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Post by Zuni on May 30, 2015 22:12:00 GMT
(Thread PL: 5,452)
The moon had come and gone, the dust had settled, and as it so often did, it brought with it vast changes to the face of Vegeta. It was comforting in its way, that such simple laws remained true even today. It wasn’t particularly sensible of her, Zuni realized, to go snooping around the palace the very first night after the Queen had claimed her throne. There were a great many very stressed individuals attempting to keep the show on the road. Thankfully, most of those stressed individuals were not Saiyan themselves, but a variety of servant races to whom the more boring administrative work was often assigned. Running an Empire took rather more planning than sat well with the average Saiyan, as a general rule, and now overnight the whole place had been thrown into utter and complete disarray.
It was, in short, precisely the kind of environment in which Zuni felt right at home.
Panic always sets people on edge, in a state of heightened excitement where they are far less likely to challenge someone who seems to know what they are doing. Despite the fact that Zuni had entered the Palace with little more plan than ‘find out what it going on’, she certainly looked like someone who had an air of authority about her. The body the demon is wearing is in her mid-thirties, with the old, classic-style Saiyan armour which helped to somewhat offset the fact that her complexion was dark and her hair blonde. She’d also braided ribbons into her tail – but that was more because Zuni felt like being fancy today than it was for any particular element of the kind of persona she was trying to project.
Her power level was kept low, and she held a piece of paper in her hands, brandishing it as though it were a weapon. This act alone kept the others around from confronting her openly, though she did receive a few odd looks. Rumours had already begun to circulate in her wake like ink dropped into clear water. None here had seen her face before, but then, a new Queen had just taken the throne. How certain could they be that this woman wasn’t part of some entourage? A forward party? An ally in these uncertain times? Surely, stopping her in her tracks and risking the new Queen’s ire was a risk that none of them could take.
As she wound her way deeper into the palace, it was all Zuni could do to keep from dancing. The place was beautiful, wonderful, precisely the way that she had imagined it. Stark in that disgustingly Saiyan fashion, all ugly brutalism and battle damage. It felt, for the first time since she had stepped foot on the world, as though she had finally come home.
“You there, woman, you have the report?”
The voice barking at her was the first which did not have a faint edge of panic in it. The demon stopped in her tracks, and turned, confronted immediately with the sight of a tall, muscular full-blooded Saiyan whose expression showed that she found no amusement in the Demon’s wanderings of the hall.
Zuni’s eyes drifted to the paper, scanning it briefly. It looked as though she did, in fact, have a report; something about beet production in an offworld colony. How fantastically dull. She put on her best serious Saiyan fact, and gave a stern nod of her head.
“What else would I be doing here?”
The Saiyan grabbed her by the hand, starting to yank her along the corridor. “Then stop wasting time.” She demanded, “The Queen has been waiting long enough! Hurry it up! She’s got enough to worry about without you taking the scenic tour.”
Zuni was startled not just by the fact that she was being dragged along to visit the Queen, but by the strength in the Saiyan’s grip. It was… disturbing, and a sign that she ought, perhaps, to pay her cards carefully. But then, where was the fun in that? Mulling it over as she was forcibly dragged through the corridors, Zuni’s mind ran with the possibilities. Oh, she’d thought she might pay the Queen a visit sooner or later – it would do her well to get to see the woman up close before she grew used to her newly-elevated status.
That is, of course, presuming that the woman ever got the chance to grow used to it. There was every chance her rule would be as short as it was unexpected. It was highly unlikely that the Council’s allies would take this laying down, after all…
The woman guiding her seemed to take Zuni’s pensive expression as one of nervousness, and clapped her on the shoulder just outside a room in which the demon could hear all manner of urgent-sounding conversation. Yet more chaos, confusion and general disarray; and she was about to be thrust directly into the very beating heart of it all.
“You’re new at this, aren’t you? Probably someone from the distant worlds who’s only been here a few … what, weeks, months?”
“Days.” Zuni said, with a half-joking tone. The Saiyan Elite was obviously under enough pressure herself that she felt compelled to offer some advice to the ‘greenhorn’ before her.
“If you want my advice, just try to show a little backbone. Don’t be disrespectful, but don’t let her sense weakness either. She’s the Queen, sure, but she puts her armour on one leg at a time like everybody else. You go in there and knock them dead.”
Zuni’s smile was a touch too genuine at first, and she had to make it falter – to appear more thankful than amused as she curtsied to the other woman. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
With one last clap to her comrade’s shoulder, the assistant opened the door, and bellowed over the low-level hubbub, “THE REPORT HAS ARRIVED.”
Then, Zuni found herself stepping forth into the unknown room. She had no idea what she was expecting, what kind of person would await her presence, or whether she was making some terrible mistake just by being here. For the first time in decades, she was actually trembling with excitement.
Oh, it was so GOOD to be back!
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Post by Vennel on May 31, 2015 21:13:48 GMT
[Heavy-Weights On, Power Level read at: 17'400]
After returning from her personal training, and resting up in her chambers, a knock on her door alerted her that someone needed her for something. She was just finishing redressing herself, and was going to head to the throne room and see if the reports concerning the empire's affairs had been prepared. So given that someone coincidentally had come to her was fortuitous. She approached the door to her chambers, and they slid open in response, revealing her attendant, Pumbuken in the door way.
"Your Majesty. I hope you are well?"
Nodding lazily, the Saiyan queen's lips parted and her jaw opened wide as she let out a silent, but relieving yawn. She leaned against the door fram one her left forarm, making her entire posture appear rather lazy. Naturally, this bothered Pumbuken, who was still struggling with the concept of dealing with a leader who seemed so.. so, pedestrian.
"Yes, I am, now what is it you require?"
The Saiyan before her retrieved a data pad, tapping it's screen before returning his attention to the Queen. It appeared as though he were double checking something before he spoke, which made Vennel wonder just what this was about. She could only hope that he'd merely leave the reports with her to go over, but odds are, everyone who had made their reports still wanted to meet with their new Queen personally, to see what she was like. And sure enough, Pumbuken began speaking again.
"Your presence is needed in the Throne room, the first batch of reports are in, and there's already a half breed who's waiting for you in the throne room."
His tone was dripping with disgust at the thought that someone would have sent a half breed in to deliver the report, when a full blooded saiyan likely would have shown their queen the proper support. Vennel, on the other hand, didn't much care either way. These reports were a waste of her time, and she wouldn't have had to do them if the ministry wasn't such a bag of shit. However, she nodded to her attendant, and stepped past him into the hall way. Looking dow the hall towards the direction of the throne room, she walked with a brisk pace, wondering just which reports had come in.
Taking her silence and apparant destination, Pumbuken nodded, and turned on his heel, heading in the opposite direction. His queen was a woman of few words, and a part of him could respect that, though she was a bit rough around the edges, he hoped he could yet make a proper queen out of her.
As Vennel came to the door that lead to the throne room, it slid open. From her view point, she saw her half-breed guest. And what she saw was puzzling. Golden hair, and ribons in her tail. It was a strange sight, made more strange to see her dressed in full armor, like a Saiyan warrior. A sigh escaped her lips, as she passed by the half-breed and approached the throne, walking up the short flight of stairs that elevated it off the ground. Turning around to face her guest, she sat down, and settled into the throne. A long, drawn out yawn forced her mouth wide open, stalling her from speaking just yet. After finishing, she looked the half-breed over again, crossing her legs, remaining silent so as to take the time to let it sink in just what she was dealing with. But figuring she had stalled long enough, she waved a hand towards her, encouraging her to step closer.
"So, uh, what report do you have for me?"
She wasn't yet sure just how she should speak, as the queen. Granted she could shoe horn in more pomp and circumstance, but it didn't feel right when doing so, not to her anyways. And especially not right now, still somewhat tired from her training session earlier in the day. Her scouter chirped as it read the half breeds power level, and it returned with a number that more closely resembled her own back before she embarked on this whole crazy chain of events that lead to her sitting where she was now. But even as a half breed, she wasn't stronger than Kayle, who had proven himself to be quite the capable individual, al things considered.
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Post by Zuni on May 31, 2015 21:45:58 GMT
Just as Vennel judges her guest, her guest judges Vennel in turn. Zuni is more subtle about it; she keeps her eyes averted, and steps quickly out of the way to let the Saiyan Queen pass… but she’s paying sharp attention. This woman was likely to set the path of Saiyan culture for the next period; whether in her successful defence of the ‘traditional’ qualities she claimed to espouse, or through her death and the reclamation of some other way of doing things. Whether she was successful or she failed, Vennel had made her mark on history. It made her a very interesting person.
Immediately, Zuni notes several things; the yawn, the barely-hidden disdain, and most tellingly the ‘uh’. Vennel had no idea what report she was supposed to be presenting, any more than Zuni did. Nor did Vennel really want to be here. Interesting. But perhaps she could use that to her advantage. She just had to hope that she’d gotten a read on the woman’s attitude correctly.
Zuni stepped before the throne, knelt, and slapped her fist to her armour in a loose, rough salute. She had no idea if Saiyans still saluted in that way, but they did when she was a younger Demon, and if there was a group calling themselves the Saiyan Traditionalists then, by Hell, she was going to hope they knew what they were being traditional about!
“It is not the report itself which is of interest to you, my Queen.” Zuni’s voice was clear, and though she was kneeling, she made sure that she made eye contact with Vennel – not, she hoped, in a way that was challenging, but enough to show that she had a backbone and was not some shrinking, snivelling little thing. That, and too much flattery, she imagined would only get her in trouble with this one – if she was reading her power-hungry tyrants correctly.
“I don’t want to waste your time with a bunch of stupid numbers. You have people who can deal with that for you and back up what I’m going to say.”
Now, she just had to decide what that was. Was she really going to try and do this? It’d solve many of her problems if she did. Ah, why not? It’d also cause a little trouble amongst the Saiyan nobility, and Vennel seemed like she’d make a magnificent fox to toss into a henhouse.
“This report.” And she brandished it for effect, “Proves that House Stormtail have been lying about vegetable production on their worlds. I know it doesn’t seem like much, who cares about a bunch of vegetables, right?” That provokes some nervous laughter from the other gathered servants, who appreciate an attempt to puncture the air of nervous uncertainty which hung about the throne room.
Rising from her knee, Zuni continued to speak. “But it shows that they’ve been lying to the Crown. Sure, the head that wore the crown before was unworthy of it, but what sort of Saiyan LIES and CHEATS for a few zeni here and there?”
Rounding on the gathered courtiers, Zuni was starting to get into her little act now. The woman’s tail twitched behind her as she twirled on one foot – she was certainly a very… showy, person for a Half-Saiyan. But then, maybe that’s just because she’s a half-breed. They could be so excitable at times, couldn't they? “I am not fortunate enough to be of pure blood, but it offends me – it makes my blood BOIL, to think that there is a House of Nobles who would stoop so low, who would claim to be better than me whilst skulking around like, like, like some damned ARCOSIAN, counting their coins and hiding their true intentions!”
It was as this point that the House Stormtail representative finally seemed to realize, after a very long day, that he really ought to say something. The pureblood Saiyan was a young man, clearly inexperienced in the way all these things worked, and he’d had a rather traumatic time of things tonight. He wasn’t entirely sure what one was supposed to do when the previous boss is disintegrated and the new one is a low-class Saiyan who could wipe him out with a wave of her hand.
“That’s, ridiculous!” He shouted back, stepping out in front of the throne along with Zuni, and jamming his finger under her nose. Instantly, the woman’s arms go out to her sides, and she looked to Vennel as though to say ‘can you believe this?’
“House Stormtail has never been anything but honourable in our dealings with the Throne! We’ve got THREE planets the Council trusted us to deal with, and the Throne has done, very nicely out of our hard work and toil! If there ARE any irregularities, which I doubt, it is probably some… some… administrative error, not deception!”
Zuni stepped back two paces from the Saiyan warrior, her tail twitching behind her as she went, and smiled to him. From the side, it is difficult to get a true appreciation of just how smug and self-satisfied the demon’s grin truly was. In truth? Well, it can be difficult to get a grasp of interplanetary tax affairs, especially quickly and in a slim report. There was probably, genuinely, nothing at all wrong with the accounts, and if a full investigation was launched, the House would be exonerated…
… But there’s so many ways that could go wrong between now and then. Would the Queen sit idly by with a potential threat to her authority right there in the room? Would an example be made? And even just the accusation of dirty dealings made in open court could be a terrible burden on a House which was suffering all kinds of unfortunate catastrophes recently.
This’d teach them to steal her peaches.
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Post by Vennel on Jun 1, 2015 7:53:20 GMT
As much as she loathed the game of "catch-up" she was thrust into after taking the throne, she understood it's importance. One could not hope to build a house without first knowing it's foundations. Vennel watched as the presumed half-breed side stepped the question posed to her, and instead delved into supposed underlying issues with the report. It was curious to see her act in this way, making a stab at the integrity of a noble house, given her own muddied blood. Such slanderous claims were usually not met with anything short of death, at least they were during the ministry's reign.
However, Vennel was more concerned with seeing that the petty quarrels of the noble houses were quieted. If the Empire was to grow and thrive, it would not be done by underhanded tactics acted upon behind closed doors. She leaned forward as she listened intently to the half breed befor her, seeing that clearly she acted as though she were a Saiyan who believed similarly to her. But then again, these were mere claims, supported by unsubstantiated evidence.
As she went on, talking about supposed deception, and false ledgers concerning production of produce, Vennel let the information sink in. But aside from the initial claim, she was laying it on quite thick. Most of her speech was about how infuriated the actions made her. And, while Vennel could sympathize, it seemed a member of the accused house was present. A representative of House Stormtail interjected not long after recovering from the shock of having such slanderous words slung at him.
To no surprise, he objected to the claims, refuting them quite obviously. Instead, he protested that there was no active attempt to subvert funds by forging false documentation on one of their worlds' productions. Or at the very least, he had no idea of them, attributing them to potentially just being a clerical error. A reaction that rose an eye roll from Vennel. Naturally, no one guilty of such claims would openly admit to them, but on the other hand, neither would someone innocent of such charges.
She'd not been on the throne for longer than a day or so, and already she was being thrust into some sort of financial dispute. She waved her hand, signalling for the Stormtail representative to quiet himself, and hopefully be taken as a command to stop her high energy actions.
"Enough."
Her word accompanied the hand wave, as she needed a moment to decide what to do next. Rubbing her temples, she thought over what would be the best action to take. She needed to not risk offending House Stormtail, as she'd never hear the end of it from Pumbuken. After all, they were one of the noble houses invited to the feast that was coming up, and the entire purpose of that was to win over support from the Elites. However, if this claim proved to be accurate, then she'd have to act upon it, she wouldn't stand for insubordination at a time like this.
"You, the messanger. I assume you have proof of your claims? Bring me the report. I will see if the claim is true as you say. If it seems that the report has merit, I will confiscate the holdings of House Stormtail until such a time a proper investigation can be carried out. And,"
As she spoke, her eyes darted toward the representative with a glare that could kill, if a simple look were capable.
"If it just so happens that the claim be truthful, I will personally see to a more suitable punishment."
This was as fair a concession she was willing to make. She didn't much care if it was unsuitable for the Elite house. Mostly because she wished to do away with the favoritism shown to the Elites, that had for so long allowed them to carelessly drag the Empire into stagnation for so long.
She then looked back to the half-breed messenger. She had her curiosities, such as who she represented, if it was anyone at all. And if her claims proved valid, she'd have to thank her for her efforts. While she was not overly fond of the half-breeds, if they strove to prove their use to the Empire, where Elites had grown complacent, she welcomed them with open arms. So she was most curious about just where this half-blood stood. Was she truly an asset? Or was she merely overly anxious to impress the new monarch and seize glory, no different than many Elites.
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Post by Zuni on Jun 1, 2015 12:30:01 GMT
Zuni looked to Vennel when she spoke, and she gave a firm nod at the words ‘you have proof’. Other than that, she wisely chose to remain silent as Vennel made her opinion known. Only when it was all said and done did she step back before the throne, and then it was just that. A simple forward step. Truth be told, aside from the fact that the report mentions ‘Beets’ and she was fairly certain the planet name at the top was one of House Stormtail’s, she has no idea what the rest of the report had to say. Was it a gamble? Yes, absolutely! But what is life without a little risk? If she knew anything about nobility, it was that they usually had something to hide… if anything, she was surprised at the idea that the Queen would want to look at it herself.
Zuni did seem to have calmed down now that the Queen had spoken; it is difficult not to feel giddy. It was as though she were walking a tightrope. If things went badly for her here, they could go very badly very quickly – the whole room was full of Elites, after all. But if they went well, she could accelerate the fall of House Stormtail by months compared to the speed it would go if she were forced to do it herself. Revenge is a heady drug, and ambition even more so. How wonderful would it be to grind them into the dirt within a few weeks of her arrival back on Vegeta?
She was just about to hand over the report, as she had been bid to do, when she was interrupted by a loud protest behind her.
“I can’t believe you’d give the words of this half-blooded nobody weight against my own!” The House Stormtail representative shouted – obviously growing weary from a long day himself. Though, he soon added, remembering recent events and the damage he’d seen first-hand… “Though, if it pleases Your Majesty, then I suppose it doesn’t matter. You won’t find anything wrong.”
Zuni rolled her eyes at the man’s retort, and held out the report to Vennel. The paper was mostly covered in numbers; here’s hoping that the arcane language they represented was at least enough to cast a shadow of doubt.
“Thank you, my Queen.” She said, “I was prepared for a wearying month or two trying to get this report in front of the eyes of somebody who might give a damn. You’ve paid me a great favour. Now that my work is done, I can return home.”
She paused for a beat after saying that, and then turned back to face the Stormtail representative.
“At least, if there’s nothing else interesting to keep me here, that is. I might hang around to see proper Saiyan justice brought over to these peach-stealing scumbags.”
Wait, what?
Better try and cover THAT up as quickly as possible.
“And, I hope you won’t be too annoyed if I say that it is a genuine pleasure to see someone worthy on the throne. The Council did a lot to help half-blooded rights, it’s true, but those of us who are more concerned with the strength of the Empire than anything else appreciate the … clarity and strength that you can only find with one, strong, ruler.”
Zuni maintains eye contact throughout her little speech – or at last tries to, if Vennel hasn’t gotten immediately hypnotized by the sheet of numbers she’d handed over to her. Compared to the theatrical performance of her prancing and dancing around for the entertainment of the nobles, there’s actually a degree of sincerity in Zuni’s voice towards the end there.
The Council were no better than a Queen – they were still just as pompous and arrogant as any individual monarch she had ever seen sit on Vegeta’s throne. With just the one to worry about, though, she knew precisely who she had to watch and where the most important backside on the planet was sat. It’d make her job far more simple from here on out.
“And I have a demand to make too!”
The House Stormtail representative seemed more irate than ever at the way this woman just kept, talking! Sure, there were wordy Saiyans, but it was rare that some half-blood unknown quantity ever made it before the chamber, let alone managed to make eloquent speeches.
“If this interloper is lying, which I know she is, I demand satisfaction! I want her head mounted on the gates of House Stormtail as a warning to all others who would dare to besmirch our name.”
Zuni turned away from Vennel to look towards the noble man and all his anger. With her back turned to her, hopefully the Queen will miss the way she raises her finger to tug down the bottom eyelid and stick out her tongue.
Boy, the House Stormtail representative sure is turning a bright shade of red, though.
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Post by Vennel on Jun 3, 2015 1:11:29 GMT
So, the nod indicated at least the half-breed was able to produce proof to the claims she made, though said proof remained to be seen. The half breed managed to take a single step forward, as Vennel sat on her throne awaiting the report, before the protests from the Stormtail representative spoke again. But what he said angered her. While it was true she wasn't overly fond of half-blooded Saiyans herself, neither was she too keen on the Elites this day in age.
Though, he seemed to concede that he would not prevent an inquiry if it "pleased" her. Her expression changed from one of irritation, to silent resignation as she simply nodded in reply to the Elite's words. As the half-blood approached her once again, she thanked her, but then went on to speak of her personal efforts to secure the report. But then she turned to look at the Elite, before speaking toward him. The strange thing was it seemed she might have had a personal beef with the house in question, as she mentioned something about peach-theft. But to her knowledge, many houses of the Imperial Diet tended to engage in ploys and acts of espionage, trying to damage the prestige and social standing of one another to climb higher themselves.
She merely rolled her eyes again at the ego-fluffing coming from the half-breed. She'd heard a great deal of it as of late, and had she taken the throne for attention, there were plenty of less lethal ways to do so for someone like her. She could have become a champion of the Empire's arenas, or lead a triumphant victory over some contested world. But instead, she chose to become their Queen. She did so because of precicely this, the Saiyans worried more about their appearances.
Gazing at the reports, it did seem as though produce was the topic at hand, though she was unaware of Stormtail's planetary holdings, she would not make a snap judgement just yet. At least, not concerning Stormtail, unless this was indeed one of their worlds. She glanced back up towards the young, excitable messenger with a cautious glance, unsure which house she served, and wary this wasn't just a ploy from one house to another. There'd be hell to pay if they thought she would be subject to the whims of someone's conniving schemes. But once more, the Stormtail representative had more to say. Did these Elite sorts ever just silence themselves?
He naturally, made claims for recompense, if the allegations were false, naturally. But the gall that he would demand the obvious. Was he so arrogant that he felt a commonborne Queen were incapable of leading? She'd had her fair share of leadership experience in her past, and infighting was always the first thing to quell when you dealt with troublesome subordinates.
"ENOUGH!"
Vennel barked at the quarreling Saiyans. Her lip curled up, flaring into a snarl as her gaze darted between the two.
"I will not stand for dissension in my court. If you two wish to work out your disagreement, do so out of here. I asked for a report, and I will have the planet in question seized in the interim, as I have a proper inquiry conducted. It goes without saying that any party found at fault or having wasted my time will meet their fate. You..."
Turning her gaze once more to the flamboyant half-saiyan, she looked her up and down once more. Her tail curling itself around her waist as she seemed to readjust herself in the spacious throne, sitting more up right.
"What is your name, and allegiance if applicable. If this report proves correct, I will need to know who to thank for their work. And if it proves false, I will also need to know who I must remind of the cost of deciet."
Vennel's fingers rapped ong the arm rests of the throne. The report rested beside her on the space between her thigh and the side of the throne, careful to make sure that it was not misplaced so she could review it in greater detail later. She waited
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Post by Zuni on Jun 3, 2015 7:15:14 GMT
Zuni stopped prancing around when Vennel barked again. She really is going to have to watch that – the Queen was, quite obviously, a serious soul (could she have expected anything less from a Saiyan?) and if she kept having too much fun, she might get herself in trouble again. It just made her heart swell to see the way she was getting underneath the Stormtail noble’s skin! Who could really blame her for enjoying that, huh? It was a dance she hadn’t played in a long time. Usually, these days, it took ages to wind up in front of a King or a Queen, or a President or whatever other title the tyrant that happened to be ruling over the planet in question gave them. That’s what happens when rulers start to realize that one good fighter can obliterate them and their entire guard, she guessed – not that Vennel had anything to worry about on that score.
Zuni’s tail flicked around behind her as Vennel gave her another once-over. The ribbon-clad appendage wiggled to the side, practically begging to be looked at. Zuni was actually proud of that addition; the way the brightly coloured additions contrasted against the fur was delightful to her. She was hoping it might even catch on amongst the upper classes… though the longer she spent in Vennel’s presence, the more she was certain the Queen wouldn’t approve.
She wasn’t yet certain whether that made it more or less attractive.
“Me?” She repeated, looking genuinely surprised at the idea that she might actually have to give her name to the Queen. She laughed, a giggling cackle which had a tendency to set teeth on edge, but she soon caught herself. “Oh, no. I don’t represent anybody but myself. I used to be one of them, uh, what do you call them…” She struggled to find the word, snapping her fingers several times, and then grinning toothily, “Bureaucrats! That was it. My Dad left me as a present to my Mom after the Saiyans conquered our world, if you catch my meaning, and I figured the least I could do was help make sure everything went where it was supposed to. Which it didn’t.”
The little shot taken at the Stormtail representative made the man bristle behind her, but, perhaps Vennel’s words are finally starting to sink in to him. He doesn’t dare say anything, and despite his protestations, it has been years since he’s been on the battlefield. This weird half-blood is wearing proper armour, which implied she might at least know how to handle herself… and that meant he was in absolutely no rush to challenge her if someone else might sort it out on his behalf.
The lies came quickly and easily to the demon, making up histories is just one of those things that you learn when you’re in the habit of making new names and new faces. She gives another bow – albeit this one is looser than the first full-on kneel – and then concludes her introduction. “My name is Inuz,” Pronounced in-you-zee, what kind of weird name is that? Stupid aliens. “I’m staying near the spaceport if you want to find me. Though I’m sure you could do that wherever I happened to be. I'm not saying I need a medal, or something, but if you happen to have some medals going spare, well, I wouldn't say no.”
A wink, another carefree smile, and the woman stands up straight. So far, things seemed to be going pretty well. In the long run… well, finding her again would be a challenge, and she had no intention of making it easy if it turned out her vague accusations really did turn up nothing of interest… but this is one of the more fun games to play; all her lies are in the air now, and like any juggler, the question was whether she could keep them going long enough to wow the audience… or whether they’d all come tumbling down atop her head.
She probably should spend a few days wandering around as this persona, though... Vennel seemed pretty smart, she might have her followed.
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Post by Vennel on Jun 4, 2015 2:38:11 GMT
The half blood seemed rather smug about her supposed 'victory' over the elite, which had lead her to believe she served another noble house. However, it came as a surprise to her when the half blood explained her parentage. So Vennel could safely rule out that this was a noble's servant, and that she was just a dutiful member of the empire. A solemn nod was her only response to the disclosure, though something about catching the sight of the ribboned tail left her a bit unamused. The tail was traditionally a Saiyan's weakness, and drawing attention to it was usually a very poor way of hiding the weakness. Though, she was aware some species wore more bright colors as a sign of lethality, so perhaps there were some merits to it. But she disregarded the line of thought, as the half blood continued.
Either she was very well versed in Vennel's particular distaste for bureaucracy and was trying to butter her up, or she just had a very similar distaste for it altogether. Her eyes darted over to the stormtail representative, and he seemed livid, and rightly so. At the very least, he had no idea about the supposed deception, or he was just infuriated that it was discovered and reported by some "nobody," as they tended to refer to people not among their tightly knit social circles.
And it was not long after that Vennel finally learned the name of the woman she spoke. Inyouzie or some such. Another alien name, their difficulty for her to pronounce made them less favorable to her, but if it was the only name she had to go off of, and lacked a proper Saiyan name, hopefully someone in the court caught it for her.
"Yes, well, pray that your report proves to be accurate. I will not stand for political 'games' in my court. The Empire has suffered long enough because of them. There are far more pressing matters to attend. Now, unless you've anything else to report, you may go. I have a lot of these reports coming in and I'll need to sift through them all."
She lifted a hand and rubbed her temple, it was already a head ache and this was only the first report. She hoped the next series of reports proved to be less worrisome, and hopefully Stormtail's representative could be calmed down. However, if he would not, his house would find him to blame for their rescinded invitation.
She'd probably have to send someone to watch this Inyouzie, just so far as to ascertain wehre she lived, so that she could be sent for. And also to be sure she didn't escape the planet, if this was just a plan for sabotage.
"And you, the one from house Stormtail, unless you've anything to report, independant of this fiasco, you may leave as well. Deliver the news that transpired today to your masters."
She cared not for his relation to the house, he could have been a simple house subordinate, or he could have been a prestigeous member, either way, she viewed his superiors the same as any slave-master relation. He was here doing their dirty work, while they rested off world, in excessive oppulence, no doubt.
She looked to the guard stationed by the entrace to the throne room, and waved her hand, to signal that he should open the door, to let the half-blood leave, and to fetch whoever was next to be sent in. It was going to be a long day, and it had barely gotten started. Sinking back into her throne, she waited for the next one to enter.
[PL please, heavy weights active]
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Post by Zuni on Jun 4, 2015 6:25:51 GMT
Smug is a quality Zuni always had problems avoiding. It is, in truth, a combination of elation and survival instinct – though she was fairly confident she could have escaped if things turned badly, there were no guarantees in a room full of Saiyans, and when you’ve been around as very long as she has, there’s a keen awareness that every potentially lethal situation could be the one that puts an end to the good times. Just statistically speaking, she really should try and do more to keep herself away from places like this… but then, she does seem to be gifted with the devil’s own luck, because it seems to be working out for her.
“Pray? Naw, not my style.” She said, with a self-satisfied grin. “I’ve usually found it better to avoid the attention of Gods. They usually have NO sense of humour at all.”
Another salute, to indicate her respect, and Zuni spun on her heel. She really had managed to get right under the poor Stormtail’s skin, and that was glorious. Her tail swished from side to side as she started to saunter from the throne room. The guard – the very woman who had found her and dragged her here – looks absolutely stunned at the transformation the woman had gone through. She’d expected a nervous, faltering performance… but Zuni had pranced and capered like she was some bizarre cross between a courtier and a jester. She wasn’t sure if that was the most advisable way to approach Saiyan politics, but at least the half-blood hadn’t made the mistake of looking like she was just scared to be there.
The Stormtail representative was just as quick to want to get out of there. He gave a far shorter bow, and a hasty, “Thank you, My Queen, I’ll be sure to tell Lord Stormtail all about it. No doubt he’ll want to have a … private audience to discuss anything that might arise, in person. And to congratulate you, of course.”
With that, the man practically bolts from the chamber. He didn’t want to take the risk that Zuni – despite her good cheer – might decide to catch him on the way home, or that his Masters might somehow hear the bad news from someone else and thus make him look bad. Getting back to Stormtail Manor as quickly as humanly (saiyanly?) possible was vital.
Besides, they’d need to send some people to look into this Inuz. If she was some backwater peasant trying to make a fool of a noble house, an example would have to be made. It was one thing for the Queen to be lowborn, she’d got the strength to back it up, but if they suffered another embarrassment, the lower classes might start getting ideas above their station!
“Oh.”
Zuni paused just before leaving the throne room, turning back towards Vennel, and looking the Queen in the eye.
“It probably goes without saying, but if you need a hand with anything and you’d find it useful to have an offworlder for… whatever reason, please, keep me in mind. I’d love the opportunity to get stuck into some stuff. There’s only so long I can spend drinking before it stops being fun and starts being a problem.”
She bowed one final time, and then disappeared out the door.
She actually started whistling a merry little tune as she returned to the semi-controlled chaos of the palace corridors, a spring in her step and a song in her heart. The game was begun! And though it was far too early to say who might be winning, she definitely had an advantage… as she was the only one who knew that there was a game at all.
She just had to hope Vennel didn’t flip the board before all the fun had been had.
(Thread Exit - Zeni for Zuni!)
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Post by Kaula on Jun 4, 2015 22:10:53 GMT
Zuni: 4,270 WC 2355 Zeni gains 500 > 2,855
Vennel: 2,792 WC 5,098 PL Gains 97,397 > 102,495
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