Around the same time that Vahn was learning of the state Elder Pram, a gentle pinging sound could be heard echoing throughout his suite. Fortunately, this particular ping was something he had been anticipating, so, after forcibly removing the perpetually-clingy Law of Identity from him, Vahn made his way over to the door to find the expected trio of Boro, Sachi, and Aka waiting anxiously for news related to Roen.
Offering a casual smile, Vahn invited the trio inside before manifesting the Little Garden and calling upon Mira and Lisanna to make tea and snacks. At the same time, he notified Daniel, Roen, and Poe of the group's arrival before asking Rindo if she could begin preparations for a reunion celebration.
Fortunately for the trio, they had enough sense not to gawk despite the sudden appearance of two remarkably beautiful women. Their only reason for being there was to learn of Roen's fate, so, after the initial surprise had worn off, they managed to control their line of sight well. This earned them a cursory nod from Vahn, who, after receiving his tea, asked the two girls to flank him before casually revealing, "She is alive.". Then, before the trio could bombard him with questions, he added, "Relax. You will be able to meet with her, Daniel, and Poe shortly. I've also tasked my people with preparing a feast, so, for the time being, shall we talk?"
As the de facto representative of the group, it was Sachi who nodded his head, answering, "Though I would rather confirm Roen's return beforehand, I will trust in your words...with your power, I doubt you would go out of your way to lie..."
Though Aka didn't seem to agree with this sentiment, Boro offered an affirming nod before asking, "Is there something you wanted to know...?" with a glimmer of confusion in his eyes.
Understanding the man's thoughts, even without the Law of Identity's assistance, Vahn adopted a smile as he explained, "Oh, trust me, I am well aware of the contents of your mind. If I wanted to, I could narrate your entire childhood up to the meals you ate yesterday. However, when you get to a position such as mine, conversing is far more important than peering into a person's mind. It allows you to ascertain the type of person they are, and, most importantly, shows their willingness to part with information without deceit or subterfuge. In my line of work, if you can call it that, ascertaining whether or not someone can be trusted is of paramount importance."
Supporting Vahn's declaration, Mira offered an amused giggle that drew the attention of all three of the men. Then, as if guided by instinct, Boro's eyes briefly wandered to the former's rather sizeable breasts before promptly averting them to look at nothing in particular. This was one of the reasons that Vahn had asked the sisterly duo to come out, as, simply by being present, they provided him a considerable amount of leverage in the conversation.
Squinting his eyes without losing his smile, Vahn watched as Boro became increasingly unnerved by his gaze. He felt as though he had erred grievously, but, rather than calling him out for his faux pas, Vahn simply passed his cup to Mira before saying, "I'll make things easy for you to understand. The three of you currently stand on the precipice of one of your life's most important decisions. Simply put, you must choose between climbing the Tower under the scrutiny of various forces or retiring in isolation. I have made a few adjustments that will prevent you from ever boarding the Hell Express again, so, regardless of your decision, the routine you have practiced these last six-hundred-years is no longer an option."
As one of the most notable Ticket Hunter's in the last thousand years, Sachi couldn't help frowning in response to Vahn's words. Despite this, the look in his rust-red eyes remained fiercely determined as he replied, "I understand. So long as Roen has been returned to life, my reason for boarding the Hell Express will no longer exist. If there is something you ask of me, I will comply to the best of my ability."
Though it probably wasn't proper to laugh in the face of someone's resolution, Vahn couldn't help himself. This caused the trio to tense up, but, before they could further misconstrue his intentions, Vahn wiped away a tear from his eye as he said, "You are far too serious for someone that has lived for more than eight-hundred-years. You also think too highly of yourself, and, while that isn't always a bad trait to possess, jumping to conclusions is rarely a good thing."
Confused by Vahn's words, Sachi was about to ask what he meant when the latter waved his hand in a dismissive manner and explained, "I don't need you to do anything for me. So long as you stop acting like entitled asshats that willfully suppress others, I could care less what the three of you do. I resurrected Roen because I wanted to, not because I expected you to repay me. I mean, seriously...if I was in a situation where I needed to rely on Regulars who have been stalled around the 40th Floor for more than six-hundred-years, I would be pretty screwed..."
With the trio looking remarkably offended by his words, Vahn was tempted to lambast them further when both Lisanna and Mira gave him slight nudges with their elbows. Then, before he could speak further, the former adopted a disarming smile as she explained, "Don't let Vahn's words bother you too much. He actually empathizes with your situation quite a bit. If he didn't, you wouldn't be here right now. You should treat his words as if they were coming from a father admonishing his son for deviating down a dark path. So long as you make an earnest effort to improve, you'll never have to hear him talk like this."
Piggybacking off of Lisanna's words, Mira drew the attention of the trio as she offered a beaming smile and added, "That's right. Vahn is actually a big softie on the inside. Once you reunite with your friends and taste the food that is being prepared, you will understand that he just wants you to be better. The options he is providing you are for your own benefit, and, should you require the support of the Empire, we will do everything in our power to ensure you have the best chance at securing your happiness."
Not expecting the sisters to interrupt his lecture and thoughtfully explain his intentions, Vahn found himself at a momentary loss for words. This earned him amused giggles from both women as Mira playfully winked before telepathically communicating, ("They have suffered quite a bit over the last six hundred years. If you want to lecture them, do so after the reunion. It will be more effective that way.")
Realizing she had a point, Vahn ultimately nodded his head before returning his gaze to the trio of tragic men and saying, "It seems I have been unnecessarily harsh. We will continue the conversation a little later. For now, we should change venues. I'm sure the three are you are eager to reunite with your former friends and comrade. We'll talk about your options once you have had the opportunity to celebrate and relax."
With that said, Vahn manifested the Little Garden, promptly returning the Strauss siblings to the Emerald Grove before transporting the trio to the Second Layer. There, they were finally reunited with Roen, an affair that resulted in the exchange of quite a number of playful barbs and a rather sizeable quantity of tears...
---
Deciding to leave unimportant matters till later, Vahn left the reunion group to their own devices in order to spend some quality time with the two sisters. He had had time to reflect on their actions by then, so, as an expression of gratitude, he ended up tending to the girls for the better part of half a day. Most of this time was spent simply relaxing, but, as could be expected, there were also quite a number of instances where the playfulness of the duo led to their inevitable destruction. Lisanna, in particular, had a penchant for setting things in motion, as, more often than not, she couldn't sit still for more than a few minutes before saying or trying something perverted. This was exacerbated by her ability to adapt the traits of various animals, and, though she wasn't a true masochist, she had become rather accustomed to being 'bullied' by her not-so-secretly sadistic 'Onee-sama'...
Though they had originally been watching a movie, Vahn currently found himself witness to a rather licentious scene that involved Lisanna, transformed as a fluffy white rabbit, suspended in the shibari fashion as Mira, transformed as a demoness with a thick dragon tail, traced her claws menacingly across the former's body. This was a surprisingly common exchange between the two sisters, and, though it was something he had seen numerous times, Vahn couldn't shake the impression he was observing something 'forbidden' whenever he beheld Mira eagerly developing her younger sister's sensitivities...
Finished with her preparations, Mira spun Lisanna around a few times to lightly disorient her before pointing the latter's exposed bottom towards Vahn and asking, "What do you think? Thanks to her rabbit form, her entire body is basically an erogenous zone. After my teasing, she is several times more sensitive than normal. If you were to impale her right now, she would probably pass out from the resulting climax."
To further emphasize her point, Mira partially exposed Lisanna's insides by sinking her claws into the latter's pliant posterior and spreading it. This caused a rather substantial amount of love juices to drip to the floor, and, due to their viscosity, a few thin strands could be seen connecting the folds of Lisanna's pulsating pink cavern as her tuft of a tail madly twitched in response to the stimulation.
Unable to resist such an enticing invitation, Vahn ignored the fact that Lisanna was rapidly shaking her head as he positioned his glans between her excessively moist folds. This created a vacuum of sorts, and, due to the pulsating of her impassioned flesh, a potent suction force was generated as her body eagerly invited him further into its narrow depths. Before he could trespass more than a few centimeters, however, Lisanna's body began to convulse rather violently, the whites of her eyes briefly making an appearance before she subsequently became limp against the supporting ropes.
Rather than showing any concern for her sister's state, Mira giggled in a rather seductive manner as she effortlessly removed the gag from Lisanna's mouth, musing, "Perhaps increasing her sensitivity by a hundred times was a tad excessive..."
Having experienced the unique pleasures of a woman directly, Vahn couldn't help swallowing hard in response to Mira's words. This elicited an amused giggle from the playful demoness, who, after a teasing wink, explained, "Don't worry, we talked about this beforehand. She was the one who came up with this particular play. She seems to enjoy waking up to a good 'dicking', so make sure you do your part properly~."
Without waiting for Vahn's reply, Mira promptly pushed against Lisanna's body to force her against his invading member. This caused the unconscious rabbit to convulse quite a bit, and, thanks to her gag being removed, an impassioned moan was able to escape her throat before she subsequently mewled, "Vahn...shama~" in her sleep.
Though he was a little worried about her development, Vahn had never been the type to let down his women. Thus, with Lisanna's unconscious musing serving as the starting trigger, he began to steadily increase his pace until a rhythmic slapping sound could be heard echoing throughout the room. At the same time, Lisanna's sonorous moans gradually transitioned into a crescendo as she repeatedly transitioned in and out of consciousness...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a big softie (O w O)...','Is this what they mean when they say sisterly bonding...?','RIP Lisanna...')
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Since his Irregular status was pretty well known these days, at least among the upper echelons of the Tower, Vahn didn't have to worry about triggering any alarms via the method he used to climb. With this in mind, he decided to pay a visit to the Guardian, a giant carp with horns reminiscent of an eastern dragon.
After a number of remarks regarding his taste, Vahn was mildly annoyed to learn that his task on the 44th Floor required him to procure an item known as the Sky Pearl from the Floor Ruler. This was was an exceptionally rare material that functioned similarly to raw Suspendium, but, unlike its comparably common counterpart, the Sky Pearl afforded those with the means to make use of it the ability to manipulate the weather. More specifically, it could be used to generate or dissipate a storm front, and, when used to construct the core of a Suspend Ship, it added an inherent lightning property to the Shinsu pumped through it.
Simply put, the Guardian was asking him to either reach a compromise with or steal directly from the Floor Ruler. This wasn't particularly difficult, but, as could be expected, the Ruler of said Floor was a rather prodigious member of the Ten Great Families. More specifically, it was governed by a member of the Tu Perie Family, one of the most prolific of the Ten due to their Leader inventing the Lighthouse and pioneering the Lightbearer Position. He was also responsible for the creation of the three known Operas, Lighthouses so powerful that their observation range was effectively infinite.
Though Sky Pearls were traditionally used in the production of Flagships, their ability to substitute Suspendium meant they could be used in quite a number of ways. This included the production of Lighthouses, and, while they were exceptionally rare, there were a few famous members of the Tu Perie Family with the ability to manipulate the weather to their benefit. There were even rumors of the Leader of the Tu Perie Family attempting to incorporate the Sky Pearl's functionality into one of the Operas, effectively granting its wielder the ability to freely manipulate the weather throughout the Tower.
In actuality, the person desiring the ability to manipulate the weather was none other than Gustang. More specifically, his foundation had been working alongside a few members of the Tu Perie Family to provide the Empire with the means to control weather throughout the Tower. This would no only reinforce the notion that Jahad was a God, but, most importantly, it provided an extreme advantage during military deployments.
Taking these factors into consideration, stealing the Sky Pearl implied that he would need to offend both the Tu Perie and Po Bidau Families. He would be throwing a wrench into an ongoing operation by the Jahad Army, so, in more ways than one, this was a task that directly put him at odds with the Tower's established powers. This made it pretty obvious that the Guardians wanted him to sow even greater discord throughout the Tower, not with the subjective intent to do harm, but for the sake of overthrowing the existing system and ushering in a new era.
Fortunately, while theft was the simplest method to employ, it wasn't Vahn's only option. He could always try to reach an agreement with the Floor Ruler, and, while this inspired complications of its own, it would at least demonstrate to the factions within the Tower that he was willing to deal with them diplomatically. This served the dual purpose of making it easier to forge alliances, and, most importantly, it would allow him to mislead his enemies into believing he actually had an interest in certain material possessions.
Though he could appreciate the beauties sent his way, Vahn was more than a little annoyed by the fact there were people who genuinely believed he could be manipulated via his relationships. There might be an inherent truth to this, but, while he would readily shape mountains and relocate entire oceans at the behest of his lovers, that didn't mean he would capitulate to 'any' woman thrown his way. If anything, their presence only served to increase his disdain for the people that had deployed them, the obvious exceptions being members of the Ha and Eurasia Families. At least in their case, it was genuine interest and instinct that compelled them to seek him out...
---
With the intent of resolving things peacefully, Vahn snuck into the residential district reserved for members of the Ten Great Families and their delegates. As for why he was sneaking around, it was primarily due to the fact that any sensible team of Rankers had numerous Lighthouses deployed in and around their place of residence. This made it exceptionally difficult for a person of interest like him to wander freely, as, the moment he appeared, groups would immediately mobilize in order to be the first to speak with him.
Fortunately, much as members of the Arie Family were reared in the myriad ways of the sword, the descendants of the Tu Perie Family were taught from a young age how to excel as Lightbearers. As a result, the delegation from the Tu Perie Family had the most comprehensive observation network among those currently visiting Last Station. This made it remarkably easy to contact them in private, and, due to their astute natures, they were able to understand his intentions nigh-instantaneously.
Though he could have forced his way through by rending space-time, it was a lot easier to enter a person's room when they opened the door directly or teleported you via Lighthouse. Since he was traveling incognito, Vahn allowed the delegation from the Tu Perie Family to make use of the latter method, and, as a result, he soon found himself in front of a rather intelligent-looking woman more suited to the position of a scholar than a sacrificial pawn.
Seemingly understanding his thoughts, the bookish-brunette offered a polite smile as she stated, "I am grateful for your concerns. However, if your abilities are as reported, you should be aware of the fact that I willingly volunteered for this mission. I find your existence rather fascinating, and, if it will help to foster a position relationship between our two Empires, I will do what I can to achieve peace and mutual understanding. To that end, there are a number of questions I would like you to answer. Before that, however, I will do my best to facilitate your needs and answer whatever concerns might have brought you here."
Returning a smile of his own, Vahn gazed into the bespectacled woman's vibrant blue eyes to find no traces of fear or hesitation. She was someone who had stood in a leadership position for more than eight-hundred-years, and, despite numerous setbacks, never waned in her sense of purpose. This had allowed her to ascend to a rather comfortable position within Tu Perie Family, and, though she was only Rank 3019 in the Tower, she was relatively famous among other Advanced Rankers.
Feeling rather bashful due to Vahn's unwavering gaze and handsome appearance, a hint of red slowly built in the woman's cheeks as she habitually adjusted her glasses while doing her best not to avert her eyes. Vahn was reported to be a genuine Dragon, and, while she wasn't overly familiar with their ecology, she suspected they might have a preference for capable and confident women. Thus, even though she had never been particularly confident in regards to her physical appearance, she at least wanted to be able to meet his gaze without shying away.
Understanding the woman's thoughts, Vahn's expression softened almost indiscernible as he said, "I admire your convictions. However, as commendable as your spirit is, it would only trouble me if you viewed every interaction between us through a lens of self-sacrifice. There are countless methods of exchanging information that does not require such an extreme level of...dedication. Case and point, the reason I have come here today is to reach an accord with your Tu Perie Family."
Realizing that she might have come across as sounding desperate, a prominent blush surfaced on the woman's face as she invariably broke eye contact and nervously replied, "Oh...I did not mean to be presumptuous...please, if I have offended you-"
Raising his hand to silence the woman's apology, Vahn maintained his smile as he lightly shook his head and said, "Just relax. Trust me, your behavior is infinitely more refreshing than the majority of women thrown at me by the Ten Great Families. It is because of your dutiful nature and sensibilities that I had the confidence to seek you out like this. I believe there is much we can learn from each other, but, before that, there is a request I would like to make of the Tu Perie Family. In exchange, I will provide you exclusive access to my secret domain and allow you to both research and report its contents. I believe this adequately coincides with the mission you have been assigned, correct?"
Offering a smile that was equal parts as bashful as it was wry, the woman quickly pushed up her glasses as she replied, "That is, indeed, the case...it would seem your ability to ascertain information was not exaggerated..."
Returning a light-hearted chuckle, Vahn casually gestured towards the nearby furniture as they had been standing ever since his arrival. This, too, caused the woman to blush, but, after her earlier faux pas, even the most trifling mishaps would result in her feeling disconcerted. Vahn found this type of behavior rather amusing, and, had she been completely sincere, he might have even been charmed. Instead, it was pretty clear she was forcing herself, and, though her reactions were genuine, she was willfully exaggerating them based on his words and responses...
Once they had both taken a seat, Vahn earned the attention of the entire delegation by producing a fresh pot of tea and a number of snacks. This particular capability was something many in the Tower had taken an interest in, as, rather than making use of a traditional Inventory, Pocket, or Lighthouse, there were several reports of him producing objects from thin air. This included the account of him dropping the Zygaena's corpse onto the Yeon Family's Floating Castle, so, while it wasn't the subject they were most interested in, seeing him produce items out of nowhere still garnered considerable intrigue.
Amused by the group's reaction, Vahn supplied a casual smile as he raised his cup, savoring its rich and fragrant contents before exhaling a contented sigh and saying, "Simply put, I wish to obtain the Sky Pearl in possession of the 44th Floor's Ruler, Tu Perie Perdue. Since it possesses an ability similar to one of my companions, I wish to provide my people with the opportunity to analyze its internal structure and investigate its properties. Once they have finished conducting their analysis, the pearl will be yielded to the Tu Perie Family. In reference to my prior proposal, I believe these terms should be more than agreeable."
Though it would have been a contentious issue if Vahn asked to keep the pearl, things were quite a bit different if he genuinely intended to return it. This, combined with the fact he had already stated his willingness to allow them to conduct their own research served as more than enough collateral to reach an agreement. Thus, after a very brief moment of consideration, the representative of the Tu Perie Family nodded her head in affirmation, saying, "I will need to file a report with Lord Tperie, but I can't imagine him refusing such conditions. We will have the contract drafted and formalized within the next few hours. Is there a method we can use to reach you, or would you like to stay here in order to facilitate swift correspondence? We are more than willing to accommodate any and all needs you might have..."
In response to the last few words, nearly every member of the Tu Perie delegation reacted with a subtle blush. This gave Vahn an almost overwhelming desire to release a wry chuckle, as, despite their intelligent and bookish appearances, each of the women present gave off the impression of a sleeping predator. It wasn't without reason that Loki had always told him to be cautious of the quiet ones...
After a brief moment of consideration, Vahn came to the conclusion that it would probably smooth things over if he expressed a willingness to 'cooperate'. Thus, with an awkward yet amused smile, he answered, "I believe there are considerable merits in sticking around..."
Offering a girlish giggle in response, the representative of the Tu Perie Family once again pushed up her glasses before adopting what she hoped was an alluring smile as she said, "I believe you are correct...your majesty..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Guardians be like, "Let them fight..."','The art of the deal...','The wisdom of Loki persists through all Records...')
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