http://blamekaneda.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
blamekaneda.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
discedo_logs2008-09-14 07:19 pm
blamekaneda.livejournal.com) wrote in discedo_logs2008-09-14 07:19 pm
[CLOSED]
Who: Bulma Briefs (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
notpanties) and Shotaro Kaneda (blamekaneda)
Where: Bonito Drive
When: After this thread
Rating: PG
Summary: A big, mushy reunion. With sweet-ass motorcycles.
the log:
The sound of a clean, new engine revving to life echoed through the old garage. The place wasn't very large at all, but it was enough to hold all of their projects and the bike itself. It worked, for what they needed.
Making sure that the garage door was shut, Bulma eased back onto the seat of the motorcycle and checked the map that she had saved on her communicator, along with Kaneda's transmission location. She had long since finished shaking, and knew that it wouldn't do her any good to hang around the garage any longer. She wanted to see him, just to prove to herself that he was really back. Tightening her grip on the handlebars, Bulma gave the engine one more surge, before taking off down the street.
The trip wouldn't take more than twenty minutes, but it seemed far longer. She was angry, excited, relieved, and curious. Why would the scientists go to the trouble of bringing someone back? Was there a reason for it? What if they had some kind of plan for Kaneda, and all of the others that had come back? She grimaced. No matter what good they did, they'd never clear their names for what they had done. To everyone, and to her.
Bulma grasped the throttle and sped faster, turning a sharp corner and heading down Bonito Drive. He was around here--but where?
Kaneda had been whiling away the time either exchanging snide remarks with Vegeta through his communicator or volleying pebbles and rocks along the street. He wasn't particularly afraid of any monster that might be lurking around this part of town, mostly because he hadn't heard anything untoward since he woke up on the sidewalk, propped up against a light post like someone had purposely laid him there.
What he was concerned with, on the other hand, was Bulma's reaction when she saw him. They had been friends for some time and he, at least, was ecstatic to see her (coolly trying to underplay it on the outside), but she was a wild card. He ran down the possibilities in his head, coupled with ridiculous, exaggerated imagery: she might break down and cry big, heaving sobs; run into his arms completely overjoyed; call him names and threaten bodily harm should he ever disappear again; or follow through with that threat and sock him in the mouth. All but one of those were remotely appealing, and it was the least likely to happen.
He was crouched in the gutter now, one glove dangling from between his teeth while his bare finger doodled strange things in the grime and loose gravel when the low, tell-tale hum of a motorcycle reached his ears. Shooting up to his full height again and pulling the glove on his hand, Kaneda's eyes darted every which way down the avenue, trying to gauge where Bulma would be coming from.
The noise grew louder and his head snapped to the right just in time to see the gleaming shell of Ohura swerve a corner and come barreling toward him. He waved his arms to flag her down, though his distinct leather riding suit would be a hard one to miss.
Bulma just barely caught sight of him at first, but as she grew closer, her body seemed to ease from it's tense position on Ohura. Her speed barely faltered, though, but she directed the bike outside of his path. Slowing down on a good bike wasn't something she did willingly, when her knowledge of the make and ability of the vehicle was so extensive. Instead, she shifted the handlebars, letting a grin slip as the bike swerved to the side and began to skid to a stop. Setting one foot on the ground afterward, she propped the bike up onto it's thick kickstand and climbed off of the seat.
The minute her foot hit the ground, she took off toward him, beaming. "Kaneda! I can't believe you're back!" She was overjoyed, and unlike Kaneda, wasn't exactly afraid to show it. The week--the month--had been horrible, and Kaneda was a sight for sore eyes in the midst of the usual chaos. Before she even knew it, she was in front of him and grabbing at his jacket, pulling him down into a tight embrace.
He made a yelp of surprise when she jerked him down for a hug, arms snaking around his middle with her hands clasped beneath the skin-warmed interior of his jacket. It took a fraction of a second to realize that Bulma wasn't about to pummel him and Kaneda, in turn, gathered her in his arms and hugged her with such ferocity that he nearly swept her off the ground.
Relief flooded him to the point where he felt a little lightheaded. In spite of waking up in Discedo much as he had the first time and taunting people over the communicator as he was wont to do, Kaneda didn't really feel like he was back until the moment she leapt at him. As irritated as he was that he at once again being stolen from Kei and Kai, he was thrilled to see Bulma again. And, with Yamagata in the city as well, he had even more to be happy about.
"Ha, you can't believe it?" came his muffled voice as his face was buried in her shoulder.
"Cut me a break, here! This place won't ever stop throwing curve balls at me!" Bulma held onto him tightly, breaking into a kind of laughter that she hadn't gotten to experience in what seemed like years. She hadn't gotten over Kaneda's departure, no matter how much closure she thought she had upon finishing work on Ohura for what would have been his birthday, but she was far too preoccupied with his return to mull over any other details. She had her best friend back, and for the time being, that was enough for her.
It took her a while to finally draw away from him, and as she did, she flashed him a wide smile and set her gloved hands onto her hips. "Gosh, you're such a loser! How'd you let them get you twice?" She didn't wait for his response to give him a once-over, making sure that he wasn't missing any limbs or injured at all. It had become protocol for her when she met with her friends in Discedo, and she barely noticed the habit form at all. It was a subconscious precaution for her, and seeing him in good condition only added to her good mood.
He mimicked her stance, only his fists were shoved in his pockets and he shook his head in amusement. There it was, the friendly name-calling. She hadn't changed at all and he was perfectly okay with that.
"It was outta my control, y'know. If it were up t'me, I wouldn't've gone."
Then he took to circling around Bulma, openly observing her as he walked, comically pursing his lips and stroking his chin.
"Looks like ya got on just fine without me," he continued once he was standing before her again. "What's new?"
She was much more thin than when she had originally arrived. Over the last few weeks, food had been in short supply for her; with Trunks gone and the stock at the apartment running low, she'd been rationing what she had and planting strawberry seeds in Yorda's garden. It would take a while for those to do anything, though.
"Oh, the usual. Walter killed himself with a spoon, Azula tried to burn a few things, and the past week has just been weird." She cringed at the very thought of it. The events of the past few days hadn't been very pleasant at all, and Bulma had made a point to avoid Vegeta and Trunks for that reason. With any luck, they were telling really, really bad lies and she wouldn't have to think about that mess any more. "But, we've had a few nice things. Like Ohura, here," she nodded her head toward the bike, which still rested only a few feet away from them. "Fully functional, with a new engine to boot. I still need to finish the generators, but powers up pretty well once I hook her up to the solar charges." Bulma raised her head proudly as she continued, leaving out the essential detail of the scientists' help.
"Ichiko, Reno and I finished her a little over a week ago. Other than that, it's been pretty quiet. This team went into the mountain to find a way out, and we think there's something past a broken-down bridge.. but, we're not sure. I've been trying to keep myself up-to-date with all of it. What about you?"
He nodded, taking it all in. Kaneda couldn't pinpoint exactly how long he'd been out of the city, but the way Bulma described it made it seem like months and months had passed. Discedo had it's fair share of chaos and insane things happening in very short bursts, but he couldn't believe it had gotten that busy during the time he'd disappeared.
His eyes roved over Ohura when she got around to mentioning the bike. It really was a beautiful machine; polished, sturdy and begging to be ridden until the tires wore down. Kaneda kneeled next to it, running his hands over the exterior. He'd have to remember to take a peek at the engine sometime. Bulma wouldn't have put so much work into it if it's core wasn't pure gold.
He stood, fingers idly dancing across the control panels and spoke to her without looking at her, his voice soft and thoughtful. "I saw my friends, Kai an' Kei. They asked me where I'd been th'last three hours. Three hours! That's how long I was gone in my world while I was trapped here. I got t'spend a few days with 'em and we drove to a shelter in Yokohama. We were gonna keep drivin' to th'southern tip of Japan, but our last night in th'shelter was really my last night. I woke up here again."
Bulma looked over the bike with a distinct sense of pride, before watching him inspect it with a smile. She hadn't finished it with the intention of ever seeing him again, but she had still worked hard to get the bike working in time for his birthday. Granted, his return just a little over a week after it wasn't the best kind of present anyone could receive, but hopefully Ohura's condition would tide him over.
She frowned a little at what he said, walking over toward where he stood over the bike. "That really sucks. But hey, at least you know they're alright now." He'd mentioned his friends once or twice, and she had noticed his concerns over how they were getting along without him. Bulma herself had wondered about her friends once or twice, but after what had happened at Pilaf's palace she was certain that they were doing fine in her absence. She was sure that they'd notice her absence quickly, but she'd long since realized that there was no way they could come after her.
At any rate, his mood wasn't sitting well with her, and she set a hand onto his shoulder. "Hey, stop messing around. Are you going to get on, or is all my amazing skill going to go to waste?"
And that was enough to get him out of his funk for a while. Of course, he hadn't taken Ohura for a spin in ages and was suddenly dying to that instant. A good hour or so of cruising around the city would set him to rights again, especially after he promised Yamagata he'd stop by to talk. It was a conversation he was dreading, but his friend deserved to know the truth -- as well as get an eyeful of Kaneda's new ride.
He beamed at Bulma and mounted the bike in one swift motion, clutching the handlebar like he would his mother's hand. A jerk of his head gestured for her to climb on behind him.
"Strap yourself in. I don't plan on takin' it easy."
" I'd be annoyed if you did! She's not built for sissy rides!" Bulma slipped onto the bike with ease, adjusting herself on the back of the seat and bracing her arms around Kaneda's midsection. It was back to how things always were, for the time being, and she was glad. His company was one of the things that really kept her going, so to have him back was fantastic, even if she knew he was better off back home.
She poked her head over his shoulder, looking at the road ahead of them. There was still so much to update him on, but she decided to let it be so that he could at least enjoy Ohura once more. Securing her feet above the back wheel, Bulma's voice chimed like an excited schoolgirl's. "All right! Let's go!"
notpanties) and Shotaro Kaneda (blamekaneda)Where: Bonito Drive
When: After this thread
Rating: PG
Summary: A big, mushy reunion. With sweet-ass motorcycles.
the log:
The sound of a clean, new engine revving to life echoed through the old garage. The place wasn't very large at all, but it was enough to hold all of their projects and the bike itself. It worked, for what they needed.
Making sure that the garage door was shut, Bulma eased back onto the seat of the motorcycle and checked the map that she had saved on her communicator, along with Kaneda's transmission location. She had long since finished shaking, and knew that it wouldn't do her any good to hang around the garage any longer. She wanted to see him, just to prove to herself that he was really back. Tightening her grip on the handlebars, Bulma gave the engine one more surge, before taking off down the street.
The trip wouldn't take more than twenty minutes, but it seemed far longer. She was angry, excited, relieved, and curious. Why would the scientists go to the trouble of bringing someone back? Was there a reason for it? What if they had some kind of plan for Kaneda, and all of the others that had come back? She grimaced. No matter what good they did, they'd never clear their names for what they had done. To everyone, and to her.
Bulma grasped the throttle and sped faster, turning a sharp corner and heading down Bonito Drive. He was around here--but where?
Kaneda had been whiling away the time either exchanging snide remarks with Vegeta through his communicator or volleying pebbles and rocks along the street. He wasn't particularly afraid of any monster that might be lurking around this part of town, mostly because he hadn't heard anything untoward since he woke up on the sidewalk, propped up against a light post like someone had purposely laid him there.
What he was concerned with, on the other hand, was Bulma's reaction when she saw him. They had been friends for some time and he, at least, was ecstatic to see her (coolly trying to underplay it on the outside), but she was a wild card. He ran down the possibilities in his head, coupled with ridiculous, exaggerated imagery: she might break down and cry big, heaving sobs; run into his arms completely overjoyed; call him names and threaten bodily harm should he ever disappear again; or follow through with that threat and sock him in the mouth. All but one of those were remotely appealing, and it was the least likely to happen.
He was crouched in the gutter now, one glove dangling from between his teeth while his bare finger doodled strange things in the grime and loose gravel when the low, tell-tale hum of a motorcycle reached his ears. Shooting up to his full height again and pulling the glove on his hand, Kaneda's eyes darted every which way down the avenue, trying to gauge where Bulma would be coming from.
The noise grew louder and his head snapped to the right just in time to see the gleaming shell of Ohura swerve a corner and come barreling toward him. He waved his arms to flag her down, though his distinct leather riding suit would be a hard one to miss.
Bulma just barely caught sight of him at first, but as she grew closer, her body seemed to ease from it's tense position on Ohura. Her speed barely faltered, though, but she directed the bike outside of his path. Slowing down on a good bike wasn't something she did willingly, when her knowledge of the make and ability of the vehicle was so extensive. Instead, she shifted the handlebars, letting a grin slip as the bike swerved to the side and began to skid to a stop. Setting one foot on the ground afterward, she propped the bike up onto it's thick kickstand and climbed off of the seat.
The minute her foot hit the ground, she took off toward him, beaming. "Kaneda! I can't believe you're back!" She was overjoyed, and unlike Kaneda, wasn't exactly afraid to show it. The week--the month--had been horrible, and Kaneda was a sight for sore eyes in the midst of the usual chaos. Before she even knew it, she was in front of him and grabbing at his jacket, pulling him down into a tight embrace.
He made a yelp of surprise when she jerked him down for a hug, arms snaking around his middle with her hands clasped beneath the skin-warmed interior of his jacket. It took a fraction of a second to realize that Bulma wasn't about to pummel him and Kaneda, in turn, gathered her in his arms and hugged her with such ferocity that he nearly swept her off the ground.
Relief flooded him to the point where he felt a little lightheaded. In spite of waking up in Discedo much as he had the first time and taunting people over the communicator as he was wont to do, Kaneda didn't really feel like he was back until the moment she leapt at him. As irritated as he was that he at once again being stolen from Kei and Kai, he was thrilled to see Bulma again. And, with Yamagata in the city as well, he had even more to be happy about.
"Ha, you can't believe it?" came his muffled voice as his face was buried in her shoulder.
"Cut me a break, here! This place won't ever stop throwing curve balls at me!" Bulma held onto him tightly, breaking into a kind of laughter that she hadn't gotten to experience in what seemed like years. She hadn't gotten over Kaneda's departure, no matter how much closure she thought she had upon finishing work on Ohura for what would have been his birthday, but she was far too preoccupied with his return to mull over any other details. She had her best friend back, and for the time being, that was enough for her.
It took her a while to finally draw away from him, and as she did, she flashed him a wide smile and set her gloved hands onto her hips. "Gosh, you're such a loser! How'd you let them get you twice?" She didn't wait for his response to give him a once-over, making sure that he wasn't missing any limbs or injured at all. It had become protocol for her when she met with her friends in Discedo, and she barely noticed the habit form at all. It was a subconscious precaution for her, and seeing him in good condition only added to her good mood.
He mimicked her stance, only his fists were shoved in his pockets and he shook his head in amusement. There it was, the friendly name-calling. She hadn't changed at all and he was perfectly okay with that.
"It was outta my control, y'know. If it were up t'me, I wouldn't've gone."
Then he took to circling around Bulma, openly observing her as he walked, comically pursing his lips and stroking his chin.
"Looks like ya got on just fine without me," he continued once he was standing before her again. "What's new?"
She was much more thin than when she had originally arrived. Over the last few weeks, food had been in short supply for her; with Trunks gone and the stock at the apartment running low, she'd been rationing what she had and planting strawberry seeds in Yorda's garden. It would take a while for those to do anything, though.
"Oh, the usual. Walter killed himself with a spoon, Azula tried to burn a few things, and the past week has just been weird." She cringed at the very thought of it. The events of the past few days hadn't been very pleasant at all, and Bulma had made a point to avoid Vegeta and Trunks for that reason. With any luck, they were telling really, really bad lies and she wouldn't have to think about that mess any more. "But, we've had a few nice things. Like Ohura, here," she nodded her head toward the bike, which still rested only a few feet away from them. "Fully functional, with a new engine to boot. I still need to finish the generators, but powers up pretty well once I hook her up to the solar charges." Bulma raised her head proudly as she continued, leaving out the essential detail of the scientists' help.
"Ichiko, Reno and I finished her a little over a week ago. Other than that, it's been pretty quiet. This team went into the mountain to find a way out, and we think there's something past a broken-down bridge.. but, we're not sure. I've been trying to keep myself up-to-date with all of it. What about you?"
He nodded, taking it all in. Kaneda couldn't pinpoint exactly how long he'd been out of the city, but the way Bulma described it made it seem like months and months had passed. Discedo had it's fair share of chaos and insane things happening in very short bursts, but he couldn't believe it had gotten that busy during the time he'd disappeared.
His eyes roved over Ohura when she got around to mentioning the bike. It really was a beautiful machine; polished, sturdy and begging to be ridden until the tires wore down. Kaneda kneeled next to it, running his hands over the exterior. He'd have to remember to take a peek at the engine sometime. Bulma wouldn't have put so much work into it if it's core wasn't pure gold.
He stood, fingers idly dancing across the control panels and spoke to her without looking at her, his voice soft and thoughtful. "I saw my friends, Kai an' Kei. They asked me where I'd been th'last three hours. Three hours! That's how long I was gone in my world while I was trapped here. I got t'spend a few days with 'em and we drove to a shelter in Yokohama. We were gonna keep drivin' to th'southern tip of Japan, but our last night in th'shelter was really my last night. I woke up here again."
Bulma looked over the bike with a distinct sense of pride, before watching him inspect it with a smile. She hadn't finished it with the intention of ever seeing him again, but she had still worked hard to get the bike working in time for his birthday. Granted, his return just a little over a week after it wasn't the best kind of present anyone could receive, but hopefully Ohura's condition would tide him over.
She frowned a little at what he said, walking over toward where he stood over the bike. "That really sucks. But hey, at least you know they're alright now." He'd mentioned his friends once or twice, and she had noticed his concerns over how they were getting along without him. Bulma herself had wondered about her friends once or twice, but after what had happened at Pilaf's palace she was certain that they were doing fine in her absence. She was sure that they'd notice her absence quickly, but she'd long since realized that there was no way they could come after her.
At any rate, his mood wasn't sitting well with her, and she set a hand onto his shoulder. "Hey, stop messing around. Are you going to get on, or is all my amazing skill going to go to waste?"
And that was enough to get him out of his funk for a while. Of course, he hadn't taken Ohura for a spin in ages and was suddenly dying to that instant. A good hour or so of cruising around the city would set him to rights again, especially after he promised Yamagata he'd stop by to talk. It was a conversation he was dreading, but his friend deserved to know the truth -- as well as get an eyeful of Kaneda's new ride.
He beamed at Bulma and mounted the bike in one swift motion, clutching the handlebar like he would his mother's hand. A jerk of his head gestured for her to climb on behind him.
"Strap yourself in. I don't plan on takin' it easy."
" I'd be annoyed if you did! She's not built for sissy rides!" Bulma slipped onto the bike with ease, adjusting herself on the back of the seat and bracing her arms around Kaneda's midsection. It was back to how things always were, for the time being, and she was glad. His company was one of the things that really kept her going, so to have him back was fantastic, even if she knew he was better off back home.
She poked her head over his shoulder, looking at the road ahead of them. There was still so much to update him on, but she decided to let it be so that he could at least enjoy Ohura once more. Securing her feet above the back wheel, Bulma's voice chimed like an excited schoolgirl's. "All right! Let's go!"