Chapter 54
Sitting on her bed, Ayeka reaches underneath and slides and secrets her diary away into her hidden box. Her fingers brush against other pieces of paper which they strokes along before furtively taking them out. She flicks her two low ponytails back over her slim shoulders as she looks at the few photographs she was able to find during Vegeta's time in Hell. Bulma must have worked hard for these few unguarded moments where the stoic frown gives way. Ayeka smiles. That smile and that side of him exist. Her other hand reaches across to her old and stitched together soft toy and cuddles it close to her. Ceramic chimes as a flask gets set down on her bedside cabinet. Crumbs fall onto her sister's blanket as Ryoko seats herself and crosses her legs. Ayeka quickly lets go of the photographs and lets them drop into the pockets within the oversized sleeves of her furisode, Ryoko's keen eyes follow the movement and raises an eyebrow whilst stuffing her face.
"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Her grip subconsciously tightens on her childhood toy as she greets a happy and uninvited Ryoko to her room. Pointed ears wag as the rogue delights in the many tastes going on inside her mouth which she unceremoniously keeps full. By the look of the stains around her mouth Ayeka can see that Ryoko has discovered the joys of sweet tasting snacks and chocolates, it is refreshing for the princess to see Ryoko in such a good and amicable mood after her small declaration of war on Vegeta when she knocked over the family photo. Ryoko nods her head towards the arm in which Ayeka is hiding her photographs. Ayeka sees little point in causing a scene by stubbornly refusing to yield them to her and would prefer it if Ryoko had no cause to get physical and overpower her. "Wipe your hands first, please, I'd rather they were not dirtied."
Grubby hands get wiped on Sasami's blanket as Ryoko makes a show of complying to Ayeka's wishes. She pauses for a moment, going still, then a few seconds later carries on having processed a weird taste combination she was experiencing from cramming so many different foods in her mouth. After her hands are clean Ayeka fishes inside her sleeve and pulls out the polaroids, she holds them partially out to Ryoko and they get snatched from her hands. Ryoko swallows the last morsel in her mouth. Her feline eyes scan across these pictures and she lays them in her lap to see them all better. This is not the same smile she saw in the darkness. This is not even the same as when she danced together with him. There is a dimension to Vegeta's happiness here that he currently lacks and she knows that the person taking these pictures to be the reason. She wonders where the photographs of the married couple together are, as they must exist, before she glances up to the princess. Ayeka would not take such cherished images from Vegeta, unlike Ryoko she is not a thief. They might not even be within this house and could be back at Capsule Corporation for all she knows but Ryoko can tell that Ayeka would not be comfortable keeping those pictures in her possession, she wants to look at her prince and not the woman he loves that is not her. She licks her lips. Ryoko hands the photographs back across and as Ayeka bends down to put them away she breaks the ice with a musing that she cannot shake from her mind.
"What'd his blood taste like?" Ryoko leans back and lets the question hang there. She has not tasted blood. Biting Vegeta is not something she feels comfortable enough to do even if he did allow it, it is too sexual an action for her to take after he nearly raped her. Ayeka pauses for a while, pretending to be sorting out the pictures under her bed, when she rises her eyes are averted and appears majorly discomfited by the question. She moves her stuffed toy back towards her pillows. Ryoko continues to look at her, waiting, and Ayeka's dainty fingers mess with her robe. A small hue of red enters the princess' cheeks.
"It was hot, and … well, not all that different from normal blood. Miss Ryoko, I would appreciate it if you dropped that. Don't keep talking about it." Shaking her head, the royal breaks off describing the taste of one of Vegeta's bodily fluids and terminates the enquiry. Ryoko is hardly satisfied with an answer comparing it to 'normal' blood which she has not tasted. Though the pirate does realise such a question was always doomed to failure. Adjectives she would fail to connect to the proper meaning, Ayeka could perfectly describe the bitter and metallic taste of blood to her and she could not understand what sensation those words refer to. Ryoko keeps her eyes locked on the maiden, a smirk on her face. She reaches across and grabs the flask of sake and shakes it so the contents splash inside.
"Or what? Ya gonna ask me how his hands felt on my chest? Just curious. Drink with me. And it's Lady Ryoko now, I'm a princess."
Thankfully Ayeka badly reacts to those words and thus hides the unpleasantness Ryoko felt saying them. Ryoko's smirk visibly lessens. It is nowhere near far enough in the past for her to joke about her traumatic experience, for the sake of appearances she said something and it stung. She sloshes the liquid about again. They are both engaged to the Saiyan prince, they are both equal in that regard. Ayeka shakes her head in disagreement. She sighs to herself, predicting that holding a talk with Ryoko will not be an easy thing when their subject matter is such a sore area. Being reminded in a half gloat of how her prince accepted Ryoko's proposal is distasteful, Ayeka feels the green eyed monster within her and slackens her grip on its leash. Her left arm crosses over her chest as if to scratch her other arm but it just hangs there for a moment before retracting. Vegeta told her that Ryoko's body is more preferable due to age, her red eyes look down at her modest chest.
" Even though I have no precise knowledge on the monarchic system of Saiyans I can safely say that you are no princess. Titles are gained through marriage, not before them, Miss Ryoko. And- Do you- I don't ..."
" Drink. I'm here to chat and alcohol will help that."
The sake bottle is held out in offering. Ryoko is not keen on where Ayeka's hesitant stammering was leading. She knows that elephant in the room will have to be discussed but she is far too sober for that, they both need to get some things out of their system towards the other. They could not talk before as Ryoko's tongue was silenced. Now they will see where they stand. Ryoko pops the cork off the top of the flask and takes a refreshing chug of the clear alcohol, after so long she now knows what the liquid she is so fond of tastes like, and she chucks the open bottle across to Ayeka. Pale fingers secure the catch and crimson eyes look about the room.
"Are there no glasses?"
"I'm not your servant, you want some then get some, or we drink together from the bottle." Ryoko shrugs off the prim and proper princess' want, she does not care if they drink from the same bottle or not. It is also a lot easier to lose track of how much is being consumed if you do not have a glass as a unit of measurement and that is what Ryoko wants. Indirect kisses are not even part of the equation for her, to Ayeka, however, they are.
An unwanted delay is had as Ayeka excuses herself from her own room and exits to fetch a glass, passing the flask back over. Ryoko sets down the bottle, takes her jacket off, hangs it on the bed post and lounges back. She can sense the Saiyan outside, as always, the Saiyan who blasted off one of her arms. Without changing position she phases horizontally out through the wall and for a distance and then returns with another bottle from her own room. Her elfin ears hear Ayeka approaching again and so she chucks the second bottle over onto her bed. Ayeka enters with one of the smaller glasses she could find, larger than a shot glass but as Vegeta does not drink alcohol he would have no need for them. A comment is made by the cyan haired woman making her comfortable on Sasami's bed that she will not get herself out of drinking by using a small glass. Ayeka reminds Ryoko, as she opens the bottle on her bed and pours herself some sake, that unlike her she cannot purge the effects of alcohol from her. Ryoko sits up and grabs for her own drink and they both say a half hearted 'Cheers' to the other and clink glass to bottle.
"Did you try some of my cooking?"
When fetching a glass she saw one of the bowls for her broth had been removed from the refrigerator and so this seems a natural question to ask as she takes a small sip. Her face contorts at the strong alcohol but she does not gag, that would be unseemly. Ayeka is not a big drinker, she rarely touches alcohol and is not accustomed to it like Ryoko is. Ryoko makes a motion with her eyes to tell her to drink more, and Ayeka does. The princess grimaces, her throat feeling as if it is on fire. Ryoko has already drained close to half her bottle. She waits until Ayeka forcibly finishes her glass and pours herself another before answering.
"I let Ryo-Ohki have some first, she was hungry and pestering me. You're not a good cook, at all. It was goddamn awful. Are you really that bad at cooking or was that some form of revenge making that and trying to get it to be my first taste?"
"I do not seek revenge."
Ayeka sips and coughs after somewhat haughtily making her statement, insults towards her are not appreciated and she worked hard on that broth and in the back of her mind she hopes that the cabbit is OK. There were many opportunities she had to easily gain a quick one up over her rival, if vengeance were what she sought then simply put Ryoko would not be here to disgrace her with such insinuations. It is true that she holds a fair amount of negativity towards Ryoko but she is being kind to her in spite of that and for that she would welcome this effort on her part being acknowledged. She thinks that the alcohol might be starting to enter her bloodstream, Ryoko drinks again and so does she. The pirate has a wry smile on her face from the princess' words. Before any sake can spill due to her carelessness, Ayeka quickly snaps with a warning to Ryoko to not get any alcohol on her younger sister's bed. Ryoko does not like Juraians giving her orders.
"Just because you ain't being vindictive now doesn't alter all those times we've clashed. You can't lie to me. Revenge is good. Revenge is something you … Revenge makes things better. You're a nasty piece of work when you put your mind to it, you can't hide it, you are Juraian after-all."
" You sit here talking to me about revenge after proclaiming your continued affection for Lord Vegeta, backing away from your want to read his mind and making a childish show against his wife's picture. You had your revenge, Ryoko. I saw it yesterday. You have caused your pain." Both taking small sips as they talk, the purple haired lady openly confronts Ryoko on her actions. This woman suffered greatly due to a large mistake of Vegeta's and her own but violence does not solve violence and Ryoko almost broke Vegeta's neck and could have killed him. Twice now she has had to step in and be the voice of reason to prevent the red mist over Ryoko's eyes leading her blindly into her own demise by seriously aggravating a Saiyan in a foul mood. She will not try and defend her prince or his actions, but Ryoko must know that her time for causing pain must end. No matter how she tried to hide her feelings with a ridiculous challenge, Ayeka can see Ryoko's emotions clearly for they are similar to her own, as is the inner turmoil that infests them.
"So what? That ain't all I can do. He deserves worse for what he did, much, much worse. What do you know of the pain he caused me?" Ryoko argues back.
Letting Vegeta off the hook is not something she will allow herself to do and to her not seeking vengeance is synonymous to forgiving him. She knows that her emotions are conflicting within her and there is a lot of confusion in the air but there is no other path she can think of. Either attack him back or be some docile and broken woman crawling back to her torturer she sickly holds affection for still. Ayeka was not there, all she knows is scraps, she was not the victim there no matter how well she can play the role. Night terrors plague her sleep, her reflection holds a grim shadow of who she once was and nothing makes sense to her any more, even with her lingering emotions for him she sees no way to ever truly forgive Vegeta.
"The night he first kissed us. You remember? When we fought. I know exactly how horrible your own actions can be, Ryoko."
Her second glass of sake is finished, her insides warm from the alcohol, Ayeka knows the pain of being sadistically tortured. Ryoko grunts in frustration. The princess' voice is calm as she reminds the rogue how she is hardly better than the man who wronged her. Branded, scarred, defaced and forced to surrender to her, Ayeka calls Ryoko out on her hypocrisy for calling Vegeta a monster when Ryoko can easily enjoy doing basically the same that the Saiyan did and at a time when she had full control of her mind and her body unlike Vegeta. There are elements of difference, the betrayal of love and trust, but the fact remains the same. Ryoko is complaining that for once she was on the receiving end and even after dishing out her own beating to the Saiyan prince her bloodlust is far from sated. Ayeka pours herself a large third glass.
"We both agreed to that fight. I did not agree to nearly getting raped!" A growl is offered back. More sake gets drunk and a few drips run from the side of Ryoko's mouth as it turns into a sneer.
"Be truthful, Ryoko, did you not hold ulterior motives for that visit? … I thought as much. Now can you answer me this, what did you do after torturing me to make it up to me? What offers of forgiveness did I get from you? … Lord Vegeta was the one who took me to be healed after you scarred me. His mind was clouded by whatever his Saiyan heritage does, I don't pretend to understand what happened to him or his mind, he nearly killed you. Back on that mountain you were perfectly ready to kill me, and I accepted what happened and have moved past it. Vegeta was at fault for allowing the duel to drag on, but he saved me and consoled me in my defeat. The day after all that pain you humiliated me in front of my parents and got me excommunicated from my family until Vegeta fixed it. After you found out about your … differences, you tried to kill me again even if it was through indirect means. Vegeta came for me after trying to reign in the damage you could cause. Hate him or hate me, you call Lord Vegeta a monster but at least after he does something bad he acknowledges his wrong doings. He does the brave and right thing and apologises. Unlike you."
"He called your name to me. How can I forgive that?!"
Taking to her feet, Ryoko glares down at her rival in a love she is so conflicted over. Washu did this before to persuade her to fuse, belittling her and breaking her down into something less than the man who attempted to rape her and tore her heart to shreds. She hates how it always comes to this, whenever her emotions flare up this is the point clawing its way out of her throat and she cannot escape it or its implications. This is what she cannot forgive him for. Calling another woman's name out to her as he ravaged her and nearly choked the life from her. Her hold of her bottle is unsteady as she downs the rest of the sake in one go, Dutch courage being summoned to help her. Her having done evil to Ayeka because she hates her does not excuse any wrong done to her. She is not some lesser being compared to the mighty Vegeta. The empty bottle clatters onto the floor. It gets kicked under Sasami's bed as Ayeka stands, her own emotions welling up. She wobbles momentarily as the full effects of her drinking hit her now she is stood up, she composes herself quickly and faces Ryoko.
"As if you could not tell why he was doing so. You are both fools! At least in your case him-h-him saying such things were a lie. Are you not pleased that Lord Vegeta p-p-pre-prefers old spinsters?" Yelling in an unladylike manner she spits her overwhelming and massive jealousy back at Ryoko. What was said to Ryoko was malicious, but a lie, and they both are well aware of the truth. Ayeka is second rate to a victim of rape, a princess lower than a villainous criminal who has less shame than her pet, she cannot meekly keep quiet. She has been disgraced too many times. This cruel fact of fate is eating away at her mind and Ryoko is talking to her about her own insecurities that Vegeta set as his priority and damned her own.
Sake splashes over Ryoko. The alcohol burns her golden eyes and Ryoko swears at the pain, she snarls and wipes at her face. Very quietly Ayeka places her emptied glass on the bedside cabinet. After drying her face off, bloodshot eyes glare menacingly down at the princess. Ayeka is silent. Her head hangs low and her fringe hides her. Ryoko wipes at her eyes as the stinging continues. She lightly pushes Ayeka on the shoulder and the royal sits back down without resistance. Ryoko's feline eyes wander about for a few seconds as a deafening silence fills every crack of the room. She picks up the second bottle of sake that Ayeka was using and drinks from it. Her breathing catches for a second and then she lets a smile show on her face.
"Yeah. Yeah I am happy about it, little girl. What of it? I like being called beautiful, it's not unnatural and he- …Dammit. I liked him saying it. I really, really liked Vegey telling me that. I wanted him to say it, I wanted him to say it and mean it for the same reasons you do and more. ... I love my Vegey. But … How are you forgiving him for this? How are you doing it?" Her irritated eyes no longer hold any edge of anger. Ryoko could boast as much as she wants about Vegeta's opinion on her looks but for what it is worth Ayeka never taunted her for her infertility and has an air of defeat about her already concerning this. Right now what Ryoko wants is an answer, not the pain of a Juraian struggling nearly as much as she is but still putting on a brave face through it all. She has already said it but now she admits it again, her feelings that did not leave her, and now she asks for help from this woman who has been her unlikely ally for the past few days. The liquid in the bottle gets swirled about.
"Talk to him. Be an adult about this, diplomacy, not war. I talk to him, or try at the very least, we converse, I make the effort to understand him and his reasons and him to understand me. You do not have to read his mind to know what goes on inside it. You know he hates himself for what he did to you, he is disgusted with his actions and deeply regrets them. He bowed to me, he accepted your want to be equal to me and-and he accepted my own request." Ayeka raises her head as she speaks in a collected manner, her fingers are entwined about her seashell necklace as she firmly grasps it for comfort.
She cannot tell Ryoko how to find forgiveness, she can show her a path that might lead to it and the rest is up to her. That outburst felt good but has left her feeling a bit empty and despondent. That one piece of knowledge hurts her and it makes her feel terrible that she cares more for that than the sins of Vegeta. Ryoko sits back down and lets out one weak chuckle. She runs a hand through her wild hair and leans back against the pillow and speaks just to continue the conversation and give her time to think.
"I get to use that stopping his training thing as well don't I? Sounds fun."
"No- I mean yes, yes you do but … I was referring to something else. I-I have another date with him. I asked f-for one, I want happy memories with him and before that he shall be taking me, my sister and my mother on a shopping trip."
Whether it is the effect of nearly 3 glasses of a high 40 proof alcoholic drink or the slight embarrassment at saying she has asked for another date, red graces Ayeka's cheeks as she clears up the misunderstanding of Ryoko when she mentioned her request. She nods to herself after saying this, as if to reassure herself. The envy within her feels placated at mentioning this to her rival, about the steps she took on her own despite how she feels they might have been rushed and foolish and brought on by her large want to forgive Vegeta. Another laugh comes from Ryoko, and it does not sound disparaging or mocking in any way.
"Nice. Good for you. You can keep your date with him. Honestly, I don't want to spend time like that with him at the minute. I can't, just can't. I- … I don't know what I want. I know why I love him though. I know why his shitty efforts are working on me. Bastard's smart, too fucking smart and he knows it. He's hurt me like no-one else, I hate his guts for the pain, but- but he is the only man who cared and made the effort after- after the pain. Sad to say, he is the one guy who has ever looked at me in- not as a-. To all other men out there I was... I was worth a night, maybe two … Vegeta doesn't see me that way. I'm- To him I'm worth more – maybe, hopefully. After all this and all I do and all you do and his son and everything he still thinks I might be a wife, be his wife. … I want that."
"I see. My brother or Lord Vegeta. My own options for marriage are as limited as your own. I love him too. I love Lord Vegeta, despite his massive faults and failings. Ryoko, I-. Did you know that I could have stopped it? You screamed how you wanted him not to accept and if I had just … Before he went to you he asked if there were things he should not do for you. I am far, far, far too kind hearted for my own good. I could have prevented it. I could have won, Ryoko. I was not bluffing when I told him I would leave at mother's arrival if he did not bow and I assume the same for you. I could have stopped it."
Red eyes remain locked on Ryoko as the princess delivers this news, making sure that the large implications of this are known and acknowledged. This is of major importance to both of them. If she were just a tad more selfish at the right moment Ayeka could have said one sentence and ruined any chance Ryoko had at happiness on this planet. Ryoko's golden eyes drop down to the bottle in her hand. Thought has consumed her. Both have confessed deep things to the other, but what Ayeka said has really struck a nerve with Ryoko. The princess heard a reason as to why Vegeta means what he does to Ryoko, yet what Ryoko said is hardly as earth shattering as the fact that Ayeka held her future in her hands and allowed, whether accidentally or not, her to become a fiancée and step closer towards her deepest desire. Ryoko places the bottle down. Some place in her heart Ryoko wants to believe that Vegeta would have ignored Ayeka and betrayed the princess further but she knows that given the smallest extra incentive he would have said no. Pale skin creases as the royal Juraian smiles. It is not the warmest of smiles but Ryoko sees it and she repays it in kind. She owes Ayeka a debt for her sympathy and altruism following her trauma. Ryoko slides the bottle across to Ayeka who picks it up and refills her glass.
"Thanks, Ayeka. That's … Thanks. I appreciate you being an alright person, occasionally. Guess same could be said for me. You're not the only one who had chances. If I took-took him in his sleep, if I did some rape of my own… " She shudders "Maybe if I did that then this wouldn't've happened … Maybe, but then I'd be the monster, not him. Ha, after 100 years I get engaged and when it comes down to it you were one of the reasons, you, and him. I just-I'm gonna go in that training room, after Vegeta does his year, or before, I don't care. I want a few days to help clear my head, and perhaps you should go in for a while and see if you can mature into a beauty like me." She makes sure she gets one point across that her rival has not always been the one in control and likewise Ryoko has made a choice that allowed the other side of the love triangle to stay in the game. A joke at the end lightens the mood, which serves well for both of them. Ryoko extends a hand out, Ayeka takes it and they shake. Their hands part quickly and Ayeka sips at her drink.
" If the only thing that Lord Vegeta prefers about you is a few wrinkles then logically that must mean when I do mature over the next several years I will become superior to yourself in every way possible. Naturally, as it should be. And, Ryoko, never call me the 'Fertile One' again, whilst we are on the subject of our bodies. I have been very respectful towards you in those regards and I need not be if you yourself choose not to repay that respect."
The princess raises a thin purple eyebrow as she follows up Ryoko's goading with some of her own. Falling back onto this amicable hostility is welcome and familiar ground for them both. Ayeka tries to stroke at her damaged ego with this remark, hoping that it is true or will be. The issue of Ryoko's fertility is not something she wants to get too involved in but she wants to make sure that this rogue realises she still has her claws and will use them if need be, she will not be so gracious in her dealings with Ryoko when she is not being respected for it. She drinks some more, by now she is getting used to the feel of alcohol like this or believes she is.
"Trust me, Ayeka, I ain't fond of using that nickname either. Biter is a lot more fun anyway." A tongue with a fresh set of taste-buds gets stuck out at the royal. Ryoko laughs to herself as an indignant look crosses her nemesis' face. A blush creeps onto Ayeka's cheeks at this and with that Ryoko stands up and grabs her jacket, slipping it on and adjusting her hair. The princess senses the same thing. This talk has gone as far as it will and as far as they can manage. Ayeka, however, will not let their conversation end on that note.
"I told you to stop that. My vast wealth of kindness is not unlimited. Call me that again and the only food Sasami will serve you shall be my own cooking. Consider yourself warned."
"And I've a bad habit of not listening to warnings. Drink's running low so I'm out, I'll see what chatting to monkey breath is like in a bit. He in a better mood?"
"You kicked a photograph of his late wife. I'd start with your own apology and do try not to hit him, I can only save you so many times."
The two women crack a grin at the other. Ryoko can sense a diminishing ki and assumes a few minutes is all that she will have to wait. She stretches her arms. A quick debate is held in her mind whether to burn the alcohol out of her bloodstream or not and she decides to keep her slight inebriation. Apologising is not something she wants to do, not to him, but it was spiteful and childish of her to knock over that family photo. She smirks.
"Thank you, Ayeka." A hand comes down and ruffles the royal purple hair of the maiden, mixing her gratitude with an annoyance so as not to seem too soft. Ayeka is unimpressed and gently pushes Ryoko's hand away. She accepts the thanks and begins sorting out her messed up hair and tiara as Ryoko teleports from the room.
The princess sighs to herself in the silence once her appearance is sorted out and finishes off her glass of sake a bit too quickly. She covers her mouth as she coughs, places her glass down and spies the empty bottle that rolled under Sasami's bed. There are also a few wet patches on her sister's blanket from when she threw her drink in Ryoko's face. Ayeka stands, braces herself on her cabinet as the world momentarily lurches and spins and begins to steadily go about clearing up and changing her younger sister's bedding. She has done her good deed for the day. Whilst in her own room Ryoko takes a quick catnap with Ryo-Ohki resting on her stomach. Ryoko's ears remain raised and to attention. She bides her time across these short few minutes. The cabbit turns restless very quickly as it is still hungry and nuzzles up against her master's face and licks it. Feline eyes lazily open and Ryoko licks back. Her face scrunches up as she realises that to have been a mistake, Ryo-Ohki falls off her as she sits up and begins wiping hair and fur from her tongue that was too inquisitive for its own good. She pets her cabbit once her mouth is free from fluff and begins counting down in her head. Zero is reached. Ryoko hesitates, deliberating over her appearance, and then teleports.
Blonde hair shortens and darkens into pitch black. Every subsequent time he transforms lessens how long he can stay in that form, Vegeta's ki is not replenishing enough to subsidise the time he spends in Super Saiyan 3. He hovers back down to the ground, panting heavily, and lands underneath the shade of a tree with his back resting against its thick trunk. One year is all he has to try and gain mastery over this most difficult and inefficient form. Wiping at his brow that now has hair, Vegeta leans his head backwards and looks up into the tree's boughs. Golden eyes glisten down as a woman rests on a branch up above. Vegeta's laboured breathing comes out as snorts through his nostrils as the two stare in silence at the other. The branch creaks as Ryoko swings down and lands before the Saiyan. Sweat beads and drips from his large forehead.
"Is there a meaning to this visit or is this part of your plan to 'defeat' me?" The prince grunts out a question as Ryoko continues to stand there. A hand darts out and plants itself on the tree beside his head, Ryoko cocks her head to the side as she examines the Saiyan and then she smirks to herself. It is definitely easier for her to be near him when he appears weak and exhausted. Her fingers crack into the bark.
"Back at that restaurant we had a little argument, you've proven me to be in the right." Ryoko retracts her hand and crosses her arms. Her smirk is confident, but that confidence is only skin deep. Hate and love differ by a thin line that she straddles. She cannot say what she wants to and instead begins to tease him with some inane nonsense that sounds empowering for her. Vegeta raises an eyebrow, this is not something Ryoko would summon up her courage to drivel on at him about. He can think of several things they discussed but what she is hinting at he cannot be bothered to guess at and so questions her.
"Mind reminding me what that was?"
"Of course, someone here has the difficulty of remembering two separate afternoons. I'm the one in control. Plain and simple. You cannot control yourself, hence me." The pirate takes a step closer to him, trying to use her height advantage to domineer over him. At that meal they butted heads and egos over who would be the one wearing the trousers in the relationship and Ryoko claims it for herself given Vegeta's inability to stop himself during his mating season. Vegeta's breathing begins to regulate back to a normal rhythm. This is a waste of his time.
"I'm taking this as a no there is no meaning to this visit then." Vegeta walks out from under the tree's shade and away from the meaningless conversation, if Ryoko wants something from him or to talk then this should provide the pressure to force her to do so. She might not be attacking him and so this sort of behaviour is an improvement but even so he cares not for talk he can so obviously tell is only for the sake of talk. His ki is gradually recharging as his body rests.
Vegeta comes to a dead halt. Nails dig into his flesh as Ryoko reaches across and holds his shoulder. He senses a tentativeness to her touch and as he turns his head she releases him and teleports in front of him again. Black eyes meet gold, a butterfly flutters past the two and then Ryoko lets out a long and exasperated exhale. Ayeka was right, she can tell a lot from Vegeta without reading his mind and even with his emotionless expression. She can see him calculating his next move before she even makes her own. He knows.
"Did you hear?"
She asks even though she knows the answer, irked by this thought. Ryoko was not really keeping an eye out for his ki but even so it was hard to miss, the range he was flying at was close enough that he could possibly have been eavesdropping and she would not put it past him to do so. That was a very private conversation she was having with Ayeka. She averts her gaze. A womanly colour graces her face, she admitted things in secret and now these things are known to him she realises. He heard her declaration of love and her personal reason as to why, she loaded the gun for him to shoot her with if need be. Ryoko clenches her fists. She detests him making her feel vulnerable.
"Yes. I am waiting, my fiancée." The Saiyan prince nods and lets his own confident smirk appear on his face.
He might be angry at the situation he is in but he is not blind to it, he can read the emotions of the women and so as he was only maintaining his form it was no bother for him to listen in at range to see what strategic advantage he could gain. His reconnaissance proved most fruitful. The term that sticks in his throat is brought out for the pirate who longs for a proper loving relationship, as is the fact that he knows precisely why she came to visit him. Ryoko clicks her tongue in a show of frustration to hide her embarrassment. She is thankful she still has some alcohol running through her for this is going to taste very foul in her mouth to say. Before she submits to that she lets her tongue loose to strike back for his offensive against her by calling her that term, even though she does enjoy being called that.
" As am I. Oh having so much in common must mean we are destined for one another, the perfect couple. You gonna start spouting how nice and lovely you were for not knocking my teeth out for kicking your wife's pic?" Sarcasm and ire roll forth from her mouth in droves as she speaks, retaliating against him hearing her say she loves him and getting a quick quip in before he can get defensive on how he let her off from her immature action.
She makes certain her mind does not stray for any time on the thought of how much they truly do share and keeps her seed of emotion in check as she mocks it. Ryoko leans in forward with her face close to his. She is not scared of him, she wants her apology as well. If she wanted she could lick him right now and get that dimension to her kiss that she missed out on but Ayeka did not. Her lust and drive towards those desires is running on empty ever since she flew too close to the Sun and got severely burnt. She flares and snorts through her nostrils at him, her ears raise. They both grin.
"I am a prince and I know how to delegate grunt work, my son will be more than willing to teach you some discipline."
"Can't wait." Ryoko moves her face back away from him, unmoved by his half threat, she pulls herself back to her full height and begins to look about. There is no flying ki source that she can sense so an angry child is not going to appear on her list of things to be worried about. Vegeta's black eyes do not leave her. Birds flock together in the skies and the Sun shines bright, nothing makes for a decent distraction. Ryoko shuffles her feet about. Her eyes go to the heavens and she lets out a resigned and depressed groan. There is less pain in being with Vegeta than before her proposal, her anger has boiled up and over too many times that it has tired her, her body has been so tense and on edge for so long that she needs an end to it. Ryoko hates this. She bites down on her tongue, soft enough that no blood is drawn, and lowers her eyes to meet the Saiyan's. Her mind goes back to those photographs that Ayeka keeps, they help, but that just brings her right back to the picture she is trying to run away from. "I'm sorry. … There, see, I can say those words too."
"This prince will accept your humble apology. I apologise also."
The words that were needed to be said are and with that Ryoko turns to face away, her gaze dropping down to the floor. It took a lot to say that to him and she heard that there was effort on his part too, however that is as far as she can go. She cannot say the reply. A lot has happened today and this is as far as it will go, Ryoko cannot accept his apology, he has not earned her forgiveness yet. There are still many things she needs to sort out in her head, and none of them are things she would like to dwell on – one such example being the degree of her own fault in going to Vegeta during his time. She scratches at her scalp and sighs again to herself. An apology from him is no longer something she viciously swipes away, she hears his words and they affect her. Her feelings for him are complex to say the least, and him having listened in on her talking about some of that is awkward even for someone of such a bold nature as Ryoko. She turns back around yet her eyes avoid him. The princess told her to talk to him and so far she has hardly managed much of that, Ryoko supposes that she can try and strike up a conversation off of something she does want answered. Worries still niggle away at her. The plans that Vegeta has talked about might be clear cut to him but her knowledge is lacking.
"If only it were so easy. … So, I've got a question, You say you've got some drugs to stop round two happening and for a year you're going to be just – well in the house, basically. I can say Washu does make good stuff but that is a lot of faith you have in her. Not saying I'm scared or am gonna fly away tomorrow but doesn't seem all too safe with what you've told me, and what you've done."
"I have to sense the presence of a female for it to start taking over. I did not follow you back to Earth. As long as you stay out of the room nothing should happen. I trained like this before and neither time did I leave the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in search of prey and sealed rooms with that much time distortion hinder my abilities to sense outside. You will not have long to wait on your end and in there the effectiveness of the medication can be safely tested."
"But when you come out, how long then?"
" With a year in there? Around two months until my next cycle. However, it is liable to alter." He gives an off hand answer as he does the maths in his head. Ryoko takes a step back from him, a wariness in her eyes at that dangerous last sentence he said. Him not being sure of a precise time is not a thing she wants to hear.
"Words I love to hear. You're not sure?" Ryoko partially growls out this question, her uneasiness rising rapidly at this thought of a simple miscalculation forcing her to go through her hellish experience again. She needs these answers. She needs him to explain and talk to her how all that he will do will be safe and she will be safe and he will not pose a threat to her. Vegeta appears unconcerned, unnervingly so.
"Ryoko, did you not wonder why my mating season occurred at the same time as Kakarot and his son's?"
"You're all Saiyans, is there any other stupid reason you need? You hold committees or something to organise them in advance? Did I miss the memo?"
"I was dead for a month, Ryoko." It is not a hard concept to grasp and he was expecting someone to have noticed it before but apparently the women had other concerns than his time spent in Otherworld. His mating season was at the same time as Goku and his son's in spite of his body being non existent for close to a month. Vegeta sees the comprehension pass rapidly through Ryoko as she absorbs this information and begins working with it. She deducts what she can. For the moment her taunting has ceased. This idea of his mating season being a period in time not set in stone is taking some time for her to process.
"OK, sure, valid point. So … you – your time changes? Your body clocks synchronise across the planet?" Ryoko guesses as best she can, it makes a bit of sense to her but not much. She can understand why it might change but the how alludes her. He has not been alive for that long all things considered. Her predatory eyes scan his body as if she can find some clue by doing so.
"I met with Kakarot after my revival. We Saiyans are very fast adapters to new environments. Our mating seasons get heavily altered by those of other Saiyans, mine shortened its period to time itself with theirs, they were in the majority, and so after this year it will probably fire early in anticipation of their next one. Or, a slim chance exists where my next season prolongs itself, however that is unlikely." He states and explains this factoid and omits the fact of his body constantly sensing the other two due to their enormous ki as he is sure Ryoko knows full well about that.
A gentle breeze blows through the scene and faint ripples trace across the lake. Cyan wisps tickle and annoy Ryoko's elfin ears, she brushes her wild hair with her hands and Vegeta stands stock still as always. She understands more about his mating season now and feels secure in this knowledge and that Vegeta knows enough about his own body that there will be warnings before he has his next episode, and these warnings she will heed. Vegeta's ki continues to rise in the background though is not close to a level where he can spend any time in his final form. Ryoko nods to herself, accepting all this information and storing it. She will inform Ayeka of this later on for the princess will not pry about this of her own accord and neither will Vegeta openly discuss the nitty-gritty of himself unless prompted. A step forwards is taken. Her playful nature shines through as another evil smirk takes hold of her face. The man who tortured her will have to endure her fun as much as she was forced to enjoy his.
"Who's time is the right one then? Yours or his, who synced up first to the other on Earth?" The weakness of his rivalry is an amusing spot for her to stab at. Ryoko sticks a hand out and prods at Vegeta's sturdy chest and keeps her finger there. Her eyes are alight with mischievous intent.
"Figure it out for yourself. You've got the time." Vegeta is unimpressed and believes he has told her enough already. Her light teasing is not going to gain her anything from him. The finger on his chest traces a small circle before withdrawing from him.
"You're withholding info from me. You need to tell me when you had your first time. I'm guessing a late bloomer. But enough with this stupid shit, you were listening so d'ya prefer me to go in before or after you?" Back on track, Ryoko recalls that as he was listening in he should know of her want to have some time to herself in his special room. She does not bother asking him for his permission as she rightly believes herself to have it and his debt to her is far too large for him to decline something as menial as this. He does not seem best pleased with allowing another into his training room, and she likes that.
"You're going to do the opposite of whatever I say no matter my choosing. After."
"After it is then." Ryoko sticks her tongue out as she goes against what he claimed she would do even though they both knew this was going to happen, she does not like being predictable but that was how the joke was set up for her. Afterwards is fine by her, the only negative she can think of is the possible stench of two Saiyans post one year of strenuous exercise. The topic dies with that. Ryoko's mocking smile fades, Vegeta's scowl remains unchanged. Some newfound respect is growing in Ryoko for Ayeka. Holding a conversation with this stubborn and antisocial Saiyan when he is not in the best of moods is seemingly impossible. She tries to think of something else to talk about. Her mind does not have to wander long before it finds a subject that her mouth is willing to spill out. "So … you told Ayeka that you like me better? Wasn't expecting that. And don't get any funny ideas about taking advantage of her now she's drunk."
There is no response from Vegeta. No question was asked he has to answer. His deadpan expression remains the same, after a few seconds pass he looks to the side and towards his house and then back to Ryoko. The womanly hue to her face has returned. There is importance to what she said even as she disguises it behind a joke against the two royals. She appreciates the fact he has done that, and not for the reason of making Ayeka's life harder. He told this to Ayeka of his own choosing and did not spin any web of lies to cover his tracks, he did not go back on his words to her. Ryoko holds little trust in the Saiyan prince who ritualistically abused her but with this she now believes he means what he said. The man she loves thinks she is beautiful and is willing to say it even if it hurts Ayeka. Her issue concerning her fertility means nothing to him and he still perceives her body as desirable and attractive. She throws a light punch at Vegeta's shoulder and pushes him gently, a smile on her face.
"Well, whatever, I got stuff to taste and you aren't one of them, any suggestions?"
"Yes, try brushing your teeth, your breath stinks from Ayeka's cooking." The alcohol that has swilled through her mouth has not fully eradicated the odour of the festering within his kitchen, his sensitive nose can detect the lingering smell and it would rather not. Ryoko laughs. Vegeta smirks. Ryoko continues laughing for several seconds and as she stops she begins thinking on what he said. Dental hygiene aside she has always been able to smell and the toothpaste used on this planet does have a unique and powerful scent to it. She twirls about on the spot and jumps a foot into the air and hovers in place.
"Oh, and before I leave you all on your lonesome, I remember after our date reading something in Ayeka's diary about some special secret. Some kinda mistake she made that got you riled up. Fiancées shouldn't be keeping secrets between one another, I wanna know."
"Try asking nicely and you might get somewhere."
Ryoko makes a disinterested sound. If she knew more Juraian she thinks she could decipher what was written with the context around it and so is not going to bother humiliating herself by pleading with him. She makes a curt and brief wave goodbye and then disappears. Vegeta stares at the empty air. After her using so many racist insults against him he is hardly inclined towards letting her hear of the incident involving the primate enclosure. This he will keep between him and Ayeka. His ki is still too low. Normally he has the ability to physically stress and train his base form with high gravity when waiting for his ki to recharge but now he cannot. He finds his feet moving and he enters his home. Vegeta sits down on an empty sofa. He hears movement upstairs from Ayeka, and senses Ryoko in the bathroom trying out his suggestion. Black eyes focus solely on the image of his wife. A smile on a face that he will never see again. Under his breath he says her name and shakes his head to himself. A loud clamour breaks the quiet of his house. Ryoko appears before him with an uncapped tube of toothpaste in her hand. Vegeta's hand instinctually goes to cover and protect his precious family photo as he explains to this woman what mint is. Ryoko is not sure what to make of such a strong sensation in her mouth, she does not dislike it but feels she would not want to eat a meal of this stuff. In a mocking tone the Saiyan prince tells her that she should be thankful that toothpaste is not a food to be eaten and she scowls and drops the tube before heading into the kitchen, her golden eyes dipping momentarily to see him covering his wife.
Gold pervades the air and heavens when Trunks returns, and this light is not originating from a lowering Sun. The son does not alter his flight path to avoid the father. Without Yamcha to aid him he had to rethink the way in which he carries his passengers and so Sasami sits merrily astride his back and two policewomen hang in his arms. Kiyone has had enough of fast movements, ups and downs and badly wants a relaxing sit down. The Super Saiyan 3 observes his child land and unload the women from him. Trunks looks up to his father and then goes into the house. Vegeta continues to train. A small girl is about to skip up the stairs to see her elder sister when a Cheshire smile appears before her. Sasami greets Ryoko, she is happy to see her again but due to her knowledge of what is going on and what she has seen or heard over the past few days is not too sure what else to say. She saw Ryoko being mean and attacking Vegeta but the girl thinks she understands why she is angry and if she is back then things must be better. The pirate with a newly acquired sense propositions the most gifted cook in the house to make something special, extravagant and delicious for dinner. To top it off Ryoko adds in the fact that Sasami should do this to celebrate her becoming Vegeta's fiancée, the additional incentive was not needed to persuade the good natured Juraian but she wanted to say it. Sasami smiles, congratulates her, agrees and continues past as Ryoko flies back up to her perch in the beams to nap. Her feline eyes glower down at Kiyone and Mihoshi as they look up at her.
A cheerful blonde after having some fun and some adventure on her trip to the theme park waves and says a happy hello to Ryoko. The woman in the rafters lazily waves back, her focus shifting more towards the keen and observant Kiyone. Mihoshi congratulates Ryoko with a smile after overhearing what she said to Sasami, Kiyone says the same but as she says it Ryoko teleports into her room and onto her bed. There was judgement within the teal haired officer's eyes and she does not like that at all. Through the walls she hears two happy Juraians.
The elder princess had been drawing some sketches of the view from her window when Sasami knocked, entered and presented her with a snow-globe. She shakes it as she hands it over, Ayeka warmly smiles as she accepts this gift and thanks her sister as Sasami starts energetically detailing her day out. Ayeka listens as she admires the simplistic hemisphere and the depiction of the main roller-coaster attraction of the theme park within as glitter drifts about inside. The snow-globe gets set down, items like this do not exist on Jurai among nobility and so it is a nice novelty – with the selection to choose from at the gift shop this was the best Sasami could manage in terms of a souvenir. Sasami notices that her bed linen has been changed and Ayeka's has not and questions as to why, her sister dismisses it as some carelessness on her part dirtied it. In a quieter and more reserved tone the younger girl talks to her sibling concerning Ryoko and her engagement, Sasami remembers a conversation she had with Vegeta concerning his declination of bigamy and grasps the importance of this event.
Close to an hour passes and there is still no sign of Yamcha or Washu, late afternoon is in full swing and Trunks plays video games with Mihoshi whilst Kiyone rests her eyes on the seat beside her friend. A confident smile is set upon the glowing face of Vegeta. Far off in the distance and over several horizons he can sense his greatest foe training, he can sense the other Super Saiyan 3. He has measured the declination of their power when sustaining this almighty form and although Goku has a head-start on him when it comes to this transformation it is clear to him that one year of training with the focus of mastering the efficiency of Super Saiyan 3 will give him a sizeable advantage. The chasm of power separating them will mean nothing if his nemesis' stamina runs dry. One hit is all it will take if Goku is forced to descend. Vegeta likes his odds. Below him a fair maiden calls to him to tell him that he has a few minutes until dinner will start being served. A bare browed head looks down at the princess. The light emanating from him diminishes and he reverts to his normal form, descending to stand beside her. His rival is still in his transformed state but Vegeta can tell that given a few more minutes even the unconquerable Goku will have to surrender to exhaustion.
Ayeka looks at him, his black eyes are scanning about and his ki sense detects a minute presence now that his own ki no longer masks it. A suppressed power level is within his room. He can see his son, he cannot see Ryoko and thus ends all need for deduction. The promise of food shall have to wait. Ayeka questions if something is wrong.
"A certain miscreant has invaded my room. I have a bad feeling concerning what she is up to." Unimpressed, he informs Ayeka of what he can sense and she looks into the house wondering what her rival could be doing. Vegeta, without a word, starts marching off inside, Ayeka briskly matches his pace and follows him, he notices she is accompanying him but makes no comment about it. The blue eyes of Trunks and Mihoshi follow them.
With a push the ajar wooden door is thrown open and Vegeta's eyes lock onto his target. Dark brows furrow. He does not remember his room being such a complete tip the last time he saw it. His wardrobe doors are flung open, drawers are haphazardly taken out and their contents strewn on the floor. A few watches and cufflinks are hoarded together on his bed and only his weighted training outfits seem to be untouched.
"Hey! Do you mind? Get out!" Ryoko snarls and shouts at him, quickly turning her back to him as she waves a hand to shoo him out of his own room.
The red bottom half of her outfit is the same as before, however on her top half she now has a short sleeved pink shirt on with the words 'Badman' being obscured by her mane of hair. Vegeta walks into the room with a face like thunder. Her arm retracts to her as she holds at her chest, covering herself up for she is not properly wearing the shirt and all of its buttons are undone. Ryoko is hostile to the thought of being exposed before her would-be rapist. Ayeka appears in the doorway and surveys the scene for herself, not entering without permission.
"Yes, I do mind and you better take that off right this second." There is a very real anger being beaten back and controlled. He does not raise his voice. Vegeta puts a firm hand on Ryoko's shoulder and she squirms out of it. He is not asking, he is making a serious demand even if he cannot enforce it with physical force. No harm can come to that shirt. Ryoko steps away from him, glaring over her shoulder as she starts trying to do up the shirt, more to cover herself up than go directly against Vegeta.
"As if I'm gonna strip for you, you can wait until you see these goods again. Damn buttons on this." The size of Vegeta's chest before the androids attacked is not close to that of a buxom rogue, Ryoko is of a similar height but in this the clothing absolutely does not fit her. She breathes in and struggles in vain.
"That shirt was one of the first gifts Bulma ever gave me. Play dress up if you must, but not with that." Danger rises, the ki behind Ryoko grows and grows and the grave tone in which Vegeta speaks could almost be taken as a threat. Ayeka is concerned but knows not how she can intervene. Cursing about the shirt not accommodating her female physique under her breath, Ryoko outstretches a hand behind her but does not look. The Saiyan tosses across a long sleeved black t-shirt, the first thing in reach, and Ryoko catches it and vanishes.
The Juraian princess knocks on the open door and Vegeta grants her entry. She daintily picks her path through the room carefully so as to not stand on anything. Ryoko appears in the same spot she left now wearing black instead of pink and hands over Vegeta's special shirt back to him, he takes it, folds it and drops it down onto his bed. For a few seconds Ryoko admires herself though does not find this outfit to her taste.
"Didn't mean to piss you off, not that much at least, I'm just collecting what I'm owed. You ruined one of my outfits so I'm getting myself a new one. You want something too, Ayeka?"
Ryoko seems to have calmed down and makes a quasi-apology for her mistake, she was lashing out at him nearly walking in on her. She is just after some material items from him, some gifts of her own, and she wants to push Vegeta to see how willing he is to work for her forgiveness – though not push him over the brink by making another attack on his wife. Her feline eyes go to the princess she was not expecting and waves before her hands go to her hips. They have had a second chat together before this concerning what Ryoko has learnt. Ayeka shakes her head at the question, she is not here seeking recompense, curiosity and feeling she might be needed to keep the peace are the reasons she came with Vegeta. Ryoko wants to take something from Vegeta, clothing matters little to her since his money can buy her whatever she wants, she wants him to surrender ownership of items over to her.
A long and resigned sigh breaks from Vegeta. There is a dullness glazing over his eyes as he turns to look in the corner of his room, it is untouched. He sees Ryoko looking expectantly at him for something and to his side he hears Ayeka shuffle a bit more distance between them. Ryoko might be fine taking his clothes but his clothes are for someone with his build and she will be unsatisfied with his sense of fashion. Women's clothing would suit her far better. He points towards the unopened trunk he never touches.
" … If you want clothes then you know where to look." Vegeta has trouble saying this but he manage it, pushing himself far beyond his limits in this concession that surprises Ryoko. She looks to where he is pointing and then back to him. This is not how she expected this to play out at all. She smiles, happy with this turn of events and what it means. Ayeka is not following as she is unaware of the importance of that trunk and what it contains.
"Really? I wasn't going to unless you said, 'cos I'm considerate like that, but if you insist I will."
"You have already worn her clothing before. … It is not like it is getting any use now. Just- … Do not wear it in front of my son."
They are spare clothes that were stored inside the capsule of this house as a lazy way of getting rid of them, they are unwanted and Ryoko has shown that they already fit her when they visited Kame House. Vegeta crosses his arms. His posture is not as it once was, the air around him has changed. Ryoko makes no move towards the trunk of clothing being offered to her, she watches Vegeta instead. She opens her mouth to remark on this but closes it, there is nothing she can think of to say that would not sound snide or insulting and now is not the time for that when he is giving up some of his wife's belongings to her. This is more the kind of thing that she is looking for from him. This is the sacrifice that shows the lengths he is willing to go to for his new fiancée, and she has not had to force his hand at all. Ryoko smiles in appreciation for his effort.
"Lord Vegeta, are you sure that this is fine with you?"
Ayeka has realised what they are talking about now. She tries not to sound concerned by his decision as that would go against her intrinsic want for Vegeta to move on past his deceased lover but she feels this sudden progression to be unnatural and she would not want Vegeta to start having regrets over actions towards them. This is a very large gesture, him being willing to let go of his wife's belongings might sound good on paper for her but this greyness hanging over her prince leaves her to think he is not ready to take this step. She does not want him to go out of his way to cause himself emotional pain, he does not need to give Ryoko his wife's clothes.
The Saiyan nods. He mumbles some excuse that the reason those clothes are even here is because his wife had no want for them and so they might as well be disposed of in this manner. This should pacify and placate Ryoko. Ayeka still appears hesitant by his choice but she acquiesces and silences herself. He is dealing with another woman now, not her, and this is his choice to make. Ryoko steps closer to the Saiyan. She holds out a hand to him. The trunk is a delightful offer for him to make to her, it is not what she wants. She wore his wife's clothing once but that was before her feelings had matured and developed to this level, with her date she gave him explicit instructions concerning this – Ryoko does not want to be compared to a previous lover, she will not wear clothes that will only serve to remind him of what he lost and not what he has.
"So, Vegey, since you're being so kind and giving, I'm gonna choose that box you've got hidden away in that secret compartment. A false bottom is not going to fool me, master thief that I am. You hid it, I want it, so give." Her hand gestures for him to give her what she wants and her eyes stay focused on him.
She will not force him to surrender his secrets to her, she will get him to give it to her of his own volition. Respectful of his previous offer, she speaks calmly and in a pleasant tone as Vegeta's eyes go wide with alarm. He glances over his shoulder to see that the board covering a hollow under the wardrobe is still in place and Ryoko watches his reaction. Him appearing worried over the fact that she has discovered this box sky rockets the value it is worth to her. The trunk of second-hand clothes she cares naught for, this secret is what she wants. She had the opportunity to expose it on her own, but that is not fun, she will have Vegeta do it himself. Ryoko smiles warmly and motions with her hand again.
"I have many sets of armour for you to take, the one I wore when fighting Frieza is broken and of little use to you." Vegeta is quick in composing himself and gives off a quick reason to sever her interest in getting the contents of that box. This is not something he will give over to her. This must stay in his possession. A brief cackle comes from Ryoko. She can tell a lie when she sees it.
"Nice try, the box is way too light for your armour to be in it. I told you, I don't like you lying to me. Tell me what's in it or I open it up and see for myself." Grinning, she hits his feeble defence out of the way. The compartment might be sealed but that does not mean that its contents are undisturbed. She moves a foot under the bed and slides out the box from her own hiding place, the dimensions of it being fit for clothing but not large enough for armour. It disappears from under her foot and appears in Vegeta's tight grip. He holds it close to his chest and Ryoko chuckles to herself again.
She clicks her fingers, points to herself and nods to Vegeta. An obstinate man stares at her, no reply coming from his mouth, a dead set frown carved into his solemn face. He gave her her option and she has refused it, he shall not be giving this to her. Vegeta's ki raises in a defensive manner. Red eyes flick between the two as the princess watches. Ayeka's curiosity, like Ryoko's has peaked at this strange and mysterious box that Vegeta protects so seriously but she is not in favour of taking something from him if he is not willing to give it. She takes a step closer to the conversation to make her presence felt and looks at Ryoko in such a way that her disposition in this is known. Ryoko clicks her tongue. Vegeta can try to defend this but he will fail, she is certain of it. She knows that this item will be hers, and she will make it so that she does not have to raise a finger for it.
"C'mon Vegey, think about it. You can't protect it forever, you have to sleep sometime, or train, and if you leave it for one second then I will swoop in and claim it. All you're doing now is wasting my time. Give." The logic that she gives is impeccable. There is no way that Vegeta can stop her from taking something if she wants it, his guard will drop and it matters not then whether he tries to take it back for the dance will merely begin anew. His busy life of training will make this item hers. She grins in self assuredness and watches as Vegeta snarls at this that he cannot refute. The gears in his head are turning, churning to find a way out of this and to protect this. An ally steps up as Ayeka voices her stance to get Ryoko to stand down and be grateful for what she was offered earlier.
"Ryoko, I do not think it is right to-"
"I do. If you've got a problem then I will throw Vegeta's underwear at you."
Out of courtesy for the princess, Ryoko does not simply do this but issues a warning instead, using Ayeka's modesty against her. It does its job and Ayeka stops talking as her eyes nervously glance at the item's of men's clothing strewn about the room. There is no menace to this threat, Ryoko just does not want some meddling to dissuade her from this treasure she seeks. Ayeka glances at Vegeta and the box, she wonders what could be inside it for him to act this way, he did not even speak up about her stepping up to defend him. His tight grip is creasing the lid and warping the cardboard, whatever is in there she hopes it is not fragile.
Vegeta lowers his arm holding the box so it is at his side. He does not dignify Ryoko with an answer to her want. There is little he can think of to do in this situation. Backing down is out of the question yet all he is doing is delaying the inevitable, the gravity of the training room would damage this item so he cannot keep it safe whilst training and she has already shown her ability to get within his room without him noticing. He could find another place to hide this but that will make it even harder for him to protect and open up a new world of variables he cannot account for, and Ryoko can simply teleport to follow wherever he goes unless he drops his power level to a point where she can then overpower him for it. Vegeta owns little else to barter with her and she has already discarded the other lot of items precious to him, and as a pirate he trusts her word little that after a trade she would not simply then try for this item again. Trunks could prove an ally in this yet he knows better than to give this to his son. He takes a step towards the confidently grinning Ryoko. His powers of persuasion might not work but it is at least an option with some chance of success. The grin on her mouth splits open as raucous laughter tumbles from her.
For a brief second control was surrendered to emotion. A hand closes and fingers clench. A yelp erupts through the Saiyan's room. Vegeta freezes. His hand that closed into a natural fist is missing something. Black eyes open wide with fear. The sound of a light box hitting the floor smashes through him. His first thought is Ryoko's own ability to multiform and her having outsmarted him but the lack of gloating he hears seems to disprove that theory, another voice speaks instead.
"I-I-I'm so so-sorry. The lid, it was- I only meant to fix- it's not. I formally apologise, I have been drinking." Ayeka bows her head as her face lights up bright crimson. The contents of the box are spilled out onto the floor for all to see. She blatantly lies about the alcohol that she consumed a couple of hours ago in a feeble excuse.
Jealousy consumed her for a second, something snapped at being ignored and all the focus being on Ryoko for she is all that he seems occupied with today. Ryoko wanted the box and so in spite she took it for herself, going against her word and pinching it straight out of Vegeta's hands. His palms are calloused and thanks to his phenomenal strength he could barely feel the weight of the object to begin with so whilst he was distracted in thought she struck. She did not mean to open it. The damage to the box had loosened the lid and when she went to alter the cardboard back to its proper shape again the lid moved and revealed the contents to her. Then she screamed and promptly dropped it. Ayeka is not proud of her actions or her envy. She does not know what came over her, she does not like what jealousy makes of her but ever since Vegeta said yes to Ryoko it has been simmering away in the background, ever growing. Acting on impulse in a selfish manner is not how a princess should behave, but she has done it and what she discovered shocked her awfully.
A hand casually rests on Vegeta as Ryoko eagerly peers over the short man's shoulder whilst he stands frozen looking down at the open box. Cackles reverberate throughout the room when Ryoko sees the contents that he tried to hide from her and that Ayeka helped in revealing. Colour graces Vegeta's cheeks, and his already formed fist clenches tighter. More apologies spill and stammer from Ayeka as she awkwardly backs away, hanging her head in shame and embarrassment, and she almost stumbles on a pair of trousers lying on the floor. Vegeta starts sensing about immediately to make sure Trunks is nowhere close and is relieved to find his son is still downstairs playing with Mihoshi. He kneels down onto the floor beside the box and his hands slowly reach out to the item on the floor.
"Pervert." Through all of Ayeka's stutters this one word he hears loud and clear. Her head is in complete disarray and she is awfully uncomfortable with what has been revealed, unlike a most amused Ryoko who is still gaily laughing. Vegeta's hand stops, his unfocused eyes staring blankly down at the floorboards. A sputtering of light glows from him and Ayeka reacts badly to this, she has done wrong and now has slandered him as well. The empty box gets picked up by Ryoko, her greedy eyes locked on this item.
A red bow-tie, white cuffs and collar, red high heels, blue tights, a headband accessorised with certain animal appendages and a low cut black leotard adorned with a decoration similar to one Mihoshi wears on her uniform. Bulma's bunny girl outfit lies on the floor a few inches from Vegeta's fingertips. He failed his wife again. This is not something the other women should be seeing. His hands come back without touching the old outfit and he covers his face and breathes heavily and loudly. There is a good reason he separated this from the other clothes in the trunk and hid it away.
"All those times you clammed up refusing to talk to me about your night life, now I see why. Saying that, you do wear tight elasticated clothing most days so this is hardly that much of a leap." Ryoko's happy smile beams mockingly in his face as she holds the empty box awaiting her present.
This is definitely a surprise she can take in her stride and work with. Seeing Vegeta so embarrassed about this is feeding many of her desires, tickling her want for retribution by shaming him like this, it is so hilarious for her to see him in this state with this outfit that he had hidden in his room. She might not be from Earth but she sees that this is a sexualised outfit, that added to Vegeta's reaction and way of keeping it leaves little for her imagination, so little in fact even Ayeka managed to understand what it was at a glance. She is bent down and at the same level as he is, Ryoko leans in closer to him and susurrates the same insult that Ayeka called him. After all the he did to her it seems oddly appropriate. Vegeta removes his hands from his face and blue eyes lock onto the pirate.
"It is not like that! I do not- … I hold no fetish for this thing." Flaring into his Super Saiyan state and roaring in anger, he is quick to reign in his power and energy and forces himself to descend to his base state. He senses that his son is paying a lot more attention to the possible commotion upstairs now that he felt this burst of ki and Vegeta will not have his 10 year old son walk in on this scene. Ryoko does not back away an inch from him. During his pause he fully considered a different route to take, to lie and confess this as being his own personal thing and to shoulder the entire burden thus sparing his wife. Looking into Ryoko's predatory orbs he knew that she would only break through to the truth, and at that point she could also break through into his rage. The two stare at each other. A blush still a part of Vegeta's scowling face.
"Yeah? Why hide it then?" Ryoko simply cocks her head to the side and asks the obvious. If this is not some sort of private outfit his wife owned, much like the several sets of lingerie Ryoko bought for herself, then she sees no reason why Vegeta would act so shamed by this being discovered. He hid it, there has to be a why to it and her hypothesis fits perfectly.
"Shut up, woman! Not everything revolves around sex like your mind does."
"Do you want to go there? We could start that shit-storm again if you really want to, if not don't try and hide your embarrassment by attacking me. Now, I'll be confiscating your naughty little fetish outfit from you." Her voice drops low and her feline eyes sharpen as Ryoko speaks back against Vegeta's lashing out. It would be so easy for her to go back to the way she acted yesterday and declare open war on him for that comment, daring to insult her with sex after he was the one who nearly raped her, she chooses not to. Her kind temperament towards him due to his generosity with all the rest of his wife's clothes is discarded, a hard edge tinges her voice as she speaks to him. She pushes the box towards him and he growls.
Pupils black as night pierce into her, a harsh snort comes from his nose, Vegeta makes no move to surrender his wife's outfit to Ryoko. He also makes no move to defend it. Ryoko motions with the box again and he merely raises a disapproving eyebrow at her. She will not take it. To her that defeats the whole purpose of what she is after. Her predilection towards gaining material object not withstanding, she wants Vegeta to resign things over to her, to surrender parts of him to her and not for her to simply steal something. He will give, she will not take. She looks down and scans the tight and revealing outfit, there is nothing that remarkable she can see about it, one of the bunny ears is bent most probably from his grip on the box, and with a few modifications her own battle attire would not differ too much from it. Her patience is running thin, as his already has, though there is something endearing about seeing Vegeta blush that makes her want to drag this out. With her free hand she pokes him in the shoulder and scratches at his skin.
"Give, or I take. And don't worry, I'm not gonna be wearing this for you and your precious son won't see it, it most likely won't ever see the light of day. Think of it as an engagement present, for me, your loving fiancée."
"This. Is. Bulma's. Not yours." His fist slowly and lightly pounds at the ground with each word.
There is a limit he cannot pass. Ryoko pushing the issue of their engagement is not helping. This is not something for him to give to another woman. He cannot do it. He wants his year of training. Blonde flashes into his hair and diffuses. Vegeta is struggling. He will not betray his wife any further, he will not sell Bulma over to Ryoko and he is putting an insurmountable amount of effort into not blowing his top. He flexes his fingers out on the wood of the floor and touches the soft fabric of his wife's 3 decade old costume. A hand places itself on top of his and moves his onto the outfit.
"And the dead own nothing. What's hers became yours, what's yours will be mine. Your Bulma does not own anything. Time's a wasting, and I don't wanna be late for food. All I'm going to do is put it somewhere in my room instead of it being in yours, no difference so give, pretty please." Her hand keeps his fingers from tightening into a fist as she words her statement as diplomatically as she can be bothered to. That ghost chaining him up will not possess what she wants, be it Saiyan or clothing. She assures him that she will not use the outfit or see harm come to it, he might have pissed her off with his poor choice of words but even so she smiles at him. Vegeta's eyes close. He slowly shakes his head as strength enters Ryoko's hand to give him a push towards giving into her want. Vegeta easily lifts his hand and retracts it. Ryoko keeps her hand on his, unrelenting and pushing for this breakthrough that might just help her see him as someone she might be able to one day forgive.
"Bulma … she- this always reminded her of her adventures. My wife treasured that. It is not some sordid piece of filth. … Memories, that is why it is special. Do not- don't tarnish my wife's name, I do enough of that myself."
The bunny girl costume levitates a foot into the air. There is nothing he can do. It haltingly and gradually traverses the short distance. He has done as much as he can to keep his wife's honour. A prince that cannot prevent theft from his own abode. The outfit drops into the box held by Ryoko. It was inevitable. Defeated, Vegeta's ki dissipates and he falls deathly silent. Ryoko quietly thanks him and promptly teleports out of the room with her hard won prize. There is no strength left in him, a vice of guilt crushes down on his soul for surrendering like this but he knows that it was the right move to make. He has paid all he can towards the debt of his penance and now he is left a hollow shell. Even his hellish fury has gone.
"I'm sorry. I am so, so very sorry, Lord Vegeta. I am- I failed to control myself, and for that I am deeply ashamed, I humbly beg of you to forgive my cruel and foolish actions."
Ayeka fully bows to the man on his knees, asking forgiveness for her moment of weakness that led to this scene. Her voice is full of regret and guilt. She is thankful for being relegated to the background and ignored during this mess she caused, she could not bear to join in that conversation or have Vegeta raging at her for stabbing him in the back. He has done incredible wrongs but all she sees now is a widower, a single father trying to keep his head above the water as swirling tides threaten to drag him under. This is the closest she has ever seen her proud Saiyan prince come to tears, desolate grief fills his cold eyes and she apologises again and again to him. Ayeka hesitantly takes a step towards him as she pleads for her forgiveness. They have both failed to control themselves and caused hurt due to it. She reaches a small and pale hand down towards him and weakly grabs holds of his lifeless hand. She gives it a gentle squeeze, touching him for the second time since the incident, and claims she will take responsibility for her envy inspired actions.