CHAPTER 10:
Let Loose

The lightning storm above had long since calmed to a steady rain. The pattering of droplets was accompanied by musical instruments throughout the city, which played celebratory tunes to which the little pink aliens twirled and bowed in dances.

The temple was abuzz with moonlanders who came to honor the new Mystic couple, and to pray to the Kais. Due to the sheer amount of offerings for Trunks and Pan as a newly wedded couple, several tables were set up in the foyer for the gifts.

In the east wing of the temple, the wedding reception was held inside the grand ballroom, which had high ceilings and large ornately carved limestone columns. The grand ceiling was adorned with paintings of the solar system's moons among nebulous clouds. Long white ribbons cascaded down the tops of the columns, laced with flowers of pink and gold. Around the central dance floor, tables had been set up with snacks and beverages, and additional tables were pushed to the corners to collect additional gifts, trinkets and offerings that continued to pile up. Many of the gifts were made of stone, such various cuts of rose quartz carved with symbols.

Joyous moonlanders celebrated and sung around the central floor of the room, playing hand-carved and strung musical instruments. To Trunks, their musical orchestrations sounded reminiscent of Renaissance pan flutes, lyres, and tribal drums. Hundreds of guests appeared and left, joining and leaving the song as a stream of participants in the festivities.

In the corner of the room, by a large window that had been opened to the outdoors, a massive brown pot sat over hot rocks, boiling a golden soup, from which moonlanders spooned portions into stone bowls. All of the bowls in the room had pouring lips, from which the moonlanders drank directly, without using utensils.

The temple's catering team wore dark red robes with white belts, which differentiated them from all of the guests who were in their best shades of white. The servers passed trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres - mainly jam crackers, pickled fruit, coral candies, flatbreads, and slices of a pink pie with an aroma reminiscent of peanuts.

There was a large bowl of red fruit punch along the long side of the wall across from the windows. The punch bowl sat next to the large glass bowl of sweetwater. They each had crystal pitchers, from which the aliens would scoop the liquid to pour into their stone bowls.

Trunks sat at the head of a long table at the back-center of the ballroom, near the edge of the room, shying away from most of the crowd. His mood had been a bit of a rollercoaster ever since the reception started, and he thought it best to keep aloof until he could sort out his feelings.

Overall, Trunks was feeling impatient. It was loud, and he did not feel like celebrating. He just wanted to grab the Dragon Ball and start working on Giru, to fix the Dragon Radar. Until Giru was fixed, they'd be stuck on this moon. And while the people were nice, the food here was not to Trunks' tastes.

Despite his hunger, Trunks wanted none of the cornucopia of alien delicacies. He quickly learned that everything on this moon was too sweet for his palate - and that said a lot, because Trunks had a healthy sweet tooth. While the snacks here were appetizing at first, Trunks quickly started to feel like a kid who had overeaten candy from his Hallow Night's bag. All Trunks was craving right now was a meat stick.

Trunks was also craving to get out of his dress. He still had it on, bustled in the back, and, Gods, it was itchy and tight, and heavy.

Also, using the restroom earlier had been the worst experience. Trunks had an impossibly difficult time trying to figure out how to lift and twist and hold the big dress while also being able to see what he was doing. Trunks had no idea why women preferred to wear such fluffy ballgown dresses for their weddings on Earth. At this point, Trunks just wanted it off.

Trunks imagined that Pan must be feeling a similar way about her gown; however, when he glanced over to Pan who was mid-way across the ballroom, she was holding a blue and brown frothy drink and seemed very happy in her conversation with some moonlanders.

Trunks did a double-take on the drink in Pan's hands.

Blue drink…? That was the first time that Trunks had seen the color blue among any food or beverage. The sight of it immediately intrigued him, and it distracted him from his thoughts.

His eyes scanned the room to find where Pan had acquired it.

Trunks finally spotted that the blue-brown drink was being tray-passed by catering servers. They each carried trays with carved-stone cups and mugs. He stood up, and signaled to the closest server to approach.

A little pink female in her dark red robe approached with a chirp, and held up a tray that had two types of drinks. Her eyes were big with purple irises and she smiled a toothy grin, "Happy Cappuccinoo?"

Trunks was immediately amused and intrigued. "That's a cappuccino?"

He reached out and took the drink, eyeing it briefly before bringing it to his lips.

The sting of the foam struck him first, as it made his entire nose tingle with its scent.

"Hoo," Trunks eyed the drink again, compelled to exclaim aloud, "That's strong!"

Upon returning it to his lips, Trunks' lips tingled against the foam, and he felt the burn of the alcohol in his mouth and throat.

Trunks coughed from the intensity of burn, and pulled his drink away. Ironically enough, despite its strength, it tasted really good, like a cocoa, cinnamon and cayenne cappuccino, and its spice helped to hide some of the sting, but damn… Trunks eyed the drink in awe. This stuff is dangerous…

His eyes turned back to Pan, who now had two new stone drink cups in her hands, and was now standing alone, looking around in the crowd. Her eyes then turned to his, and after their eyes locked, a smile crept onto her lips.

Trunks focused on her mouth for a moment, recalling the unwelcome kiss from earlier. He was still sore with Pan for forcing herself on him, brooding that she should have known better than to treat him that way. Despite how he wasn't truly angry about it, it was still unfair and improper, and this was just another example of how she acted rashly and was unhinged. He didn't know how to talk to her about it. He needed to, if she was ever to learn.

Pan shifted her body, and her eyes glistened as bright as her smile as she started to shimmy herself over to him. As she walked, her hot pink floof dress did all kinds of weird jellyfish motions in the moon's low gravity, and it just looked so amusing that Trunks' lips tightened from his frown.

He felt his face flush at seeing her dress. Trunks just couldn't stay mad at her, especially seeing her in that bright pink. Trunks was starting to fully realize that it was impossible to hold any grudge against this girl.

"Honestly, Trunksh," Pan started as she stopped a few feet short of him, wearing her big smile, "you look like a nervoush wreck. You really need to calm down."

Trunks looked down to Pan's hands and observed the drinks that she was holding. She extended her right arm to offer one of the stone cups to him.

Trunks set down his "cappuccino," and brought his hands to accept the opaque stone cup from Pan.

"What's this one?" Trunks took the glass and eyed its contents suspiciously. The liquid was light blue and had small green swirls inside it.

"Dunno. It tasted pretty nasty at firsht, but after a few ships it started tashting pretty good. They say it's a tradition to drink it, and since we're both the belles of the ball today," Pan winked with her slight, "I figured we could try it together."

Trunks' temple ticked at Pan, and he sighed. He looked down at the drink in his hand, and then brought it up to his mouth. He hesitated a moment before taking a small sip.

This drink was much different than the "happy cappuccino" - it burned his throat with sweet notes and a bitter aftertaste. It reminded him of a raspberry-cranberry flavor, with a strong sting of … absinthe. And then, like a ghost pepper, the sting of the immense alcohol content burned from his throat down to his stomach.

His eyes went wide and he choked loudly, almost spilling the drink to the floor. The sting inside his throat mellowed into a numbing buzz. His breath felt cool, and his belly heated with a fire that inched its way up through his chest, neck, and face, all the way to his temples, where he felt himself break into a sweat.

"Pan, these drinks are way too strong!" Trunks set his drink down beside his other mug. He looked up to her with a suspicious eye, "How much did you drink so far?"

"Ehh," Pan waved her free hand, as if shunning the thought. "I dunno. Prob'ly two… four?"

Trunks narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "Pan, I'm cutting you off. This drink is too strong for you."

Trunks reached out for Pan's cup, but she yanked it back.

"No! It's my drink!" Pan stood firm, with her drink held to her chest. She raised her chin confrontationally. "You don't get to tell me what'sh too shtrong for me."

Trunks' face was deadpan. "You're getting drunk."

Pan stood proud, patting her chest with her left hand. "It hashn't affected me at all." Then, she defiantly stuck out her tongue, and took a big swig.

Trunks' mood soured. "Pan, hand over your drink right now."

Pan's smile darken into a smug-ass sneer as her eyes brightened to a challenge. "You jusht try to take it, Trunksh!"

"I will."

As Trunks tried to step forward to grab her drink, he noticed the world rock as if it were on a boat. He stopped, and considered how his sweating temples throbbed. His vision of Pan blurred and doubled.

Pan easily dodged Trunks' reach. She stuck her tongue out again, and with a defiant smirk, she smugly downed the rest of her drink in front of him.

"Shee, thish ish what I'm talking about. You need to lighten up." Pan slammed her empty cup next to his two and began to walk away.

Trunks' expression darkened and he balled his fists in frustration. He was not looking forward to dealing with Drunk Pan. She was reckless enough when she was sober. He kept thinking back to the forced kiss from earlier, and then how she had proceeded to break a lamp, an ashtray, and later a chair which she wildly threw at Goku after he had made his ridiculous comment to them in the dressing room.

Watching Pan stumble forward in her dress, Trunks grew both angry and concerned. He took two steps forward to follow her, "Pan, you come back here right now."

She turned around to face him. Her eyes were glisteny and dazed, and her cheeks flushed. Her lips seemed almost swollen, and when she looked at Trunks, she seemed to unfocus her eyes to view slightly beyond him.

Her melty lips formed a pout. "Trunks, you need to shtop treating me like a little kid." She grinned loosely, and then pointed to herself with a floppy arm, "Ah'm your wife now."

Trunks' face flushed at the reminder. He also was determined; regardless of their marital status, Pan still needed guidance. Age didn't matter; if she didn't embrace learning, she would continue to act impulsively and unrestrained throughout her life.

He tried to think of how he'd word that to her, in a way that she'd listen. She was obviously more focused on being confrontational at the moment.

"Listen, Pan," Trunks raised his hands to de-escalate the situation, "I don't intend to treat you like a kid. I just think–"

"Good" she interrupted him, smirking softly. She looked over to one of the serving girls and said, "I'd like another Happy Cappuccino, pleash."

"Auuugh," Trunks slammed his right hand to his forehead in exasperation, "Pan, are you really trying to rebel right now?"

"Rebel?" Pan grinned at him with full teeth, "Looshen up, Trunksh! Thish ish our wedding!" She raised both her arms up, including the drink. "Drink 'n have fun!"

Trunks was not having fun.

She walked straight up to him with a sway in her step and boldly poked him in the chest, keeping her finger against him. "Have you ever let loosh in your life?"

Trunks looked down to her finger on his chest, and then looked to her eyes, "Now's not the time."

"D'ya know what your problem is, Trunksh?" Pan's eyes were slightly glazed as her grin spread from ear to ear. Her expression was getting a little sloppy, and it was clear the alcohol was getting to her head, "You're dull."

"DULL?" Trunks' eyes widened in surprise, and he was mortified.

Trunks had never been called dull! And he wasn't sure if Pan had any idea of what he used to be like.

He suddenly felt extremely defensive of his character, as if she had just said a slight to his face. "I'm NOT dull!"

"All you do is mope around and do math."

"Math and physics," Trunks corrected, "And I am not dull."

Pan just belly-laughed, as if Trunks had proven her point to her.

Trunks opened his mouth to object to her reaction, but then a flash of a thought jolted through his mind. And then he hesitated.

He could not unsee it.

Pan laughed like Goten.

The realization was quick and hard, and it came from nowhere. Trunks looked at her with awe. But he had no time to process it, because as soon as he pictured the mental image, his heartbeat increased…

… And then the entire room began to tilt and spin.

Trunks took a step back, as the room whirled in a rush, and a feeling swarmed him like a thousand tingling butterflies that flew up and down his spine.

Suddenly, Trunks felt very happy. And his eyes got very blurry.

When Trunks looked at Pan, he saw Goten for a moment - just a little; just enough. She had his dark features.

And then he realized everyone he was ever attracted to had dark features…

His vision seemed to zoom in and out.

Could he be attracted to her? Was she giving him this feeling?

The room tilted more, and he tried to reach out for the table, but it wasn't there.

Caught up in his vertigo, Trunks stumbled back again, and finally caught the table to steady himself. With extra distance between them, Trunks was able to get a better look at Pan, through blurring vision.

He hallucinated his own image over her at her age. She reminded Trunks of himself when he was younger. He used to make those same haughty faces. He used to challenge the rules.

He used to be so much more… interesting.

Trunks felt a physical rush lap within him like torrential waves. He wanted to be better.

"Pan," Trunks leaned straight against the table, and looked hard and hopeful in Pan's eyes. He stated with true resolution, "I don't want to be dull anymore."

He took a step forward and reached for her left hand. It made contact. The moment he took it, Pan's eyes went wide, and she looked down to their hands.

"Woah woah wait!" Pan stumbled backward and pulled her hand away.

Her cheeks flushed and she looked proudly to Trunks in defiance. "I wanna be clear… "

She pointed a finger directly to his face, "I don't care if you're being dull…"

She then pointed directly to herself with a smirk, "... Jusht don't expect me to be."

Hah. Trunks softened his gaze as he felt his vision come back to normal. There was no way that Pan could ever be dull. That idea was laughable.

Pan had bigger balls of bravery than most men…

… And apparently, Pan thought she had a bigger alcohol tolerance than most men, too. Trunks watched as Pan waved to a server, and then picked up her sixth alcoholic drink.

––––––––

Pan was very, very, very happy.

She didn't feel this way at first. She originally had to fight all kinds of feelings of disappointment and anger about Bullhead. He was every bit of the nightmare that she knew he would be. He felt entitled enough to make big life decisions all on his own, and he never even considered her.

How dare he not kiss her! How dare he not even realize that she was even mad about the kiss! But of course she was also mad about him pulling away during their wedding.

After her first cup of the blue and brown "Happy Cappuccino" cocktail, though, she started to reconsider some of her anger. He probably was feeling embarrassed and shy and hit one of his usual walls. He had so many friggin walls around him, he made himself impossible to reach. They were just all so tight, he needed to just loosen up.

After her second cup of the "cappuccino" drink, she began to feel a bit tingly. She began to wonder if maybe Trunks was misunderstood. Maybe he actually thought he was being a good guy this whole time and was just super clueless about how all of his actions and behaviors affected everyone around him. Maybe he just needed someone to grab his ear and box his nose a bit, and he'd turn out okay.

After her third "cappuccino," she started to wonder if maybe she had a crush on Trunks the entire time, because he was just really pretty. But because he was so pretty, she couldn't talk to him right. She thought of all the other boys who she knew through middle school, and all she saw in her head were kids. She didn't want a kid. And here was Trunks, the whole time, and now he was her husband, and she needed to teach him that being pretty wasn't just about a face. And she was gonna box that nose so good.

After her fourth "cappuccino," the tingles along her skin spread to a general numbing of her body. As Pan was conversing with the moonlanders, she began to feel her tongue slow down and betray her flow of speech, switching around consonants and mispronouncing random words.

Now, after downing her fifth through seventh "cappuccinos" in front of Trunks, Pan started to lose feeling, and forgot what she was talking about. She knew she was safe with Trunks, but she began to lose awareness of where she was, and found her feet attempting to give way below her. When the full blow hit her, she found herself walking somewhere in the room, passing by people talking about who knows what, and she was rambling about nothing of interest, and feeling quite happy.

She noted that the entire world moved in slow motion around her as she felt Trunks guide her walk. She felt like a video tape, with the option of rewinding and fast-forwarding all motion. The room was so warm, it was almost smothering her. Everyone was brushing past her, pushing her slightly, but just enough to the point where she felt she was losing her center of gravity, and found herself grabbing onto Trunks for support.

Time must have been passing all around her, but she could not feel its effects on her. She had no idea how long it had been since she started her walk. The world was tipping like a see-saw and she was having a fun ride. Everything passed faster when she was enjoying herself.

She felt a pair of strong hands grab her, but didn't care to look and see who it was. At least now, she was able to stand straight and watch the tables rock back and forth. She squinted her eyes, trying to see someone in front of her, but couldn't make the person out. She didn't care, anyway. Oh yeah, it was her Grandpa. He was saying something to her, with a smile maybe on his face, but Pan wasn't really looking. She tried to listen, but she just couldn't focus on his words. She instead was picturing herself losing all her senses, floating in a void while watching people from a little movie theater in her mind.

Wow, I feel so good right now. Every part of her was relaxed. She felt like she needed to reach out and grab the person behind her just because it felt good to move her arms. She wanted to move her legs too. Dancing would be really nice. The music had been playing all around her, and she hadn't even done one twirl.

She turned around and hugged the person behind her just because it felt good to have contact like that. And it also felt good to move her hands up and down the person's back. She enjoyed doing that. She really liked the contact.

Everything seemed so simple. No emotions clouding judgment. She felt a hand in her hair, and dug her face deeper into the person's chest. It was a male, and he smelled enticing with a little sweat, and familiar. He was taller than her. She couldn't picture anyone in her mind that could be a male and taller than her. She just couldn't focus her thoughts that way. That hand feels really good... and his back feels really good on my hands. She tried to rock back and forth with him, to attempt to dance - she wanted to dance, but he refused to budge.

She frowned slightly to herself. Suit himself. She continued to hug him because it felt so right. He continued to run his hand through her hair, which also felt so right. She could feel the world shifting around her, but he supported her and kept her from falling. She felt like she was floating. Suddenly, she felt as if she wanted to fly, to feel the wind around her right now. That would feel so nice. It was so hot in the room.

A mental picture of a color popped into her mind - lavender with blue undertones. That's right, it's Trunks. She remembered that he would be there, and would most likely be holding her like that. He was saying something, but she didn't think the words were for her. She could feel his chest vibrating with the sound, and it felt so good. Everything felt so good.

She closed her eyes and tried to listen to the conversation. She could only pick out several words at a time to process slowly, and then found she missed out on several other words while she was interpreting the previous ones. She heard the sentences as if they were in another language. They were choppy to her, and although she understood every word, she couldn't get the meaning out of them. What were they trying to say? Why were they talking so fast?

"She's drunk," She heard Trunks say this, and tried to picture it in her head. She, Pan, is drunk. So this is what being drunk feels like. And yeah, she was having a grand old time. This was the best.

She zoned out again. She couldn't focus on anything this time. The world went out of focus and the ground gave way under her feet. She felt the strong hand that steadied her by her waist - at least, she thought she was steadied, but it was hard to tell with all the tipping going on around her. All of this just seemed so funny to her, for some reason.

She felt her hand held as Trunks spoke in her ear, "Come on, Pan, let's have our first dance."

She was so overjoyed that she burst out laughing. Is this what love is? If so, I want more of it!

She poured nonsensical words of love that burst from her heart like a fountain. Everything seemed so perfect. She was so tired, and so thrilled. She felt him hold her, confirm his need for her, and then she was blissfully aware as they spun to dance. The whirl was madness and joy, and everything she felt in her heart.

Her last thought that she could actually remember was that she really could have gone for another one of those cappuccinos.

––––––––

Trunks had kept a careful watch on Pan ever since she downed the sixth drink and then started asking for a seventh. It was around that time that her eyes fully glazed over, and her face grew lopsided and flexible in ways he had never seen before.

Pan's smile was ludicrously wide. She was practically a cartoon, swaying and swooning, and tripping over her dress as she waved like a palm tree, then melted into a pile of putty, and then bounced back to her feet like a spring ready to melt and flop again.

After twenty minutes of Pan having the time of her life falling on the dance floor with the moonlanders, Trunks realized there was no way he could focus on any other part of the reception. Pan had reached a point where she could no longer properly stand, and literally needed support, so Trunks decided to step in and try to prevent her from tripping and falling again.

As Trunks pulled Pan from the crowd and toward the beverage table, Pan continued sway in her happy drunk daydream. Trunks' annoyance by this point had shifted into a mild pity toward the girl. Pan had no idea what she had gotten herself into; it was obvious she had never drunk alcohol before.

But Trunks had already decided he was not about to play parent with her to baby her. If anyone had the authority to cut off her drinks, the decision should come from her chaperone, Goku. This was still a team effort to get through this night. They still hadn't gotten the Dragon Ball yet.

Goku was downing fruit juice by the drink table, chatting with Rikarroo. Trunks gratefully saw that Goku had stuck with the nonalcoholic drinks tonight. Trunks steadied Pan to stand on her own, helping to lean her against the drink table. At this point, Pan was in a daze, with her eyes closed and bobbing her head to the pan flute music.

"Hi Trunks, what's up?" Goku broke off his previous conversation and flashed a merry smile to Trunks.

Trunks just frowned. "She's drunk."

Goku laughed and watched Pan dancing with her head. "Yeah, she's having a real good time!"

"Yeah, real good." Trunks echoed Goku with a sarcastic tone and tightened his lips, "Just like she'll feel tomorrow morning."

"Nah, relax Trunks," Goku waved his concerns away, and then winked at Trunks. "Sometimes we learn the hard way."

"Goku, we have a mission right after this party is over."

"Yeah, when the party's over!" Goku had a stupid grin plastered on his face.

Trunks sighed. "I just want us both to be accountable for her behavior tonight. She's too young to drink."

"Ah, no way!" Goku mused, looking up and then back to Trunks, "They said she was old enough here!"

"Yes, here." Trunks gestured around to the moon, "But when we get back to Earth, there are different expectations."

"But we're not on Earth!" Goku took a big swig of the fruit juice pitcher.

"Yes, but on Earth-"

Goku slammed the empty pitcher down on the table and interrupted Trunks. He squeezed his eyes with a "Ha-tcha-tcha-tcha-tcha!" as he pinched his nose, with an obvious brain-freeze.

Goku paused and held up his right hand with a single index finger to "hush" Trunks as he recovered.

"Ahhhh!" Goku rubbed his nose with one hand, and then stood up straight to pat his belly. "Wanna know what your problem is, Trunks?"

"What is my problem?" Trunks asked flatly, feeling a deja vu.

"You're a bummer! " Goku waved his hand as if shooing the thought away. "Just eat! There's lots of food! It's sweet, too!"

Bummer… Trunks once again heard a similar word as before. Dull…

Goku continued, "You keep thinking that everything we do is judged by Earth! But the universe is bigger than Earth."

Goku held out his hands to gesture in all directions. "Like you just got married. You just became Kickadoodle citizens! And we have all this food! This is super cool, bigger than anything on Earth!"

"I… know…" Trunks looked down to his hands, and felt confused.

For a moment… Trunks wondered if maybe Goku was right. Maybe the problem was Trunks.

He'd been so caught up with expectations, that he allowed himself to become a dull bummer.

Goku had a good point. Maybe everything would get better if Trunks would just let loose and have more of the drinks.

You know what, fuck it.

Trunks smirked slightly, allowing himself to embrace his other side. After all, it was Goku's suggestion.

If Legend Goku asked for it, Legend Goku would get it.

Trunks didn't even care anymore. He let Goku win this one.

"You're right, Goku." Trunks smugly raised his hands in his own defiance, "I guess I'll just have to let myself loose."

"Yeah!" Goku beamed.

Trunks could feel a rise in his energy - a special kind of energy - a little evil. A little fun.

"Come on, Pan," Trunks snarkily grabbed her hand with a mischievous grin, "Let's have our first dance."

Pan burst out laughing in glee, and hugged him tight.

Trunks pulled Pan up away from the table, jerking her out of her dizzy daydream, and into a bewildered stumble toward the center of the room. Along the way, Pan started to mumble to herself under her breath.

Trunks passed by a drink server, and confidently picked a "happy cappuccino" before chugging it, and then firmly clinked it back down on the same tray.

Goku and Pan wanted Trunks to let loose. He realized neither of them knew who they were dealing with. Of course it made sense. Neither of them grew up with him to know his true nature.

He'd show them what Vegeta's son would do for shits and giggles at his own wedding reception, while also teaching Pan a lesson. Ouuu this would be so good.

Trunks wished Goku had his camera out. But he knew it was coming.

"Pan," Trunks grinned devilishly to her, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Hmm?" Pan sloshily grinned back to him as she rocked on her feet.

"Can you be funny? Like, really funny right now?" Trunks' grin turned slightly wicked.

"Mmmhmm!" Pan grinned with her eyes closed, and melted into Trunks' chest.

That was all Trunks needed to hear.

With a shit-eating grin, Trunks spun, and hoisted her up in their spinning dance move. He continued to spin them, dancing them to the music, until they were faster than the music, and using his ki, he propelled his centripetal motion faster, and faster, until the centrifugal force pulled Pan's head backward, and she was spinning outward like a top.

Pan was laughing the entire time, screaming in amusement and thrill as her entire upper part of her body spun outward, and her hair flew upward like she were a fan. She was joyous and jubilant… until she made a hacking sound, and spasmed.

And then it was GLORIOUS.

Pan projectile-vomited, hurling chunks and liquids of seven drinks in a circle, as a fountain of half-digested rain all over the guests on the dance floor. It all fell down as a waterfall of brown bile, raining down on everyones' white robes.

It was the funniest shit Trunks had ever seen.

The entire ballroom erupted in pandemonium. All the little pink aliens were screaming and running in every direction, knocking people over in the mayhem. Brown rain splattered down and up, and all around. As they ran, they tripped and slipped on the vomit all over the floor, landing on their rumps and squealing with honks of "game over" sounds.

Life did not get better than this. Trunks beamed in the center of the floor, holding Pan against him, despite Pan trying to struggle free.

He felt incredible. He felt alive. He felt seen.

He thought about how Goten would be laughing his ass off right now. Trunks puffed his chest as he watched Goku similarly laughing hysterically by the drink table, and then finally whipped out the gray camera to capture this epic moment.

Hugging Pan close to his side, Trunks posed for the photo with a bright, triumphant smile, and raised up a peace-sign, as the room spun merrily around him.

He was the only one still in pure white among the mayhem.

He decided he liked his new wife. Life was good.

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–A: 10/26/23–

–F: 7/23/24–