Interconnected

Several hours after his arrival in the Menagerie, Vahn, covered in sweat not his own, lay with his back against a veritable mountain of pillows, the bodies of his companions serving as a blanket with their body heat permeating through him. For a normal person, this would undoubtedly be uncomfortable but, as he could easily press a few hundred-thousand kilograms, the weight of the girls was entirely negligible...

Unfortunately, Vahn didn't have as much time as he'd like to just idle about so, after enjoying the calming rhythm of everyone's heartbeats for a few minutes, he began to peel away the girls from his body using telekinesis. The last to go was the one who had been occupying his abdomen, her tail tickling between his thighs as she pretended to sleep.

Feeling her body being tugged at by an invisible force, Fenrir playfully clung to him for a short while, licking his chest for several seconds before ultimately releasing him. At the same time, the girls, now having lost their source of warmth, stirred awake. This included Circe, Gareth, Hati, and, though she hadn't participated in the fun, Medusa. Having sex with her took the better part of half a day and, in spite of her best efforts, she still hadn't developed to the point she wanted. This was primarily due to her increasing strength which, for various reasons, effectively slowed her physical development.

Seeing Fenrir playing around, Hati misinterpreted things to meant that the fun was ongoing so, as others were still wiping the sleep from their eyes, she attempted to pounce across the bed. All she got for her efforts, however, was an invisible force catching her mid-leap as Vahn lightly chuckled and said, "I'd feel bad if we kept the others waiting too long. Come now, Fenrir, we both have our respective duties..."

After the final few words, Vahn somewhat roughly scratched behind Fenrir's ears, his fingers digging into the thick mat of hair in the way she liked. This caused her to squirm about in his lap but, instead of clinging to him further, she obediently released her hold on his body. As a result, her body, much like Hati's, was left to float in the air as Vahn held onto her head, his tongue invading her mouth and entwining with the affectionate Vanargandr's for a few moments longer...

Ultimately, Vahn managed to free himself from what could easily turn into an endless cycle. Then, as everyone cleaned up and made their way over to the bathroom, he dutifully cleaned the bodily fluids from the bed and sheets. The only thing he left untouched was the massive pile of pillows which, in spite of their looks, were actually B-Rank items. They had the quality of memorizing the body heat and aroma of a target so, when Vahn wasn't around, the girls used the pillows while lounging about.

Once everything was cleaned up, Vahn made his way over to the adjacent room and, after removing the seals, he passed through to find Medea, Jeanne, Okita, and, as a result of her decision to move into the Menagerie, Aoko. She was currently playing with the two-year-old Penelo while the previously noted trio played three-way chess using a round table. For various reasons, Okita was actually in the lead but, even after a single glance, Vahn could tell that Medea would likely come back to claim the final victory.

Rather than continue playing, however, the girls immediately turned to the door upon its opening and, seeing who had entered, they stopped focusing on the game entirely. The only person who did not seem concerned by his presence was Aoko but, after Penelo saw the figure in the door, the red-head was immediately abandoned as the doll-like girl ran over, shouting, "Papa~!" in a happy tone.

Vahn dutifully picked up Penelo, holding her in his left arm as he used his right hand to lightly pinch her cheeks. This caused her to giggle before she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and, with a loud 'mwah' sound, kissed his cheek in turn. Afterward, she rested her head in the nook of his neck, a happy smile on her face as he hugged her in return.

Seeing the father-daughter duo together, the words Aoko had been saving faded away into the void as the presence of Penelo made it impossible to even pretend to rebuke Vahn. Instead, she made a show of crossing her arms, earning her a flicker of the eyes from Vahn as an amused smile crossed his lips. This made Aoko's brow twitch but, for much the same reasons as before, the opportunity to express her frustration was denied...

Unlike Aoko, Jeanne and Okita had no problems approaching Vahn. As for Medea, she just watched at the side, a kindly smile on her face as she stood with her hands crossed over her lap. She was the type that 'didn't want to get in the way' so, until Vahn turned his attention toward her, Medea would just observe silently. This was something he had become used to but, as he was about to leave in the next few minutes, he gestured for her to come over.

Medea happily complied to Vahn's request and, without having to ask his intentions, she obediently presented her head toward him, a smile on her face as she squinted through nearly-closed eyes. At the same time, Vahn stroked the top of her head, his understanding of Petting Laws allowing him to send calming and comforting energy throughout her entire body as he said, "Sorry for the trouble..." in a soft tone.

Starting from Medea, Vahn moved to caress Jeanne's and Okita's head as well, a common ritual in the Menagerie due to the fact that the three girls didn't actively participate in the 'fun'. This was his way of apologizing to them and, while it didn't exactly make up for the fact they spent a few hours idling about in the nursery, they didn't seem to mind. Rather, if not for the presence of Penelo, Vahn was certain that Medea would have fallen into his 'clutches' long ago...

Seeing the ritual take place, Aoko had a slightly incredulous look on her face, internally remarking, ("What is going on here? Am I supposed to let him stroke my head as well...?")

As if he had read her mind, Vahn finished caressing Okita's head before looking toward Aoko and gesturing for her to come over with an amused smile on his face. Her first instinct was to refuse but, just after Vahn gestured toward her, Medea, Jeanne, Okita, and even Penelo turned to stare directly at her. This made Aoko internally sweat and, before she noticed it, her feet were already carrying her toward Vahn's outstretched hand...

With the same amused smile on his face, Vahn began stroking the top of Aoko's head, explaining, "It might be a little embarrassing at first but you'll quickly get used to it. I'm trying to master a complex set of Laws related to Petting so I never pass up an opportunity to make use of my unique skills. Tell me, Aoko, what do you think~?"

Hearing Vahn's question, Aoko was tempted to punch him in the gut as, inexplicably, his simple act of petting her head made it feel as though electricity was surging through her body. Rather than be painful, however, it made her feel both excited and frustrated. At the same time, there was calming energy flowing into her body to create a strong contrast that confused her to no end as, for a brief moment, she didn't really understand what her body wanted.

Ultimately, Aoko shook her head free from Vahn's devilish fingers, her face forming a frown as she said, "Don't think I'm so easy to tease, Vahn..."

Despite her words, Aoko instinctually hugged her own body as a self-calming gesture and, though she didn't seem to notice it herself, she was leaning forward slightly in the process. Rather than a fierce warrior, she gave off the impression of a woman having 'difficulties', something that was easily understood by everyone present, Penelo being the obvious exception.

Without minding Aoko's words, Vahn gently stroked his daughter's back, lulling her to sleep rather quickly before remarking, "I know Fenrir gave you the option to stay elsewhere. The convictions you put into staying in the Menagerie...I will answer them, in time. For now, you should spend more time with everyone else residing inside the Inner Sanctum. I believe you and Nobunaga could be good friends so ask Fenrir to introduce you properly when time allows."

With his words finished, Vahn lightly pat Penelo's back a few times before walking over and handing her to Aoko, surprising the latter. Despite her shock, however, she accepted the sleeping girl without a fuss, occupying both of her hands. Vahn used this as an opportunity to pat her head a second time, this time without teasing her. Aoko's initial reaction was to frown but, after a few seconds, she could no longer maintain the dour expression, a tired sigh escaping her lips as she asked, "You're a bit of a bully, aren't you...?"

Rather than refute her words, Vahn's smile widened slightly as he mused, "I may have a weakness for women with red hair...but my propensity for teasing strong women is even stronger. Don't worry, I'll never pressure you beyond your limits. If I do something you don't like, just let me know and I'll do my best to avoid making the same mistake twice..."

Hearing Vahn's admission, Aoko rolled her eyes but, before she could say anything in response, the usually quiet Medea added, "Don't let him fool you, Aoko. Vahn teases everyone if he thinks he can get away with it. If you let him gain any ground, his teasing will only get worse since he finds the sight of strong women blushing to be exceptionally cute...isn't that right, Master?"

Vahn was slightly taken aback by Medea's sudden words but, rather than refute them, he began to laugh in an uninhibited manner. Then, turning toward the purple-haired beauty, an appreciative smile adorned his face as he asked, "Is this the route you've decided on...?"

In response to his question, Medea's face developed a heavy flush as she lowered her face, words escaping her for a brief moment. Her previous words had been the result of her aunt's counseling so, to have Vahn easily see through her intentions, Medea felt a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, she had Jeanne and Okita at her side to offer their support so, after a few awkward moments of silence, she managed to nod her head, albeit without looking up...

At this point, Medea was a little over sixteen-years-old and, while her appearance hadn't changed much, her charm had only increased with time. Vahn was very aware of the fact that he had become the object of her affections but, considering she didn't have a lot of choices, he never pressured her into anything. Rather, her past decisions to join them in the bath, massage his back, serve him tea in her underwear, etc, they were all choices she had made herself.

Now, it seemed as if Medea had chosen the route of countermanding his claims without outright refuting them. This was a way of elevating her status, adopting a position similar to a wife as, during her time, women only provided open counsel to their spouses. Since Medea hadn't had the chance to really experience the outside world, her views were still shaped by her experiences as a Princess so Vahn was easily able to see through Circe's ploy. The latter's recent pregnancy likely had a lot to do with this development but, rather than be bothered, Vahn was, instead, looking forward to the days to come.

As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn couldn't help but wonder if the principle reason behind Medea's decision had something to do with the current state of the world. The global chaos actually weighed heavily on his heart and, while he wasn't privy to their discussions, Vahn knew the girls were taking proactive measures to support him, both mentally and physically. Given Medea's nature, there was a very high probability she had made her decision as a result of the current chaos but, knowing it would trouble her if he asked, Vahn decided it ultimately didn't matter...

Dismissing his wayward thoughts, Vahn left the sleeping Penelo to Aoko as he turned to the other three girls, asking, "Will you join me for a quick bath?", an offer they unhesitantly accepted...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gimme gimme','Vahn, God of Teasing','Aoko be like, "How did I become the go-to babysitter!?"')

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