Bulma.
<br />
<br />
"The one?", Safrano made a dismissive gesture. "He's only good for wasting the company's money on horse betting or stuffing one hollow-headed redhead after the other into the neckline before marrying them," said Safrano and his father harshly.
<br />
Bulma noticed that he had already had his glass refilled four times and attributed his unusual openness to the alcohol."I would love to study your extraordinary invention a little more closely," she said, sighing theatrically so that he could see how great she thought him and the exchanger. It worked. Blinded by his own greatness, Safrano fished another pair of exchangers out of his jacket pocket. "Replacement copies in case the first ones fail," he explained loosely. "Take it as a gift, my dear Bulma."
<br />
<br />
"I'll take it on loan," she tried to dampen his enthusiasm. "You will get it back as soon as it has studied a little, word of honor."
<br />
But Safrano didn't want to know anything about it.
<br />
<br />
When the lights in the hall went out, Bulma knew that it was her father's turn to demonstrate his invention. In the glow of a single lamp pointed at him, he donned the belt to which they had attached the auric generator. Bulma had checked the setting again on the trip and when her father pressed the button, a blue glow actually appeared around him.Devout astonishment spread throughout the hall. Then he turned the control to the left and small lightning bolts came along. Turned to the right there were additional sparks and turned all the way down the aura rays became flames. Bulma registered the open mouths of her father's colleague with satisfaction. But suddenly the blue light went out. Bulma suppressed a curse and hastily apologized to her neighbor before she pulled a nail file and small scissors from her evening purse and hurried to her father, who had already opened the generator.
<br />
<br />
"I already thought that this circuit would make bugs," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. “You were just a little too generous in planning, Pop.” Then she began fiddling with the device with the nail file and scissors. “Hold still, or your beautiful suit has had its day.” The assembled inventors laughed partly out of glee, partly out of pity, because each of them knew only too well what it meant to fall victim to the demonstration effect.<br />
<br />
"Typical Bulma," Suzey snorted contemptuously. "Even if that were a spaceship, she'd fix it with her ridiculous replacement tool, no matter how ridiculous she makes herself."
<br />
A breath later, Bulma put the lid back on the generator, pressed the button and the aura lit up again.
<br />
"And worst of all, she's back as the great heroine," she grinded softly, but Vegeta wasn't listening anymore. Bulma's talent to get anything and everything going, to rebuild and to construct was really remarkable.
<br />
<br />
Her father's invention took first place again this time, with Prof. Briefs clearly pointing out in his acceptance speech that he would have liked the exchanger better than his own project. Suzey's father made a good face and spoke loudly of humility as the greatest adornment of a scientist. Then he gave a signal and the board was lifted.Nimble servants removed all the dishes, one got up and was led into the adjoining room where a band was already singing the first of many waltzes. Prof. Briefs and his wife were the first to dance, Suzey's father followed with his young wife and soon the area was full of couples.
<br />
<br />
Vegeta allowed himself a deep sigh. One dance would have to be enough, then he would have done his duty and slipped home. But before he got around to rummaging through the crowd to Bulma, careful not to break anyone's ribs by mistake, the Suzey cut off the path and pulled him onto the dance floor. Here the peasant trampoline would receive the coup de grace, she had resolved.
<br />
<br />
Bulma saw the two dance past and froze. How did Vegeta come to ask this bitch from Suzey instead. He was sure he wanted to annoy her with it, but he couldn't. When Safrano asked for the dance, Bulma immediately agreed.Safrano was a skilled dancer and she would surely have enjoyed the dance if she hadn't been busy keeping an eye on Vegeta. He was annoyed that he was stopped by Suzey, but since he constantly felt Bulma's eyes on his back (Why couldn't she just wait for him to get her? Why did she have to hold on to this blonde, tipsy idiot?), He admitted take the effort to perform every step and turn as perfectly as possible.
<br />
<br />
Suzey had to admit that her plan to expose the farmer as such didn't work. This Vegeta had a somewhat hard grip and danced a little too far from a distance for her liking, but his steps never hesitated and he always found a free spot on the rather crowded dance floor.
<br />
<br />
Somehow Safrano couldn't enjoy the dance. Bulma kept staring at this Vegeta. What did she find so attractive about this gnome?Shaking his head, Safrano directed his steps to the open patio door. "Today it's such a beautiful evening and I haven't seen you for a long time, Bulma. Shall we go outside for a bit?" He asked when the music stopped exactly as they reached the open glass door. Bulma didn't like this because she didn't want to lose sight of Vegeta, on the other hand Safrano had willingly left his new invention to her and the least was to do him this little favor in return. Safrano's spirits stirred again through the fresh night air and he remembered his plan to take Bulma for himself. He looked up at the sky, yes the moon and stars and only a few clouds were visible, ideal for a bit of greasy talk about the beauty of her eyes.
<br />
But before he could start, Vegeta stepped onto the terrace and approached Bulma. "We still have to dance," he said gruffly.
<br />
<br />
"That's not how you talk to a lady", Safrano didn't want to miss the opportunity to emphasize his advantages over this short-legged country man."But a penniless parasite like you can't know that," he rubbed his blond mane. "It really was about time you gave up your useless existence in Bulma's household and look after yourself like a man."
<br />
<br />
Bulma saw Vegeta's vein of anger swell. Yes, and then he really amazed her, he managed to simply ignore this insult. "We should really dance, Bulma. Come on, the next waltz is about to begin."
<br />
<br />
Bulma nodded. She suspected that he wanted to get it over with quickly, but after the nice, boring dance with Safrano she longed for the feeling that she had had during the rehearsal with Vegeta. Before Safrano could launch another insult, she took Vegeta's hand and let him lead her onto the dance floor.
<br />
"They go well together," said Suzey bitterly, handing her brother another drink. "They're both failures."
<br />
<br />
At that moment Bulma and Vegeta danced past the terrace and could just catch Suzey's comment.<br />
Vegeta took a deep breath, Bulma felt his grip tighten around her waist and his face pale with suppressed anger. She had known Vegeta long enough to appreciate how much he had been offended by Suzey's words and what effort it took not to vent this honest anger.
<br />
<br />
They danced on and Bulma felt how it was boiling more and more in Vegeta. He was going to rush into some crazy training again to get rid of the pent up anger, she saw it coming. Maybe another stupid idea like the one with the blizzard? What if he overestimated himself again and was in danger from being stupid?
<br />
Something had to be done. And quickly.
<br />
She leaned forward and whispered a request in Vegeta's ear to dance near her parents. He followed her request with a frozen expression.
<br />
<br />
"Dad, mom, I think we should go earlier this time," she suggested to the two of them.
<br />
Her mother looked a little disappointed, but after a quick glance at Vegeta, she nodded."It's good, darling. We'll just quickly get the certificate for your father." With that, the couple danced briefs in the direction of the dining room, while Bulma led Vegeta back to the terrace with another whispered request. The waltz had just ended again. They could see Suzey and Safrano standing in the shade of an ornamental shrub. The two turned their backs on them and Suzey was just sharpening her sharp tongue again: "Bulma still has no husband, she will end up as an old maid and this Vegeta actually believes he is a prince. Like she gives this useless idiot dazzling-looking genius as you prefer is really a mystery to me. "Then she laughed mockingly. "She obviously has a penchant for worthless junk."
<br />
<br />
Bulma's collar burst. Before Suzey knew what was happening to her, Bulma stood in front of her and gave her a slap that could be heard all the way into the hall. "You can gossip about me as much as you want," hissed Bulma, trembling with anger."But one more word against Vegeta and I'll tear out each of your colored hair!"
<br />
<br />
Suzey held his burning cheek and stared in disbelief at the angry Bulma. But she wasn't done with her yet.
<br />
"Vegeta is a real prince of the Saiyan and in his little finger there is more character, more pride and more strength than in ten, what am I talking about, than in a hundred of your kind."
<br />
Then she took the perplexed Vegeta by the hand. "Come on, let's go. Someone here stinks with falsehood and it makes me sick."
<br />
<br />
Vegeta let her pull her out into the hallway, where the parents were already waiting. Frau Briefs had fetched Bulma's little bag and her coats.
<br />
<br />
Bulma brooded in silence the entire way home. Why did she defend this Saiyan anyway? A cursory glance at Vegeta, their eyes met and Bulma quickly looked away again. Actually, Suzey had said things that she herself had thought about Vegeta from time to time.But only when he made her angry, she added in