Chapter 2213 Acquiescence
Though breakfast ended up bleeding into lunch, Vahn didn't mind. He like recounting his story for others to hear, and, based on the reactions of everyone present, they enjoyed it quite a bit. In the end, he ended up with a projection of his current self, and, unsurprisingly, an extensive and diverse crowd consisting of 138 women and 69 children.
Seeing the incongruous scene, it finally hit Bulma just how many women Vahn was involved with. It hadn't before, as, despite hearing Vahn mention there were more than a hundred, it was difficult to imagine what that was like. Now that she could see them with her own eyes, she finally understood the futility of trying to keep Vahn for herself. Rather, after hearing the story of Vahn's journey from a boy to a God, it wasn't difficult to imagine him setting her aside to preserve everything else he held dear...
"Wow..."
Recovering a bit faster than the much younger girls, a mixture of awe and disbelief colored Tights's expression as she followed her soft utterance by asking, "If you have such a massive family waiting for you, what are you doing here...?"
Maintaining the reminiscent smile that had adorned his face for the better part of five hours, Vahn casually answered, "I'm here to accumulate life experience and help Sarina with her training. Things can get pretty chaotic in the realm we're from. In preparation for the future, I'm helping her grow a bit stronger so she can fulfill her duties as Vice-Leader of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, the Community I founded in the Little Garden."
As Vahn had mentioned the Divine Realm and the Little Garden during his story, Tights didn't press him for more information. Instead, she fell into the same pensive silence as nearly everyone else at the table. Vahn had revealed so much information about himself and the truths of the world that it was a little difficult to process. All she knew for certain was that she had been out of line when she put him on the spot previously...
"Listen, Vahn, I...I just wanted to say I'm sorry..."
Raising his brows, Vahn asked, "For what?" with a genuinely confused expression on his face. This caused Tights to feel even more awkward, so much so that she wasn't entirely sure what to say in response to his confusion.
Fortunately, just as Tights felt like she might explode from embarrassment and awkwardness, Chi-Chi chimed in to ask, "Does this mean I'll get to become a Goddess in the future?" before following it by cupping her cheeks and adding, "I wonder...if I work extra hard, will I be able to become a Goddess of Love~?"
Chuckling in response to Chi-Chi's words, Vahn dispersed the projection with a wave of his hands before answering, "It's possible. However, unless you leave this world, obtaining an actual Divinity will be a little difficult. You'll need to train hard until you're able to obtain something called God Ki. After that, you'll need to develop your God Ki until you can use it even in your base state. While not impossible, it will take a considerable amount of effort."
Balling her hands into fists, illusory flames erupted from Chi-Chi's eyes as she said, "If making an effort is all it takes, just leave it to me! I'll be a Goddess before you know it...!"
Instead of refuting Chi-Chi's words, Vahn just nodded his head, advising, "Just make sure to pace yourself a bit. Once you obtain God Ki, your aging will all but cease. I could always lend you a hand but there are quite a number of Gods who have been trapped with more...youthful appearances. I'm not really bothered by such things but I know how great a burden being trapped in a youthful body can be. Some of the people I'm closest to have suffered tremendously as a result of curses related to eternal youth and immortality..."
Without losing even a hint of her excitement, Chi-Chi adopted a radiant smile as she said, "Oh, that doesn't bother me one bit. I noticed a lot of girls that look even younger than me within your wives and lovers. So long as I can become your bride, I'm sure we can overcome anything with the power of love~!"
Returning a smile of his own, the only thing preventing Vahn from reaching out to caress Chi-Chi's head was the table between them. He could simply ignore it, but, for a number of different reasons, he elected not to. Positive reinforcement was a good thing but it was ultimately unnecessary in Chi-Chi's case. Rather, if she believed it would earn her additional headpats and increased affection, she really would become a fanatic with the potential to become a Goddess of Love...
"For now, why don't we all take a break? We've been sitting here for quite some time so I imagine everyone could do with stretching their legs. In the process, I'll go ahead and get started on lunch. It's a bit later than usual but it shouldn't affect your appetite come dinner time."
Seeing Vahn get up, Chi-Chi immediately pushed her own chair away from the table before promptly following after him. This left Sarina, Bulma, Tights, Cheelai, and Broly as the only ones left at the table, the latter appearing somewhat sleepy as he would normally be taking a nap around this time of day.
Noticing this, Cheelai was the next to rise, a teasing smile on her face as she looked towards the trio of women at the table, saying, "Good luck." before picking up Broly and carrying him like a koala towards the garden. He didn't enjoy sleeping indoors, and, despite the comfort of the beds Vahn provided, he would rather sleep in the canopy of a tree or atop a large, moss-covered stone.
With more than half their members disappearing in moments, Sarina, Bulma, and Tights felt a little awkward remaining at the table. Fortunately, this wasn't Sarina's first time hearing about Vahn's story. As a result, she was the least affected by the revelations, saying, "Don't let it get to you. Vahn's story might sound larger than life but he's a pretty down to Earth kind of guy. I mean, just take this situation as an example. We're able to sit around a dining table while the God you're worrying about prepares lunch for us. Try not to overthink things. You'll only end up creating pointless drama."
On that note, Sarina rose to her feet with the intention of watching a few episodes of anime or taking a short nap in the master bedroom. She wasn't all that good at fielding questions, and, as much as she appreciated Bulma as a character, she could be pretty intolerable in real life...
Following Sarina's departure with her eyes, a pouty expression developed across Bulma's face. She was actually thinking about apologizing to the raven-haired beauty, so, seeing her walk off, she couldn't help thinking Sarina was trying to avoid her.
Noticing the look on her little sister's face, a helpless expression developed across Tights's as she asked, "Why are you getting upset? She actually just gave you some pretty good advice. If you keep behaving like this, you're only going to make things even harder for yourself..."
Furrowing her brows even further, Bulma turned to meet her sister's gaze, complaining, "I just think it's a little hypocritical for her to behave in such a self-centered manner despite disliking me for the same behavior..."
Shrugging her shoulder, Tights surprised Bulma by stating, "You just think that way because you automatically elevate yourself above the people you're conversing with. You're too used to being the smartest and most talented person in the room. As far as I can tell, Sarina is only behaving this way because of the way you've been acting. If she was half as self-centered as you believe her to be, she wouldn't bother giving you advice and helping you smooth things over with Vahn. I know I wouldn't..."
Though her expression didn't improve in response to her sister's words, Bulma didn't lash out like she normally would. Instead, she hung her head for several minutes, a contemplative look gradually replacing her frustration until she eventually asked, "What are you going to do from here on? If you wanted to stay, I don't think Vahn would refuse..."
Raising her head, Tights stared at the ceiling with a listless expression on her face as she said, "Yeah, I got the same impression...unfortunately, I'm not nearly as comfortable as some of his other lovers when it comes to sharing the same man with my sister. I might stick around for a bit but I have no intention of making things even more complicated. Besides, didn't the two of you have some kind of promise? If you're okay with the thought of sharing in five years, I may be willing to consider it. For now, you should focus on getting your shit together rather than worrying about others..."
As she had already been singled for more than thirteen years, Tights wasn't exactly eager to start a new relationship. She also doubted Vahn would simply let her die, so, even if she had to remain single for another decade or two, she didn't particularly mind. After all, if they did end up together, there was a very real possibility that she would live forever. What were ten or twenty years compared to a literal eternity?
Understanding that Tights was holding back for her sake, tears began to swell within Bulma's eyes as she muttered a meek, borderline sobby, "Sissy..."
Smiling in response to the nostalgic form of address, Tights pulled Bulma into an affectionate, sisterly hug. This was enough to really get the waterworks going, as, despite being remarkably close when Bulma was still just a baby, it had been years since they saw each other, much less embraced as sisters. This was something Tights had always felt guilty about, so, while she was able to avoid shedding tears of her own, a sour feeling spread through her nose as moisture built beneath her closed eyes...
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With the rest of the day passing without incident, Vahn was marginally surprised when Bulma snuck out of her sister's room wearing a frilly pink neglige. Upon learning this, a relieved sigh emanated from Sarina's throat, as, despite having the qualities of a lascivious nymph, going at it for hours each night had been taxing on both her body and mind. Thus, upon learning that Bulma was sneaking towards their bedroom, she took the initiative to say, "I'm going to sleep in the matinee. Just make sure you follow through. If you let her talk herself out of it at the last moment, don't blame me for taking matters into my own hands..."
Though she didn't know what she would do, Sarina knew she would have to do something if Bulma kept chickening out. It would be one thing if she said she wanted to wait until she and Vahn were wed, but, as that clearly wasn't the case, Sarina would rather they just get it over and done with. After all, the sooner Vahn bedded her, the sooner Bulma would stop making a big deal out of every little thing...
Understanding Sarina's thought process, a light chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat before he gave her a not-so-chaste kiss. This would normally be the catalyst for a long and passionate session of lovemaking. Instead, it acted as a parting kiss, as, instead of reaching down to grab Sarina's butt, Vahn drew her closer by the small of her back, time stagnating around them as he sealed her lips for the better part of three and a half minutes...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'More like the Goddess of Delusions...','Tights is a good sister...','Sarina be like, "Substitution Jutsu...!"')