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[fighting4afuture]

[Suddenly finding oneself in a new place? Not all that common for Trunks, time travel aside. He knew where he was going and why, then...and while it hadn't been guaranteed that the very new technology his mother had developed would work as intended, he'd been confident that it would.

This was different. He hadn't been in the Time Machine, he'd been facing Cell. The creature he'd failed to stop from ascending further, that he'd failed to defeat. The frustration and anger he'd felt...the despair when he realized that Cell was so much stronger.

And then it was all gone. He wasn't in the middle of a blasted battleground, he was in some kind of school, a military academy, and before he knew what was going on he was given an acceptance letter of all things and turned loose to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. Thus, staring at the directory and...talking to himself.]

This is ridiculous.

[So says the purple-haired guy in a bright blue spandex jumpsuit and chest armor. Your ridiculous-meter is well and broken, Trunks.]

Time compression...sorceresses...damn it, I can't sense anyone else either. What on Earth is going on.

Comments

[Action] [1/2]

[fashionably_strong]

[Bulla's on her way back from a shopping trip when she spots an outfit that's too distinctive to be anywhere but from her own world. Combined with that hair...

It actually shocks her enough to make her drop her packages and forget that she's not supposed to exhibit any off-worlder powers. Particularly as a SeeD, when she's expected to set a good example for cadets.

She flies over to get a better look.]

[Action] [2/2}

[fashionably_strong]

[Her facial expression lights up when she sees him. It is him, and it looks like he grew his hair in the time that she was gone. Her hair has grown, too - it had started a little past her shoulders when she first got here, and it's nearly waist length now. She's still as short as ever, though.]

Trunks! Oh my gosh, it's really you!

[action] oh this is going to be so fun. SO FUN. 1/2

[fighting4afuture]

[...someone's calling his name. What. Trunks turns to face the direction it's coming from, pretty much completely confused and forgetting his annoyance and trepidation about all this.

He hadn't sensed anyone he recognized. But that hair and face? Yeah, those are familiar features all right.

WHAT IS THIS MADNESS.]

[action] 2/2

[fighting4afuture]

Um...

[Well he can't exactly say that this girl--she looks like she could be Mom's younger sister what--has the wrong person, 'cause...well, she kinda doesn't. But some wires are obviously crossed here.]

...hi.

[Action]

[fashionably_strong]

[Something seems a little off, but she can't place it yet. Maybe he's just disoriented from the Time Compression.]

Did you just get here? I can give you a tour after I drop my stuff off in my room.

[Action]

[fighting4afuture]

[Give him just a second to catch up.]

Yeah, I did.

[He's pretty much put 2 and 2 together now, from her appearance and familiarity--obviously, in some timeline, they're related. And she's here. He can't say that he expected that. But it'd be wrong of him to string her along, since he's not really who she thinks he is.]

...sure. First, though...

[HOW TO PUT THIS.]

I'm sorry, I don't know your name. I'm...not exactly who you think I am.

[I think. And wow probably could've thought of a better way to put that, Trunks.]

[nevergetscredit]

[Merlin was going to stare. Because the last person he'd met with hair a strange colour was Pinkie Pie, and she had turned out to be completely mad. This person not only had purple hair, he was wearing...a thing. Merlin couldn't tell what it was. He wasn's sure he wanted to know what it was. (Cloth that tight was just...wrong!)]

Just a bit, yeah. [Can you sense the snark, Trunks?]

[fighting4afuture]

[Well, he can't say he's completely used to being stared at, but...his Saiyan armor isn't exactly inconspicuous.

And yeah he's not that far off from a teenager and has Bulma for a mother, he knows snark when he hears it. Have a little back, in fact.]

Fantastic. Now that's established, maybe someone can think of a rational answer for why and how we're all here.

[nevergetscredit]

Well, that's easy. Magic. [Really, this should be obvious.]

[fighting4afuture]

[He can't say he doesn't believe in magic, 'cause, well...he knows it exists. He just happens to have a little bit more faith in science.

And a year spent with his only human interaction being Vegeta and getting told to piss off at that...well, it's not exactly helping him be as civil as he normally is. He pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters to himself.]

Cell killed me and this is the Other World. Kami.

[He glances back at the directory.]

Anything of this magnitude should be impossible. The energy it takes, just to travel through time...

[redcinemareel]

What's ridiculous is that we've never met before~. [Grell saunters over to the new person, sporting a simple dress with her usual red trench coat.] Are you lost, dear?

[Spandex never looked so appealing before this moment.]

[fighting4afuture]

Just. New around here.

[You'll pardon his initial suspicion, right, Grell dear? At least he's not walking away, so you have plenty of opportunity to ogle.]

[redcinemareel]

That's often the same thing.

Were you given a letter, by any chance?

[Oh, yes, she will ogle, but not touch. Her fiance wouldn't like that.]

[fighting4afuture]

[Oh good. Trunks would rather not be a homewrecker.]

Yes, I was.

[And since he kinda doesn't have pockets, he's folded it neatly and stuck it underneath his chest armor for later, more thorough examination. And perhaps a library trip.]

After the day I've been having, it's just what I needed to see.

[worthyheir]

The only thing ridiculous here is you. [Says the kid who runs around in a bright yellow cape.]

[fighting4afuture]

[Whatever you say. Trunks is not all that concerned about what you think of him little man. And he's gotten pretty good at unimpressed looks lately.]

Helpful. Are you this friendly with all the new arrivals?

[worthyheir]

Only the ones who spout stupid things.

I'm going to assume you read the letter. [Yeah, still staring at your ridiculous saiyan outfit.]

[fighting4afuture]

[He's just not going to acknowledge that.]

You'd be assuming correctly.

[At least he's not dressed like Saiyaman.]

You can pretend this is *after* he runs into Bulla if you want.

[rebellingheart]

[She spends a few moments watching him, matching the person to the pictures from her memory. Sure he looks a little different, but there's no doubt in her mind about who this person is. So she walks up to him with absolutely no hesitation or shame and then smiles up at him.]

That's just it. You're not on Earth anymore.

[Now that she's closer she takes another look at him. Woah he's big, just like Vegeta. Okay, maybe not quite like Vegeta, but certainly close. It's easy to tell they're related anyway.]

You know you look really different from the pictures. Trunks, right? Have you seen Bulla yet? She'll be super happy to see you. She's been talking for ages about how nice it'd be if she had family here.

I'm Rinoa, one of her friends. Maybe I can help you out until you get a little more settled.

[She holds out a hand to him amicably.]

It's nice to finally meet you. I've already met Bulla and Vegeta, so you were all that was left.

[Brainbreaks are best when they're infodumps. Right, right?]

YAY MORE BRAINBREAK.

[fighting4afuture]

[He's already made one person feel incredibly awkward and that's not even counting himself. Trunks is on a roll today. And meeting more new people than he has in ages.]

...figure of speech.

[And now he feels even more awkward because obviously she means...well, not him specifically. It's strange having family that you can't recall, because in your time they never existed. Trunks never got the chance to have a little sister and HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS TO ALL HER FRIENDS IS BEYOND HIM. This is messed up.]

I'm...not that surprised. Yeah, I'm Trunks, and yes, I have.

[He's not sure how happy she was to see him though. He awkwardly takes Rinoa's hand--future boy's a little shy and he's feeling like he's meeting some of these people under something of false pretenses.]

Nice to meet you as well...

[Wait, she met Father too? Was he here before? Is he here now? Trunks hadn't sensed him, but if he was off somewhere else he just might be too far away...but Bulla would've mentioned if he was, Trunks was sure of it...oh, that's something to think about later, he has to straighten out all these timeline shenanigans first.]

...um, you might not want to check me off your list of people you've met just yet.

[rebellingheart]

[Well now this is already off to a smashing start.]

Don't worry, it was a joke.

Well, that saves me having to introduce the two of you I guess. I'm glad. It's been almost two years now and I was beginning to think no one else from her world was ever going to show up.

[Thankfully Rinoa's getting pretty good at answering unasked questions... at least sometimes.]

You're the only one. The only reason I met everyone else is because time compression managed to send three of us back to Bulla's world for a few days once.

[Oh wait, what?]

Why not? [She frowns and then it kind of clicks. She's been around long enough she should know the answer to that.] So that's why you look different, huh? A different, but similar universe?

[The look she shoots him then is both sympathetic and cheerful at the same time.]

Congratulations then! You just gained a sister anyway. Isn't that nice?

[fighting4afuture]

[Isn't it just.]

Doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to why or when people show up, then.

[It's already been proven that anything he does or says won't change his future, so he's fine with this direction of conversation. Before, he wouldn't have been.]

Essentially. It's a long story.

[And especially if you met Vegeta, he's not sure if an 'everyone died horribly and that's why I don't have a sister' would go over well. And if she's friends with Bulla, he can definitely read between the lines: don't hurt her. He'll just look awkward and embarrassed.]

Ah, yes.

[youngnobelman]

[It's okay, Trunks. Touma understands your bright blue spandex jumpsuited confusion, even if it has been seven years since he's worn his bright blue spandex jumpsuit.] I can't disagree with you; it is a little ridiculous. The basic gist is you've been pulled to another world.

[fighting4afuture]

[FINALLY someone that's not giving him a hard time about it. He nods--he's read the letter.]

Just...the energy it takes to cross times, worlds...I'm trying to think how it could happen without...well.

[Seriously, like blowing-up-a-planet amounts of energy, he's pretty sure.]

[youngnobelman]

The Sorceress Ultimecia was very strong, I've read. [Don't get him started on what he's read...]

I must say, it's unusual to meet someone considering time compression from a scientific perspective rather than the usual "but when can I go home".