Seeing Kali turning her back to him, Vahn was momentarily at a loss of how to act since he hadn't expected such behavior. All of a sudden, the overbearing, mischevious, and confident goddess seemed inordinately small, causing the image Vahn had been building up in his heart to break down. He had been trying to treat her as a capable and powerful goddess that could stand at his side but, seeing her curled up with her back to him, Vahn felt like she was an existence much smaller than his own. A sudden urge to protect her welled up inside him and, even though he knew she would probably lash out at him, much like Eva would in the past, Vahn decided a few small injuries were tolerable to alleviate her anxiety...
As he approached her side, Vahn saw Kali's body tense up as her aura began to swell up like an all-consuming flame. Her Divinity was activated and, even though he was confident in surviving a few exchanges against a god, Vahn's instincts still warned him of impending death. After all, Kali had a major Divinity associated with the Law of Death and, even if he was 'immortal', the odds of her being able to kill him were much higher than most. Even so, Vahn ignored the feeling of pin needles poking into his skin as he made his way to Kali's side and unceremoniously sat next to her. The Divinity she was releasing made a sick feeling rise up in Vahn's stomach but he still lay on the cushion next to Kali before hugging her closely against his bare chest while sending waves of calming energy through her body...
Vahn could feel Kali flex her hands open and closed as her small frame trembled within his embrace, clearly uncomfortable with the situation but choosing to tolerate it. He knew she was dealing with things she didn't truly understand and, knowing she had never experienced such emotions over her extremely long existence, Vahn didn't blame her for feeling confused. At the same time, Vahn knew that Kali wouldn't want his 'pity' and, if he just held her in silence, the odds of her going into a rage would increase with the passage of time. Thus, before Kali could sort through her own chaotic thoughts, Vahn brought his hand under the fabric of her vest and stated firmly, "After I'm finished with things here, I'll be taking you back to Orario with me. You can try to resist but I'm more than willing to defeat you in a duel before dragging you along with me...after everything that has happened, I'm not going to let you go so easily...Kali..."
With his palm already glowing with a rainbow hue, Vahn traced his hand from Kali's chest before snaking it along her collarbone and the curve of her neck. He nearly poked himself in the eye with one of the protrusions of Kali's bone mask but managed to navigate the hazard before stealing Kali's lips. She still had her eyes closed but, almost as soon as their mouths overlapped, a lot of the pressure Kali had been releasing diminished. Vahn continued to stroke the side of her face and head before gently removing the bone mask so that it wasn't in the way. He could feel her body begin to heat up noticeably and, even though feelings of uncertainty tickled his heart, Vahn ignored them as Kali shifted around until she was facing him, her actions becoming increasingly more proactive as their long kissing session continued.
Several minutes after they had started, Kali was taking deep breaths and had a slightly red hue covering much of her exposed flesh. She had opened her eyes at some point and was now staring into Vahn's face in silence as her blood-red irises reflected his image. In response to this, Vahn traced his fingers through Kali's hair, musing, "It isn't like you to think about unnecessary things..." Since that was typically what she accused him of, Vahn felt like the words were a small admonishment toward himself. Kali, however, frowned deeply and began to release her Divinity once again, seemingly finding Vahn's words to be a great insult...
Since it was rather unexpected, Vahn instinctually swallowed before trying to move his hand to Kali's waist in a stroking motion. This time, she quickly snatched his wrist with her vice-like grip, her youthful face gaining a stern look as she stated, "You can't win my affections that easily, brat...!" Unless Vahn had defeated her using more direct methods, Kali would never admit to the fact that she had been very relieved when he embraced her. It didn't matter if she had fallen into his momentum and allowed him to kiss her for several long minutes. Now that she had a moment to collect herself, Kali refused to be on the 'receiving' end and was more inclined to 'take' what she wanted instead.
Knowing he had lost control over the situation, Vahn's own expression hardened as, before Kali could react, he rather forcibly placed his hand on her waist and sent a massive wave of energy into her body. Though her hand had tightened enough to make his bones creak, Vahn's defenses weren't so easily overcome without her genuinely trying to harm him. As a result, Kali inhaled sharply with a trembling jaw as her legs shot out instinctually. She suddenly looked like someone who had been thrown out into the arctic without a single piece of clothing. Her trembling body curled up into Vahn's chest, almost as if she were seeking out the heat radiating off him. However, throughout this entire process, Kali's expression didn't change much other than developing a more prominent scowl...
For a brief moment, Vahn stopped to reflect on his actions and was caught wholly unprepared when Kali snapped her head forward, burying her overdeveloped canines deep into his bicep. She shook her head from side to side, almost as if she were trying to pull the flesh away, but Vahn noticed there wasn't actually that much strength in her actions. If she really wanted to, Kali would have been able to take a full bite out of him but, even if she wasn't aware of it herself, she didn't seem willing to go all out. Since he had already prepared himself for a few minor injuries, Vahn's eyes squinted slightly as he moved his hand from Kali's waist, ignoring the fingers digging into his wrist. Though she didn't have much there, Kali's butt was still very soft and had a small amount of flesh that could easily fit into the palm of his hand. Vahn had gripped the small mound rather firmly while pressing his index finger into the pressure point near Kali's tailbone.
This time, even though she likely hadn't intended to, Kali's teeth clenched and she 'accidentally' bit a large chunk of flesh from Vahn's arm. For a brief moment, Vahn saw concern and anxiety across Kali's expression until the piece she had bit away 'dissolved' into nothing before Vahn's wound was completely healed. After she saw this, any concern Kali had vanished in its entirety and she instead glared at Vahn with a look of profound blame. Vahn responded to this by reminding her of the situation, tracing his index and middle finger along her spine and causing Kali's toes to curl in response...
Kali seemed fed up with the way things were going and immediately pushed against Vahn's chest to try and free herself from his incessant teasing. Her body was already in a heated state and it was getting hard to restrain herself as he inconsiderately did whatever he wanted. Since her attempt had been unsuccessful, the result of Vahn holding her relatively closely, Kali's expression turned dour as she said, "Get the hell out of my chambers...!" To emphasize her point, Kali began to wriggle around violently until she managed to curl her legs up between herself and Vahn, kicking against him with enough force to finally separate their bodies.
Though he could have kept holding her, Vahn could feel his fingers sinking into parts of Kali's body and was worried he would injure her if he was too insistent. He managed to catch himself without tumbling into the fire and, looking back at Kali, saw a few dark bruises on her body, mostly the result of her actions but directly caused by his insistence. Feelings of guilt welled up inside of his heart but Vahn buried them as he decisively said, "After my duel with Hippolyta concludes, prepare yourself..." Knowing the state Kali was in, Vahn knew he needed to give her time to cool off before he returned to her chambers in the evening. At this rate, she might very well fight him to the death in order to 'take' what she wanted from him...
Kali's fingers were firmly anchored into the reinforced golden structure of her lounge as she watched Vahn's retreated figure. It took all of the willpower she had to kick him away, ignoring the instincts she had allowed to take root in her body after descending into the mortal world. Though she was a goddess, Kali was still an Amazoness and, even as Vahn moved away, she had a strong desire to tackle him to the ground without caring about anything else. Her body currently felt like it was on fire while the hot and moist air within her chambers actually felt cool in comparison. It wasn't until he was completely gone that the tension in her body began to ease up, replaced by a feeling of 'emptiness' that she didn't really know how to deal with.
After spending a few minutes trying to calm down, Kali noticed that her body, especially the areas that Vahn had touched, was still burning madly. There was always a group of Amazonesses near her chambers so Kali raised her head and called out, "Someone, get in here...!" Her call was immediately met with a response as the two Amazonesses that had been guarding the entrance to her chamber came inside. Kali desperately needed something to distract herself so she said, "Go get Khodiva and Mars. I'll be updating their Status Boards if they can keep me entertained. Also, gather up all the brats that are isolated from the rest of the younglings...have them get some rest before preparing them for a 'presentation'...!"
Because Vahn had left her in this state, even though she was the one to drive him away, Kali felt it was only fair if she made him as uncomfortable as possible. Since he would always enter into a daze and lose focus whenever the younglings were doing their performance, Kali wanted to 'punish' Vahn by using more direct means. The 'presenting' behavior of an Amazoness was when a weaker Amazoness would appeal to a stronger one for some kind of benefit, usually in the form of training. This generally resulted in direct skinship, massages, and, depending on the nature of the stronger Amazoness, more intimate interactions. Since it was in his nature to allow her to get away with such things, especially since he would be trying to 'apologize' to her, Kali fully intended to capitalize on Vahn's 'weakness' to get even with him.
After a few minutes had passed, Khodiva, the young Berserker whom Kali had admonished earlier in the day, and Mars, another young Berserker that would have died without Vahn's 'assistance', had arrived in her chambers. Neither girl was wearing clothing, allowing their blood-red tattoos to be fully visible while the only adornments they had were a few metallic rings, necklaces, and, in Mars' case, a single golden earring. Most Amazonesses didn't wear piercings since they would become a detriment in a battle if the opponent decided to take advantage of them. As for why Mars only wore a single earring, it was because the lobe of her left ear was completely missing after one of her opponents had done just that...
Neither girl spoke as they stood ramrod straight under Kali's perusing gaze. There were two older Amazonesses behind them, each having been assigned as the 'keeper' of the Berserkers to avoid situations where the bloodthirsty girls would indiscriminately attack the other younglings. They were never far from their charge's side and, if necessary, would even put the girls down if they fully gave in to their instincts. This was something Vahn was unaware of and, had he known, he would have investigated the Status Boards of the Berserkers to determine the cause of their bloodlust. He already suspected it was the result of an Innate and had even started thinking of countermeasures to keep it under control but, being focused on other things, Vahn hadn't taken any decisive action since he was still conflicted about interfering much with the Amazoness culture...
Kali spent more than a minute perusing the scars and injuries on the girls' bodies, much of her time focused on Mars since the girl was already ten years old and was one of the few Berserkers that had nearly completed the crucible. She was already Level 2 but, as a result of being unable to pass the tests required of every Amazoness before being allowed into society, Mars was still be nurtured within the Coliseum. She would still be recognized as a proper Amazoness, even without passing the test, but her fate would be to become a permanant member of the Kali Familia since she simply couldn't be trusted to interact with other Amazonesses without causing harm.
After letting her eyes linger on a large pale scar on Mars' abdomen, the only remnant of the more serious injury that had been treated by Vahn, Kali matched gazes with the two girls and said, "If the two of you can keep me properly entertained, I'll update your Status Boards and consider allowing you to attend the next offshore hunt. Mars, you're already Level 2 so this will be another opportunity to prove yourself...as for you, Khodiva, I have something special in mind. You'll have to try really hard if you want me to arrange things for you...however, I can guarantee you will easily reach Level 2 if you manage to succeed."
Hearing their goddess' words, both girls couldn't completely restrain their emotions and, being the younger and more inexperience of the two, Khodiva began to tremble with excitement. She was barely resisting the urge to tackle Mars and begin their match, enticed by the promise of greater strength. The latter had balled her hands into fists but managed to remain relatively calm as she continued to show Kali proper respect. Unlike Khodiva, she had been 'invited' to Kali's chambers a few times and it wasn't just the fight itself that would satisfy their goddess. Even as a Berserker, Mars knew there was a time and a place to cut loose and she would have never lived to reach adulthood if she didn't have at least the smallest sense of propriety...
Kali's body was still burning but she noticed it was a lot easier to deal with when she had something else to focus on. Her expression turned into a smile as the thought she had come up with previously was now finding its way to her lips. In most situations, she would have had the two girls simply wrestle until one was disabled or knocked unconscious. This time, however, Kali wanted to test the 'limits' of what the girls were capable of so she said, "Because of your nature, I'm well aware of the fact that you can both be extremely efficient and brutal when fighting. It has come to my notice over the last few months that there are other things a person needs in order to be a complete person and break through their limits. I want to see if the two of you have what it takes...I wonder, are you afraid...?"
In response to Kali's question, Mars puffed out her budding chest and immediately shouted, "I am not afraid of anything, Kali-sama...!" Khodiva was too tensed up previously so her response came a bit later, causing the seven-year-old girl to falter slightly before a vicious look appeared on her face as she said, "Khodiva will be strongest...!" She then tried to launch herself toward Mars but was quickly reigned in by the Level 3 Amazoness who was assigned to look after her. For a brief moment, Khodiva thrashed about and even tried to attack her handler before she was promptly thrown into the ground with a loud thump as the older Amazoness exclaimed, "Kali-sama hasn't told you to do anything yet. Behave...!"
Since she was often on the receiving end of beatings after losing control, Khodiva curled up in a defensive posture and listened to what her handler was saying. She realized that she did act before her goddess had told her so, without rising from the ground, Khodiva got into a low bow with her forehead pressed into the floor as she said, "Forgive me, Kali-sama..." As for the goddess in question, her brows were slightly furrowed as she already began to suspect that she was wasting her time. Even so, she still needed a way to alleviate her own 'problem' so Kali resisted the urge to chase out the two girls and simply gestured for Khodiva to stand. The young Berserker now had a bit of dirt and blood on her knees but the wound was healing at a visible rate and was gone a few seconds later...
After remaining silent for a few seconds, Kali explained, "I want to see how well the two of you can restrain your emotions and resist your urges. If you can wrestle without losing control for twenty minutes, I will make good on my promises to you...however, I'll still reward the person that wins by updating their Status Board. If that ends up being the case though, you'll have to wait six months before having your Board updated again..." Kali had the thought of machinating a scenario where victory was a 'bad' thing, all while pitting two Amazonesses who had overdeveloped instincts against each other. She knew it was unfair to the two girls but, being the victim of unfairness herself, Kali felt like she needed to 'share' the anguish. At the same time, she was genuinely curious if they would be able to subvert her expectations, just as the changes in her own nature had come as a great surprise...
Mars showed an expression of concern but still bowed her head politely and said, "I understand, Kali-sama..." She had already failed her previous two challenges and, without Kali showing her leniency, it was almost impossible to gain another chance. Before now, Mars had already been thinking about her short life where she would be unable to fulfill her 'purpose' since the only fate that awaited her if she roamed the world was death. She didn't have much confidence in holding back her urges, especially if the other party was also a Berserker, but she was determined to do her best...
Khodiva had an expression of disbelief as her complexion became progressively more pale with the passage of time. Her mouth had been agape for several seconds as words, something she struggled with greatly, completely escaped her. Though she was sometimes harshly reprimanded for going too far, Khodiva had never been told to try and completely restrain her urges. Khodiva's mind was telling her it was completely impossible but, desiring the strength that Kali promised, she balled up her tiny fists and tried to bury the usual excitement deep inside of her as she mechanically turned to face Mars...
Though she would normally rebuke Amazonesses for resisting their urges, Kali was currently resisting her own so she kept her words to herself and simply watched in interest as the two began their awkward display. Things had started with Mars quickly closing the distance to Khodiva, ducking low and grabbing behind the knees of the smaller Amazoness before quickly moving into a mounting position after knocking her down. She almost moved to try and end the fight but, just as her hands neared Khodiva's neck, Mars paused and instead tried to pin her wrists. Khodiva responded by wriggling about violently, all while biting her lip hard enough to cause a surprising amount of blood to begin flowing down her neck and face. She was desperately resisting her urges while Mars was trying to stay in a dominant position without actually ending the fight...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn won't even let the Lolis escape his clutches...!?','Kali isn't tamed so easily...!','So, when Kali begins restraining herself...she turns into Loki? This isn't healthy...!')
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Contrasting the entertained feelings she would usually derive from observing others, Kali's expression had turned dull as she observed the awkward battle between Mars and Khodiva. They were both restraining themselves a great deal, far more than Kali herself had expected. Not only did this annoy her, as she disliked watching people hold back excessively, but the fact that they had so easily done as she stated caused Kali to feel deeply perturbed. She didn't think it was even possible for two Berserkers to repress their instincts, especially in combat. Now, Kali was starting to wonder if she had made a mistake in the words she had so confidently spouted towards Vahn over their long sea voyage...
By the time the twenty minutes had transpired, both Mars and Khodiva were breathing heavily as a large amount of blood marred both of their bodies. Much of this came from Khodiva's mouth, which was now gnawed apart by her own teeth, but there was a fair amount coming from spots where the two girls had almost lost control. This resulted in deep bruises and a few areas where the skin had been torn but, much to Kali's ire, they had managed to restrain themselves without either side emerging victorious. Now, Mars fell limp against Khodiva's body and, even though the latter's instincts should have caused her to panic, she tolerated the weight of the slightly older Amazoness as the two of them focused solely on their breathing.
Feeling extremely annoyed, Kali's face was fixed with a deep frown as she looked towards the two handlers and said, "Separate them. Make that whelp drink a low-quality Elixir so she doesn't get an infection in her mouth..." Kali noticed her words, even as she spoke them, seemed extremely venomous in nature. The only positive outcome from this situation was the fact that her body had quickly cooled down as her annoyance continued to build. Now, her body felt cold while her brown skin felt both clammy and dry from the buildup of moisture and the oppressive heat coming from the small bonfire in the center of her chambers.
The two Amazonesses that had been watching their charges fight also had conflicted expressions on their faces since they had both expected the girls to practically tear each other apart. Seeing their goddess' expression only served to increase the incongruity they were feeling and, if not for the fact Kali had given them orders, at least Khodiva's handler had planned to beat her since she also didn't know how to react to this situation. She had always looked at Khodiva like a wild animal that would tear out her throat if she ever dropped her guard so the fact she had managed to go twenty minutes, self-mutilating in order to restrain herself, had caused the once-proud Amazoness to feel strangely unnerved...
After having everyone else leave her tent, including Mars' handler, Kali had the young girl sitting in front of her as she began to update her Status Board. She didn't know why the thought crossed her mind, but Kali felt a little annoyed by the fact that Mars, while only ten years old, was slightly taller than she was. Since she was naked, Kali could even see that her secondary sexual traits were developing well, unlike her never-changing form. In the past, this never bothered her but, as if taking advantage of the strange state of her mind, Kali was inordinately perceptive about things she would have overlooked in the past...
Mars remained absolutely silent as the slight burning sensation of her Status Board being activated spread across her back. She let out a sigh of relief when the familiar sensation presented itself and hoped that her strength might have increased even more in the four months since she last had the chance to get it updated. Bringing a small smile to her face, Khodiva felt her goddess' fingers trace around her back before she plainly stated, "You have grown a lot since the last time I saw you. Your Power and Agility both increased by more than a hundred points while your Magic parameter had gone up by seventy-three..." As she spoke, Kali wasn't entirely focused and was just going through the motions almost mechanically as she took out a piece of Status Paper and copied the information before placing it in a large pile near the side of her lounge.
When the process was completed, Kali lightly pat Mars' back, causing the Status Board to slowly vanish as she asked, "Mars...do you have a dream...?" In the past, Kali wouldn't really care about this kind of thing since it was something that would generally require a lot of foresight and introspection to come up with a concise answer. Now, after watching the annoying wrestling match between the two Berserkers, Kali was reminded of the youngling versions of Tiona and Tione. She was also beginning to develop a few doubts about her understanding of the nature of Amazonesses and wondered if it was 'nurture' that had caused their culture to develop this way. Though it was inarguable that the base instinct of Amazonesses made them prone to violence and bloodshed, a seed of doubt was now firmly planted in the diminutive goddess' heart...
Deciding she simply wasn't suited to thinking about such things, Kali shook her head slightly and patiently waited for the confused Mars to come up with an answer. Eventually, the young girl hung her head, almost as if she were ashamed, before saying, "I am afraid to say, Kali-sama..." These words caused Kali's eyes to widen slightly as it indicated that Mars not only had a dream but, because of the environment she had been raised in, was genuinely ashamed of it. Instead of living freely and uninhibitedly, she was another Amazoness who had been 'forced' to live a life that was filled with restrictions, making it so that even a 'blood-crazed' Berserker was too ashamed to even mention her dream...
For several seconds, Kali fell completely silent before squinting her eyes and saying, "An Amazoness shouldn't be so afraid of something so trivial. If you have a dream, you should be doing everything in your power to make it come true. Now, tell me what your dream is..." These words caused Mars to shrink her body while still hanging her head. She could tell that her goddess was upset and was afraid that her words could get her in even more trouble. Even so, Mars still obeyed Kali's command and muttered, "I heard in Orario there is something called 'Soccer' that made people respect and revere Amazonesses. I thought it might be nice to have a large crowd cheering for me...instead of looking at me like I'm dangerous..."
Kali visibly tilted to the right, completely caught off guard by Mars' answer, even though she knew about the growing popularity of sports within Telskyura. It wasn't often talked about, but the Fishing Tribe had even developed a version of the game where they played with a makeshift soccer ball within the turbulent sea. Up north, towards the swamps and jungles, it was one of the most popular ways to pass time when not hunting and gathering food. Even in the Warrior Tribe, there were many who were trying to pass strict tests to prepare themselves for venturing out of the country, many of them intending to head straight for Orario to get a taste of the growing sports culture...
After coming to her senses, Kali asked, "How did you learn about the existence of Soccer...?" Even as the words left her lips, Kali already knew the answer. Though she wasn't allowed to leave the Coliseum yet, Mars was considered an adult and had already started the training that would prepare her for living outside of the country. Thus, when Mars raised her head and explained, "Rudra taught me how to play...I...I've been practicing...it helps me stay calm...", Kali wasn't too surprised. The thing that had caught her attention was the fact that Mars had claimed it was playing sports that had allowed her to become as calm as she had. Since Kali had known the girl since she was an infant, she was very aware that Mars had only started to mellow out in the last year or so, just after becoming an 'adult'...
Once again, Kali fell into an uncharacteristic silence before noticing that Mars was resisting the urge to look back out of curiosity. This caused Kali to frown, not because of Mars' reaction, but because she was reminded of Vahn's remark about her thinking too much. She could even remember the way the light from the fire was silhouetting him and the warmth of his body against her skin. This caused a ticklish feeling in her lower body that caused her muscles to tense up slightly as an aching heat began to build within her abdomen. Kali's frown deepened even further but she quickly adopted a more neutral expression and said, "I'll be going to Orario in the future for personal reasons. As long as you continue to work hard, I'll make sure there is space for you on my ship when the time comes..."
Hearing her goddess' words, Mars was shaken to the core, causing her eyes to widen in surprise as her mouth gaped open slightly. Kali snorted through her nose when she saw this, kicking Mars' exposed rump and saying, "Get out of here you brat...!" Though she held back her strength, Mars still flew a few meters before deftly landing on her feet and quickly exiting the chamber. Just as she left, however, Mars looked back with a genuine smile on her face and muttered, "Thank you, Kali-sama...!" before running toward where her handler was waiting. Kali watched as the older Amazoness wrapped Mars in a cloth before placing restraints on her hands and neck, objects intended to keep Mars from attacking others if her instincts got triggered...
Kali was left alone in her chambers as she frustratingly tapped the armrest of her lounge, this time resisting the urge to let her thoughts wander. She instead chose to focus on her conversation with Loki and Freya, including the benefits associated with joining the Alliance and the establishment of the 'Divine Council'. Kali knew she would probably end up joining it in the future but hadn't really put any thought into it at the time. Now, she was seriously considering just letting Loki stress over these matters and just going with the flow of events, much like how she always had. All of the strange feelings and thoughts plaguing her in recent memory had caused her to feel anxious, yet another thing she wasn't accustomed to feeling...
---
After spending much of his afternoon observing the various activities of Amazonesses going about their daily lives, Vahn knew it was about time for him to tend to Kali. He had felt guilty about leaving her earlier so his perception had allowed him to absentmindedly keep track of what she was doing after he left. Though he didn't watch every event play out, Vahn had witnessed part of the wrestling match between Khodiva and a slightly older Amazoness. His main focus was on Kali's fluctuating aura, especially after the match had ended and she spent some alone time with the two girls while updating their Status Boards. Kali had been in a chaotic state for quite a while and it was only around an hour prior that she had started to calm down and began lounging about once again.
Knowing that Kali would try something to get even with him, Vahn had already steeled himself before making his way toward her chambers at a steady gait. He passed many Amazonesses along the way, many of which had seen his battle against Tiona earlier that morning. They all looked at him with heated expressions but made no attempt to get close to him. Instead, they kept a respectable distance while some of the weaker Amazonesses lowered their heads slightly and made way for him. Even the group of Amazonesses guarding Kali's chambers looked toward him with genuine appreciation and reverence in their eyes as they parted the thick curtains and allowed him to enter.
Vahn had given the guards a polite nod while willfully ignoring the existence of the Amazoness who had left her post with uncommon speed, likely to instigate whatever Kali had planned for him. Though he would like to believe Kali wouldn't take things too far, Vahn had been 'surprised' by her too often to convince himself she was outwardly considerate of others. Kali would certainly make concessions or even outright compromise, but many of her actions were based on whims and wants, not logic and reasoning. If she had decided to get 'even' with him, there were few limits to what Kali would do, even if she knew it would make him uncomfortable or outright upset him...
Kali had been laying on her back, balancing a goblet of wine on her almost nonexistent chest as she absentmindedly stared towards the ceiling of her chambers. When Vahn entered, she was genuinely surprised and nearly spilled the goblet, dislodging a few droplets onto the lounge and her exposed skin in the process of catching it. Vahn's steps had paused when he witnessed this, causing Kali to feel aggrieved as her earlier inhibitions vanished. She had been wondering if she should cancel her evening plans but, after having already made them, Kali simply refused to take a step back and try to set things right. Just as the heat in her body began to build once again, so too did Kali's desire to get 'even' with Vahn for his earlier teasing...
Seeing the swift transition of Kali, Vahn resisted the urge to produce a wry smile as he made his way over and 'casually' used cleaning magic to remove the beads of wine from Kali's body. She might have appreciated it more if he removed them in a more 'intimate' way, but Vahn had already seen the deep pink spreading through her aura. Fortunately, he already had a plan that would allow her to calm down so before Kali could say anything to grate on his nerves, Vahn simply stated, "Come, I'll brush your hair for a bit and help you relax..." Though she would never admit it, Kali liked to sit on his lap and snuggle up with him, especially if he was pampering her.
Knowing the 'trap' Vahn was setting for her, Kali resisted the urge to comply and instead smiled snidely as she said, "If you want me to sit on you so badly, why don't you get down on your hands and knees? Maybe if you apologize while letting me ride on you like a beast, I might forgive you for your earlier behavior..." Even Kali felt bothered by her own words so it was no surprise when Vahn frowned slightly before shaking his head. He didn't answer her question and simply sat on the lounge in silence, patiently waiting for whatever she had prepared for him.
Kali felt a strange pain in her heart seeing Vahn act dismissively toward her but, at the same time, the recognition of this feeling caused her to feel angry once again. There had been a lot of things that had bothered her today and, though she simply couldn't admit it, Kali wanted to relax and have Vahn pamper her again. Even though this was the case, Kali still buried the feelings as she made her way over to the lounge, laying down on the cushions to Vahn's right before placing her bare feet in his lap. She didn't say anything but, after a few seconds had passed without Vahn taking action, Kali began to flex her toes reflexively to get his attention...
Resisting the urge to sigh, Vahn exhaled slowly through his nose before grabbing Kali's foot with his left hand and using his thumb to gently massage the smooth indentation under her ankle. He sent threads of calming energy into her body and, using his domain as a proxy, influenced the 'troubled' areas so that Kali could begin to relax. She was making a show of ignoring him but couldn't help releasing a contented sigh as her body slouched against the soft cushions. Vahn felt like Kali was too accustomed to being pampered but, at the same time, he preferred when she was quietly accepting his affections instead of being so aggressive. He wondered if beating her in a duel would simplify matters as both Tiona and Tione had mellowed out a great deal after he defeated them in direct combat...
While mulling over his thoughts, Vahn continued to absentmindedly massage Kali's feet before slowly moving up her calves. Around this time, his perception, which had been keeping track of most things within the Coliseum, snapped to focus on the group approaching Kali's chambers. His [Eyes of Truth] habitually activated as Vahn turned his gaze, peering through the obstructing walls to see first hand what Kali had arranged. He saw a group of nearly twenty younglings that were adorned in ceremonial attire that barely covered their tops and bottoms. They each had a series of jeweled ringlets and were carrying tall glass vials filled with a golden oil or trays with candled incense.
Kali had started relaxing to the point that her thighs were now resting atop Vahn's as she had been habitually moving closer to his body. Sensing the arrival of other presences, Kali's eyes came back into focus as she pulled her legs free and sat in a more natural and presentable manner. She looked upwards at Vahn with her blood-red eyes and had an almost vicious smile on her face as she said, "I will teach you not to take your teasing too far. If you want to try and tame me, you'll have to take more decisive actions than just a bit of touching. Let me show you that, as exciting as touching can be, it is the decision of the recipient how they choose to respond to it..."
Almost in timing with Kali's words, the group of adorned Amazonesses were marched into her chambers and, under the direction of the older members, quickly prepared for their rarely practiced event. Some of the girls were eyeing Vahn with gazes that made his skin crawl as the relatively small auras present around their bodies was transitioning to a deep pink. As their bodies began to naturally heat up, Vahn noticed that the pale white cloth that was clinging to their skin started to turn transparent. At this point, Kali leaned towards him and whispered, "If you look away or show disinterest, they will be highly offended and resentful...I wonder, what will you do, Vahn Mason~?"
Whenever Kali was 'distancing' herself from him, she always called him but his full name, almost as if trying to clearly demonstrate there was a difference between them. Vahn looked down at her, seeing a 'challenge' contained within her eyes as she waited for his response. He could either let Kali get her way, allowing her to feel appeased until the next time she was offended or, inversely, decide not to play along at all. Kali would probably grow increasingly frustrated with him as a result and, as she said, the girls that had been gathered for what he assumed to be a 'presenting ceremony' would be adversely affected. She was essentially challenging his bottom line and seeing if he was willing to compromise and treat her as an equal, at least until he truly claimed her for himself...
Vahn had been previously warned about 'presenting behaviors' by Kali herself so he knew things would become awkward very quickly if he allowed the girls to act as they pleased. Depending on how he reacted to them, there was a chance some of the girls could outright imprint upon him, undergoing a subtle mental shift that became the driving force behind their desire to grow stronger. This was something they had been directly trying to avoid so having Kali put him on the spot like this caused Vahn's mind to buzz. His indecision, the very thing Kali always rebuked him for, ended up delaying his response until the oldest of the girls turned her dark brown eyes toward him and said, "Allow me, Vahn-sama..." in a demure yet excited voice.
The moment he heard the girls words, Vahn's body tensed up and he almost instinctually called out to put a stop to things. His actions caused many of the girls to stir as the one who had spoken showed a face of genuine worry and anxiety as she worried that her words had offended him. Vahn could see the panic in her face and it caused his heart to twist in his chest a bit as he swallowed his words and sat back against the lounge. This caused the young Amazoness to release a sigh of relief before she smiled radiantly and spread her arms and legs wide. The younger Amazonesses around her began to oil up her body, causing her healthy brown skin to have a slightly golden hue before she used measured yet excited steps to make her way to Vahn's side...
(A/N: For those expecting the scene to be described in detail, you'll have to accept my apology this time around. Remember, these girls aren't even 'technically' adults so, even though I've depicted it as part of their culture, I'm not comfortable with going into too many details about the presentation ceremony. As I said previously, it is a way for younger and weaker Amazonesses to appeal to stronger Amazonesses for a variety of benefits. There is nothing too risque going on in this scene but I'm aware that it could make a lot of people, myself included, uncomfortable if I got into too many details.)
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nature vs. Nurture','I had a dream my life would be...so different from this hell I'm living...so different now from what it seemed...','Kali has grown complacent, pushing the acceptable limits, even though she knows she shouldn't...')
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