her a small smile. "You have an effect on people. Or maybe just me. It's odd. I can't figure it out," he says, blushing a bit more for a moment. "Hey. I learned from Piccolo and Vegeta. I can handle strict and strong," he quips, smiling, "These masters sound like they should be revered. I will treat them with the utmost respect. I mean, I don't think I could've dealt with you as a kid. I mean, you're a handful now!" he teases, laughing a bit. As she expressed her happiness at his announcement, he smiles even more brightly. "Keep that under wraps, okay? I don't want the Union knowing yet. It might tip my hand a bit early," he says, but can't suppress the smile. "I know, I know. You've really tried to guide me in a proper direction, and only now am I listening. How frustrating for you, right?" He takes the teasing in stride, matching with his own. "What IS the right kind of crazy, though?" He hasn't smiled like this in a long time. He's glad to have the opportunity to do so now. It's making him look a little less like the warlord he had been, and more like the man he would have been if not for Vegeta. "I can take time off, sure. They'll have to deal with it. And, well, if I say you're taking me somewhere, they'll let me go." When the topic of his mom comes up, his smile doesn't falter. "I saw to her safety when I took over the PTO. She's safe as can be. I have guards around her all the time, even if she doesn't know it." Which was true. There was a squad dedicated to guarding her little house.
Taylita	"Yeah, negativity doesn't really help anything." Taylita agrees. She hees and grins when Gohan says she has an effect on people. "It does seem that way. I take full credit for Vegeta and Serori not being the murderous barbarians they once were anymore." she says, her one good eye opening again to look at Gohan. And she laughs when he says she is still a handful. "Well, I'm not going to become -less- of a handful." she agrees. She nods in agreement about the secret as well. And it just seems like good news after good news. Taylita smiles again when she hears that Gohan's mom is safe. "That's good. I never knew my actual parents, but if someone had my adopted parents hostage...I'd probably kill them." She closes her eyes again and goes back into her meditation pose. "Your bosses would let you vacation with a Union person?" she asks, a light smile still on her face. Until she starts coughing rather roughly all of a sudden. Terrible sounding coughs. Like someone who's lungs are in bad shape after being pounded on or something. When the coughing fit passes, Taylita takes a few deep breaths, then sighs heavily, her eye closed tightly in what looks like pain.
Gohan	"I'm starting to understand that," Gohan says with a smirk, "Negativity is the source of a lot of my problems, I'm finding. That cloud breaks around you, though. It's... nice." He chuckles. "I'll let you have that credit. I didn't do any favors there, did I?" He meets her good eye with both of his own, then blinks for a moment. He lets out a genuine laugh. "No, I guess not, huh?" he says, gesturing toward her bandaged form. He chuckles, then sinks back into a relaxed state. He smiles serenely, then lets it drop. "I tried to kill Vegeta," he says, "for that reason. Using my mom to keep me in line made me sick." He shakes his head. "I would've torn him to pieces if she'd gotten hurt at all." He chuckles. He's sure she knows that he means, but he'll say it regardless. "Not any Union person. Just you," he says with a sidelong glance. "They understand that we have an odd relationship." His eyes snap open immediately as she launches into a coughing fit, his body reacting on instinct once again. He shifts over, one hand moving toward her back and the other resting on her shoulder. His touch is gentle, yet firm enough to be present. He watches her with a bit of fear in his gaze under the concern and panic. "Taylita! Are you alright? That sounds awful... are you sure you should be out right now?
Taylita	Taylita opens her uncovered eye after a few moments, and smirks weakly. "P-probably not, but...sunlight helps me heal. I learned how to absorb it, like plants do, to fuel my body." She coughs again, but it is only a small one this time. "Nnng. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I could heal better without all these bandages, but I'm not sure my burns could handle sunlight yet." she says as she leans a bit of weight into Gohan's grip. "So...even in the Confederacy, I'm so special they will give their officers leeway." She giggles, then winces again before growling softly in annoyance. "Being injured sucks." she asserts, then looks toward Gohan. "I should probably get back to medical. I'm sure my nurse is having a fit wondering where I am." She smirks lightly at the image. Then, she slowly gets to her feet before carefully making her way down to the ground. "Although...I did get that healing tank from Vegeta. Maybe I should see how well it works."
Gohan	Gohan smiles a bit, but it's a weak gesture. He keeps himself in position as she coughs again, blinking as she explains she can heal via sunlight. "That... that's incredible!" he says, "I've never seen a Saiyan able to do that. A Namekian, sure, but not someone closer in physiology to a human!" He shakes his head, though, smiling softly. "I'm going to worry about you," he says, "I know you'll be fine, but I'm still going to worry about you. It's my right you know!" He says this with a laugh, but it's almost forced. As she leans weight against him, his supporting pose shifts more into a hug around her to keep her steady. "You're one of a rare breed, and I told them that I would protect you. Not that you need it, but don't try to stop me. I can be stubborn when I want to be." He smirks again. As she says she should get back to Medical, he helps her get to her feet. Even if she's strong enough to move on her own, he stays close like a watchdog. "Giving people heart attacks, are you?" he says, "You could leave a note, you know." He keeps close as they reach the ground, and as she mentions the healing tank he frowns a bit. "He gave you one of those and you haven't used it?" he says, incredulous, "If you want to try it, I can help you."
Taylita	Taylita snickers as Gohan gushes a bit about her abilities. "Well, I was pretty much required to learn it. The Corlanian masters wouldn't even train me until I learned that. They said it was important to all of their abilities." she explains. And she smiles softly when Gohan says he has a right to worry about her. She just nods lightly. "Who's them? Vegeta and Serori?" she asks, then hees. "Stubborn. As a human/saiyan hybrid, you must have a stubborn streak even stronger than mine. I thought saiyans were stubborn, but after meeting a few humans, I think they might have us beat." Taylita lets out part of a giggle as Gohan looks incredulous. She doesn't let out the whole giggle because..well...it hurts. "Alright. Come on inside and help me get set up." she says as she heads toward the entrance to her ship. "I got it all hooked up, but I'm not sure if I have all the substances. Does it just generate them somehow?" she says as she opens the door and heads inside the ship. She heads toward the small cargo area, and Gohan would be able to see her many thingamajigs and dodads that she likes to work on in her spare time. Mostly robots, some armor and weapon prototypes, and one floating drone that functions quite well.
Gohan	Gohan smiles a bit. "I see," he says, "Does that mean if I go see them I can learn to absorb sunlight too?" It would be an interesting ability, but he is mostly kidding. It seems like a difficult thing to master if you don't start young. "I think I've seen you use an attack that harnessed light energy too, right? Or am I misremembering?" It's been so long since they've sparred that he's having a hard time remembering. He regards her nod with one of his own. He was going to worry and help if he could, and right now he could do both. "No. Serori and the Field Marshal, actually," he says, "Vegeta will just have to deal, but since I'd be with another of his royals, I doubt he'd say anything regardless." He and Vegeta still had matters to sort out, but that would be for another time. "And, yes. Mom was more stubborn than Dad even, which is saying something. There's nothing she wouldn't do to protect me growing up. So, yeah, double the stubborn for the rest of you to deal with." He follows her into the ship, listening closely before nodding. "Should have everything it needs. You just need to put everything into the computer in a certain way and it'll fill up with the proper mix." He looks around the cargo hold, eyes going wide. "Wow," he says, "I knew you were good with mechanics, but wow. This is all stuff you're working on?"
Taylita	Taylita blinks. "Another of his royals?" she asks, one eyebrow raised and a light smirk on her face. "I haven't accepted any of Vegeta's offers just yet. He's changed, but I'm waiting to see if it sticks." she says. She looks around at her projects when Gohan speaks up about then. "Yep! Even if I don't use them to fight, I like working on this kind of stuff. I had to fix up this ship after I beat those scouts who brought it to Corlan, and I learned I had a knack and an enthusiasm for technology. I guess that's part of my balance, too. Nature is the focus of Corlan. They have technology, but nothing too advanced. I use nature and technology." she says, poking at some armor on a stand. It looks a bit like Stark technology, but there is no Jarvis and the plating is obviously thicker. Looks like she was already trying to build her own Stark suit even before Reptilon. in a far corner is the rejuvenation tank. All set up, like she said. "Help me with these bandages. I'd rather not have them floating about in there. It does fill completely, right?"
Gohan	The halfbreed smirks. "Prospective royals, then," he says, "Close enough. The point is, no one is going to think it suspicious if I'm with you." He pauses for a moment, then lets the words hang. It seems to stand well enough on its own. He smiles a bit and nods. "Yeah, that's for the best. He was threatening to kill me not that long ago." That was a weird situation. "You really are something," he says after she finishes, flashing another smile, "I wish I knew about this sort of stuff. It might help me keep things in order to have something I could work on regularly. Sounds like an interesting balance these Corlanians strike. I wonder how many generations it took to get to that point," he says. He glances over toward the armor she's poking at and blinks. "That's some interesting armor. I bet that'll be a sight to see once you get it finished." He offers another small smile. And then they reach the healing chamber. And he remembers, even before she says anything, that he forgot one critical detail. He flushes a brilliant red in an instant as she asks for his help with her bandages, but keeps an even gaze. "Yes, it'll submerge you completely. That's what the air mask is for, so you can still breathe." He takes a deep breath, then approaches her. "Where... where do I start with these bandages?" he asks sheepishly.
Taylita	Taylita looks at the armor again. "I dunno...I think I'll have to wait a while on finishing it." she says, her look a bit sad. When asked about the bandages, though, she just shrugs. "I dunno. I didn't put them on." she says, smirking lightly. Then, without any apparent shame about it, she slips her clothes off. And...those bandages really do cover nearly every inch of her. (Un)luckily for Gohan, she has on undergarments, albeit very skimpy ones. "I guess just find wherever the end is, then start unwrapping?" she offers as she starts feeling around her head.
Gohan	Gohan gives Taylita a soft hug as she talkes about the armor. He hadn't meant to bring up bad memories like this, but he also doesn't want to make her even more sad. So he glosses over the subject, focusing instead on the matter at hand. He flushes a little as she strips down, noting her skimpy underwear with more heat rushing to his face. "I have to wonder why you chose those," he says idly, before searching for the seams in the bandages. As he finds them, he begins the process of unwrapping her. He's careful, but also quick, and before too long the deed is done. He helps her into the chamber and sets the various sensors before handing her the mask. "Alright. That should be good," he says, still red in the face. He walks over to the control panel and, with deft movements, inputs various things onto the screen. The chamber beeps, then starts to fill up. He turns to watch it fill, trying to meet her eyes. "This should help you feel a bit better. I'll be here when you get out, okay?"
Taylita	Taylita hugs back, carefully, before she is unbandaged. Her tanned skin is slowly revealed...along with several large burns and some long gashes. She winces a bit as the bandages are removed. "Chose what? These undies? Well, I like to be able to sunbathe whenever the mood strikes me." she explains, then steps into the machine and puts on the mask. She smiles, something only visible in her eyes now, then nods. "I look forward to seeing you when I get out." she says, only one eye opening to look at Gohan. The other she is likely keeping closed on purpose, judging by the cut directly across her eyelids. The door closes, and the chamber starts to fill. Soon, Tay is floating in the healing liquid, both eyes closed. Gohan, if he actually does stay, would find that the small messhall of the ship is well stocked, and that floating drone knows its way about the ship quite well.