niles
in
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#022; mummifiedmutant
Title: Take Hold of the Romance.
Prompt: N/A; 20_adventures.
Fandom: Dragonball.
Characters: Yamcha; mentions: Bulma, Puar, Tenshinhan, Kuririn, Goku, etc.
Word Count: 1,664.
Rating: PG.
Author's Notes: I finally finished this, after working on it for about a month. x| The title comes from this song; I was reading over the lyrics one time-- and there was something about the phrase that just reminded me so much of Yamcha. ♥ The whole thing is in Yamcha's POV, by the way.
001. My hair is an important part of who I am. Whenever I want to discard a little bit of myself, log away a chapter and make something new of it --bandit; boyfriend; warrior; bystander-- my hands are always in my hair first and I refuse the outdoors until the style is exactly how I want it.
002. I do still train; whenever, wherever, I can. I just like to be low-key about it, is all.
003. Tenshinhan's probably to blame for that. The training thing, I mean. If it wasn't for him, I would have dropped it a long time ago. But he somehow convinced me to do it for myself, to ignore the labels of weaker and stronger, and just go for it. Now-- well, now I'm not sure why I ever even considered giving it up.
004. Whenever I feel down, I go shopping. I like to blame Bulma for that sometimes, just because we dated for an awful long time and she was always dragging me places --I was kind of oblivious to all things Big City at the time-- but I'm pretty sure Vegeta's not having the same problem, so I don't know what to think.
005. I look really good in yellow. Don't get me wrong; I'm not vain or anything. It's just something I've noticed.
006. After a hard day --training, cleaning, you name it-- I find nothing more relaxing than sitting in the heat of the shower. There's something about the steam, the hot, rain-like water, the curve at the end of the bathtub; and it's got me thinking: sure I hurt all over, sure I might be absolutely useless for tomorrow, but you know what? I'm living my life to the fullest here.
007. Puar used to have this thing, right, where he insisted on calling me Lord Yamcha. It's not like I was gonna stop him, anyway; I kind of liked the ego boost. Later on, I realised how horribly juvenile that was (Bulma's words, yeah, but she sure knew what she was talking about!), and came to the conclusion that hey, shouldn't I be treating this guy like the best friend he really is?
008. Oh, and let me tell you: it was a hard habit for him to break. It might have had something to do with how we first met, which wasn't all that special in itself, expect that half-way through our first conversation he said I deserved to be rich and famous, that I deserved to be treated like I was rich and famous, and-- I don't know, but it was important to him.
009. Heh. It wasn't until an hour after our first meeting that I told him we should be rich and famous together, because he deserved it just as much as me. I'm not sure why I said it, just that it was the right thing to say. And I'm glad I did! I'm not sure what my life would be like now if I hadn't.
010. I don't really date anymore. Sure, I go out sometimes, taste the night-life, bring a few girls home with me now and then (nothing ever comes of that, I promise!). I even tried the internet once, not that it's something I like to admit. See, Bulma says it's because I fear commitment. And maybe she's right, to some degree, but really? I've already fallen in love once; I'd feel like I was abandoning that if I fell in love again.
011. When I was younger, I knew all there was to know about the Earth and it's dangers. Every gang, organisation-- and not to say I was scared of any of them, but I definitely knew when and where it wasn't a good idea to hang around. The desert was my safe zone, but that's not the point.
Goku, on the other hand, was always sticking his nose into business where he didn't belong. Aggravating the likes of the Red Ribbon Army and the Rabbit Mob, being hunted down everywhere he went, and coming out on top. Knowledge wasn't his power; he made me realise it wasn't mine, either.
012. I used to play baseball professionally --I was running low on zenni at the time; that didn't sit too well with Bulma, let me tell you-- and after awhile, it did sort of become a passion of mine. The only problem was: it was never any sort of challenge to me (not like with Martial Arts, where, in every tournament I entered, my skills were seriously tested). The first chance to get away from it, I took in a heartbeat.
013. Hey, since I'm on the subject here, did you know Kuririn's really good at baseball? I've visited him on Muten Roshi's island a few times, and every time I do we end up playing the game-- just along the sand (it's even better when we're barefoot, awful close to the water, and the waves are splashing up against our ankles; like we're young all over again). We're pretty competitive about it, too! But that's what makes us such good friends.
014. I really do love going to Muten Roshi's island. Kind of reminds me of the old days --when I trained there, as a student of the Turtle Hermit School; or when the whole gang use to gather there, either to stay safe or to figure out some kind of battle plan for whatever strange catastrophe had presented itself next. Yeah, well. I should probably stop being so nostalgic! (I've been doing that a lot, lately.)
015. When I first came to live in West City-- when I first set foot in the room Bulma's parents had all-too-happily readied for me; out of everything, from the stove to the television to whatever else, it was the bed that caught my eye. It was a shining blue, soft to the touch. It probably annoyed Bulma how wrapped I was, hah, but if there's one thing I don't miss about living in the desert, it's the scratchy-ness of that hammock I used to sleep in.
016. I always judge a book by it's cover. ...I mean, I literally judge a book by it's cover. For a start: I never pick up a book if it's got too complicated or cluttered of a cover --I like to imagine the story's imagery for myself-- or if the author's name is bigger than the actual title. Weird, right? But it makes me feel good about what I'm reading, so I guess that's all that matters. (Did I mention I love to read?)
017. I'm sure you've noticed: I have this scar over my right eye, right? Well, there's a pretty interesting story to how I got that one. It happened sometime after my training with Korin -- when Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu, and I split ways -- and I decided if there was anywhere in the world I could go that would better improve my strength, it was definitely the desert.
Now, while I was there, I was faced with this powerful sandstorm. It acted more like a hurricane, the way it was more concentrated, wrenching everything it came close to straight from it's roots on the ground, tossing it this way and that. Something in me told me I needed to stop it, whatever the cost, and maybe I was a little naive in thinking this would be better for training but... yeah. So, mustering as much ki as I could in my cupped hands, I released a devastating Kamehameha into the depths of the storm. It retaliated, hurling huge masses of upturned rock at me, one after the other, testing just how fast I could react.
I could see it starting to fizzle down, gradually. I relaxed a little bit, as did the onslaught of flying rocks. I thought I was home free; at least, until one banged (and slipped) me right in the eye.
I had to deal with the bleeding and bandaging myself, since I was far away from any type of help. It was painful, and in the end the job was sloppy. Too sloppy for it to heal properly, so it looked like the scar would be staying with me for the rest of my life. Heh. It's not too bad, really. It's actually kind of cool.
018. The tale of how I got my other scar (you know the one; that criss-cross over my left cheek) isn't nearly as nail-biting. Long story short: I decided to get a pet--
019. I've faced death plenty of times, more than any normal human should, but perhaps the most frightening and painful experience of my life was the one time-- the one time I didn't die.
It's fuzzy, all the details. All I remember is how I... how I felt; when I found... those damn Artificial Humans... when I found them, all by myself-- my gut was twisting with something close to nausea, and... everything happened so fast after that, it was almost too hard to keep track. But they grabbed me, hand against mouth and fist tearing away, right through, flesh, sucked every inch of life away from me... and would you believe it? I lived.
I was grateful. I really was. To Goku, to Gohan, even to Yajirobe; but... to taste that kind of power-- to taste it, to come out barely breathing but still breathing, I didn't know what to think. My mind was racing with fear and awe, (and I felt absolutely useless for a long time afterward; maybe too long), but I knew I had to warn my friends. If I couldn't do anything else, I had to warn them...
020. Goku would definitely disagree on this one, that lovable guy, but it was during that battle --against the Artificial Humans-- that I realised my importance to the team had finally slipped. I felt like a liability, (even more so as I watched Gohan and Kuririn fly off to rejoin the fight and I was being reluctant to follow), and for a split second, I wasn't sure what to do with myself.
What was there for me when I had to think before I made a move to protect my friends...?
Prompt: N/A; 20_adventures.
Fandom: Dragonball.
Characters: Yamcha; mentions: Bulma, Puar, Tenshinhan, Kuririn, Goku, etc.
Word Count: 1,664.
Rating: PG.
Author's Notes: I finally finished this, after working on it for about a month. x| The title comes from this song; I was reading over the lyrics one time-- and there was something about the phrase that just reminded me so much of Yamcha. ♥ The whole thing is in Yamcha's POV, by the way.
001. My hair is an important part of who I am. Whenever I want to discard a little bit of myself, log away a chapter and make something new of it --bandit; boyfriend; warrior; bystander-- my hands are always in my hair first and I refuse the outdoors until the style is exactly how I want it.
002. I do still train; whenever, wherever, I can. I just like to be low-key about it, is all.
003. Tenshinhan's probably to blame for that. The training thing, I mean. If it wasn't for him, I would have dropped it a long time ago. But he somehow convinced me to do it for myself, to ignore the labels of weaker and stronger, and just go for it. Now-- well, now I'm not sure why I ever even considered giving it up.
004. Whenever I feel down, I go shopping. I like to blame Bulma for that sometimes, just because we dated for an awful long time and she was always dragging me places --I was kind of oblivious to all things Big City at the time-- but I'm pretty sure Vegeta's not having the same problem, so I don't know what to think.
005. I look really good in yellow. Don't get me wrong; I'm not vain or anything. It's just something I've noticed.
006. After a hard day --training, cleaning, you name it-- I find nothing more relaxing than sitting in the heat of the shower. There's something about the steam, the hot, rain-like water, the curve at the end of the bathtub; and it's got me thinking: sure I hurt all over, sure I might be absolutely useless for tomorrow, but you know what? I'm living my life to the fullest here.
007. Puar used to have this thing, right, where he insisted on calling me Lord Yamcha. It's not like I was gonna stop him, anyway; I kind of liked the ego boost. Later on, I realised how horribly juvenile that was (Bulma's words, yeah, but she sure knew what she was talking about!), and came to the conclusion that hey, shouldn't I be treating this guy like the best friend he really is?
008. Oh, and let me tell you: it was a hard habit for him to break. It might have had something to do with how we first met, which wasn't all that special in itself, expect that half-way through our first conversation he said I deserved to be rich and famous, that I deserved to be treated like I was rich and famous, and-- I don't know, but it was important to him.
009. Heh. It wasn't until an hour after our first meeting that I told him we should be rich and famous together, because he deserved it just as much as me. I'm not sure why I said it, just that it was the right thing to say. And I'm glad I did! I'm not sure what my life would be like now if I hadn't.
010. I don't really date anymore. Sure, I go out sometimes, taste the night-life, bring a few girls home with me now and then (nothing ever comes of that, I promise!). I even tried the internet once, not that it's something I like to admit. See, Bulma says it's because I fear commitment. And maybe she's right, to some degree, but really? I've already fallen in love once; I'd feel like I was abandoning that if I fell in love again.
011. When I was younger, I knew all there was to know about the Earth and it's dangers. Every gang, organisation-- and not to say I was scared of any of them, but I definitely knew when and where it wasn't a good idea to hang around. The desert was my safe zone, but that's not the point.
Goku, on the other hand, was always sticking his nose into business where he didn't belong. Aggravating the likes of the Red Ribbon Army and the Rabbit Mob, being hunted down everywhere he went, and coming out on top. Knowledge wasn't his power; he made me realise it wasn't mine, either.
012. I used to play baseball professionally --I was running low on zenni at the time; that didn't sit too well with Bulma, let me tell you-- and after awhile, it did sort of become a passion of mine. The only problem was: it was never any sort of challenge to me (not like with Martial Arts, where, in every tournament I entered, my skills were seriously tested). The first chance to get away from it, I took in a heartbeat.
013. Hey, since I'm on the subject here, did you know Kuririn's really good at baseball? I've visited him on Muten Roshi's island a few times, and every time I do we end up playing the game-- just along the sand (it's even better when we're barefoot, awful close to the water, and the waves are splashing up against our ankles; like we're young all over again). We're pretty competitive about it, too! But that's what makes us such good friends.
014. I really do love going to Muten Roshi's island. Kind of reminds me of the old days --when I trained there, as a student of the Turtle Hermit School; or when the whole gang use to gather there, either to stay safe or to figure out some kind of battle plan for whatever strange catastrophe had presented itself next. Yeah, well. I should probably stop being so nostalgic! (I've been doing that a lot, lately.)
015. When I first came to live in West City-- when I first set foot in the room Bulma's parents had all-too-happily readied for me; out of everything, from the stove to the television to whatever else, it was the bed that caught my eye. It was a shining blue, soft to the touch. It probably annoyed Bulma how wrapped I was, hah, but if there's one thing I don't miss about living in the desert, it's the scratchy-ness of that hammock I used to sleep in.
016. I always judge a book by it's cover. ...I mean, I literally judge a book by it's cover. For a start: I never pick up a book if it's got too complicated or cluttered of a cover --I like to imagine the story's imagery for myself-- or if the author's name is bigger than the actual title. Weird, right? But it makes me feel good about what I'm reading, so I guess that's all that matters. (Did I mention I love to read?)
017. I'm sure you've noticed: I have this scar over my right eye, right? Well, there's a pretty interesting story to how I got that one. It happened sometime after my training with Korin -- when Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu, and I split ways -- and I decided if there was anywhere in the world I could go that would better improve my strength, it was definitely the desert.
Now, while I was there, I was faced with this powerful sandstorm. It acted more like a hurricane, the way it was more concentrated, wrenching everything it came close to straight from it's roots on the ground, tossing it this way and that. Something in me told me I needed to stop it, whatever the cost, and maybe I was a little naive in thinking this would be better for training but... yeah. So, mustering as much ki as I could in my cupped hands, I released a devastating Kamehameha into the depths of the storm. It retaliated, hurling huge masses of upturned rock at me, one after the other, testing just how fast I could react.
I could see it starting to fizzle down, gradually. I relaxed a little bit, as did the onslaught of flying rocks. I thought I was home free; at least, until one banged (and slipped) me right in the eye.
I had to deal with the bleeding and bandaging myself, since I was far away from any type of help. It was painful, and in the end the job was sloppy. Too sloppy for it to heal properly, so it looked like the scar would be staying with me for the rest of my life. Heh. It's not too bad, really. It's actually kind of cool.
018. The tale of how I got my other scar (you know the one; that criss-cross over my left cheek) isn't nearly as nail-biting. Long story short: I decided to get a pet--
019. I've faced death plenty of times, more than any normal human should, but perhaps the most frightening and painful experience of my life was the one time-- the one time I didn't die.
It's fuzzy, all the details. All I remember is how I... how I felt; when I found... those damn Artificial Humans... when I found them, all by myself-- my gut was twisting with something close to nausea, and... everything happened so fast after that, it was almost too hard to keep track. But they grabbed me, hand against mouth and fist tearing away, right through, flesh, sucked every inch of life away from me... and would you believe it? I lived.
I was grateful. I really was. To Goku, to Gohan, even to Yajirobe; but... to taste that kind of power-- to taste it, to come out barely breathing but still breathing, I didn't know what to think. My mind was racing with fear and awe, (and I felt absolutely useless for a long time afterward; maybe too long), but I knew I had to warn my friends. If I couldn't do anything else, I had to warn them...
020. Goku would definitely disagree on this one, that lovable guy, but it was during that battle --against the Artificial Humans-- that I realised my importance to the team had finally slipped. I felt like a liability, (even more so as I watched Gohan and Kuririn fly off to rejoin the fight and I was being reluctant to follow), and for a split second, I wasn't sure what to do with myself.
What was there for me when I had to think before I made a move to protect my friends...?