The Royal Treatment

Zuqetta flinched with a slight blush at Patch's momentary malfunction; it was a bit startling yes, but she never could quite get over being called Princess. Still, she had little choice but to do so now considering how near the Tuffle forces were drawing. She could hear doors afar being forced open as they performed their sweep, it'd only be a matter of time before they were upon the two. Zuqetta stepped down from Patch's grip, taking in the look of the room; she needed to get things juuuuust right, or else raise further suspicion.

"You've already let my magic wash over you, so this might be easier than I think it is-" she'd remark quickly as she made her way over to a picture frame on a shelf, "-we'll hide in plain sight. I've never used this magic on another though so... well, I'm not entirely sure it'll work." she admitted, placing the picture back on the shelf, "I also don't know how you're made, so I won't be able to change you insides. Just... reduce them? Yeah, that's a good way of putting it."

Her ear twitched, the Tuffle forces were upon the floor they found themselves on now; she could hear the thunderous steps of several soldiers, and doors being thrown open as something was yelled about inspections to the neighbors. It all came as a bit of a surprise to Zuqetta; sure she'd met quite a few less than savory Tuffles, but to think they'd go this far over an android with a speeding ticket at most!? In actuality, she knew they were likely using Patch as an excuse to strike at her as well; her desires for non-aggression were pretty open, and to defend herself now would invite criticism and strain upon the relation of their two nations.

It was something to address another time, for now, she needed to enact her plan!

She'd rush over to Patch, taking hold of his hand; she felt her Mana Veil upon him, permeating through his body. "Don't worry, I've materialized drones and other machinery before, I won't leave a bolt outta place!" she'd try to ensure, giving Patch a bright smile.

A soft white glow would overtake she and Patch, a plethora of glitter-like sparkles flooding the room, focused mostly upon Patch, herself, and the photo she'd been holding previously. Her transformation magic would be invoked, and in mere moments, her appearance would adopt a heavy change. Patch's own appearance as well would alter should her magic have succeeded and he willingly allowed himself to be altered.

The intention was clear; their sizes would be reduced, Patch himself even more significantly than Zuqetta. They be smaller than even any of the Tuffles they'd come across, and with good reason, as they would in fact be transformed into Tuffle children. Though she didn't look too dissimilar from herself, Zuqetta's hair was now a bright red, her cheeks squishy as any young child's, and her overall appearance small and unassuming. Her outfit was no different than the casual attire of most Tuffle children, rather modern in comparison to Saiyan attire; unfortunately, her tail still persisted.

Should the change have successfully overtaken Patch, he'd find himself in a similar situation. His height would be reduced to the same size as Zuqetta, his hair now a bright blue. The more mechanical looking aspects of his appearance were now covered in a false skin of similar appearance to what he already had, though his outfit would remain mostly unchanged besides a minor brightening of hues. Despite the outward appearance, his internals would be as Zuqetta had described, merely reduced in size but exact copies of how they were.

The picture upon the shelf would find itself similarly changed; where before, the photo contained only a Tuffle couple, there would now be a family. The red haired man, and blue haired wife; with the newly changed Tufflized Kid Zuqetta and Kid Patch in the picture as well. A tail was added to the "mother" in the picture for good measure, but beyond that, Zuqetta found her reserves of magic spent and would collapse to the ground. Right on cue would be a banging on the door as a security officer shouted from the other side.

"Mandatory inspection!"

A device would be heard just outside the door, whirring mechanical sounds before instantly the door would be unlocked. It would fling out, with several security officers flooding the room; brushing past Patch without hesitation as they funneled into the additional rooms of the apartment. The leader ofthe group would step in, looking down at Patch, then over towards the sofa where Zuqetta lay somewhat weakly. His attention was drawn to her tail, but his investigative mind had him scour the room; his eyes falling upon the altered photo before looking back towards the two.

"Hybrids?" he'd remark with a sigh, "What's this world coming to..." he'd lament, before the team would emerge from their respective rooms.

"All clear sir!"

"Roger that, onto the next floor!" he'd order, his men following suit and exiting the apartment without hesitation. He'd look back towards Patch, raising a brow at his strange attire before shaking his head and narrowing his gaze on Zuqetta, "Kids today, I swear." he'd remark, moving towards Patch and leaning down to meet his height, "Young man, you make sure your sister doesn't cause any trouble. Saiyans blood can make one... rather hostile." he'd warn, patting Patch's shoulder before leaving the apartment with the rest of his men.

Strangely enough, he was considerate to lock the door once again as he left; the footsteps of his team and numerous more still stomping off as more rooms on the floor were checked, before inevitably all would go silent as the teams moved on.

Rather than a sigh of relief however, Zuqetta couldn't help but to give a laugh, a rather obvious enjoyment in the voice her her currently much more diminutive body. "Wow, I didn't think ya'd adapt to the role so quickly! And so well too!" she'd say, sitting up and resting her head on the armrest of the sofa, "Do ya have experience with this kinda stuff?" she'd question with a toothy grin before giving a snap of her fingers, re-materializing her crown upon her head.

The coast was clear, the surroundings fell silent; Zuqetta felt she could finally breathe a sigh of relief and relax a moment, merely laughing a bit as Patch gave a warning about her crown. He certainly had a point, she wouldn't fault him on it, but a silly bit of pride in her didn't like being without her crown, though she chose to keep that to herself for the moment. She was curious when Patch mentioned streaming stuff however, unsure of what exactly he;d been doing, or more specifically, how and when! Though, the curiosity she had was completely overshadowed by the heart dropping remark Patch would soon make.

He'd asked a question, prompting it first to which Zuqetta had nearly spoken to give him the go ahead to ask; Patch was far quicker on the draw however, asking before she could remark, and leaving her speechless.

Did Patch have a soul?

"Yes."

She didn't hesitate, in fact, her furrow brow suggested she might have even been upset that he had asked. It might've honestly been hard to tell if she was angry or not due to her current child-like appearance and its squishy face, coupled with her rather high pitched tone, but if Patch was the inquisitive type, he'd have certainly been able to tell.

Her expression would soften, she closed her eyes, taking a breath as she leaned her head back on the armrest and stared at the ceiling.

"Sorry I... I hope that didn't sound mean." she'd apologize, recognizing her tone as aggressive even if her childish voice hadn't come across as such, "Patchwork, you have interests, personality, a hobby, curiosity... you could just hook-up to the intergalactic web and download all the information you want for all I know, yet here you are approachin' others ta learn stuff." she'd explain, returning her gaze towards Patch, "I don't care if you're all bolts and servos, as far as I'm concerned, you have a soul." she'd say in a serious tone.

She'd take a moment, stretching her limbs and back before rolling onto her stomach, stretching out her tail even more profusely. With a satisfied sigh, she'd roll off the couch and hop to her feet, seemingly filled with a bit more energy. She'd take a lock of her red hair in hand, examining it curiously with a smirk before taking to approach Patch. As she looked at his blue hair, she'd snicker a bit, before reaching up and jostling the bright locks a bit.

"Hehe, blue suits ya!" she'd laugh, hoping to lighten the mood a bit, "Don't worry, I'm gettin' used ta spreading my magic to ya! Not only that, but magic is kinda weird, at least for me. These small forms of ours make it easier to do, and easier for me to regain my strength." she'd explain, walking past Patch and over towards the shelf with the picture frame, "Don't get used to it though, once I release my uhhh, "magical grasp" so ta speak, the effect's will wear off pretty quick. Or if ya happen ta take a firm hit? You'll poof right on back ta normal, so be careful!"

With a snap of her fingers, the picture on the shelf would glitter with a sparkling white magic, returning to its original state. She'd turn back to Patch, crossing her arms while she wore a rather confident and prideful grin stretched across her face.

"Now then, I think it's about time we make our REAL escape!" she'd exclaim, "And we're gonna do it, walkin' right in plain sight!" she'd boast, her tail swaying about excitedly by the thought.

Zuqetta would follow alongside Patch quickly, stopping momentarily as Patch remarked on her crown. She would give a pretty obviously annoyed pout, her tail smacking the floor angrily. She'd lift her hand to her crown, giving it a light flick; in an instant the crown would change color, from its lustrous pink glittered, silver, to a more subtle, simple golden brass. She'd cross her arms, turning her hard away from Patch with a continued pout.

"The crown stays!" she'd remark firmly, softening her disposition a bit as she continued, "But, at least they won't recognize it now." she'd smile, before rushing past Patch, taking hold his hand before deciding to dart down the hall.

Subterfuge and misdirection!

They were as a couple of spies, hidden amongst the enemy! It'd be a lie if Zuqetta was to say she wasn't enjoying it at least a little. It felt adventurous, and the potential danger gave her a small adrenaline rush! Despite rushing, the dash down the hall would be a tad slower than it needed to be; their bodies were merely children after all, and Tuffle children at that, making them especially small. Such a "disadvantageous" form simply made the adventure all the more thrilling to Zuqetta; should Patch had been keeping any constant scans on her physical well being, he'd have been sure to take notice.

"Heheheh, in case it wasn't clear, most can't use magic like this!" she'd explain to Patch as they reach the elevator, "Amongst Saiyans, and especially Tuffles, it's a pretty rare ability! Not ta say ya won't ever find others that can do it, but none of the guys chasing us are gonna suspect we magicked ourselves up!" she'd laugh, before reaching up on her tip toes to press the button for the ground floor.

It'd be a casual ride for the two, much less excited than the simple run down the hall; though the buildings choice to not include traditional elevator music during the ride down made it a bit of an awkward moment of silence, one that Zuqetta would quickly break.

"So, about what you wanted to find out-" she'd remark, clearing her throat, "-what you'll find isn't as simple as it seems. Not every Tuffle is gonna be as crazy as those security folks, and not every Saiyan is gonna be as level headed as me." she'd remark, a slight bit of melancholy in her tone, "In fact, I'd say that what that moustache guy was sayin' was closer to reality... most Saiyan's really DO like fighting, ALOT actually." she'd explain, her gaze seeming just a bit distant, "Heh, I'm the weird one-"

Her tail flicked about anxiously as she spoke; she wasn't putting much thought into what exactly to say to Patch, and that worried her. She didn't want to skew his perception of either the Saiyans or the Tuffles, but she wasn't exactly and educator. Already, things might have been skewed due to everything Patch was experiencing; all she could hope for was that he could process it all properly, and that they could get away without further trouble.

Zuqetta would breathe a sigh of relief, happy to know his perceptions weren't affected by their current happenstance. Once their ride was over, she was ready to continue on, as well as to talk more about magic with him, but would find herself surprised to hear a familiar name. "Russ!?" she'd question rather excitedly, stopping as she turned to face Patch, "I know a Russ! Blue hair, from Earth? He's a friend of mine!" she'd say happily, feeling a bit of calm at how easily people could be connected despite the size of the universe, "Hehehe, small galaxy, relatively speaking!" she'd grin, "But I dunno about the joke thing-" she'd remark, crossing her arms as she began to think, "Umm... I don't think I can think of a joke on the spot! Maybe we really aren't that great at jokes, my sister makes pretty terrible jokes too."

The fun moment of levity was quickly dispelled as Zuqetta heard voices well in the distance and remembered their objective. The conversation was no less funny, so she couldn't help but to giggle a bit; still, she'd quickly return them to making their escape! A quickly run down a hall, and around a corner, and rather than exiting from the front lobby of the building, the two would be making their escape through a side door that exited into an alleyway.

"Here should be good-" Zuqetta would remark, materializing a data pad into her hands, one that looked quite oversized due to her current stature, "Oh, and I was gonna say, no need ta worry about me collapsing again!" she'd say with a wide, toothy grin, "Unlike ki, magic is unique and diverse to everyone. Some can even make food with magic, I can't do that. I've just never shared my magic with another, it was... like pullin' a muscle maybe? I dunno, but the longer I'm doin' this, the more, hmm... natural, it feels." she'd say, explaining as best as she could.

She seemed to fidget with the device, though groaned a bit as it's size and her tiny fingers were incredibly incompatible. She would perk up however, an idea springing to mind, causing her to look back to Patch curiously.

"Hey, possibly a weird question but... since you're an android, can you-" she hesitated for a moment wondering if what she was about to say might've been rude, but would continue regardless, "-can you assimilate other technology? Like this data pad? Or maybe just download the stuff into your head? Oh, you'll need a radar though..."

Looking upon the data pad easily revealed what it was as it showed a scan of their surrounding for a few kilometers. The radar upon it went in a circle, pinging individuals in the city; not just any individuals however, but the security forces that were now on loose patrol after losing track of their targets. The communication devices they wore in their ears making the perfect trackers for the system.

Zuqetta would cock her head, an innocent look of confusion on her face as Patchwork mentioned dancing of all things. As funny as it was, it certainly wasn't the time for dancing! Besides that, he wasn't a robot, if she was to ask it would have certainly been for an android dance! Luckily, Patch was able to disregard his concern over dancing and quickly focused himself on the request Zuqetta had made.

She was in luck, as fumbling around with the tablet no longer looked like it'd be a problem for her! It was a bit of a creepy experience, but Patch had shown his ability to assimilate the tech's information into his own unit. His fingers opened up like something out of a horror, and the process seemed to interfere with the magic that shrouded his form. It nearly looked like the magic would collapse at any moment, and Patch would be restored to himself, but after a brief fritz, Patch would retract his circuitry and return to normal... or, as normal as a Tufflized disguised android could be.

"Awesome!" Zuqetta would exclaim, "Hey, did it work? I'm assuming it worked!" she'd question, de-materializing the tablet and looking over Patch, "Hehehe, if it worked, then you can lead the way for us! All these Tuffles think they got a monopoly on tech, betcha they didn't imagine I'd have some tech of my own!" she'd say smugly, "OR imagine that you'd be able ta integrate it into your system!"

Zuqetta would hesitate a moment longer; she'd gotten a good view of what was immediately around them, but she intended to leave the rest of the navigation to Patch. With that in mind, she'd quickly take his hand once more and quickly pull him down the alleyway, just to the buildings edge where the two could peer out from safety. She'd look around, before spying her target, and would point up to a rather large spire not too far off in the distance.

"That's our target!" she'd say excitedly, like a girl on a mission, "It's the Beuru-- er beouro- bu-bru--" her tail would smack the ground angrily as she stumbled over her words, "Its a government building for the Tuffles! And once we're in, we can claim amnesty; the security forces won't be allowed to attack us in their!" she'd say confidently, before glancing back towards Patch with a more somber expression, "And... if they still try? Well, I don't wanna have to do it... but I'll properly fight back if necessary." she'd say, giving a quick, melancholic sigh. She couldn't be sure what would actually happen once they got their, but she wanted to have faith that the Tuffles would respect their own laws, all things considered.

Patchwork led the way, leading the two through the streets and in the direction of the government building Zuqetta had mentioned. To onlookers, they appeared as no more than a pair of children at play. Despite the ongoing search the particular Security force earlier had been on, the day in the City of Hatchi appeared as plain and ordinary as any other. Now that the two weren't fleeing for their lives, being led by government officials, or being accosted by wack jobs with a penchant for spacism, Zuqetta was finally able to take in the sights around her in a different light.

Ordinary folk out on an ordinary day, children going on excitedly about games or experiences, adults out shopping or going about their jobs. Far from the experience Zuqetta was used to whenever she'd frequented Hatchi on prior occasions. It began to click as to why the "suits" always wanted to act as a guide and transport her, their fear of Saiyans was deeper than she realized. They did well to keep her away from more populated areas, either by detour or a dispersing of the people prior to her arrival. Now that all had lost track of her, the city streets were as they should have been; it almost felt disappointing that they'd soon be upon their means of escape and returned to the status quo...

Just then however, with a small gust of wind and a noticeable clink, Zuqetta would stop in her tracks, her attention turning in the opposite direction as he squeezed Patchworks hand and prevented him from continuing further.

"Gyaaah!! Patch, my crown!" Zuqetta would exclaim, point off towards the bird that steadily vanished into the distance. She look to Patch with bright eyes and an excited expression rather than one of worry, "We have to go get it!" she'd insist, though this wasn't necessarily true in the least considering the crown was forged by magic, "C'mon, it'll just be a quick detour, no one'll even notice us!"

This also wasn't true however, as the two had actually been noticed plenty as they ran about; their current bright red and blue hair striking enough. Though some few found concern with Zuqetta tail, easily seen by the wariness on their faces, hybrids were common enough not to cause alarm. Zuqetta's magic was holding strong, and only growing strong as time went on; the illusion fooled those around with ease, and there was nary a brow raised when Zuqetta began to tug at Patch's arm to attempt running in the direction of the Amusement Park.