Chapter 92

A cross galaxy video call is started and a multi-form of Ryoko floats away to give Kaia privacy. The gloom of the lab becomes too dim and so she teleports away. Kaia is informing her parents of Washu's planned surgeries. The first one to occur is the one for her gut which poses miniscule risk even in the small chance that things go wrong. Behind Kaia stands Washu. Showers of gratitude and thanks come from the relieved parents that the famed scientist is caring for their daughter, they could not think of safer hands she could be in. Kaia has gotten to a point in her life where operations do daunt her but she gets on with them regardless. One of Kaia's mothers tries to make an offer of payment to Washu.

"I stopped working for money when Lady Seto was wearing nappies, please keep your money for I have no need for it. This is a matter of pride for myself. I cannot call myself the number one genius if I cannot cure Kaia. I also am under the employ of the Juraian royal family so let's just say I proactively took action before Ayeka or Misaki gave the order." Washu clearly states. As Kaia's accidental teleportation here is not meant to be public knowledge then she uses her pride instead of guilt as a reason .

Ryoko joins back up with her main body. She pokes at Mihoshi and asks whether Vegeta can actually receive a fair trial for this ever growing list of crimes. The failures of law she enjoys pointing out. Mihoshi pauses and looks to her partner for an answer. The headband on Kiyone's head is scratched as she pauses her work. She shakes her head and then goes on to say that that point matters little with Vegeta's declination of surrendering to the authorities. Ryoko spins in a circle in the air, that thought of the law being powerless is a fun one as she is now sat on that side of being untouchable.

She pokes Mihoshi again and asks how long a list of Ayeka's crimes would be. Ryoko lists on her fingers the few slaps, their fight, the vandalism to Vegeta's house, dealing with a known war criminal, aiding and abetting known murderers and the giving of Juraian state secrets of the Juraian royal family to a faction they are technically at war against. A dark grin splits her face. Ryoko vanishes upstairs to Ayeka's room and finds her diary to scrawl in these crimes. One more teleport and Ryoko is asking the duo cops whether she can report a crime where she was maliciously assaulted and slapped the other day. Kiyone gives a no-nonsense reply that they will take her statement at the nearest Galaxy Police station where she can also provide statements on the slew of crimes she is wanted for.

Two royals exit the War section of the museum after some deliberation and with Ayeka satisfied there is little else within there for her to observe or read. It went better than Ayeka feared a trip to a place dedicated to the horrors Vegeta has committed would, even taking into account some of his choice remarks. That was a section she allowed Vegeta to choose and so she chooses the next destination within this sprawling museum. Ayeka has a want to see the art of Earth. They walk back through the main foyer and to an opposing wing where none of the people from the school trip are near.

Vegeta has a short pause before the art entrance, as if in thought. He looks across to Ayeka.

"Now we shall see about that previous mockery you made of my intellect: can you understand the art of this planet and its cultures?" He issues a challenge to his date.

"I see no reason as to why not."

"Before have you always viewed art with your family?"

"Yes, I do not go out to places unaccompanied and my mothers also like to frequent such galleries." Ayeka is confused.. Many alien works she has seen and none have confounded her or left her unable to project some meaning upon it.

"I shall make this a competition. Whomsoever can appreciate and understand Earth's art the best can make one demand the other cannot refuse. Be warned, my wife might not have been an artisan yet I have a bit of history with how earthlings think." The Saiyan smirks.

"... Why would you issue this when you yourself have stated that art is not a thing you 'get'? I am confident in my ability to win, but I am not understanding why you would issue this challenge. And-and that 'demand' I do not like the sound of." It sounds guaranteed for her that she will win. Ayeka is hesitant over this. Vegeta is not an idiot to make these impossible gambles, he is a master manipulator. She does not see his angle, or what he hopes to gain from him losing this.

"You do not like me giving you a free demand of myself, since you are so assured of your own win? Take the weighted gamble for what it is. Or are you weak at interpreting abstractions and complex pieces?" Vegeta tells her to accept what he is offering freely with but one thin string attached.

She nods and shall take him up on this. One piece of advice she was given by Ryoko was concerning Vegeta's competitive nature and turning things into either a game or a challenge and so she shall indulge him in this. With a good friend who is an artist, a hobby of drawing and an upper class education within fine arts and culture she sees no loss for herself. Vegeta's self assured smirk remains.

He pushes a door open and holds it for the princess to enter. The large sector of the museum is deathly silent. They are the lone people visiting here. Rows and hallways splinter about segmenting works into genre and art movements. In the middle of the first room is a statue of Mr. Satan holding aloft his belt as the champion. Ayeka has seen better work from her friend, though she tends to do smaller sculptures out of softer mediums than this larger than life marble monument. There is nothing she does not expect. Art galleries on Jurai look as they do here. She points to the statue and proclaims to Vegeta that she is fairly certain of the meaning of that pivotal piece. Vegeta nods.

Words are only partially translated for Ayeka. A noun for an art movement local to Earth has no translation on Jurai. She can read the letters but the words hold little meaning: 'cubism' she can see includes the word for cube and beyond that she has no clue. Vegeta is wilfully ignorant of all the genres here. However, the Saiyan knows of one kind of art that Ayeka will not expect. Ayeka intends to visit all areas within here and so for the sake of choosing a place to start she heads of down a hall on the left.

So far Ayeka is off to a strong start. Sceneries and landscapes are her forte in sketching and the abundance off paintings devoted to the natural world are easy for her to 'understand' as the challenge with Vegeta states. Whether her sense of colour usage is the same as the connotations of Earth are a matter that cannot be decided by herself as a Juraian and a Saiyan. The artwork is impeccable. Sprawling canvases to small framed portraits line each wall in an orderly fashion. Turning to Vegeta she can clearly see that in his eyes these are pieces of paper or fabric holding an image less clear than that of a photograph on them, he does not get art or its purpose. Making sure there are a few precautionary steps of distance between them she queries him on his understanding of these pieces to see if she can claim her victory early. He surprises her by having a solid understanding of the emotions hidden within the composition of these pieces.

"For a man with no time for artistic pursuits you hold a sturdy foundation in examining art and the base messages these wonderful pieces hold." Ayeka comments.

"Getting worried?" He remarks back.

"No, not worried. I am interested 'tis all. To understand art like you are requires a higher level of empathy than you normally demonstrate." She takes a half step back in case this quasi-insult sees her lifted up or touched again.

"... I gained my skill in reading emotions as a weapon for when I taunt and psychologically break them down in battle." His explanation comes after a pause of deciding whether speaking it is the right thing to do or not, she does not like his evil ways and it does spoil the mood.

"And now we have found alternative and constructive uses for it." Ayeka smiles as she turns his dark past on its head. "So since you are attempting to hustle me with these skills of yours how are we to determine a victor in our little match?"

"Until one of us concedes, hits a wall of art they cannot fathom nor describe."

"Are you anticipating some abstract piece to throw me? Some form of art that understanding would only come with age, or that is very particular to Earth and Bulma enlightened you about?"

"Wait and you shall see." That is all that Vegeta shall say as he walks on, to leave Ayeka to continue to admire these masterpieces.

Vegeta is glad his wife was a scientist and the head of a company instead of an artist as he looks about. Renaissance, Modernism, Baroque, Gothic, Minimalism and Surrealism. All these forms exist around him. The best he can equate these to are variant martial arts and how they differ, except these are just pictures to him. They are dye spattered on canvas, some colour that has assumed shape. None of these have power, none of them have strength, they cannot kill nor can they protect. For a Saiyan they have zero worth. He rounds a corner and finds his victory awaiting him.

The regal lady from Jurai takes an additional half an hour than Vegeta for each hall of magnificent art. He walks through observing his surroundings and passes through as quick as his stride takes him. Ayeka is invested in viewing these pieces properly and giving them their due respect for the displayed talent. She ensures to ask every once in a while concerning their challenge as Vegeta does not appear to be paying any amount of attention. His musings on them become less and less. Abstract pieces do not prove to be the downfall of Ayeka. Compared to the war exhibit there is less conversation between them. She even comes across a fantastical painting that resembles a scene similar to Jurai bar the sky being too dark a blue.

Ayeka catches up to Vegeta waiting at a corner. Half way through this artisan's paradise Vegeta has some relief in sight. He questions Ayeka on the tapestry she was just admiring to distract her attention elsewhere as he has her round the corner before him. No planing for this is necessary. An educated guess has served him perfectly. This gallery does in fact contain art from all walks of life and all genres.

Since this is a respected art gallery where loud noises are to be avoided and avoiding drawing the attention of security guards to the area is preferential, Vegeta firmly covers Ayeka's mouth as she emits a shrill shriek of shock. This museum houses nudes. The natural form is a subject of many pieces, whether intending to be sexual or not. A passionate sculpture in the middle of the long room is helping matters immensely for Vegeta. Even through his thickened hide he can feel the temperature of Ayeka raise. She firmly shuts her eyes and the muffled noises from her continue.

"And this simple section, depicting nothing complex or intellectual, is where you fail. Juraians love the natural world, so here it is for you to gawk at." Vegeta is confident in his win now. He can barely speak of or understand most of this art but in this Ayeka cannot speak at all. "So why were you so eager to take me to a place displaying naked Earthlings?"

Fair hands go over his own as the maiden shields and covers her face. She starts shrinking back from the offending view and this bumps her into the Saiyan man behind her. Ayeka wants to be far away from this exhibit of the nude, unlike Kaia however she cannot navigate or move whilst covering her eyes. Back is the only direction she knows to go and Vegeta is blocking her.

"Pressing into me like that, are you trying to re-enact the activities on the painting to the right?" His low voice whispers into her ear as he relishes his victory.

It is not the easiest task to muffle shrieks whilst not holding them so tight that they cannot move and feel trapped. Ayeka pulls away, stops, hesitates, does not know if moving towards the daring art is a better move for herself and all the while keeps her eyes shut. She is now acutely away of Vegeta's body and the hand touching her. Closing her eyes now allows her imagination to begin filling in the gaps of what she glanced at. Ayeka is not comfortable being here. This is not the art she wanted to see.

Underneath Vegeta's hand he detects movement. Ever so quietly, and only due to the fact there is no-one else about, he makes out the whispered mumbles of Ayeka offering up prayers of forgiveness. For the few higher beings he knows of he cannot see them viewing this as a transgression - and the less said about how Elder Kai would view this situation the better. Vegeta releases his hold over her mouth and steps around so he is before her, confident her screaming has stopped for now.

"T-t-teleport me away." Nerves have full control over her quavering voice. Her face beet red as she blindly reaches out a hand to where she thinks Vegeta is.

"That sounds like a demand. I am the victor, the champion here, so the demand is mine to make. You wanted to see art, this is art." Vegeta shall not teleport her from this room.

"... Please. I cannot be here. Th-this den of lewdness … this is not what art should be. I-I feel filthy just standing here, as if I am stuck in some sordid part of Ryoko's mind."

"Not Ryoko's, she does not fantasise about humans, only me. This is far more akin to my mind since it houses naked human females like my wife. I do not see an issue with the art here."

"Perverts. It- it is not proper. Dirty." She is struggling to form sentences.

"Are you saying that people who draw naked bodies are perverts?" Vegeta leans in towards her. There is a smugness to reflecting this back on Ayeka. The hypocritical actions are questioned. She cannot shun away from others drawing in the same manner that she has drawn himself. "Say it again, Princess Ayeka."

The distressed maiden visibly recoils. She is guilty of the same act she accuses these artists of. The same manner of art she has created. That insult applies to her. Her hands go to cover and hide her face. Ayeka shakes her head as she shall not repeat herself and deepen the hole she is in. Inside her diary are nude sketches, there is no denying that. She has contributed to the amount of nude art on Earth, the very thing she is currently shunning. Ayeka apologised for that transgression as soon as it was discovered. She apologises again. She does not want the taint upon herself of the label 'pervert'. This Juraian is a maiden, a princess, a pinnacle of purity, Ayeka has to maintain this.

"They a-are worse. M-m-money, they are m-making money from this, from … that. It shouldn't be public, not in a place children can see. It's not right." Ayeka makes what little argument she can to distance her own actions from that of the display she is stood in.

"You are highly insensitive to others differing from yourself. As a political figure that cannot be a favourable trait. If this is how Jurai treats all the others within its empire then not even my strength will not keep it from collapsing." Vegeta shakes his head and scolds her abrasive attitude to this place he knew she would strongly react to.

"Dirty images have nothing to do with the stability of Jurai, I am not insensitive, these offensive images are wrong and insensitive to people who just want to look at art." A firm rebuke comes back from the agitated princess, she shall not be insulted for her discomfort around sinful material.

"No, you are being even more insensitive than I. I do not care about Earth's cultures or what they do, my general apathy to these weaklings does make me callous and uncaring. What you are doing is worse. This is not Jurai-"

"I know this is not my home-world, this would not be here if it were!"

"Ayeka, this is not Jurai. They will not follow your Juraian rules. This is Earth, they will do as is acceptable by their society and not bend the knee to your own. Their right and wrong is not your right and wrong. Your hostile behaviour towards their culture is intolerance. You cannot push your views upon them and warp and change them into a pseudo-Jurai like you are trying with myself and my Saiyan culture. You are not being tolerant of these differences, unlike myself who has been forced to accept another culture and way of thinking over my own."

Underneath her full blush face a scowl arises. Being lectured on morals and right and wrong from someone she has argued with about why murder is wrong is demeaning. She feels like she is being mocked, being treated like a child. Ayeka would open her eyes to feel less silly and argue back but she catches herself to not see the sight of naked humans. Vegeta is getting payback for his domestication and the indoctrination constantly being shoved down his throat. Ayeka stomps the heel of her right foot.

"... I am not the villain here. You tricked me, you knew this was here. I am not trying to push any change onto them here. I am still allowed to hold my own opinion and voice it. Why did you lead me here knowing of my feelings towards this ...smut?"

"Why? For your reaction of course. That and to pose this question; 'Why should instruments of death be allowed to be shown to children but not anything depicting the act of reproduction that life requires?'. Is sex to you a greater sin than murder or war? Or is it that you can distance yourself easily from war, see it as some fantasised land of heroes, not attribute it to any part of yourself … and sex is cutting too close to sins you are worried you might actually commit?"

Ayeka falls quiet. The Saiyan is a natural bully and getting a rise out of her is easy. She will not get dragged into the philosophical question he has asked, he will dispute and keep arguing to the bitter end, aggravate her, and do it all in the name of the conflict he desires and to gain another victory. His last question however has sunk its claws into her mind. Yes war is foreign to her however he has just arrogantly stated he presumes her to be fighting against her own desires to not act on her own love towards him and pursue a further intimacy. That question strikes too close. She has kissed him without planning to, acted upon impulse before, hugged him, embraced him, even gone so far as to fall asleep on him, and all the while he pushes against her limits of what she is comfortable with. She does not know if that question is a warning or an invitation.

She hears footsteps as the Saiyan warrior paces. This is the true psychology that Vegeta knows of, the science of psychological warfare. Ayeka is stuck where she is, unable to move without fear of walking into an offending piece or knocking into some priceless artefact, she cannot see unless she exposes her maiden mindset to a willing viewing of genitalia and all she hears is the voice of Vegeta. Calming her mind is only working so far with the knowledge of the contents of this hall.

"I appreciate your effort so that the only male body you know of is the perfection of mine. Your own beauty itself is not out of place in this gallery of art." The air within this certain hall is charged with a particular energy. He compliments her as a follow on to his previous question.

"Thank you for the compliment. Now, back to the matter of teleporting me away."

"I am in plain view of several security cameras." Vegeta hoarsely whispers, closer to Ayeka's ears than she realised he is.

Her head leans away from his voice. That is a flimsy excuse for not using his powers to save her, his identity and his powers he is too proud to keep secret – blowing away a stadium in a tournament did not keep him incognito. He was not acting like this during the war exhibition, she assumes there has to be a reason why he is now acting as he is. She recalls the incident of his peculiar behaviour in exposing himself to Ryoko, anything could happen with Vegeta now he is so unpredictable. His hand touches hers and with strength behind it he leads her. Ayeka walks with her eyes closed hoping they are leaving this exhibit she cannot allow herself to see.

After a few steps and turning a corner they come to a stop and Ayeka peeks out of one red eye to ascertain they are in what she deems a safe environment. The art here does not appear to contain pornographic imagery so she fully opens her eyes. Vegeta is still holding her hand. In a quiet voice she concedes her victory on art as she cannot explain art she cannot see and complains that he cheated. Vegeta has no problems with cheating. If all things were fair then every fight would end in a draw.

"Now that I have you in your current mood..."

A pale green eyebrow raises. Things are progressing along the 4th route she predicted. Since she has been shown such a blatant means to achieve her goals she has not been one to pass them up. Seto looks across from the velvet armchair she is sat in to the one supposedly guarding her. The royal family cannot constantly spare one person to be with her. Unfortunately the wrong shift is active for her. Her daughter left a while ago which is a shame. The one 'entertaining' her will have to do. Lady Seto clears her throat, with a few clicks she dispatches a message to both her daughter and granddaughter, locks down all input to her laptop and walks over to the Emperor of Jurai whom is keeping a personal eye on her activities. She hands over her laptop to Azusa as he looks confused at this one woman above his own rule.

"Lord Vegeta? You are behaving strangely, I know not of your intentions nor of what mood you are referring to."

From the screen of the laptop comes both audio and video direct from Earth. The translation glasses upon Princess Ayeka's head can capture both and so for Seto it is not too much of a hassle to gain access to them since they were so kindly pointed out to her by Ryoko. She has a live feed. She gifts this surveillance to the father of the princess. Seto shall earn favour. No matter the trouble she gets in there always exists ways for that trouble to cleanly and promptly disappear. This is also something she has a keen interest to view herself. From her personal communicator she resends messages to Funaho, Misaki, Sasami and Yosho. Confusion on the face of the emperor gives way as he realises that this video is indeed of his daughter in the present moment. He takes the laptop from her, hating the knowing grin on his mother-in-law's face.

"I have warned Ryoko to not leave my house, but there is a chance so I do not want to dawdle here." Vegeta stands in view of the screen speaking, all filmed from Ayeka's viewpoint as she is face to face with him.

Immediately upon seeing the Saiyan's face a scowl furrows Azusa's brow. There is not the respect he wants in that tone of voice when his daughter is being addressed, neither does he like the fact that his daughter and that murderer are seemingly alone somewhere. Seto walks around to be next to him so she can also witness this for herself. Whispering to Azusa that this is her gift to him and a reason why her meddling should always be permitted.

Static distorts the screen and the image fuzzes for a few seconds and then calms down. Vegeta stands as a Super Saiyan 3, golden and long haired. Seto burns the image of this form into her brain. This is the power of those still technically at war against her empire. Azusa reacts powerlessly wanting to do something for a warrior has powered up in front of his child. A confused sound comes from Ayeka. The view goes from side to side as she looks about and then she looks downwards. Pale hands mess with the seashell necklace. They cannot see but she is blushing.

"... When my eyes were closed?"

Ayeka asks. Vegeta is no longer a multi-form. This is all of him. All his attention, and he is not training at all currently. When she could not see he reformed. Ayeka understands the gravity of this gesture and is highly appreciative for it. Azusa asks Seto about the situation and what is going on so that he can get some context. Seto tells him that all shall be revealed by watching for a few more minutes. She reaches over him and with a long nail raises the volume so that she can hear better.

"I do not do things in half measures. This day is done with you in mind. I intend to atone in entirety for my actions. It would belittle both our royal pride if I were to do anything less."

The door crashes open and a frantic Funaho rushes in at the behest of Seto. She asks what the emergency is, Azusa is confused by his wife's sudden appearance, and Seto curls a finger at Funaho to come.

"You made a deal with me, Ayeka. An unwise one. And you are going to honour it."

On screen Vegeta gets closer as he approaches. Azusa complains that he is too close and growls. It infuriates him when the angle changes as Ayeka averts her face shyly and looks away with a nod. Now they cannot see anything but some fine art hanging on a wall. Ayeka trepidatiously tells him that he is too close to her, with her mind reverting back to scenes from the previous gallery.

Funaho joins in the viewing. The first wife of Azusa asks Seto whether Misaki has been contacted and Seto nods though follows on that if she is training for the tournament she might not be in reach of her communicator. Azusa plainly asks Seto what kind of a deal his daughter has made with that monster. The elder Juraian answers by calling it a 'vague' deal. Funaho cannot help but wonder on this, and wonder on why Seto is spying on Ayeka.

The voice of the princess comes through the speakers as she hesitantly speaks warning Vegeta against making too daring a request of herself. That she will not like it if he asks her to do something she deems wrong or inappropriate. He simply replies that he is no idiot and will not do something that will make her hate him. Vegeta then states that she should trust him, with her arguing back that a trustworthy person would not have led her into the art section around the corner. It is clear to the audience how nervous she is.

For an awkward minute there is silence. The Super Saiyan 3 stands there with a contemplative look on his brow-less face with Ayeka not wanting to interrupt the man deep in thought. Vegeta's eyes do not leave her face.

"Ayeka, my demand, your hand." With a princely proclamation he makes this request of her.

Translation glasses tilt down with Ayeka looking down. Vegeta is still holding one of her hands. He already has her hand. She is unsure. Ayeka looks back up to him. His face is serious, he is not joking. So she lifts her other hand for him in-case this is what he meant. His rough hand encapsulates it as he holds it. Vegeta shakes his head to himself and mutters to her that that is not what he meant. She feels something on the hand she just gave him. Ayeka's confusion is cast aside in an instant as Vegeta removes both his hands from hers.

All Juraians viewing this take a sharp intake of breath. Funaho claps her hands happily.

No words or sounds come from Ayeka.

There on her finger sits an alabaster ring.

Bright pearl. One single unbroken piece, silky smooth and perfectly bored through to allow for her finger. This is the same ring that she had to forfeit earlier. Now it is given to her. Now she is wearing it. Ayeka is wearing her engagement ring.

One finger brushes against the unblemished pearl, touching it, checking that it is real and there on her finger. It is cool to the touch. It is hers. Her other hand closes over her ringed hand, bowing her head, and she brings both hands in close over her heart. Wordlessly Ayeka takes one step forward. The translation glasses unbeknown to her recording her every action are knocked from her face as she moves her head close to Vegeta. All her family can see now are two pairs of feet. A sphere of cerulean shrouds them, Ayeka encapsulates them. Following a tender few minutes of nothing happening from their limited view they hear a quiet and heartfelt 'thank you' from Ayeka.

Ryoko hovers impatiently within the vacant training room. She kicks over one of the weights in frustration. He said that he would only be gone a few minutes. She holds great suspicion over what Vegeta is doing, she can sense that he is not multi-forming any longer and so deduces he must be whole with Ayeka. The torn open front of her dress prevents her from teleporting into the wroth of Vegeta. Ryoko wants him back now. Kaia is preoccupied and she wants some part of the man she loves with her and not with Ayeka. The pirate moodily floats to the main console. Her feline eyes scan the incomprehensible words, she wants to get him back for leaving. Ryoko likes revenge. Some of this she understands from her time training in here and by observing Vegeta. Either it is too dangerous for herself or would not annoy Vegeta. She hovers away and lays down on the cold tiles.

Reassuring heavy impacts sound out and grab the attention of her elfin ears. Ryoko smiles on the floor.

"Welcome home, my Vegey. What bastardry have you been up to with princess that was so important you left me alone?"

" … Something difficult. Something you will hate but in time will have the same, I assure you."

Ryoko stays quiet on the ground. She can work out what he means. Her golden eyes close and her fingers clench into fists. One golden band for Bulma, a pure white band for Ayeka, and empty dirt by the side for her. Barren. She is not able to speak. This stings.

"I will also be absent for a couple of days upon Ayeka's return." Vegeta speaks as he steps around her prone form and towards the central console.

She rolls over onto her side and curls up. Vegeta stops on his walk around her. Looking down to that same torn dress as she despondently lays on the floor he delays his training and crouches down next to her to explain.

"I cannot properly train here with Kaia about and her weakness. I must train, I shall condense this room into a capsule and go outside her range to train. This is the only way I shall have the strength for the tournament. Do not fret, your teleporting will make it easy for you to have your time with me per day as opposed to Ayeka." He offers her some small hope as his training precedes over his want to stay in his overrun home.

"So I have to ask and put in effort for time with you when you just straight up ask Ayeka for a date? That how it is?" Ryoko morosely snarls.

Her hand emerges out from her curled up form and skirts around the foot of Vegeta as if there were some invisible barrier around him. He cannot touch her to even put an engagement ring on her finger. She is falling behind. Kaia is having scary operations and Vegeta is leaving her to train. That tournament is looming far too close and paradoxically her time and date with Vegeta too far.

"Ryoko, you did not ask right now. You spent all morning with me, insulting and taunting me-"

"You still don't ask for me though. You asked for me gone. There's no ring for me, no date. I just get tears in my favourite dress. I don't wanna have you distant when I have to look after Kaia too. Be my support." It tumbles out of her. A weak fist hits the floor in frustration. She does not want to be alone during this. Ryoko is feeling mightily vulnerable. Distance might not mean much with teleportation yet his constant ki and presence soothes her. "She's having an operation right now for her stomach and stuff. Washu's removing the bad cells in her and I have to check on Kaia 'cos she can't see. I've seen her naked and Washu needs to know if she pisses blood after the op."

The Saiyan Prince does not need to know about the urinary process of the blind woman, nor does he explicitly care for her health. He attempts to manage what he can for her. Purple energy forms in a small hemispherical barrier, only several centimetres across and a few cracks run through it as he forces parts of it into a sharper curve. Vegeta lowers this barrier onto her fist. This shall be his pseudo hand for touching her. Golden eyes look out at this weird feeling. Those barriers are used to control and punish her, now it is a reassuring touch to replace the flesh she fears.

"A trusted and responsible position. Caring for another. You worried before about being capable in caring for my son, if you can do this then you are well along the way. He'll probably be training with me for most of it, but will return for your light. I will not."

"I know, I know. You spent over a year without us, the hell do a few days matter. We ain't good cooks. I want a good meal when you come back. Spoil me." She reaches out her other hand and rests it atop of his barrier. It is not the same. Physical contact is an ambivalent want of hers. Ryoko's heart is hurting still. "Looks like this day's taking its toll. You go off and have yourself a cry when training and I'll have one here."

She cringes and looks away from him.

"Y'know I could make some joke there, but no. And no, it ain't that bad … yet. Might be with you abandoning and leaving me after … after putting a fucking r-ring on Ayeka."

"Your engagement ring is not in my possession as of yet due to your want for equal treatment, not me forgetting. I made Ayeka's from a single pearl. Yours too will be hand-made by this prince. You don't have many plans for that day beyond a dress, this can occupy us for some time."

"And I can make yours. So, on the screen I see people getting down on one knee for proposing. Did you bow low for Ayeka today?" Ryoko likes the sound of crafting them together, though it distracts her little from this betrayal towards Ayeka. The man she loves has already bowed to Ayeka and not her, she questions and mocks his pride.

"This is the lowest I have been all day. Come on then, what small favour can I do to satisfy you?" This small offer that she has not had to ask for should appease her enough to exit his training room. Vegeta moves the small barrier to her head and down her back as he stands up.

"You say satisfy but you mean move me out ya room. … I've been working on something. I promised Kaia that I would make a technique so I can do a backwards mind-read on her so she knows what brightness is. I got a little of something but I don't think it'll work."

Lazily she rolls over onto her back. Ryoko outstretches a hand and demonstrates her modified skill to the air for Vegeta to sense the ki and technique. It is a basic use of the mind reading technique on herself and then a failure of packaging it up in ki and transmitting it out. She looks across to Vegeta. After a few seconds he holds out a hand and mimics her failed variation exactly. He nods to himself. This does not sound too hard a task to accomplish. There exists but one main issue for experimentation; neither can touch the other to use the skill.

"Which cop are we testing on then?" A dark smile comes from Vegeta as his co-conspirator floats upwards.

"I like Mihoshi more. How about you give Kiyone some evidence? Get it working, I'll watch, you teach, I learn and problem solved. … And I've thought of some nice 'n' kinky uses for that when we are together."