Beast in Black

Jagaimo couldn’t help but give a short laugh, covering her mouth with her hand when she watched her friend and Monarch fall forwards in her seat, propped up against Lottus beside her where he caught her. The giant Saiyan was much less discreet, his laugh barking out and turning some heads. Lightweight indeed.

Here lies one of the most powerful people in the known universe. Defeated by a single measure of spirit.

She’d expected him to refuse or argue the point when she threw the other woman over his shoulder but to her surprise and relief he didn’t just shrug her off onto the floor, that would have been a bad look for the Ruler of Plant to endure. The Saiyan woman shook her head smirking,

“Not everyone can be built like a boulder you know…and I dunno…she hits pretty hard without all those oversized muscles you carry around…”

She poked the big man in the stomach teasingly, eyes dancing a little mischievously, encountering a wall of iron as he hefted his cousin easily over his shoulder, holding her in place with an arm to the back. He was broad enough that there was little chance of her slipping off, but it was a nice touch either way.

“You could, and as much as I know you’d relish the experience of carrying her through the whole city for all to see, she isn’t some prize or trophy to be paraded around, she’s our friend and should be looked after as such.”

She shooed him off towards the living quarters door at the rear of the bar past the kitchen with a wave of both hands,

“Off with you. You know where to go. And don’t you dare drop her!”

Jagaimo watching the hulking Saiyan almost stomp his way across the hardened floor and duck through the doorway, spying that tail unfurling, often a sign a Saiyan was less guarded…not always true but the friends she’d made recently told her there might be some truth to it. Her own tail, so often curled around her waist, was flicking back and forth at the tip idly as it hung down. How did things end up here? What turn had she taken to lead to this path all that time ago. Thinking back, the trigger was easy to recall…her encounter so many years ago now with Taori, before he was King and the Arcosian Mint…the first time she’d witnessed that power…it changed something inside her. It was the same when they’d fought for Hatchi and Lottus ascended, paving the way for everyone else to follow.

When he returned from the spare quarters Zuqetta free, she was leaning on the edge of the bar, her back to it, looking out at the people around the bar, listening to the hum of conversation, sipping something from a steaming mug held loosely in one hand. He was looking at her with an odd expression on his face and she smirked, raising an eyebrow in question of the long pause before he spoke, a slight chuckle at the flush on his cheeks.

“Well…good…can’t have you getting yourself killed again, not now…Zuqetta...she needs all the help she can get.”

She took a sip from the drink quickly, eyes dropping to the liquid briefly, stalling...

Complicated? Ah the Shinjin, whatever he had done had done a number on the big Saiyan. Jagaimo didn’t think she’d ever seen him this shaken before, there were cracks in the armour of confidence he shrouded himself in at all times that people would exploit if they saw them. Whatever he needed to work out he needed to do it fast, be it Rapini, the Shinjin or whatever else.

“Well if you're sticking around you can stop sleeping in that dump out in the wastes. A comfortable bed won’t do you any harm you know!”

When he tilted his head to look at her that way she stopped surveying the room, catching his eye with her own and shook her head slowly as she put her steaming mug of brown liquid down on the bar counter top. Jagimo smiled at the giant Saiyan after he looked her over from head to toe, sliding a hand into his for a moment with a gentle squeeze, fingers sliding over his, lifting her eyes to his…before her gaze hardened and she punched the most feared man in the universe in the jaw.

As hard as she could.

Jagaimo flexed her fingers after her knuckles connected with the big mans jaw, wincing at the aching feeling running along the back of her hand. Why did she always punch people that were built like tanks? Surely she should have learnt her lesson after the Iron Wood tree on Namek...or slapping Zuqetta. It never did her knuckles or hand any good at all in the end.

But it had felt good this time, to see him laid out like that even if only for a moment.

Her eyes took in the mess she had made, grateful that the people who's table she crushed with Lottus's body had the sense not to jump him like they probably would have if it had been anyone else at all but him. When he started laughing, so loudly that it bounced round the interior of the bar, the tension in the room seemed to evaporate as they joined in, roaring in laughter, fists banging tables in approval, the awe of the violence that seemed to follow Lottus seemingly broken in that moment. Food and drink lay everywhere, scattered around the debris of the broken furniture and splashed over the giant Saiyan, falling from him as he rose and dusted himself off, hands sweeping the remnants of a meal from his hair and armour, the mirth still in his voice as the laughter died down slowly, the disturbed Saiyan's finding another table as they were brought a few more drinks for their troubles.

"You are infuriating!"

She was glaring at him still, a softness in her eyes where the edges had been hard moments ago but her smile was still gone, a scowl in its place, fixed on him even as he thumped a knuckle into her sternum. His words sent a shudder through her spine, heart beating faster...the thrill of wanting to test herself against him rushing through her mind, that need for challenge bred into all of them, running through their DNA...But she pushed it down. Now was not the time or place for something as selfish as that, to many innocents, to much collateral just to satisfy her foolish pride.

She pushed his hand away and stepped back from him as he retreated towards the bar's doors. Was that really the nicest thing he could say to her? Your stronger than you look?! The cold edge came back to her face before she threw her hands into the air when he sneered back over his shoulder, letting out an aggravated sigh and stomping off to the back rooms, tail swishing in annoyance as she waved her arms around with an imitating mocking tone in her voice, a childish insult at best,

"Later Jagaimo!"

She didn't even watch him leave, stamping through the doorway to the living quarters attached to the back of the bar, the door slamming against the frame harder than was necessary, a muffled scream of frustration echoing from behind it...