Chapter 40: Changes
By the time Vahn had returned from West City, Bulma had already moved most of her stuff into his room. She could be remarkably bold when she wanted to be, so, after their first, almost dream-like night together, she forcibly set aside her pride and began making an effort to get along with Sarina.
Though things were still tremendously awkward between them, Vahn wasn't too concerned as the girls would be spending the next few years attending the same school. They had plenty of time to get to know one another. All he had to do was treat them well, satiate Bulma's curiosity, and make sure both of them felt completely gratified once the Sun when down. Such things were as simple as breathing for the current him, so, even before the end of the Summer vacation, Bulma was already showing signs of appreciation for Sarina's presence. â?? â??
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Vahn wasn't the type of man any singular woman could handle…
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With five days passing in the blink of an eye, an appreciative smile had developed across Vahn's face as he observed Bulma, Sarina, and Chi-Chi in their school uniforms.
Though West City was supposed to be a stand-in for the Americas of more standard Earths, each of the Cardinal Cities had adopted traditional Japanese school uniforms. This included the iconic sailor fuku for girls and a somewhat roguish-looking gakuran for boys. In the middle-school division and below, girls even wore buruma and school swimsuits.
Vahn's preference, at least as far as school uniforms went, had always matched the victorian era of fashion. In spite of this, he could still appreciate Japanese aesthetics, as, on the most fundamental level, his heritage could be traced back to the Far East. After all, Tsubaki's Manor had been his first actual home, and, ever since his descent into the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, he had taken to wearing a modified yukata that made him appear like a scholar and a martial arts expert. He really enjoyed themes, so, with the 'Godhand Pavilion' borrowing from eastern influences, Vahn figured he may as well dress the part.
After gawking at Sarina and Bulma for several seconds, Vahn nodded his head in an approving manner, saying, "The two of you look stunning…" before shifting his gaze to the expectant-looking Chi-Chi and adding, "And our little princess looks absolutely adorable…"
Though she would have preferred to be called stunning, Chi-Chi was gradually coming to terms with the fact that Vahn wasn't going to make a move on her no matter how much she tried to insist she was an adult. She needed to focus on bettering herself and maturing, so, rather than show any signs of being upset, a bashful smile developed across her face as she cupped her cheeks and said, "Thank you for the compliment."
Restraining a chuckle, an even wider smile developed across Vahn's face as he resisted the urge to ruffle Chi-Chi's hair. Today was her first day of school, so, while he could easily undo any mussing caused by his actions, he decided against it. Today was a very important day for her and he didn't want to do anything that might increase her nerves.
Noticing the hint of concern in Vahn's gentle green eyes, Bulma couldn't help rolling her own as she said, "Relax, Vahn. Chi-Chi managed to get a perfect score on her entrance exams. Even I struggled with languages when I was younger. You don't have to worry about her. She'll be fine."
Smiling wryly in response to Bulma's words, Vahn countered by saying, "Though I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned, I'm more worried about her classmates than Chi-Chi herself. At her current level, even a casual push could send a normal person crashing through a concrete wall…"
Having witnessed and even participated in some of Sarina's and Chi-Chi's training, primarily out of curiosity, Bulma paled in response to Vahn's words.
"Uh…good point…"
With everyone's gazes focused on her, a potent blush spread through Chi-Chi's face as she averted her eyes. She actually enjoyed the attention quite a bit, but, understanding Vahn's concerns, she did her best to sound confident as she said, "I promise not to get into any fights…"
Shaking his head, Vahn, once again, resisted the urge to reach out and caress Chi-Chi's hair as he said, "No. You come from a warrior background. Getting into fights is to be expected. Just do your best not to severely injure or kill anyone. As for things like sports and stuff, you and Sarina are free to join any teams or clubs you like. Just don't let success and fame go to your head. There is always someone better and stronger than you…"
Though it had only been a week, Chi-Chi's power level had increased from a commendable 35 to an impressive 69. This placed her among the top twenty most powerful individuals in the entire world, so, even if she didn't put in much effort, Chi-Chi could dominate every sport in the mundane world.
Fortunately, at least for the people who had dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit of sports and trophies, Chi-Chi had already decided which extracurricular activity she would pursue. Vahn had, time and again, expressed the importance of flexibility, balance, and coordination, so, the moment clubs began recruiting, she intended to join the Rhythmic Gymnastics, Dance, and Cooking Clubs.
If it was something she believed would make her a better wife, Chi-Chi was willing to try anything.
Nodding her head in understanding, Chi-Chi held her hands up, tightly clenching her fists as she resolutely stated, "I understand…!"
Before he even realized what he was doing, Vahn found his hand gently caressing Chi-Chi's head. This caused the already wry smile on his face to turn wrier, but, having already crossed the line, he saw no reason to stop. Judging by the smile on Chi-Chi's face, she appreciated it quite a bit…
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After a hearty breakfast, Vahn and Co said their farewells to Cheelai, Tights, and Broly before flying to West City in a version of the Imperial Dragon called the Model Ragnarok.
Unlike the Model Tiamat, a single-person mech oriented towards long-range combat, the Model Ragnarok was an armored personnel carrier. From the outside, it resembled a rather sleek-looking red dragon oriented towards speed. This was pretty accurate, as, even within the atmosphere of a planet like Earth, the Model Ragnarok was capable of moving in virtually any direction at faster than light speeds.
Fortunately, much like the other versions of the Imperial Dragons, the Model Ragnarok was fully capable of piloting itself. As a result, Vahn was able to fix Chi-Chi's hair and help the girls finalize their preparations before dropping them off at their respective schools. As for why he didn't just teleport them over? Bulma thought it would be cooler if they were dropped off outside the gate in a skyscraper-sized dragon. The words low-key simply didn't exist in her personalized dictionary…
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After dropping the girls off, Vahn placed the Model Ragnarok into orbit before teleporting to the suite that served as his primary residence within West City. His presentation in front of the Surgeon General and the Board of Medical Supervisors had left quite the impact, so, while it was impossible for him to skip his residency, he was already being paid the salary of a senior physician.
Performing flawless diagnostics, answering every question perfectly, and completing surgeries that were supposed to take several hours in mere minutes left quite the impression…
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With the departure of Vahn, Bulma, Sarina, and Chi-Chi, the Godhand Pavilion felt even emptier than usual. As a result, Tights found herself lazing about in bed, listlessly staring at the ceiling with nothing to do.
By trade, Tights was a science-fiction author who focused on worldbuilding and publishing grand space epics. She had known the Universe was filled with beings beyond comprehension ever since she was a child. Vahn, however, was so far beyond her expectations that, for the first time in many, many years, she simply didn't have the motivation to write.
It didn't help that she had spent the entire week listening to her little sister brag about what it was like to be with a literal God.
Bulma wasn't exactly discreet when it came to discussing matters of love and romance. She had, in painstaking detail, recounted every single experience she had with Vahn. This included their crash-landing and subsequent love-making at the bottom of the ocean, so, while she would normally be lost in the world of her imagination, Tights couldn't help feeling that Bulma's reality had suddenly become even more fantastical than any stories she could think of.
It was kind of infuriating…
As that thought crossed her mind, an exasperated sigh escaped Tights's throat as she rolled onto her side and hugged one of the indescribably soft pillows that made up the veritable mountain on her bed. She was the type that hated feeling restrained and smothered, so, in place of blankets, she found comfort and warmth in pillows, plushies, and stuffed animals.
Though she normally kept her personal preferences and sleeping habits a secret, Tights had given up after learning that Vahn was basically omniscient. The truth of the matter was, despite her boyish appearance, Tights had always had a fondness for strange and cute things. She had also developed a number of confidence issues due to her petite frame and relatively small breasts, so, despite quite a few attempts at transitioning to more 'adult' undergarments, Tights simply felt more comfortable in plain cotton, often patterned panties.
Thinking of her childish preferences, Tights's mind, once again, wandered to the presentation Vahn had given nearly a week prior. She couldn't recall every member of his harem, but, with a number of girls whose heights barely surpassed his waist, Tights couldn't help comparing herself against them. It didn't help that, among the members of Vahn's harem, several pairs of sisters and even a number of mother-daughter pairings existed…
Simply put, Tights was seriously considering going back on her word and seeing if she couldn't, at the very least, spend a single night with Vahn. It had been more than a decade since she was last in a relationship, and, due to the nature of the breakup, Tights wasn't sure if she could ever truly trust another man. She was afraid of being taken advantage of, so, even though she was pushing 30, she hadn't even considered getting back into the dating scene.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, Vahn wasn't just any man. He was a literal God, and, after spending a week together, Tights had come to appreciate the time they spent together. He was always caring and considerate when he spoke, and, no matter what kinds of questions she asked, the only things he concealed from her were matters related to the privacy of others. This, combined with the fact he was among the most handsome men she had ever seen invariably led Tights's mind, and fingers, wandering…
Coming to her senses, Tights removed her fingers from her panties before staring at the glistening digits with the same listlessness she had afforded the ceiling. One of the problems with retreating into her shell was the fact that she simply couldn't get off like a normal woman. She had convinced herself that self-gratification and relationships were unnecessary, as, every time she touched herself, memories of her first boyfriend would resurface in her mind. This would completely ruin her mood, and, as a result, Tights found it impossible to get off. It didn't help that her Doctors had linked her stunted growth to a hormonal imbalance caused by stress and several other psychological factors…
Remembering this, a depressive atmosphere exuded from Tights's body as she wiped her fingers against the fabric of her pajamas and muttered, "Stupid Bulma…"
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(A/N: Sorry for the late post. I got my second dose of beer vaccine the other day and it completely kicked my sh*t in.)