Chapter 42: The Eve of Change
Though she was self-published through a subsidiary of Capsule Corp, Tights still had a team of Editors that kept in contact with her. They would get worried when she was gone for long periods of time, so, after three and a half weeks of idling about in the Godhand Pavilion, Tights surprised everyone at dinner by sharing, "I intend to return to West City tomorrow morning. I want to spend some time with my parents before returning to Dr. Omori's island…"
As Tights hadn't even hinted at the possibility she would be leaving any time soon, Bulma was the most surprised among the people that had gathered. She didn't spit out her food or drop her fork but she did swallow the half-chewed contents in her mouth before following it with a large gulp of tea. Then, with a moderately offended expression on her face, she slammed her cup down and said, "Hey! You never told me you were returning so soon! We haven't even done anything as sisters! At least wait until Sunday so we can go shopping together…!" â??â??
Shaking her head, Tights maintained a calm and resolute expression on her face as she said, "You know I don't like shopping. Besides, with Vahn's power, we can pretty much meet up whenever we want. It isn't like I'm crossing dimensions or disappearing into some random void. It wouldn't even take a few minutes for you to come and visit me with the Model Tiamat."
Furrowing her brows, Bulma wanted to protest but was preempted by Vahn saying, "I intend to standardize teleportation in the near future. With their permission, I'll install teleportation arrays at Capsule Corp and Dr. Omori's island. That will allow the two of you to visit each other when you'd like."
Though Bulma perked up quite a bit, a wry smile developed across Tights's face as she thought of a way to politely refuse Vahn's suggestion. There were times when she felt lonely but she had grown fond of the relative peace and quiet of Dr. Omori's island. She may have mentioned how easy it was for Bulma to pay her a visit her but she wasn't really comfortable with the notion that people could just drop by whenever they wanted…
Allaying Tights's concerns, a knowing smile developed across Vahn's face as he said, "Don't worry. The teleportation array will function similarly to a telecommunications network. Unless someone on the other side picks up or authorizes the transfer, the array will not activate."
Returning a smile of her own, Tights resisted the urge to thank Vahn for his consideration. Luckily, Bulma was currently considering the pros and cons of unregulated teleportation. It would become a problem if criminals or terrorists could simply send bombs through a teleportation array, so, after a moment of consideration, she nodded her head in approval, saying, "That's probably for the best." before following up by asking, "How do you plan to regulate it?"
Anticipating Bulma's question, Vahn pulled out a rather futuristic tablet before sliding it toward her with a smile. He didn't mind answering questions, but, when it came to things she was interested in, Bulma didn't know when to stop. It was actually one of the more charming aspects of her character. Vahn simply didn't want to spend the rest of the meal answering every question that popped into the bubbly bluenette's head.
Like a child that had just received a new toy, Bulma's eyes practically turned to stars when she saw the structure and design of the tablet. Before she could even ask, Vahn answered, "The schematics for several generations of the tablet exist within one of the enclosed folders. Feel free to market it at your leisure."
As things like LED and Holographic displays simply didn't exist in the present market, Capsule Corp would be able to expand their fortunes once Bulma had patented the technology. They already had a monopoly in several fields, but, for the sake of the unification of Earth, Vahn didn't mind providing the means to increase their earnings. After all, by the time of Dragon Ball Super, the annual revenue of Capsule Corps had exceeded the combined earnings of every nation on the planet.
Saving the world and having exclusive access to magical, wish-granting balls made dominating the market remarkably easy…
Unable to contain herself, Bulma took advantage of the fact she was sitting next to Vahn to pounce and plant a kiss on his cheek before exclaiming, "That's my fiance~! You really know how to make a girl happy, don't'cha~?"
Since Bulma didn't immediately separate from him, Vahn hooked his hand around her waist before guiding her to sit on his lap. This caused a rather potent blush to develop across her face, but, due to the presence of Tights, Cheelai, Chi-Chi, and Broly, Vahn kept things relatively tame by leaning his forehead against Bulma's and whispering, "Just returning the favor…"
Swallowing due to the proximity of their lips, Bulma didn't immediately register the meaning behind Vahn's words. When it finally hit her, a silly grin spread across her face as she realized he was saying this was compensation for the happiness she made him feel.
Though she was primarily concerned with her own happiness, Bulma was slowly but surely learning how to show concern and be happy for others. Knowing she made Vahn happy made her feel even happier, so, after a moment of muddled thinking, she linked her arms around his neck before Vahn seized the initiative to plant a chaste kiss on her lips and remind her, "We're at the dining table…"
Startling slightly due to the reminder, Bulma's eyes widened as she looked around the table to find everyone staring directly at her. A far more potent blush developed across her face, but, instead of lashing out like she used to, she hopped up from Vahn's lap before grabbing the tablet and hastily departing the room. Due to the influence of Gag Laws, there was even a bit of steam rising from her head and trailing behind her as she disappeared around the door's threshold…
Restraining the urge to laugh, the corners of Vahn's smile curled upward as he attempted to guide the dinner back on track by asking about Tights's next book. He knew she had started on multiple drafts, as, for the past two and a half weeks, she had interviewed him a number of times to inquire about the tales and legends of other worlds. This was the method she had come up with to justify spending time together, so, whenever he had time to spare, Vahn entertained the bashful blonde by allowing her to peruse the memories he had accumulated during his stay in the Actualized World of Tri-Enix.
Science Fiction and Existentialism were two of Tights's favorite subjects. The notion that entire realities could exist within a simulation was enough to get her blood as an author boiling…
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As it was Tights's last night in the Godhand Pavilion, at least for the time being, the girls, including Cheelai, ended up having something of a sleepover. This left Vahn to look after Broly, so, once the girls had settled in for the night, he decided to take the young Saiyan to check up on his father.
It was never overtly discussed in the source material but Saiyans were actually nocturnal by nature. Broly had also spent most of his life keeping watch on nights that didn't have a full moon, so, while others would begin to feel tired once the sun descended over the horizon, the young Saiyan began to feel restless.
Fortunately, Cheelai, or, more accurately, the Orionite people were also nocturnal by nature. They had also been genetically engineered to require very little sleep, so, while she could laze about for hours on end, Cheelai rarely slept for more than fifteen minutes at a time. This was a trait that was intended to make her species more adaptive to working in space, but, as fate would have it, it also made her an exceptionally good caretaker. She would regularly need to warm herself due to being cold-blooded, but, thanks to Broly lending her Baa, she was able to remain active even when it was dark and cold outside.
Recalling the scene of Cheelai wearing a hoodie-version of Baa as she played hide-and-seek with Broly, a faint smile developed across Vahn's face. He didn't have a vested interest in Paragus, so, while the young Saiyan was watching his father chat with a pleasantly plump nurse, Vahn kept his gaze focused on the full moon overhead. He had erected a barrier around the entire planet, so, even if Broly, Paragus, or Goku were to stare directly at the moon, it wouldn't result in an Oozaru transformation.
Couldn't have an amnesiac Saiyan looking out the window and then proceeding to destroy the surrounding city just because he thought the moon looked pretty…
"I'm done…"
Hearing Broly's words, Vahn shifted his attention from the inordinately large moon to the young Saiyan staring up at him. He could see a lonely yet resolute light in the youth's eyes, so, instead of asking if he was certain, Vahn simply nodded his head before asking, "Want to fly or run back…?"
Though he enjoyed the liberating feeling of flying, Broly had been emulating Sarina's and Chi-Chi's exercise routine whenever he could. He also enjoyed running around and bounding over obstacles, so, after a very long period of consideration, he answered, "I will race you."
Resisting the urge to point out the rather drastic difference in their maximum speeds, Vahn offered an approving nod before ruffling the young Saiyan's hair and saying, "I'll give you a five…make that three-minute head start. If I overtake you, you'll have to stop complaining whenever Cheelai tries to give you a bath. Deal?"
While others may have asked what they stood to gain from such an arrangement, Broly didn't even hesitate to nod before bounding off the roof they had been sitting on. He wasn't the type to harbor sentiments related to wants and needs. He could be happy so long as he had food to eat and a roof to shelter him from the rain. Thus, rather than think about how he might benefit from the exchange, Broly interpreted Vahn's words as a challenge, his tiny legs carrying very near the speed of sound as he bolted in the direction of Cheelai's energy signature.
Seeing the young Saiyan speed off towards the edge of the city, an affectionate smile developed across Vahn's face as he leaned back against the roof to continue staring at the moon. At the same time, his intent briefly shifted to Goku. This caused an amused glimmer to reflect across his eyes, as, rather than sleeping peacefully at her side, Goku was currently resting with his face nestled between the blonde-haired Launch's breasts. What made the scene so amusing was the fact that Launch was very clearly torn between hugging the slumbering Saiyan and smacking him on the head…
"It seems things are going well over at Kame House…"
Though this wasn't the first time he had peeked in on Goku, and, as a result, Launch, Vahn couldn't help being amused by the situation. Goku possessed a very powerful fate, and, prior to the Ox-King giving Chi-Chi the option to choose her future husband, the duo's fates had been intertwined. Now, seemingly for no better reason than to assure Gohan, Goku's canon son would be born, his fate had gradually become entangled with Launch's. Right now, she viewed him more as a little brother, but, once Goku matured, Launch's perspective of the young Saiyan was bound to change. After all, while most would unquestionably assume she was much older, Launch was actually less than a year older than Bulma at seventeen years old. This placed her around 4-5 years old than Goku, but, thanks to the Room of Spirit and Time, he was actually older than her by the time of Super…
Seeing the angry expression on Launch's face slowly fade away, the corners of Vahn's smile curled up as the usually antagonistic woman began to affectionately run her fingers through Goku's hair. With this development, he didn't have to worry about Gohan being born. As for Trunks and Goten, there was a very good chance he would personally see to their creation. Thus, while great changes were afoot in the Actualized World, the power of fate was working hard to ensure everything was still flowing in the 'proper' direction…
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(A/N: Broly is remarkably pure. Goku is remarkably lucky xD.)
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