Chapter 56
His flowing blonde hair appears paler as his flesh glows with a muted luminescence compared to the harsh aura that normally radiates from his final form. Like his son, Vegeta wears but a pair of black shorts. Physically he has not changed, unlike Trunks, a year has not aged him, his musculature cannot improve and apart from a few small scars having faded and a few new ones having replaced them the Saiyan prince looks as he did when both women last saw him. Blue eyes fall upon the familiar scene that he last witnessed over 14 months prior. His heavy brow observes the living room of his house. Vegeta steps into the room and a woman walks past him. Ryoko gives him a sideways glance as she passes, scanning him, seeing what she can decipher from his angelic blue eyes. The door to the training room closes behind her. Golden hair falls in front of his broad shoulders as the father looks towards the son he has missed for approximately 60 days, the son he is proud of and aided in reaching the next level of power.
"Son, where is my food? Did I not tell you to have a meal ready upon my 'return', your games can wait." Vegeta barks out an order to his child. After a year of training he is glad to see his son happy and socialising and taking a well earned break. A decent cooked meal is something that both have been without for too long, Vegeta's cooking with rationed food got them through but Saiyan stomachs always desire more. Vegeta stretches and a small spark of static arcs between his fingers. The two children by the T.V turn and face the Super Saiyan 3, and then Trunks turns back around to continue on with his fun.
"Nope, you didn't ask that. Are you going senile on me already, dad? Have Ayeka cook for you or do it yourself, Sasami's allowed a break once in a while." Taking advantage of the fact that it would have been two months since his father said that and might not remember it clearly, Trunks cockily acts in an impetuous manner towards his powerhouse of a father. There is no hostility, Trunks just wants to play with Sasami. The younger Juraian does not say anything. Her pink eyes go from father to son as she thinks, she is not too sure of her own grudge against Vegeta currently and looks to her sister to see whether or not she should cook for Vegeta or not.
The Saiyan father lets his son off with that remark, Trunks endured a year with him and they said worse to each other during that time. His blue eyes with black pupils see the confusion written plainly on Sasami's face, time dilation is a concept a bit too advanced for someone her age to properly grasp and so she is unsure of where she stands. Vegeta hears a shuffling to his side. He is not making any point of ignoring her, his focus is just more towards his son that he cherishes. Vegeta is aware that his current state of dress is not something Ayeka is comfortable with, as he faces her and sees her nodding her head in greeting at him he notices the slight aversion of her eyes away from his toned physique. For him well over a year has passed and distanced himself from the event, for her it has not. His physique and exposed flesh showcase his power and strength. She is not openly scared of him but his raw male form intimidates her and makes her think back to when he was dressed similarly at the beach.
"Welcome back, Lord Vegeta. … Did- Are you well?"
A question hangs that she is unable to voice. Did your training go well, did you succeed, did you make your choice. Ayeka smiles in a welcoming manner at Vegeta as he nods in response to her polite question. For now he will let the rest go unanswered, the response she wants to hear will be given when both interested parties are present. Vegeta crosses his arms, Sasami takes her cue from Ayeka's interaction with Vegeta that she should not be hostile to the owner of this house.
"Exceedingly. Washu, you did a good job, the facilities were better than I expected, though only due to the rejuvenation of the healing pods did your measly rations last me. Ryoko better have been planning to go on a diet." Vegeta sees the exhausted scientist and gives credit where it is due, without Washu he would not have had the opportunity to accomplish what he did. He knows not why she is out of her lab or seemingly about to fall asleep where she stands but he assumes she has her reasons and he shall hear of them shortly.
Inside his training room it was not long before Trunks learnt there was no escape to be had through the door they entered through. As a pragmatic warrior Vegeta observed something within the first few seconds of entering that his son only realised upon his first escape attempt. The amenities that Washu had promised and that they needed for basic survival were absent from his room. They were found in a small pocket dimension behind the metal bulkhead: beds, bathroom facilities, healing pods and the all important kitchen and reserves of capsules containing food. When the time dilation was active the world outside was inaccessible, Washu had sealed them in completely, locking them out of reality. She did this out of security, both interior to stop Trunks disobeying his father and exterior in case the training room is breached and the effects of her machine become unbound. Her healing tanks are a step above what Vegeta was accustomed to during his service under Frieza, the time for recovery becoming minutes and not hours which his thirst for power liked. Washu did her job, his complaint about food is something unavoidable since he prolonged his time inside by an additional 2 months.
"I was not made aware of your extended stay or Ryoko's want to enter, I did what was asked of me. And before you ask I've already got a new plan for counteracting your mating season and have told the women so no need to worry about the failed drug. You don't remember anything to do with your mother and mating seasons do you?"
"Not her face, not her name, nor her smell. You know the answer, are you saying the solution lies within the opposite gender?"
"One question; how many seasons did you have whilst Bulma was pregnant?" Washu watches with heavy eyelids as she gives Vegeta the only clue he should need. She nods as she watches the link between Bulma and the Queen of Saiyans forge in Vegeta's head. He was merely a child, it was never something he paid attention to and by the time he was sexually mature all the females of his race had been ashes floating in space for a decade. Washu knows that Vegeta had a younger brother and thus her question about the Queen of Saiyans was pertinent as logically it means Vegeta did have interaction at some point with a pregnant Saiyan, or should have if his mother was present. His lack of memories concerning the woman who bore him and gave him life led Washu to give him the more obvious clue that he sees all too clearly now. Mating seasons strike with regular occurrence at a pace too fast for pregnancy to complete, Vegeta deduces the logic that his species must have had some way to prolong its destined extinction by protecting those bearing children. A way had to exist to fight that which he could not control.
"Almost 3. … I do not see how this can be implemented." Vegeta looks to Washu quizzically, he does not understand how this natural reaction could be transferred to those he wishes not to harm nor does he see it as a preferred method. Trunks pretends that he is not listening. The child would like the conversation to move off of his mother's time carrying him, and Ayeka does not like the mention of his mating seasons or their regularity.
Before Washu can respond and inform Vegeta as to her scheme, the training room door reopens. 10 minutes for 30 days and for Ryoko her few days are already over. She has done some rudimentary training when inside but even still her power has grown little, Ryoko has not pushed herself or had any want to. Her golden eyes see Vegeta just as she left him a couple of days ago. It is disorienting, this ability to go somewhere and for her time to have passed and then now it to all be the same – all the same apart from her and Vegeta. All the adults' attention turns to her. Ryoko smirks. 4 days left with herself and her mind has given her the time to think on the whole situation. There was no darkness within the training room, for that she is thankful, no sources of fear or judgement or pain. It is not so much an epiphany she had, just a chance to clear her head and see things subjectively. Now she can truthfully state that this Super Saiyan 3 before her does not instigate any fear from her. Ryoko asks what they are talking about and Washu answers, Ryoko grins further as she stares at the semi-naked man.
"Vegey, good news, she'll inject us with some Saiyan stuff, we start giving off lovely smells and then I can teleport to your hidey hole as much as I want and you'll run away from me. I'm hungry, you didn't leave me food." Gloating, Ryoko lets her confidence shine. Gone is the emotional wreck. There is no weakness here to be shown to Vegeta, she always told him that she can recover from wounds fast. She sees Ayeka behind the prince and gives a quick glance towards her indicating that she is joking about teleporting towards Vegeta ever again like that. Placing her hands on her hips, she looks expectantly about, having had to go most of those days with no food her tongue craves more to taste. Vegeta makes no movement to accommodate her wants and appears to be observing and analysing her and her behaviour, her feline eyes begin to do the same. Time has passed, they want to find out where the other stands. She remembers something, Ryoko looks at the pink haired woman yawning. "Quick question for Washu, you said we're tricking him into behaving like we're burdened Saiyans, will he act like it's his or a rival's?"
This question came to her during her time thinking and pondering. Ryoko has been through the whole shebang of fertility and whatnot, she does not really like this method of Washu's but if it works then it works, she is asking more for how Vegeta will act as what she has been told is vague. She assumes that based off the animalistic nature of Saiyans there will be a great difference in Vegeta's actions based upon Washu's answer, and Ryoko puts no trust in Saiyans for them to not be the kind to kill the offspring of another. Her safety is her main concern. The secondary concern of a possible doting or possessive Vegeta acting out due to some falseness is the other thing she cares for. Ryoko does not want Vegeta to view her in a maternal light. She has no want to have children and if this pheromone causes Vegeta to act kinder towards her due to some lie about that she will hate it. Ryoko glances at Ayeka and Vegeta to make sure they understand the importance of what she is asking, the Juraian princess is looking away. Blonde hair rustles, Vegeta shakes his head at Ryoko, he can guess what she is thinking and that is not how he is, he respects the independence of people too strongly to go out of his way like that and feels it to be insulting to treat someone as an invalid.
" I haven't got that far yet in testing to ascertain either. He won't be protective of you either way, and … I'll sort it out, don't you worry. Now excuse me, I got work to do." Washu moves past Vegeta at a slow pace. She has over 4 months to iron out all the details and perfect it, and she estimates if she works hard at it then negating the length of testing phases she could have it completed in a week. Ryoko moves aside for the scientist to pass, for now this answer will be accepted, her point has been made. A gruff voice calls out to the woman seeking to trespass his sacred room.
"What work is this?"
"You both noticed that the time dilation was automatic, and you could only leave once you manually shut off the console, unless you want to be always training with no time passing then I have a bit of …" A deep and cavernous yawn breaks Washu's sentence, she covers her mouth and stretches. " … got some work to turn that off."
"Why was an automatic feature implemented in the first place?"
"Quicker. I could automate it to the required settings faster than it would take me to reconfigure the whole console for time control input."
Washu enters the training room and kneels down as her holo-top spawns at her side and the large metal door remains open. If it closes then Washu's work will become very rapid as the time dilation will start, unfortunately she also cannot physically open it to free herself. Vegeta agrees with her decision to put the delay on his training now after his year compared to prolonging his period without training before hand. With that conversation completed he finds himself the centre of attention. He is the elephant in the room. A loud noise comes from the large screen as Trunks and Sasami play and Ayeka shuffles her feet. Ryoko takes a step closer to Vegeta. The Saiyan looks about to the two women and sees the two children and he announces that he wishes to bathe, dress and have a meal. Ryoko nods at his words and continues looking expectantly at him. Vegeta walks towards the stairs and is not alone, patience is not a strong suit of Ryoko's. He proceeds half way up the stairs before he turns around to look at her and he also sees a hesitant Ayeka stood by herself seemingly caught at a crossroads; she wants answers but she also has a high want to respect his privacy for bathing and dressing. Vegeta addresses both of his fiancées and says that whilst he is doing what he needs to do he will be available to talk. Ryoko grins, she was not going to stop hounding him until he talked anyway, and these words give Ayeka the push for her to tentatively make her way to the bottom of the staircase.
Striding purposefully into the bathroom, the prince pauses as he senses a presence too close to him. He feels it should not need to be said yet Ryoko is pushing it to show him that her boundaries are not what they were when the Sun last set. Vegeta pauses and Ryoko stops. A hand goes out and points behind him at the door, she lets out a snort and moves back and leans against the open door-frame. Since she was shamed and wants to let her confidence around him be known she thought this would be an excellent opportunity to repay the favour for his sexual assault against her breasts. Vegeta stands still for a moment and then moves off towards a shower cubicle, there are no doors to seclude himself behind and prohibit her view bar the main one to the room which Ryoko is blocking. There are worse ways to be greeted back and as he stands beneath the shower looking towards the woman keeping a keen and watchful eye on him he hears Ayeka scolding Ryoko for what she is doing. He expects an argument to follow but there is none. Ryoko leaves the room and closes the door behind him. He strips and turns on the water and washes the grime of training from his body whilst still in his Super Saiyan 3 form, the water heats up but does not evaporate off his flesh.
"So are you gonna tell us or what? It's rude to keep ladies waiting." Ryoko calls out through the wall, she voices that all important question. She looks across to her side and at Ayeka and they nod at one another, prepared and ready. They trust their women's intuition on this and assume good news from the way Vegeta is acting and the general air about him. Water runs for several seconds before they get their reply.
"My training was a success. In both ways. I believe I have done it, what you wanted. … My wife has passed, and I think I can move on."
"You- … Sounds like there ain't anything else you want to tell us." Expecting more, the uncertainty in Vegeta's voice does not comfort her, Ryoko thought his bravado would take control but it did not. His brief answer does not sate her curious hunger. He omitted the main thing she and Ayeka want to hear about. She understands that what he is talking about is not something he should be boastful of but she was just expecting more.
"Unfortunately for you two, absence did not make the heart grow fonder. It takes longer than a few weeks for this prince to be swayed. Until the tournament on Jurai, that is your deadline to claim your prize. Of course, before that, is there any of that mess that still needs clearing up?" Vegeta wrangles with his lengthened spikes of hair as he frees his nose from the stench of his perspiration.
It might have been what the women desired but there was no way he would have fallen for someone he has spent so little time with when focusing on grieving for his wife and the time span separating him from them lengthening. His decision is still unmade, he has merely gotten to a point where he feels he could make make the choice if given enough incentive. He questions them to clarify his standing for 14 months is a long time for the details to escape him and it will be the little things that will ruin him if he ignores them. The main points he holds clearly within his mind, his query poses more towards Ryoko and her time than anything else.
In the hallway one woman walks off. Ryoko heads down and enters Vegeta's room. The Juraian princess watches her and wonders if the question is that sensitive still that Ryoko had to leave though she suspects that not to be the case, she saw her face and by now she has got a good indication of what Ryoko looks like when she is hurting. She messes with her hair and the seashell necklace as a minute whiles away. Hearing the sounds of her prince showering is making things very awkward for her. It is uncomfortable yet she cannot bring herself to leave. She feels it is not her place to respond in the stead of Ryoko. Ayeka is disappointed that in those 14 months things did not become even easier for her by Vegeta making his choice though his reason is something she cannot argue against. For both parties they have been apart longer than they have been together: Vegeta has trained for over a year and before that Ayeka and Ryoko had to wait a month whilst he was deceased. She is glad that Ryoko asked those questions for waiting the few minutes that it would have taken her to summon the courage would have been torturous.
"Lord Vegeta, how did your son fare through that training?"
"Trunks is strong. He did me proud. I was tough yet it never broke him, he is a smart lad, smart enough to understand … and kind enough like his mother to accept. I appreciate your concern, for I am not a good enough parent for him."
"... Trunks said- he said that he was an ally of J-Jurai."
Broaching the subject of Vegeta's son's opinion of her, a princess does not know what to do with herself as she shuffles about anxiously in the corridor, fiddling with her robes and looking for any sign of Ryoko's return. She plays off an earlier argument where Vegeta was right in stating that neither of the two women vying for his affection pay nearly enough mind to his child. As much attention as they give towards Vegeta and his suffering over Bulma they have neglected Trunks, only by Vegeta's own failings as a father and selfishness has this been tolerated. Ayeka's envy has been sated greatly by what Trunks has said. She wants to hear it from Vegeta's own mouth, to hear him speak well of her and agree with his son. Ryoko has left and given her this chance right now. A womanly blush fills her face as she waits to the sound of a shower stopping and wet footsteps.
" That he is, and a strong ally at that. My son has voiced many a favourable opinion of you to myself after … towards the end of our training together. That and other factors. He surprised me with his in-depth thought on a few points, such as the great political impact me choosing you would have on your empire or the galaxy in general. But he is still a child at heart, and a human child at that. He enjoys Sasami's company, he respects my status as a prince and recognises your royal blood, and as my son he has a dislike for Ryoko's previous aggressive advances towards me sexually. Truth be told, I believe Trunks prefers you, Ayeka, because he sees a maternal side to you when you care for your sister." A brief and controlled wave of ki pulses out from Vegeta and gold light flashes from the cracks in the door as the Saiyan dries himself off. He states what his son told him during the training period, and what he believes his son's reasons to have been whilst keeping in mind elfin ears may be listening. Vegeta keeps emotions from his speech so as not to mislead the maiden or come off as trying to tease her, he maintains his neutral stance and feeds the princess as much as he deems necessary. Ayeka's face flushes further.
"Good thing that you're too selfish to care too much what your son wants, at what age do Saiyans fledge the nest?" Ryoko teleports next to the bathroom door with white fabric in her hand. There is strain in her arms, her biceps standing out against her skintight attire as she phases them through the door and releases what she was carrying. She was being kind. She left to give Ayeka time to speak and to fetch Vegeta clean clothes but she cannot help but react to that awful word 'maternal'. Things of that nature have been voiced far too much before she entered the time dilation with the proposed solution to Saiyan mating seasons and now it is continuing with her rival. She has no interest in that angle of approach and wants the topic changed. Weighted boots thud heavily to the floor of the bathroom and crack the tiles. She looks across to the princess and mouths that she chose Vegeta's outfit to match with Ayeka's robes, as a gesture towards the debt she owes Ayeka.
"I am not keeping Trunks here. If he wants to become independent from me he can do, he is more than capable enough to lead his own life and has guaranteed wealth from Capsule Corporation. Jealous are we, Ryoko?" Coming from a race that uses its new-borns as biological weapons to be sent to distant planets, Vegeta has no concerns about his son going out to carve his own path in life away from him. He teases Ryoko and how snappy she was to interrupt Ayeka as he begins to dress himself.
"Absolutely livid. Cook food for me, and Ayeka, maybe yourself as well, since we are too lazy to do it ourselves." The door rattles as Ryoko leans back against it and quips back at the Saiyan. Vegeta was planing to eat and she did not have much sustenance during her 4 days and so food is high on Ryoko's agenda, and she wants him to know that he still has a lot to do for her. She sarcastically jokes about her jealousy to hide it and then fires off the insult of laziness to see how he responds to what he called them according to Trunks. Ayeka quietly says that she has already had breakfast.
"I was planning to. … Ryoko, you have seemingly failed to provide me with a complete outfit."
There is no top to his outfit. Vegeta has a pair of boots, the lower half of a baggy white training gi and a green sash to tie it up with but no shirt or anything to cover his chest with. He can guess why Ryoko has done this. In the hallway Ryoko stares at the opposing wall. 4 days to clear her head has done wonders yet Vegeta is miles away from earning her forgiveness. He tore her top off and even though she has done the same she is doing it again due to how the act does not shame him with him being male. She stretches her arms out and inspects a crack in one of her fingernails.
" It's complete enough. Need something to look at, 'cos your face don't look half as good like that. What about you, Ayeka, which form of our prince do you like the best?" Ryoko grins across to her rival, continuing her fun. For her Super Saiyan 3 is not the form she prefers Vegeta to be in, the Neanderthal like heavy brow she finds unattractive and she loses most of her height advantage over him but also she remembers entering Vegeta's thoughts. She knows that this transformation is something he attributes to his late wife. Ayeka looks away at this question. The princess most certainly has a favourite but she would rather not say, and it would be insulting towards Vegeta to say some variants of him are less pleasing to her eyes than others.
The sound of a hand on a doorknob gets Ryoko to lazily float forwards and turn about, Vegeta exits the bathroom all fresh and clean and still in his Super Saiyan 3 state. Ryoko tuts at him as she looks at his exposed chest. There is no sign of the double thumbed hand-print she left there when phasing his glove within him. His arms are crossed and so she does the same, keeping a watchful eye on his piercing blue she observes whether her battle outfit elicits any reaction from him since it is similar to the outfit that recently entered her possession. Ayeka glances across to him. She does like the fact that his clothing, however minimal, does share a colour scheme with her own and has a request to make of her prince.
"... Lord Vegeta, I would like to accompany you the next time you visit. I assume that- that you have plans, plans to go there?"
"I have got plans to visit Bulma's grave and my in-laws. You are both welcome to join. Though, when this happens is up in the air, and dependent on when your mother does come to visit."
" Sure, I'll tag along too. And since Ayeka avoided the question I'm guessing she thinks the same as me but is too polite to say, either that or she really likes giant apes." She takes a step closer to the blonde man, he invited her and she will accept it. Ryoko smiles at Ayeka's embarrassment and the look that Vegeta sends her at bringing up his long lost and redundant Oozaru form. The attention of the Saiyan has turned to her again, as she wants. He just listened to one of Ayeka's wants and so she waits.
"I will not alter my training to appease your sense of aesthetics." Vegeta would raise an eyebrow if he had any, he sees an expectant Ryoko and repays her for mocking his appearance. From now on his Super Saiyan 3 transformation will be a common sight, to gain further mastery he will stay in it as much as he physically can. He watches as her golden eyes harden.
"What will you do for me then, huh?" Her voice drops low. Her grin turns into a sly smile. Her stomach loudly rumbles. Vegeta's stomach growls in response. Ryoko pokes him and keeps her finger on his chest. He motions behind him with his head at the bathroom and Ryoko shakes her head saying she showered before exiting the training room, his nose agrees with her statement, for the most part. Ryoko then walks off unannounced to her room to change out of her combat gear.
Laughter comes from downstairs. Vegeta hears his son and since they are just standing about he walks off towards the stairs in search of food, Ayeka follows. At the top of the staircase the father can see that his child has temporarily abandoned his game and is laughing to himself whilst looking inside the training room. Besides some blue he sees teal. Vegeta takes a moment and then mumbles to himself in remembrance that there are other women lodging in his house. Kiyone looks up the stairs as the two royals descend, she takes note of Vegeta's long blonde hair and half dressed state and the Juraian next to her moves off towards her sister. The laughing off Trunks dies down and Sasami points through the training room door to alert her sister to what is transpiring. A collapsed Washu lies exhausted and fast asleep in the training room with another knelt to the side of her. Mihoshi taps her translucent cube and it reforms into a fluffy bauble which she attaches to the rear of her outfit and stands. She freezes seeing Vegeta there but he has no interest in her. Black ink and graffiti cover Washu's face. A small vengeance has been taken as the natural blonde stares warily at the Super Saiyan 3. He snarls.
"You, klutz, go fetch this Tuffle's man, have Yamcha take care of her and as soon as she wakes she is to resume her work." Annoyed that Washu succumbed to her lack of sleep before the modifications to his training room could be undone, Vegeta barks an order at the police woman. With Washu's work incomplete he is unable to close the door to his training room. From a safety standpoint it would be dangerous for him to train with nothing protecting those outside or stopping someone accidentally getting too close and pinned by gravity, privacy is the factor he cares more for. He could wake Washu but feels that for a job involving time dilation and dimensions and such he would rather not run the risk of her botching it in her tiredness. Mihoshi nods but waits until Vegeta turns and walks from the training room before she makes any move to do as he says.
A Saiyan stands in the kitchen rummaging to see what he can find and Ayeka begins to disentangle herself from her sibling telling Sasami that she can carry on playing for Vegeta will be cooking and that she will return to spend time with her soon. Sasami asks about their mother, Ayeka answers that Kiyone and Washu have forms of communication so they might know or be able to get in touch but currently she herself does not know. As Ayeka looks up from her sister she sees Kiyone stood there, she says to the dutiful officer that everything is OK and there is no reason for concern, Kiyone nods and requests that if it is not too personal she would like to be kept in the loop. Ayeka hesitantly nods. The princess pats her sibling on her head and walks into the kitchen where a broad back greets her. Vegeta is grabbing an assortment of foods and stacking them high on the work surface, his hungry eyes darting about whilst continuing to search. The sounds of the children's video game begin again, the father smiles.
" There is no need for you to be so quiet, speak your mind, Lady Ayeka. I am currently open to requests."
With his back still to her he instigates conversation and begins to slice and dice whatever comes to hand first. There is no point mincing words, he knows she has a lot she wishes to discuss with him and since Washu has rendered his training room inoperable he might as well get it over and done with now. Ayeka is not someone who can easily speak freely so he gives her this nudge to goad her into action. She opens her mouth and inhales then closes it again and listlessly looks about before stepping further into the kitchen.
" I would greatly prefer it if you would finish getting dressed."
" … I was thinking more along the lines of what you want me to cook but in this I can also comply."
His form flickers and a matching white gi covers his top half. Vegeta carries on preparing food. Ayeka nods to herself. She reminds Vegeta that she has already eaten and so asks for something light and more akin to a snack than the full blown feast he is seemingly preparing. A knife gets worked out of the chopping board. Handling any object with as much power as he has requires a lot of finesse and control, Ayeka watches him. Heat gets added to the mix, grilling and frying are fast ways to cook food. Ryoko teleports down into the room, humming a little nonsense to herself as she does so and sets down immediately next to Vegeta. Her black and crimson skin-tight outfit has been traded for a deep and dark purple, long sleeved, satin top that reveals most of her midriff and has a deep v-cut collar and some ripped black jeans that expose her knees. Fingers weave through the glowing threads of gold and Ryoko pulls a face of distaste but continues all the same. The preparation of food halts.
"Your hair don't feel nice, it's all wiry and prickly and hot. Don't you wash it properly?" Ryoko takes her hand back and makes a show of wiping it on her trousers, her playful curiosity roving wild as she teases Vegeta about his transformation some more. Vegetables and meat start getting cut, sorted and seasoned again. Ryoko sniffs hungrily at the air and peers over Vegeta's shoulder. A blue eye glances her way. A great scent of searing meat begins to fill the air.
"Did someone get lonely within my training room, your actions so far scream that you want attention, specifically mine." He calls her out on her behaviour, probing as to what she is after.
" Most people who aren't psychotic bastards tend to get a bit lonely in solitary confinement."
"It is good to hear that you did not get lonely then, I myself missed Lady Ayeka awfully during those 2 lonesome months on my own."
Ryoko pauses, her eyebrows furrowing and a growl of disapproval comes from her throat as Vegeta taunts her. This is unlike how he was before. She glances back towards her rival to see Ayeka sat at the table smiling to herself with rosy cheeks. The maiden knows Vegeta to be joking yet it still makes her ears burn and her heart flutter. Ayeka enjoys his words and how he is alleviating a possible heady and serious mood with humour. Ryoko does not agree with her sentiments. She prods Vegeta hard in the back and keeps pressing with her sharp fingernails.
"Ooh, we've got a funny guy here, you think it's wise to take that tone with me, little man? You. Owe. Me. Or better yet, I own you." Circles get traced across his back, her nail scoring his top that she kept from him.
Vegeta dishes up a humble serving of fresh greens with a side of grilled chicken on a small plate, ignoring Ryoko's best efforts to annoy him. Getting into a verbal duel with the Saiyan is not what she is after. Having him argue back to her is not something she desires. Ryoko is calling in his debt and he shall pay her what she is owed or she is going to shove him back in his training room until he feels like co-operating. Both of them have had plenty of time to think things through and Ryoko hopes that with 14 months he came up with a rich bounty of ways to appease her.
Her nail becomes uncomfortably hot, his power might be controlled yet that enormous ki he is reigning in is still ever present, Ryoko gives one last hard prod before she takes her hand back. She wants his transformation to go away, she wants to look down on him and have her fun, she does not need to be sensing his astronomical ki all the time. Vegeta turns about with a plate in his hand. Ryoko expectantly looks at it and its meagre contents. The Saiyan prince then walks past her and places the small meal before Ayeka who graciously thanks him for his cooking. Whilst Vegeta has left his food unattended, Ryoko filches a large handful of meats Vegeta had been cooking and greedily stuffs her face with them. Her mouth waters as she eats properly for the first time in a couple of days. She sees that Vegeta is looking at her after having served Ayeka, she sticks her tongue out at him and grabs more food.
"I thought your tongue was modified to taste, not to waggle more, I might owe you a debt … but you have not yet asked for anything."
Vegeta goes back to cooking with Ryoko stood close to him pilfering morsels here and there to sate her famished stomach. Her hand comes dangerously close to the knife he is wielding several times, a few times on accident and a few to make him know she is there. From behind her there is the sound of cutlery on ceramic as Ayeka slowly eats her meal and watches the antics without a word. Ryoko keeps her feline eyes locked either on the food or the brow-less face of Vegeta. Her mind is grinding away trying to decode all that he is, solve the riddle of his behaviour and guess at where he stands. She wants to ask the world of him. He has thrown down the gauntlet at her feet with his words, Ryoko stalls thinking of what to ask for first, what she can say to test the water and then escalate from. Vegeta finishes cooking and a pirate leans her face close to his.
" Step 1 is done, now try step 2: Feed me, my prince."
"No."
"D'ya think you're in any position to say no to me, to your darling Ryoko, your beloved betrothed? Answer's no if you couldn't work it out." Scowling, Ryoko haughtily asserts herself and presses for Vegeta to submit. He never turned her down before. She asked him to accept her hand in marriage and in that he conceded but now he will not feed her, something he has done before anyway, Ryoko is not liking whatever transition occurred inside his training room. On the other hand, Ayeka is happy that Vegeta said no, not due to any ill will towards Ryoko but mainly as she does not think she could stomach watching that.
The Saiyan coolly turns his blue eyes onto Ryoko and begins to feast. Ryoko shakes her head. She points at herself and her predatory orbs narrow on Vegeta, gestures and offerings are the currency for the day and although she would like Vegeta to be extremely generous and charitable she has no need for it. If there is something she wants she is accustomed to taking it regardless. She grabs at his hand and leans in towards the foodstuff he is holding when he then lets go and uses telekinesis to place it on top of her head, much to her chagrin. Ryoko growls and the piece of fish on her head sears as she gets annoyed. Still being fairly hungry she swipes at the food on her head and consumes it, glaring all the while at Vegeta as he eats with his free hand. She raises a foot and steps on one of his boots as she makes a second attempt to force him into feeding her.
Ayeka coughs. The show being put on with her meal she found entertaining and in trying to stop herself from laughing a rogue piece of her brunch lodged itself in her throat. A painfully solid impact hits against her back and her windpipe clears. She coughs a few times more with her back smarting and hears a succinct apology from Vegeta as to whether he caused her pain or not. This is the first time since it happened that he has touched her. She goes to accept his apology when a glass of water suddenly appears on the table, Vegeta nods at her and then turns to face the frustrated woman he ditched. Ryoko lets out a slight hiss under her breath. The princess takes a sip of the drink and then thanks Vegeta, he has touched her but she will let it slide since she was on the verge of choking. Vegeta smirks cockily at Ryoko and the cyan haired woman's face scrunches up into a scowl. The laughter this time comes forth. Ayeka giggles. She sees what is going on. She knows the game he is playing and her part in it. It is very rare to see Vegeta be this amiable and the annoyance of Ryoko does please her as her prince uses the jealousy between rivals as his toy to mercilessly tease Ryoko with. Ayeka giggles and Ryoko's brows furrow deeper.
"That-That's not fair! I said fair. I said equal." She tantrums and stomps her feet. Being laughed at is seriously affecting her mood. Only for her good will towards Ayeka does she not act upon this. Ryoko is not liking Vegeta being considerate to the Juraian maiden whilst brushing her off with a cold shoulder, it infuriates her. She is trying for something important and he is making a mockery of it, of her. Ayeka quietens herself down seeing Ryoko's great frustration but Vegeta merely crosses his arms and keep the grin plastered on his face.
"I gave you the equality you sought, does a simple glass of water mean so much to you?"
"Keep your damn water, at least offer me a real drink 'cos I sure as hell need one. … Why? Why are you acting like this?"
The answer is known to all but the one asking it. Ryoko has to know why she is being tormented by him again. She has been thinking about this for days, she did not plan on him being so uncooperative, she wants things to go like they should and like they did. Blonde spikes move side to side as Vegeta shakes his head and then faces away from her. Red flames crawl up Ryoko's flesh and her exposed abdominals tense. She is being ignored. Vegeta takes Ayeka's cleared plate from her and pulls her chair out for her. Teeth grind. She hears the echo of his voice calling for Ayeka over her. Two royals clothed in white look at her. Slender and pale hands make subtle motions behind the prince, trying to remind Ryoko of what she should be saying instead and what she truly wants to ask of Vegeta. Ryoko does not get it. She is too wound up, too stressed to deduce the hand signals for what they are and can only think that Ayeka is trying to make fun of her and laugh some more. A Super Saiyan 3 walks towards her to put the princess' plate in the sink and Ryoko lets out a gasp.
Heat flushes through Ryoko's face, her cheeks and ears burn, her eyes wide, and not all of this flame has its origin in anger. She claps one hand over her mouth to conceal her reaction as best she can as the other instinctually goes to protect her. Ryoko glares daggers at Vegeta. However these daggers are dulled and blunted by confusion, blazing up from the ice has left them brittle. Ryoko keeps her hand over her flushed red ear. Her gold eyes dart about, scanning the Saiyan who crossed a line, she does not know how to react. He touched her. She is sure of it. Neither woman could see it but she felt it. She felt his touch grace her sensitive ears. It is not making any sense. The game of opposites that Vegeta is playing is throwing her mind for a loop.
"Can the most beautiful pirate not work it out?"
As his body dictates he begins feasting again, leaving Ryoko with that compliment to help stoke the coals and keep her mind awhirl. She is not the only one who can have fun. After her traumatic experience he knows that she will be wary around him acting physically towards her and so he starts small, showing her that his touch does not always lead to pain. Vegeta knows what he is doing. He keeps his ears open whilst his back is turned to the two women, he can sense his son leaving the house to go outside and beyond several horizons he can sense his own rival training.
The lunchtime conversation has abruptly ended. Neither woman speaks, neither knows what to say. The broad back of Vegeta covered by his elongated hair is all they have. Ryoko's eyes glance across to Ayeka and sees that the princess is looking back at her due to her reaction, her golden eyes fix on the fair skinned face and Ayeka nods. Though she could not see or sense it in anyway, Ayeka can deduce what Vegeta has done. He has taken his game to the next level and she can clearly see that, something Ryoko's clouded mind cannot, although for all her intimate knowledge of Ryoko and her secrets she is lacking one to understand why Ryoko reacted that way: Ayeka does not know how sensitive Ryoko's ears are. The princess felt her own spike of jealousy at Vegeta complimenting Ryoko's appearance and making her own body issues born from that surface again, yet she keeps in mind that he said 'pirate' and not 'woman' and so hopes that with 14 months he has come to a wiser decision. Ryoko silently stands there stewing in thought, wary and half tempted to push to ask for her wants now since Vegeta is definitely not ignoring her.
Most of the food piled up on the work surface has vanished, swallowed down the ravenous gullet of Vegeta, and then so has the Saiyan himself. Ryoko follows his ki so knows where he is but frowns at this vanishing act, Ayeka looks about confused as to where he has gone when a short high pitched yelp reaches her. She rushes from the room, following the noise. Ryoko grabs some more food and teleports after them. Half way up the stairs is Vegeta and among his massive mane of gold are streaks of blue. Pink contrasts against his white gi, thin arms wrap around his neck and a freckled face presses into his collar. Ayeka calls her sister's name and looks at her prince. Vegeta steps backwards down the staircase and gently lowers the girl clinging to him. She is less scared than shocked and seeing her older sister she lets go of Vegeta and goes to her but not before a rough hand pats her on her head. With his senses on point and no distractions he could easily hear and prevent Sasami's accident and catch her just after she began to fall down the stairs. A warm smile is sent his way as Ayeka thanks him, and after a few seconds a shaken Sasami does as well. Ryoko chews and swallows. He might have earned himself some points with Ayeka for those heroics but she remains wary of him. Vegeta comments that the policewomen have failed in their duties again to which Ryoko is quick to remark that he went to wash after exercise and so he cannot fault them on doing the same.
Gold and blue lock for a second until something important distracts him: his training room. Another man looks back at Vegeta from inside. With Washu's head placed on his lap Yamcha sits with a handkerchief in one hand cleaning up the marker pen from his lover's face as she groans and lazily tries to put up some resistance with her exhausted limbs. Yamcha sees the look in Vegeta's eyes and so stops what he is doing and stands up lifting Washu with him. The tired scientist moans at the motion as she is carried out of the training room. A woman steps towards him and so he stops to hear her out. Ayeka looks about momentarily and behind her to Vegeta.
"Yamcha, as a member of the Juraian Royal Family under which Miss Washu is in the employ of, I would like to request access to a terminal, one connected to Earth's networks. … I- I have things – Personal research." Ayeka says demurely. She asks politely to requisition a computer as there is a task she requires one for. There is a date with Vegeta she has to plan, her knowledge of Earth is small and even smaller than that is her knowledge on dates. Yamcha agrees and leads her into the lab with a Washu in his arms.
One step gets taken towards the now vacant training room and one teleportation occurs putting a pirate solidly in his way and one question gets asked of him. Sasami looks up to her saviour and asks him where Trunks flew off to, Vegeta shrugs, his son has gone far and dropped his power level and tells as much to the girl as well as informing her that he can sense a cabbit that has almost wandered off into the forest surrounding his house. He gets a second round of thanks from the youngest princess and two tails of blue bob up and down as she skips outside in search of the wayward Ryo-Ohki. Vegeta takes a second step and Ryoko raises her power level. The third step he takes is behind her after his own teleportation and with that he enters his training room. He looks about the console in thought and Ryoko grins to herself.
" No running from me now. Talk, Monkey." Taunting the in-operability of his training room and how his sanctum has lost all privacy, Ryoko leans against the door-frame and glares at the Saiyan. He ignores her insults. Scanning the main console he debates what training he can do whilst not being able to shut the door. Ryoko grows impatient.
Over 400 days of non-stop training has not quelled his drive. The air inside the training room begins to hum and the form of Vegeta vanishes. Ryoko takes a cautionary step out of the doorway to get away from the enhanced gravity and looks on at the seemingly empty room. He is training instead of talking to her, training instead of making things right. She raises a hand, her palm pointing into the tiled room and towards the console, and orange spheres of light start to coalesce. With her being the only being about he can safely risk this form of training as long as he makes sure none of his power flows through the open door. The flaming balls growing in her hand pulsate.
"You ignore me for one more second and that console goes bye-bye, I don't care if I have to phase an arm into it to do it but it'll happen."
"There is no need to go so far. Did I not yield some partial control over my training regime to you women?" The static form of Vegeta appears with one of his arms a mere blur, his muscles appear strained but there is no sign of effort on his face as he talks Ryoko down from her intended violence. His ignorance of her is a continuation of his game. A wide and toothy grin showing off her canines splits across Ryoko's face as she is reminded of the power she holds, the power he is offering for her to wield against him. The dark amber light fades from the room as she dissolves her blast and lowers her arm. There is a hard edge to her eyes as she stares right back at Vegeta.
"I can do that, can't I … So? Go on, be a good little boy and turn it off."
The only limb of Vegeta that moves is the one throwing rapid punches in the air. Ryoko points a long finger behind him and towards the distraction that always steals him from her, and her grin grows as she bares her teeth. Vegeta does not move. He does not obey her. She stares, her slit-like pupils narrowed on his face, her pointed finger hooking and curling as her hand starts to clench into a fist. Just as the veins stand out on Vegeta's arms so does one on Ryoko's forehead. She can read his knowing and arrogant face and what his inaction means, he is not rebelling against her or his promise but he is doing something equally detestable. Vegeta knows that what he has done so far has not caused any 'pain' – the prerequisite for his training room being shutdown – and so will not act since he has no need to. He told her knowing that she would use it and he had no inclination of doing as she commanded, he is playing with her still. She raises a fist at the training Saiyan and then lowers it, trying to not give him the satisfaction of her anger. Ryoko lets out a calming breath and shakes her head in disapproval at him. She is really pissed off with him. He shall hear her anger.
"You bastard. You think being all touchy-feely with me is OK? I am not like that! You cannot do that to me, you can't touch me like that after what you did. It's the same! They are the same. They aren't just 'ears', they are my ears, and I don't see you going to fondle my chest again." Touching her against her will is not on. She cannot be bought off with simple stroking. Also, he seems to be under the wrong impression that just because the place he touched was her ears that it is all fine. For her her ears are on the same level as any other part of her body that can cause a similar reaction, and she has a large suspicion that he dare not touch her in those places so he should treat her ears with due respect. Ryoko vents. He bit her ear so now he is not allowed the luxury of touching them, even if it does feel good.
"Was that not the price?" Vegeta cocks his head to the side, raises a leg and begins practising kicks simultaneously as he poses Ryoko this puzzling question. He directs her down his path. One of her eyes ticks. She is not following and is annoyed. Ryoko snaps back at him.
"Price? I never asked for you to continue treating me like some toy, I – just act normal. Act normal!"
"After our first night together."
At that, the pirate falls silent. Now that she thinks on it she did ask for him to stroke her ears back when she was the one forcing herself onto him, when she could have forcefully taken him against his will. Ryoko smiles. An abrupt laugh bursts from her. She will give it to him that he worded that very well and the insinuation behind it all she quite enjoys. If he is repaying back that small forgotten debt then to her that can only mean for every little thing she will receive from him what she is owed. She will get what she deserves. Ryoko still dislikes that he touched her in a sexual manner without her permission yet it was not the same kind of touching as what happened on that rock in space. He has reminded her of when she was in complete control, something she wants again. She makes a derisive snort to show how insignificant this measly offering towards her is and how he will have to shower her with so much if he seeks her appeasement and goodwill. This mocking of her will cost him dearly.
" … Too bad. I charge interest on such late payment, guess I'll put it on your tab. … Is this you – this whole cocky dickhead routine – or is this the blonde affecting your brain?" Ryoko wants to know if him staying in his transformed state is somehow altering him and making him act in a less than respect manner towards her or if this attitude is a direct effect of him spending 14 months training and changing because of it. Ayeka knows of the mental effects that come from Vegeta transforming yet even she could not confidently answer. He is an enigma to the pirate. She runs fingers through her own hair, expecting a retort of some kind from Vegeta who she just mildly insulted.
"Give it about 4 hours and you shall see."
As he told her already his training is independent from her wants. He worked to get to this point where he can sustain Super Saiyan 3 for an extended period. Vegeta's regime demands he stay transformed as long as he can to keep adapting to and mastering this form, and Ryoko's curiosity can wait until his ki depletes. He waits to see if Ryoko will bark something back at him about his roundabout answer and she stands there, likewise waiting and fluffing her hair. A long exhale departs her body. She lounges back, seating herself in the air, taking her feet from the ground and as she hovers she closes her eyes. Her brow creases and she massages the bridge of her nose. Another sigh comes from her lips.
"Vegey, you won't touch me again like that, will you? You wouldn't do that to Ayeka so don't think its fine for me to be your plaything. You get a bit needy without your wife for 2 years then that is your problem, not mine. I can still leave you, this engagement isn't chaining me down." Ryoko speaks calmly. She reprimands his behaviour and unsheathes the same threat that got her engaged in the first place. Gold stares up at the ceiling. His plan for protecting her failed because he could abuse her more so than Ayeka and she will not stand for it. Her toes curl about in the air as she restlessly repositions her legs. Vegeta nods in response, her heart feels partially relieved.
"An easy task to do, mind you respect is a two way street. You would get bored quickly if I treated you exactly as I do Ayeka. You crave more attention and different kinds of affection than her, you also know what you want, unlike her."
"Question is, Vegey, do you know what I want?"
"I do. I missed you, Ryoko."
A rasp of hoarse laughter is all that sly comment elicits from Ryoko as she lazily levitates. She does not need his lies worming inside her ears, Ryoko knows full well that Vegeta did not miss her and will not unless the permanence of death separates them. Words are so easily said. He is right in stating that she would start craving more if he were to treat her just like he does Ayeka and she supposes his words on equal respect might come into play when she feels less animosity towards him. She got him to say pleasing things to her before and right now she could do with being flattered and buttered up to improve her mood, in this she can at least get instant gratification from his actions.
"I know you did, how could you not? How 'bout you try harder with that forked tongue of yours? Woo me. Court me. Whatever-else-Ayeka-would-say me. And do it fast."
" That is your task. I am the one with the mind to be swayed. Your ravishing charm can only get you so far." He gives his own reminder as he lays the challenge before Ryoko, he took time to move on from his wife and so now, whilst the iron is hot, would be a good time for Ryoko to start laying foundations to work off. She gets one of the compliments she was seeking and that is all he shall give her. If she wants to continue using the facade of her 'game' then she can. Vegeta knows how much to give and how much to withhold.
"No. No,Vegeta. I ain't doing anything for you, not till you make it worth my while. Why should I want to do anything for such a sadistic, selfish, arrogant and wild haired idiot from space?" Ryoko smiles as she declines and lists the similarities that they share. During her own time training she took a long look at herself, she knows who and what she is, she knows that she is barely any better than the monster who attacked her and she came to accept some of the blame. She was the one to discard all his warnings and teleport to him. He was the one who nearly broke twice from accepting her proposal and conceding his wife's outfit to her. She remembers what she saw in his mind. Ryoko lowers her feet and stands. Her eyes go about the room behind her. She senses that if she tries to push Vegeta for anything she will only end up getting wound up by him and so this time she will not go for a head-on charge. "Can I just give you the order to love me? I'll knock off half your debt if you do … No? Figures. I'm gonna go chat with Ayeka, make sure she knows all the most embarrassing places to take you on your lovely little date."
"Already been and done that."
"What the hell is that secret you two keep? Where did you go besides the beach and the zoo? Whatever. Call me when there's more food." With a puzzled look on her face as she wonders to herself about the Juraian's date and the words she cannot decipher in her diary, Ryoko turns about, waves and heads towards Washu's lab. She pauses at the door. There is not much light within there. She goes inside to pester the princess and talk to her friend to see what she makes of the changed prince whilst waiting for his ki to run out. She has all the time in the world and has a sneaking suspicion that finding opportunities to talk to Vegeta will not be hard with his door stuck open and a prediction she has. For now he can train in peace.