Chronicles of the Exalted Sun Child

Her Anima perception spread out towards the door, though she didn't push past the barrier and directly touch the surprise visitor. Instead,

Her Anima perception spread out towards the door, though she didn't push past the barrier and directly touch the surprise visitor. Instead, she used her perception aura to gather light coming from the peephole and directed it towards her eyes, basically allowing her to look through as if she were standing right there. It wasn't a new trick, just a rather niche one, useful only if she didn't want to touch her perceptive aura to anything. There was a distressing number of things and people who could feel her touch, especially here in Astoria.

Funnily enough, the same wasn't true in Shangria, considering that Actualised Ancients often went through or lived in the rings. There were no fewer than three Conclaves inside the rings, and she only found out about them because they had a presence in the local version of REI-space.

Hmm, she actually wasn't sure it wasn't REI-space, come to think of it. It had the same properties after all, that is, it brought consciousness into a sub-dimensional layer that held information and acted as a trading and advertising hub. It was structured differently from Dragon Fall City's REI-space, and she couldn't access Dragon Fall's area from Shangria. And of course, the main difference between REI-space and Astoria's Network was that the latter could only be viewed through a screen, whereas the former allowed screen viewing as well as consciousness diving. She'd also been curious to know what the name meant, but the only thing she found out was that REI stood for someone rather than being an acronym. A divinity, perhaps?

Either way, the Conclaves within Shangria's rings were Conquest, Martial, and a small branch of Authority. The last one just consisted of a single Actualised Ancient and staffed by several functionaries, and their purpose was merely to liaison with visiting Ancients and to keep track of the other two factions. The Conclave Martial is one of the organisers of the upcoming Martial Tournament, though their Network site indicated that they weren't affiliated with the Martial Artists' Faction of the Shangria Rings. As for Conquest, they were the same Conclave that those Ancients who tried to raid the resource planet belonged to, and their stated goal, locally, was to claim and hold territory within Shangria itself. A subgoal was for their members to make their way to the ninth layer and pass through.

Yuriko suspected that the Conclave knew what was beyond the ninth layer, just that they didn't tell anyone about it. It was likely that only those who were above Actualisation were allowed to go through, though she would have to reach it herself to find out. She had little reason to formally acknowledge the Conclave of Authority, since that would bind her to their rules. The deepest part of her rebelled at the thought of submitting to someone else, though she also had little inclination to clash. At least, not unless they started things.

Anywho, the light brought the image of who was outside, and she was startled to recognise him. Doctor Alexis Dunn, one of the Lunites who'd never made contact with her and the others after Luvblooms ended. The young man stared at the peephole expectantly and had a slight smile on his face.

Hmm, at least he wasn't wearing a lab coat over his clothes, a patterned, brown sweater and pale brown slacks. Yuriko approached the door, undid the latches, and pulled it open. "Dr. Dunn. What a surprise to see you."

"Miss Lawson," Alexis answered while his smile widened. She could feel his emotions through the thread between them, though it felt muffled for some reason. The emotions were dull, with odd spikes pushing through. At the moment, he was filled with admiration and not a little bit of lust, though none of it showed through his demeanour. "Good morning. I apologise for coming unexpectedly, but I bear a message for you."

"Oh? From whom?" Yuriko stepped back and gestured, "Come in, please."

Alexis swallowed as his eyes flicked down to her body. She had only thrown on a bathrobe with only a nightie underneath since she was about to take a bath when he rang the bell. She could feel his desire rising, though he kept everything from his visage except calm. She led him towards the sitting room and took one of the armchairs. She crossed her ankles demurely underneath the seat and leaned languidly back on the rest. He sat across from her, in the other armchair.

"Coffee?"

"Hmm, better not. I'll take some later." He cleared his throat, "Miss Lawson, your grandfather bid me to ask you to meet with him this morning, at the Presidential Suite, if it pleases you, for breakfast." He reached into his short pocket and gave her an access card.

Yuriko blinked. "You know my grandfather?"

"Yes, Mister Daublin-Lawson sponsored my education, and I work for one of his firms."

"Oh." Yuriko hummed. "Did you join Luvblooms under his orders? Back then, you didn't look like you wanted to be there."

Alexis shrugged. "I had my objections, but I did enjoy the shoot."

"Hmm." Yuriko just shrugged. "Well, thank you for bringing the message. I will head up to the suite once I'm more presentable." She stood up and led him back to the door. He seemed hesitant, and she could feel a sort of electric tingle wash over her skin.

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"I'll see you later, I suppose. " Alexis waved goodbye once he was out the door. Yuriko nodded in return, then went back inside.

She took a quick shower and dressed quickly in a green, off-the-shoulder sundress that would have seemed too cold to wear outside, but was perfectly suitable indoors. Her room was on the seventh floor, and the hotel was at least twenty stories high. She examined the access card Alexis had given her and thought it worked the same way her own suite's access key worked—that is, she had to tap it on the reader on the lift's control panel, and it should allow her to select the floor the Presidential Suite was on. That was the penthouse, she thought.

She hummed as the lift ascended, and when she reached the penthouse, the doors opened onto a short corridor that led to a single door. However, from there, another hallway extended up to the roof deck. There should be a bar/restaurant there open from the late afternoon to the small hours of the morning.

Still, the double doors screamed luxury, being covered in gilt and having tasteful ornamentation around the edges. The door had bronze knockers in the middle, as well as a doorbell on the right. She grabbed the rings and knocked with them, admiring the metalwork as she did so. She waited for a moment, and the doors were pulled open by a young woman clad in what could be easily called a maid's costume.

"Young Miss Lawson, come in, please," the girl said with a curtsey.

"Thank you," Yuriko said as her perceptive aura spread out cautiously. She'd only met Benjamin Daublin-Lawson once before, at Lilibeth's older sister's birthday party. Of course, her original identity would have grown up knowing the man, but even so, the echoes of memory told her that they met rarely, once a year, if at all.

The cold man in Lilibeth's recollection contrasted with the more affable gentleman during that party, but Benjamin gave off the feel of someone with great and hidden depths.

She was led into the dining room. The Presidential Suite might as well be a house, considering it had two floors, a separate dining room and kitchen, a couple of bathrooms, a master bedroom and a couple more rooms. There was an oak table capable of seating eight people in the middle of the dining room, and floor-to-ceiling windows on one side. The view of the countryside, the mountains, and a hint of the ocean was spectacular, as was the steadily rising Radiant Sun. When the rays fell on her, she sighed in satisfaction. Her body produced Radiant energy, but at a fraction of what her true body was capable of. She'd store as much Radiant energy as she could, but past a certain threshold, her hair would start glowing gold.

Grandfather Benjamin was seated at the head of the table, and Alexis Dunn was seated at his right. The two of them looked up at her, and while Alexis grinned, the older man gave her a hawkish stare.

"Good morning, child," he said after a couple of moments. Yuriko hadn't said anything but met his look affably.

"Grandfather."

"Have a seat." The place at his left had a setting. Across the windows was the sideboard filled with platters of breakfast fare, but neither man stood up. Their plates were empty, too.

A waitress walked up to them and placed a cup of coffee, a pot of fragrant black tea, a glass of orange juice, and another of water in front of each of them. Another server followed and placed a steaming plate of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, little sausages, baked beans, and two slices of toast, along with a dish of fresh butter, and dollops of berry jam and marmalade.

Old man Benjamin didn't touch his food just yet, and etiquette told her to wait. It was only until the dining room was clear and the doors closed that he spoke.

"Lilibeth, my grandchild, you aren't as subtle as you think."

Yuriko raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He stared back at her, gaze intent. There was also an odd pressure she felt, as if the air was heavier than it should be. She shrugged it off easily, though she wondered what it was. An Altered ability? Alexis's is electrokinesis, she recalled, though she wondered how well he could really manipulate lightning. As for the old man…she wasn't sure.

Either way, she merely stared back until he snorted and continued, "You've been quite busy, both in your career and your evening hobbies. I wonder if you even have time for your studies. I remember you fought for those."

Yuriko tilted her head. "I fail to see why you would bring it up," she kept her voice even, unhostile.

"The world has changed," he said slowly, "you are aware of it, of course, but the changes run deeper than most could fathom."

"The strange way the nation legalised Altered Human identities…"

"Yes," the old man said. "We've done our best to keep you from the government's hands, even after you almost signed yourself away to them."

Yuriko felt her eyebrows rise. So.

"You seem surprised." Benjamin chuckled. "Did you really think your family would leave you alone? Daublin-Lawson has existed since before Astoria was founded. We will not let those of ours fade into obscurity. But that's not what you are doing, isn't it?" He smirked.

Yuriko shrugged. "I don't really care."

That seemed to incense the man. "You don't think your celebrity career went too smoothly?"

"You claim a part?" Yuriko chuckled. "You may have made things a bit easier for me, but know that things would have fallen as I wished soon enough."

"You're confident. Good." Any sign of agitation was absent from his face. "Is it you? Or is it your power, I wonder."

"Does it matter?"

"No, I guess not." He gestured towards the food, "Let us partake."

Nonetheless, she waited for the man to begin. She, as Yuriko, might not really feel much for him, but he was the progenitor of the old Lilibeth. Actually, she did feel a tinge of respect. While Lilibeth's parents were practically the worst sort, the only sin the grandfather had was being distant. And considering how large the family was, and how many pies they had their fingers in, it was entirely understandable.

The meal was quite pleasant. They didn't speak of more serious things until after it was done. She sipped her cup of coffee and noted that the brew was done quite well. A light roast with fruity undertones, as compared to the darker roasts that so well concealed imperfections in the beans.

Benjamin's cup clacked on the saucer and drew her attention. His eyes were steady, and he said softly, "Your evening hobbies…I believe I have a point of interest for you."

Yuriko held a smirk. So it was that, after all. She gracefully placed her cup on the saucer and said, "Oh, please tell me."