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Post by zarun on Dec 13, 2018 18:28:42 GMT -5
Kuueru looked bored. Or at the very least, like she might rot and petrify in her desk if she had to sit here and just do paperwork for much longer. He was just thinking about how you needed someone to do all this stuff for you, too. He supposed the part she was doing where she signed and stamped whatever was being thrown on here did actually need her to handle it; if someone could just turn up and sign her name to something like this, then they could sign it to anything, right? Then you'd have someone running around pretending to be Kuueru wherever they wanted. Although it sounded like something that someone on his level would consider more of a prank, he was sure somewhere that was steeped in regulation, or at least enough for it to matter, would think of it a bit more harshly than that. What kind of things could be done with her authority, after all? Someone misusing that could probably...end up doing something, or having something ordered that would result in a lot of death. It made him actually think for a moment more, and start considering how important she, and anyone else leading soldiers into combat actually was. He had confronted death a lot, almost on a daily basis as a child. Yet, even he understood that losing a life, especially when it was someone on your side, was wasteful. That wasn't to say someone always died in vain, but if you could keep them alive, keep them going and focused on what you needed to be doing, then that was doing right in his book. He'd often had to focus on keeping his little brother alive and safe while fighting groups or much larger and more powerful beings; the juggling was never easy. He imagined that was what leadership was kind of like, in some respect.
"I don't know. That's a good question, actually. I don't think there's any trees on a place like this, right? So that has to get made somewhere else, then sent all the way here. Wouldn't the computer just make it a lot easier?" He was sure there was such a thing as an electronic stamp that she could start putting on things. Of course, maybe it wouldn't have the same satisfaction. As she slammed it down onto the contract that he'd signed, he would fully admit that he thought it had a certain catharsis, and he bet it was even moreso for her. It would just feel very invigorating to be able to put your stamp of approval on something and have it matter, like, really matter. It wasn't just an opinion that someone nodded condescendingly at (he'd gotten a lot of that before on Earth), but was an authority that people had to listen to, one way or the other. People being in a way, forced to listen to him did give Zarun a twinge of satisfaction at the idea. Maybe he would like this whole leadership thing, if he could get there. Yeah. He would. He was going to, one way or another. He didn't know how, but he'd come up with all the specifics later. He was getting himself a desk, too.
Zarun followed Kuueru as she walked to the window, standing alongside her as he looked out towards the teeming metropolis below. It was more people than he'd seen in a very long time. They were almost like worms, scurrying around in the sand, trying to find their burrows and hide away, only going out to get what they needed to either eat or to make loved ones happy before they headed back in again. He was sure he saw a kid or two around here, too. So it wasn't just a military base, or anything like that. He'd heard the moon was more like a space station of some kind, so he was surprised to hear and see people were actually living down there on the surface, like they would on any other planet. He wondered what it would be like, living on a world like this. He supposed he would find out, actually; she had mentioned his quarters thanks to his incessant questioning, which only made him more pleased. He already got his own room, which did put him in a good stead already. He would have his own training space, where he could eat and sleep and fight and do whatever he liked without being bothered by some other recruit always waking up in the middle of it and complaining or needing space somewhere else in the room. It was his. All his. It did bring another question to his mind, though.
"I'm already a high enough rank for something like that, huh? I must've done okay in those tests, then. What rank am I, anyway?" It was a fleeting question, really. It sort of petered out at the end as he mumbled it, more lost in thought as to his ambitions and plans for the future. He had all the visions of what he could do in his head, where he could go and the kinds of things he might get to fight. The heights that he could climb to, and what sorts of commendations he might even get, if he started fighting and acting like a true Saiyan warrior, like one worthy of the name. Surely that would bring glory to his people, right? Imperial awards and medals were no joke. Even someone like him, who had little knowledge of much of this galaxy, knew that a military commendation in an outfit like this proved something about you. He wanted that to be him.
Those thoughts stayed in his mind as he stuck with her, since she knew where she was going on Mitra after all, and all the way down to the bottom floor, on the elevator. For once, he wasn't staring at everything outside, trying desperately to take it all in. Instead, he was in thought, strategising and actually planning, attemtping to think his way around where he wanted to be, and how he was going to get there. Not just that, but he began thinking about the experience he'd already picked up in combat, the instinctive battle strategies seared into his head. How he would adapt them, and what tactics he could use against other, properly trained fighters. If maybe, he would already have the prowess to stand amongst them, or he would need to buck up and fight for it. He was fully expecting the latter to be true.
His thoughts were broken as they reached the doors to outside, and he finally got the close-up view of the rat race. The sprawling cityscape was much more impressive when you were lost within it, and the vast array of different species wasn't lost on Zarun, either. Try as he might, he couldn't pick out not a single Saiyan, not yet. Nobody on this planet looked like him. Not that there was something wrong with them, but he...well, he had just hoped a bit. That was all. It was a planet with a lot of soldiers, and his people were naturally attracted to professions like that. He focused on Kuueru's words, eyeing the spaceport. "I don't really know where I'd go, anyway. I'm sure I'll end up getting sent somewhere you guys need me eventually, right?"
He scratched his face, not sure where he would really 'usually' go in a city. He didn't do cities. Never really had before, but he was willing to try. Besides, he would eat later. Better to do it all at once so he could enjoy it. "Well...I'm not sure. I haven't ever been in a place anything like this, before. Where do you usually go?"
WC: 1,313 [Total=12,932]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 14, 2018 12:30:24 GMT -5
zarun
Kuueru was thrust into the world of leadership. She didn't get the introductory phase. She didn't get the chance to work her way up the ranks. In that respect she had to force herself to become more disciplined on a level that was way too fast for her liking. Still, as adaptive as a demon could be, she strove on. She pushed through, and now she was preforming her job like it was clockwork. In her head getting the job done quickly meant that she could retire to her other hobbies, like eating. Speaking of, she was beginning to grow a bit perished from all this 'hard' work. Recruiting took a lot of calories, right?
"Haha, there are a few man-made parks on the planet's surface, but you're right. Most paper is imported or recycled here on Mitra. I'm sure we are one of the only places on this hub that even use it still. That's not to say that a lot of our work here isn't done electronically, but---still, perhaps they want people to really feel like they are signing their life away on paper than a digital screen?" Kuueru chuckled a bit before tucking her stamp away. Though, she couldn't help but notice the twinkle in the boy's eyes as he marveled at her desk, stamp and overall demeanor. Perhaps he too pictured himself in a position like hers, of course---he could just be in shock still of being an Ultramarine.
Zarun quickly observed the metropolis by her side. It was magnificent, stretching, and ever moving. It was a place that never slept---much like the big cities on Earth and other major planets. People all were busy, never able to stop or slow down. After all, their lives were all limited, they only had so much time to complete what they needed to. It was weird to think about a limited lifetime, when the demoness had already lived nearly eight or nine times one mortal's lifespan.
"I mean, the Empire is pretty generous, but you're right. Say you were a recruit in the Galactic Empire you'd share a bunker with a dozen or so others. Due to you joining the Ultramarines you get a step up. You are a Junior Lieutenant if you must know, and it may have something to do with those tests you did, yes."
Kuueru straightened up her posture and turned to face the Saiyan. Her lavender gaze met his own sternly.
"Your power level, is a solid 8,000 currently. To put that in perspective, the average human Earthling is around 5-10. Even those members are allowed to join the Empire's ranks, still—the Ultramarines are reserved for those with not only more power, but more drive, and more ambition than a normal person. When I look at you Zarun, I clearly see that. Don't make me a liar."
The woman turned her back to the Saiyan and they were led to the outside. He seemed to be in a hypnosis as she led the way, only when they actually made it outside of the building did the man perk up and come back to life. They stood within the spaceport, but Zarun made it clear he didn't have much intention of traveling anywhere of his own accord. Alas, surely he would need to go somewhere eventually.
"Right, you will be sent off-world quite often as a Jr. Lieutenant. Most of your affairs in fact will have you traveling most of the time. That's not to say that you won't ever be home. But around 15 percent of the time expect to be on a ship or alien world. Kinda exciting when you think of the prospect of travel. I know I enjoyed finding all the best places to eat in the galaxy. I mean….erm, not eat," Kuueru chuckled as she realized that the thought of food was intrusive on her words.
Alas, since she was on the topic of food. Her next stop was already decided. The woman clad in heels turned on a dime and began walking a ways before coming to one of those moving floors. She stepped upon it and held onto a handrail as she was cascaded past many people on foot. She always loved riding on these horizontal escalators, such things weren't even thought of in the Demon Realm.
Utilizing the transportation, they would soon catch a nose full of various aromas. It felt as if they were in the middle of several different countries and cultures all at once. The smells and spices all dances together as they were inhaled through unsuspecting nares. Kuueru had a bit of bounce in her step as she hopped off the escalator carefully and inspected the various restaurant fronts. Everything you could imagine, from various planets throughout the galaxy. After all, the Empire had to accommodate those who joined their ranks who missed their homes dearly.
"Ahh, here we are, the restaurant district. It is very vast by the way, taking up a large portion of space and various districts throughout Mitra. You can find a map on your…your phone. Like I said earlier, you'll need one of those! If you don't have one already we will outfit you with one."
Kuueru cleared her throat as her eyes shot towards the nearest food booth. There it was, her favorite delicacy that made her taste buds stand on end. She bolted to the stand, her eyes lighting up as she took in the array of flavors they plastered upon the board. She wiped a bit of saliva from the corner of her mouth and ordered using the giant screen in front of the stand. One hot dog, yes, loaded with chili, cheese, onions, mustard and ketchup.
"Here, come here. I'll show you how to buy things," Kuueru waved a hand at the boy before coming to the payment confirmation screen. She then pulled out her badge from earlier, the one that allowed her access to the building and the gym. She passed it in front of the screen and suddenly the interface lit up green with a confirmation of payment. Yes! She had secured the most sacred of hot dogs, another day filled with lovely delicacies.
"Order for Kuueru!" The man behind the counter yelled shortly after before handing her a hotdog wrapped in extra napkins. Her greedy eyes focused on the beautiful specimen before she turned her attention to Zarun. It seemed a bit rude to eat in front of him, but---she felt as if she were truly dying. Her teeth tore through the various textures as she savored the oddly cheap food item.
"D-Don't worry Zarun, I'll buy ya some food today! Go ahead if you're hungry. But I hear you Saiyans can eat."
WC: 1128 | 12183
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Post by zarun on Dec 14, 2018 13:31:06 GMT -5
He didn't really feel like he was signing something away. In truth, Zarun felt as though he was gaining something from putting his name on the dotted line, and agreeing to fight and possibly die for the Empire, if needs be. He was fully aware of his mortality when it came to this sort of job; but really, he would be fighting just as much even if he wasn't working here. The difference was, fights as an Ultramarine would bring him more than just personal satisfaction, or the scratching of that itch, that primal desire within the Saiyan brain that had a distinct need for violence at regular intervals. The fights while he went around in the Empire's service would bring him glory and fame, which was a big part of it. A wandering warrior picking fights with anyone strong; what was special about it? An Ultramarine though, who was able to fight and would take on anything or anyone, no matter what, who always faced down what he was sent up against - that sounded so much better. He supposed that the pay and the fact that he was more likely to actually make something o himself while he did all that didn't hurt, either. That, and he was more likely to fight something actually dangerous, potentially life-threatening even, while he was an Ultramarine. As a regular, nothing person who lived in the woods, all he would manage to do was just fight whatever happened to pop up in front of him. While he was fighting on the Empire's behalf, especially as someone who was above the regular rank-and-file, though, that would be much different. They would have intelligence, reports, all sorts of scouts going out and figuring what was the strongest thing, the biggest possible threat to what they wanted to do. Then they could send guys like him to handle it. Perfect.
The Saiyan blinked, looking to his side and up towards Kuueru as she told him his rank. He didn't know much about the placement of ranks in a military structure, he would have to familiarise himself soon enough, but that did sound pretty important, right? Right. He supposed the Junior part of it was since he just started, so it wouldn't really make sense for him to be a senior of anybody. Maybe if he was older or had more experience in leading people, that sort of thing, he would've been higher up the chain. Who knew? It was probably low compared to what most Saiyans would have started as, but he understood that he had a lot of progress to make in very little time if he wanted to reach the level of his people. To do that, he would have to push himself harder than he ever had before. For so long, he'd been stagnant in his power, sitting around on Earth, doing nothing. It was ever since his encounter with Zam, since having the Majin almost kill him, that he'd been able to get over that incline, that he'd been able to crest the hill and keep moving, keep advancing towards what he desired, towards the goal that he'd held for so very long. "8,000, huh?" He muttered it to himself, still somewhat deep in his thoughts, that all began to mix in together. So, you could put a number to it. Still, an Earthling being around 5 or 10? He knew he was stronger than most Earthlings, but that seemed odd. He was 800 times stronger than them? Or at least, most of them? His mind flashed back to the Earthling girl who had proved more than an even match for them. No, not all of them.
"I won't let you down. You have my word." He hadn't made many promises in his life - if only because he always did his very best to keep them. He had promised Sorben he would keep him safe, and he'd almost given his life many times to do so. Promising Kuueru this meant far more than maybe she realised; it meant that he would put his life on the line to uphold it, to stick to the word that he'd told her she had the guarantee of. If he didn't do everything in his power to follow what he said, what did his word mean in the end?
Zarun kept listening carefully as Kuueru explained about travel, how his duties would take him to all sorts of alien planets, along with sitting on a ship. Ah, that was going to be dangerous, then. Despite his power, he wasn't defended yet against the vacuum of space. That was something he was working on, thankfully; the technique he had in mind to protect him from it wasn't...totally perfect, at least not yet, but once he had enough power, he was sure he could manage it. His train of thought was interrupted as she misspoke, though. It elicited a grin and a short laugh from the Saiyan, who broke into a more cheery mood almost immediately. "No, eating sounds about right! I'm getting kind of hungry, too. I bet there's all sorts of good food on different planets then, huh? What's the best one you've had so far?" As he followed after her onto the moving walkway, he assumed that she was probably on the way to actually show him to just that. His assumption was becoming more and more likely as they continued down the walkway and began to smell foods of all sorts. It only made him even hungrier, which wasn't great for the owners around here. A famished Saiyan had the potential to send an entire town into food shortages if it got bad enough, and he'd definitely almost done that before. He still didn't feel bad.
"I'll probably be here a lot, you know. Just follow my nose to find what I want. Oh, right. The phone, that was it! I don't have one of those. Never have. I don't...have anyone to call, I guess. I'm going to need it if you think I'll have to use one for the work I'm going to do." He figured there was no more important reason right now - at least, that was between them. Now that he thought about it, he could probably call Sorben on one of those. Hrm. Was he even allowed to make calls to other people that weren't in the Empire using a phone they gave him? He knew vaguely where Sorben was, the name of the planet still not sticking in his head, but he hadn't gotten a number from him. He was sure he'd find him some way, though.
Even with his relative inexperience, Zarun knew when someone was hungry, especially if they were ravenously so. Kuueru was definitely, ravenously hungry. He could tell from the way her eyes were almost bulging at the sight of the hot dog just on the screen, before even seeing the actual food itself. The way she seemed to desperately slam her hands on the screen did little to help her case, too. He watched her as she ordered on the computer-like device, her fingers nimbly navigating the touch screen. As the fast food was shoved out towards her, and she began devouring it like a relentless predator, he did think to himself that it looked pretty good. "Don't be sorry. I've been that hungry before! I once didn't eat for a whole three hours." Such an ordeal was a new exercise in serious willpower for the young Saiyan, at the time. Admittedly, the first hour was spent looking for an animal, then the next two were spent fighting a huge lizard thing before he basically ripped apart and ate the thing with his bare hands. He had few qualms about where his food came from.
Speaking of, the Saiyan was quick to copy Kuueru's order, even taking the badge from her side as he knew she would prefer her hands on the hot dog, using it to swipe across the screen, putting it back for her. She did say she'd buy him something, so she probably wouldn't mind, right? Right. He didn't hide how much he was anticipating this, rapidly tapping his foot on the floor as he crossed his arms, waiting for the processed hot dog to get shoved into his mouth already as he waited on the order. He hadn't really expected this as a perk, but he was enjoying it already; he could tell he was going to like it here.
WC: 1,438 [Total= 14,370]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 14, 2018 17:40:29 GMT -5
zarun
If Zarun only knew Emperor Polaris's stance on the Saiyan race, better yet, his standing with the Dominion, the boy may have thought twice about swearing his allegiance to the Empire. Still, there was something happening in the universe that the woman couldn't deny. As she sat at her desk preforming that paperwork earlier, something had shifted. Something was damn different in the air. The Emperor's power was radiant, like a beacon that bore its light throughout the universe when it truly flared up. She could be sure that the Kais themselves noticed his wrath in battle. As did she.
The millions of levels of power bore through her mind earlier, despite the man being at a meeting labeled the Peace Accords. Then, in an instant it disappeared. The emperor was never really one to hide or suppress his power, even when he wasn't in his fifth form he still carried a substantial trace of power that she could detect. This time however, nothing. Something about the absence of the Emperor's presence upset the woman to the core, or perhaps it was more frightening that something out there could have so easily incapacitated the frost demon. She chewed at her lip as she tried to remain upbeat for the new recruit, still---surely the uncertainty shown through in her expression.
Alas, with the possible departure of the emperor came new opportunities. The former leader so hateful towards the Saiyans held himself back in some regards. Perhaps if these Accords went as planned there could have been a friendship gapped with a treaty of sorts. Perhaps the Saiyans could enlist in the Empire, and other races in the Dominion. They could have allied together and helped one another at a beck and call. She would have to check on Polaris soon, still, she held onto the glimmer of hope that the Frost Demon still lived to lead her in the Mortal Realm. Frankly, she had learned many and unteachable lesson from him.
"8,000, huh?" Kuueru snapped back to reality with Zarun's words. She had been so lost in thought that she had forgotten to give him her full attention for his personal tour of Mitra. How foolish was she?
"Good to hear, say, if you ever need any advice, I'm here to help! Try not to be too intimidated by my rank." Kuueru responded with a warm smile. Something she rarely got to wear in her own world. She had grown so sick of fighting to just survive in that Kami forsaken world that she was truly enjoying the moments she had to relax here. Sure, she saw combat still, her life was still in danger as well; but, the woman had moment of reprieve as well. Those were invaluable to the demoness.
"Oh, you're hungry too! Thank goodness! I thought I was the one being a pig. I was going to stop and get something to eat after my lecture at the high school, but you see--- you kinda captured my attention for the time being. Not that I'm blaming you for that! Oh? The best thing I've ever eaten? I'll show you!"
Kuueru nearly put a skip in her set as they headed off for the restaurant district. It was her favorite place on Mitra as it housed all the planet's tongues in a single area. Of course, it was a huge area at that, it would take a while to traverse, luckily there were those handle escalators that made traveling easily on the moon's surface.
"Yeah, no doubt you'll be here, trust me---there are a lot of good all ya can eat buffets too if your stomach is a pit like mine!" Kuueru chuckled and smiled beamingly back at the Saiyan before he responded about a phone, and not having a person to call. Of course, he would need one for his work, but she found it odd still.
"Didn't ya say you had a brother? Well, at the very least we will get ya a phone for business, but don't hesitate to contact friend or family on it. Having a good talking relationship with those folks keeps you hard at work and focused in other areas of improvement. Trust me, I vent a lot!"
Kuueru tried her best to relate but talking to the Demon King Lute wasn't the most rewarding therapy. While he had a lot of advice for the demoness, he wasn't super personal or understanding.
"T-Three how-urhs?" Kuueru mumbled after receiving the hot dog she had so 'hardly' fought to obtain. Bits of chili and onions smooshed against her face as she began walking around the various restaurants in the area. Surely there would be one that caught the Saiyan's attention among them. Still, she felt it only courtesy to offer a bite of her food to the man. Eagerly she held the handheld food out to him for a bite.
"W-Wanna try?" Kuueru chuckled and wiped her mouth with her free hand. She wouldn't be offended if he declined, after all, there were plenty of restaurants in the area that had surely garnered his attention. Kuueru turned and did a slight spin in excitement of potentially trying a new place.
However, she hadn't noticed him swipe her badge and promptly order his own morsel. However, from the tapping of the Saiyan's foot and him staring anxiously at the vendor in front of them, it was clear he had already ordered and was on his way to the glorious taste of the hot dog. She chuckled and returned to finishing her own meal since he was so clearly ordering his own. Though, she wouldn't be opposed to trying more of the restaurants before exploring more of Mitra. That was, all up to Zarun of course.
"Hahah, couldn't resist eh? Don't let me hold you back either. If you want to try more after this, we can surely go around. Trust me, I don't spend but a fraction of my salary in the Ultramarines." Her comment elicited a scowl from the man behind the counter who obviously worked hard for little reimbursement. Still, she didn't decide her paygrade, nor did she know the normal pay of mortals and their jobs.
"Or if you'd like, I could just take you to the shopping district, or your quarters. Don't let my hungry tummy influence your tour! I just want to make sure I am being thorough is all!" The demoness smiled before tossing away the empty container her hotdog came in. Though she were clearly tempted to order another, she would wait for his response before making any more food related decisions.
WC: 1106 | 13289
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Post by zarun on Dec 15, 2018 3:38:29 GMT -5
Zarun, on the inside at least, knew a few things about the galaxy. One of them was that mostly, he knew absolutely nothing about the galaxy. He understood some basics, where things were on a map, maybe. Even then it was sometimes hard to pinpoint. The thing he struggled with the most was the denizens of the galaxy, those actually living within it, those who made the real changes to it, who decided what life was like within their own little corner of reality. Still, Zarun misunderstood or just couldn't wrap his head around so many subjects and nuances that he saw himself as almost being somehow disadvantaged from the start. It didn't help that he seemed to be from a race that was separated in some way from all the others. Saiyans seemed to be mostly aloof and ignore others, more just sticking to their battles and the work that they were being paid for, at least the ones he had seen. Those he had encountered, but never mustered up the nerve to talk to, were mercenaries, either guarding areas or some kinds of bounty hunters, on the search for a quarry of some sort. Zarun understood that there was a Saiyan Kingdom somewhere, and that they and the Empire had hostilities. In the young man's mind though, a Saiyan was strong because he was able to stand alone, because despite any allegiance, the honour and glory he could bring to his race would shine through anyway. At least, that was the reasoning he used to justify things now. He had heard, just vaguely, of there being peace talks before, and he was sure Kuueru had mentioned it earlier, back on Earth. Maybe that was where the King of Earth had been, rather than on his planet, doing things that a King does. If the Emperor was there, how were things going? Even though he couldn't realise how related his line of thought was, he had noticed something on Kuueru's face.
Mostly, it was a sense of worry. Something was wrong, wasn't it? She had seemed pleased enough with him, but there had to be more going on. There was an uncertainty in her eyes that seemed to be struggling, like she was trying to keep herself steady, staying strong in order to keep going without causing too much of a fuss. Maybe it was because he was here, or maybe she was the type to try and keep a stiff upper lip regardless of whatever company was there, or even if there was none. Zarun knew that he was clueless about the wider galaxy, about the more complicated aspects of what was to come and what had already happened, but the young warrior had a bit of a natural talent when it came to reading people. Of course, such a thing required him to have actually held a conversation with them for a good amount of time before he could understand the little movements they made with their face as they spoke, or whenever they were silent. It wasn't as though he truly knew Kuueru or understood her in a way that others didn't - he just figured out that something was up, and that he was going to have to ask eventually. Not because he had some need to know, but it wasn't good for her to keep these things bottled up inside. They always found their way out one way or another.
When the woman offered him a smile, and any advice whenever he needed it, Zarun returned with as warm of a smile as he could muster up. He supposed he could get why people might be intimidated by her rank and authority, but he wasn't one of those people. In the end, they were all going to be people who either truly belived in the Empire, had a passion to fight and a need to fulfill it, or they just wanted to have a stable job, with an income that justified the danger it presented. He couldn't blame someone for joining up with the Galactic Empire's military for any of those reasons. After all, signing up had given him a purpose and a focus, something he could work on, so that maybe he could eventually become worthy of his people's attention. With time, maybe he could even be accepted by them, as one of them, an equal. Just the idea gave him goosebumps to think about.
He had also, admittedly, forgotten that he mentioned Sorben to her. Well, not by name, but he had mentioned him anyway. It was a weird situation. Not because Sorben was weird - he was when Zarun actually tried to compare their ways of thinking. It was just...a bit awkward to talk about, but he was going to have to vocalise it at some point, so it may as well be now. He hadn't really been able to talk to anyone since he left his homeworld. "He's not like...my blood brother. We grew up on the same planet, because we were both left alone there. He said his parents were Archaeologists, killed by one of the animals there. At least he knew them, I guess. A-Anyway, once we figured out that we could leave, he went to the spaceport, and some people who knew his parents had come looking for their remains. He went back with them. I haven't really seen him since then. That was 4 years ago, I think." Zarun had a more sombre tone as he told the story. Just talking about Sorben, already having thought about his people and his ancestors, had brought his attention to the hole he had. He'd never known what his parents looked like. How they acted, how they spoke. He wondered if they loved each other. If they meant to have him. If not, was that why they left him there? He quickly cleared his throat, deciding to clear the air. "Anyway, I can probably find him somewhere and call him. He left me a note with the coordinates of the plant he was going to, so I can ask around there sometime."
Zarun decided that maybe focusing on these things wasn't so good for him. After all, he had hot dogs to worry about. The Saiyan was rather impatient the whole way through as he waited for the vendor to cook him up the fast food he wanted. He didn't understand why this food was so cheap, if it was so delicious. Then again, he remembered some food on Earth being free as long as it was part of competitions, and stuff like that. Maybe they didn't have the competitions on other planets, so they didn't make their food expensive to compensate for that? It was the sort of thing that went over Zarun's head, for the moment. He wasn't exactly introduced to the idea of an economy or how it functioned. He could figure it out pretty easily were he to have it explained to him, but that was the issue; who was he going to go and ask about something like that? It never really occured to him, and he had other stuff on his mind, that was more important, anyway. Like these hot dogs.
The Saiyan held the odd meat tube (that was how he could describe it, though it wasn't open or anything) through the tissues and doughy bun that held it still. It was lathered in various condiments and other bits of food to the side, all crammed into the one little space. Wow, there was a lot to this thing, huh? No wonder she liked it. Zarun's impatience came into play again as he, rather than tearing the thing apart, actually just took it all in at once, tenderising the thing on the inside of his mouth and swallowing it like it was a tiny confectionary. Saiyans did have pits for stomachs, the way she'd described. That, and he was pretty sure he could eat anything huge they had on a planet like this and still want seconds. All the food around seemed to be so small. He glanced to Kuueru, once she got the subject back onto the tour. "Oh! Maybe show me where my quarters are? I should probably figure out where I'm going to put stuff. Well, once I get stuff, anyway."
He chuckled, waiting for her to walk off from the vendor as he followed after. He took his time, waiting until they were far enough away from anyone else, even if just so prying ears didn't pick up on their conversation. "Is something wrong? It seems like something was bothering you earlier." He spoke quietly, with an awareness that seemed a bit unusual for someone like him. He knew hunger, definitely. It wasn't the grumbling stomach that had made her seem so anxious back in her office. Whatever the case, he wanted to find out soon.
WC: 1,500 [Total=15,870]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 16, 2018 9:11:58 GMT -5
The Commander was not trying to show her emotions or stress in her facial features, but surely, they shown through based on the inquisitive stare Zarun shot her way. She gulped hard, her gaze averting from the Saiyan as she looked around curiously at the buildings encompassing them on all sides. Despite the now huge maw created by the Empire's missing beacon of power, she tried to remain positive despite the major bad vibes it sent up her spine. Surely Radia didn't wipe out the Saiyan, no---she wasn't so foolish to do it at a televised event. She would take care of him off camera to avoid spending anymore bad blood on her and the Saiyan's names. After all, Polaris had already given her enough bad reputation with his own acts.
At least, that's what the demon had heard. She never directly asked Polaris if he was the one who killed the Galactic King, she also didn't ask why or if he pinned it on Radia for a reason other than sparing himself the blame. However, she was certain of his hatred of Saiyans, where that stemmed from however, Kuueru couldn't place. Kuueru respected those with strength above much else, that was the way she had always ticked. If someone lost their life due to the fact that they were too weak to properly defend themselves, that was on them. That was the life that she grew up with. Always having to grow stronger and get back up again after being beaten to the brink of death. If you did not, you might as well lay on the ground and just die. There was no space in her world for weaklings, therefore, they were eliminated one by one until the strongest survived and fought for the power and authority within the realm.
This world wasn't much different, besides the sheer scale of how many powerful beings there were. Sure, the weak here were more likely to survive and thrive, but with that came more potential for them to grow. She had met many a powerful warrior that rivaled her in strength. Still, none had bested her in battle besides Lute the Demon King and Polaris himself, not that the demoness put herself out there for many battles outside of her line of work. Those were too troublesome, and after centuries of scrambling for her life, she was tired.
The woman returned her attention to Zarun as he finally went on to explain the backstory of his brother. So, they weren't related. Kuueru raised a finger up to tap against her chin as she listened. It was off that so many orphans just got dumped on planets, there had to be more backstory than that! Unfortunately, the woman held back her questions, she did not want to overwhelm Zarun with bad memories or bring up sore topics. Not right now, when they were exploring Mitra and trying to make a good time.
"I see, well—you have to band together with whatever you can at that age. Hopefully he is still doing good despite it being so many years, erm I mean…" Kuueru's face tightened at how morbid that sentence could have sounded. She waved her hands around frantically before attempting to rectify her statement.
"No no no, not like something bad happened to him, it's just a lot can happen in four years! Man, I'm bad at words," Kuueru felt her cheeks fluster in embarrassment. Hopefully the Saiyan didn't take any offense from her words. Luckily, Zarun shifted subjects and at least let her know he had some coordinates of his brother to try and reach out to him now that he had a way of contacting the inherited sibling.
She was interrupted by the vendor beckoning the boy's attention before handing him his very own hotdog. Despite her own love for the handheld food, her eyes widened a bit as he shoved the entirety of the meat and bun into his mouth and chewed it in one single bite. She was half wondering if there was some magic behind his insane capabilities to eat something whole. She also wondered if he took the time to savor the flavors or purely wanted the feeling of some sort of mass in his stomach. Either way she chuckled a bit as the hotdog disappeared quicker than it had taken to prepare.
"Whoa, that was---did you even taste it? Or …" Kuueru stopped her questioning, she didn't want to seem too rude to the boy, or his eating habits. Still, she always savored her meals, down to the last grain of salt. Meals like this weren't available back home, in fact most of her meals weren't even cooked while she lived and scavenged there. So, she greatly valued all the luxuries that the mortal realm could afford.
Luckily the subject changed to quarters. Kuueru nodded and began to walk, as he did when he followed. After walking for a while through the rest of the restaurant area, soon the buildings shifted up. Most of the towering structures in this area were homes to both the military, their families, and other civilians who resided on Mitra as just normal folks or workers for the shops. After all, there were people who had to keep the planet running, not just those in the Empire.
Kuueru finally ended up in front of a particular building before the boy's voice boomed through her heads. He questioned if something was wrong or bothering her. Was he an empath? Did he see right through her façade of a wall? Kuueru gritted her teeth while scanning her badge against the entrance of the building before the doors whirled open for the pair. She walked in and motioned for Zarun to follow her into the rather modern and lavish looking lobby of the housing unit. There was but an elevator in this room beside the uninterested secretary and her desk.
"Erm, I---It's nothing really," Kuueru replied coldly before making her way to the elevator and scanning her badge once more. They were led up many a floor, she had neglected to mention him which number as it was still under renovations. It would be ready for him within a day or two after a fresh coat of paint had dried.
She was hoping he would leave the conversation at that, but if something did indeed happen to the Emperor, it would be out in the air soon enough. The demon chewed at her lip as she approached a door about mid height throughout the tall building. There were about 4 other condos on this floor, but all of the occupants must have been away or sleeping. It was oddly quiet despite how many people actually lived in this building.
"Here we are," Kuueru scanned her badge one final time and the light upon the knob flashed green. She opened the door to show a decently sized condo with lavish kitchen for cooking, decent sized sitting room and a full master bed and bath. It was nice and have a decent view of the city as well. Anyone would be happy to call this place their own, she hoped that Zarun felt the same way.
"Once we issue you a badge it's all yours. There's a gym on the basement level as well. Feel free to use any of the Empire's facilities however."
Kuueru chuckled and knitted her brows as she tried to get the thought of the Empire's spearhead dying from her mind. Still, she felt empty.
WC: 1259 | 14548
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Post by zarun on Dec 16, 2018 15:50:50 GMT -5
As much as he might have seemed dumb, Zarun wasn't stupid.
It was true that he didn't really know much. Especially when it came the wider galaxy and the complicated subjects of it, such as politics and belief systems. He was almost clueless in that regard, and knew a lot less than those far younger than him. It wasn't due to a lack of intelligence or an inability to understand the information before him. He'd just never been shown it before, more preoccupied being stuck on a small arid planet with nothing to do except fight, eat and die if you happened to be caught unawares by a predator or marauding tribe of reptilian savages. That wasn't to say that he hadn't enjoyed his time on his homeworld, but he enjoyed fighting a lot less when it risked everything he cared about, everything he valued in the world at the time. At that point, it wasn't a bit of fun at all - it was a necessity, an awful tribulation that he had to survive through to keep going. Even if that was the case; it only made him fight harder, made him more dangerous when he was in battles like that. It had taught him to value what he did have, and having an intelligent little brother with a penchant for keeping everything to himself meant that you quickly figured out when he was lying and when he wasn't. Thankfully, it seemed like this kind of skill was something you could figure out about most, and Kuueru didn't exactly seem the...dishonest type. She was cheery and at times slightly awkward, even if it was clear to Zarun that she was experienced and shrewd about the galaxy as it currently stood. It wasn't just the fact she was hiding something, but that she was struggling with it. If it hadn't bothered her, he doubted he would've ever noticed the possibility.
Zarun could only smile as Kuueru tripped over her words, trying to not imply that something bad had happened to his brother. Still, just thinking about that did make him wonder. It had been years now, much longer than he'd ever planned to be apart from Sorben. What if something did happen to him, or it already had? Nobody would know that they even knew each other, so it's not like anyone would think to inform him. Not that they'd even know how, anyway. Beyond that, it just felt strange to have been apart for so long, when before that point it felt as though they'd been joined at the hip, always sticking together and never leaving each other's sights, mostly just to make sure they weren't snuck up on by the myriad of things that wanted to rip them to shreds. Why had he even agreed to it? Why had he let Sorben go by himself, off to some world without him? Zarun was trying to ignore the more painful truth of it, but it was still there, staring coldly at him. Sorben had wanted it that way. He wanted to be his own man, he wanted to be with his people. His own people. It still kind of...stung, even as Zarun had tried to understand it back then. He wanted to be with his own people too, but he wouldn't have ever left him. He had spent so long protecting him from everything outside, but Sorben had never even thought how just leaving him alone in a galaxy that he had to realise now existed could affect him. He didn't hate his little brother, or hold a grudge against him. He just...couldn't call him right now. He didn't want to.
Luckily, the young Saiyan didn't hear the woman's question about his eating habits, particularly when it came to finger food like this. At least, that was how he considered this 'hot dog' thing. It was so small! How were you meant to eat it any other way than all at once? Doing that would be almost like torturing yourself, the equivalent of nibbling very slowly at the edges of food and eventually reaching the centre after like, an hour, or something. Ugh, he couldn't even imagine only eating one piece of food or even one meal, or at least an Earth-sized meal, within a single hour. That would be like starving yourself, but on purpose! Who would do such a thing? Well, she seemed satisfied with it, at least. Maybe she didn't need to eat as much, for whatever species she was? He still wasn't sure, exactly. There were plenty of aliens that looked just like Humans, so maybe she was one of those. That would make sense, right? Would explain why she seemed to eat like them, too. Honestly, to him that was the most important part about a species. Did they do any specifically interesting things in battle, and how much did they eat? He even heard there were species that didn't have to eat at all! What was up with this galaxy?
Eventually, they came to the building that he imagines was supposed to be where his quarters were, but...the towering structure was more than he was expecting to get. He was staying in here? "So, am I staying in the building that's for someone important? Is it my job to guard them or are they leading me, something like that? This place is huge." He hadn't seen architecture of this sort, at this level, and he certainly hadn't been thinking he'd get to live in some place like this. He stared at the elevator buttons when Kuueru pressed them, genuinely curious what floor they were heading up to, however many numbers of them there might be on a building like this, this huge. "Are all buildings people stay in like this? They can't be, can they? There wouldn't be enough space for everyone." He supposed it was an artificial moon around the capital, so maybe it was just something they could keep building on?
Zarun could feel his eyes almost pop out his head when Kuueru opened the door to his room, distracting him from his thoughts of asking any more about that feeling he got, that impression that something was very clearly bothering her. He stared in awe at the place, walking into the condo-like space as he glanced around it, still a bit in shock, but mostly confused at the accommodations. He would've been happy with a cot on the floor and a bucket; it would've been an improvement over the nothing he had before, but he'd been moved into relative luxury. He looked out the window, his eyes darting over the view of the cityscape before he turned back to Kuueru, blinking as he heard there was even a gym he could make use of.
"This? All of this, is mine? I get my own bed? And a bathroom? I can use the gym, too?" He seemed to be asking the questions with a tone of disbelief, as though he assumed this had to be a joke, or a living space shared with multiple others. This couldn't be just for someone like him, right?
WC: 1,205 [Total=17,075]
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Post by Queen Kuueru on Dec 17, 2018 14:57:13 GMT -5
zarun
Kuueru wasn't much unlike her new companion Zarun, in regard to his knowledge of the current happenings of the galaxy. While she may have seemed knowledgeable on many subjects, the politics, the belief systems, even those certain mundane relationships between planets were lost on the woman. Like Zarun, it wasn't due to her lack of ability to retain and recall information either, it was because she had to acclimate to this entire realm in a matter of almost a year now. Thinking about how she had been here for almost twelve months bewildered the demoness. She felt it had only been a few months at best, alas--- she would assume wrong. In her position however, she should have known way more. If only it weren't for her tourist-like escapades and time away from her desk, she certainly would have found more time to study and blend into the mortals. Alas, the sinful desires pulled her into play and away from work and anything of the life. Only the most mandatory missions were what occupied the woman's life in the Empire. More often than not, that was being a personal escort and bodyguard to the Emperor, but now that his life seemed to have been snuffed out, the woman felt without a purpose. Should she even remain in the Empire?
Kuueru cleared her thoughts by tripping over her own words, per usual. The awkwardness of the woman was beginning to become a trademark. She sighed and took a moment to try and form a clear sentence, but by the look on Zarun's face after his smile, she couldn't tell if now was the time to talk more about his brother. Perhaps this was a subject that was better left alone?
The demoness took one more walk around the room, her eyes looking at the wide windows that stretched from wall to wall. One would think twice about walking around this area naked with the curtains drawn. Still, her eyes scanned the city below until she had her fill. She inspected the other rooms carefully to see the progress on their work and if they were of proper living conditions. Kuueru didn't like to think of her subordinates living in shambles, especially not with the way she had been living her own life. Her quarters on Mitra were lavish, exclusive and came with all sorts of state of the art technology for her entertainment. She may have had her own gravity machine as well, but she couldn't let Zarun know that—he'd be over daily to just to use hers instead of the sweaty public one. Man, the stench of that machine was something otherworldly and repulsive to the nose.
"Right, this building is for those of more ranking stature. Not necessarily Ultramarines, but within the Empire like you. Most are always away on missions or with their work, so I hear the halls of this place are quite quiet and nice for sleeping. A lot of the shared dormitories are party houses until those kids grow up and take themselves seriously. I can tell that you'll be the type to take this seriously, so I have no issues putting you in a place like this to start with." Kuueru smiled after the boy asked his questions on his building mates and the other places that like people would stay. Kuueru skipped both the dormitories and even a condo like this. Polaris had always made sure she was well compensated and taken care of as a Commander.
"There is plenty of space, even beneath the surface by the way. Mitra is way bigger than first glance! Don't let it fool ya kid." Kuueru chuckled and walked into the kitchen while running a finger over the marbled countertops that were recently installed. There was a lavish fridge ready to be filled thanks to his new salary. Plenty of cabinetry made space for kitchenware and additional food. There was a beautiful cooktop if the boy ever decided to make his own meals in lieu of eating out on in one of Mitra's many choices of restaurants. Kuueru enjoyed eating out a lot but found herself a new hobby recently in preparing her own meals at home. She can modify the foods to her tastes and make as much or as little as she could eat.
"Ahh, your kitchen is probably nice than mine though! I'll have to come break it in," Kuueru chuckled at the end of her sentence before winking towards Zarun. She was entirely kidding, not about the part of his kitchen being nicer, but about coming to use his instead of her own. She wasn't that jealous of a woman; besides, she had every utensil and accessory in her own condo to suit her needs into culinary adventure.
"But yeah, it's all yours kid. Haha, of course you get your own bed! You're donating your mind, time and possibly your body to the Empire's cause. What kind of people would we be to merely give you a cot and a pot to piss in?" Kuueru chuckled and waltzed her way back to the boy's side who still seemed to be in awe of simply possessing something to call his own, let alone practically an entire house. The Commander reached out, her hand resting comfortingly upon Zarun's shoulder. He had potential and a fire in his eyes. Something about the lad reminded her of herself many a century in the past when she worked day after day perfecting this very disguise spell she now used effortlessly every day.
She had studied what she could about mortals, humans in particular. She had forced herself to blend into them if she ever had a hope of escaping the Demon Realm and living amongst mortals for any amount of time. Fortunately for her, she had kept up appearances for the time being, yet Zarun was obviously suspicious of her. He noted the way she spoke of Earth, Earthlings and this galaxy in general. She almost felt a bit disappointed in herself for giving away her guise so easily. Perhaps it would be better to just come clean to the boy at another time, she hated to lie, especially to those whom seemed to care and show a general interest in her health. That's at least how the Saiyan youth seemed when he asked if something was bothering her earlier.
Alas, she chuckled and winked towards the boy once more.
"Obviously, I have to set you up with some more stuff before I let you walk around willy nilly. So, we can finish that back at my office whenever you're ready. Just some basic stuff though, like photos, badges, phones, and some other onloading stuff. You must be tired though, all this information overload in one day, and only a measly hot dog to hold you off."
The woman looked towards the door before her brows knitted in frustrations. She concentrated on Zarun's energy and marked it in her mental phonebook. If she would ever need to find him again, she would be able to instantly teleport to his location. It was easy enough for her to teleport to planets now, but to a specific person was a bond thing. She would need to note his energy signature to the core to really and truly find him wherever he might travel.
"Alas, I'm sure this may seem like a lot, but don't think it's not anything you don't deserve Zarun. Like I said, you give us your all, and we make sure you don't have to worry about anything else. Food, travel, a bed to sleep in will all be yours so long as you do your part for us. I expect you'll be taking missions within the week, so be prepared. Nothing too crazy, maybe some escorts, maybe some diplomacy… Hell, you may even get to get your hands dirty! I'll inform you on that however. It probably won't always be an easy job either, there are probably going to be times that you run into someone who doesn't think so kindly of the Empire, just know you'll be wearing your allegiance literally and metaphorically like a badge on your chest from here on out. It may suck, but you just make sure you prove to the naysayers that you stand behind your decisions and they aren't mistakes in the slightest. You'll do fine."
The demoness let her stern face shift to the smile that was formerly there. After all of the serious talk, Kuueru was definitely ready for some lighthearted time. Perhaps she would find one of those 'comedies' on television, or even go to a club with a live comedian. The woman began making her plans for the evening in her head all the while standing before Zarun in the midst of a somewhat serious discussion.
"Thank you for your current, and future service in the Ultramarines Lieutenant!" Kuueru saluted the young Saiyan with a fanged grin before turning towards the door to leave.
"I suppose, erm…I don't have much left to show you huh? I'm not really the best tour guide, but if you have anything you can't find, anything you want to see I can take you there no problem. Damn though, I'm going to have to get you’re a phone and all that to make this easier. For now, you have one on your wall there," Kuueru instructed before pointing to an intercom looking device in the kitchen. It was preprogrammed with important numbers, including Kuueru's in case he needed to reach out until a mobile one was registered in his name.
WC: 1602 | 16150
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