#((in other rp's involving them; you KNOW from their spot in the afterlife))

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Oh, I'm very sure," he replied with a grin, making a mental note to wear the pearl cufflinks with his suit on the big day, in order to match with his blushing bride. "I think Ma always anticipated passing them on to my future wife; that and the necklace she wore..."

Remembering it, Randall went back through one of the other boxes kicking around and fished out his mother's jewelry box, including the aforementioned earrings and a few other little bits of jewelry (chiefly bracelets and brooches, nothing overly-extravagant, but still quite lovely), as well as a lovely silver necklace he pulled out to show Emily.

"This is a claddagh," he explained with a small smile. "Pa brought it with him from Ireland; his ma wore it to her wedding, and her ma wore it to her wedding and, uh...w-well, you get the picture. A-Anyways, Pa brought it with him and asked if Ma wanted to wear it, and at first, sh-she was a little hesitant, since she's not Irish herself. But it was such a symbol of love and a celebration of Pa's heritage, a heritage so many people frown on, that she couldn't say no. She took good care of it in the years since Pa died; she planned to pass it on to the next generation."

He smiled as he cradled the necklace in his pale palms; two hands holding a crowned heart, a simple but elegant symbol of love, loyalty, and friendship. It seemed only right that this also be a part of Emily's wedding ensemble-he had a good feeling that, much like with the earrings, his mother would be very happy to pass it on to her son's new wife.

[untitledcreativeproject]

Day 4. [3048]

The admin running the RP site gave me a writing discount with the agreement that I would be willing to be a battle mod when necessary. It was much appreciated. Took my 4250 word requirement down to a 3000 word one.

"No, no, you have to scream while you do it," Captain Ginyu coached. "The point of the pose is not simply to pose, but to show off your excellent physique. When you scream, you call attention to yourself and force your opponent to gaze upon you in your full glory." Gatas sighed. This newest technique that the Ginyu Squad was trying to show her seemed utterly pointless, but each member had struck a different pose before insisting that she choose at least one to learn for her own benefit. Of the five, this one looked the least ridiculous. Now they were expecting her to scream while doing it? She shook out her arms to limber up before striking the pose again, this time voicing her irritation in the form of a primal bellow. "Yes, just like that!" Ginyu roared with approval as the rest of his squad cheered and applauded. "Again!" A few more practice runs of the move and the older Shikirian was sufficiently satisfied that Gatas could execute it properly. Each time brought another round of applause from the other four warriors, but on the final rep Gatas heard another slower clap continue after the Ginyu Squad had ceased in their celebration. She turned to see that a tall and imposing green humanoid now stood in between Burter and Recoome, a steady smirk on his face. "Well done," he said. "I haven't seen you around here before, so I'll assume you fell into league with this motley crew because you're new and you didn't know any better." Gatas raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The Ginyu Squad may have been an eccentric and rowdy bunch, but they had been nothing but respectful and helpful to her since their meeting. "Oh, how rude of me," the green man laughed. "I forgot that the newcomers usually haven't heard of me, since I came and went before their time. I'm Perfect Cell." "Oi, back off mate. She doesn't wanna talk to you." "And she hasn't yet," Cell said. "Come on now, you old dogs are running out of tricks to teach her anyway. Don't think I wasn't watching. Aside from Ginyu's body swap maneuver and Guldo's fancy time stop trick, what do you really have to offer her besides the one pose she just chose to learn out of the five you were offering?" "Er..." "Thought so!" Cell looked to Gatas. "Come now. I see you're interested to learn more powerful techniques for your own sake, and I'm probably more qualified to teach you than anyone else down here." "What makes you say that?" Guldo interjected. "Because, my dear Bas-jin, my genetic makeup includes DNA and information from all the greatest heroes of our time. That means the same people and the same attacks that killed all of you," Cell paused, gesturing vaguely in Ginyu's direction, "well, most of you, are inside of me. And my fathers, who art mostly in heaven, had all the best moves." "Mostly? What about the rest?" Jeice couldn't help but ask. "Well, don't act too surprised when I tell you this, but someone you know was also a major contributor to the magnificence that is me. His dad, too." Cell smiled, his gaze passing over the five members of the Ginyu Squad in turn. "You don't see the resemblance? I may not be as pale or as purple as them, but you could say I'm a little... King Cold-blooded?" Recoome snorted. "Hehe, I get it." "Anyway, enough of that. You're more than welcome to join me, if you're interested in picking up a few new tricks. Even on the off chance that you are interested in what I have to teach, I could point you in the direction of other potential trainers." Cell began to walk away from Gatas and the Ginyu Squad, looking back over his shoulder once he was several paces away. "I'll be making my rounds shortly. The decision is yours." Gatas looked around at the quintet, nodding at the Captain and Jeice before she left to follow the slowly retreating form of Perfect Cell. Catching up quickly, she fell into step, walking slightly behind and to the right of the bio-android. "No, no, with me," Cell said, slowing his pace until the Shikirian woman was walking beside him. "I can't keep talking to you if you're way back there, and I don't think I can expect to have you carry the conversation." They continued at a leisurely stroll through the various parts of Hell, slowing down or stopping entirely any time the powerful bio-android found someone of import to comment on. By that notion, Gatas was quick to observe, Hell was full of important people. "Not much to see around these parts," Cell commented. "The majority of the rabble that frequent this area are some of Frieza's men. Most of their names aren't worth remembering, but-- oh, wait a moment. That one over there, with the green hair? That's Zarbon. He almost killed Vegeta once. I know Vegeta is probably one of several Saiyans with the same name, being named after their home planet and all, but I'm talking about the Vegeta. One of my main sources of DNA. His power never quite lived up to Goku's, except maybe in moments of extreme rage, but I do appreciate having some of his genetic code. Glad I didn't get his hair, though. That widow's peak would have clashed horribly with the rest of my face. "I'm surprised Dodoria isn't hanging around today if Zarbon's around. Dodoria's not very bright, but he likes to use his head. In a much more literal sense, I mean. The spikes aren't just there for decoration. I'm sure you understand that. If I had horns, I'd certainly use them. It would be like an homage to Frieza's encounter with Krillin," Cell chuckled. The two continued their walk. Hell was by no means empty, but it managed not to be crowded even with all its inhabitants. Still, hardly a minute passed without Gatas and Cell seeing another damned soul. Gatas spotted a few Shikirians that she recognized from their race's big brawl earlier and waited for Cell's commentary, if any was to come. "Ah yes, your race. Fascinating, really, that trick Ginyu has up his sleeve. It kept him alive much longer than the rest of his squad, though I'd hardly call it living if you're stuck in the body of a Namekian frog for almost the whole time. I hope you put the move to better use than that, if you have the opportunity. But then again, I don't know what your plans are. Did you want to go back to the world of the living eventually, or is this it for you? Just gonna spend the rest of eternity in the afterlife?" Gatas's brow furrowed. She hadn't considered the possibility of there being a way to come back to life; she merely accepted that she had died in battle, as was the ideal for her race. Now Cell was telling her that she could go back to life as a soldier? Gatas had heard of the legendary warrior Goku and how he and his allies managed to come back from death time and time again, but she had no allies she believed would be willing to wish her back to life. Another rumor she had heard involved a Tuffle of some renown on planet Namek, who had supposedly died in battle and then reached back from the dead to claim his enemy's life. She had more battles left in her, that much was certain. Did she want to go back and pick up where she left off? She could claim more victories, and more victims. The war couldn't possibly have ended in the brief time that she'd been gone, and her victory against Lute meant that if she returned, she was guaranteed intel on other high-profile targets. On the other hand, it seemed that she still had much to learn in Hell. "Oh, that's hilarious," Cell said, interrupting Gatas's bout of introspection. She followed his gaze and saw what had caught his eye. A tall, broad-shouldered figure in the distance was hard at work plowing a massive field in the shade of an equally enormous tree. "A Shin-jin in Hell, and taking up farming by the looks of it. I wonder what old Yema had to say about him when he came through the checkpoint for judgment." Filing Cell's comment about returning to life away for later, Gatas climbed up a hill after Cell to get a better view of the tree. A Saiyan sat at the base of its trunk, picking his teeth with a bored expression on his face. The bio-android's eyes lit up. "Turles! Now, he wouldn't be anything special if not for that tree he's guarding, but he's been snacking on those fruits for a while now. They've got a lot of juice, I hear." Cell snorted at his own pun. "Too bad he has nothing to offer in the way of innovative techniques. Let's move on. We may have eternity, but I'm not going to waste any of it watching plants grow if I can help it." The pair descended from the hill the same way they came, then took a left to continue into new territory. "It is a shame, you know," Cell commented. "So many new souls condemned here day in and day out, and of the minority that are strong enough to even retain a physical form, even fewer still have any worthwhile techniques for me to observe. I hear there's a war going on back on Earth. Where are all the warriors?" Further travel was quiet for a while. Gatas wasn't sure whether it was a real lack of any notable fighters passing or if Cell had suddenly lost his enthusiasm for being her unofficial tour guide. She glanced his way and saw that he was silently counting on his fingers over and over. Occasionally he would mouth something, frown, then start counting again. Their pace continued to slow as Cell completely stopped paying attention to their surroundings, eventually stopping entirely in the middle of a clearing. Gatas looked around and then back at him, unsure of how to proceed. Minutes passed. "You know what we need?" Cell announced suddenly as Gatas was just about to give up on him and wander off. "We need an Afterlife Cell Games." "What?" Gatas said, a bit louder than she intended. Cell's intensity in breaking the silence between them had startled her. "Well, I wasn't always the perfect being I am today," Cell began, his voice taking on a narrative tone. Gatas got the distinct feeling that she would soon regret giving him the chance to monologue. "I came into existence in an alternate timeline from this one. Unfortunately for me, my original timeline made it impossible for me to achieve this form, so I had to hijack my way into a timeline where it was possible. Once I'd managed that, it was just a matter of absorbing my android siblings into myself and becoming whole. And let me tell you, that was quite the fiasco thanks to Son Goku and his little friends. "Anyway, it was after I achieved my perfect form that I realized there had to be some way I could truly test my abilities to the fullest. And what better way to do that than to hold a tournament to lure out the world's strongest fighters? Thus the original Cell Games came to be. Of course, it was me versus the world back then; this time around I think a standard elimination-style tournament will suffice. We'll just have to see how many people want in." Cell tapped a finger on his chin, his elbow resting in his opposite hand. "I'm sure Frieza will want to participate, and maybe his father. I'll go ahead and invite Turles too; we can see how much stronger the Tree of Might's fruits have really made him. Oh, and Raditz will show up whether I ask him to or not, I know that." Cell scoffed. "He's like our Yamcha." Cell pushed off and took to the air. "I suppose we can worry about the guest list later. Our first order of business should be finding a suitable spot to build the venue." A pause. "You can fly, can't you?" Gatas responded to Cell's question by jumping up to hover beside him. "Ah, good. You know, I've watched people try to learn how to fly from that meathead Recoome before; I can tell you haven't learned it from him. Anyway, we're looking for two things. One is a big field, which won't be too hard to come across. The second will be harder to come by, and that's a big plateau that I can use to make the arena." They passed up several large tracts of land, each rejected by Cell for not being scenic enough. After he began to grow irritated by his lack of viable options, he settled for one of the spots he'd previously rejected, leveling some nearby hills to expand the space to his satisfaction. A similar compromise had to be made for the arena's building material; finding no single rock big enough, Cell settled for razing part of a nearby forested area to construct the arena out of wood. At each corner Cell positioned a large spike taken off one of the steep and unforgiving mountains to give the main stage the dramatic flair he wanted. Calling everyone together was just a matter of Cell amplifying his voice to announce the tournament. The competitors came in droves, amassing around the arena. Gatas stood next to Cell in the arena as more and more fighters joined the crowds. She tried to pick out some fighters that she thought would do well in the tournament, but as the assembled populace grew, she instead began to wonder how Cell intended to organize such a tremendous turnout. She wasn't left to wonder for long. Clearly marking his own time, Cell waited for a while before calling everyone to attention once more. "Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone outside or in between! Welcome to the second ever Cell Games. We have quite the crowd out here, and I'm sure you're all itching for a good fight, so I'll keep it brief. This tournament will have two main components, and we're about to begin the preliminaries." Cell fell quiet for a moment, appearing to focus his concentration. The tip of his tail, still retracted near the middle of his back, widened significantly, and with some effort produced five smaller and bluer versions of the bio-android. There came a mixed reaction from the parts of the crowd that could see what had just occured, though it was mostly shocked outcry or cheering. The five Cell Juniors turned to their sire for direction. "Hello, my perfect children," Cell greeted them. "You all know the Multi-Form technique as well as I do, isn't that right?" The Juniors nodded. "Well, look around you, my sons. All these people have come to meet us, but there are just so many of them. If you all split up, I'm sure you can manage to say hello to everyone. Do you understand?" The Cell Juniors nodded emphatically and suddenly the five of them became twenty. Cell addressed the masses once more. "Congratulations. You've all been officially entered into the preliminaries. Anyone left standing once my precious children have all been defeated will qualify for the actual tournament. The preliminaries begin...." Cell drew out the pause to its greatest effect, waiting until the tension in the air was at its peak. A thought occurred to him and he looked over her shoulder at Gatas. "Wait, were you planning on participating or just spectating?" Gatas considered for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll watch." "Fair enough." To the crowd once more. "...Now." At his word, the multiple Cell Juniors leapt out of the arena and into the assembled masses. Chaos ensued. The sound of hundreds of combatants clashing together permeated the vicinity, and Gatas smiled. It was a comforting sound. Cell floated up to get a better vantage point of the slaughter, and the Shikirian woman followed him. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to participate or just sit back and watch for something good," Cell commented. His tone was purely conversational, as if he had just given Gatas the weather forecast for the day. It was a stark contrast to the mayhem below. "So I gave myself the best of both worlds. I automatically get a bye in the first round, so when the real tournament starts I get to scope out every one of my potential opponents. Not that I need the advantage, really, but if any of them have techniques worth learning I may get to observe them sooner rather than later. I imagine that's what you're still here for, after all." Gatas nodded. "Hey, do you mind grabbing me a drink from one of the vendors?" Cell asked. He pointed towards the outskirts of the battlefield where a line of food trucks had set up shop. Gatas's brow creased. She hadn't noticed them until now. How quickly had they set up shop? "I'm in charge, so it's on the house. You can grab yourself something too. This may take a while." All in all, there were still nearly a hundred survivors once the last Cell Jr. was taken down. Cell appeared undaunted by that outcome, quickly drawing up a massive tournament bracket and getting the first round of fights under way. Several hours and trips back and forth to the vendors for snacks later, there had still been no techniques used that were impressive enough for Cell to take notice. Gatas yawned. While she was curious to see who would eventually emerge victorious, she was starting to feel antsy. She didn't know how well she would have fared against some of the fighters she'd already seen, but she felt a pang of regret at turning down more chances to fight. Suddenly Cell sat up from the lawn chair he'd been lounging in, almost spilling his fruity drink in the process. "There! That's the move we've been waiting to see!"

[Running Total: 5,930 words]