Chương 955: Comfort
Though Kali fought hard to resist the changes in her body, there was little she could do after being stripped of her Divinity. It was the first time in her long existence that she had been truly vulnerable and, even though she shared the same racial traits as an Amazoness, Kali had never experienced the full effect of their body's natural response. In many ways, it was almost as if she were feeling their influence for the first time and, after only a few minutes had passed, Kali's breathing had become somewhat ragged as she glared back at Vahn. All the while this was going on, Vahn remained silent, staring down at the small figure of Kali with a stern expression as he ignored her barbs and insults...
Feeling as if her insides were itching, but unable to do anything about it, Kali's anger was quickly turning into a profound frustration, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She was unable to even rub her thighs together to relieve a bit of the discomfort since there were links of [Enkidu] wrapped around her legs that kept her immobile. Other than her head and neck, the rest of her body felt completely powerless, yet another thing she had never experienced before. As a result, Kali was beginning to feel extremely anxious and was focusing less on Vahn and more on trying to proactively resist the rising tensions in her body.
Once things reached a critical level, Vahn squinted his eyes and said, "There are Amazonesses who live their entire lives having to deal with the influence of their instincts and the hormonal imbalances in their bodies. You, as a goddess, haven't even been able to last twenty minutes before you look like you're about to give up...it seems your understanding of what it means to truly be an Amazoness is lacking, Kali. But, you never really tried to truly understand them, did you? Though you may have led them on a path that allowed them to deal with their urges, most of your decisions were simply so you could be entertained and pampered without having to make much of an effort on your own part..."
Vahn knew that, though Telskyura was one of the more balanced and 'fair' societies he had ever seen, there were still a plethora of issues. However, as a result of the culture they had established, there were no proactive measures being made to address them. Instead, their focus was almost entirely on keeping things the same, vehemently resisting most changes. Since they were entirely reliant on other communities to even reproduce, Vahn knew this lifestyle would be an extreme detriment in the future he wanted to create. He needed to start laying a foundation for a new path, one where all Amazonesses could continue to thrive, both without being exploited and allowing them to reach their full potential.
With that in mind, Vahn lifted Kali's chin again, staring into her slightly glazed eyes as he said, "I will not allow you to keep steering the Amazonesses onto a path that restricts their growth, all while purporting that it is for their own good. I'm certain that I could create a community of Amazonesses that, within two generations, would completely overwhelm this entire society. You talk about Amazonesses constantly seeking power and doing their best to improve but, in all the thousands of years of their culture, have there been more than a handful of Level 7s? Have there been any Level 8s? The current methods keep them pacified and serve as a limiter, allowing only a few of the truly exceptional to shine as a result of the brutal methods that currently exist..."
Though he didn't have the full picture just yet, Vahn had noticed that the Amazonesses with the highest potential generally died earlier than those with less. This was because they were generally the 'unique' Amazonesses that possessed much higher mana reserves and special abilities. As a result, they were put through more rigorous training and, even though their society didn't really put a heavy focus on treating any individual special, it was easy to see that older Amazonesses had unfair expectations for these unique individuals. Without proper care, both physical and mental, these young girls would eventually break down, many times with their minds breaking long before their bodies...
As much as she wanted to refute what Vahn was saying, Kali wasn't in the state to talk back and, combined with her own observations, she had no means to contradict his claims. Her biggest concern at the moment was resisting the urge to beg for leniency, something her pride would never allow, even while her body and mind both desperately sought it. Vahn seemed to key in on this and, just as it felt like the fires were going to completely consume her, he did something that made Kali nearly tear up as she clenched her teeth in resentment...
Vahn noticed the sharp drop in Kali's Affection, causing his brows to twitch slightly. He still chose to ignore it, however, as he reached out his hand and began to stroke Kali's head. Though he had the option to take her by force, Vahn refused to become the type of person that would take someone against their will, even if he 'forced' them into a situation where they wanted it. Even if Kali came to hate him because of his supposed indecisiveness, Vahn would tolerate her hatred since he knew she would eventually come around. This memory would become something deeply embedded in her mind and, even if Kali never openly admitted it, Vahn knew she would never be able to escape from the memory and the subtle influence of her own instincts...
It didn't take long for Kali, fully restrained by [Enkidu], to begin to calm down and relax under the influence of Vahn's [Hands of Nirvana: SSS] and [Grooming: A]. She was completely helpless and, even though Tiona and Tione would show a fair amount of resistance if he tried to forcibly relax their bodies, Kali was simply denied the opportunity. Vahn very rarely went all out against the girls that resided in the Manor since it could potentially traumatize or even cause them to develop a dependence on his touch. Kali wasn't afforded this luxury and, with Vahn's understanding of the physiology of Amazonesses, it didn't take him too much effort to slow the release of chemicals in her body while simultaneously causing her extreme comfort.
After a few minutes had passed, Kali's body had become completely limp and, without the support of [Enkidu], she would have fallen to the ground. She didn't even have enough strength to raise her head and continue glaring at Vahn, resulting in the once proud goddess to hang her head as a slight dribble of saliva would periodically find its way to the floor. With her in this state, Vahn gently supported Kali's head, still lightly caressing her neck and cheeks as he stared into her dazed eyes and said, "Stop trying to antagonize me. We can both see how much pain it causes you so just stop it. What is the point of having so much pride when you know it will cause you to experience regrets...?"
Kali didn't have an answer to Vahn's question but, in her current state of mind, she was extremely receptive to his words. Her body felt so 'fluffy' and warm that it was almost as if she were stuck in an endless dream that brought a profound level of comfort. Vahn's voice seemed to promise even more comfort, causing Kali to listen closely to everything he was saying. She immediately recalled all of the times when she had tried to 'get even' with Vahn, often pushing his limits in a petty and unreasonable fashion. In truth, she actually wanted him to stop letting her get away with such things and had hoped he would 'snap' at some point before directly challenging her to a duel. This would have settled things from the very beginning and, even if she lost, Kali wouldn't have minded too much since she would still receive plenty of benefits...
From the look in Kali's eyes, combined with her drooping blue aura, Vahn knew she was experiencing sadness and remorse. This whole event was to give Kali a deep mental impression, but it was also to allow her to reflect without the influence of her Divinity. She already proactively sought him out for comfort before this so Vahn knew she wouldn't be able to take action that would endanger her chances of receiving it again. Since this was also a way in which he had defeated her, Kali would have plenty of 'excuses' to change her behavior and, in time, it was possible that the two would have a positive and healthy relationship in the future. Now, however, Vahn simply couldn't treat Kali as his equal since she simply didn't care enough before...
After nearly two hours had passed, Vahn began to loosen [Enkidu] before picking up Kali's limp body into his arms. He sat on the undestroyed cushion where she had been curled up before settling her into his lap, allowing the small goddess to straddle his hips. She didn't wear anything to cover her bottom so this would usually be a precarious position to be in but Vahn ignored it for the time being and just hugged her body tightly. Like this, he let Kali continue to experience comfort, now under the influence of her Divinity. A bit of her awareness had come back but, instead of lashing out at him, Kali simply wrapped her arms around Vahn's body and buried her face into his chest without looking up at him...
Throughout the entire evening, Vahn continued to embrace Kali while gently running his fingers through her long hair and along her back. He didn't allow her 'instincts' to trigger at all, keeping her pacified on his lap instead of allowing the tensions in her body to increase. By the time morning had come, signifying that he would have to duel with Hippolyta, Kali's Affection had increased back to 95 from the startlingly low 41 it had dropped to. It would take her some time to adapt to the change in their relationship but, without proactively defeating him, something Vahn would never allow, Kali wouldn't easily be able to go against his words. He was the only person in the world that could allow her to experience the liberating feeling of being free from her Divinity while also providing her a level of comfort that was simply impossible by any normal means.
Since they both needed to make a few preparations for what was to come, Vahn put less strength into his embrace before gently pulling Kali away from him. Her arms had resisted for a brief moment, clearly wanting to stay together, but she quickly relented when Vahn put even a small amount of strength into his actions. She was still sitting on his lap but, now that there was a bit of distance between their faces, Vahn could easily see Kali's expression. There was the shadow of a pout on her face as her eyes were averted to the side, avoiding looking directly at him. Vahn's own expression softened a bit when he saw this, causing Kali to give him a quick glance before her mouth formed a tiny frown.
Knowing what was on her mind, Vahn brought his hands up, framing Kali's face and turning her to look directly at him as he said, "When we are alone like this, you are mine. I don't mind if you act a little brazenly on the outside, so long as you are proactively helping to fulfill my dream. From now on, we will work together to create a better future for all Amazonesses, even if it takes several long years to do so. You might not have had much of a vested interest in them before, but I'll have you take responsibility for the respect and adulation they have shown you. In exchange, I will still do my best to learn to love you until, one day, we can truly be equals. For now, you will have to be satisfied with the small comforts I can bring you...at least until you are ready for something more."
Vahn knew that there was a fair chance that his 'melding' with Kali could have fixed everything from the very beginning, but it could have also had disastrous consequences. With Kali's previous behavior, Vahn didn't really want to understand her perspective completely and, as powerful as Death and Time were, he didn't particularly need her help to develop them. With his Qinglong transformation, he was already beginning to understand the Laws of Space and Time while the concept of Death wasn't exactly difficult to comprehend. He wanted to avoid experiencing them from Kali's perspective for a short while, at least until she was a more stable existence that actually cared about what was taking place in the mortal world...
Upon hearing Vahn's words, Kali had felt a longing in her heart but it was overwhelmed by the sense of comfort that she had experienced over the last few hours. It almost felt like an extremely short period of time and, from a certain perspective, it truly was. That 'brief' moment still left a deep impression on her, however, so Kali nodded her head in response to Vahn's words before saying, "Fine...I have already lived for a very long time. Since I can experience so many new things through you, I will try to be more thoughtful in the future. You can't abandon me though...and even if I make mistakes, you have to help me..."
With a natural smile, Vahn gently stroked Kali's cheek with his thumbs before saying, "I already told you before, Kali, you're already mine...unless you give me a reason to, I will never abandon you. You were already on thin ice before but I believe everyone has the potential for change, even the gods who have become stagnant and complacent. Time is constantly moving forward and, as long as we never give up trying, it is possible to create a better future for everyone. There are other ways to keep the balance of the world without simply allowing tragedies to continue when we have the power to prevent it..."
There was a lot more Vahn could say but he allowed his words to trail off since he knew Kali still wasn't at the point where such things would matter to her. She might nod her head in agreement with him but it would only be because she didn't want to upset him. The only thing that really mattered to her was the fact that he said he would never abandon her, so long as she didn't do anything that would justify him doing so. This clearly established their relationship as being one where Kali was a dependent that was being 'kept' by Vahn, meaning they were no longer on equal footing. If he took advantage of the situation, it wouldn't be that difficult to even turn Kali completely submissive, though Vahn didn't really need another goddess with such character traits under his umbrella. He already had Anubis and, to a lesser extent, Nanu, Naaza, and even Lefiya...
Instead of continuing his unnecessary speech, Vahn leaned forward and stunned Kali by giving her a brief kiss on the lips before smiling as he said, "Today is the first day of our new lives. Come, Kali, let's go create a new path for our people to walk..." Though it wasn't accurate to call them 'his' people, Vahn was already accepting responsibility for the future of all Amazonesses. After his battle with Hippolyta, the nation of Telskyura would fall under his influence and, with things like sports and other cultural phenomena, Vahn knew he could bring about real and lasting change. He would also come up with a more humane method to help the Amazonesses reach their full potential without having them undergo such brutal training from such a young age...
Putting significantly less thought into things, compared to Vahn, Kali gave an almost demure smile in response before nodding her head and saying, "I'll do my best...make sure to treat me well in the future." This response was something that Vahn hadn't fully prepared himself for, as it was a stark contrast to Kali's behavior over the last three months. He experienced a sense of incongruity that caused his smile to turn awkward before he lightly stroked the confused Kali's head and explained, "You don't have to restrain yourself that much. I know you have a certain amount of intellect and wisdom so find a common ground between the goddess you were, and the goddess you will become. Even if you make a few mistakes, I can be pretty patient...so long as you never even get near my bottom line again..."
With these words, Kali showed visible relief before releasing a long and heavy sigh. She had been worried about doing something to offend Vahn but, hearing his reassurance, Kali suddenly felt like a heavy weight had been removed from her heart and mind. Then, for the first time since they had started to interact with each other, Kali raised her head and showed a genuine smile as she exclaimed, "Make sure you teach that brat a lesson. I'll support you to the best of my ability, but I'm not really suited for such delicate things. The other goddesses in the Alliance can worry about such things while you can leave the establishment of the Amazoness settlement to me. If you want to try and bring change without conflict, the best way would be to show the other Amazonesses proof of a path that is better than their current way of life. Creating a community where they can thrive and grow beyond the restrictions of their current culture will be the best path forward."
Vahn was genuinely taken aback by Kali's words, as they were in line with the very things he had discussed with Loki previously. She seemed to key in on the fact he was 'shocked', causing a small frown to appear on her face as she muttered, "Don't think you can get away with bullying me too easily...I'll really try my best, so you have to treat me well from now on..." There was a mixture of anger and anxiety in Kali's words as she looked towards Vahn with a plea in her eyes. In truth, she didn't know how to comprise well so this was all relatively new to her. Vahn was well aware of this, causing him to give a comforting and supportive smile before gently embracing Kali as he said, "Don't worry, Kali, I will also do my best...we'll slowly figure this out, together..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Commence the Petting into Oblivion strat...!','The Embrace of Death...','Plz, no bulli (T^T)...!')
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