Beast in Black

It had been quite the few weeks since Zuqetta had taken the throne; she'd managed to map out Sadala's current structure, readjusted the staff at her new hospital appropriately, begun work on modifying the educational system thanks to what she learned in Hatchi, and to a strange degree was now the owner(?) of two new planets. she had difficulty wrapping her head around that last part, Plant was already enough on it's own, and she was barely managing the city of Sadala right now, but she wasn't about to besmirch Vocado's accomplishments. Between all the fighting, the strange individuals she kept meeting, and the sudden escalation in circumstances though, she was overdue for a break.

She didn't need to waste time taking a day off to sleep or anything, she merely wanted to vent about it all! Since her release from the hospital, Jagaimo had been so active; taking on a little protégé of all things was certainly unexpected, though perhaps that wasn't the right term for what Daika might have been to Jagaimo. At the very least, the city was calm enough; in fact, as she approached the Brawl Hole, it seemed even calmer than usual. Zuqetta wore a smile as she walked through the streets, casually greeting those she passed; perhaps she and her changes were finally starting to have some small effect on the populace, and with talks with popular leaders going well, it was only a matter of time until her council was realized!

Jagaimo didn't need to deal with Daika today as far as Zuqetta knew, which meant she'd surely be at her bar this time! And since Zuqetta herself had no pressing matters to attend to, it was finally time to have that moment to vent about everything that'd occurred so far. The doors to the bar would swing open enthusiastically, with Zuqetta stepping in almost immediately, her gaze noticing Kinoko in an instant which brought a long drawn out sigh from Zuqetta.

"Kiiiiinokooooooo!!!" Zuqetta would whine loudly as she walked up to the bar, hopping onto a stool and splaying her arms out atop it, "Isn't Jaggy here? I haven't seen her in FOREVER!!!" she'd ask, slightly annoyed though still with a clear playful whine in her tone.

Having come to visit the bar so often, the patrons had become used to Zuqetta's antics, with regulars hardly even batting an eye. Where once was skepticism and suspicion, was now tolerance and even a bit of humor. Defeating Yakito in such a public setting the way she had, had certainly helped her image, though she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that. Saiyan's were always the rowdy bunch, Zuqetta wasn't all too different, but she'd hoped they be more interested in improving their standard of living rather than how strong her left hook was.

"Oh, hey! Could I get a Berri Juice!" she'd exclaim excitedly, sitting up straight as her tail swayed enthusiastically behind her, "I've been wanting some all day!" she'd say with a sharp grin.

Kinoko wasn't against it, it was Zuqetta's usual after all, yet she was surprisingly... quiet. In fact, the whole bar was quieter than usual... Thoughts began to race quickly through Zuqetta's head; was there a special event going on that she was disturbing? Had she perhaps done something to incur their ire!? Was she unwelcome!?!?! What the heck could she have done to piss people off THIS TIME!? She was doing her best to refrain from the type of actions she'd done in the past, so did it perhaps have something to do with Jagaimo!?

while her thoughts raced, her drink was served; as was the drink and meal ordered by a rather large guy sitting next to her. She hadn't paid him too much mind, her thoughts were focused on her berri juice and talking with Jagaimo, as well as the worries she was now having over what might have been nothing at all. She tried not to let it bother her, bringing her juice to her lips for a sip; the moment it neared however, she paused. An unusual scent, something like... spicy maybe? That didn't make sense...

"Hey! You put alcohol in this, didn't you!" she'd say, furrowing her brow with a bit of a pout, "I've told ya a thousand times, I don't like that stuff, bleh!"

Kinoko would laugh, a snort really, but finally a reaction! It was a small mistake, but one easily remedied as she through a passing glance towards Lottus and the items given to him. "Sorry, your majesty, musta gotten yours mixed up with the big lug next to ya." she'd remark, proceeding to sit back with a curious expression.

It figured someone would eventually order a drink like hers with how Jagaimo had been advertising it, but being a bar and all, not many besides herself went for juice of all things. Zuqetta didn't mind too much, she was just glad she didn't accidentally tag a swig of the stuff. she'd waste no time, sliding the Berri Beer towards the mans place before chiming up for her juice, though, who she'd finally make eye contact with wouldn't at all be who she could have ever expected.

"Hehe, sorry for the mix up, I believe this is yooooooo...uurs-"

Zuqetta froze up momentarily, his clothes were strangely normal-ish, but this was undoubtedly Lottus of all people!! That sharp face and hair with a zip code of its own were unmistakable! Too many thought to even list coherently raced through Zuqetta's mind in an instant; her only self curse being that she was never actively sensing out energies around her, else MAYBE she might have noticed! Her smile was clearly forced an awkward, and her gaze wouldn't remain fixed for long, lowering and taking notice of her glass of juice. What was she even supposed to say to him, sure they'd met in Lux, but they didn't exactly get to even talk then!

Zuqetta would take a soft breath, calming herself, there was only one thing she COULD say here.

"Could I... have my juice there?" she'd ask, her tail still swaying behind her with excited anticipation for the juice she'd been wanting all day.

    The sudden slamming as the doors burst open almost caught Lottus off guard, and he drops his hand from his eyes to the countertop to lean on his elbows while he waits. He recognized the pitched voice immediately, but remains where he is. Zuqetta suddenly drops into a stool near Lottus, and childishly whines to the barkeeper. It wasn't a wholly  unusual display - she'd shown a knack for having one of those odd upbeat and excitable attitudes, but it was annoying.

    As Zuqetta interacted with the staff, Lottus is once again reminded about how weird it felt to NOT feel the energy signatures of another living being, especially one sitting so close. For the most part, Lottus ignores Zuqetta, and his order is passed to the barkeeper he sits up straight to allow room for the dish to be set down. Zuqetta notices the mix up of the drinks first, and as she turns to speak to him, Lottus only half turns to her, settling his black eyes on Zuqetta's excitable expression - only for that expression to fall as she realized who he was. It would have made him laugh, had he not been in a foul mood.

    And again, Jagaimo's familiar voice rings out - this time Lottus was surprised. What was it with people these days and hiding their power? Lottus, despite himself, snorts a laugh at Jagaimo's own surprised query of his being there. Whether she meant on Plant, or in her bar, probably didn't matter. Lottus picks up the cup in front of him and reaches across Jagaimo, who had placed herself between him and Zuqetta, and clacks the drink near his cousin, and swipes his own drink up.

    "I go where I damn well please, I'd think that obvious by now." Lottus remarks in a low rumble. He knocks back a swig of the drink, and sets the glass down. His grin was rather insincere, as his eyes remained looking tired. "Don't get your tail in a twist; I'm hungry, that's all. And don't threaten me with a good time - especially since you look like you fell off a cliff."

    Lottus picks up his sandwich and tears a chunk of it off, offering Zuqetta only a half leer contemplatively.

    "Did I hear them call you majesty?" Lottus remarks. "What, is Taori taking up a royal harem now or something? Can't imagine Alpinia would be all that pleased by it."

---

"And wherever you go everyone in the galaxy seems to know about it!"

The young woman threw her hands up in the hair for a moment before putting one elbow on the bar and resting her head in her hand, giving a sigh and slowly straightening out again, looking between them both, before fixing Lottus with an unflinching stare, throwing a thumb over her should at Zuq, wincing a little as her ribs protested. She didn't need to tell the man about Ticoga and the recordings of his exploits on various worlds, the data all pointed to reasons why he needed to be stopped...but when he was sat here like this...he seemed to be just like the rest of them. There was no violent intent crowding the air around him...just a grumpy man that had seen his fair share of hatred and violence in a war that lasted far longer than it should have.

She shook her head at his comment about her appearance, huffing.

"It wasn't a cliff...She hit me...halfway across the continent. See how you look after something like that happens."

She glared at him for a moment longer before punching him in their shoulder, satisfied her hand didn't break before she tapped her empty mug on the bar surface and waved Kinoko over with a steaming pot of something that smells sickly sweet, even compared to the Berri Juice. Jagaimo held the mug out and the bartender refilled it with the thick brown liquid, shaking her head at the gathering before dropping Lottus's sandwich on the bar and walking away again. Jagaimo was about to say something else when Lottus piped up again, insulting Zuqetta pretty openly with his words, her head turning to face the man again, mouth open in surprise...even as she felt the drink splash against the back of her neck from the dumbstruck Queen of the Saiyans behind her. She could feel the thumping of her friend's tail against the stone floor as she muttered and stumbled through a denial before she collected herself, one of Jagaimo's hands reaching back, hand flat and moving up and down in a calm down motion. Zuqetta was stronger than anyone she'd ever met but losing her temper here would only result in a whole lot of dead Saiyan's who had nothing to do with what was going on here.

She looked around the bar briefly, glancing over her shoulder, the look enough to quell some laughter but not all of it hidden behind hands and glasses of drink. Zuqetta's follow up shut the rest of them up and most eyes turned back down towards their own conversations. Zuqetta was setting Lottus straight as Jagaimo took a sip of her own hot drink, letting the warmth soothe her throat and heat her body as it ran down.

Zuqetta hadn't exploded which was good for business. She had however swiped some of the food the giant Saiyan had ordered which might not be so good but out of the corner of her eye she could already see Kinoko speaking into the small device she kept on her wrist to talk with the kitchen, likely ordering more food since it worked so well last to keep the big guy calm.

She jabbed a finger into the large man's shoulder again,

"As she just said...where in the Hell's have you been? You wanna eat here you talk first."

With the hand that had just poked him in the arm she slipped it down and grabbed the other half of the sandwich he had left, ignoring the fact he had just bitten into and taking a bite herself, holding it to ransom as she looked at him expectantly for answers.

Zuqetta snickered a bit as Lottus took notice of his swiped sandwich, yet... nothing? She wanted to call it odd, but to be fair she'd never stayed around long enough with him to get to know him. Still, as he seemed to reluctantly pull back and deflate, it felt strange to Zuqetta. It was no matter, she'd simply give a pleasant sigh as she took a bite of the sandwich, a myriad of vibrant flavors that truly did the Brawl Hole justice as a dish. She'd lean to the side, shoulder to shoulder against Jagaimo as she leaned her head upon Jaggy, merely enjoying her sandwich while Jagaimo questioned him.

It was an interesting feeling, a pleasant one even, just sitting back and enjoying a meal together. Yet... something was off...

The question the two had asked was small, but the answer Lottus gave incredibly long. Zuqetta grimaced a bit as he listed off his adventures; she was beginning to see why Taori was constantly on edge, and why Ticoga believed a Saiyan like Lottus negatively impacted how the Saiyan's were perceived bythe universe. Jaggy might have had some strong words to give, but strangely enough, Zuqetta wouldn't... This wasn't to say that she agreed with the things he did, but a soft smile came to her face as he spoke; he was living freely, something she believed all Saiyans should have been allowed to do.

It was nice... until it wasn't...
A heavy feeling in the air, and a subtly turmoil felt from the overly large Saiyan.

A shiver went down Zuqetta's spine, though not from freight, but from confusion. She listened intently as Lottus spoke, her moments between her chewing slowing as her attention focused on him. She knew the name Rapini, it was in the old reports... but... Rapini wasn't just a name, not to Lottus, they were a person. Eventually, her chewing came to a stop as Lottus began to finish; she was struck by a realization, one of her own hypocrisy. She wanted to be different than past leaders, change the toxic nature of the Saiyan military and the nobles that controlled it... but she had been the same. Perhaps she wasn't now, but as she recalled her past interaction with Lottus, she was the splitting image of the noble blooded Saiyans she was currently standing against.

She hadn't seen Lottus as a person, merely a tool; reports had mentioned his past, and his experiences. They mentioned his destron poisoning and violent, but successfully aggressive nature on the field. She'd simply seen him as yet another unhinged Saiyan back then, but one that could be aimed and fired if need be... she was just as sick as the rest of them back then, and that realization was painful.

Her arms lowered as she ceased eating the sandwich, her tail motionless, merely twitching a bit; she didn't flinch as Lottus crushed the mug he held, and made no reaction as he nearly rose to strike out against the bar. Her brow was furrowed, her expression strangely one of anger yet her eyes were clearly teary despite herself. She still leaned against Jagaimo, but would move away suddenly with a huff and jump off her stool. The bar had fallen silent, and remained as such as Zuqetta moved behind the two and took a new seat directly beside Lottus. She hesitated for only a moment, but with a long quiet sigh would finally speak.

"I'm sorry I... was never there for you."

Did apologies like this even matter to someone like Lottus? They hardly even mattered with most thick headed Saiyans, but she would say it none the less. Perhaps he would only grow angrier remembering, perhaps he would strike her; it was fine, she could take it despite her appearance. With her words however, she'd would hold her sandwich out towards Lottus; though about half eaten, she'd hoped offering him some food would at least ease the negative emotions he was feeling even just a little.

    Lottus flinches when he felt a hand on his arm; Jagaimo spoke to him with sympathy, asking to talk about Rapini, and then Zuqetta was suddenly sitting on his other side. He looks at Zuqetta, raising a brow at her apology. In the relative same span of time, more food had been placed down without his asking for it - which probably meant that it was done to keep things calm.

    Lottus looks from Zuqetta to Jagaimo, confused. Was this pity they were showing to him? Had he become so soft? An indignant anger started to rise in his chest, but again snuffed out just as quickly. Between Zuqetta's very serious apology, and Jagaimo's caring behavior, Lottus was at a loss here.

    "...You can't apologize for never being around. You and I didn't know the other existed before a year ago." Lottus remarks, addressing Zuqetta first. Her apology was easier to touch on, as Jagaimo's expression and the fact she was touching his arm had his chest burning; but not in anger. "You'd have just been killed along with me, anyway. Keep that - there's more now anyway. For what it's worth, death wasn't so bad."

    He wanted to boast about the glory of having to face so many warriors before they had finally managed to bring him down - any right-minded Saiyan would boast. It took another Saiyan becoming a Super Saiyan to bring him down - but that wasn't why he figured Zuqetta would have died. No, he couldn't control himself at the time - had Nasu not also ascended, he knew, he would have killed every warrior present that day, enemies and allies alike. The fact that Jagaimo, whom had regarded herself as his friend since that battle, was the one to tackle him out of the sky and land the final blows that rendered him unconscious was an irony not lost on him.

    Would she have been killed by Amara, Nasu, and the others who he'd faced that day? Maybe, maybe not - but he didn't really know how to respond to an apology. He did feel like being cruel, to remind Zuqetta again that she'd given her word that she'd be there at the battle, but basically called over the scouter that she'd prioritized the Mercenary Barracks - but he'd since forgotten her reason for prioritizing it. He dismissed the notion almost as fast as it had come up defiantly in his mind. Perhaps a few months ago, he'd have certainly done so; but he wasn't feeling so petty at the moment.

    Lottus raises a large hand, and ruffles Zuqetta's hair.

    "Don't let too many people see their new ruler saying sorry to the monster - might piss off the wrong people." Lottus says, forcing a humored tone in his voice. At that, Lottus retracts his hand and looks back at Jagaimo. He'd been trying to think of how to respond to her request, but he was not the kind of Saiyan to have colloquialisms and flowery descriptions - like Vocado tended to do.

    Lottus rolls the sapphire in his palm, glancing at it.

    "Scouting Party Gamma. Rapini - Low Class; forward vanguard of the squad." Lottus recites, having memorized it. "Not much bigger than you. You'd have gotten along, probably, she was snarky like you are."

    Lottus grimaces.

    "She's the only reason I survived that war." he says, his expression softening slightly. In the following moment, unbidden, the words of several people assault him from the depths of his memory, stabbing at him with remarks of how he was dishonoring her memory, doing what he'd done. Lottus' free hand grips down, and he realizes that he wasn't gripping his other wrist like he'd thought. At some point, he'd put his free hand over the one Jagaimo had laid on his arm.

    Frowning, Lottus takes his hand off of Jagaimo's, his chest burning again, and puts the gemstone back in its place.

    "What... uh, have I missed here? Other than the whole throne thing, I mean." he says in an awkward evasion. "Gandigan said something about coming to Plant before I killed him."

---

Her hand didn't move off his arm even when he looked at her with that puzzled expression on his and turned away to look towards his cousin sitting on the other side of him. She let him talk as much as he needed too, it was something she'd learned little by little in their conversations over their few encounters. The big Saiyan wasn't a man of many words from what she had come to understand but he spoke his mind when he felt he needed to, there was usually a point to what he said so she just sat quietly watching and waiting. He'd address her in his own time...or he wouldn't. Either way she'd still be here and between them Zuqetta and herself would make sure he was sound of mind before they left him alone again. It wouldn't do to have him lose his temper in such a crowded and tightly packed region of the district, so talking...or silence...whatever he needed was what they'd offer him.

When he spoke to Zuqetta it wasn't as vicious as she'd expected, no real cutting remark or prideful boast about the glory of facing battle all alone. His tone was almost...thankful...that she hadn't been there fighting alongside him. His words even made it sound as though he'd have been somewhat concerned with her safety if she had joined his side that day. Jagaimo for her part kept her mouth closed, she knew exactly what she had done on that day and her part in everything that had transpired. The young Saiyan's tail moved slowly, curling around her leg as she sat on the chair beside a man she had condemned to death. Her actions had taken him out of the fight and left him laying in the dirt to be executed...and she'd done nothing about it. He'd deserved it that day, she knew that...the things he had done had warranted a death sentence but being executed while he was helpless and unconscious on the ground had always left a bitter taste in her mouth. He hadn't even been allowed to see his death coming...and now he sat here telling them that dying hadn't been so bad.

Jagaimo stood on her tiptoes on the stool footrest and reached over behind the bar, fumbling with one hand for a bottle she knew was there as someone brought some empty glasses over to them.

"Rapini...it's a good name...I like it...aha."

She pulled the bottle over the counter and swirled the golden glowing liquid round in the bottle a few times before she flipped open the strange cap that stoppered the bottle and poured 3 glasses, the liquid instantly flaming to life as it contacted the air, red and orange flames flickering across the top of the liquid as it rolled in the glasses, pouring until each was filled to the brim. Throughout the whole process her hand never left Lottus's arm, and even when she slid the glasses sideways across the bar to them both it remained. She lifted the glass in front of her...looking into the flames with a smile, remembering the name from the first time she'd ever spoken with the man but learning so much more every time he mentioned her name. The way he said it, despite the cold memorized method of remembering her...the way he spoke her name told the young Saiyan volumes about just what she'd meant to him. They danced with a life of their own as her breath blew through them slowly, sparkling the light it gave off through the glass and on to the bar surface itself.

Remaining standing on the foot rest the petite Saiyan slipped her hand off Lottus's arm and slammed her flat hand against the counter top, drawing everyone's attention to her, other hand raised in toast, glass held high so there was no doubt to anyone what was expected of them. The bar was old, older than any of them sat here and Veterans of decades had come through its doors, passing away one after the other to be replaced by more survivors, young and old. They had traditions...and by her own words some of them needed to die...but one she would always keep alive for as long as was breathing was to honour those that meant something to the patrons that came to this place. Jagaimo didn't know if the old man had started it, or if it had been someone before him but a glass would always be raised for the fallen...and not once had she ever seen anyone refuse the gesture...not within these walls. Even now she hears the shuffle of chairs as every Saiyan in the Brawl Hole who had remained to listen to them or mind their own business, stood, boots scraping on the floor, glasses up, voices quiet for Jagaimo’s words.

"Vanguard Rapini! Honour Her!"

A chorus of the woman's name called out as Jagaimo drained her glass in one for the unknown woman and slammed it upside down on the bar surface, feeling the liquid burn on its way down, warming her entire body with its glow as dozens of voices finished the call. They didn't know her, they didn't need to. As long as her name was sung out she wouldn't be forgotten and silently to herself Jagaimo gave thanks that Rapini had been there all those years ago. Lottus rarely exaggerated and if he claimed she had seen him through the war then she was more important than the entire army of the Kingdom put together. She deserved to never be lost because people refused to speak her name. A few nods from the assembled Saiyan's finished the small ritual...they were just gestures but to the people gathered here they meant something, they all knew that someday it would be their names being called out and they hoped someone would remember them as loudly. Jagaimo sank back down into the barstool she'd been perched on, a small sideways smile at the giant beside her.

Zuqetta's sudden demolishing of the large sandwich and the downing of the entirety of her drink made Jagaimo raise an eyebrow across the way from the ruler of Plant before the sudden tail thumb made her jump in her seat, fingers digging into the huge Saiyan's arm she was holding on to. When Lottus's hand slid over hers, she couldn’t help but look at him, eyes softening just a little from the somewhat distant stare she had been holding. The other woman's voice rang out through the bar turning heads in a few directions, some looking up at the trio sat at the bar, some looking down suddenly interested in the scars on the table they were sat at while others even glimpsed towards the door with the outburst, caught between wanting to see where this would go and getting the hell out of the vicinity of an angry Saiyan of the Princess's power. Her voice broke as she kept talking, the normal calm and collected Zuqetta lost behind a torrent of tears that stained her eyes and cheeks, the scowl on her face seemingly torn between concern and fury over how easy Lottus had dismissed her need to apologise to him for leaving him alone in Hatchi so long ago now. Jagaimo had seen this side of their Queen a few times now in the past weeks, she wasn't afraid to show herself to the world and it was something that made the young Saiyan love her even more. There was no mask anymore just as she'd promised, her heart was worn on her sleeve and the kai's be damned who saw her this way.

Jagaimo was about to speak up through the hiccups that escaped her friend, wanting to tell her that standing with Lottus back then would have signed her own death warrant but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The woman needed to believe she could have changed things, she wasn't going to take that away from her at this moment...there was no rhyme or reason to point out that the weight of numbers would have won out despite her excitable colleagues' best efforts. The bar owner couldn;t stop herself looking a little sheepish though when the broken throne was brought up in Zuqetta's little rant, left in ruins this time in the throne room rather than being fixed by the ruler and her magic in an instant. It was such a small thing, a gesture that meant so little to others but to Jagaimo it had meant such an awful lot...a change, a visual change that went hand in hand with the leader that now strived to push them into the future. They didn't need a seat of stone to find a purpose for the Saiyan's, they just needed to work together and listen to what was being said.

But that was something they had time to address...

WHUMP

The entire length of the bartop reverberated with the sound of Zuqetta's fist banging down on it, threatening to split the Namekian Ironwood in half with its force. Any harder and the whole bar might have collapsed under the force. Zuqetta seemed to be shaking, her chest rising and falling as the words seemed to escape her. INstead of talking she seemed to be stuffing her face with the remaining sandwiches Kinoko had brought over, the chewing far longer than it needed to be, the motion looking like a stalling action for her to collect her thoughts. Between the overly long chewing and the sobbing that escaped her it wasn't a sight that inspired the stories of great Saiyan warriors of legend but it did remind Jagaimo just how young Zuqetta still was and just how much weight of guilt rested on the girl's shoulders even when it shouldn't. Jagaimo slid off her stool and moved behind Lottus, patting his arm lightly, shaking her head slowly before she pulled a stool up beside the Princess and climbed carefully back into it, arm slipping over the girl's shoulder as her own tail slipped round Zuqetta's entwined with it, reassuring her friend as best she could, guilty for something that would have been her own death. Jagaimo pulled the other woman's head to her shoulder, hand smoothing out the woman's unruly hair,

"You did...you do...what you do because you think it's right...those people needed your help and you gave it without a second thought. This is why you're the only one that can take us into the future. Without your heart you'd be no better than so many that have come before you, and we need you to be better. We're not leaders."

She nodded to Lottus without releasing Zuqetta from her one armed hug,

"People will listen to him out of fear because they don't understand him, some will listen to me because they think I speak for you...But they will always listen to you because you damn well care about them and their future. You are what we need to survive."

The young woman gave a squeeze, sitting up again slowly and wiping her friends cheek with a sleeve, wiping away a few tears,

"But you can't second guess everything you've done in your past now Zuq...you're going to tear yourself to pieces with guilt over every decision. Your past is just that, its history...remember it, learn from it and move on...you can't change it, but you can use it to find a path for us."

She had a sideways grin on her face when she spoke next,

"And you find it, we'll help you carry the whole damn Kingdom down it."

A cheer of the crowds, a bit of a tantrum, and some tough words of encouragement to follow; by the end of it, Zuqetta found herself more than a bit teary eyed as she held tightly to Jagaimo's arm, as if forcing her friend to hug her, precariously holding the glass of previously poured alcohol in hand while her tail tightened firmly, entwined with Jagaimo's, rather than defensively wrapped around her waist. It wasn't the first time she'd been so emotional, and likely wouldn't be the last; but rather than simply displaying anger, Zuqetta seemed to be far more open than she'd ever been before.

She nodded slowly to the remarks Jagaimo would give her, feeling the encouragement of her friend; shake her head profusely as Lottus questioned whether she and Jagaimo could be stopped. She may have been utterly childish, her fifteen years of stunted emotional and physical growth finally catching up with her, but she wouldn't let something as stupid as withholding her feeling push away Jagaimo as it had before; she wouldn't let it push away anyone, not her sister, not her friends, and not even Lottus!

"Good!" she'd exclaim back to Lottus, "I want Saiyans to live freely anyways!" her voice still creaked and shook between hiccups and stifled sobs; she'd lean into Jagaimo a bit more, closing an eye as Jagaimo attempted to wipe away her tears. The ball of emotion that Zuqetta was, it was hard to tell with the anger began and the sorrow ended, at the very least, her voice was as defiant as ever, "And you can do that!" she'd exclaim, having no desire to allow the citizens of Hatchi to mass-produce Destron again, "But only the bad ones like that terrorist from Konats! Not everyone is an evil destron wielding maniac!" she'd insist, "I'll just beat you up if you try ta hurt any good ones!"

It was hard to tell if she was being serious or not, her face a heavy pout, eyes still teary; her brow was furrowed, but seemed to quiver as if it were forced. She felt herself squished for a moment as Lottus pulled at Jagaimo's freehand, causing Zuqetta to be momentarily sandwiched between the two. It felt almost like a hug from the two of them, or at least as close to a hug as she thought she might get from Lottus; its was nice, and completely misinterpreted, causing the deeper anger she had to fade.

She sniffed at her drink still in hand, her nose immediately reddening as she cringed; the smell alone burned, she truly hated alcohol. She had no idea why Zerori liked the stuff so much, and couldn't truly understand the gestures soldiers like Jagaimo and the many in the bar made. What she could tell at least was the simple fact that it was somehow meant to honor Rapini. Zuqetta was hesitant to drink with how much she hated it, but she wouldn't dare to dishonor someone who had been a brief light in Lottus' life. She'd take a deep breath, steeling her resolve, before wriggling a bit to free herself from the grasp the two larger Saiyans had on her.

"Rapini, Pahiri, Vennel, M--, and EVERYONE ELSE we cared about!" she'd exclaim, before throwing her head back to chug back the drink.

Her eyes strained to stay open, twitching while her tail frizzed and tightened dangerously around Jagaimo's. Zuqetta seemed in terrible pain, but would force a satisfied "ahh" along with more and a few coughs, hoping to perform the gesture as it was meant to be. Her gaze would shoot back up to Lottus, sharp and piercing, even through barely opened eyes and a completely flush face.

"You don't--!" she wobbled, her tail loosening completely from its grip around Jagaimo's, "No more... alone..."

With that, she was out...

With a negative state in resistance to alcohol, the "all-poweerful queen" would be done in by Jagaimo's treachery, and would pass out in the arms of her friend; falling forward first, face smacking against Lottus' chest as she drifted completely from the realm of consciousness.