Purity Defined

[Mori]

Vegeta, the ultimate playground. The blood flowed freely throughout Mori's veins, and a fresh breath of air invigorated the young Majin. Leaving his father's laboratory behind, he ventured out towards civilization, a blank slate, and impressionable as a child. Thoughts passed as freely as wisps of smoke through his head, and nothing was to be examined for more than a few seconds. The sharp rock that Mori passed? Sharp, alright. The Vegetan sun over his head? How did it get so big? His impressionable mind was as incurably innocent and curious as any child, wide-eyed and wondering.

The city he wandered into seemed as good a place as any to stop at, his feet began to hurt. The people here gave Mori odd looks, glances of disdain and contempt. Oblivious, Mori sauntered through the city, completely unaware of the traffic laws he disobeyed or the increasing number of people who began to follow him, more curious than anything. Muffled voices began to speak, wondering what this pink thing was, its intent, or any tip towards its disposition towards the vegetan people.

Bright lights flashed above Mori's head, with bright figures of an unknown meaning shining. Confused, the majin entered the building that the signs were attached to, curious as to what the place was. Unbeknownst to him, this was none other than the lucky 8 casino, one of the finest in all of Vegeta. Renowned for the unfair house edge, it was a wonder how it stayed in business for so long.

Walking indoors, Mori was stopped by a Vegetan counterguard, dressed in a fine tuxedo. The guard stuck his hand out in front of Mori, shaking his head firmly. "I'm sorry, but you must first purchase chips to participate in any of these games." Confused even more, Mori tilted his head towards his roadblock, and looked through his pockets, unaware of what he was doing. Slapping down a few pieces of paper he found in his pocket, the guard seemed satisfied and gave the majin a plastic rectangle with a shining 40 written in LED on it.

Smiling towards the guard before proceeding, the majin was greeted by sounds of a roulette table spinning, shouts of mingled joy and despair, an upbeat musical track playing in the background, and an all around positive atmostphere. Looking toward a group of saiyans gathered around a table, Mori took a seat at the edge. What was this game of chance?

The woman on the other side of the counter took Mori's card, swiped on on a machine she had on her hip (Mori saw the 40 drain down to a 35,) and was handed back the card as well as 2 playing cards, with a variable written on each: a K and a 6. Confused, a saiyan on the edge of the table muttered, "Hit me, lovestation." ready to see a fight ensue, Mori was disappointed only to see the woman hand the man another card. What were these intricacies of the sentient tongue?

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

((We're gonna do our beginner's pres. together. If that's not okay, then at least count it for Mori. But, its not unprecedented))

One week. Just one week. That was the time it took Serori to get settled, if such a word could be used for her state of mind. She had accomplished a needed goal, maintaining physical necessities. She had a room in an apartment building, had eaten at least once a day, was drinking water...well, mostly water. Sometimes it looked like water, but she knew, it wasn't. Her intoxicated brain did as well. But it was under this guise of intoxication that she was able to forget about her past, mostly, temporarily. But it was a temporary fix she was getting more than fond of.

She had also obtained more fitting clothes. She'd had to wear rags she found in the garbage, messed up, filthy. The looks of disgust she'd been given were palpable, but she kept her head up, and put one foot forward, and then the next foot slightly to the left, and drunkenly walked to a clothes store.

While she had ample amounts of money, she knew that it was not an infinite amount. It was very finite, and had an ending, even if that point was a while from now. She needed to get a job.

And a job she did get. In a shaded state of mind, not from drink but from depression, she managed to follow the footsteps she'd taken seven years ago in another timeline. The path led to a place she'd been all too familiar with. The smell of udon, soup, cooked vegetables invaded her nostrils, and she inhaled deeply, before pushing through the doors. To her surprise, she found it just as she'd left it, before the catastrophe...

Serori purveyed the room, eyeing the noodle eating citizens. Even in alternate dimensions, some things just stay the same. She strolled to the front counter, and was met by her old friends. Matcha, working the counters, and Kabocha, working the kitchen.

"Matcha!" Serori cried out, walking eagerly towards the Saiyan. He looked up, curiousity in his eyes...or was he just mildly startled?

"Uh..yeah, that's...me?" He asked. "Um..have we met?"

Serori's heart fell as she remembered that she had no idea when she was. With a sigh, she replied. "Yeah, but I don't think you'd remember me. I saw a sign outside, said you were hiring?"

"Um..yeah...go, uh...go talk to Kabocha in the kitchens." Unnerved, Matcha went back to work.

And so, Serori had gone in the back, and been hired..again. And that was how she got a job.

Now, back to the plot. It was a week later, and Serori couldn't get her mind off of what had happened. In a strange place, but oh so familiar...she tilted back her head, and took a swig from a wide mouth bottle. 'Might as well do something to keep my mind off things...'

Serori left the apartment, walking down the street, bottle still in hand. It was dusk, veering on night, and the neon street signs were bright. But one in particular caught her eye...the Lucky 8 Casino. A highly reknowned casino, it was well known for customers entering with their pockets jingling, and leaving wondering what they were going to tell their wife or landlord back at home. Serori wasn't too drunk yet, and only had fifty credits in her pocket. Shrugging, she took another drink, and walked in.

At the opening, she was stopped by a large man. Large, at least, in Saiyan size. Due to the abnormal upbringing of Serori's Earth family, she was a good deal taller than the average Saiyan. However, since she'd arrived, she was still only just getting her strength back. She handed the man her money, and she was handed a card. On it was showing the amount 50. Serori took a glance at it, before walking over to the nearest table. She wasn't too interested in the participants at the table just yet, instead handing her card over to the lady who was dealing. The numbers fell, one by one, to 45, and she was handed two cards. Without even looking, she said "Hit me".

Finally she glanced down at her cards: Two aces and a two. 'Huh...maybe today is my lucky day.' Looking up, she glanced around at the other participants, eager to take in how much of a poker face, or hopefully lack thereof, they had. She was met with the sight of a pink monster. Raising one eyebrow, she slowly let her gaze fall back to her cards.

[Mori]

The cards layed out before him, Mori looked quizzically at the numbers on them. Pharaun taught the majin simple equations and literacy during the original incantation that brought him about. However, to Mori's knowledge, at least, K was not a number. Thoroughly confused by this revelation, he asked the gamestation, "lady, what's k? Don't hit me." Feeling both of his basis were covered, he awaited an answer.

The woman, seemingly put off by the creature's appearance, replied with an appeasing tone. "That's ten. K, Q, and J mean 10. You need to go to 21 without going above. A means 1 or 11, you choose."

What a weird way to solve disputes! With a game of luck, even the wrongdoer could walk away with all of the money. What an interesting way to do things here! Seeming to understand how the game works now, Mori cheerfully exclaimed, "hit me!" Rolling her eyes at the pink blob, the saiyan gambler handed Mori a card. His eye twitched a bit, and he put the card down gloomily. A 7. Tears began to well in the majin's eyes, and his lip began to quiver. "Why did I lose? I only started to play, and I didn't even do anything wrong!" In dire straits, Mori sat there, sniveling and wiping his tears away with his left arm.

Some of the saiyans saw this, and a weird thing occurred. There was a mixed reaction of laughing and gasping. The former watched the majin with glee, wondering what tricks it would do next. The latter, on the other hand, backed away slowly from the beast, seemingly knowing what such a thing was capable of. Both the saiyans and Mori didn't know what was going to happen, though. The majin was volatile, however innocent he was. Whatever were to happen wouldn't be the fault of the majin, but merely the lack of morals and rights and wrongs it was taught.

The situation had to be defused, and quickly. "Hit me, saiyan." Between sobs, the majin asked for another hand. The woman hid a snicker between clenched teeth, and handed the majin two more cards at the expense of 5 more credits. The majin, however, didn't mind. The numbers looked promising to him, it was a 9 and an A. Smiling through the tears streaming down his face, he spoke. "Don't hit me, I'm okay now." Hopefully no one else beat the demon...

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Serori looked at her cards again, accepting the new card dealt to her by the woman. A 3, making her total either 16...or 6. She didn't smile, or make any sort of facial indicator. She was very adept at keeping a poker face. Her opposition, however, was not.

"Why did I lose? I only started to play, and I didn't even do anything wrong!"

The pink bubble gum monster was making a scene, crying over his cards, and just in general drawing in attention. Serori frowned, dissent showing in her face. The last thing she needed was any sort of attention being brought to her, or anywhere near her. While the chances of someone recognizing her were slim, she'd rather not take any chances.

"Pink thing. Never played before? Its a game of luck. It doesn't matter if you do anything wrong or not, you just get what you're dealt." She took a long swig from her half-empty bottle. "Kinda like life, kid...so don't take it personally."

Serori turned to the dealer. "Hit me." Another card, another two. Huh. She could win this yet. Just depends what the pink thing got...'Okay, I've got to stop calling him the pink thing.'

"Hey...what exactly are you? I don't think I've met an...alien...like you. And believe me, I've seen a LOT of aliens."

[Mori]

The cards were dealt, lady luck's favor passed out, and now it was up to the players to decide the fate of the game. Some of the saiyans eyed each other nervously, others stared blankly ahead, merely a slate of impassive non-emotion. The stakes seemed to be high, the rebellion on vegeta was taking economic tolls on the planet. Some of these betters (foolishly, perhaps) were playing this game for money to feed their families. Others, it seemed, were playing to enjoy their already upperclass life even more. It was a dark tone to an otherwise cheery game.

If Mori wasn't there to ruin the anticipation.

Laughing aloud to himself, Mori spoke aloud, uncaring of the etiquette of the game. "I got a 20, guys. Good luck beating that!" Sighing a breath of relief, Mori kicked back his legs on the playing table, ignoring the female saiyan who passed out the cards. 20 was as good a hand as ever, the only thing beating it was the legendary 21! And what were the odds of any of these others beating that? A female saiyan, different from the one behind the counter, spoke up. "Hey...what exactly are you? I don't think I've met an...alien...like you. And believe me, I've seen a LOT of aliens."

Perplexed, Mori looked around, and then pointed to himself. "Me, an alien? You're mistaken, lady saiyan. I was created by my dad, so I can't be an alien! It doesn't matter anyway, I won this game!" Letting out another cry of joy, it seemed that he wasn't crying his eyes out merely minutes before. Anyone watching this spectacle would be most confused, indeed.

"I'm a Mah Jeen, girly. Call me Mori!" Sticking out his hand to her (stretching it behind the backs of the saiyans at the table and reaching 8 feet away to the female,) he made a slight chuckle.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

"Uh...huh....." Serori gingerly took bubblegum's hand gingerly, giving it a light shake as if it were a disease ridden dog. "If you absolutely insist on talking to me, I guess you can call me Miss Yakedo, although given your mannerisms, I suppose I will allow just Yakedo."

She dropped the hand, having completely ignored the fact that Mori had seen need to reach behind everyone. She'd seen enough odd things in her day. She had no idea what a "Mah-Jeen" was, or why it had abruptly declared itself not an alien. From what she understood, it was just a science experiment. Serori deduced it must have been a middle school science fair project, gone horribly awry. She took another large swig from her bottle, suddenly eager to learn more about this thing. 'Might as well stick it out here for another night...'

She pushed her cards back to the dealer, along with her money card, which was swiped once more. New cards were dealt, and she took drew them along the table to herself. Serori gave a sigh of bother, not even looking at the second card for now.

"So, Mori. How long have you been on Vegeta?"

After asking the question, she would finally look at her second card, not giving so much as a twitch on her face when she flipped them over, and just stated: "Blackjack. Ace, Queen." She handed her card and the playing cards back to the dealer, before commenting to Mori.

"It seems like Lady Luck has both of our backs tonight."

[Mori]

"Ms. Yakedo it is!"

Looking around at the increasing number of saiyans eying the pink majin, Mori made a chortling noise. "I don't think these people like me too much, hold on." One of the saiyans got a little closer, fist clenched. Turning to face the aggressive saiyan, Mori said, "Sir, are you upset at me for some reason? I didn't do anything wrong..."

The man staggered up close to the pink intruder, and put his face so close to Mori that the majin could smell an odd, acrid odor escape from his mouth. "When I was a kid, I was taught to never trust nothin' lookin' like you." With a grunt, the man punched low, towards Mori's midsection. Raising his eyebrows in a mix of surprise and shock, Mori caught the fist with both hands and used the momentum to lift himself over the man. Using his bukujutsu, he levitated there for just a moment, before opening his mouth and emitting a beam of pure energy from his throat.

"Noooooooooo....-" the man gurgled, before the flash of sudden pink light overtook him. Mori closed his mouth, ending the stream of death. Slowly levitating towards the ground, back towards his seat, he wiped his mouth with his left hand while picking up his cards with another. Meanwhile, there was nothing left where the saiyan used to stand. Merely a smudge on the floor, seemingly simply a reminder of where the man was. The saiyans that saw the spectacle merely shrugged before going back to their drinks. Acts of violence on this planet were common, especially around the casino.

Looking at his cards, he mirrored what the saiyan woman stated. "Blackjack, I think? Ace and... a J?"

"Anyway, I lived here on Vegeta for as long as I can remember. Which is to say, a few days." Unbeknownst to the majin, the number on his card was going up and up from the repeated wins. If the beast had the knowledge of what he was doing, he would be most excited, indeed. "What about you, Ms. Yakedo? Were you a baby here?"

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Serori's alcohol level was rising, and so it came as no surprise to her when another Saiyan tried to pick a fight with the Majin. Mori picked the man up, emitting a large beam out of his mouth, which pretty much evaporated the Saiyan on the spot. Serori's left eyebrow raised slightly, then lowered as she took another long drink. Mori sat down.

Mori won another hand, and the dealer handed out more cards. people were beginning to leave their table, as nobody else had yet to win any hands. Serori's new cards, a seven and a six, seemed much less important as Mori began speaking.

Serori had taken a liking to this pink bubblegum being. He seemed nice, albeit childish, and apparently had a temper on him. Nothing that Serori couldn't handle if things got out of control, but nevertheless a thing to be wary about.

"Anyway, I lived here on Vegeta for as long as I can remember. Which is to say, a few days."

This did take Serori by surprise. This being had only been alive for a few days? Or at least...all that he could remember. And yet, to have such an extensive knowledge of basic language, math, and just in general intelligience...what kind of being was this?

The Saiyaness's train of thought was derailed when he made his next question.

"What about you, Ms. Yakedo? Were you a baby here?"

A flash preceded the darkness that covered her head, as she lowered her head.

"I was. Briefly. Before my parents and family abandoned me. I was sent to a planet called Earth, and there raised by a family of humans, named the Redthews. I was given the birth name Meredith, and their surname. It was on Earth that I grew up, before realising my Saiyan heritage. I came back here, to learn more about my family. Alas, they were killed...by a Saiyan. The same Saiyan who later killed my Earth family. At a loss, I joined what was then an evil organisation, run by a Icer...Arcosian, named Touketsuki Yakedo. I married him, took his name, changed his heart, and then..."

Serori realised that most of the casino had gone quiet, save for the rattling of a roullette, the spinning of slot machines, and those too drunk and rowdy to notice anything but the drinks in front of them, shouting, and not giving a damn if anybody was listening.

"I seem to have rambled...didn't mean to bore you with my life history." She turned to the dealer. "Hit me."

[Mori]

Mori began to tire of this casino. The atmosphere grew stale to him, and worst of all, he was getting bored. Looking for something to excite him, he stood up, and took the female saiyan by the hand. The cards on the table forgotten, he began to walk out of the casino, attempting to take the Yakedo with him. "Come on lady, I'll show you to home! Dad's not there, but he won't mind if I show a friend." The saiyans were all leaving the casino, seeing that the two non-regulars seemed to have drained all of the luck that night. Mori walked out of the Lucky 8 with more money than he came in with, but he didn't seem to care about that.

Today's main event was meeting a new friend, one who didn't seem to mind that Mori was so different. Was this what it was like to be normal? The majin didn't know, but he liked the feeling he got in his chest when he took the lady by the hand. Like he was part of something.

The receptionist at the counter took Mori's card, slid it across the counter's scanner, and forked over the proper amount of monetary earnings, with a surprised look on his face. "I didn't expect you to earn so much, with you looking so green around the gills, but well done, I'm impressed." Mori took the money with a quizzical look on his face, but said no more to the man. Pocketing the money, he turned to the saiyan woman (if she did indeed follow him,) and said:

"I'm sorry for your family. My dad was from Earth, too. You'll see what he was busy with soon. Heehee!" backflipping towards the forest of Vegeta, it was a long trek yet before they reached their destination.

((Sorry for the crap response, but I'm done with this thread. We can make a new thread in the proper place on Vegeta, but I'd just like all my starting shiz assigned.))

((Whoever grades, I'll take Zeni as opposed to extra pl.))

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

((I'll just end with Serori goes with him; PL too please))

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

1800 Zeni awarded to Mori! Waiting on either Mori or Gray to grade mine

[Mori]

1850 Powerlevel awarded to the Yakedo!