Tea Time (Closed)

"It's not like you even coulda known, right?" Zuqetta would say softly, giving Lilith a kind smile, "I don't blame ya, and I don't blame the king either." Zuqetta would assure, "After seeing the destruction Blizzard caused... well, it's way to much ta fix up in a day. He's movin' area ta area I'm sure, and once he's reached this area, then the kids can go off to a better home than this cramped place." Zuqetta would say lowly, averting her gaze toward the floor as she finished her sentence.

In truth, her trust in the King and his lackeys hadn't changed; the only thing that changed was her own pursuit of power. Where once she had coveted the throne, she now held such a position with disdain; it wasn't her desire anyways, it was a desire fed to her by those she had foolishly trusted. Things were different now, and times had changed; the conflict between the Tuffles and Saiyans was supposedly over, and the world was steadily being ushered into an age of peace. Such a tenuous peace, earned by a farce of a war...

Zuqetta would shake her head; attempting to ignore her unnecessary opinions and returning her attention to the issue at hand. The question of her age was brought up, to which Zuqetta would sigh before slumping over in her chair. Age wasn't something her father had ever kept up with when it came to her; for years, the very concept OF a year was an unknown to her. If not for the information she'd gathered back in Hatchi city, this question would have proved impossible to answer; however, what bothered Zuqetta not was why Lilith had even decided to ask it.

"Considerin' the shpeel ya gave to the clerk when he ask YOUR age, heh, you've got a lot of nerve with THAT kinda question." Zuqetta would remark with a smug grin, "I'm old enough, Saiyans are considered adults once they reach seventeen years of age." Zuqetta would say plainly, excluding the fact that she was still only sixteen for a for another month, "Anyways, things like that are hardly important to a Saiyan! Might is what makes right, if ya got the strength ta do what you want, then ya do it!" Zuqetta would proclaim confidently, rising from her chair and crossing her arms as she looked down upon Lilith smugly, "'Nuff said! Now, got any more questions? Clova's bound ta be back soon."

Finally, a meaningful question; whether Lilith's curiosity about Zuqetta's past had been sated or not didn't matter, all that mattered was that now, the little Shin-jin was asking about the future. Zuqetta would get up from the seat and move over towards the window, opening the blinds as she peered out to the broken down streets of the Radditsu District. She could see Clova running down the street with the two kids, each carrying a few sacks that were likely filled with food and other supplies; feeling for energy in the surrounding area told Zuqetta that the trio hadn't been followed. With a heavy sigh, Zuqetta would look towards the night sky as she gave her response.

"In all likelihood? My death." Zuqetta would begin plainly, before quickly turning back towards Lilith to explain herself properly, "I'm a mercenary, it can be a dangerous job, but that's of no concern." She'd continue firmly, "I became a mercenary to spread my name; I reiterate, MY name. Zuqetta will be a name that leaders think of when they think of the strong; it will be a name that rogues think of before they try to start trouble in Sadala, it will be a name that holds a status that surpasses that of whatever status my mother and father held!" Zuqetta felt herself becoming riled up, but she would continue regardless, "Where does this all lead?" Zuqetta would question rhetorically as she pulled up the blinds and pointed off towards one of the many visible spires of the castle, "It leads to the throne." She'd finish lowly.

There was never, and would never be a guarantee that the Saiyan throne would be hers; nor did she care if it was. Zuqetta wanted justice for those who deserved it, vengeance for those who couldn't obtain it themselves. She wasn't the strongest in the universe, and she knew this; but she would fight regardless, for herself, and for those she cared about.

"More... there's more to tell you, but now isn't the time." Zuqetta would state as she heard the children in the living room cry out in excitement, "Our stay here is over, let's go."

With that, Zuqetta would take to leaving Vennels room; gesturing for Lilith to do the same with a side nod of her head. Upon exiting, she would quickly take notice of the children as they crowded the kitchen; nearly ravenous as Clova began to prepare some home cooked, proper meals for them. Zuqetta would make for the front door without a word, being stopped only when Clova took notice and decided to call out.

"Ah! Zuqetta? Not stayin' for a meal?" Clova would ask with a clear tinge of disappointment in her voice, "I'll bet the kids would love it if you did!" She would remark, prompted a cheer in agreement from the children.

Zuqetta's eyes would narrow aggressively on the door as a sharp pain came to her heart; with a deep breath, she would turn towards Clova and give a toothy grin before speaking.

"Sorry gang, but I gotta go!" Zuqetta would begin, "Got a date with the shiny lady here, and believe me, when she gets angry, she gets... CRAZY!" She would explain, giving an explosive gesture with her hands which prompted a laugh from the children before the returned their attention to the dinner being made. Zuqetta would turn her attention towards Clova, who wore an obviously disappoint expression behind a force smile, "Clova, I'll be back." Zuqetta assured; knowing that it would do little to alleviate the disappointment the girl felt.

"I know!" Clova would respond with a knowing nod before turning her attention back towards the children; and more importantly, the meal she was preparing, "Well, you heard her! More for us then!" She would cheer, doing her best to maintain the same positive appearance she always had.

Zuqetta would say nothing more, even as the kids yelled their goodbyes to she and Lilith both. She would depart from the apartment with Lilith in tow once Lilith had said her own goodbyes, and the two of them would proceed to their final destination; this time taking flight to cover the distance quickly.

Zuqetta would take a breath of fresh air as the two flew through the sky; a literal one, having felt rather claustrophobic back in that small apartment. There were far too many kids there, and it was much nosier than she was used too; whether it had been when she lived in the manor or when she had lived with Vennel, she usually had the space all to herself. Without any siblings or really any family, Zuqetta had grown quite accustomed to her seclusion. Now, the two were to be upon their final destination, a location that would bring them full circle on this little Sadala adventure.

"The last place is the first place actually." Zuqetta would remark as the manor came back into view, "Besides the fact that we didn't really practice any magic, I have a few things I wanna pick up from inside."

From above, the manor looked so small; though in Zuqetta's heart, the incredible size of it would never leave her memory. It sat alone atop a cliff side hill, and had a rather good view of the palace. A road connected to the manor that stretched down the hill to an assortment of homes; the length down the hill was rather far, but those home were where many of the servants that served her father lived. Of course, they were servants no more; but while curiosity of their well being came to mind, Zuqetta had no intention to engage with them.

"Hm, that's weird." Zuqetta would remark as they drew nearer to the manor, "I don't remember the manor being quite... AS destroyed." She would sigh as she noticed the blown out roof above what should have been the main hall; chocking the newfound destruction up to what was most likely some Saiyan kids flaunting their strength.

Upon touching down, Zuqetta would immediately take to heading inside; pushing aside the broken down door and giving a minor inspection of the manor. The interior of the main hall had been burned beyond recognition and felt as though the entire surrounding area could collapse at any moment. Zuqetta would give an elongated sigh; she certainly had no fond memories of the place, but she hadn't wanted to destroy it either. Still, it was hardly an issue for her at the moment; should Lilith have followed, Zuqetta would give a simple gesture to follow as she made her way towards a door that led down a long hall.

"You'll have ta forgive the mess, I haven't been around ta clean up in like... a year and a half now?" Zuqetta would remark as they made their way cautiously down the hall, "Guess you could say the place is kinda a work in progress at the moment." She'd say, though she felt no intention to actually make any progress on repairing the manor. It was a relic of her past; more specifically, of her parents past. They had shared nothing with her about her lineage however, so she felt no connection to this place other than to the room the two would soon see themselves to.

"The power my family held was more than enough to keep the looters at bay." Zuqetta would reply as the two went down the red carpeted hall, "Even if it wasn't enough to stop them from getting their revenge... though, considering where they got the information from." Zuqetta would stop herself, such information was unnecessary to relay; it was a darker past, and one better forgotten.

The trip wouldn't be long and the two would quickly near the end of the hall. As Zuqetta passed by the door directly before the final door, she'd snicker a bit upon seeing the incubator within; noting the stupidity of what she'd once told Zriracha. She made no motion to stop however, proceeding on to the final door; the final room of the manor.

"Well, welcome ta my old room!" Zuqetta would say cheerfully as she threw open the door without hesitation; sending several motes of light within to illuminate the area.

A sight completely contrary to Zuqetta's current self would be what greeted the two; the walls of the room were white, of a material akin to porcelain. Drawings in crayon covered most of the lower half of all the walls, while painted depictions of clouds lined the ceiling. Atop the ceiling, one could note particular glow in the dark stars; however it was clear they'd lost their glow after so much time in the dark. A king sized bed took up a sizable portion of the room and was tucked in the corner, with plush animals galore strewn through the entirety of the bed and the room haphazardly. The final remnants of the decor were the Earth furniture, including a desk, two bookshelves, a chair, and a bedside table; the room was incredibly 'human', and fit for a child at that.

"Don't waste time takin' in the sights, I just needed this." Zuqetta would remark as she grabbed a toppled over picture frame from the bedside table, "With this, I think we're good ta go!" She'd state; clearly displaying no indication of sharing the contents of the picture frame.

Whether Lilith felt the need to ask questions or not, Zuqetta would be quick to exit the room and head back down the hall the two had come from. She had no intention to linger longer than necessary, especially not after their grand display earlier during their battle. The two could finally make their way out of Sadala, and Zuqetta wanted to make that happen sooner rather than later now.

As the two continued down the hall, Zuqetta would give a rather elongated sigh; Lilith was asking some rather difficult questions to suddenly be giving answer to now. Considering the girl had said earlier than she didn't intend to ask about her past any longer, of course Zuqetta somewhat expected exactly what she was protesting.

"Yes, the room was mine, yes, the plushies were mine, no, I don't have ANY sib-" Zuqetta would answer, stopping on that last note with uncomfortable realization, "I didn't grow up with any siblings. Anyways, believe it nor not, but people change as insane as that sounds." Zuqetta would remark as the two neared the entrance, "Mom? Dead before I could remember her. Dad? Ehh, I'll explain that one another time, but as far as I know, he's dead too."

Lilith made some fair points in her questioning; it'd have been a lot easier to simply restore the manor and then relocate the orphanage here. It was the noble district, so it was far safer than Radditsu; but that would also mean revealing her identity as a child of that family. Honestly it had been a source of pride to refer to herself as an elite with noble blood, once upon a time at least; Zuqetta had since learned that blood hardly matters when it comes to training and dedication, it might have given her a head start, but she was well aware of the many MUCH more powerful individuals that existed out there.

"Listen, when the manor burned down originally, I wasn't around. I was presumed missing by those who knew of me, and beyond that, nothin'." Zuqetta would stat firmly, "No one came lookin' for me, so it wasn't all that important. I'm not lookin' ta use inherited power ta take over this place, I'll use my OWN power." She'd finish with a confident tone as the two exited the manor proper.

In truth, her reasoning was more of an excuse than anything; she still held a childish side within her that wanted to dissociate herself from her origins, even if that choice made things harder for others. She'd done well enough so far under that logic after all, so she saw no reason to suddenly do otherwise. With the two having exited the manor, all that was left now was to take flight and make their way to the airfield; their time in Sadala had come to an end, and Zuqetta was steadily getting excited to leave.

"LADY ZUQETTA!" The voice of a man would call out; causing Zuqetta to hesitate just before taking flight.

"My Lady, please wait!" Another voice would follow up; this one being the voice of a woman.

"Ah jee- Damn it..." Zuqetta would groan as a scowl came to her face, "Speak of the devil, eh?" She'd remark to Lilith as she kicked the ground in frustration before turning to address the two who quickly approached, "Celi, Colibro, heh ehhh fancy meetin' the two of you here... of all places." Zuqetta would greet with an awkwardly forced smile and a small wave.

"My Lady, you've come and gone from this place time and time again! How could we not notice!? The servants have made mention of you countless times over!" The male Saiyan, Colibro would explain; being quickly followed up by the female Saiyan, Celi.

"Where have you been my Lady!? We've been so worried, after the rebellion, we believed you lost to us!" Celi would question with a concerned expression.

"Those involved in the rebellion have been gathered and dealt with. If you've been hiding for this reason my Lady, then please, return with us now!" Colibro would plea as he explained the situation.

"How did you two even find me!? You shouldn't be able to detect my energy, so what the hell?" Zuqetta would question sharply as she crossed her arms; her tail frizzing up in agitation as she spoke with them.

Yet another mistake of her past had seemed to crop up; and individuals who had been completely innocent were hurt by said mistake. Zuqetta could only sigh as she heard the words pass from Colibro's lips; she wondered what the expression on his face would have been had he learned the truth. To make matters worse however, Zuqetta was not alone; she was still being accompanied by Lilith, which led to an assortment of problems of its own.

"Your guards have awaited your return for some time now! We've been spread about the city, keeping a close eye for whenever you've deigned to return!" Colibro would explain, "Surely, you don't believe your battle above this very home to have gone unnoticed?"

"We worried for your safety, but always believed you would return to us given time... yet here you are now, primed to leave us once again!?" Celi would question; eliciting a heavy sigh in response from Zuqetta.

The whole situation was getting a bit out of hand, even Lilith was asking questions that Zuqetta simply wasn't prepared to answer. She decided it best to put an end to the whole scene before things escalated further; if the individuals before her still believed themselves to be under her command, then a simple order should have been enough to make then back off. Before Zuqetta could speak up to put an end to the whole ordeal however, Lilith would take a surprising action; she would step forward and display an aggression Zuqetta hadn't seen from the little Shin-jin before.

"Lil, you don't-"

"You speak so informally with our Lady, are you a friend of hers?" Colibro would remark, crossing his arms in clear annoyance at Lilith's interruption.

"Has our Lady not told you the tale of her house? Of the great accomplishments of Mistress Sayori?" Celi would add in a curious tone.

"You acquaint yourself with the heir apparent of House Dreadwyrm, Lady Zuqetta Dreadwyrm! Named so after by her mother, Mistress Sayori Dreadwyrm!" Colibro would declare proudly; prompting a glare from Zuqetta as he spoke.

"Yes! Already of nobility, Mistress Sayori did do battle with the Great Saiba-Beast of the Wastes, an slew the towering, winged Saiba-Basilisk! Thus earning her house the name of Dreadwyrm, bestowed by the former King some many years ago!" Celi would explain in an overly enthusiastic tone.

Zuqetta felt her patience wearing thin with the two of them, she had tried to remain tolerant, remembering her past with them; things now however were so far out of hand now she could hardly even see where it all went. Before the two could speak up again, Zuqetta would interject; wishing to hear nothing else on the matter.

"ENOUGH!!" Zuqetta would exclaim, allowing a pulse of energy to flood the area to grab the attention of all around, "I don't care about the accomplishments of someone I never met! My name is Zuqetta, and ONLY Zuqetta! I don't know whoever the hell Sayori Dreadwyrm is, and I ain't the 'Lady' of your destroyed house!" Zuqetta would snap; causing another pulse of energy to surge outward with her tail maintained a fully frizzed up state of aggression.

"B-but my Lady-!"

"NO!" Zuqetta would shout quickly before taking Lilith's hand, "Don't try ta bother me again! Got it?" Zuqetta would order as she began to take to the air; taking Lilith with her in the hopes of being done with all the nonsense before her, "We're leaving Lilith, time ta get back to the ship." She'd finish firmly; ignoring any further comments or pleas the two Saiyans might try to make.

As the two flew off, Zuqetta could hear her former guards call out from afar; their pleads fading with the wind as the two continued one. She knew they wouldn't give chase, she had given them a direct order after all; still, the frustration and suspicious she felt was unnerving. To make matters worse, the time had come to speak with Lilith about a past she hadn't even spoken to Zerori about. Had anyone deserved an explanation, it'd have been Zerori; the girl who had come to the mortal realm on a specific quest, a quest that could never be completed. The past wasn't something Zuqetta liked to linger on however; she might have had the capacity to learn from it, but she preferred keeping her eyes set on the future.

"Does any of that even matter?" Zuqetta would remark with a heavy sigh as her tail wrapped itself around her waist, "Don't ever say that name!" She'd exclaim, stopping mid-flight as she felt Lilith's hand pull away.

Lilith pushed in her request, it was clear that this knowledge had struck something in her; as for the reason for this, Zuqetta had no idea. She'd never inquired into the Shin-jin's past, so why was Lilith so concerned about her past? Zuqetta could have told her anything, and she knew it; while Lilith's remark felt strong, she knew there would be no way for the girl to prove the validity of what she could say. Still, Lilith made a clear point of honor; and if there was anything Saiyans were overly keen on, it was honor. Could she keep a companion if she couldn't even trust them? The answer was clear, and so Zuqetta would give her answer...

"Fine, I did lie." Zuqetta would begin, crossing her arms as she gazed upon Lilith unsympathetically, "My past is my business, and I want nothing more than to distance myself from my past." She'd continue sharply, "But if you're so keen ta ask, then FINE, I'll give you the truth! This'll be the one time I do so, so listen up!" Zuqetta would take a deep breath before continuing; unlike prior conversations, Zuqetta knew exactly where to start with this one, as though she'd been prepared and waiting for this moment.

"My name is Zuqetta, and I'm the sole offspring of a woman named Sayori Dreadwyrm. She was a noble of decent enough recognition who died a pitiful death by the hands of the Tuffles before I was even a year old. My old man's name is Potate, he was a lowborn noble who married into my mothers wealth, and I'm his second daughter." Zuqetta would explain with a twinge of pain in her voice as she spoke of being Potate's second daughter, "Potate is also dead! It wasn't directly, but I killed him! I sent away the guards, I deactivated the security systems, I drugged his late night drink with sleeping tonic, and I rallied the servants he abused to betray and kill him in his sleep!"

Zuqetta would pause, allowing the information to sink in of her crime; this was Sadala however, so crime was a strong word. Survival of the fittest, it was an expression Potate had drilled into Zuqetta growing up, and a way of life that the Saiyans lived by. Killing one's own parent... it was far too common, far too normal... Zuqetta was more Saiyan than she ever wanted to be. No matter how much she tried to distance herself from her people, the truth of the matter was, she only wanted to distance herself from her past. Being a Saiyan didn't make someone a murderer; she herself, was simply a murderer...