Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows (Zuqetta)

A sunny day, a lingering heat accompanied by a humble humidity; while the foliage of the area and moisture of the misty ocean breeze did their best to cool the area, the greater forces of nature had other plans. Along the main bank of the popular beach side were plenty going about their day, having fun in the sun and otherwise just relaxing. New was spreading quickly of the Nova Corps and their takeover of the planet. Villainous corporations were at odds with the take over, being the secret kings of the underworld when it came to controlling Konats. Such had been the problems the Novas would have to deal with following their takeover, Zuqetta however, as a new member, was well removed from the more business oriented aspects of running the planet.

When muscle was needed to topple an organization, she was on call and quick to respond; she was still learning to work with a group, and certainly wasn't used to following orders and instructions. Of course, by the way her tasks were worded, one might think she was merely doing things as a favor, but she knew better. Today however, there was no monster to fight nor kingpin to topple, today was her day off regardless of whatever was going on around the planet. Such was what had led her to the beach, and such was what would lead her to a most unexpected encounter.

Zuqetta, not necessarily being one for crowds, had taken to detouring from the more popular spots of the beach. She kept low, remaining on foot so as to not attract attention of others as she made her way casually through the vibrant jungle. The sound of vines snapping and palm leaves being crushed underfoot would steadily begin to grow louder for the guest of the location Zuqetta was soon to stumble upon. Before too long, the perpetrator of the sounds would be revealed, stumbling slightly as she freed herself from the jungle with a sigh of relief as her feet touched the sands of this cozy little hideaway.

"Ahhh, finally!" she'd say happily, taking a breath as she spread her toes into the sand, "Mmmmmm, the warm sand feels great after steppin' on all those cold leaves." She'd purr, currently unaware of the other in the area.

Dressed for the beach as she was, Zuqetta wore a favorite of hers, a two piece bikini bound by blue ribbons and a wide rimmed star hat to stave off the sun. She'd approach the water excitedly, drawing nearer to Jinichi without realizing it, her gaze locked on the water. Once within a few meters however, Zuqetta would freeze as her senses finally alerted her of the second person who was enjoying themself a bit of sun bathing. Mid run, she was now entirely still, her previous gaze upon the water now locked on the cut and carved form of the man before her, her face reddening more and more as her gawking panned his entire form.

Then, the realization would set in-

"GYYYAAAH!!" Zuqetta would suddenly scream, materializing a parka over her shoulders and quickly dropping low to hide herself, "S-s-s-s-sorry! I didn't realize- I mean, I t-thought I was alone!" she'd exclaim, her face red as a tomato with embarrassment, "Hahahahaha, I'll just find another place!" she'd say nervously, quickly rising up and turning to leave; only for a sharp pain to pulse from her side at the sudden motions, immobilizing her momentarily as she winced, groaning with a bit of pain.

The pain she felt wasn't so severe, but being as sudden and sharp as it was made it quickly debilitating. As she'd try to rise however, she'd quickly find herself face to face with the near naked man in question. Her face reddened near bright as a tomato as she near tumbled back, only to be taken by the hand by the man. Zuqetta's mind raced with a plethora of thoughts; what was going on? Who was this man? Why was he so quiet? Was he attempting to assault her, take advantage of her weakened state to take her out!? Her brow furrowed as she clenched her fist, ready to fight in spite of the pain; to her surprise however, she'd be turned about and redirected to the place the man had been sun bathing.

Confused, it was only now that she'd taken notice of the fact that the man was flashing a notebook before her the whole time. "Am I-?" she'd mutter, realizing the man had been trying to express his concern for her. She gave a sigh of relief, not only at the fact that he wasn't here to fight her, but that she hadn't suddenly punched an innocent stranger. The Novas had only recently taken over after all, it wouldn't have been all too great an image if one of their members were assaulting the locals. That was another matter however, the current concern was... well, what was to happen next?

She'd allowed herself to be led over to the blanket he'd been resting upon previously and had scanned the area curiously. Was this a picnic of some kind? Was this guy just trying to enjoy his day at the beach as well before she arrived? Having calmed down from her earlier impressions, she'd taken proper notice of the guy now. He had a rather kind expression, and a surprising soft gaze despite his piercing red eyes. Zuqetta stared back at the man who seemed to hold a constant look of concern, coming to an internal realization... he was like a big puppy.

Zuqetta would laugh, keeping the thought to herself before finally responding. "I'm fine, thanks... just a bit-" she paused, hesitant to talk about her operations with the Novas. It wasn't exactly ladylike to admit she was banged up from nonstop days of fighting, but what else was she supposed to say? "Uhh, I... swam after eating, I forgot to wait an hour like you're s'pose to!" she'd fib, feeling a bit more embarrassed by the lie than by if she'd just told the truth.

She didn't want to attempt trying to keep up with the lie however, and so would quickly attempt to make a change in the topic; firstly, with introductions and questions of her own! "Oh, I'm Zuqetta by the way." She'd say, stroking away a lock of hair from her face, "How 'bout you? Gotta name or should I just call ya Mr. Notebook?" she'd laugh, "What's up with that anyways? Sore throat?" she'd ask curiously, hoping not to come across as rude as she asked. It wasn't everyday she came across someone communicating through notes... or ever at all now that she thought about it, it was a tad suspicious, if not also just a bit cute.

Reading the first response the white haired man would write would cause Zuqetta to grimace and cringe at her own embarrassment. Just reading it made her realize that it was probably more embarrassing to have told him such a thing than to have simply admitted the truth! Thankfully, it didn't seem like the man would linger on the topic, instead continuing on to explain his situation. He seemed rather hesitant about it, but upon reading his note, Zuqetta couldn't help but to sympathize with him.

"Ugh, I know what you mean!" she'd say with a heavy sigh, "I dunno HOW many times I've gotten inta fights over simple misunderstandings in what I was tryin' ta say!" she'd explain, crossing her arms in annoyance, "Not ta mention how many arguments I've had, heck, a bunch of those times I was tryin' ta compliment them, but they still took it the wrong way!" she'd continue with a pout, her tail sweeping the ground behind her in aggravation before she'd take a breath to calm herself, "Still, I'm gettin' better I think- I mean, heck, I even talked a pretty dangerous guy down the other day, so that was kinda cool! Practice makes perfect I guess!" she'd finish cheerily.

It seemed like Jinichi wanted to get in practice of his own with how he was attempting the motions of speaking, only to double back and refrain each time. Zuqetta would laugh a bit before giving a wave of her hand towards the guy. "Hey now, don't worry about it!" she'd say, giving him a curious expression, "So it's not that you can't, you just don't 'cause of reasons, it's good 'nuff for me!" she'd assure, giving a sharp grin, "Glad ya like it, and hey! Ya spelled it right on the first try, impressive!" she'd cheer, clearly feeling much more comfortable with the guy, "Nice ta meetcha Jinichi, you can just cal-- errr, ah! you can just write "Zuq" for short if you're in a hurry!"

Jinichi was more than just a bit interesting; for as big and clearly strong as the guy was, he was unexpectedly cute and timid. It might have been rude to admit, but something about his choice of communication also made it easier to speak with him comfortably. Though, upon reading his next note, Zuqetta would slump forward with the return of embarrassment; she'd place a hand gently upon his notebook, shaking her head as she gave another sigh.

"That- I'm sorry." she'd say, lifting herself back up and averting her gaze, "I haven't eaten nuthin'-" she'd say, scratching lightly at her cheek, "Actually, I just..." she was hesitant, but sighing once more she'd decide to simply get it out already, "-I was lying, I was too embarrassed to tell ya the truth, but not this is even MORE embarrassing!" she'd admit, apologizing once again, but not wanting Jinichi to continue thinking she was suffering from something she wasn't. If the embarrassment wasn't bad enough, the guilty feeling she got from looking at his wide eyed, concerned gaze was.

"Heh, well you're right about that, I don't tend ta go lookin' for danger!" she'd laugh, "Just seems ta find me a lot, though, can't say for how long that'll remain true." she'd remark; after all, she didn't just join the Nova's but also sought to claim the throne of the Saiyans. If that wasn't seeking trouble then it was hard to say what was. Regardless of that fact however, she had no intention of relenting; her hopes being to prevent such dangerous situations at the end of it all, or at least to dwindle them down. Considering people like Sen existed however, people with an unquenchable rage against her kind for simply existing, it didn't seem likely that things would ever truly be peaceful.

Jinichi went on, his laugh a surprise to be sure, but something that helped to quell the awkwardness and embarrassment Zuqetta had been feeling. As he wrote, Zuqetta couldn't help but to feel curious; she'd accepted the offered juice, but rather than wait to see what else he'd write, she'd already found herself gravitating beside him, glancing over a bit to see his writing as he penned it. The sipping of her juice box might have given her away, if it didn't, the small laugh she'd give certainly would.

"Hehe, where do I even begin with that?" she'd sigh, sitting back and choosing to relax finally with the guy. She'd look off towards the sky, wondering what the point was in even trying to hide what had happened to begin with; though a quick glance at Jinichi's abs quickly reminded her. "First-" she'd remark, flicking her index finger before her and materializing a wide square towel, notably soft, and tossing towards Jinichi, "-you're... more distracting than ya realize." she'd say, hoping he'd catch the hint but continuing on regardless of if he did or not.

"Dunno if ya've heard of the Nova's, they kinda take care of Konats now." she'd begin, looking out towards the water with a tranquil expression, "They've been clearin' out the corrupt people that've been runnin' Konats all this time. I mean, I'm sure there're a lot of people that don't like a sudden group of mercenaries showin' up and layin' claim to the place. But considerin' all the chaos, crimes and corruption that was runnin' rampant until now, with no one doin' a thing ta stop it, it can't be any worse ta have the Nova's takin' over, could it?" she'd question, giving a side glance toward Jinichi before pulling her knees up to her chin and calming herself.

She could tell she was trying to hide things with her words, or worse, trying to curry Jinichi's favor by manipulating his impression before saying the truth. She felt bad about it, dirty even, she didn't want to be the type of person who manipulated others; she worried about what his reaction might've been towards the truth, but she'd steel herself and choose to simply say it rather than skirting around the issue further.

"Truth is, I'm a Nova too-" she'd say a bit somberly, before laughing just a bit, "-the Pink Nova actually, hehe, I know, the color hardly suits me." she'd say, jabbing herself a bit, "There's not actually anything wrong with my stomach, at least not like a simple stomach ache-" she'd relent, pulling her arms into the sleeves of the poncho she wore and taking the thing off; her expression immediately reddening as she did so, but she'd do her best to ignore the feeling, "-I got into a bit of trouble back on Plant, my magic hides it all, but since I haven't taken any time ta heal..."

She was hesitant to reveal the truth, but strangely she felt compelled to do so; Jinichi had been the first to ask after all, everyone else had either ignored it, not noticed, or simply pulled her into further battle in spite of it all. Zuqetta would release a deep breath, taking a finer control of her personal magic. She'd undo her Mana Veil, allowing her energy to flow and be felt properly; along with this, her illusionary magic would drop, revealing her true form to Jinichi.

She'd of course sill appear as herself, as she'd long since stopped using magic to change her form; however her previously clear skin would suddenly be riddled with wounds. Remnants of burns along her arms and abdomen, scratches and cuts along her entire form, a bruise on her left cheek as well as some on her sides, particularly where she'd been clutching in pain prior. The embarrassment she felt before was gone, her expression a bit darkened, yet as she looked back towards Jinichi, she'd force a grin, trying to reassure him as she realized how it all might have seemed.

"Heh, pretty gruesome eh? Don't worry though, I'ma Saiyan, I'm tough!" she'd say firmly, lifting her fist as she prepared to beat her chest; stopping short however as she realized how painful that might've been, "Seriously, most of it'll clear up in not time, I just need a break, it's why I'm out here anyways."

While she was of course uneasy revealing the wounds she hid beneath her magic, she was far more concerned by how Jinichi would react to her being a Nova. While there were plenty on Konats who were accepting, there were just as many who were against the group. The outspoken branded them as mere criminals, no better than the underworld leaders the Novas sought to dismantle. To them it was just replacing one bad thing with another, but to Zuqetta's surprise, Jinichi didn't seem concerned one way or the other. In fact, his only concerned had seemingly been in Zuqetta's own well being.

She was a bit surprised by the pace at which he penned his paper, and even more surprised by the impressive picture he'd made so quickly. She read the accompanying text, confused at first bit quickly understanding what it was Jinichi was wanting to do. She shook her head, offering him a bit of a nervous smile.

"Nono, it's okay!" she'd say, placing both her hands before her as if to block him, "First aid isn't gonna help with a lotta these, most are scars after all. I just need a bit of rest-" she'd attempt to explain, though Jinichi proved to be rather assertive, "HIiyyii-!?"

As Jinichi brought the ointment to touch the most severe bruise on her side, a chill would rush down her spin and out her tail from the cold of the cream. Her tail would immediately smack downward, causing a divot and kicking up a fair bit of sand. Zuqetta would immediately reach out, clutching Jinichi's wrist with both her hands and hold his hand tight and unmoving against her side; her face flustered as she gasped for a few breaths, calming quickly.

"Okay, okay! I'll circle the spots, just... I dunno, be a little gentler? The stuff is cold!" she'd state, moving Jinichi's hand away from her side before proceeding to pick up the note book and pen. Her eyes seemed a bit frantic, but she'd quickly spin in place, her back now facing the man so she could keep her expression hidden for the moment, "L-Let's see, I guess the places I couldn't reach hurt the most-" she'd state, beginning to look over the anatomical drawing a bit more seriously while she tried a few stationary stretches.

Sure enough, without the need to even circle anything, Jinichi would be able to see a rather deep gash couple with a wide bruise right below her left shoulder-blade. Without treatment, the wound was certain to scar as many of her other wounds had; though this particular wound seemed rather fresh, no more than a day old at most. Zuqetta would circle the spot on the picture, along with a few other spots; her left side, her outer left thigh, her left arm just by the shoulder. The more she circled, the more it became clear that she tended to neglect protecting her left side while in combat; even the bruise on her face was on her left cheek after all.

"There, that's probably the most painful areas." she'd say with a smile, lifting the notebook and holding it in front of her; she'd turn her head back towards Jinichi curiously, lifting the notebook higher for him to see it past her, "How'd you draw this so quickly by the way? Heh, I feel kinda bad puttin' my lame circles all over it, are you some kinda artist?"

TENSE! STINGING! BURNING!!!
INSTANT REGRET! INSTANT PAIN!!

Jinichi would apply the ointment, and Zuqetta's tail would lunge out in response; stiffing completely while her whole body went tense. The pain that came from the antibacterial working on the open wound felt just as bad if not WORSE than the previously tolerable wound itself. She couldn't help but to think, this was why she didn't often go anywhere nor do anything other than allow her magic to tend to her, anything else just plain hurt! Her tail retracted, taking various stiff shapes, flexing back and forth, before finally relaxing as the searing pain gave way to a cooling relief.

"I SAID----! Ge... gentle- ahhhh-" Zuqetta gave a long sigh of relief; her body relaxing from her shoulders to her tail, the intensity of her muscles calming in a way she didn't even feel when she slept.

It would almost seem like a magic trick if Jinichi was paying attention; her muscles lessening in size, her form seemingly shrinking if only by the slightest bit. It was like she was in a constant combat ready state, but now, had finally been allowed to let her guard down to relax. Her muscles would appear far softer, her form much more delicate in spite of the obvious woulds. As Jinichi attempted to write out letters on her back, what would have previous felt like the firm, hardened muscles of a warrior would instead give way to a squishiness, soft and tender skin that actually seemed like it belonged far more.

"What're you--?"

Zuqetta's eyes closed; she felt him writing something, and was even beginning to make out the words, but something was off. She would sway left, then right, then left again; her tail relaxed further, splaying along the ground behind her without a care. Strangely, even the spikiness of her hair would seemingly soften, allowing itself to flow in the occasional cool breeze.

What was he saying? Wait, he doesn't speak...

What was... he saying...?

Everything was dark, of course it was, her eyes were closed after all; but everything felt darker than hen one merely closed their eyes. It wasn't a scary dark however, it was rather calm in fact, calm enough that-

Oh, so that's it...

And with that, Zuqetta was out like a light; the swaying of her body ceased as she simply slumped and fell off to the side completely. The constant pain of the most vicious wound on her back had been one she tolerated and endured from the moment it was received, but the same could have been true with each and every wound she'd ever gotten. As the pain of one dulled, the wound scarring as it healed through natural means, another would simply take it's place and offer up a new pain. Jinichi however had offered the opposite; he'd taken the most recent pain away, and as such had taken away what stole the largest amount of her focus. She no longer had to tolerate it, no longer had to endure it, her focus slipped and with it, the alert state she'd been in for who knew how long.

She'd passed out.

A pleasant silence and surprising calm; moments quickly interrupted by illusory images flashing. The darkness broken as memories replayed; fight after fight after fight. A madman with a flamethrower, the Tuffle and his destron, the rush of emotion she felt as she watched Xiao drop to the ground below. There were more scenes, many from the distant past, others playing out more recent events, then suddenly it would all come to a stop...

Slowly, Zuqetta's eyes would open; her dreams were still vivid, surprising however, she didn't feel at all restless. It was quite the opposite, she was rather calm didn't feel the usual pain and fatigue she typically dealt with. Her eyes didn't need to adjust, but wasn't she outside? "A... tent?" she questioned, never having actually used one herself but being able to recognize one.

She didn't feel tired, yet seem to rise slowly; it felt strange, considering she usually snapped awake from any nap she had, a slow riser subjecting themselves to ambush attacks. She wondered how long it'd been- an hour? Two perhaps? Little would she know, it'd actually been four already; not quite a full nights sleep worth, but for someone who took fifteen to thirty minute spurts of naps, this was substantial. As she became more alert she'd quickly look over her body, realizing the bandages and salves that now adorned her; had she really been so out of it that she ceased the use of her magic!?

"Wait, wasn't I...?" Her face reddened as the realization set in; she'd been talking with a guy before her collapse, she even let him see her wounds. Worse yet, she'd been in her bikini this entire time, something she'd quickly amend with a quick snap of her fingers, dematerializing the swimwear and materializing her usual Saiyan armor in its place. She gave a sigh before rolling her shoulders and stretching her back; there was a familiar tinge of pain so it was clear her injury wasn't completely mended, but whatever salve Jinichi had used did wonders to dull the pain. "Where'd he even get all this stuff?" she'd question before simply shrugging it off; she was done resting.

She'd make her way to exit the tent, drawing the flap and flinching momentarily as the light outside hit her eyes. She wondered if perhaps she'd been kidnapped and taken to a far off place, however as her eyes adjusted she saw the same scenery as she'd seen before her collapse. More surprisingly was there, despite the hours that had passed, sat Jinichi patiently; though he sat turned away from the tent, his silver hair was a dead give away... unless maybe he had a brother?

"Oh, you're still here-" she'd say, a bit of nervousness bleeding through her voice; she felt bad having passed out like that, and was certain he'd have questions, but she had just one question of her own, "You uhh, ya tended my wounds, thanks..." she'd remark with a slight laugh before clearing her throat, "You... you didn't see nuthin'... else, did you?" she'd ask, blushing a bit as her gaze wandered.