Not necessarily canon, as Raina would know Bovvi a little bit better by this point if she was being transported by Levin's squad. But wanted to show off personalities.
Bovvi is an odd-ball. He's mischievous, antagonistic, and talks to his collection of knives. However he is extremely reliable despite his unaproachability.
Also, "Purps" is a common derogatory word for Nevmians. It comes from the fact that most Nevmians have purple eyes. Hardly any Oasians have the purple eyes or silver hair. So, yeah, racial slur, I suppose. Par for the course for warring civilizations.