26
Chapter Twenty Six
" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."
H.L Mencken
Adalina found herself once again in the shower after a long day of training, though it was barely afternoon on the icey planet. She still had a few things she could get done before night fell.
Her thoughts wandered to Polarra and the little girl's surprising amount of power. She had effortlessly held both Frieza and herself back with nothing but her mind, deflecting ki blasts with psychic powers alone. It was amazing, watching her own blasts change trajectory towards the ceiling while the little Arcosian merely stood back with a smile on her face.
Frieza had taught her a few tips for regulating her energy, and Adalina had stressed the importance of not getting angry or overly upset during battle, for it could cloud her thoughts, and push her power level to uncontrollable levels.
Of course, Cooler and Frieza had gotten into a verbal scuffle when the former had tacitly explained that his younger brother was prone to fits of rage, ones that made him a sloppy fighter from time to time.
"I was merely using you as an example, brother." he knew he shouldn't be pressing his younger sibling's buttons, but it was too entertaining not to.
"Use yourself as an example. I seem to recall a certain someone destroying half the throne room over a mere toy." Frieza spat, not liking in the least that his brother had seen it fit to undermine him once again.
Adalina chuckled at the memory. In the end she had played peace-maker between the two, much to the tyrant's disdain. He seemed to tense whenever she addressed Cooler, about anything. It was beginning to irritate her, just who did he think he was, controlling who she interacted with?
That reminded her, she still had to ask about Kain, she had certainly not forgotten his behavior yesterday. It nearly sparked another flare of anger within her, but she had learned to be patient with him over the years. He had his reasons for everything, infuriating as they may be.
His capricious nature never ceased to amaze her. On most days he kept a face of bored contempt, or one of mild amusement, but it was like walking on egg-shells around him. One wrong statement or action and he would pounce, jumping down her throat, threatening her and reminding her of her place.
Though, when they had first met, his actions hadn't been forced or overly dramatic, not like they were now. It was like he was purposefully trying to push her away, like he had to constantly remind her, or perhaps himself, of where they were suppose to stand in their relationship. She saw right through his guise, in the subtle smiles that would occasionally grace his lips, or the teasing tone he would adopt when joking with her. He had spent his life keeping people within arms length, never close enough to get inside his head. He was alone, by his own design, and it was clear that it was his weakness. Adalina had remedied that, she would be there, no matter what happened.
Even if the whole universe turned against him, she would stand by his side, just to show him that someone cared, that having friends wasn't a handicap, rather an enhancement. But, there was still that small part of her that yelled out its distaste, screaming at her that it was all a game to him. That he was merely manipulating her for his amusement.
"Are you planning on staying in there all day? You can't be that dirty, it's your second bath within an eight hour period!" Frieza's voice was muffled through the door, his impatience clear.
Adalina started, too deep in her thoughts to register who it was for a moment,
"Don't sneak up on me!" she yelled over the roar of the water, having no other reply to his statement.
"Perhaps if you wouldn't spend your time procrastinating I wouldn't have startled you." everything was always her fault. He could probably cut his own damn hand off and still find a way to blame it on her!
She stamped the button that turned the shower off and stepped onto the cold tile floor, wrapping a towel around her. She wrenched the door open, and her gratification was instant. He stood in his final form, a pink dusting over his cheeks, signaling his embarrassment.
"Fine. If you're so intent on rushing me-"
"Put some damn clothes on woman!" he backed away from the door, allowing her to take in the extent of his form. He had on an unfamiliar set of armor, very regal in design, lacking the flashy pauldrons that usually adorned his shoulders.
"Nice armor." she said conversationally, marching past him to her personal closet, something Arctica made sure was constantly stocked with fashionable items. A lot of them were long gowns that the Zandonian never had an occasion, nor want, to wear. They were flashy and impractical should a battle arise.
"I was merely trying it on. It's built stronger than my other set, and can withstand the type of strain this form brings." he answered in a bored tone.
"Are you planning on staying in that form more often then?" she questioned, pulling out a long-sleeved white sweater and black pants, with assorted under-garments.
"Not in an actual fight, no. Lower creatures do not deserve to see me in such a form." she could practically hear the egotism dripping from his voice.
She sighed and walked back into the bathroom, pausing at the door for one final rebuttal,
"So I guess that means I'm not a lower creature then, right?" she smirked, shutting the door once more.
He had no response to that. Though he never explicitly stated he thought of her as below him, he acted like it. He didn't treat her as an equal either, not always. She was an outlier for him. On one hand, he allowed her teasing jests and infallible attitude, but on the other he also kept her disciplined, and reminded her of how easily he could dispatch her. Though his heart wasn't in it at all.
He scowled, not understanding how he had become so close to someone so opposite of him.
Adalina was a ray of sunshine, forgiving and some-what naive. She tried to see the good in everyone, no matter the circumstances. It was what lead them to the position they were in, after all. But he was the complete opposite, suspicious of every one, holding others with contempt, and showing absolutely no mercy. That was perhaps their biggest difference. He couldn't afford such a luxury, not in the business he was in. He had to stay strong enough so that no one ever opposed him, because there were many who would have his head, given the chance.
But, Adalina, she thought that niceties and pity were admirable in a warrior, that they would pull through in the end where as ruthless indifference would not. What an ignorant way to view things, didn't she understand that the universe was cold and uncaring, not at all worried if she spared the lives of her foes, or tried to 'redeem' beings such as himself. Didn't she understand that compassion got people killed?
A memory flashed to the surface of his mother, broken and bleeding,
'I will spare you, but you must never come here again.' the words that had haunted him for the entirety of his adult life rang loud in his ears.
He sighed, shaking his head of the thought, he just couldn't bend her to his will, force her to see the world as he did, and he wasn't about to reveal any of his past to do so. He wasn't keen on the idea of having someone he couldn't easily dispose of. The girl was a liability for him, and yet, try as he might, he just couldn't shake her.
He clenched his fists, the action as natural to him as breathing, he never thought he would be in such a position.
The door opened to reveal Adalina fully dressed, tousling her damp hair as she walked towards him. She placed a precarious hand on the back of his chair, looking at his work,
"Whatcha' doin'?" she questioned childishly.
Frieza could smell her strongly, as was the usual whenever one exited the bath. It was a comforting smell that reminded him of a misty rain forest, exotic but not unpleasant in the least, and it reminded him of how vulnerable he was around her, of how she managed to weaken his defenses time and time again,
"Work, a concept that you're unfamiliar with." he snidely shot back.
She leaned up, hands on her hips, and a pout on her face,
"Why do you always imply that I'm lazy? I do just as much as you do, and I even do your job for you on occasion!" she knew that he was trying to get a rise out of, but damn it he knew exactly how to.
"Because you make it far too easy to rile you up." he smirked, "You're easily manipulated, so to speak."
Adalina's breath caught a bit at that, something about the words stirring an apprehensive feeling in her. She shook her head and took a seat on the bed, choosing to instead change the subject,
"Can we talk?" she asked cryptically.
Her tone sparked a foreign feeling in him, one he didn't like at all, prompting him to turn in his chair and face her fully,
"You have my attention." even now he sounded pretentious, typical.
"That man yesterday, who was he?" she chose her words carefully, trying as best she could to dodge his explosive anger.
He sighed irritably, knowing this conversation would have arisen sooner or later. He had no idea how to tell her something of the nature. He could very well kill the man, and yet, he truly couldn't, not with out consequences. She was sure to see him as weak, or moronic,
"He's a noble, and his father is on the council. He is an insufferable twit, who can't keep his hands to himself. I don't know how many women he's ensnared, whether by force or charm matter not. There are a lot of things I condone but rape is a bestial act only fit for scum like Saiyans. Being driven by such base needs is deplorable. He gets away with whatever he wants because his father is an old member of this society, and Arctica would have to jump through hoops to get him removed from the council, and until such a time comes, I cannot lay a hand on him for fear of causing a political uproar. Even I am not outside of the law on this planet." he explained as if talking to a petulant child, though his anger was evident, "I do not want you near him, or even speaking of him. Do you understand?"
Adalina was shocked, to say the least, she had expected all sorts of things, but that certainly wasn't it. Though, she wasn't entirely surprised, the Arcosian had given off a very creepy vibe.
"Oh, I understand." she replied, he was only looking after her, in his own twisted way, "But there was no need to be so violent about it, you could have asked nicely." she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.
"I've told you many times, I do not ask nicely, I do what I see fit."
"Of course you do." she sighed.
A knock at the door interrupted the two,
"You may enter." the tyrant called out, with the pretentious air of a prince.
Cooler entered, face stoic as usual,
"Arctica wants us down for dinner in five minutes." he informed, "You should probably dry your hair." he gently chided the Zandonian.
Click.
It was as if she could hear something snap within Frieza, the gears in his head spinning so hard they nearly produced steam.
He had put up with Cooler all day and it was beginning to grind on his nerves. He thought himself so entitled, even though he was the weaker one. Frieza couldn't count how many times he had beaten his older brother into submission, and yet he still had the gall to think that they were equals, that there was any familial bond left with them. That he could just order his subordinates around,
"Cooler, how many times have I told you not to address my soldiers." he growled indignantly.
The older Arcosian did a double take at his younger brother's vicious remark. He had always been territorial, but not to this extent.
"Thank you for your concern, Cooler." Adalina politely replied, "And you," she pointed at Frieza, standing as she did so, "need to stop controlling who I speak to. I can understand Kain, but your brother means me no harm."
'Uh oh.' Cooler thought, knowing a fight was bound to break out, and he'd been caught in the middle of it. He had caught the name of Kain come from her lip as well, something he would ask about later.
"Do not forget who owns you. Though it may seem as if you've gotten a shred of freedom, make no mistake, you will continue to do as I say and you will not question me." he spat.
"Brother, you're being irrational." the darker Arcosian had his hands out, face still stoic.
"I don't trust you, not one bit, not after you stole Salza away from me." he crossed his arms.
"Just as you stole Jeice from me." Cooler replied blandly, "I don't think I could steal her away even if I wanted to."
"He's not wrong." Adalina shrugged, "Come on, lets just go eat, you're making a fool out of yourself." she instantly regretted her wording as Frieza stood, fists clenched.
"I'm what? Care to repeat what you just said?" his voice had grown deadly, something she heard rarely anymore. But she wouldn't back down, never again. She was merely trying to help him, and damn it, she cared about him.
"You don't have to be so paranoid all the time, he's your brother for goodness sake, he only said a simple sentence to me. I don't know what has you so on edge but I hope you deal with it before it gets us both in trouble." she turned to walk out the door, but a hand on her wrist stopped her.
"You seem to be under the impression that you can speak to me as if we're equals. You'll not walk away from me, not without my permission."
She growled, a low intimidating sound, after all these years and he still had the nerve to order her around like one of his little foot stools. She had thought they were making head-way, but she was apparently wrong. She was almost fed up with trying, it was obvious to her that he didn't want to change his ways, and that made him no better than his despot of a father.
In a brutal show of frustration she wheeled on him, throwing a right hook and catching him in the jaw with enough force to snap his head back. She had never, ever gotten violent with him with out him first initiating it. She lowered her hands, a glare still plastered on her face,
"You're just like King Kold, you cold hearted, pretentious, coward of a man."
Frieza looked at her with something she couldn't discern. Admiration? Annoyance? Disbelief?
"E-excuse me?" he stammered out, no one had ever had the gaul to hit him, and then insult him, and if they had, they weren't living any longer.
Cooler was wide-eyed as well, jaw slack as he stared on. Surely he would have a body to clean up.
"Tell Arctica I won't be down for dinner, I need to walk." Adalina quickly left the room, selfishly leaving the eldest prince to deal with the aftermath of what she had done.
The tyrant had shaken out of his stupor and was rubbing his jaw gingerly, he would no doubt have a bruise. It had been a sucker punch, and he hadn't been prepared at all, and for some reason, he wasn't mad about it. No, perhaps he was too shocked to be angry. He actually felt as if he respected the woman a little more, perhaps she wasn't a loss cause?
"If that woman ever left your side, it would be no ones fault but your own." Cooler took a deep breath, "You always push people away Frieza, and get angered over such trivial things, can't you see that father isn't around to instill that any longer. You're allowed to feel affection for others, you're allowed to treat others as equals, it's what makes a strong leader. Your callous nature will be your downfall, Brother."
Frieza growled, his irritation finally bubbling to the surface,
"Get out." he commanded.
"Arctica's still expecting you down, she'll come find you, you know she will." the older Arcosian called as he exited the room, leaving his brother alone to decompress.
She had hit him, his sickeningly sweet, cheerful second who wouldn't hurt a fly if it didn't hit her first, had actually raised a hand towards him in anger. She had been trying all these years to change him, but perhaps he was rubbing off on her as well.
He smirked, but something still felt off, why had he gotten so angry? Was he jealous, territorial, both? He knew good and well that his brother was simply being courteous, but their relationship had declined into one of rivalry and hatred, that little things were capable of making him paranoid.
He shook his head, he analyzed himself far too often for comfort.
She needed time to cool off after the initial shock of what she had done had worn off. She was still livid at the tyrant. How dare he? After all they had been through, he still gave her the cold shoulder. It was if no matter how many bricks she removed, he just kept putting stronger ones back.
And his little stunt today only proved that.
Adalina growled through clenched teeth as she flew through the air, in no true direction. She just needed to go somewhere.
"You idiot." she muttered to herself, "Can't you see I'm trying? Don't you understand that I care for you? Not everyone's out to get you, not everyone's so vindictive." her words were lost on the wind as her eyes began watering. She tried to blame it on the cold weather, but she knew that she was frustrated, and with frustration came tears.
She had decided her own fate all those years ago, and had come to terms with the fact that he would never return her feelings. It wasn't a part of her plan, and it hadn't mattered. But just when it seemed that perhaps he did think of her in the same light, he had to snuff it out and push her away.
Keep her at arms length, just as he did with everyone else.
But damn it, she wasn't 'everyone else'!
She had seen him at his worst, and been there for his best. They shared a room! And she had realized years ago that the reason he didn't give her her own, was because he enjoyed her company. He was a lonely, bitter, paranoid, capricious mess because of the life he chose to lead.
'Because of the life that was forced on him.' a small voice whispered in the back of her mind. That one thought was enough to sober her, her anger melting away and leaving a new emotion.
Guilt.
She had compared him to someone he hated.
His father was the one who forced him to cast away his emotions, to build an impenetrable wall that no one could ever fathom to take down. But there was no way that was the full story, something else had to have happened to spur such things, like a catalyst.
It was incomprehensible, what one would have had to endur to become such a monster. Someone who only cared for themselves, as if it was the only person they could trust.
He was utterly alone. Even through the smiles he shared with Polarra, the jests he endured from Arctica, Cooler's brotherly remarks, and her own futile attempt to fix him.
They were all lost on deeply routed ideas, that were nearly impossible to extinguish.
What a miserable existance.
She stopped in her flight and took a deep breath, finding that the air around her was significantly colder than it had been earlier; just how far had she flown?
The snow she had been mesmerized by earlier was now coming down in sheets, ones that she couldn't see through. It was a blizzard, it would seem, and she was caught in the middle of it.
Her wet hair had long since frosted over, and was only serving to further her chill.
"Aghhhhh." she yelled frustration, she'd be damned if she got killed because of a little snow.
"Adalina won't be joining us." Cooler announced simply as he entered the room.
The older woman looked puzzled, and perhaps concerned,
"Why's that?" she asked.
Her questions were answered as Frieza, who had decided to make an appearance after all, walked into the room, a faint purple bruise lingering on his jaw. Arctica narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing.
That boy, he would never learn.
"Frieza did you make Ada mad?" Polarra questioned innocently, "Because she flew out of here pretty fast."
Frieza sighed as he took his designated seat, to the right of Arctica at the head, across from Cooler who was seated next to the young Arcosian girl questioning him,
"I suppose you could say I did." he answered curtly, not feeling it was necessary to elaborate, especially not to a child.
Not wanting to cause any tension at the dinner table, Arctica tactfully changed the subject,
"How was your training today? I trust you were in good hands."
Polarra nodded happily,
"Ada is so cool mom! I didn't know she could transform, she looks way more awesome than those two." she tacitly looked at her two cousins, knowing they would bristle at the comment.
Arctica smiled, Cooler was constantly in his unreleased form to aid his younger cousin, and in hopes of attaining a new form, one that could help him control his younger brother. Frieza, however, didn't transform often, but Polarra had seen it plenty of times. Of course she'd be enthralled by anything new, especially coming from the woman she admired so,
"I saw, and I must say, I have to agree with you. Such a fierce warrior you have, Frieza, and pretty to boot." the older woman smirked behind her glass of wine, knowing what effect her words would have. Her nephew may pretend that the girl wasn't effecting him, and to everyone else, it may seem that way. But she knew, he was falling for her, slowly opening up to her. Adalina was strong and stubborn, two things Frieza despised, if only because they were traits that harbored defiance. And she had defied him many times, and he had allowed it. That alone was proof enough that he was at least too amused by the girl to dispose of her. It was much farther than any of his other relationships had gone, even if he didn't see it for what it was.
"My lady, I apologize for the interruption." a servant began as he walked into the dining hall, "But we are experiencing blizzard conditions currently, it is likely that the power will fail. Would you have me make preparations?"
"Yes please, thank you for telling me, Eis." she smiled politely as she watched him leave, "You'd better go out and find Adalina, she's never been in a blizzard before."
Frieza sighed, content to let the woman freeze a little longer,
"She couldn't have gone far, she's probably in the town somewhere." he answered nonchalantly, "She'll come back."
Polarra's face fell as she heard the conversation, a blue tinge forming across the bridge of her nose in shame,
"I..." she began, "I forgot to tell you something. Ada, she was actually flying north of the city when I saw her go, I figured I wouldn't tell you because she seemed mad and- I'm sorry." she explained sheepishly, her eyes down cast. It was life threatening to be caught in a blizzard, and the temperatures up north were too cold to be inhabitable, if she had gone too far.
The adults in the room had gone silent with the weight of her words. There was no way the tropically raised alien would survive long in conditons that could very well kill one of their own kind.
"I'll go find her." Frieza sighed heavily, "Perhaps she had enough sense to take her scouter but I doubt it." it would seem the woman was capable of causing him problems no matter what. She was in grave danger, due to her metabolic thermoregulation, such low temperatures could force her into a coma. Pathetic.
"I'll go with you." Cooler offered.
"No, you need to stay here in case neither of us make it back." he hated to admit it, but even he wasn't immune to the chilling temperatures the north had to offer. While their species had adapted to survive in the cold, he was still affected by extreme temperatures, and he was sure that the Zandonian woman would fair far worse.
Frieza walked into the foyer and opened the coat closet, grabbing a long black trench coat with a fur covered hood and a pair of gloves.
"Here, Frieza." Polarra held out his scouter, still feeling guilty about what she had done.
Frieza gave her a small smile,
"I'll bring her back. It wasn't your fault." he wasn't one for coddling the young girl, but she was obviously distraught, and he couldn't have that. It was no ones fault, but Adalina's, and perhaps his own.
The tyrant equipped the device, clicking a button to see if anyone would answer,
"Adalina, come in, if you can hear me you better answer." he spat.
Nothing.
"You can still use it to find her, Brother." Cooler offered, "If her power level hasn't dropped, she's still the second strongest being on this planet right now."
Frieza flipped his hood up and started towards the door, muttering about being inconvenienced and how he was going to punish her for being brash,
"Stay by your scouter, Cooler." was all he offered before walking out into the blizzard, harsh winds blowing snow into the building before he was able to shut the door.
It was desolate outside, and a bit eerie to boot. The only sounds were the howling wind and his own breathing. He recalled the time he had been stuck in such weather, though he hadn't gone far. His mother had come to his aid, chiding him on the dangers of being caught in a blizzard.
He clicked his scouter, the device lighting up and scanning for higher power levels. He nearly held his breath as he waited for the familiar beep to signal it had locked on, and when it did, he instantly took off towards it. She was far up north, almost to the mountains it would seem, and her power level was way lower than it should have been.
"Insolent woman." he mumbled as he flared his aura, the snow melting away from him.
The cold only seemed to drain her energy the longer she stayed in it, making her sluggish and unable to do much other than levitate, and even then she was beginning to grow weary. There was no way she would be able to make her way back to town, and no way that any one would come looking for her. It was likely that blizzards were every day trivial happenings for the Arcosians. Not something to worry about.
She had been stupid, and had let her emotions get the better of her, something that didn't happen often. She had snapped at him, and if she made it back alive, she was sure to get an ear full, and probably a demotion.
Her aura sputtered out, no longer able to keep the worst of the cold from her, and she found herself dropping, completely exhausted. She was going to die, from something as stupid as exposure. She had faced countless enemies, and stared down the God of Destruction himself, and yet, she was going to die, from snow.
How pathetic.
He watched her drop and hastily moved to catch her before she disappeared into the deep rifts of snow. Her eye-lashes were nearly white and her lips had taken on a blue tinge. Her hair was frosted, and if it weren't for the slight rising if her chest, he'd think her a corpse.
'You're not dead yet, are you?" he questioned in a condescending tone as he cradled the woman.
Adalina opened her eyes weakly and was surprised, and oh so thankful, to see piercing red orbs staring back at her. She didn't even realize what she was doing until her arms were wrapped snugly around his neck and shoulders,
"I'm sorry. I was an idiot." she always apologized, even if things weren't her fault. Even if she worked herself up, and accepted that he wouldn't change or let her in, she still ran right back to him.
"There's no time to discuss that, lets get back before we both freeze to death."
Adalina released him, and tried to muster up enough energy to fly, but found that she couldn't,
"I've completely used up my reserves." she sheepishly commented, smiling up at him.
He tightened his grip on her and began flying back towards the castle,
"Can't you do anything by yourself?" he was pretending that he wasn't having any trouble but the cold made him sluggish. Though, she would need to be looked at when they returned. He knew that her species was capable of switching between exothermic regulation and endothermic regulation, but the way her skin felt, was just wrong.
She ignored him as she snuggled into his warm coat, trying to prevent any of her extremities from falling off, though the air was rapidly becoming warmer. It was at times like these where he found himself vulnerable to her charm, when she wasn't trying, when she wasn't berating him on his callous nature, when she wasn't giving him unwanted pity. She was able to work her way past his defenses by merely being. And that thought scared him, he hated things that he didn't have absolute control of, for they were things that could get him killed.
And yet,
"I've decided that you're a grown woman capable of making your own decisions." he commented offhandedly, "But do not ever lay a hand on me again, understood? Because next time I will not be so forgiving."
"Understood." she sluggishly replied, "And there's nothing wrong with confiding in me. I've made it clear that I will never leave your side, haven't I? You can just tell me if something I'm doing is buggin' you."
"Those closest to you, are the ones who have the most ammunition for your downfall." he recited something his father had once told him, "I don't need anyone."
"Yes, you do. Perhaps if you weren't so distrusting of people, you'd see the bigger picture. It's good to have allies, and friends. It instills a certain amount of honor, and even if the whole world turns on you, you'll at least have a few people you can count on. Not everyone has their own secret agenda, Frieza."
"Nonsense." was his only reply, but her words had had a certain effect on him. He knew that she would stand by him, no matter what, so perhaps it wasn't a bad thing to let her in? After all, every good king needed a steady queen by his side.
Adalina reminded him of his mother, in some ways, and anyone that was like the gentle queen couldn't be bad. But that was the problem, his mother had died, and it had left him unstable, unable to feel anything. And she had died, because of her compassion for another.
And if such a thing should happen to the woman he had come to care for, he wasn't sure if his mental state could handle it.
Perhaps these rumored Dragon Balls were capable of making multiple people immortal?
A/N: And there you have it, now, of course Frieza's plans are going to hit a bit of a stump since you know, all the stuff that happens on Namek, but I promise, they'll be a for sure couple after Namek, like, right after *wink wink* look forward to it. Now, I do have two little 'filler' chapters that I'll be uploading before the Namek saga begins. One covers Frieza's child hood, and the other cover Adalina's. I have both of them written, so you just tell me which you would like to see first and I'll act accordingly. Warning though, Frieza's does get a bit dark at times. Adalina's, eh, it's arguable I suppose. Oh, and would you like to see a Valentine's day special? Since this is suppose to be a romance story and all.
I was also wondering if anyone reading this is a beta, or knows one, or hell, I'd take an extra set of hands on this any day. I'm only one person, and I can only do so much so it would be helpful to have other people there to help flesh out this story. I really want it to be the best it can be, since there are a lot of Frieza romance fics that just don't quite hit the mark.
Now, onto some theory stuff and the like. The way I see it, Frieza is an absolute mess due to suffering he endured as a child, which will be covered in his special chapter. He has a hard time letting anyone close to him, because he's grown up thinking that everyone would be after such a ruthless leader. He never really minded it, until Adalina showed up and threw a wrench in his ideologies. In short, he doesn't think true affection is possible anymore, because the Universe is too cruel a place. He's extremely sadistic, that, paired with extreme pessimism and paranoia, doesn't make the happiest combo if you feel me. But we're slowly fixing that :) But still, they're both in a power struggle, trying to mold one another into what they see fit. Adalina is more of a gentle force, while Frieza is, well, Frieza. He'd love nothing more than to have her 'come to the dark side' so to speak.
And lets not forget the small amount of biology introduced in this chapter. Science, particularly animal science, is one of my strong suits, since I wanted to be a vet for the longest time. Frieza is most certainly cold-blooded, for all intents and purposes, but he can function in temperatures within varying degrees, making him a eurytherm, but he can also become homeothermic due to his ability to use ki, which can allow him to regulate his body temperature. I mean, he can survive in space, he can't be entirely helpless in the cold. Adalina is a bit of both, as, due to bradymetabolism, she can adapt to varying temperatures, but if the temperature goes too low she goes into a stasis-like state, sorta like hibernation. But she is also heterothermic because she can switch between being poikilothermic and homeothermic, and science stuff that you can google and read up on.
Oh, and if any of you are looking for a fic that focuses on Goku and his team redeeming Frieza, might I suggest reading Ryu no Ohi's Savior of Demons. It's got amazing writing, and in depth theories that I'm sure you would all love!
Lastly, a picture of Kain should be up on my dA: KuroKagamiImeji.
Thanks for reading!
