EPIC Side Story: Dragon Ball

Arriving nearly an hour after everyone else had already finished breakfast, Bulma was looking more than a little worse for wear as she entered the dining room and groaned, "Ugh...where's the coffee? I need at least three cups or I'm going to be out of it the entire day."As the only one remaining in the dining room, Vahn offered a casual smile as he manifested a pot of coffee out of thin air and asked, "Didn't get much sleep?"Furrowing her brows, Bulma briefly studied Vahn's face for any signs that he might be alluding to her nightly activities. In response, Vahn raised his brows in mock confusion as he emptied the entire pot of coffee into a thermos.Though Vahn's reaction appeared genuine, Bulma couldn't shake the feeling he was pretending. A faint blush began to color her cheeks, and, though part of her didn't want to know, another part of her was too curious not to ask, "Were you...awake last night...?"Understanding what she was actually asking, Vahn's smile curled up at the edges as he said, "Don't worry. There is a special enchantment on each of the beds. Not only do they make themselves, but, so long as you don't damage the base materials, they even clean their own sheets...""Oh Kami..."Covering her hastily reddening face, Bulma promptly squatted down as if she were attempting to shrink into a form too small to see. Fortunately, not that it made much of a difference if he wanted to see, Bulma had changed into a loose-fitting, dark-pink nightgown the previous night. The fabric extended all the way to her ankles, so, even when she squatted down, nothing was visible.Restraining the urge to laugh, Vahn placed the thermos on the edge of the table before pulling out a plate filled with pastries and sliced fruit. Then, without further comment, he teleported outside to find Sarina in the process of teaching Goku how to stretch. She was, at least for the time being, the strongest human on the planet, so, while Goku would quickly catch up once his potential had been awakened, Sarina was currently his Senior Apprentice/Senpai.Unable to restrain his curiosity, Vahn purchased a green, AT Model 34 Scouter for a surprisingly modest 8,000 OP. He could have created one, but, with a functionally infinite and ever-increasing supply of OP, Vahn wasn't too concerned with spending it."Now, let's see what we're working with..."Placing the Scouter over his right ear, Vahn was marginally surprised when microscopic holes in the Scouter's cushioning formed tiny vacuum seals against his skin. This created a surprisingly powerful suction force, so much so that a normal person would need to press a release valve on the side just to remove it."That's pretty neat..."As it was something he had always been curious about, Vahn was rather pleased with the relatively trivial discovery. In the very next moment, however, he shifted his focus to the actual display before pressing the button at the center of the earpiece. A surprisingly high-pitched sound then assaulted his eardrum, and, judging by how both Sarina and Goku shifted their attention his way, it was easy to surmise they could also hear it.Adopting a wry smile, Vahn mused, "Not the stealthiest piece of technology I've ever worked with..." before pressing the button a few more times until the HUD indicated the Scouter was in detection mode."Is that a Scouter? I didn't expect you to bring one out so soon."Recognizing the device the moment she saw it, Sarina's tensions began to build as she approached Vahn with an excited smile. Goku also walked over, but, unlike Sarina, he had a somewhat airheaded look on his face as he innocently inquired, "What's a Scouter? Could it be that weird-looking thing on Uncle Vahn's head?"Restraining a light chuckle, Vahn's smile became marginally more prominent as he explained, "It may be a little lacking in the aesthetics department but this little fella has the ability to quantify a person's strength in a numerical format. It's generally better not to rely on things like this but it's pretty useful in the early stages of training. Now, hold still a moment..."As the HUD display flickered and produced yet another high-pitched sound, Vahn waited patiently until it 'dinged' to reveal a surprisingly low value of 14. He wasn't quite sure what he had expected, but, after seeing Goku kick Bulma's car flying, he assumed it would be much higher. After all, a fully grown adult man had an average power level of 5. Unless they were something along the lines of a bodybuilder or a skilled martial artist, there was no way a normal human could withstand bullets or total a car with a kick...Surmising that Goku's power level fluctuated tremendously depending on his emotions, Vahn made a mental note to keep tabs on the young Saiyan's growth as he shifted his attention to Sarina. Her face practically lit up the moment he looked at her. This was pretty par for the course when it came to the beautiful brunette. This time, however, she was focused more on the Scouter than staring at his face...*ding*"Oh? 492 without Ki training? That's pretty impressive."As even Master Roshi only had a power level of around 180-200 at the beginning of Dragon Ball, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Sarina was currently one of the strongest people on the planet. In fact, according to a small notification that had appeared on the HUD, there were only two power levels above her.With his intent allowing him to peer across vast distances if he were there, Vahn could see that one of the power levels belonged to the gigantic figure of the Ox-King. Even more surprising was that his power level, despite being submissive to Master Roshi, was a whopping 902.Recalling that even Kami and King Piccolo should only have power levels ranging between 260 and 440, Vahn couldn't help wondering why the Ox-King wasn't able to step in and defeat the tyrannical villain...Dismissing that thought for the moment, Vahn shifted his intent to the next power level. When he saw what it belonged to, a look of astonishment flashed across his face as, rather than a person, the power's origin belonged to a dark purple, egg-like object covered in pulsating veins..."What's wrong?"Hearing Sarina's voice, Vahn immediately returned to his senses before adopting a wry smile and saying, "It would appear this Scouter is a little more advanced than the variety we're familiar with. It was even able to detect the trace amounts of magical energy radiating from a certain bubblegum pink villain..."Though she was momentarily confused by Vahn's words, it didn't take long for Sarina to realize who he was talking about. After all, there wasn't exactly a plethora of bubblegum-pink villains. In fact, as far as she was aware, there were only two. Majin Buu and Android 21. Since the latter only appeared in a few anime, Sarina highly doubted she was the villain Vahn was referring to.Bringing his left index finger to his lips, Vahn shook his head to indicate that Sarina shouldn't make mention of Majin Buu. Earth had been closely monitored by the Eastern Supreme Kai ever since he killed Majin Buu's creator more than five million years prior. Some stories even depicted the purple-skinned Kai stepping in when Vegeta, or other threats, had managed to come out ahead against the Z-Fighters. In those instances, he would immediately eliminate any and all threats to prevent Buu's awakening.While he wasn't even remotely worried about Shin, Vahn would rather avoid speeding things up to the point that people with power levels in the hundreds of millions were popping up when the main cast was still decades away from breaking through one thousand...Understanding what Vahn was trying to say, even if she didn't fully understand the reason behind his decision, Sarina simply nodded her head. Immediately thereafter, she asked, "Can I try out the Scouter? I want to see what your power level is."Tapping the release valve, the Scouter hissed for a moment before popping away from Vahn's head without issue. He doubted the Scouter would be able to read anything, but, curious to find out, he showed Sarina how to attach it before giving her a quick explanation regarding its use.Following Vahn's instructions, Sarina quickly set the Scouter to detection mode before focusing her rather intense gaze on his face. Several strange symbols immediately appeared on the Scouter, but, thanks to the System Template Vahn had gifted her, they quickly transformed into a format she was able to read. In spite of this, she had no way of making sense of the ludicrous number possessing a dizzying number of commas digits..."Uh..."Fortunately for Sarina, the System Template was perfect for situations such as this. The moment she began floundering for a response, a voice identical to Vahn's softly informed her, (*Rounded up, the number is approximately seventeen octodecillion.*)While thanking the System Template in her mind, Sarina's confused expression morphed into a happy smile as she parroted, "It keeps fluctuating, but your power level rounds up to seventeen octodecillion."Surprised that the Scouter could even analyze his generally incomprehensible power level, Vahn's brows perked up as he muttered a sincere, "Wow..." before promptly suppressing the urge to power up and have her scan him again. After all, as exciting as large numbers were, power levels in Dragon Ball had never been an accurate representation of a person's strength."What's an octodillion...?'Having never even heard of numbers greater than a hundred, Goku had no clue where Vahn and Sarina were talking about. He just wanted to join in the conversation as he had started to feel left out.Ruffling the young Saiyan's hair, Vahn answered, "In this particular instance, it may as well be a made-up word. For now, let's focus on you..."Explaining to Goku the basics of power levels and how his own compared to a normal person's, Vahn was able to successfully hype up the aspiring martial artist. Having a basic grasp of where you stood in relation to others was a powerful motivator, so, hearing that Sarina was as strong as thirty-five of him, flames of competitiveness appeared in Goku's hazel-brown eyes as he promptly asked her for a fight.........Though she had been slightly annoyed when Vahn suddenly disappeared on her, the majority of Bulma's anger vanished when she rose to her feet and found a still-warm breakfast waiting for her. She normally skipped the most important meal of the day, but, recalling how she hadn't even had to use the bathroom since eating Vahn's food, Bulma decided to give it a try."Oh, wow. Is this a cheese danish? How can it be so crispy without flaking...?"As normal pastries were quite messy, Bulma couldn't help marveling as the strangely luminescent danish retained its shape even when she shook it. This was in spite of the fact that it crisped like a potato chip the moment she bit into it."How strange..."Finishing the danish in record time, Bulma opened the thermos to find that the coffee inside was mixed with cinnamon dolce creamer, yet another one of her favorites. A ruddy hue immediately spread through her cheeks. At the same time, largely due to the fact she was alone, a somewhat distorted, ostensibly perverted smile spread across her face. Then, after looking around to make sure no one was looking, she rolled up the back of her nightgown before sitting where Vahn had been prior to her arrival. When she noticed it was still warm, a very small amount of drool leaked from Bulma's mouth before she promptly wiped it away.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scouter got that guuud succc...','Ox-King is secretly the MC...','While it might be difficult to believe, this is exactly how Bulma behaves in Dragon Ball canon. If you don't believe me, just watch the first few episodes xD...')

After outfitting Sarina and Goku with weighted compression suits, Vahn walked them through the basics of Tsubaki's training method before taking a seat near the base of the well. There was very little for him to do at the duo's current level, as, even if he wanted to teach them more advanced techniques, they lacked the mentality and focus required.Similar to Chakra, Ki was comprised of Physical and Spiritual Energy. You could become stronger through training, but, without the proper mentality, you would quickly hit a bottleneck.In the version of Dragon Ball that Vahn was familiar with, the Z-Fighters had worked tirelessly just to exceed a hundred battle power. After that, it took a literal decade for Goku and Piccolo, prodigious warriors who were constantly training to exceed each other, to reach the 400s.It was only after Goku and his friends became aware of external threats far exceeding their previous understanding of what it meant to be strong that their limits were completely shattered. After that, even the weakest among them was able to exceed Master Roshi, one of the most powerful humans that had ever existed up until that point, several times over.Over the course of a single year, people who couldn't surpass a power level of 300, even with more than a decade of focused training, were able to exceed 1500. Shortly after that, barely even a month later, two of them had exceeded more than 10,000 in power. By the end of that same year, Krillin, a determined martial artist who had gone from a power level of around 130 to 206 over the course of eleven years had exceeded 75,000.Simply put, while physical and spiritual strength represented the literal foundation of Ki training, a person's limits were determined by their comprehension and overall mental state. If the strongest person you were aware of only had a power level of 500, you could train as hard as you want, and, unless you innovate and come up with your own methods of training, there is a chance you might never surpass them. Inversely, if you were aware of people with power levels in the quintillions from the very beginning, reaching a power level of 500 might sound like a joke.If you were thoroughly convinced that obtaining a certain level of strength was simple, surpassing it was equally so. It was, quite literally, a matter of perspective. After that, the most important qualifier for strength was willpower. So long as you pushed yourself and kept improving step by step, limits may as well not exist.At the present moment, both Sarina and Goku were lacking the proper mentality to become strong. They had the proper motivation, sure, but that could be said for every serious martial artist. In spite of this, the upper limit for even a Grandmaster, at least by Earth's standards, was generally around 160-200. Reaching this point required literal decades, so, while motivation was important, it wasn't the key to growing stronger.In Sarina's case, Vahn was intending to build up her confidence by having her casually defeat every opponent she came across. If possible, he even wanted her to become overconfident, as, the higher the pedestal she created for herself, the greater the impact when she inevitably fell.One of Sarina's biggest problems, at least in regards to becoming stronger, was that she lacked a genuine reason to become strong. Simply wanting to be strong because you believed you 'needed' to be wasn't enough. In fact, it was an extremely vain way of thinking that generally disregarded the ordeals others had to face in order to become strong.What Sarina needed the most right now was a genuine setback. She needed to experience working hard for something only to have it ripped away or denied due to the efforts of another. She needed to be able to empathize with others and recognize the efforts they made to become stronger, and, more importantly, the efforts they had made to surpass her. If she couldn't, she might never be able to overcome the deeply rooted insecurities that had influenced her behavior since long before their initial encounter...Fortunately for Sarina, Goku, much like Luffy, had an infectious personality that invariably influenced everyone he encountered. Better yet, she had a perfect foil in the form of Bulma. They were around the same age as each other, yet, despite associating with people who could casually destroy planets with energy blasts, Bulma relied on nothing but her wit and intelligence to remain one of the most relevant characters in the series.Though there was a good chance they would become 'frenemies' rather than genuine friends, Vahn believed that Sarina and Bulma would be a good influence on one another. Bulma was confident to a fault, and, despite lacking legitimate confidence, Sarina possessed a power that far exceeded girls her age. They were bound to talk amongst themselves, and, though they were virtually guaranteed to butt heads, each would imprint some of their characteristics onto the other...Just as Vahn was thinking about her, Bulma emerged from the inn-like cottage wearing an outfit that was, very clearly, intended to draw attention. She had let most of her hair down and instead settle on tying just a small part of it into a single pigtail. As for her actual outfit, it consisted of a form-fitting white t-shirt, a pair of brown jeans with one of the legs ripped away, a pauldron-like harness for her pistol, red compression sleeves, leather gloves, and oversized boots that vaguely resembled space shoes. There was also a pair of goggles rest atop her rather sizeable bust, but, due to the thickness and color of her shirt, the thing most people would focus on was the outline of her lacy black bra...After briefly observing Sarina and Goku taking turns throwing rocks at each other, Bulma looked around before smiling the moment she saw Vahn. Then, a stark contrast to her meek and bashful behavior from before, she walked over with a fearless gait, asking, "When are we leaving?" without even a hint of hesitation in her tone.Raising his brows, Vahn was about to tease Bulma by insinuating her journey had nothing to do with the three of them.Seemingly anticipating this, Bulma promptly crossed her arms beneath her breasts, saying, "Don't even think about trying to send me off on my own. I still need Goku's Dragon Ball and there's no way in hell I can save a village or extinguish an inextinguishable fire without some kind of magical assistance. Are you seriously going to send a weak, defenseless, and beautiful sixteen-year-old girl into danger without any kind of support?"Maintaining a relaxed smile, Vahn took the wind out of Bulma's sails by promptly retorting, "While I might be able to influence them, I have no control over your decisions, Ms. Briefs. If you'd like, I can escort you safely to West City. As for your journey to gather the Dragon Balls...well, simply put, what does that have to do with us? Unless we betray you, the only person who stands to gain anything at the end of this journey is you. You want us, people you met yesterday, to risk our lives and help you solve problems for...what was it again? Ah, yes, the perfect boyfriend..."Though she had a habit of staring people down, Bulma couldn't help averting her eyes in the face of Vahn's relaxed deconstruction of the present situation. Vahn's words had hit the nail on the head, and, now that she thought about it, she hadn't even thought to offer them anything in exchange for their services. She had just assumed they would travel with her..."I just...I thought that you might enjoy going on an adventure...?"Not knowing what else to say, Bulma reached for the only excuse she could think of that didn't make her sound petty and opportunistic. To her surprise, a light chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat before as he parroted, "Adventure...". Then, in complete defiance of gravity, he smoothly transitioned to a standing position, a teasing smile developing across his face as he appended, "Now that you mention it, that does sound like fun."Realizing she had, once again, been played, Bulma puffed out both of her cheeks before giving Vahn's surprisingly firm chest a punch. She wanted to do more, but, before she could retract her fist, Vahn casually grabbed her wrist as he said, "The strength of a punch, contrary to what most people believe, comes from the legs. The muscles in the arms, shoulders, and lower back are all important, but, unless you put your weight behind each blow, you're more likely to disrupt your own balance rather than your opponent's..."Before Bulma could react, Vahn promptly spun her around before deftly repositioning her hands and feet in a comfortable, relaxed boxing stance. This caused her eyes to widen, not because her body had suddenly been reposition but because Vahn was half-embracing her from behind as he said, "If you really want to throw a punch, you need to step into it whilst simultaneously pivoting from the hips. It's sort of like-"Feeling something 'snap' in her mind the moment Vahn placed his hands on her hips, Bulma's train of thought was completely derailed. For a while after that, she couldn't even process the words that were coming out of his mouth. Instead, she just allowed her body to be guided like a marionette as the only thoughts in her mind revolved around how close they were, how warm Vahn was, and how things might develop if she didn't resist...Unfortunately, just as Bulma thought to express her interest by leaning into Vahn's chest, the latter moved to release her. As a result, she ended up falling backward for a brief moment until Vahn, with a teasing smile on his face, caught her by the shoulders, musing, "Your balance is even worse than I thought..."Blushing more fiercely than ever before, Bulma 'really' wanted to tell Vahn to go and find a hole to crawl in. Instead, she leaned backward, forcing him to keep her upright as she looked up and asked, "Are you trying to flirt with me...?"Without missing a beat, Vahn brought his face marginally closer to Bulma's as he flatly replied, "It would be more accurate to say I enjoy teasing you. More specifically, I enjoy teasing strong-willed yet paradoxically bashful beauties. It's only really flirting if you're enjoying it..."Swallowing hard the moment Vahn brought his face nearer to hers, Bulma wanted to say something but found herself unable to speak. She didn't think he would actually be able to do anything at this angle but a part of her was afraid he would somehow kiss her the moment she parted her lips...In brazen defiance of her thoughts, Bulma's heart began to race as she found her lips slowly parting against her will. The subtle squinting of Vahn's eyes exacerbated things, as, despite the unflattering angle, he was still one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on. He might even be the most handsome overall...Interrupting Bulma's train of thought for the umpteenth time, Vahn planted a brief and chaste kiss on her forehead before forcing her to a standing position. Then, as her hand instinctually moved to the place his lips had grazed, Vahn promptly turned around to go and inform Sarina and Goku of their imminent departure. This caused all kinds of misunderstandings in Bulma's mind, but, when it came to sixteen-year-olds on the cusp of reaching adulthood, when weren't they misunderstanding something...?......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Perspective is important','Vahn, God of Teasing','Bulma be like, (O////O)...')

With the sun gradually setting toward the horizon, Vahn looked toward the darkening sky and said, "It's getting late. We should probably make camp before it gets too dark."On that note, Vahn rose to his feet with the intention of pulling out a decently sized cottage from his Inventory. Bulma seemed to have something else in mind, however, as she immediately seized the opportunity to jump up and declare, "Leave it to me!" with a notably haughty smile on her face.Pulling out a bulletproof container filled with color-coded and differently sized capsules, Bulma selected one of the larger ones before saying, "Get a load of this."Clicking the button at the top of the capsule, Bulma tossed it towards a clearing a few meters away from the group's position. Seconds later, the capsule exploded with a force comparable to an anti-tank mine. There was also a bright flash of light and a large plume of peculiar orange smoke. When the smoke cleared, a hemispherical cottage with three compartments now occupied the previously empty space.With her arms akimbo and a cheeky smile on her face, Bulma was practically beaming as she asked, "Well, whaddya think? Pretty neat, huh?"Contrasting Bulma's expectations, Vahn and Sarina had relaxed smiles on their faces while Goku, thinking the capsule house was some kind of monster, whipped out the red pole on his back and shouted, "Everyone, stay behind me! I'll protect you from this beast...!"Though she was mildly annoyed by the indifferent expressions of Vahn and Sarina, an amused smile developed across Bulma's face when she heard Goku's words.("At least one of them is surprised...")"This isn't a beast, silly. It's one of the Capsule Homes my father developed. It's a fully furnished portable home with water, electricity, satellite television, a walk-in closet, and a fully stocked fridge. Pretty much everything a young girl needs when adventuring outside the city."Without waiting for Goku's response, Bulma made her way over to the reinforced metal door that served as the entrance to the Capsule Home. She hadn't mentioned it, but, other than the amenities she had pointed out, the Capsule Home also served as a miniature fortress. The inside resembled a normal house, complete with square rooms, while the outside was shaped like a dome. Said dome was almost entirely comprised of armored plating, and, more importantly, there was a transmitter in the roof that generated an EM field that deterred dinosaurs and other dangerous creatures.With a quick palm scan, a low mechanical hiss could be heard as the numerous locks on the door were promptly deactivated. Then, like a hostess trying to lure in customers, Bulma half-turned, a beaming smile on her face as she gestured towards the interior of the Capsule Home and said, "It might be a bit cramped for four people but there's a bath inside and plenty of space on the floor. I'm sure I have a futon or two stowed away in the closet."Amused by Bulma's 'thoughtfulness', a low chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he said, "Thank you, Ms. Briefs, but I actually had something else in mind."Surprising even Sarina, Vahn snapped his fingers to produce an inn-sized cottage with three floors, a storage room, a workshop, and an annexed, open-air bath. It was a bit overkill, but, when it came to showing off, Vahn was no slouch.Since Bulma had so graciously offered her home to them, Vahn figured he might as well do the same, stating, "You're welcome to take a look inside. The bottom floor is structured similarly to a tavern but there are seven bedrooms located up the stairs. They might lack satellite TV, but, once you feel how comfortable the beds are, I doubt you'll mind."On that note, Vahn turned towards Goku, his expression softening as he said, "Come along, Goku. I'll show you how to use the bath and then we'll get you outfitted with some new clothes. While I'm certain that dark blue gi has some sentimental value, it could do with a good cleaning..."Though he had been ignoring it, Vahn was well aware of the foul odor emanating from Goku. The youth probably hadn't taken a bath since his Grandfather died. His body smelled like a fish market, and, unless he was mistaken, Vahn was pretty sure the original color of his gi was grey-blue. Now, however, it was a dark and grimy shade of blue that was quickly approaching black in the areas that accumulated sweat..."Sure thing, Uncle Vahn! Just let me say goodnight to my Grandpa real quick!"Without waiting for permission, Goku scampered over to the small hut that had once served as his Grandfather's home. This afforded Bulma the opportunity to tentatively inquire, "How...how did you produce a house out of thin air...?"Answering in Vahn's stead, Sarina stated, "I told you before. Vahn can do just about anything. The sooner you accept that the easier things will become."Smiling wryly in response to Sarina's words, Vahn extended his hand to caress the raven-haired teen's head as he appended, "The Universe is a truly vast, mysterious, and terrifying place, Bulma. Even Earth possesses countless secrets just waiting to be uncovered. The real question is, are you truly prepared to receive the answers you're looking for? Most people are a lot happier remaining completely ignorant of the world abroad...only those with the greatest of wills are qualified to peel back the veil and uncover the truth that lies beneath...""..."Staring into Vahn's abnormally deep yet vibrant eyes, Bulma had the uncanny impression she was staring into an endless well of knowledge. It was, if she were being completely honest, a little scary. At the same time, however, an excitement reminiscent of the first time she had built something was swelling from the depths of Bulma's psyche. She hadn't earned the distinction of being the smartest girl in the world by fearing the unknown, so, after a moment of consideration, she crossed her arms and adopted a confident smile as she retorted, "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm not some little girl you can frighten with scary stories. Everything has an explanation, and, so long as I live and breathe, I won't stop until I expose all the Universe's secrets!"Nodding his head in approval, Vahn's expression noticeably softened as he muttered, "Good. That's the correct way to live..."Hearing Vahn's deep yet velvety tone, a shiver ran through Bulma's body as her heart promptly skipped a beat. She was the type of girl that would mentally insert herself into romance flicks and dramas, so, having a handsome man staring at her with a 'smoldering' look on his face was a bit too much for Bulma to handle. Her knees felt wobbly, and, though it was quite warm outside, she felt a slight chill as the gentle summer breeze passed through her thighs and beneath her skirt.Unfortunately, just as Bulma's thoughts were beginning to take a rosy hue, her mind was brought crashing back to reality as Vahn softly teased, "When you're finished staring off into space, come inside. You'll need to rest your body and mind if you're serious about continuing your journey to find the Dragon Balls."Though her mind nearly fell into the gutter when she heard the phrase 'come inside', Bulma was able to conceal her slightly perverse nature behind a veil of fury as she groaned, "Uuuuugh...why'd you have to remind me? I'm still pissed off that you're making me go and search for the balls when you can just bring them here whenever you want. I know you want me to learn some kind of lesson but can't you make an exception, just this once? If you do, I promise to make it worth your while..."Unable to completely suppress her true nature, a lewd and somewhat silly smile developed across Bulma's face as she grabbed the hem of her pleated pink skirt and flared it provocatively. She didn't actually reveal the skirt's contents, but, against most men, even a flash of her milky white thighs was more than enough to get them drooling like dogs.As Bulma was rather infamous for taking advantage of and being exploited for her sexuality, Vahn wasn't particularly surprised by her behavior. Her original had even tried to convince Goku to part with his Dragon Ball by promising a flash of her panties. Less than three episodes later, she used a similar method to convince Master Roshi, but, due to a bit of mischief wrought by Goku, she ended up flashing a lot more than her panties...Surprising the precocious blunette quite a bit, Vahn adopted a teasing smile as he stated, "Trust me, Ms. Briefs, if something were to happen between us, it wouldn't be me receiving their while's worth. Now, unless you have something substantial to discuss, I have a little nephew to attend. Feel free to stop by my room if your curiosity gets the better of you."Punctuating his words with a playful wink, Vahn grabbed Sarina's hand before surprising the bright red blunette by promptly teleporting away. This left Bulma without an outlet, or, more accurately, a scapegoat to direct her embarrassment and frustration towards. As a result, she ended up burying her beet-red face into her hands, illusory steam rising from her head as she muttered, "What have I gotten myself into...?"......Though Bulma never came to his room, Vahn could sense that she was awake deep into the night. There was even a moment where she went around to every other room but his own, ostensibly in search of Sarina. When she failed to find her, Bulma ended up standing in the hallway connecting to his room for the better part of half an hour before ultimately returning to the 'comfort' of her own. There, she remained awake until around 2 AM before finally passing out thanks to a combination of mental fatigue and physical exhaustion.........With the dawn of a new day, Vahn took the time to help Sarina perform her morning routine before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. The aroma of the food promptly roused Goku, who, after a thorough cleaning and a change of apparel, now resembled a bubbly youth with large, hazel eyes and a carefree smile limited only by the bounds of his face."Good morning, Uncle Vahn! Wow, something sure smells great!"Unable to restrain his curiosity, Goku leaped up to the counter to get a better look at the food Vahn was preparing. Under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn't particularly mind this. In Goku's case, he understood the young Saiyan needed a guiding hand and a parental figure, so, with the shadow of a frown on his face, he said, "You shouldn't stand on the counter, Goku. We use such surfaces to cut and prepare ingredients. If they get dirty, there's a small chance that the food we prepare will make people sick. Have you ever had a stomach ache or experience diarrhea...?"Paling at the mention of the word, Goku promptly hopped from the counter before answering, "I used to get it a lot when I ate fish from the lake. There were even worms in my poop one time so I usually go fishing in the river or catch bears and rabbits in the woods"Raising his brows, Vahn set the stove to simmer before reaching out to place his palm on Goku's head. He hadn't noticed anything amiss the day before, but, hearing mention of worms, he couldn't help feeling slightly concerned. Fortunately, while there were signs of microscopic tearing in Goku's intestines, there were no parasites anywhere in his body.Though he didn't understand why Vahn had suddenly started to caress his head, Goku just smiled innocently as the tip of his monkey-like tail curled in contentedness. Vahn's actions reminded him of his Grandpa, so, while there were no guarantees they were related, the notion they were family was already firmly cemented in his mind.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bulma be like, *smug cat*','Vahn be like, *himself*','Not all families are forged through blood relations...')

Chapter 6: Quantifying