An Unfriendly Reunion

An Unfriendly Reunion
Date of Scene:	09 July 2014
Location:	Raditz's Home, Dragon Ball-3 Earth.
Synopsis:	Raditz and Serori have a reunion, one that won't go as expected. Also Taylita pops in!
Cast of Characters:	37, 180, 486

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Raditz (486) has posed:
Earth! The Final Frontier! ... No wait, that's wrong...

Whatever, it's Earth, and in a semi-secluded part of a foresty mountainous area, where there's a road to the city for a quick drive up and down if anyone really needs to. However, it's enough of a distance and secluded that a Saiyan King that is also a local celebrity doesn't have people immediately hounding him.

However, today, Raditz is expecting someone, and this fact has him bothered. He steps out of the house, which is pretty sizey for someone apparently on his own that is no longer the king, clad in his armor and Saiyan King Cape, and he looks annoyed. His eyes closed as he waits, senses reaching out to search the distance for that familiar energy..

Serori (37) has posed:
The ocean wind plays through Serori's untamed hair, making it a wild crown of tangled black. Ceasing her flight and coming to a sudden, hovering stop above Raditz's location does little to improve the mess and refine her appearance. Though only in a t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts, her feet in simple sneakers, she nevertheless cuts something of an imposing figure. There is something about her sharp features and snapping black eyes which marks her as being more than human -- and dangerous. A predator in sleek disguise.

She waits above him, looking down her nose at where he stands, waiting in calm patience for his reaction to her arrival. Is he going to exert his authority right away, or wait to pick a fight? The possibilities creep under her skin and make her muscles tense. The end of her tail twitches. She isn't sure if it's anticipation or dread making her stomach knot.

Raditz (486) has posed:
The King of the Saiyans gets goosebumps as feels the approaching presence fly in and hover above him, and there's a moment where he turns his own dark eyes up to her, getting a good look at her. Raditz's fists clench, but he doesn't react, at least not immediately.

Taking a breath, Raditz closes his eyes, and says cooly, "What do you want, Serori? I've got nothing to say to you that I haven't said before, that you haven't ignored before, and I'm not in the mood to fight you. Not here."

Serori (37) has posed:
"I told you. I came here to catch up, not to fight." Serori drops out of the sky and lands light and silent no more than a few feet in front of him. It goes against her sense of strategy to sacrifice the upper hand, which might be what puts the slight frown on her face, but it's a gesture of trust, limited though it might be. He's in armor; she isn't. She's within his reach; he's outside hers. The difference in height and strength is also intimidating. All in all, she's as uncomfortable as he must be.

"I thought you retired from the war. What's made you come back?"

Raditz (486) has posed:
Raditz finds his heart thumping just a little harder at Serori's approach, and his hand slowly reaches up, and he instinctively shifts his hand to bring it to her face, not to strike, but to caress. His fingertips tracing along her jaw line just as they had done once upon a time before, so familiar...

And after a few moments he quickly draws his hand away as though realizing it was on fire, and turns about to not look her in the eyes, "What's it matter to you? I found a reason to get back in. That's all that matters."

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori's eyes narrow in response to Raditz's fond touch. She does not react, and her expression remains cautious and neutral, as guarded and tense as the rest of her. She expects the caress to turn hostile at any moment; it's a relief when his hand flies back to his side without any harm dealt to the cheekbone only recently healed. The jerk from her tail betrays her discomfort. The appendage snaps away from her waist to strike the air in stiff sways. "You shouldn't do that," she murmurs.

Louder -- "What's your reason for fighting?" Serori flicks her fingers in a gesture his way. "I see you're still wearing red. Have you come back to try and unite us under your rule?"

Something tickles her senses. The feeling of someone else...someone whose ki presence is very, very small, but nonetheless /there/. Curious, she turns her head toward the source, and finds herself looking at Raditz's household. Odd.

Raditz (486) has posed:
"I'm the King of the Saiyan race, I think I'm allowed to wear the cape if I feel like it." Raditz clenches the hand that he had previously caressed his former love with into a fist, though he doesn't strike out. "If anyone is going to be the King, it might as well be the only Saiyan who isn't trying to emulate Frieza. You're probably out supporting Gohan, that idiot..."

He then shrugs, "I told you, I found a reason to fight, and that has nothing to do with you. The fact that I've got time to refocus on our race is just an added bonus."

Then he notices Serori being distracted, and his mostly neutral expression (Neutral aside from his annoyance at having to explain himself, and aside from that moment of Fondness that he already regrets showing), gives way to a frown, "Do -not-."

Serori (37) has posed:
"Of course I'm supporting Gohan. He's stood beside me through a lot. He's protected me on more than one occasion, saved my life, and supported my rise to power. He makes the Planetary Trade Organization strong, and gives me what I need in a saiyan ruler without being so weak as to sacrifice who and what he is. He is loyal to his cause, and takes strength from it...those are admirable things. I also trust him, and he trusts me -- something lacking between us, these days."

Serori keeps her eyes on the household until Raditz growls at her to mind her own business. "Don't /what/? Don't look at your house? Don't wonder what's inside? Don't go /looking/? You should know better than to tell me 'do not.' Everytime you say that, I always /do/." A passing smirk curves her lips, but she makes no moves to get past him, no matter what her words imply. Cocking a fist against her hip, cocking her head at a curious angle, she regards him through low-lidded, bored-looking eyes.

"If you want my loyalty, you'll have to make your case, or you'll have to break me. What do you prefer?"

Raditz (486) has posed:
"Make my case?!" Raditz says with disbelief, and for the first time just gives into frustration, as he seems to be visibly almost flailing trying to throttle some imaginary neck, looking for words to sufficiently express himself, before calming back down, to a dress, and growl, "I have -already- made my case, and between of all the Saiyans I know that are alive and not trying to actively kill me right this second, ONLY Taylita seems to get it!" He then grumbles, "Though I'd have to check with her to see if she does in fact get it..."

He shakes his head, "No, I'm done trying to convince you! I'm done trying to convince you, and Gohan, and any other Saiyan that there's Merit in not simply ABANDONING the PTO, but in DISMANTLING IT ENTIRELY! I want the Saiyan Race to be treated as WARRIORS! YOU WANT US TO KEEP BEING MONSTERS!"

Raditz's frustration and anger finally lights up, as his aura flares up and hair turns gold, as he takes on his ascended Super Saiyan form, which to anyone paying attention is a pretty terrifying level of power. "If you want to keep being Frieza's Dumb muscle, then be my guest! Follow Frieza, follow Vegeta, follow Gohan! I DON'T CARE! But as far as I'm concerned, the Saiyan race is AT WAR with the PTO!"

Serori (37) has posed:
The Ascended Super Saiyan form is a level of power Serori can't achieve. It's well beyond her current capabilities, and may remain forever outside her grasp. The sheer energy output is overwhelming. The ground trembles, the windows rattle, and the wind whips into a frenzy, as if the very world is suddenly at Raditz's command. Until this moment, Serori was cool, level-headed, and completely in control. Now, she's forced back a step. The tail hanging loose behind her body snaps into place around her waist. She cocks up her fists in a reflexive posture. Apprehension knots her stomach, and for a moment, her eyes are wide and wary.

Only for a moment.

Serori lowers her fists. Haughty arrogance returns to her voice, which is otherwise low, placid, and unruffled. Though her heart hammers in her chest and she feels almost /sick/ with unease, she waves off Raditz's display. "You're not making a good argument. All I see in you is another form of enslavement. Do what you command, or you kill me -- is that right? Have I guessed it? Is that the best argument you have -- your ability to transform?"

Yes, she is deliberately pushing him.

Yes, she expects to hurt for it.

"Why are you suddenly so /inspired/, Raditz? You haven't given me any reason to follow you, except the reason of physical power! What's your /reason/ for fighting again? What's your /reason/ for declaring war? Where's the source of your /passion/ -- inside this house?" Serori doesn't take her eyes off Raditz, but she does jerk her head toward the house in a skeptical gesture. "Give me cause to follow you besides fear, and I'll think about it."

Her smile is small, but confident.

Taylita (180) has posed:
Just as Raditz is probably about to bulldoze Serori, another power signature appears on their scopes/senses. It is weaker than usual, but still easily recognizable. As is the trail of blue ki left behind in her wake. Taylita flies in quickly, even after Raditz transforms. She is also pretty darn impressed by the power level, but like Serori, she isn't going to show it.

Taylita brazenly flies right up to the two, and lands so that there is a rough triangle of space between the three of them. "Are you two playing nice?" she asks in her teasing tone, a light smirk on her face. She has bandages all over, and one line of red down the bandages surrounding her chest shows she is not fully healed from her fight with Karian. Or, she ran off without the medical personnel knowing. She is wearing a vest, but it is open in the front to keep from aggrivating her injury.

"Sorry to interrupt." Tay says as she looks between the two. "But, there was a power flare, so I came to check it out." Then, she finger waggles a wave to Serori.

Raditz (486) has posed:
Raditz can sense Taylita coming along, but he doesn't really respond kindly to her presence, as he glares at Taylita, "Stay out of this..." His eyes glowing bright green as he glares, energy crackling about his hair and along his body. It's everything Raditz can do to keep himself from just outright trying to explode the ground that Serori is standing on, and right now it's very tempting to just cut loose.

And then that presence in the house can be heard from the doorway, "-Raditz!-" To which the Saiyan King's expression changes to brief confusion, before he glances over his shoulder. Standing in the doorway is a woman, clad in civilian garb, very chinese, not unlike Chi Chi's own usual mode of dress, though hers is green, and she has fiery red hair, and she's got a look of concern on her face, what seeing Raditz all SSJ2. And cradled in her arms is a small person with darker red hair, long and messy, and she's looking very confused.

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori is too braced for her forthcoming destruction to grant Taylita much acknowledgement. A tense, significant gaze is tossed Taylita's way, and that's about it; even a wave might be interpreted by Raditz as a coming attack. Serori has no intention of setting off fireworks despite her verbal challenges to Raditz's self-proclaimed authority and purpose. If anyone's going to explode, it's Raditz -- an interesting turnabout, given her usual issues of temper.

Any prospect of combat is set aside the second the human woman appears with a child in her arms. Serori's body goes cold and rigid, and a dizzying /understanding/ rushes through her, leaving her limbs heavy and her mind numb. The next few breaths she take must be deliberately, consciously drawn, or she would not be able to breathe at all.

"You -- " Serori's eyes tighten up at the outer corners. "Who are -- " The tension leaves her fists the same moment the fur along her tail slicks down. Uncertain, cautious, she takes a step forward, her attention alternating between the woman and the baby. The baby...hardly more than a few months old, but with a sharpness of appearance Serori recognizes at once.

Serori's voice drops. She looks at Raditz, and speaks a gentle plea. "Can I...see her?"

Taylita (180) has posed:
Taylita is pretty used to little or no greeting from Serori lately. After all, Taylita has a habit of showing up when Serori is busy with something. Taylita is surprised by Serori's reaction to the baby and the woman, though. Not so much that she doesn't want to hurt a child, but by just how quickly it diffuses the volatile Serori.

Then, Taylita actually looks at the woman and child, and ends up smiling softly herself. Okay, she guesses she does kind of understand how Serori is feeling. Or, can imagine it, anyway. This is pretty much what Serori wanted, after all. The rebuilding of the saiyan race. This is like the first step...or something. That's what Taylita thinks, anyway.

She doesn't say anything to spoil the moment, either. Taylita knows when to keep quiet. She just holds her hands behind her back in a peaceful posture her old mentor used to use, and waits.

Raditz (486) has posed:
Raditz turns his head back to Serori when she starts moving, and shifts a bit to put himself in between her and those behind him, if only on reflex. But when he gauges her expression to see the hostility disappear, he himself relaxes a little bit, his hair settling and energy dropping back down to civil levels.

"Look. Don't touch." He gives Serori that warning only, before taking a step aside to permit her to approach, though keeping a careful eye on her.

He does give Taylita a glance, and blinks a bit, "What're you doing here anyway?" The moment was tense enough as is.

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori steps toward the woman and the baby. Responsive to any display of tension on the part of the woman, she is slow to approach, stopping often to make her harmless intentions clear. The squeezing in her chest is a more painful and complicated emotion than the fear felt over Raditz's transformation, and an emotion she doesn't care to acknowledge or investigate. What she feels is exacerbated by the human woman's unease, and that is enough to keep Serori's forward march a slow and respectful one.

"D...does she have a tail?" Serori's question is an uncertain whisper. "Does she have a proper saiyan name?"

Wide and huge, Serori's eyes flick up to regard the human woman, before she returns her full attention to the baby girl and tips her head in quiet, conflicted contemplation. The gnawing inside her chest is distracting, confusing, rattling; a wrinkle appears between Serori's eyebrows. She can't decide if she is supposed to hate the child, or become attached to it. Does she feel proprietary...protective?

She pushes her lips into a hard, thin line, and just stares at the baby, lost.

Taylita (180) has posed:
Taylita blinks back at Raditz. "I felt the power surge. I wanted to make sure you guys weren't killing each other." Taylita says to Raditz, then she too approaches. She makes a slow, but quicker than Serori, approach to them, then gently says, "Hey." to Serori before placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is the beginning, right? Even if it might not be the way you were imagining, and whether or not she has a tail, saiyans will keep going." she says in a gentle voice. Taylita is quiet a few moments before she adds, "I'm not sure what all you are feeling, but..." She looks to Raditz. "I just have to say, she's pretty cute." She then looks to Merra and smiles gently. "Hi there. I'm Taylita, one of the last pure-blood saiyans, like your husband." she says, then blinks. Wait, is this actually Merra? What if it is a babysitter or something? "Uh...if he is your husband, that is. Anyway...I just wanted to say it's nice to meet you and the kid."

Raditz (486) has posed:
Merra just sort of nods at Taylita, though right now she's just a touch more keep a wary eye on Serori. She doesn't back away from Serori in fear, though her grip of the child shifts to be more protective, though the shift does allow for the little girl's tail to slip free and visible.

Merra then addresses Serori, "That's right. Raditz hasn't decided whether to remove it or not. I'm aware of the monsters that come from them." She then glances to look the child in the eyes and says, "Her name is Gine. His mother's name. Sounded fine to me."

Merra then returns her focus to Serori, stern and not afraid, "You're the one who betrayed him, aren't you?"

Serori (37) has posed:
The shoulder under Taylita's hand is about as tense as it gets. It's like a hard lump of rock, or a twisted-up knot of cords. In reaction to Taylita's words, a deep quiver disturbs the tension. In reaction to the child's tail, Serori jumps, and the quivering becomes a confused, reactive tremble.

"G-Gine..." Serori knows the name. Of course she knows the name. It's an old name, provoking old memories. Caught between two worlds, the old and the new, Serori looks up at Merra like someone staring at a ghost. A pounding begins inside her head, and something prickles behind her eyes. She answers in a small, flat monotone, reacting to the question without considering the consequence of an honest answer. "A-ah...yes. I tried to kill him."

Serori takes a step back. Shaky, she looks at Taylita, then stares at the baby girl again. Gine. Is that what Raditz would have wanted to name Serori's daughter? What would he have wanted to name his son? Bardock? Serori pulls back another step. To Taylita: "The beginning...?"

It's too much to think about.

She has a deep and conflicted desire to either curl up then and there, or to scream, or to become furious, or to lash out, or to run away -- she has to do /something/, doesn't she?

Taylita (180) has posed:
Taylita nods to Serori. "Right. The beginning." she says, then pulls her hand off of Serori's shoulder. "Which means...well, Raditz and Merra can raise their child how they like, of course, but if there are going to be more saiyan babies we need to get united. Decide..."

She blinks, then looks at Raditz. "Wait, you're king, right? And strong. So...you can pretty much dictate how saiyan society goes. Or, if there even will be a saiyan society separate from Earth and the PTO and Frieza. I've made my opinions on the matter pretty clear, but I guess I don't have much say either way. I'm not king, I don't have a kid, and I'm not part of the PTO."

Taylita...actually looks kind of sad a moment. "So...I guess you two..er..three have things to decide."

Raditz (486) has posed:
Raditz's gaze softens as he watches Serori have a miniature breakdown. In some other lifetime, this scene might have had Serori holding a child in her arms as opposed to Merra. But that would have been a different life... Raditz's expression hardens up again, "There's nothing to decide, Taylita. The Saiyans will have nothing to do with Frieza, in any universe, or the PTO."

He closes his eyes and repeats as he declared earlier, "The Saiyan Race is at War with the Planet Trade Organization, no matter -who- its leader is."

He does look back to Serori now and says, "You'd better go, Serori. Don't come back here, and don't give -Gohan- any ideas."

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori's attention snaps to Raditz. Helpless, confused, she can't help wondering -- "G...go? You want me to go? But -- "

But the baby is /here/.

The future is /here/.

Serori stares at Gine and Merra as if looking for some kind of logic, some kind of support. For once, the former General of the Confederacy, a proud and self-sufficient woman, looks to Taylita for help, for understanding, for answers. The surging emotion claws its way up her throat and pounds into her head until her thoughts go sideways and her words fail. Serori stands there paralyzed as it rises up and up and up, an unstoppable tide of fear, anger, longing, despair, joy, hatred, jealousy, loathing, heartache, and a thousand other things she can't put a name to -- as it crashes over her and /crushes/ her and takes her hostage --

"Go?!"

Serori's eyes squeeze shut. She bows her head, and a tempest arrives from nothing, swirling up from her feet and flickering gold. Thunder erupts around her, and throws her skyward in a glittering streak, like a bolt of lightning sent back where it came from. She can't even /see/, she's so blinded by the chaos. Driven by pure instinct, Serori /goes/ for wherever feels safest, her scream /felt/ but never released.

Taylita -- and Raditz's young family -- are left far behind.

Taylita (180) has posed:
Taylita winces just a bit at Raditz's verdict, even though she isn't really surprised. When Serori looks to her, Taylita looks sympathetic. Taylita opens her mouth, but..no words come out. She doesn't know what to say. She does know this can't be easy for Serori.

But she had no idea just HOW not easy it was. Taylita gasps in surprise and is forced to take a step back as Serori explodes out of the spot she was standing. "Seroriiii!!" Taylita yells as the other saiyan flies away like a bullet. Taylita hesitates. She feels like she should go after Serori. That Serori shouldn't be alone right now, no matter how much she might want it. But then...baby! Who could just fly away from a cute little saiyan baby without being ordered?

"I...uh..." Taylita stammers, then huffs. Serori would probably just attack her or something, but Taylita can't just leave her friend hanging. "Just a sec." she says to Raditz, then blasts off as well. She'll chase Serori as far as the nearest warp gate, but if she doesn't catch Serori by then, she'll turn back to Raditz's home. "Serori!"

Raditz (486) has posed:
Raditz watches the turmoil going on in Serori, though he knew that there wasn't going to be a whole lot of alternative outcomes when Serori found out about Merra and Gine. He tracks Serori as she blasts off into the sky, and there's a moment of regret, which he shakes away after a moment of dwelling on it.

"You said what you had to, Raditz." Says Merra, the human woman stepping up from behind him, to let him know he wasn't wrong. "She has to live with the decisions she made leading up to this, just as you do."

Raditz just nods slowly, before turning his eyes to the toddler in Merra's arms, and smiling gently, reaching to ruffle her hair up, getting a burbling response of glee from the child. "I know. Thanks."