Back on Vegeta-sei, Raimi was four months into her training, and getting frustrated. She hadn't been taught any moves, or how to fight, how to defend, nothing but strength building. She knew she was very strong, possibly stronger than her Sensei, but he still wasn't allowing her to defend against the Brat, who was a malicious little bastard at best. He was always around her it seemed, trying to trip her, hitting her, trying to push her into a fight. She really hated him, and wanted to wipe the Temple floor with his face. She didn't care if his father killed her, it would feel soooo good while she did it, and it would be worth it. Besides, she had the distinct impression that King Vegeta didn't care for his son very much, and wouldn't care if she did hurt him.BR
P
The King sometimes came to see the progress of his son and Seito, with Togarashi in tow. He was disappointed when he saw that Kakarrot had indeed dyed Raimi's crimson hair black; he seemed to like its unusual color, but agreed with Kakarrot's explanation that she would be safer with black hair and a brown tail. She was nervous when he was around; he always looked at her intently. She began to wonder if he had some kind of etchi thoughts about her, the way his eyes looked her up and down. Still, he seemed kind enough, and gave Kakarrot money for her to spend on her free days.BR
P
So on one of these free days that Kakarrot occasionally gave her (More for his own use than hers, she suspected), Raimi went to the Market for some shopping. The King was most generous; she could have bought a house with his "allowance", and she wanted some trinkets for Bulma and the guys. She wandered in the narrow alleys, amazed by all the things for sale or trade. All kinds of items from all across the galaxy were available, most at decent prices, which was good, because she loved a good bargain.BR
P
She bought various snacks along her way, intending to take the time to find really good stuff for her friends. She found a wonderful little blue dogi, intended for a Saiyan child, but it was perfect for Chauzu, with golden dragons on the front. Then she saw some antique wristbands, made of some very tough material, colored green and bronze for Tenshinhan. She also found a box that projected a hologram of a woman dancing, who looked exactly like Bulma, which she bought for Yamcha. He could look at it when they were broken up, as they often were.BR
P
She was looking for something for Kurilin, when the crowd got louder, then hushed quickly. She ducked behind a booth, and saw a group of armored Saiyans, wearing those silly little capes, and with the crest of Vegeta-sei on their breastplates. She could see that the merchants, many of whom weren't Saiyans, were scared to death of these men. She could guess why. They took things off the tables as they went, rarely paying for them, and sometimes pushing the merchants out of their way as they went. She saw that one of them, a large boy of maybe seventeen, was especially rude. His hair swept up, like the Kings, but not as thick. He wore a thin moustache that drooped down to his chin; she thought he looked familiar.BR
P
"Nappa! Looky here at this one!" She stiffened at the name. She knew who he was, all right. It was one of the Saiyans headed to her Earth in her time! Of course he'd be bald by then... She started to shake with anger and frustration. She wanted to get rid of him right now, but couldn't do it; the future would be changed beyond repair if she did. Besides, she was not ready to tangle with an Elite warrior yet. She watched as he and one of the others loomed over a slender blonde woman running one of the booths.BR
P
The woman stared up at them, not showing her fear. The lesser Princes had the right to do as they pleased, and the people could do nothing to them for the crimes they committed. Now she was the target, and no one could or would help her.BR
P
"Hey, you're cute! Wanna be an Elites girl?" Nappa sneered. She didn't respond, so he leaned in closer. She blinked at his large eyes, only inches from hers. "I asked you a question...maybe you didn't hear me?"BR
P
"Maybe, but I think she just doesn't like you, Nappa." Raimi stepped out, unable to stomach this scene. She had realized that the woman was a Saiyan, a blonde Saiyan! Even if she wasn't ready to fight him, she wanted to stop this situation if at all possible. Nappa turned to look at her, sneering. She smiled sweetly.BR
P
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt? I didn't mean to stop your, uh, courtship. Still, you shouldn't bother girls like this. It's not becoming to force women; after all, you're a Saiyan Elite, pushing little girls around is beneath you." She said, leaning against the wall, looking unconcerned. Now he was stuck, what she said was true, and made it seem that he was unattractive to women, and had to force himself on them. He was going to lose face because of this, if he didn't think of something to say.BR
P
"I thought she might want to better herself, being with an Elite is a dream to most girls..." He said. The other men were mumbling quietly, then went silent, as Raimi felt the King's presence. She went pale, but didn't move. The people cowered, and the Elites and Princes stood at attention. Only Raimi and the blonde stayed as they were.BR
P
"Hmm, what's happening here? Well, well, look at this; it's my Seito and Nappa, engaged in conversation. How are you, Raimi-san?" Raimi swallowed uneasily. By using Isan/I, he had just showed her to be in his favor, and let it be known that she was off limits for the usual fun and games of the lesser princes. There was a general gasp from the crowd.BR
P
Nappa cleared his throat. He had heard of the Kings female Seito, but he'd never seen her. He realized that he was in big trouble here. He didn't want to lose the favor he had been enjoying from both the King and the other Elites.BR
P
"We were just discussing the merits of being an Elites mate, O-sama." Nappa said carefully. The King frowned. Togai appeared, and scowled at Raimi's casual demeanor before the King. She nodded to him and looked back to Nappa.BR
P
"Really? And just who was to be mated?" He said quietly. His eyes were blazing. Now Nappa went pale; both he and Raimi looked like ghosts by now. Neither one of them wanted to make the King mad, but he was obviously loosing his famous temper.BR
"Uh, I was asking this merchant girl about her status, when this girl..."BR
P
"That's Raimi, my Seito, Nappa. So she interrupted your conversation, did she?" The King turned his gaze back to Raimi. His attitude seemed to be cheerful once more. She nodded and flicked her eyes to the petrified blonde. The King didn't really care about her, so he turned back to Nappa. "I guess old Kakarrot needs to work on her manners. Well, why don't you men get back to your day off? NOW." He said; his smile was back, cold as ice. Nappa and the others bowed, and left. The King turned to the blonde and she looked down at his toes.BR
P
"Look up at me, girl." He ordered. She did so, and he sighed. "Take some advice for free. Dye your hair, Burondo-sama. You wont be so luck next time, be assured of that. Raimi!" She stepped up to his side and bowed her head.BR
P
"Why did you put your nose into this situation? It was none of your business." He snapped, not pleased with this spectacle. Raimi looked up at him, angry at his attitude. That he'd saved her hide just made her more annoyed.BR
P
"I don't think that the princes should be allowed to bully the populous. I can take action to protect myself, while this girl cannot. So, I stepped in. Besides, I didn't like Nappa's face. I felt that he needed an attitude adjustment, Vegeta-O-sama." She said, and crossed her arms over her chest in the classic Saiyan "So-there" gesture. To everyone's surprise, the King began to laugh. He snapped his fingers, and a lackey magically appeared with a large purse in hand. The King took it and handed it to the startled merchant girl, then took Raimi's arm. She was forced to walk with him as he headed down the lane, Togai in tow.BR
P
"That was the best answer you could give, Little Girl. Come, I'll buy you lunch."BR
P
The King sometimes came to see the progress of his son and Seito, with Togarashi in tow. He was disappointed when he saw that Kakarrot had indeed dyed Raimi's crimson hair black; he seemed to like its unusual color, but agreed with Kakarrot's explanation that she would be safer with black hair and a brown tail. She was nervous when he was around; he always looked at her intently. She began to wonder if he had some kind of etchi thoughts about her, the way his eyes looked her up and down. Still, he seemed kind enough, and gave Kakarrot money for her to spend on her free days.BR
P
So on one of these free days that Kakarrot occasionally gave her (More for his own use than hers, she suspected), Raimi went to the Market for some shopping. The King was most generous; she could have bought a house with his "allowance", and she wanted some trinkets for Bulma and the guys. She wandered in the narrow alleys, amazed by all the things for sale or trade. All kinds of items from all across the galaxy were available, most at decent prices, which was good, because she loved a good bargain.BR
P
She bought various snacks along her way, intending to take the time to find really good stuff for her friends. She found a wonderful little blue dogi, intended for a Saiyan child, but it was perfect for Chauzu, with golden dragons on the front. Then she saw some antique wristbands, made of some very tough material, colored green and bronze for Tenshinhan. She also found a box that projected a hologram of a woman dancing, who looked exactly like Bulma, which she bought for Yamcha. He could look at it when they were broken up, as they often were.BR
P
She was looking for something for Kurilin, when the crowd got louder, then hushed quickly. She ducked behind a booth, and saw a group of armored Saiyans, wearing those silly little capes, and with the crest of Vegeta-sei on their breastplates. She could see that the merchants, many of whom weren't Saiyans, were scared to death of these men. She could guess why. They took things off the tables as they went, rarely paying for them, and sometimes pushing the merchants out of their way as they went. She saw that one of them, a large boy of maybe seventeen, was especially rude. His hair swept up, like the Kings, but not as thick. He wore a thin moustache that drooped down to his chin; she thought he looked familiar.BR
P
"Nappa! Looky here at this one!" She stiffened at the name. She knew who he was, all right. It was one of the Saiyans headed to her Earth in her time! Of course he'd be bald by then... She started to shake with anger and frustration. She wanted to get rid of him right now, but couldn't do it; the future would be changed beyond repair if she did. Besides, she was not ready to tangle with an Elite warrior yet. She watched as he and one of the others loomed over a slender blonde woman running one of the booths.BR
P
The woman stared up at them, not showing her fear. The lesser Princes had the right to do as they pleased, and the people could do nothing to them for the crimes they committed. Now she was the target, and no one could or would help her.BR
P
"Hey, you're cute! Wanna be an Elites girl?" Nappa sneered. She didn't respond, so he leaned in closer. She blinked at his large eyes, only inches from hers. "I asked you a question...maybe you didn't hear me?"BR
P
"Maybe, but I think she just doesn't like you, Nappa." Raimi stepped out, unable to stomach this scene. She had realized that the woman was a Saiyan, a blonde Saiyan! Even if she wasn't ready to fight him, she wanted to stop this situation if at all possible. Nappa turned to look at her, sneering. She smiled sweetly.BR
P
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt? I didn't mean to stop your, uh, courtship. Still, you shouldn't bother girls like this. It's not becoming to force women; after all, you're a Saiyan Elite, pushing little girls around is beneath you." She said, leaning against the wall, looking unconcerned. Now he was stuck, what she said was true, and made it seem that he was unattractive to women, and had to force himself on them. He was going to lose face because of this, if he didn't think of something to say.BR
P
"I thought she might want to better herself, being with an Elite is a dream to most girls..." He said. The other men were mumbling quietly, then went silent, as Raimi felt the King's presence. She went pale, but didn't move. The people cowered, and the Elites and Princes stood at attention. Only Raimi and the blonde stayed as they were.BR
P
"Hmm, what's happening here? Well, well, look at this; it's my Seito and Nappa, engaged in conversation. How are you, Raimi-san?" Raimi swallowed uneasily. By using Isan/I, he had just showed her to be in his favor, and let it be known that she was off limits for the usual fun and games of the lesser princes. There was a general gasp from the crowd.BR
P
Nappa cleared his throat. He had heard of the Kings female Seito, but he'd never seen her. He realized that he was in big trouble here. He didn't want to lose the favor he had been enjoying from both the King and the other Elites.BR
P
"We were just discussing the merits of being an Elites mate, O-sama." Nappa said carefully. The King frowned. Togai appeared, and scowled at Raimi's casual demeanor before the King. She nodded to him and looked back to Nappa.BR
P
"Really? And just who was to be mated?" He said quietly. His eyes were blazing. Now Nappa went pale; both he and Raimi looked like ghosts by now. Neither one of them wanted to make the King mad, but he was obviously loosing his famous temper.BR
"Uh, I was asking this merchant girl about her status, when this girl..."BR
P
"That's Raimi, my Seito, Nappa. So she interrupted your conversation, did she?" The King turned his gaze back to Raimi. His attitude seemed to be cheerful once more. She nodded and flicked her eyes to the petrified blonde. The King didn't really care about her, so he turned back to Nappa. "I guess old Kakarrot needs to work on her manners. Well, why don't you men get back to your day off? NOW." He said; his smile was back, cold as ice. Nappa and the others bowed, and left. The King turned to the blonde and she looked down at his toes.BR
P
"Look up at me, girl." He ordered. She did so, and he sighed. "Take some advice for free. Dye your hair, Burondo-sama. You wont be so luck next time, be assured of that. Raimi!" She stepped up to his side and bowed her head.BR
P
"Why did you put your nose into this situation? It was none of your business." He snapped, not pleased with this spectacle. Raimi looked up at him, angry at his attitude. That he'd saved her hide just made her more annoyed.BR
P
"I don't think that the princes should be allowed to bully the populous. I can take action to protect myself, while this girl cannot. So, I stepped in. Besides, I didn't like Nappa's face. I felt that he needed an attitude adjustment, Vegeta-O-sama." She said, and crossed her arms over her chest in the classic Saiyan "So-there" gesture. To everyone's surprise, the King began to laugh. He snapped his fingers, and a lackey magically appeared with a large purse in hand. The King took it and handed it to the startled merchant girl, then took Raimi's arm. She was forced to walk with him as he headed down the lane, Togai in tow.BR
P
"That was the best answer you could give, Little Girl. Come, I'll buy you lunch."BR
