>>6182130“What were you two up to anyway?” you ask the pair.
“Wanted to try a few things out with the Masamune to see how we might surprise Ozotto with it.” your uncle replies, patting the sword’s hilt, with that catching the attention of some of the demons feasting. “It’s a known quantity here, after all. Ozotto would be ready for it… buuuut he’ll also be expecting me to be the one to have it.”
Yamcha grins and adds, “That’s where I come in.” You notice that he… also has a sword with him? Wait. That’s the same hilt. “We’ve got a little trick we’ve managed to pull off with it.”
“Wait, how?” you ask in surprise.
Acer winks and tells you, “Gonna keep that a secret for now. Wanna catch Ozotto unawares.”
“What, you think you can’t trust your allies?” Beelzebub teases.
With a shrug, Yamcha gives a nonchalant, “Maybe we just wanna show off?”
“Hah! Cheeky. I like it.” Beelzebub declares. “Anyway, chefs are still cookin’ so if you guys are hungry, just say the word!”
You smile and give them all a nod, heading off to try to find Lao. You find him in a more secluded place, meditating as he hovers slightly off the floor. As you approach though, you feel… unease coming off of him. His body, while meditative, is tense. His Ki isn’t as focused as it normally is, and he’s clearly trying to manage that.
“Hey, Mr. Lao, everything okay?” you ask softly, trying to tread carefully.
His eyes open, head turning to you as he stands. “Ah. Son Peppa. I was just trying to prepare for the battle ahead.”
You tilt your head at him crossing your arms. “Meditating to better manage your Ki?”
He frowns slightly and sighs. “…It’s that obvious, is it? My apologies. I promise, I won’t be a detriment during the fight ahead. I just need to steel myself for this.”
>A. Take it from someone who came out of the stuff involving Babidi and the Machine Mutants needing to see a therapist, might be better to talk about what’s actually bothering you, instead of bottling it up>B. Mind if I meditate with you, then? Won’t bother you, just gonna make sure I’m all focused too>C. Well… if you’re sure. But just remember we’re all in this together, okay? No harm in opening up a bit>D. Something else? 