Dream (4)

'I am in a dream.' Tanya instantly knew that she was within her own mind. The smell of the incense was recognisable to her, not escaping her watchful self.

"Yes, my child, you are in a dream." An ethereal voice echoed.

Within an empty void of white light, she felt as if she was floating in heaven. Nothing had weight in this plane, it was all nothing.

"And who might you be? What manifestation of my lustful desires are you? I really do not remember a voice as beautiful as yours, such a pitch would have stuck to my heart even through death!" Tanya laughed as she glided through the nothingness like a bat.

"Lust? My child, I am not the embodiment of your lust." The voice responded with a hint of dissatisfaction. A feminine and authoritative voice that could calm the most raging of storms and seduce the most prude of all, this was whom Tanya was speaking with.

"Although, That later compliment will be taken into account, my precious child." The voice tenderly spoke, echoing softly within Tanya's mind.

"You call me your child? In my first life, I was a child of a male prostitute and a merchant lady; this life, I am the loving daughter of a duke and a duchess. Which one might you be?" Tanya asked somewhat sarcastically, confidently grinning at this unknown entity's words.

"You are my child, is there anything else I must say?" The voice did not answer her question.

"Well, madam… may I call you madam?"

"I will accept it." The voice plainly responded.

"Madam, I am enamoured by your voice, might you come here and let me bear witness to the beauty known as yourself? I am sure your being must be as divine as your voice, so would you entertain my humble request?" Tanya flirtatiously requested with a charming grin.

"..."

"My child, you are my child. Why should I even entertain such an improper notion?"

"Madam… I am sure you must see me as a child right now, my body says enough. But in this dream, I would love to see the embodiment of my lust. I wonder what it could be? An angel? A demoness? I wonder." Tanya licked her lips.

"My child, must you insist on seeing my figure? Are you not satisfied that I, a supreme being, have shown myself to you and claimed you as my own child? Why are you so fixated on beauty? Do you not care for anything else but vanity?"

"Madam, pardon me. You ask the son of a prostitute of why they are fixated on beauty. I am beauty. My very being is devoted to beauty, I live for the sake of power. Beauty gives me the strength I need to become powerful. Beauty is my way of life, my philosophy; if you are my parent, then you would know this." Tanya explained with a solemn gaze into the light.

"Such fixation on beauty… my child, you are indeed vain, but your heart is not black as coals. You are my child. You never give up, you are the very embodiment of my ideals. You are perfection. Your words are perfect, your blade is perfect, and your body is perfect. The only thing you can do is break your chains, move past perfection."

"But why stay fixated on beauty? What of the soul?" The voice sincerely asked.

"Madam, beauty is not just the attainment of the arts of vanity. Beauty is the restraint you put on yourself to make yourself the very best you can be. I care about my appearance because it can allow me to do things that ordinary folk cannot. But do not mistake this for merely lust for appearance."

"I will not fall in love with someone that is incompatible with me. I have seen thousands of beauties, and the ones which reside in my heart do not even fill up one hand's worth of fingers. Sure I may pride myself in service when I am in bed, but that is because I am a perfectionist."

"The theatre of the bedroom is harder to master than life itself. I learnt that from my first father. His techniques taught me how to rise through charisma. I served many women, but I was not served." Tanya finished.

"My child, keep those lewd thoughts out of this divine domain. We have no need for them."

"But I have a need for you." Tanya winked.

"..."

"My child, I love you as my own child, my progeny. I look on you as a sweet and innocent product of my charity. Please do not long for what is improper." The voice calmly explained.

"The reason why I have never been served is because no one has a soul that is compatible with my own. But I do believe I have finally met one or two… this life is mysterious in its opportunities indeed~"

"Tanya Sera Vermillion, do you wish to become supreme? Do you wish to ascend past mortality? Do you wish to have everything? I can give you everything."

"Will you? What if I asked for you? What if I asked for you to be mine and myself to be yours? Would you agree to such an audacious request from your innocent child? I know I can become supreme, but what of it? I will work a few centuries, possibly a Millenia, and then what? I will ascend to become alone again." Tanya bitterly spoke.

"This life, I will love, I will be loved. And do not think you will be excluded, you have caught my eye. You will find that I am quite charming, even for another innocent child, my Lust." Tanya grinned.

"I am not your Lust." The voice responded.

"Oh, then can you be my love?"

"..."

The light turned red, reminiscent of Yuri's blushing cheeks.

"My chi-chil- no. Tanya, if you wish for more of my heart, then become immortal. If you can bring everyone you love with you and prove to me that you know what love is, I will give you a single chance. But in agreeing to this, you will lose the blessing of being my child and receive a different set of blessings. Will you take on my gambit?" The voice somewhat playfully remarked, displaying a piece of parchment with an infilled handprint at the centre.

"You are such a colourful existence. Of course I will take on this gambit." Tanya pressed her palm onto the parchment and the light slowly disappeared.

[Title acquired: Virtua's Beloved]

[Various job trees have been unlocked]

'I wish you good fortune.'