EPIC Side Story: Dragon Ball

After informing Sarina and Goku of their departure, Vahn packed everything up before creating a barrier around Grandpa Gohan's house. He doubted anything would happen to it while they were away. However, as this was a version of Dragon Ball even he was unfamiliar with, it was better to be safe than sorry.Once everyone was ready to go, Bulma, having already recovered from the previous incident, pulled out a Capsule containing a rather intriguing motorbike. It was a lot more compact than the varieties Vahn was familiar with, and, rather than a simple windshield blocking air and insects from the front, there was a bulletproof strip of glass that ran from the front to the back of the motorcycle in an arc."That's a rather interesting design..."Interpreting Vahn's words as a compliment, a smile developed across Bulma's face as she donned her goggles and said, "Thanks. I designed it myself. It uses gyroscopic technology to prevent slips and the arc shield can even stop armor-piercing rounds. It causes a few drag issues at high speeds but it's a heck of a lot better than getting shot in the back."Resisting the urge to ask why she needed a bulletproof windshield, Vahn pondered for a moment before purchasing a hoverbike that vaguely resembled a modified, gas-powered scooter from his Shop. The technological development of Dragon Ball was actually pretty advanced, but, perhaps as a result of the creator's background, a lot of the designs had a retro vibe reminiscent of steam and dieselpunk."Oh, wow. Is that a hoverbike? How'd you come across something like that? Last I heard, the King was still considering legislation to authorize their use outside of the cities. You might get arrested if you get caught riding that thing off a closed track."Though a few countries had already passed laws allowing their usage, hover technology was still relatively new. The oldest hover cars were only around ten years old, and, due to the prevalence of other forms of transport, the companies that manufactured them were having a hard time getting them street legal. She should know, her father was the one who 'invented' them. (A/N: Bulma's dad reverse-engineered Jaco's spaceship and basically stole most of the technologies contained within.)Unconcerned by the laws of the 'mundane' world, Vahn took a seat on the hoverbike before revving up the anti-gravity engine. This was actually the first time he was piloting such a vehicle, but, with a night-absolute mastery over his body and a mind comparable to a supercomputer, there were very few control systems he couldn't instantaneously master."Where's mine...?"While Bulma was slightly huffy due to Vahn ignoring her, Sarina was staring at the hoverbike with expectant eyes. Unfortunately for her, Vahn didn't even hesitate before explaining, "As part of your training, both you and Goku will be traveling on foot. If you just want to joy ride, you'll have to wait until we make camp."Deadpanning the moment she heard Vahn's words, Sarina asked, "Are you serious...?" in a flat and lifeless tone. In response, Vahn returned a smile, suggesting, "I can run alongside you if you like...?"Feeling marginally better after hearing Vahn's proposal, a smile developed across Sarina's face as she promptly replied, "No. It's fine. I was just a little surprised. I know you could probably circle the planet in less than a second so I can't really complain if you just want to relax..."Hearing Sarina's comment, Bulma's brows perked up as she intoned a disbelieving, "Huh? What are the two of you on about...?"Since it didn't really matter if people had a general understanding of his strength, Vahn maintained a relaxed smile as he shrugged his shoulders and said, "It might be difficult for you to believe right now, but I can travel faster than light. With enough training, anyone can.""Bullshit."Without hesitating, Bulma immediately refuted Vahn's words. One of her primary interests, at least in regards to research, was physics. She knew it was possible to travel faster than light, but, without a ludicrously powerful engine and a stabilization field generator, matter would be ripped apart and converted to energy when approaching the speed of light. No person could move that fast...Deciding it would save time if he just demonstrated his speed for her, Vahn appeared next to Bulma in an instant before picking her up in a princess carry. Then, before she could even finish squealing, their surroundings blurred like a technicolored rainbow before they instantaneously appeared atop a mountain on the opposite side of the world."Feel free to pull out and check your GPS. You'll find we just traveled a little more than 20,000km in less time than it took you to process the fact I picked you up."Though she was about to call Vahn a pervert and give him a tongue lashing for daring to pick her up without permission, Bulma hesitated upon noticing how drastically different their surroundings had become. Then, as directed, she pulled out her Dragon Radar before activating its GPS function to determine their current coordinates. When she confirmed they were, in fact, on the opposite side of the planet, the color promptly drained from her face."As I and Sarina will keep telling you, there is much about this world you don't know. While there is nothing wrong with believing in the knowledge you have obtained, it is dangerous to surmise that everything you think you know is correct. There are places in the Universe where conventional laws don't apply. Beyond that, there are entities capable of wiping out planets and consuming stars for breakfast..."Not wanting to keep Sarina and Goku waiting too long, Vahn punctuated his words by zipping back to their location at a much slower speed. He wanted Bulma to understand he wasn't just pulling a fast one on her, so, while it was a little eerie from her point of view, he moved them through space at a little over 100,000km/h. This gave her a solid twelve minutes to think about his words, her eyes glossing over slightly due to the rapid changes in their surroundings...Coming to a stop a few meters away from his initial position, Vahn was unsurprised to find Sarina and Goku looking guilty as a thick plume of smoke rose from his now-destroyed hoverbike.Setting Bulma on the ground, Vahn increased the blunette's befuddlement by waving his hand and returning the hoverbike to its previous condition. Since the Actualized World was a part of him, he didn't require his domain to control the flow and direction of entropy. He could even sidestep into parallel worlds, so, while he had limited himself to operating within the Standard Axis, Vahn had no qualms about undoing the damages caused by Sarina's little mishap.Without bothering to inquire about the incident itself, Vahn left Sarina feeling even guiltier as he approached her and asked, "Are you okay...?" in a gentle and concerned tone. When she attempted to look away, he extended his hand to caress her cheek, gently guiding her gaze to meet his own as he said, "You've done nothing worth feeling guilty about. Just be a little more careful the next time, okay...?"After a curt nod of affirmation, Sarina moved close enough that she could rest her forehead against Vahn's chest. In response, he embraced her in his arms, gently squeezing her as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. This earned them a pouty look from Bulma, who, once again, bounced back remarkably quickly...Witnessing everything from the side, Goku ended up scratching the back of his head as he asked, a disarming expression on his face as he asked, "Weren't we supposed to be going somewhere...?"Nodding his head, Vahn released Sarina from his embrace before pinching her cheek as he replied, "Indeed. We've got a long journey ahead of us. Can't keep stalling at the first step..."Though his words were a response to Goku, Vahn was also reminding Sarina that this was just the start of a 'very' long journey. They had basically agreed to spend the next thirty years here, so, while they were bound to experience setbacks along the way, she couldn't let them weigh too heavily on her mind. Rather, the sooner she could bounce back in the face of adversity, the faster her strength would increase.Smiling in understanding, Sarina pulled Vahn's collar in order to plant an uncharacteristically chaste kiss on his lips before releasing him to tease, "Try not to fall too far behind while I'm running. I don't mind you staring at my butt but try not to make it too obvious..."Resisting his almost instinctual urge to reach around and grab Sarina's butt, Vahn forced a smile as he said, "Now that you've planted the thought in my mind, it would be rude not to..."Giggling in response to Vahn's words, Sarina planted a second kiss on his cheek before using her [REquip] System to change into something more suitable for running. This caused the envious look on Bulma's face to promptly morph into one of intrigue as she asked, "Huh? How'd you suddenly change outfits?"Though she was briefly tempted to tease Bulma by saying it was none of her business, Sarina changed her mind mid-thought, answering, "It's a perk of being one of Vahn's lovers. It's called the [REquip] System and it allows me to change everything from my underwear to my accessories with little more than a thought. It's super convenient."Demonstrating the [REquip] System's capabilities, Sarina quick-changed into more than a dozen different outfits over the course of her explanation. This left Bulma absolutely speechless, not just because she wanted a [REquip] System of her own but because she understood the impact such a device would have on the clothing industry.As an experienced investor and one of the most profligate shoppers in the entire world, Bulma was well aware of the value of each market. The clothing industry was a stable, 368 trillion Zeni market. If something like the [REquip] System was introduced, the market would invariably collapse. In the process, however, the company that manufactured it would make an incomprehensible fortune...Seeing past Vahn's good looks for the first time, Bulma saw him for what he truly was: a cash cow. He could produce objects out of thin air, repair destroyed equipment with a wave of his hand, and travel around the world in an instant. She lacked even a basic understanding of how he was able to perform these feats, but, when it came to brass tacks, the only thing that truly mattered was that he 'could' perform such feats.With Zeni symbols briefly appearing in her eyes, a profiteering smile developed across Bulma's face as she inquired, "You wouldn't happen to have another one of those [REquip] Systems lying around, would you? I don't know about becoming lovers but I'm sure we could...work something out..."As her three greatest weaknesses were money, handsome men, and unknown technologies, Bulma couldn't prevent the interior of her mouth from watering as she stared at Vahn like a wolf eyeing a fat sheep. She suddenly felt as though she had hit the jackpot by encountering him near the start of her journey, as, depending on how she handled the situation, she might not even need the Dragon Balls.........While Bulma was in the process of eyeing Vahn like prey, a mature woman with pink skin, pointed ears, fiery orange hair, and vibrant, honey-colored eyes had a very similar expression on her face as she remarked, "How peculiar. I've never seen anyone that solely exists in the present. It's almost like he has become the primary point of reference for the timeline. Even Tokitoki doesn't have this kind of power..."Unable to comprehend Vahn's existence despite more than a hundred million years of accumulated knowledge and experience, the inordinately buxom Goddess just shook her head before turning to the side and pausing when she noticed there was no one else present. A sensation of incongruency unlike anything she had ever experienced washed over her, but, moments later, it vanished entirely as she asked herself, "What am I thinking? This is the Time Nest. Why would anyone else be here...?"As the sole caretaker of the Tokitoki bird, a divine creature with the unique ability to produce time, the pink-skinned woman was the only person authorized to be in the Time Nest. There used to be another person, a Mage by the name of Demigra, but he had been dealt with more than 98 million years ago. Since then, she had dutifully monitored the various timelines for any signs of tampering, a thankless yet incomparably important duty that couldn't afford distractions..."It really is strange...I've been living alone for nearly a hundred million years. Why do I suddenly feel as though I've lost something irreplaceable...?"......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dr. Briefs, the Opportunist xD...','Vahn is fast as fuck, boiiiii~','Oh no...')

With Goku setting a pace of about 80km/h, Sarina had little trouble running alongside him as Vahn and Bulma rode along their flanks.After coming to terms with the fact that Vahn could move to the other side of the planet in less time than it took to blink, Bulma wasn't even surprised by Goku's and Sarina's ability to match the pace of motor vehicles. She found it difficult to believe she could ever do the same, but, with no interest in martial arts, she wasn't particularly bothered by the notion. Instead, she turned on the radio so that the duo would having something to listen to as she stared listlessly at the road ahead..."This is so boring..."Not expecting anyone to hear her utterance over the sound of two engines, Bulma was surprised when Vahn remarked, "Boring is good. It means you want for nothing and have the leeway to let your mind wander. If you were starving, injured, or at imminent risk, you wouldn't feel bored..."Scrunching her brows and nose, Bulma half-turned to ask, "Do you always lecture people like an old man? Just how old are you, anyway? Your appearance would leave me to believe you're in your late twenties but your temperament reminds me of an old professor."As he was an ageless being whose age had technically reset the moment he reincarnated, Vahn simply smiled in response to Bulma's words, asking, "How old do you want me to be...?"Confused by Vahn's words, Bulma was about to ask him to clarify when Vahn beat her to the punch, his appearance reverting to a point where he could easily pass as a Second or Third Grade student in Senior High. (A/N: Approximately 16-17-years-old.)Just as an excited flush began to spread through Bulma's cheeks, Vahn did the complete opposite of his transformation. He didn't take it nearly as far as when he first entered the Tower, but, with a full beard and a few silver strands in his hair, he could easily pass as a tenured professor in his late forties."Age is a transient concept that holds very little meaning to those who possess true power. Even a relatively normal human being such as yourself could effectively live forever if you used the Dragon Balls. As for my actual age..."Recalling that he had experienced the lifecycle of a cosmos and possessed memories related to the creation of numerous metaversal structures, a thoughtful glimmer flashed across Vahn's eyes as he said, "I'm somewhere between seven hundred and thirty-seven-billion years old...?"Slamming on the brakes the moment she heard Vahn's words, Bulma nearly flipped her motorcycle as she parroted, "Thirty-seven-billion!? That's older than the entire Universe!"Circling back and setting his hoverbike down next to Bulma, Vahn maintained a carefree expression as he said, "You're not wrong. In fact, this Universe is a lot younger than your Scientists believe. I'm not sure of its exact age, but it should be around a hundred million years or so? Time can be pretty janky at times..."Cradling the sides of her head, Bulma appeared to be having a minor existential crisis as she leaned forward and muttered, "Calm down, Bulma. He's probably just teasing you. I mean, what would that even make him...?"Responding to Bulma's impromptu soliloquy, Vahn answered, "My two most prominent titles are the Sage Dragon Emperor and the God of Infinite Possibilities. I have quite a number of additional titles but they're not all that important at the present moment."Raising her head, Bulma met Vahn's gaze, her sapphirine eyes quivering as she asked, "So, you're a God? Like, for real...?"Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn figured the best way to prove his claim was to perform a feat that simply couldn't be explained away by conventional reasoning. More specifically, he reached his hand up towards the Sun before twisting his hand in a counter-clockwise motion. To Bulma's horror, the Sun simply flickered out before he lowered his hand to reveal a golfball-sized star.With her eyes nearly popping out of her head, Bulma screamed, "Oh my God! Is that the Sun!? Put it back...!"Amused by Bulma's exaggerated yet wholly justified reaction, a soft chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he tossed the tiny orb skyward. From the perspective of others, it appeared to vanish the moment it left his hand, but, thanks to the Law of Perspective working in his favor, Vahn was able to return it to its proper position. As for the side effects of removing a planetary system's sun? He just 'erased' them from the causal chain.Though she exhaled a sigh of relief upon seeing the Sun in its rightful position, Bulma was far from calm. Her rational mind was telling her to remain skeptical, but, as the radio station was currently blaring the Emergency Broadcast Signal, there was quite a bit of evidence to support Vahn's claim of Godhood.With one question sticking out among the countless that had pervaded her mind, Bulma asked, "Why are you here...?" in an audibly trepidatious tone.Caressing his nonexistent beard, Vahn assumed a thoughtful pose as he considered the best way to answer Bulma's question. In the end, a distinctly appreciative smile developed across his face as he pointed between her and Goku, answering, "My underlying purpose is to train and spend time with Sarina. As for why we're here, it's because fate and circumstance have brought us together. I would like to go into greater detail, but, for the time being, you'll have to be content with the knowledge that we're your friends. More accurately, we'd like to be."Covering her eyes and squeezing her temples with her right hand, Bulma took a time out to process Vahn's words. If she forced herself to think objectively, this was actually a positive development. The notion of having a God as a friend was completely outlandish, but, so long as she played her cards right, she should be able to benefit in the long run. In fact, if she took Vahn up on his previous offer, she might even be able to net herself a literal God as a boyfriend...Excited by the prospect, a moderately unsettling smile developed across Bulma's face as she briefly toyed with the notion of becoming a Goddess. After all, if she and Vahn became a couple, wasn't it only natural that he grant her things like immortality and eternal youth? He could produce objects out of thin air and even pluck the Sun from the sky. Helping her preserve her appearance should be relatively simple.As if she hadn't been having a mental breakdown moments prior, Bulma spontaneously crossed her arms beneath her breasts, a confident and proud expression on her face as she said, "Of course I'll be your friend! Who am I to refuse a God? I mean, the two of you came all this way just to become friends with me, right? Who could have guessed that my genius-level intellect and peerless beauty could even captivate the Gods~?"With an expression remarkably similar to Luvia's, the only things Bulma needed to complete the image were golden drill tails and an excessively haughty laugh. As for Goku? He was just staring blankly at the side, his hazel-brown eyes focusing on a butterfly flittering around in the distance.("This kid is a half-step away from Nirvana...")Amused by his own thoughts, an amused yet affectionate developed across Vahn's face. Bulma immediately misunderstood this, her own smile growing to the point it was beginning to strain the muscles in her cheeks. She had always been proud of her intellect and looks. Having a literal God recognize them caused her to feel giddy to her core.Realizing she had misunderstood something the moment he saw the look on Bulma's, the edges of Vahn's smile curled upward as he promptly decided against correcting it. Instead, he proposed, "It's getting pretty close to lunchtime. Since we've already stopped, how about we take a break? I'll cook something tasty and invigorating."Hearing Vahn mention food, focus immediately returned to Goku's eyes as he jumped into the air and shouted, "Alright! Now you're speaking my language~!" in an excessively eager tone.Seizing the opportunity Goku's outburst had afforded him, Vahn brought out a much smaller hut than the inn-sized cottage he had used the day prior. From the outside, it resembled a traditional, open-air noodle bar. As for the interior, it resembled a high-quality Japanese restaurant that could easily seat more than a hundred people without crowding issues."Holy cow..."Following Vahn into the interior, Bulma was both surprised and slightly relieved to experience yet another thing that defied common sense. She was now starting to grasp why Sarina had basically told her to just give up and accept the things Vahn did. She was also starting to understand why Vahn had refused so many of her questions the previous night. As a God, there were probably a bunch of rules he had to follow. If there weren't, what could possibly prevent him from just doing whatever he wanted?"Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. Bathrooms are on the far left and there's a decently sized arcade located in the back. Food'll be out in a few minutes."Though he could easily just will food into existence, the only time Vahn abstained from cooking was when Rindo cooked for him. It was still one of his favorite pastimes, so, while Bulma went to freshen up in the bathroom, both he and Sarina entered the kitchen. He had been teaching her how to cook even prior to their descent into the Actualized World. Now that they were going to be spending the next thirty-odd years together, he had every intention of turning her into a God-tier chef.........Noticing a building appearing out of thin air, an extremely weary-looking figure began a slow and gradual crawl towards it with a fatigued yet hopeful expression on their face. It had been more than a year since they last encountered another person, so, hoping the people inside could render their assistance, the figure forced their tired limbs to carry them towards the remarkably fragrant stall.........Raising his brows, Vahn briefly sent his intent to the outside before smiling as he said, "Sarina, can you prepare a bucket of iced water with salt? It appears we'll be having another guest for lunch..."Though she was momentarily surprised by Vahn's words, it only took a moment for Sarina to nod her head and answer, "Sure thing. Where can-"Before she could finish her question, a bucket appeared on the counter next to Sarina. A wry smile immediately developed across her face, but, instead of asking why Vahn didn't just create a bucket with saltwater, she quickly retrieved a hose before doing as instructed. It was better not to question Vahn's reasoning, as, more often than not, you would find yourself feeling rather silly when he gave you a very simple and straightforward response.........While Sarina was pondering the mysteries of Vahn's mind, Goku was the first to notice the arrival of their guest. More specifically, a look of confusion marred his face when a large, sundried sea turtle flopped through the entrance. When it saw Goku, a look of relief flashed across the creature's eyes as it asked, "Young man, are there any adults present...?"Though he was marginally surprised by the fact the predominately brown creature could speak, a friendly smile immediately developed across Goku's face as he replied, "Sure are. My Uncle Vahn is in the kitchen with his lady friend. There is also another girl in the bathroom but I don't think you'd want to talk to her. She's kind of annoying."Relieved to hear there were some adults present, the inordinately large sea turtle exhaled a sigh before perking up quite a bit as he asked, "Can you get them for me? I'm exhausted after a long journey and could use some rest."Hopping from the chair he had been seated on, Goku's thumped his chest like a boy scout as he answered, "No problem! Leave it to me~!" before scampering toward the kitchen. In response, a remarkably human smile developed across the turtle's face as he remarked, "What a kind young man..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ah, yes, the classic yoink and yeet. Assert that dominance, Vahn xD...','Bulma be like, "This is okay..."','Turtle Soup anyone...?')

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)...')

Chapter 8: Perception