Chương 1384: Timing
Though he usually divested his time between multiple groups of women, there were moments when Vahn enjoyed relaxing with just one girl at a time. Thus, while he was performing his usual rounds, he decided to surprise Lakshmibai, interrupting her training to see if she would accompany him. Since it was very rare for the girls to refuse his offer, Vahn soon found himself escorting the loveable olive-skinned beauty through the verdant orchards of Avalon.
Vahn was quite fond of his homeland but, when he explored alongside one of his lovers, it always felt even more fantastical than normal. It was such a calm and serene place, especially inside of the Projection, so they could wander unobstructed for hours if they really wanted to.
Unfortunately, despite having several times more than others, time was often a rare commodity for Vahn. Thus, rather than wander aimlessly, he brought Lakshmibai to a large clearing, a place used by the Dryads as a site for various rituals. Within the projection, however, it was just a place filled with a mass of comforting energy, filled with warmth and carrying the fragrance of flowers and honey.
It wasn't her first time visiting the rather popular location but, feeling the familiar warmth wash over her exposed shoulders, the wind blowing gently through her hair, Lakshmibai hummed contentedly before resting her head against Vahn's shoulder and saying, "Thank you for taking me out today...it made me happy to see you show up unexpectedly..."
Hearing Lakshmibai's words, Vahn wanted to comment about how hard she had been working these past few months but, knowing there were better ways to spend their time, he opted to remain silent, resting his cheek against the top of her head. He knew she wasn't really satisfied with her progress but, instead of complaining about it, Lakshmibai continued to push herself even further. There were days where she would be training upwards of 15-16 hours straight, only stopping when others came to check on her. Thus, rather than talk about training, Vahn just relished their time together, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and the scent of lemon that wafted from her hair...
Unfortunately, as was too often the case when he was with Lakshmibai, Vahn sensed a spatial ripple in the Transfer Room, followed by the emergence of Sherlock. He had just gone to check on Tiamat so, if Sherlock was looking for him, which was almost always the case, Vahn would have to deal with him using this form. This would undoubtedly make Lakshmibai sad and, while she was always very understanding of such things, Vahn knew it ate away at her more than she would ever admit.
Refusing to make Lakshmibai sad, Vahn preempted the Master Detective, telepathically stating, "I am indisposed of at the moment. Please confer with Da Vinci or Merlin unless it is a matter that requires my immediate attention." Then, without waiting for a response, he blocked external communications, telling Alaya to monitor the situation and to inform him if it was something important...
Since she was always attentive to Vahn's subtleties, Lakshmibai hadn't missed the mild perturbance in her Master's eyes. She could easily guess something was amiss as, during their last three times alone together, something always came up. His not saying anything showed that he had elected to ignore whatever the trouble was and, while this made her happy, she ultimately nestled against his chest and said, "You are the Emperor...your duties should come before me. Please, don't worry about me, Master..."
Opting to ignore Lakshmibai's selfless remark, Vahn wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her close to his body as he stated, "I am a Father, a Master, and a Lover before I am an Emperor. You, of all people, should be aware of this. Don't tell me you've grown bold enough to push me away when I've already made the decision to stay...?"
Having already dedicated her everything to Vahn, in more ways that one, Lakshmibai's expression became complicated when she heard his words. Then, compelled by his silence, she turned her pale-pink eyes up at him, a thin layer of moisture present as she replied, "I would never..." in a sheepish and demure tone.
Hearing Lakshmibai's response, Vahn allowed a smile to replace his previously solemn expression. It had been a bit lacking in spirit but he could feel the sincerity contained within her words. Thus, in an effort to reward her loyalty, he traced his finger across the choker around her neck before lowering his head to steal her lips. This was generally enough to make her forget about everything else and, while there was a brief moment of palpable trepidation, it didn't take long for Lakshmibai to dutifully reciprocate his affections...
---
Having heard Vahn's words echo in his mind, Sherlock merely issued a thoughtful hum as he pulled out his pipe, this time without lighting it. He knew Vahn wasn't such a thoughtless individual so, after a few seconds of silent rumination, he plainly stated, "Alaya, I know you are listening. If you help me with this task, your Master will be free from interruptions and I will be able to carry out my assigned duty without being forced to dally. In exchange, I will tell you a method to get closer to your Master in the future...what say you?"
Though she would normally never appear in front of another person, Vahn's order, combined with Sherlock's offer, compelled Alaya to manifest in her human form. Then, with a cold expression on her face, she stated, "I am unable to forge contracts in my current state. If you want my help, you must provide the information before I offer my assistance. I refuse to trust your words alone..."
Sherlock had already anticipated Alaya's response so, without beating around the bush, he gave a small nod before explaining, "It's elementary, really. All you have to do is tell him directly what you would like him to do. Though there are limits to this, he will not refuse if you are sincere. If you do this for a long enough period of time, he will be more susceptible to listening to other requests so it is the fastest way for you to achieve your objectives. I'm certain you can verify this based on the data you have collected over the past three years."
Without having to think about the feasibility of Sherlock's words, Alaya immediately shook her head, explaining, "As I am, it is impossible for me to make such direct requests. All past attempts to directly influence Vahn Mason have resulted in failure. Your advice has no merit-"
Before Alaya could continue, Sherlock caused blue electricity to dance across her body as he lifted his hand, interrupting her to say, "What you have tried in the past has no relevance to the present. It isn't difficult to reason that your past attempts lacked sincerity. The next time you are alone with him, you need only express your desire to be treated well and, so long as you state this clearly, he will undoubtedly oblige. So long as you do not try and deceive him, Vahn is a rather simple fellow to get along with..."
Hearing Sherlock's explanation, Alaya remained silent for several long seconds as lines of runes ran across her irises. When they finally faded away, she gave an approving nod before asking, "What is it you require? Know that I cannot take any action that violates the restrictions placed against me."
With Alaya being far more agreeable than before, Sherlock allowed a small yet victorious smile to spread across his lips as he explained, "I am tracking an entity that seemingly does not exist in the physical world. I understand it takes an immense amount of power for you to view all subsequent timelines but, if it is just a singular timeline, I believe you will be able to manage. With that in mind, I would like you to view my future along the current time axis. Tell me, where is the location I am set to investigate in the pursuit of this mysterious entity?"
Since Sherlock's request was, in fact, a relatively simple feat, Alaya briefly closed her eyes, her senses briefly focusing on the annoying Detective's future. Though even this wouldn't be truly accurate, as even the act of revealing the future would change it, Alaya didn't particularly care if the end result was different than what he desired. She had already received the information she required so, even if Sherlock ended up walking to his death, it mattered very little to her.
After obtaining the requested information, Alaya plainly stated, "You will appear at coordinates: 41.38514° N, 2.17342° E to investigate five victims within an abandoned warehouse at 20:29:21:08, Coordinated Universal Time."
Hearing Alaya's response, Sherlock pulled out an ornate pocket watch which, upon being opened, immediately calibrated to UTC+00:00. With this, he calculated he had approximately seventeen minutes to reach his destination so, after snapping the fob of his watch shut, he gave a polite bow to Alaya before immediately teleporting outside of Avalon. There, Lilith was obediently waiting for him, now having returned to her secretarial appearance after calming down. Then, without any hesitation, he repeated the coordinates given by Alaya, intent on pursuing the white-haired girls in the equally white dress...
---
With Sherlock departing Avalon, Alaya no longer bothered to manifest herself within the Transfer Room. Instead, back within Tiamat's Marble Phantasm, she turned her eyes up at Vahn, grabbing his wrist with her hands and interrupting his petting.
As Alaya had never proactively stopped him from petting her, Vahn was slightly surprised by her actions, asking, "Did something happen?" in a concerned tone. At the same time, Tiamat cocked her head adorably to the side, the white crosses in her eyes becoming more prominent as if to say, 'Why are you interrupting?', even if her expression didn't change in the slightest.
Though it didn't qualify as being 'alone' with him, Alaya knew this was one of the few chances she would get to actually put Sherlock's advice to the test. Since she had already received permission to move forward, she ignored Vahn's question, moving his hand from her head to her chest. Then, in a serious tone, she plainly stated, "I want you to do more...I don't like only getting my head pat and my cheeks played with. I would like you to do more..."
Hearing Alaya's 'confession', Vahn couldn't help but momentarily blank as, from what he could tell, she was actually being sincere. This, however, didn't make a lot of sense to him as he couldn't even begin to fathom what had set her on this course of action. It was obviously related to Sherlock but, given Alaya's usual behavior, he never expected she would directly converse with, much less fall to the Master Detective's machinations.
Still, just as Sherlock had stated, Vahn had very little resistance to women being straightforward and honest about their desires. His Divinity was one reason but, after coming to coexist with Alaya, to the point he didn't like being separated from her for long periods of time, it was hard to refuse such an earnest request. The soft feeling against his palm didn't make the decision any easier and, if not for the presence of Tiamat, he might have readily accepted...
Just as Vahn was thinking about how to gently refuse Alaya's request, the latter held his wrist a little tighter and, for a brief moment, she had a fretful look in her eyes. This caused his words to get stuck in his throat. Instead, the next sound to come out of his mouth was a sigh of acquiescence since, for a very long time, he always knew things would eventually develop to this point. Alaya had become an ever-present fixture in his life so refusing her earnest appeal would cause him to feel awkward and, more than a little, guilty. Thus, despite knowing it wasn't the best course of action, he put a little bit of force into his right hand, his fingers moving skillfully as warm energy flowed from his palm and into her body...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lakshmibai is a good woman','Elementary, dear Alaya','The world in his left hand, the embodiment of humanity's will to survive in his right...')
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