Chapter 129
The taloned claw causing so much calamity is the same arm warmly holding onto him throughout the night seeking comfort and another. His wife usually held his arm at the beginning of them sleeping together but rarely would the embrace be uninterrupted by movement throughout their sleep. Neither does his flesh broil, his hide brand or his ki notice the constant interaction with the black limb of the Counteractor. The Kais fear her and not him; this woman who would never strike out unless to defend those she loves, against him who regrets not having murdered Bulma to allow her to resurrect.
Hours after the last of the festivities end and in time for dawn to start shining outside, Vegeta hears Misaki's salvation from his presence. Whispered voices come from down the corridor and not of those belonging to the few early risers downstairs barely woken up. Another passive defender holding great strength stands outside. The half-Saiyan of Gohan holds concern in his voice whilst Videl tries to be proud of her sparring match against Vegeta. Nasty bruises have appeared, luckily none on her face. In a hushed voice they ponder if they should knock since this is the room of the Juraian Empresses.
Vegeta sends a brief telepathic message to Gohan to hold a minute. Awkwardly he leans over the bed with one arm still firmly in Misaki's grip and he lightly shakes Funaho's shoulder to wake her. She begins to rise as a silent voice speaks in her head in a disconcerting way making her question if she is awake or these the vestiges of dream. The telepathic voice of Vegeta speaks again to her and informs her that Gohan is outside to take over guard duty so if she would for modesty's sake wish to exit into the en suite bathroom and ready herself this is her time to do so. She nods and stands and leaves into the bathroom with a change of clothes for the morning, and Vegeta ushers in Gohan.
Following Vegeta carefully easing his arm from Misaki he lets his watch leave her now with Gohan present. The face of the sleeping Empress starts to frown and a soft mewl comes from her throat as her arms tighten onto a now retracted arm. Videl sees what Gohan is thinking and makes sure she intervenes first. Her arm takes Vegeta's place, not Gohan's. Then whilst looking at him as if he should know better she feels Misaki's overwhelming strength and unfortunately for her she is not strong enough so does not successfully stop Gohan from having his arm hugged by Misaki.
At the breakfast table 4 women sit with hot drinks after having finished a small breakfast. Vegeta lumbers into the scene with his face clearly showing how tired he is after not having slept for over 24 hours. Mrs. Briefs greets him good morning – if she had a habit of making food for him she would but out of all her family he more often than not woke before even her. On the Saiyan's shoulder sits Ryo-Ohki licking his cheek seeing if she can get this person to feed her after already being fed but several minutes prior. Lady Seto, Kiyone and Chichi – having secretly having been returned by her husband – watch as Vegeta grabs a carton of eggs and a loaf of wholemeal bread and a ring of sausages.
"How were things with my daughter?" Seto asks whilst she preens her hair.
"That habit of hers to hug was not enjoyed by Funaho, so I had to intervene. If Washu wants any data on hours of contact and exposure to the Counteractor then it did not affect me in the slightest."
She does look to his arms to see that indeed there is no dark omen or burnt flesh to signify the presence of the Counteractor, and then has a little look of disappointment towards this Saiyan Prince. It is not an image she wants of her daughter touching a Saiyan, least of all while so vulnerable when sleeping, and she guesses she can chalk down Vegeta's behaviour to trying to keep his daughter pacified and without emotional outburst. However, Vegeta is being deemed idiotic by Seto for this.
"Ahh. So this is why you trouble my dear granddaughter as much as you do. I entrust enough in your sense of duty that there were no predilections towards my loving daughter that had you want to be held by her, but Mrs. Son's statement of Saiyans being simple is being given credence. Maybe you think my sweet 738 year old baby would be missing her husband's warmth. Your actions were unnecessary. Not all issues in the world need be saved by the muscles of Saiyans. Give her a soft toy, a sturdy one, and she will hold it and sleep peacefully all the same – assuming as a Saiyan you did not ban your son from owning some?"
Mrs. Briefs answers that most of Trunks' toys from when he was little are in storage somewhere within the house, and that Vegeta did not do anything as cruel as try and stop his son from owning them. In the background as Vegeta makes breakfast he can only think to himself that the reason for that is crueller. He had to have been there: to have visited his baby son sleeping, to cared to pay attention, to have been a father to warrant an opportunity for his Saiyan side to lash out more against Trunks' human upbringing. Kiyone chips in that Mihoshi has plenty of plush toys to borrow and probably will be unaware if they are missing for quite some time. A tap on the Saiyan's unoccupied shoulder has his mother-in-law tell him he should probably take a quick nap before he has to get ready for the wedding. Food is Vegeta's priority, sleep will not come to him on an empty stomach.
The number of Vegetas in the room grows as the Queen senses the ki of her son and the smell of food. Bounding in she goes to see what food her son has and gets a backhanded punch to the nose fending her away. She instead goes over to Chichi, knowing her to be a good cook, and instead the housewife tells her she can make her own food. Going a few rooms over she finds the remnants of last night's party and scrounges around for capsules until she finds a few containing curries no-one got around to eating. With food in hand she goes back over to her son and eagerly asks him if they can spar again since this day will be a dull one also preoccupied with Tuffle nonsense.
"Pester me when you have an answer to this." Vegeta keeps his back turned to her as he slightly raises a foot and charges ki at its base pointing down. "I have places I can use Instant Transmission to survive the blast. Solve the 'Frieza Dilemma'.'
Detonating a planet to win by default, just as Frieza tried against Goku on Namek. Vegeta gives her a quandary to ward her off as Queen Vegeta earnestly looks on. In the time she was deceased she lost her planet, it is probably of a concern for her to stop that from happening again. This is not an easy predicament to be in. That blast is next to its target. She cannot intercept it. Prince Vegeta has no need to keep that dangerous blast charged and dissipates it. Queen Vegeta thinks, all the while Chichi stands unimpressed and goes over to Vegeta to clip him around the ear for this Saiyan-like behaviour early in the morning. The difference between Goku and Vegeta is made clear as Vegeta's tail catches Chichi's wrist to stop her as he warns her he does not tolerate the same abuse that Goku is submissive enough to allow. He releases her and she mutters under her breath that it is not 'abuse' but the only way that Saiyans listen.
"Your reasons don't matter. Hit me and I will hit back. I have lived through enough who think they can strike me with impunity. If the clown were bringing fists against you then I am sure the police officer might be paying more attention. Seto, the wedding is today and I have not heard the good doctor say a word of where on this planet it will be. Tell me."
"She did not give a name to myself as there is no human habitation nearby. All I know about her choice is that it is a large expanse of land she has chosen in particular for it holding a vivid red colouration to the ground. I have been promised that transportation has been sorted on her end. Though she did use blasphemy in her description, I am quite keen personally to see all she has devised with as long as she has had for this wedding of hers."
Vegeta eats his breakfast promptly and heads upstairs to sleep. He could stay up longer until he is truly exhausted, however he has made a vow to end that recklessness after Ryoko took advantage of his sleep deprived state. Ki sensing means he is not surprised when he gets into the room he is staying in within Capsule Corp and finds the bedside lamp on and his bed occupied. In a half state of undress Ryoko is fast asleep somewhat under the covers. Vegeta looks over his bed to ensure that a drunk Ryoko has left no stains or spilled alcohol anywhere.
She is not a happy or co-operative pirate as he snaps his fingers by her elfin ears to wake her up. He might not have slept at all, and Ryoko herself is barely on a few hours this early in the morning. Ryoko pulls a pillow over her head and curls up more under the bed sheets in obstinate behaviour. Vegeta can guess that she will only move if he entertains her in some way or concedes some physical touch to her. If she wants to sleep so be it, yet she will not have the pleasure of being beside him for this.
Blue hair. The Saiyan Prince pauses for a moment. He was going to deposit Ryoko off the bed onto the sofa. That ki is Ayeka's. He assumes in their drunken state Ayeka felt the need to supervise and follow Ryoko to ensure she behaved herself and passed out where he has found her. She did not have blue hair last he saw her. It is not as perfectly straight either, it holds a slight curl at the tips and on her fringe. Vegeta cannot in all honesty say he does not like blue hair, but he thinks a sober Ayeka might disagree with this sudden change of appearance. It is not his concern to worry over. He picks up Ryoko swaddled in his bed linen and puts her down on top of the still sleeping Ayeka.
A mewl of confusion comes from Ayeka as the weight of a person is suddenly upon her. Ryoko starts budging around complaining that the princess is bony and uncomfortable. Vegeta is laying down on his bed. He closes his eyes and whatever else is happening in his room can sort itself out.
Protest comes from a confused and fatigued Ayeka as she manages to get out from under Ryoko. It is not a good sight as she woozily stands and sees that on the floor are some items of her clothing. Her head throbs. The effort of staying standing and active in any sense is real. A high pitched groan of complaint comes from her parched lips at the pain of this hangover. In fear for a while she sees Vegeta and can only think of the worst that after becoming drunk she fell asleep with him but looking back at the sofa she was on that does not add up, neither does her faintly remembering Ryoko being there which she no longer is. This is bad. She got drunk again and at best acted in an unbecoming way. Her body is punishing her for drinking as she did with a queasy stomach and pounding headache.
Cupping her face in her hands for a while to recover and summon the strength to do any locomotion to leave the room she does not register at first the blue hair hanging down before her eyes and curling in to frame her face from her bob. Thinking maybe her mother or sister is nearby and their hair is hanging before her she ashamedly picks up parts of her ornate robe from Vegeta's floor with each bend down filling her with regret. The blue hair does not leave her view. With a start – a movement far too energetic for her – she comes to enough of her senses to notice her hair colour is now that of her maternal and not paternal side. There is no clue in this room as to the how or why. Rubbing at strands before her eyes the colour does not wear away or change. She knows there was a spa yesterday, though she does not recall anything to do with her hair then. Dilly dallying here with Vegeta in the room is too much. This mystery can be solved elsewhere. Ayeka hurries away as fast as her legs can bear to maybe make a break to where she should be sleeping before any are the wiser – which some already are as she was not the quietest last night.
With the princess gone it is time for her to start making her move. Vegeta simply put her elsewhere from his bed and not kicking her out of this room. The bedside lamp remains on too. These signs mean she is still welcome. Holding onto the sofa, she floats both herself and the furniture silently and steadily through the air. Right next to the bed and where Vegeta wants to go to sleep, she gently touches down and moves some of the bedding from around her as if in an effort to share with Vegeta and welcome him closer. Underneath the sheets her hand snakes its way to find his tail to hold. The Saiyan Prince has his tail firmly wrapped about his waist. Ryoko moves herself over to be half off the sofa and half on the bed. No reaction from Vegeta. Her hand reaches out further for his closed hand and clasps her own over it whilst sleepily and childishly whispering that she has a big crush on him. Vegeta's eyes are open now and looking dead at the opposing wall. Goku gave Frieza a chance and Frieza refused it and sought vengeance which cost his life, Vegeta has given Ryoko a chance to not bother him and likewise this chance has been ill paid back.
There is a timid knock at the door and it creaks open. One rather important piece of her outfit is missing; her obi. Ayeka has no chance of saving any face if the item responsible for tying together her robes and keeping her presentable were not with her. She has a glass of water in her hand for swilling down some pills that Washu has dotted about various bathrooms to cure the worst effects of her guests' hangovers. Ayeka can see her obi. It is underneath a sofa that has changed positions. She retrieves it whilst feline eyes half glow up at her from the seat with a devilish smirk on her face as she motions closer to Vegeta. Telekinesis yanks the power cord of the lamp from its socket as the Saiyan makes his point. Looking down at Ryoko, Ayeka turns her head as if looking elsewhere and 'accidentally' spills some of her water onto Ryoko's lower half. Vegeta's eyes close as Ryoko leaves the room chasing after Ayeka.
The Sun rises proper as true morning emerges as do the majority of the women from the hen night. Mrs. Briefs is on the landline talking with her husband seeing how he slept and what they got up to and also reassuring him that nothing bad happened at their end and their house is still standing and undamaged. Yume and Zero are in the central garden observing the dinosaurs, Mugi and Videl are having an early morning jog, and Ayeka and Ryoko have now just about somewhat caught up on some sleep. Android 18 wants to get back to her own house and kid but Mrs. Briefs informs her to give it a bit longer from the sounds of things from her husband. Strangely Queen Vegeta is by Chichi and is questioning concerning the upbringing and sufficient rearing of the soon-to-be Chibusa. She has very limited population to rule over and is not letting it go to waste, least of all to the only one who can rival her position as Queen.
As Ryoko descends into the scene through the ceiling, wearing one of Vegeta's shirts she scavenged along with some shorts, she expects only Ryo-Ohki to be concerned with her presence when as well a Juraian is. Ryoko is beckoned towards Lady Seto. Curious, she floats over and looks about to see Ayeka not currently present. The princess is in-hiding for as long as she can be.
"I know this might be a bit early in the morning for your free spirit, however I have done a bit of thinking and suppose that potentially an out-of-court settlement for compensation owed would be the right thing to offer to yourself. Is this something you would accept?" A thin smile is on the old Juraian's lips. Her eyes keep watch of how the pirate reacts. "It is not my place to apologise for the former colony that you were a citizen of. I can grant you a tithe for the ill rulings and damages that you met there."
"This a bribe so ya got some strings to pull on me for Ayeka?" Ryoko is wary of any offer coming from this infamous devil. Thousands of years of making her way to and holding her position at the top makes Seto's words suspicious.
"I see little a bribe would accomplish. Whatever financial incentive I give to you would be taken by yourself and do little to influence your actions. There is no action I can take through the judicial system to seek justice personally for you – with yourself being an outlaw – this I can do."
"Too damn long I was hung in that dark cell. I already testified what I could to Kiyone and Mihoshi, they got my info already, I won't be another Kai-Kai for you to use. You're gonna have to really empty your pockets if you think any kinda money will make up for all that Jurai took from me." She feels slighted that someone thinks a bit of money could pay off the 40 odd years she spent locked alone in the pitch black.
Lady Seto stands straight with impeccable posture. What Ryoko says she already knows. Her eyes always watch. In simple terms she asks whether Ryoko will accept her offer or not. Ryoko will not accept to anything without having been told what it is or what the terms are, or even how she will be paid. Lady Seto replies. No strings. The funds are laid bare and the offer is there to be accepted. No contract or even handshake required. At one word Lady Seto can send to a freshly created bank account at a value of over 20 times Ryoko could ever legally be awarded at the most generous estimate. Greed has Ryoko accept with caution. That is an awfully large sum of money, she has robbed banks containing far less. With this she will not be bankrupt and not so heavily dependent on Vegeta's wealth. Seto nods. Ryoko does not like this, feeling somehow indebted to this aristocrat and so flies off. Seto watches her go. This act of charity should appease Tsunami.
Inside one of Capsule Corps' many bathrooms Funaho stands behind her daughter looking in a mirror. Ayeka has decided to confide first in Funaho due to the risk of emotion with Misaki and the Counteractor. With her hands on her hips her mother listens to meek apologies over letting drink get the best of her. Drinking is not the issue – for Funaho herself was enjoying herself – but indulging to dangerous excess should not be the norm whenever Ayeka has alcohol. This lecture would be far worse if Azusa were present.
"I know of 3 videos of an incriminating nature taken of your behaviour last night by your friend Ms. Ryoko. One of which was streamed to Miss. Kaia Jhun. I want to know if you can recall these, or why you did not accept the room our gracious hosts here of the Briefs family designated for you." Funaho's sterner approach is usually needed for keeping Yosho in line, less so normally for her daughters yet Ayeka is almost taking the mantle from Misaki of the trouble-maker in the family. She is not angry. Her daughter made a firm declaration in first leaving Earth for herself to seek personal self betterment and this path she will remind her of and shepherd her back on.
"... There was a-a crude and dangerous game being played-"
"Ayeka, you cannot blame the game you voluntarily took part in." As a fellow player of the festivities last night, Funaho stops Ayeka's excuses. "I admit that I was not present then. But, you should not have thought it to be acceptable to harass Lord Vegeta as you did. He made his opinion clear that he did not want you to perform the action you did. Your violent temperament also reared its head."
Her memory of the evening at that point already was fuzzy and unclear. Funaho being vague is not helping Ayeka. She knows there were bad dares going on, and that she was so easily led astray by Ryoko's taunting, she does not exactly recall what harassment she did upon Vegeta. Her questioning and confused eyes are a plea that Funaho acquiesces to. Ayeka is one to worry and work herself up with ease. Delicately Funaho recites what Lady Seto recounted this morning concerning the dare of Ayeka putting Vegeta's tail in her mouth and her sordid language used towards him. The alabaster skin of Ayeka tries to turn paler out of dread as she hears what she did. Her grandmother and mother were witness to her sexually assaulting a man and it is her only saving grace that Vegeta does not speak archaic Juraian to understand how spiteful and vindictive she spoke to him.
An apology will be required to the Saiyan Prince. All this after she made a prior show of clearing the air between them and stating her prior wrongs to him. Funaho gently wraps her arms around her daughter's waist from behind. She is on her daughter's side and not an enemy here despite being disappointed with her behaviour. Ayeka is timid in saying sorry to her mother. Times like this she feels more the child than the independent adult she strives to be. Funaho will not press concerning where she slept. That point can thankfully be moot since Vegeta was in the same room as Funaho and not Ayeka. The daughter swivels about to rest her forehead against her mother's. She wants to know when and how her blue hair came about and worries if anything else transpired she is unaware of.
"Dr. Hakubi brought many toys and devices within those little capsules for entertainment purposes. It was after Missy had retired for the night and I myself was shortly going to, that you did something unwise yet with good intent. Your elocution lessons did not serve much good in your inebriated state. If what you were saying was true, it was all for Mummy Missy. You thought showing her how much you cared and still see her as a role model by mimicking her looks might keep her cheer up whilst she deals with this unfortunate business of the Counteractor. You used a genetic beautification device, unless you were to use it again then this will remain your 'natural' hair colour."
At this Ayeka can breathe a small sigh of relief. If this was for her mother then that is fine. Ever since she woke and saw Ryoko getting aggravatingly close to Vegeta whilst he tried to get to sleep she could not help but fear that her feelings surrounding the Saiyan Prince and Ryoko's antics might have caused her to take an inappropriate move to model her hair not off of Misaki but instead Bulma. That would have been most insensitive of her and undermine so much of her current stance towards Vegeta. Funaho picks up a hair brush and notes the hours they have till Washu's wedding and that they should begin to make themselves presentable.
A group of mothers has begun to impatiently gather. With Vegeta sleeping there is but one with the ability to easily solve the situation. Ryoko can teleport them all to Kame Island since the ki of Goku and Buu is easy to navigate to. 18, Misaki and her escort of Gohan, Chichi, Kombu and Ryoko appear on the sandy shores underneath the lone palm tree of this small isle. Android 18 looks about dissatisfied by the mess and will want full answers on all that might have gone on here. She is off and striding purposefully into her house. From the doorway large black eyes look up at her. Bee has learnt to be wary of Android 18 by the way that his owner Hercule Satan acts around her and so leaves the house to be away from her.
The dog finds the other women and does a big stretch, then trots towards them. Ryoko floats higher into the air to be away from whatever this animal is. Open arms from Misaki welcome in this lovely and fluffy creature. Bee only gets so close to Misaki before stopping and sniffing at her Counteractor limb. It holds no scent which is most unusual for people, so Bee is unsure what to make of it with this major source of information for a canine missing. Out of unease a nervous growl comes from the dog's throat. A short and curt shushing noise from Chichi instantly has the dog obediently silence and sit down. With her normal Juraian arm Misaki reaches out to stroke Bee, and hides her offending arm behind her, and thanks Chichi. Bee's tail wags at the attention and affection.
"Is Washu sending people to check up on me now? Trust you all had as good a night as can be with the life of the party Vegeta hanging around." Yamcha jests as he enters the scene.
"You better hope we aren't here from Washu. Her special day and you're being as careless as my Goku and haven't even showered."
"Roshi's only got uno bathrooms, Chichi. Don't worry about it, all good, all under control, I got time. Your kid tell you about the 2 tattoos he got last night?"
Yamcha is now safely half a mile out to sea hovering over the waves. That was a dangerous joke to make to the stern housewife. Hands grasp at the empty air where Yamcha just a moment prior occupied. No son of hers is going to stray down that path of delinquency when he has his career to think about. It would take one hell of a needle to manage to stay sharp enough to pierce a Saiyan enough to ink them. Chichi looks back and sees the two small green circles marked between Misaki's brows, and so she will not voice anything concerning her views of tattoos. Her son waves his hand in innocence at her. He is not going to go behind her back, or Videl's back on that matter.
Truth be told none have seen either Mihoshi or Washu today. Not hide nor hair has exited that laboratory. Chichi gives a short hug to Gohan before she goes off to find her father, husband and youngest son and together they Instant Transmission back to their mountain home for the time being. Marron waves goodbye to Tchaba as she goes to her mother. Then Kombu remains stood there. Looking around there is not much option for her – a regular human – now just on an island. With the coast clear and Chichi out of sight Yamcha flies back and makes it his responsibility to fly those two back where they live, which Tchaba is enthralled by and Kombu has to tease him about what Washu would say about how he holds her.
The lavender haired son of Vegeta stretches on the beach. His mate has gone so he has little reason to stay here. Not that he requires a pick up he heads over nonchalantly towards Ryoko. The pirate says sorry but his dad is sleeping after guarding Misaki so is not here to take him home. Trunks looks at her as if she is stupid.
"Isn't this why you're here? Dad would just leave me here so are you going to do the same?"
That hits Ryoko harder than it should as she realises in this situation she is the closest thing to a guardian for Trunks present. She did already come as a step-in for Vegeta since she can teleport in his place. All the times she speaks to Vegeta about trying to be there for Trunks she was absolutely not registering what she should be doing whilst here. In the congregation of mothers going to pick up their children she was not just there for transport but also there for Vegeta's child.
"Does little Trunks want to hold a cute girl's hand?" Ryoko tries to turn this situation back in her favour by teasing him. She offers a hand so she can teleport them back.
Trunks goes over to Misaki who is still playing with Bee and holds onto her free Counteractor hand. He has learnt well from his dad in terms of striking down Ryoko's jokes. Trunks leans into it further by saying to Ryoko that Saiyans always find Juraians prettier. This gets Ryoko's hackles raised. Misaki thanks him for the complement.
"Don't worry Ryoko, it took Yosho many years before he recognised and treated me as a mother. Being younger than him did not help much in that regard." As a step-mother herself, Misaki speaks kindly for Ryoko.
"Blame ain't on my part, granny Missy." Trunks uses the wits he inherited from both parents to further his dig against Ryoko.
Calling anyone not Bulma his mother is not acceptable to Trunks at the moment. With his father still flailing around with the whole mess of women and relationships Trunks has no cause to start trying to view Ryoko or Ayeka as maternal figures. It is, however, easier for him to see Misaki as grandmotherly through her relationship with Ayeka. Misaki is quite akin to his own sole grandmother he had through most of his life and far easier to call as such than his recently resurrected actual paternal grandmother who is just an annoying female version of his dad. For calling her this, the Empress of Jurai gathers him up into a big hug, Ryoko stews in anger, and Bee woofs and jumps about in envy wanting to be part of the hug himself.
The kid run completes itself as Sasami bounds over to her mother and excitedly tells her about her fun times swimming in the sea and with her new friends Marron and Tchaba. A concerned father of Utsutsumi has to ask about the guard of Vegeta and Misaki waves it off as nothing. Whereas she tells Azusa that Ayeka did get drunk last night but not for him to make a fuss over it as Funaho is dealing with that matter currently and she does not need him getting angry at her. Ryoko's loose lips have to take that opportunity as she taunts some of the things Ayeka's inebriated self got up to. With all children collected they would go back if not for the added guests of Yakage and Dr. Clay requiring transport back with Ryoko's teleportation, along with Dr. Briefs who does want to get back to his house.
Those that packed capsules for outfits for today from the hen-night stay to get themselves ready for this big day together. Those who did not travel back to their houses being told they will be sent the address when the time is at hand. Azusa is unsure if Washu is playing this mysterious on purpose for fun or if she is trying to make her wedding secure by having its location withheld for as long as possible. Gohan is far better company than Vegeta. Currently he stands outside the inter-dimensional bathroom for Misaki to have privacy getting ready.
Within the house a punishment due is met. Lady Seto is within the guest bedroom she used with her granddaughter Sasami. They are both being flower girls and with the same outfit the elder Juraian will help her keen and excited granddaughter prep with her. That is, until another enters the room under the misguided pretence this is where all flower girls are. Queen Vegeta has the same sentence as Lady Seto, unknowing of what is going on.
Three wildly sized flower girl dresses have been arranged. One for a slender child, one for short and muscular woman, and another for an exceedingly tall older woman. Pink, frilly, gaudy and designed to look cute on a 5 year old girl and not someone well over 5,000. Instructions have been left for them to familiarise themselves with the role they have, it is not much as it is meant for a child.
The Juraians take a long time doing their hair which rolls down well below their respective waists. Until fire was wrought upon her, Queen Vegeta used to be similarly endowed. Her short spikes take little work to brush, and aside from that she then watches and tries to emulate the hair care of Juraians. A shampoo and brush is the maximum attention her hair ever got before. Seto neatens up Sasami's fringe with a slight trim which Queen Vegeta stays away from – her hair being as it is only due to its inability to grow any longer. Make-up for a child is not deemed necessary. Lady Seto does have another smaller than her require her help as last night's decoration for Queen Vegeta is not going to pass for a wedding. Being preened by an old woman does not sit well for Queen Vegeta, she suppresses her annoyance by thinking of this as the humiliation of Jurai by a senior member of their leadership being subservient to her. Lady Seto sees it more as caring for a rebellious child with this Saiyan being similar in the years she has been alive – and not her chronological age – to Ayeka.
"Queen Vegeta, I believe I must ask you this, most applications of beautification are to accentuate the features but also to conceal flaws. Your burns-"
"I don't care if this won't look good by your standards. These burns shall stand as testament to what the Tuffles did, and what they failed to do in their attempts to end me." For her, scars are beautiful and these cosmetics worthless, and the uglier sight for her is the hiding of one's true self and the woman past her prime before her.
"Were you hurt when in the kitchen?" Sasami innocently asks. For her fire exists only when she cooks, and she knows Saiyans like food.
"Maybe the ruins were a kitchen. Washu's people set me on fire when I was maybe your age. Those bas-"
"It was not your first run in with fire, was it?" Lady Seto cuts in to prevent Queen Vegeta from swearing in front of Sasami.
"The flames of war are ever present for a Saiyan. Many have been lit in my time on that red planet I fought for and conquered."
"No, not on that planet Frieza destroyed. On a shuttle. A small craft that could maybe house 6 at most. Engine leak? Reactor shorting out? Heat shields collapsing near a star?"
Queen Vegeta is silent as she stares ahead at the green hair framed face staring back and applying make-up to her. She knows. The young girl is lost by this turn in the conversation and the threat hanging ominously in the air. The Saiyan slowly reaches out a hand towards Seto's neck and places it there so that this old woman knows her place in the pecking order. From a hand not holding a brush for Queen Vegeta, Seto raises a communicator that shows a message having just been sent.
Both grandmothers have their grandchildren within the room as Trunks waltzes in after receiving the text. To get on the nerves of this Saiyan is going to be amusing. A snarl warps Queen Vegeta's face at being usurped like this. Saiyans should not heed a call from an enemy. Feeling weak like this is bringing her a want to pop the skull of this smug Devil Princess. Trunks effortlessly removes Queen Vegeta's hand from Lady Seto's throat.
"You were 3 were you not?" Seto continues as if nothing has happened, and tells Queen Vegeta to keep still as she nods in response. "Terrible thing an out of control fire on a ship. The great Migrant Fleet of Saiyan ships that was your population at the time was not too well maintained, most likely due to the manner in which you acquired the majority of those vessels. Of course, it is the smoke that is the real danger."
"Shut your dust filled hole! An animated fossil should know her place in speaking to true royalty."
Muzzled by the Super Saiyan hybrid in the room, her threats ring hollow. Sasami stands by Trunks for safety as the caged rage of Queen Vegeta has no means for violent outlet. She is being outed. Some eyeliner goes awry from her aggravation and Lady Seto tuts as she goes to neaten it up. There is only one path left for Queen Vegeta, she has to take control and spill the beans herself so the truth is not tarnished by the words of this alien.
"Yes. There was a fire on my ship when I was so young I had not killed. I don't care what started it, an idiot like yourself might not comprehend that children are not made aware of the mechanical failings of space craft. … It spread fast. Only I was small enough to fit underneath a small cavity below a bunk. Just a place a panel had fallen off and I could squeeze inside. Keep low, keep alive, breathe. My uncle radioed other ships for an evac. … The fire got him bad as he knelt in front of me to block the worst. It was long. They took too long to get there, he almost died, and then the Tuffles later thought it fun to set us both ablaze again as they hacked and sawed his head off!"
Pink eyes turn up in humour as she defeats the proud Saiyan. The great why of Queen Vegeta's sleeping habits and the terror that drives her to it is unearthed. She huddled and hid terrified as the metal around her heated up and her uncle was burning before her eyes. There was nowhere to move and nothing to do except maybe open up a hole to the vacuum waiting outside to die without oxygen another way. The ship's remains were scuttled after. Her uncle took months to heal and was never as strong following his wounds.
"It's OK, you don't have to be scared." A well meaning Sasami so severely hurts Pranis with that kindness.
She bursts up with her aura flaming as she rages ready to tear down this world and rip apart those who want to shame her like this. Trunks has to physically restrain her. She roars and rages that she is not scared, she is never scared, that she is a Saiyan. Lady Seto can only look on in pity at how hopelessly this woman has been destroyed by the culture she so desperately wants to resurrect.
A large and strong hand rips Queen Vegeta from Trunks. She is pinned against the wall and then slammed to the ground. Over her stands her son. It is hard to sleep with some weakling screeching a few doors down. The sleeping lion has been awoken and he has not woken up on the right side of bed. He steps on her tail before she can retreat it about her waist. Her shouts stop. Vegeta looks to the side to his son and scolds him to be firmer in dealing with the Queen. Lady Seto casually remarks she was doing up Queen Vegeta and so if he could refrain from ruining her work that would be appreciated. He does not let go as he asks to know what is going on to spur his mother into mindless action like this.
"Is that all? Is that the sum of terror that grips the almighty Queen Pranis? Slinking away to sleep on the floor like a monkey because of a few fires. Adorable. You might as well adopt this dress as your usual garb, leave the fighting and training to a true warrior, a true Vegeta, instead." Leering over her and crushing her tail underfoot, Vegeta sneers down at his weak mother and degrades her for her trauma. With his speed he grabs both of her hands in his free hand to prevent her striking him. She is powerless and stares up with utter contempt and hate at him. He roars down at her. "You dared to have the nerve to besmirch the name of Ryoko for what you hypocritically called cowardice. She spent 40 years in chains in pitch black, and I was on my way to aiding her in sleeping like a regular adult. How long did it take to scar this weakling beneath me to spend 20 years not taking a bed and never having the bravery to even try and better herself?"
No words come to her defence as he rips her honour and pride from her. Even for Trunks who wanted to taunt his grandmother this level of cruelty in belittling and demeaning Queen Vegeta is unnerving. Lady Seto keeps a firm grip on Sasami to stop her approaching or interfering. All it takes is a smidge of ki and Queen Vegeta could reduce this building and most of its inhabitants to ash. Above her is her son stopping her from doing so from force of will alone. He speaks down to her in a gravely humiliating manner but with his power it is his right to do so. There is no fault in his words. Impotently she stares up with immense rage and hurt.
"Go ahead and keep being the nice quiet doll for a Tuffle. What kind of Saiyan fears a thing that cannot even hurt them any longer? Does it give you some twisted pleasure to cast stones against me the only way your feeble self can by besmirching my ancestry and royal blood through yourself? … Fire. How many nukes have you had detonate on you? Have you ever stood in the centre of a fireball of one's very own ki and soul as I smote my own ashen ruins to the ground, incinerating every inch of my being one agonising micron at a time? Pranis is the rightful name to someone who births a Tarble, and even that being too taxing a task for her."
Unrelenting, Vegeta pounds insult after insult at her as if he were striking her in combat. Cracks begin to form as her volcanic fury erupts past the point of reason and starts to flood and mingle with her hurt. Through his vice grip on her throat she tries to say that she has thought of a way around the blast towards a planet problem he posed to her earlier – to show she is a warrior and can contend with what he gives her. A dark chuckle is all the response she gets. Pranis' voice is quiet as she asks for him to strike her. Vegeta releases her and declines, for to do so would be to treat her as the Saiyan she is proving herself not to be.
Free from his strength she has only one course open for her and flees as fast as she can, fly from the room, from the building and far away to be alone and unseen. Prince Vegeta stands. A sour and bitter look to his face. That brought him no joy to do. The opportunity arose, he struck when she was weak and maybe this will speed things along. Still tired, he goes over to Lady Seto's bed without a word and lays down on it with that done.
"Is that enough for blood to be drawn from the stone?" She complicity knows and Seto glacially asks the man presuming himself to both enter her room and bed.
"Her hatred and wroth will spare yourself in lieu of myself as her intended target. It will do." He answers, even after all that her cold response manages to slightly unnerve him as if she expected or wanted more in his breaking of his own mother. "I am the one she cannot argue against, cannot fight against, and it would do less harm for me to be seen as the villain than Sasami learning what darkness lurks within the Devil Princess."
"Wait, are you trying to make her cry, dad?" Trunks asks, cottoning on to what this whole thing has been working towards.
Vegeta nods. He does not have years to babysit and supervise her as she maybe decides to piece by piece settle down and be domesticated by this planet like he has. Without some driving force or lover he sees little reason for her to have want to motivate herself to relinquish much of Saiyan customs. So, he carried on from where Lady Seto was leading and is breaking her down and crushing her so she can self reflect and reform viewing her emotions differently after they have been drawn to the surface. He pulled no punches and even had to use the racist slur of Saiyans against her. Just like his father, he shall strip Vegeta from her. It is not pleasant for him to destroy his already wounded mother who is barely keeping any of herself or her sanity together. He himself is not immune to the past pains clawing their way back to his present.
A young girl walks to his side and her petite hands go to hold his. She tells him first not to be a bully but then goes on to tell him not to do things that make him hurt. Vegeta instead thinks on what next he can do to follow on when his mother eventually returns with her tail between her legs. Sasami does not like being ignored but knows he was sleeping and just in his bed and now here so she thinks she can repay some prior kindness and sits down on the bed next to him stating that she could read him a bed time story to help him drift off with a smile. Trunks has to stifle a laugh at that thought. His power is not needed here so he will leave and keep an eye out for his grandmother and let his dad rest for he is not staying near him in that mood.
"Sasami dear, that is a nice gesture, however, Prince Vegeta should be leaving. This is not his room. My bed is not meant for him."
"You invited me here when you wanted me gone from Ayeka." He counters. It is about time he threw back in her face her proposal to him to protect her family. This is basically his house anyway so this is his territory and not hers. His black eyes then fix on hers. Messing with Saiyans is a risky endeavour she shall not make a habit of. "If you try any of what you did to my mother again, or myself, your actions will face more dire circumstances than losing your bed."
She nods in understanding. This is an interesting power dynamic he is challenging her to. Lady Seto is above the concerns that her maiden granddaughter would fret over if there were a man in her bed, she does however much prefer her nightwear not to be creased by an unwashed man. She tells Sasami that she is all ready and to go and fetch her grandfather. Just because Vegeta is staying here does not mean she shall be turfed out. Sasami leaves. Vegeta's eyes are closed as he naps and Seto continues readying herself for the wedding – making no true effort to be quiet for the Saiyan but having no need to be making a ruckus.
With a quizzically raised thick eyebrow, Utsutsumi peers in through the door. Sasami did mention this to him, and Ayeka seemed to have a want as well to talk to Vegeta but his intentions to sleep dissuaded her for the time. He looks across to his wife. That is a face she only makes when someone has gotten under her skin – not that many could tell. He walks in, knowing full well he has only been called in here to make a point towards the Saiyan in her bed. Looking at his wife of millennia, his own feared femme fatale that galaxy wide people shudder in fear at thought of, he has to smile seeing Washu's righteous justice being cast upon her.
"Reminds me of our 108th anniversary. Tsunami knows, you went through a phase then trying to make some statement with your fashion." He chortles in reminiscence.
"Oh? Are you remembering right? I would say more like number 213 of our many anniversaries. Detestable dress I had no reason to accept wearing."
"You might not have liked that one and I see what you're getting at, but I thought that was quite cute on you. Makes Sasami and Dr. Washu happy anyhow. What about the third 'flower girl', things proceeding as planned?"
"Our blushing bride has already gathered together around 53 weapons that can more than likely deal with that issue ever becoming long term. I would quite like to meet the male guests … I can hardly play matchmaker here if I do not know the players. Unless of course she were smart enough to use her brain and dedicate herself to learning one of the teleportation techniques, Pranis will fail in her pursuit of Goku. After that, she will not choose any male that has no prospect of her bearing their fruit, and in our limited case study of her son it would be for the best she gets herself paired up neatly." She muses and openly discusses. Whether Queen Vegeta's son hears is moot, she wants him to know. Her machinations are still being developed for the one she brought back.
"Worried there for a second I'd be thrown to the Mitsus as that sacrifice. Though, you would say I am too old a gentleman to please some 20 year old warrior. … Hercule Satan."
Utsutsumi smiles at her and she laughs out loud at this name thrown into the ring.
"Now that is an amusing idea. The great tamer of Majin Buu. An outclassed warrior, no longer of place in this world, surpassed and a shallow figurehead as their bloodline forges on stronger than they could ever be. A widower, popular with the ladies I imagine with his fame and wealth. Washu's new assistant then linked to her most hated still living enemy. Most amusing. An issue for a later time. You know how I like my hair, these brushes are insufficient so could you aid me in attaining what dignity I can like this?"
Being groomed by her husband tickles and comforts her. Saiyans are royal pains. She can only think what her deceased father would say over Vegeta being where he is. Seto fears that something shall happen today. The moment to strike is perfect. She did not know of Kagato's plan before that caused the emergence of the Counteractor, and she has no intel currently of any other motions from the villain, this is not a situation she likes to be in. She gives her husband a kiss whilst he informs her of the progress of the work being done to repair Ryuoh. Throughout all this, Vegeta sleeps.
Its is fast approaching noon when Vegeta stands half dressed within Bulma's room. With his shirt unbuttoned and his belt roaming around and joining the search as it is his tail he looks to find a pair of cufflinks he knows he owns and did not take with him when he last left here. He asks his father-in-law if they were moved. Dr. Briefs is holding up different ties to see what could be used for Trunks as the lad is older now and Vegeta's ties will do. He knows they probably were moved but as to the current location of the cufflinks that is forgotten. Scratch plods through the door steadily holding the cufflinks in question in his mouth and fetches them to Vegeta. He does up his buttons and ascends in transformation to Super Saiyan 3 and tests the range of motion of his suit to ensure it will not tear. If he is to attend he shall attend as his true self, and as the version of himself that shall bring the most glory to both Saiyans and to Washu.
Outside the door Ryoko flies down the corridor almost dragging along Yume behind her. The wardrobe she has and accessories she owns are not cutting it. Jurai is standing her up superbly and she needs some edge to get back at Washu for earlier quipping how her wedding dress will be far superior to the own she reserved. Ryoko has to be able to compete for her vanity. Yume is the unlucky soul chosen to help by baiting her pride as a genius also wanting to compete and best Washu though through other means.
She will make a statement. Before the first free bathroom she has found she leads Yume into and stands before the large mirror and hands some scissors to Yume. Ryoko wants a new look. A new hairstyle to spice things up and show who she is now, not just some rough and tumble pirate but also someone worthy of Vegeta. Yume looks at the crude cutting implements in her hands and then looks up to the mirror she cannot see out of with her height. Ryoko baits further that Washu was able to alter Ayeka's hair and so Yume should be capable of this.
After a stool is found for Yume to stand on and reach Ryoko's head, the furry haired genius sets to work. With her own holo-top she can access a limited amount of personal items she has stored in a pocket dimension for access on the go. Yume is precise in her actions and dextrous with her hands. She is no beautician but she is self sufficient at doing this for herself.
Outside of Bulma's room waits a Princess of Jurai. With Vegeta ready and no longer sleeping she now greets him for the day. She should have expected the arrogance to think he would transform for a wedding. It is intimidating. Ayeka shifts awkwardly as she thinks on what her mother told her she did to him last night. He stands expectant, waiting for whatever she has to say, and his eyes go over her for this is the first time he has good lighting to observe properly her new look.
Behind her newly curled fringe her tiara is polished to a shine. With the now wayward way her hair's waves behave she has modified her usual twin ponytail style to be braided and then looped back up and stuck in place with a decorated pin. Light blue frames her face next to her dark red eyes. She wears minimal make-up as is the norm for Jurai and having little need for it. Her lips are painted a darker hue than usual though and three slashes of dark green go up her left cheek. Heavy and multi-layered robes of many natural hues and pinks weigh on her slender frame and a large static hood is for now lowered.
"Last night … I behaved monstrously towards yourself..." She starts, but trails off trying to think how best to word this.
"There were a lot of drunks there, you were not the constant nuisance that Ryoko was when drunk." Monstrous is a strong word for her just weirdly putting his tail in her mouth and she has slapped him before.
"No. No, I will not be excused for this due to the relative behaviour of others." Ayeka does not want to be let off the hook like that by his apathy when he is still in the dark. "I took ph- physical action against yourself with-without your consent, and … the worst is what I shouted at you in my native tongue. They were vile, hateful, and words worse than any curse that frequents Ryoko's mouth."
Insults are part of the parcel for a Saiyan warrior. She has thrown mud his way before. This elicited guilt is making him suspicious of what she might have said to him
"Words like you used at the zoo to describe myself?" He asks to see if racist slurs were hidden behind a language barrier from him.
She is quick to shake her head. Jurai does not have those creatures among its fauna and so her language is devoid of a specific word for simians. He is quizzical now as there are few other insults that would bother him beyond 'monkey', and yet she is here before him. He nods his head at her to go on. If she is to apologise he needs to understand what for and what exactly was spoken to him. Ayeka hesitates.
"I hold no want to speak such foulness again. Nor do I trust a translation would get across the evil that spewed from my lips. Lord Vegeta, I give you permission to use your mind reading technique so that you can learn from me exactly what my foolish and drunken self wronged you with. Though, please, know that I am remorseful in my personal failings in preventing such words befalling yourself."
Ayeka bows her head and removes her tiara so that he can place his hand on her forehead. Vegeta has not tried understanding foreign languages through this technique. He has to assume if it allowed Ryoko to experience taste when she did not have it then a similar thing should work for language. Before he does this though he descends down to base form and powers down. Sending ki directly into her brain to probe it would not be wise when at the height of his power and with a fair chance of being enraged by what he finds. He lifts his hand and sees how tight her grip is on her tiara. She is scared. Careful not to mess up her fringe as he lifts it, Vegeta's palm rests on her forehead.
Mindful of his strength, he steps well back from Ayeka as his hand turns to a fist and his scowl furrows deeply at her. The Juraian language is efficient and compact, what she managed to say in those few minutes was not just some short insult. Vegeta is rightfully angry. Seeing him like this frightens Ayeka further, her fear wants her to find some escape and she half starts a sentence and forces herself to stop. She cannot say that all she said were lies. He was within her mind. From the aura raising around him she can see that he knows what her true beliefs are regarding each sordid sentence she spat at him none the wiser after sexually assaulting him. His tail cracks like a whip through the air. There are phrases worse than 'monkey' and all were said. She flinches.
Ayeka does not know if the growing power in the air around him is from uncontrolled rage or a purposeful show of intimidation. She would have preferred to be compromised by waking up once again on Vegeta's lap after a drunken night than finding recordings of her yelling such vitriol at him. Ayeka slowly places her tiara back on. There are no more words for her to say. She has hurt him and he has seen all within.
The Saiyan looks to the side to try and distract himself and internalise his rage. A harsh snort comes from his nostrils. He flares back up to Super Saiyan 3. There is no need for suppressing himself here. Why should he not let anger control him if she views him as he does. Vegeta points at her.
"If not for your mother's condition, you would be tasting how hard my own slap would be." The Counteractor and Misaki's emotions are the fine line preventing physical harm to Ayeka as he steps towards her. "You think this is humble enough of an apology, one where I have to do the work myself as you are too timid to relay your sins to me, when my words are never enough for yourself."
Her insults were not just targetting himself personally. Ayeka knows if they were he would shrug them off. She hears his implication and for all the hardships he has had to go through to gain any atonement from herself. Ayeka prostates herself upon the ground in obeisance as she commanded him to do weeks past. The princess half expects to feel the sole of a boot upon her head. With her tiara touching the floor Ayeka manges to say that she has spent time at Bulma's grave already and with Trunks, only not having had the chance to speak with his absent mother.
Seconds pass in agonising silence. She hears a loud slam and looks up. The bright golden light is gone. Vegeta stands back within Bulma's room with the door wide open. Strain is within his face as he forces some composure and points down at the ground within his marital room. This is a space he can try and be civil and talk and reign in his violence and rage. Here he can be a man and not just a Saiyan. To be above her words he must do this as much as his rage wants blood. This is the house of Bulma. He cannot do that to Ayeka here. She stands up slowly. This partial olive branch is a gracious offering. Ayeka steps forward but halts at the doorway, unsure if she should cross this threshold or if doing so would hurt him further.
"Come. I know how to stay my hand and voice within these walls. Likewise, you shall also be forced to control your emotions." He speaks, anger still beneath the surface.
The Princess of Jurai mutely nods and enters. She tries not to look around. This visit is for Vegeta and her insults.
"... You view my people as deluded, zealots to their own destruction, a brainwashed cult of lesser savages, put upon and broken by hardship after hardship. And, in the seat of the messiah to rescue us from ourselves, sits you. Tortured souls to be grateful for what benevolence you offer. I can admit evolution of our culture is necessary – to an extent. I drove my own mother to grief and tears this very day to save myself the time of piece by piece nailing her fists behind her back so I don't have to slaughter her. What say you?"
"No, no not your 'people', your way. Saiyan life not Saiyan beings. Son Goku exists with a freedom that the Vegeta family knows they want and needs and edges towards too slowly for their salvation. How else can I view a man who is nothing more than gilded cracks and breaks now, but gristle and tendons attached to an already pulverised skeleton, struggling to keep his head above the depths of depression whilst religiously holding onto the weight about his ankle, who lost his torturer to only take up the mantle himself ... than someone who so needs my help that I do offer." Ayeka pleads back her reasoning. Pain, that is all she can think of when she looks at this man. Conflicted pain. It is all that consumes him and he is a glutton to try and consume as much of it back. It is hard not to believe you know better than Saiyans after spending any time in their company. She can see into his harrowing eyes. She witnessed Juraian veterans and she now can pinpoint parts of his own gaze.
"Needs my help. As I need his. Hand in hand, to catch each other if we fall." The voice of a second woman joins the fray.
Lounging against the door-frame is Ryoko. You cannot have a flare of angry ki from Vegeta and not have her notice. This is a weird topic to come up between these two, and has nothing to do with what is going on today. She emphasises her position, and Ayeka's incorrect statement of Vegeta requiring her and her alone. As Vegeta looks her way she flicks her head to show off her new do. Ryoko's side-locks are uncut but braided. For her main mane of hair its volume has drastically diminished. At her shoulders her cyan hair hangs, its unruly spikes lessened and her under-layer of hair dyed a deep crimson with her elfin ears standing out tall and proud.
Vegeta gives her a look, seeing she has also changed her hairstyle, and his eyes tell her to leave it now for another time – he will pay her compliments later not at this second. An exasperated sigh comes from Ayeka. This is a hard apology to make, she has done wrong and there is much serious talk to be had which is now being interfered and muddled by Ryoko. Ayeka then quite tersely informs Ryoko why she is here to see if she might take a hint and leave.
"Did you understand what was being said to me whilst you laughed and filmed it?" The Saiyan wonders aloud. It is not out of her character to insult him. Ryoko might know what Ayeka was saying and allowed it and found humour in her grave slander.
"I barely speak common as muck Juraian. Whatever nonsense her posh and old tongue of it was that she was slurring out I got maybe a few words max. 'Liar', 'death', 'dirty', lot of words like that I guess. Kai-Kai didn't get back to me about it if she even knows it." She shrugs. Translating foreign languages when drunk is not her forte. Vegeta has spoken to her and so she takes that as invitation to stay.
Ayeka does not know where to continue if Ryoko is going to try and counter her. The princess fiddles with the hems of her sleeves. She needs this sorted and time is not on her side with Washu's wedding approaching.
"I believe there are more dire issues around my words to yourself than my views to your militaristic culture-
"Wrong. I am Vegeta. I am the Saiyan culture. There is no way for you to view myself as an individual correctly unless your opinion on how the Juraians lord themselves over this lower race is altered. We are not new toys of your empire to be bent to your shape and will."
"It is not even the proper Saiyan culture. As a child you learnt the little you could and your mother is young and ignorant to most-"
"How does that matter? We Saiyans became nomad warriors. Refugees once our origin world fell to the prime Super Saiyan, whatever culture existed then died, and we lived and evolved. Whatever culture existed on Planet Vegeta died as Frieza destroyed it, and we few survived, and what it is to be Saiyan became what we are. The luxurious viewpoint of Juraians of eternal stability brought on from millennia of an undying and absolute ruling class are not what me, my mother, and my son have. So what reason does this give you to look down on us like sick animals to be taken to a vet to cure us of this infection known as 'Saiyan'?"
"Wanting to heal you is not the same as lording over yourself with pity, not in my eyes. Ryoko is of the same mind. We are both yearning for your salvation from your journey ever onwards to self destruction. There is no secret here that your mental well-being has been at our forethought. The only change here is your revelation as to how truly damaged we both perceive yourself as. At one time I believed yourself stronger than you are. Ryoko opened my eyes to how many times I looked the other way thinking foolishly that you could handle it, internally, by yourself, as you wanted. This is but your pride talking for seeing the same thing I saw; you as a person and nothing more, and not as some grand avatar of power like you desire. You take issue with not being as strong as you think you are."
"Vegeta is far more powerful than you could ever begin to conceive. I am no old and wounded feeble Juraian eking by off donations from strangers. There is no 'healed' state of a Saiyan. They are nothing like me and your twisted want to push that persona upon me-"
"How else can I view you except through comparison if your Saiyan ego takes control like this? You are traumatised. Your mother is as well and you confess to furthering her pain. Goku wants the same for your mother, for her to placate to this world as you have, and I severely doubt his methods were to willingly make her cry. Now, if the Vegetas exist as the embodiment of Saiyans then you would have no issue performing the simple task of asking for help – like I know your mother can do without recourse."
Ryoko watches the sparks fly between the two. The tone of apology did not last long as Ayeka defends what she believes to be her right belief. Whether there are racist undertones or other forms of discrimination having the imperialist princess believe what she does about Saiyans does not discourage her that the foundations are solidly built concerning the mental state of the Vegetas and the purely destructive Saiyan doctrine. He has no leg to stand on to push back against requiring aid when he has moved back into this home. Vegeta sees her views as too condescending and akin to the lowly status that Frieza beat him into submission to. He admits that Saiyans can and will change, but he will be the master of his own destiny and fate and not some servant to the whims of what Jurai want for their new attack dog. He will not stand for Saiyans to be thought of as the Neanderthals among space farers. Her golden eyes go between the two. Ryoko's side is for Vegeta to be aided so is the same as Ayeka. They are not arguing the same thing. The pirate has one strong opinion to latch onto.
"Why are we making women weaker than you cry?" Ryoko's eyes narrow at learning of Vegeta's continued cruelty to his mother.
"Pranis will learn of her failings as a Saiyan and how, through that destruction, will be forced to accept her new self and place within this world. I did not strike her. She was shown the truth of herself. I even stood up for you in favour of my own mother and how she thought to deride your weakness when hers runs deeper." He snaps back.
"So at what point, Lord Vegeta, did the torture and beatings and degradation of the tyrant Frieza become what remade you and the gospel you now preach to others. Where was this destruction of one's self from your wife? You made no such act of kindness to your mother. You instead jumped on any show of weakness and exploited it to prove your own superiority."
"Either that or your grandmother would have believed herself fit to take that place. I did not want-"
"You did. Whether you wanted to or not, you did. To show her how un-Saiyan she was to reflect on how she can change is a preposterous delusion. All you did was 'act as a Saiyan should'. You were merely punishing her for not being as true a Saiyan as you think you are and convinced yourself to be acting as a mercy for her. … Are there any other points on my insult of yourself you would like to cover?"
The rage of Vegeta licks off of him in fat bursts of flame. Trying to explode out into a bonfire of ki, but he keeps it under control with his hair straining rigid and yearning to become golden. His eyes hold true to this Juraian challenging him. Loud snorts come from his nose. The Saiyan thought exists. It speaks in a loud voice within his head: 'be done with it'. His snarl stretches into a rumbling growl. Neither woman back away from his rage, Ayeka does recoil and instead Ryoko steps further into the room towards him.
Thoughts turn inwards. In retrospect he has to think on what he did to his mother. He seized her to control her anger and be the manacles stopping her fists from reaching Seto. His son was watching. His mother helpless before him. The disgust and bitterness at his own actions he felt afterwards. What provoked him. Lack of sleep is hardly a rarity for him. His mother is an annoyance but is making some effort to bond with him through training and sparring. Lady Seto set the table for him to continue her probe into his mother's weakness yet offered no prompt or word for him to descend with wroth onto Pranis.
Vegeta takes a step backwards and sits down onto the bed where his wife drew her last breath. His flares of ki draw to a close. He has done that before. Chastising Saiyans is not new to him when he was the leader of his Saiyan squadron under Frieza and dished out his will and discipline upon both Nappa and Raditz. Not like that, not with that intent of malice. The frightening thing is how Lady Seto seemed to want more from him.
"I was wrong." He admits whilst shaking his head. The question of whether this was a ploy by Seto, meant for him or his mother, he does want an answer to. "Maybe I am too unused to the thought of Saiyans not being deities walking among lesser beings that seeing your viewpoint where that pedestal had been removed … It should still be a matter of what we want for ourselves and what aid we ask for that should be provided to us, and not change forced upon us like a muzzle."
Not having knowledge on what Ayeka fully said does not prevent Ryoko from joining in. She has her own views on the misgivings and failings of Vegeta and equally disagrees on some areas that Ayeka takes umbrage at. Being the only one not able to read minds is a handicap that Ayeka realises she has. Her views and opinions on another's thought process can only originate from her own mind and not from reading the source directly, likewise however this is not a crutch she does want to be used. Vegeta stays calm as he rebukes and also agrees with some points of Ayeka. He has admitted many times before that he is a poor father and was a worse husband to Bulma, and so though a touchy subject given this location Ayeka's words said against his relationships do hold some water.
They get it all aired out between themselves in a mostly civil manner. Agreements have not been reached on all but enough. Ayeka bows and apologises again then looks across to Ryoko. She reaches inside one of her sleeves and takes out from a hidden inner pocket two rings. The princess states that since this is a formal event with Juraian royalty attending it is proper and expected of her to at least acknowledge the engagement between the both of them. Ryoko makes a snide comment that Juraians do not give rings so engagement rings should not be demanded of her, and doubts Haruna and Yosho to be doing the same. Ayeka responds that her brother will be wearing some symbol of his engagement and for her this is what she has. She dons her pearl ring and in her hand holds out her ring to Vegeta. If he wants to take it he can. Ryoko vanishes quickly to reappear with the brass band for Vegeta, as she is always wearing her golden ear cuff whenever possible.