Chapter 2012: Adhering to the Order of Things
Though he should have been focusing more on his investigation of the 129th Floor, Vahn quickly lost interest after confirming that not even the most senior members of the Po Bidau Family knew what had taken place. Since Gluttony was bound by a contract that prevented him from disclosing any information pertaining to Gustang"s research, this left Vahn without any credible leads, so, after failing to turn up anything on his own, he decided to let others search for clues while he enjoyed his time on the 199th Floor.
To that end, Vahn currently found himself reclining against a veritable ball of fluff as Pram, in what they were calling her "Death G.o.ddess" state, lay curled up in his lap. In essence, they were reclining against each other, as, despite appearing as a shadowy ma.s.s, the black ball of fluff he was relaxing against was actually Pram"s tail. She could drastically increase its size by stockpiling additional Yin Elemental Energy, and, thanks to the series of icy black pillars encircling them, she was now able to maintain her Death G.o.ddess state for up to three hours.
Staring at the black-haired beauty curled up in his lap, Vahn couldn"t help adopting an affectionate smile as he ran his fingers through her silky, slightly chilled, hair. She had already been a world-cla.s.s beauty prior to her transformation, but, now that her body was saturated with Yin Elemental Energy, it wasn"t an exaggeration to say she could compete with G.o.ddesses in terms of appearance.
Trembling in response to Vahn"s touch, Pram released an adorable groan as she drew herself a little closer to his body before opening her eyes just enough to see through her thick yet elegant lashes. When she saw him looking down at her with a smile, the ears atop her head began to twitch as the chill in her body was gradually replaced by a gentle and increasingly familiar warmth.
To help Pram adapt to her transformation, Vahn had been periodically infusing pure Yang Elemental Energy into her body. Her Death G.o.ddess transformation provided her an extreme Yin const.i.tution, and, while this made her exceptionally suited for things like Dual Cultivation, her inability to control the Death Energy emanating from the very core of her prevented her from taking full advantage of this particular advantage. Thus, at least for the time being, Vahn had been using his Petting Laws to keep her calm as he channeled Yang Elemental Energy into the energy channels of her body, gently yet willfully thawing them.
Had she received a Yang Elemental infusion from someone else, Pram would have experienced an extreme amount of pain and pleasure. Beneath Vahn"s palms, however, her body was suffused with a feeling of extreme comfort that, more often than not, lulled her into a deep and peaceful slumber. From there, he would sustain her transformation for hours on end, and, as a result, she was quickly adapting to her transformed state without having to experience any of the pain and suffering often a.s.sociated with mastering negative energies. For this, she was eternally grateful, so, even though he had yet to demand her loyalty, Pram had already decided to follow her "Master" to the very ends of reality if necessary...
Sensing the sudden increase in Pram"s emotional state, Vahn began to caress the side of her face with his left hand, his voice gentle and smooth as he softly a.s.serted, "Relax...there is still a half-hour until your treatment is finished. Don"t worry. Once you"ve returned to your base state, I"ll be sure to shower you with plenty of affection..."
Though she was tempted to return to her "base state" then and there, Pram ultimately just nodded her head before closing her eyes in acquiescence. She knew these treatments were for her sake, so, while it was surprisingly difficult to suppress her urges, she managed to appear borderline apathetic thanks to the Yin Elemental Energy coursing through her body. To others, she would have appeared as a cold and detached beauty, but, from the perspective of Vahn, he barely managed to maintain a straight face as Pram"s vibrant pink aura clung and coiled around him with possessive intent...
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After finis.h.i.+ng Pram"s treatment and subsequently pacifying her, Vahn emerged from his bedroom wearing little more than black trousers as he made his way downstairs to the living room. There, he found Lotte cuddling with Mikotochu on the couch while the sounds of grease popping could be heard emanating from the kitchen. Fenrir had recently been teaching Yuri and Enne how to prepare a few basic meals, not because they were interested in learning how to cook, but because Blossom had mentioned they would make terrible wives and even worse mothers if they couldn"t even make snacks for their children.
While mentally preparing himself to eat their burnt offerings, Vahn made his way over to the couch, startling Lotte who, prior to his arrival, had been immersed in a rather depressing yet extraordinary anime known as Angel Beats. It was a series that lured viewers in with comedic undertones before effectively smacking them in the face with a series of soul-shattering twists that, once upon a time, compelled numerous members of his harem to pet.i.tion that he go in and "fix" things.
With Mikotochu taking advantage of the situation to extricate herself from Lotte"s grasp, Vahn soon found himself seated between two bashful beauties as he kicked up his feet and inquired, "Enjoying the show?"
As both girls had been staring at his refined and inordinately chiseled upper body, their immediate response was to hastily avert their eyes as a dangerous shade of crimson stained their cheeks. Then, realizing he had been talking about the anime, Lotte buried her face into her hands as Mikoto, with electricity emanating from her ahoge, pinched the minimal amount of flesh around his waist.
Holding back his laughter, Vahn increased his height to a comfortable size before pulling the duo closer to him and enjoying the rest of the episode. It had been some time since he last viewed the anime, so, even if he could recall every detail with perfect clarity, watching it alongside the people he cared about was always worthwhile. He enjoyed being a part of their experiences, and, though it was a little troublesome at times, he always got a kick out of their pleas to have him change things they didn"t agree with.
Fortunately, the girls were only on the third episode, and, while the ending was a little sad, it was far from the emotional roller coaster awaiting them in the later episodes. His presence also provided a suitable distraction, so, even when one of the main characters disappeared near the completion of the episode, neither was particularly upset. They simply nestled a little closer to him, comforted by his warmth until Yuri emerged from the kitchen and exclaimed, "Lunchtime! Move your a.s.ses~!" in a commanding yet audibly nervous tone...
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With three weeks pa.s.sing in the blink of an eye, Vahn found himself wondering whether or not he should pay Jaina Repellista Jahad a visit before advancing to the 134th Floor to finally settle things with Jahad. He still had the pillow Ureko had stolen from her, so, at the very least, he should return it before departing the Tower. The question was whether or not he should return it now or wait until he had dealt with far more important matters...
Though the answer might have seemed obvious, Vahn had been keeping tabs on Jahad. As a result, he knew the man wasn"t quite ready to receive him, so, while he shouldn"t really care, a part of him wanted to crush Jahad when he was at his best. This was the best way to finitely resolve the matter, as, even if he killed Jahad, the action only had meaning if the man recognized the error of his ways prior to his death. While this might not seem important, Vahn had never been the type to arbitrarily kill someone unless they were proactively engaged in a reprehensible or licentious act. Jahad might have perpetrated countless tragedies in the past, but, from an objective point of view, that had very little to do with Vahn. His desire to defeat the man was purely personal, so, if he failed to obtain an admission of guilt from the man, he simply wouldn"t be satisfied.
As petty as it sounded, this was one of the only ways Vahn could think of to lessen the amount of guilt he would experience following Jahad"s death. After all, despite his numerous flaws, Jahad had acted in what he believed to be the best interest of the people living within the Tower. He was also a victim of the Workshop"s machinations, and, though his end goal would have required countless sacrifices, he genuinely believed that he was doing the right thing. He simply viewed the world from the perspective of an immortal, so, even if billions had to die, he didn"t care so long as billions more could live on...
Shaking his head in an effort to clear his thoughts, Vahn looked towards the group of girls waiting for him to make a decision before settling his gaze on Yuri and asking, "Would you rather pay a visit to Jaina or move directly to the Imperial Castle?"
Pointing towards herself, Yuri adopted a somewhat incredulous expression as she asked, "Eh? Are you really asking me to choose?"
Nodding his head, Vahn was about to explain his own views on the matter, but, seeing the ma.s.sive grin on Yuri"s face, he waited until she excitedly exclaimed, "Let"s visit Jaina! That brat used to tease me about my preference in men. I can"t wait to see the look on that pervert"s face when I show up with a handsome man at my side! She is going to be so jealous~!"
Not expecting such a "girly" reaction from the former Princess, Vahn"s expression gradually morphed into a wry smile as he turned around and said, "Very well. From here, we"ll move to the 123rd Floor. After Yuri has finished playing around, we"ll either advance on the 134th Floor or spend a few days collecting the remaining 13 Month Series. Either way, I intend to try and wrap everything up before the week"s end. If there is anything else you think I should consider, feel free to let me know before then..."
Though he was facing away from everyone, Vahn could sense Lotte sheepishly raising her hand, so, before he initiated the transfer, he looked over his shoulder and added, "Don"t worry. Your father is already doing quite a bit to redeem himself. Though his personality is something I cannot overlook, I will try to arrange things so that he isn"t completely screwed over in his next life..."
Understanding the underlying meaning within Vahn"s words, a sad smile developed across Lotte"s face, as, despite resenting her father for the actions he had committed, she still loved him. He had been kind to her when she was a child, and, despite countless others saying she was unqualified, he had been her greatest supporter during the Princess Selection Trials. He had also promised to never lay a hand on any of her friends, and, while this alluded to a number of underlying issues, he had always been willing to compromise in order to ensure her happiness and loyalty...
Sensing the inordinately tall woman"s melancholy, Vahn promptly chose to delay their departure in order to address the buxom beauty"s needs. The mental wellness of his loved ones was one of the most important things to him, so, while he couldn"t allow someone as monstrous as her father to continue living, that didn"t mean he couldn"t compromise in other ways. After all, despite his various flaws, he still lauded himself as a G.o.d of Infinite Possibilities...
(A/N: Alternate t.i.tles: "Pet the fluff...","Angel Beats is a real kick in the nuts xD...","Vahn is such a softie...")(A/N 2.0: Deleted side story chapters can be found on my *******. I"ll try to post more in the future, so please check it out, and, if you"re feeling particularly giving, maybe throw a dollar or two my way. The cost of living in my area is gradually going up due to the imminent increase in the minimum wage. When multiple people pitch in, a little bit can go a long way.)