Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn stared at the notification for a while and could feel a warmth spreading from his chest when he imagined the scene of him and Chloe back in the real world. Even now, though he was a spiritual body, Vahn realized he could feel the connection between them if he focused his mind. Since he had a 'bond' with those that loved him, Vahn was able to sense their feelings if he put in enough effort. Even though almost no time was passing at all for his physical body, Vahn could still feel the warmth shared by their connection.After recovering from his reverie, Vahn went about the remainder of his final day within the orb in a pleasant mood. When Eva had seen the way he was acting and asked about it, Vahn avoided the topic by explaining it was something he couldn't talk about while hugging her body from behind. Though she wanted to press him for answers, she too also felt secure in Vahn's arms and just allowed him to hold her without complaint. Vahn always treated her well, but it wasn't often he acted in such a proactive and caring manner so she wanted to enjoy the experience.They spent the rest of the time within the space together until Vahn finally returned to the real world and once again felt the natural warmth coming from Chloe's back. It was very similar to the sensations he had felt in the black space when he used her [Hearts Desire] previously. Not only could he feel the pleasant feelings coming from her body, but Vahn could also subtly feel the way Chloe currently felt. He remembered the feeling of security she had within the dream, so Vahn hugged her closely until he finally fell asleep a few minutes later.Because they had gone to bed so late, Vahn and Chloe ended up sleeping in until around noon when he was awakened by Chloe's movements. At first, because he had been holding her from behind, Vahn could only see the back of her head and had been enjoying the subtle fragrance of her hair. When she woke up though, Chloe turned around in his arms and faced toward him before hugging his body. Vahn could see her green eyes almost glowing as a happy and contented smile appeared on her face.Before she said anything, Vahn leaned forward slightly and gave her a short peck on the lips before smiling and saying, "Good morning, Chloe..." His actions caused her to laugh playfully before she repeated his actions on her own initiative. The kiss she gave him was markedly more passionate however and it seemed like things were beginning to progress into a strange direction when she leaned into his body with enough force to be resting on top of his chest.Though she didn't mount his stomach, which seemed to be common from Vahn's experience, she still leaned against his body with hers and Vahn could feel the springy and soft sensation of her breasts pressing into his bare chest. The situation was a bit awkward though since Vahn's right hand was pinned under her body and it felt weird to reach around with his left hand because he would only reach parts of her body from his current position.After a minute or so had passed, Vahn decided to free his right hand and reach it around Chloe's body before trying to hug her close to him. Her reaction was to stop resisting entirely so, instead of being held directly against him, Chloe actually rolled onto her side before turning belly-up while laying across Vahn's stomach. She immediately started laughing and Vahn wasn't sure how to react to the strange maneuver for a few seconds until he finally decided to stroke the line of Chloe's navel with his palm.She seemed to enjoy his caress as she held her hand on top of his and stared into his face with a happy and somewhat enamored expression as she said, "Good morning, Vahn...nya~." Vahn smiled in response before helping to lift her body with his left hand to pull her in for another short kiss. This time, she mounted his body properly and they locked eyes briefly before Chloe began stroking the bite mark that had been permanently embedded into his shoulder.Vahn was watching her actions while hugging her body around the waist. He had a somewhat mischevious smile on his face as he gently stroked her tail with his index finger. Though it wasn't as intense a reaction as the previous night, Chloe's eyes squinted slightly as her tail twitched with each of Vahn's movements. Just as it looked like Chloe was about to say something to egg him on, Vahn smiled and asked, "Do you work today?'Chloe's mind blanked for a moment before she removed her hands from Vahn's shoulders and held them upwards like she was lamenting against the gods in Heaven, "Nyaaaaaaa~! Mama Mia's gonna kill me~nya!" She then immediately tried to crawl off the bed to get changed, but not before Vahn was able to loosely grab her tail. Her momentum carried her forward and allowed her tail to pass end to tip within Vahn's hand so she collapsed onto the bed face-first with another loud, "Nyaaaaaaaaaaaa~!"After giving Vahn a slightly aggrieved look with a blush on her face, Chloe put her clothes back on in swift movements while Vahn also got ready. Seeing Chloe had almost finished dressing in her 'Black Cat' attire, Vahn flared his hand before a stark white sundress appeared out of thin air. Chloe looked at it with a strange expression before Vahn said, "It's the middle of the day, people might think it's strange if you're walking around in your assassin getup. Though you look like an Adventurer, there is always a chance someone might recognize you."Chloe considered his words for a short while before showing a mischievous smile and slowly stripping off her clothes. When Vahn averted his eyes out of habit, she laughed in a playful manner and said, "I want you to watch...to see the me only you're allowed to see~nya." Hearing her words, Vahn turned to Chloe with a slight smile on his face as he watched her slowly undress.Though he had seen them the night before, Vahn was surprised with how fair Chloe's breasts were compared to the slightly toned and lithe upper body. If not for his enhanced vision, Vahn might not have noticed, but they were a slightly lighter complexion than the rest of her body and Vahn could even see the briefest hint of subtle blue veins around the sides and near the pink protrusions of her nipples.Vahn suddenly realized something strange after thinking about the sundress in his hand and he asked, "You're not going to wear a bra?" His words and confused expression made Chloe laugh as she explained, "My bra is black, so it would show through the fabric of the sundress anways~nya. Besides, the straps are also large and they would stand out~."Vahn nodded his head in response while thinking he should have been more considerate when he picked the color of the dress. He had wanted Chloe to wear something to signify his desire to separate her from the darkness so he had chosen a stark white color. Vahn though it would make her look more lively and enhance the cheerful and mischevious character of Chloe. Since he had purchased it in consideration for Cat People, there was even a hole for her tail with a cute little bow above it.After her upper garments were gone, Chloe bent forward slightly after loosening her belt and giving Vahn an almost 'taunting' look as she thumbed the sides of her white shorts and slowly removed them from her body. Like the bra she had been wearing, Chloe panties were also black and had a somewhat tame and simple design. It didn't stop them from standing out against the pale-skinned Chloe though since they were a stark contrast to the rest of her body. By the time she had removed her shorts, Chloe was standing before Vahn in a pair of small black panties with black stockings. With her black tail, hair, and ears, it was an incredibly impactful sight for Vahn.With a big smile and slightly seductive look in her eyes, Chloe began removing her stockings as well, but not before she turned her back to Vahn. Her actions caused Vahn to swallow as he stared at her pert buttocks and the tail he had so decisively grabbed the previous night. Since she had to bend over slightly to remove the stockings, Chloe's butt danced about from her movements and her tail following her actions while drawing Vahn's eye.Clothed in only her black panties, Chloe turned back toward Vahn with an excited blush on her face as she began to thumb the sides of her panties as well. Vahn's mind buzzed in an instant before he realized what she was going to do. Since her panties were also black, they would also stand out in the white sundress that Vahn had purchased for her. Reaching out his hand slightly, Vahn said in an over-excited manner, "Wait one second!"Chloe was shocked by his outburst, but the smile on her face spread slightly wider as she playfully traced her fingers along the band of her panties. Her actions caught Vahn's eye, but he was somewhat distracted as he confirmed things with Sis within his mind. Fortunately, his intuition had proven correct so Vahn materialized a pair of white laced panties in his left hand which complimented the sundress since they had a small ribbon on the front.Seeing the pair of panties Vahn held out for her with a blush on his face, Chloe tilted her head and asked, "Nya~? You carry panties around in your 'storage magic'~?" Her words caused Vahn to blush since he didn't know how to explain things in a rational manner given the sudden increase in his own emotions. Chloe laughed at his reaction and snatched the panties from his hand without asking further.Vahn released a relieved sigh before his mind blanked suddenly after Chloe quickly removed her panties while he had dropped his guard. She now stood completely nude in front of him while watching his expression with interest on her face. Since Vahn didn't say anything, Chloe slowly turned her body and stretched her limbs a bit in various angles as if she was showing off in front of him. The entire time she did so, Vahn watched in silence and took in the various sights as his breathing began to increase steadily.Even though he stared at her with passionate eyes, Chloe didn't feel like his look contained any negatives feelings at all. Vahn gazed at her body with interest and curiosity and an unveiled excitement as though every part of her was something he found to be new and exciting. Satisfied by his reaction, Chloe asked in a mischevious intonation, "Do you like my body~nyahaha?"Her sudden question caused Vahn to stare into her green eyes with a bit of confusion on his face as he processed what she just asked. After a brief period, Vahn smiled and said in a very serious manner, "You're beautiful." This time it was Chloe's turn to blush as her mind blanked for a few seconds as she stared into his aquamarine eyes. She was stuck holding a somewhat awkward pose as if she was taunting him, and Chloe suddenly became overly aware of how forward she was acting.Without responding to his compliment, Chloe turned her gaze away slightly as she quickly put on the pair of white panties Vahn had purchased her. She noticed that the panties, though somewhat stretchy, perfectly fit her body without causing any discomfort whatsoever. For a brief moment, she imagined the bodies of the other girls around Vahn and wondered who he might have purchased them for. Shaking her head to clear the thought from her mind, Chloe returned to her mischevious expression as she walked toward Vahn before stopping right in front of him.Though she didn't ask, Vahn had a bit of expectation since he saw the look in her eyes. Rolling the sides of the sundress with his hands, Vahn placed it over Chloe's head as she stretched out her arms to assist him. Vahn found out that he enjoyed helping girls undress but was also somewhat fond of putting clothes he had given them on their bodies. It wasn't nearly as interesting as removing the garments, but it still made him feel excited when he finally saw them clothed in an outfit of his choosing.Once she was fully clothed, Chloe looked around for a mirror and Vahn placed out a large standing mirror for her use. It was the kind that allowed a person to see their full body, and Chloe began laughing at the image of the 'lively young girl' that was her own reflection. As Vahn had expected, the sundress suited Chloe well since it contrasted with her black hair, green eyes, and black tail. She had very fair skin and a lively expression on her face and it made her seem several years younger. Though she was only nineteen, Vahn felt like she tried to act far more mature than her age and it made him happy to see her current appearance.While she was caught up in her own reflection, Vahn laughed and caught her attention as she looked at him with a mixture of love and curiosity. Just as she was about to ask what he found funny, Vahn said, "If you take too long, won't Mama Mia be even angrier~?" The loving expression on Chloe's face slowly melted into one of abject terror as she repeated her earlier actions of spreading her arms in a lamenting fashion and shouting, "Nyaaaa~! We need to hurry~!" She then rushed out the door while Vahn followed behind her while laughing happily.As long as he gave Mama Mia a nice tip, she probably wouldn't be upset with Chloe at all. Syr had probably already explained things to her and any berating of Chloe would just be for the purpose of display. Vahn just enjoyed teasing Chloe and found her current behavior to be far more suitable than the serious person she tried to act like at times. Vahn looked forward to being able to see her act this way more often as he planned various methods to properly spoil the girl who had done so much for him in the past. She had given him her trust, affection, and even love, and Vahn would do his best, not to return what she had given him, but care for and nurture it so they would both be happy.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Love is a shared experience','Strip Tease','The secret of the perfect fit')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $721/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Since the Inn Vahn stayed at was on the same road between the Hostess of Fertility and the Babel Plaza, the two arrived outside the pub after a short ten-minute walk. Along the way, Vahn held Chloe's hand just like he had done so on their date long ago. To other pedestrians, they looked like a young couple walking through the City and enjoying each other's company. Though they were supposed to be in a hurry, Chloe had waited for him outside of the Inn and they leisurely enjoyed the stroll and sunny weather.After arriving near the Hostess of Fertility, Chloe went toward the side entrance to change into her waitress clothing. She said that it would be a death sentence is she walked through the doors in her current getup while being accompanied by Vahn. Since she was already late, Chloe didn't want to do anything that might trigger Mama Mia's ire. Before she left, however, Vahn used the [Proof of Affection] that he had obtained from Chloe reaching maximum affection. The item that appeared was a beautiful blue ribbon.Though Vahn found it somewhat strange that the item Chloe wanted was something so simple, she seemed to be very happy as she received it with a cheerful smile on her face. She hugged the ribbon to the side of her face with her eyes closed as if it was some great treasure. After a few seconds, she looked at Vahn with gentle eyes before handing the ribbon back to him. Vahn was somewhat confused until she turned around and said, "I want you to put it on for me..."Vahn ran through the knowledge in his mind to find a hint for what she was implying, but none of the books he had read mentioned anything about a ribbon and cat people. Unsure of what to do, Vahn held the blue ribbon and stared blankly until he noticed Chloe's tail had been twitching while she silently looked away from him. Inspired, Vahn reached his hands forward and very gently tied the ribbon near the base of Chloe's, right under the small white bow. Though it clashed with the clothing a bit, Vahn felt like the pure blue color complimented the silken black hair of Chloe's tail quite a bit.While he was lost in thought, Chloe said in a quiet voice, "You have to tie it tighter, or it will fall off~nya." Vahn followed her words and pulled the ribbon marginally tighter until it pressed into the fur a little. When he was done, Chloe's tail danced about before she turned around and threw her arms around Vahn's neck and gave him a kiss. Vahn held her by the waist and reciprocated her affectionate display until she finally separated from him. She touched the ribbon with her fingers and made sure it was firmly fastened to her tail before she laughed in a silly manner and walked inside without saying anything.Vahn decided to ask her about it later or try to find out if there was some hidden meaning from one of the other cat people he knew. Since Milan and Tina were in a unique situation, that meant the only person he could ask was Arnya. Making his way through the front doors of the pub, Vahn looked around a bit before approaching the bar and explaining the situation to Mama Mia. As expected, she had already heard about the matter from Syr previously, but Vahn still left her a tip as compensation for the trouble. She took the money with a boisterous laughter and made comments about how he was growing up into a 'fine young man'.Afterward, Vahn ate lunch with Milan and Tina after asking Arnya to be their server. She seemed to be surprised by his request and even acted a bit flustered before eventually accepting. The whole time she was serving the trio, Arnya acted in a somewhat sheepish and clumsy manner and even knocked over the pitcher of juice they had ordered at one point. Vahn immediately contained the spill with one of the towels he had in his inventory while Arnya apologized in an embarrassed manner.When lunch was finished and Vahn parted with Milan and Tina, he decided to ask Arnya about the matter of the ribbon since they were alone. He approached her and asked in a quiet voice, "Arnya, is there a special significance between cat people and ribbons?" Arnya was acting strangely since earlier and she tilted her head like she was confused about his question for some time. She was always a bit on the clumsy and foolish end of the spectrum, so it took her some time to make sense of what he was asking.She asked in a curious manner while tilting her head far to the side in a cutesy and contemplative manner, "It depends~nya? Where did you put it?" Vahn, without thinking about his response, pointed at the small brown tail of Arnya that had three lighter colored stripes and a bushy end and said, "I put it on the tail." Arnya tilted her head to the other side and thought about what he just said before looking at her own tail in confusion. After a few seconds had passed, she became very shocked and began waving her hands from side to side as she stuttered, "Nya-na-na-na-na, I'm nyot ready for that~!"Without explaining what she 'wasn't ready for', Arnya ran outside the door of the private booth as if she were escaping. She had a strange laughter and flustered expression that caused a bit of commotion in the pub until Mama Mia threw a wooden cork that bonked her on the head. Vahn watched the entire scene play out with confusion on his face that was only made worse after he checked the notifications that had sounded in his head from earlier.Arnya's affection for him had always been in the lower seventies, but it just shot up to the upper eighties after he asked her the question about the ribbon. Since she wasn't one of the girls he had a 'peculiar' relationship with, Vahn was somewhat confused by the sudden increase. He almost wanted to retort that she was misunderstanding, but Arnya was often treated like an idiot by those around her and he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Seeing that the value was constantly increasing and decreasing and the fact that her status was kept fluctuating between (Curious) and (Love?), Vahn lost any ability to comment. (A/N: Yes, that is Love with a question mark xD)Syr had approached through the door while Vahn was confused and he decided to explain the matter to her while also asking if she knew anything about tying a ribbon to the tail of a cat person. His question had made her brows raise a bit before she started laughing in a cheerful manner while covering her mouth. She looked at him and Vahn could see a gleam pass through her eyes as she said, "I saw Chloe with that blue ribbon, so you must have given it to her. Though there isn't any significant meaning most of the time, some cat people let their significant other's tie a ribbon around the base of their tail. It is kind of a way to show they have been marked...after they marked someone."As she spoke, Syr had placed her hand on the collar of Vahn's tunic and moved it aside to see bite mark Chloe had left in his shoulder the previous night. Vahn grabbed her wrist and pulled it away gently as she gave him a strange and soft look with a small smile on her face. Vahn now knew why Arnya acted in such an 'explosive' manner since she might have thought he was inviting her to bite him as well. Since she considered herself and Chloe to be the 'poster cat girls' of the Hostess of Fertility, she had an inclination to act similarly to Chloe at times. This was the reason she had taken to serve him on the days Chloe had taken off in the past and how they became friendly with each other over time.Since she had disappeared to the back of the kitchen where Chloe was washing dishes as 'punishment', Vahn assumed she would probably see the ribbon he had tied for Chloe and hoped things would be explained. As an extra precaution, he even asked Syr to try and explain things if there were any misunderstandings. Though he didn't mind Arnya and probably wouldn't turn her away if she liked him, Vahn didn't want their relationship to start because of a misunderstanding. He had learned that lesson because of his interactions with Nanu and wanted things to progress in a more natural manner if possible.After parting with Syr and leaving the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn once again had nothing significant to do so he wandered around the City and inspected a few of the available properties that were for sale and lease. Though he still intended to take Hestia around and search, there was no harm in investigating things himself. Some places had formations and even escape tunnels that were hidden and were likely used by criminal organizations or disreputable types. Vahn even confirmed his suspicions once when he found a group of four people exit from a house that was supposed to be unoccupied.Since they all had muted grey auras, Vahn decided to follow them to see if they were up to anything bad. Though he didn't intend to act as the role of a vigilante that clears the streets in secret, he couldn't overlook shady behavior if it happened right in front of him. There was also the fact that he was rather bored at the moment, so Vahn had been searching for something interesting to pass the time.The men eventually entered another building that looked like a bar and Vahn could detect several different types of auras inside. Not all of them were grey as there were some neutral colors and even some warmer colored auras inside. Through his perception, Vahn could sense the men approach the counter as their aura became slightly brighter. Realizing that they had just come to the place to drink, Vahn shook his head and decided to not bother the men. He would just tell the Guild about the hidden passageway and have them investigate the building the men had used.Just as a precaution though, Vahn returned to the building himself to see if there was anything strange. There didn't seem to be any traps or anyone else present in the building so Vahn followed the corridor until it came to an end at another building that was also unoccupied. The four men from earlier likely knew the network of tunnels between some of the buildings and used them as a shortcut to evade the foot traffic aboveground.Exiting the building, Vahn looked around the area and didn't find anything suspicious even when he expanded his domain to the maximum. There were hundreds of people on the streets at this time, and there were a variety of different auras that could mean anything. Since there was nothing he could do, Vahn decided to just move on from the empty house and walk around for a bit to see if he could spot anything abnormal. It was somewhat exciting for him because Vahn felt like he was a detective tracking down a mystery even if there was no actual trail to follow.By the time 5 PM came around, Vahn had returned to the Inn before entering into the orb and spending another three days with Eva. Even though he had looked around for about three hours, Vahn didn't find anything too suspicious so he just reported the existence of the tunnels to the local guardsmen. Though they had wanted to question him, Vahn just used Shundo to disappear from their sights while leaving a few 'mysterious' parting words for the confused men.Within the orb, Vahn continued to improve his forging and even acted as a live model for one of Eva's paintings. When she was finished, she tried to goad Vahn into painting one of her, but he didn't have the technical or artistic ability that she had developed over her hundreds of years as a Shinso Vampire. He did give a try, however, though things became overly complicated since he tried to put too much detail into things and got caught up fixing minor mistakes. Painting her face was easy and Vahn thought he might enjoy painting in the future, but when he moved on to try and shape out her body, Vahn couldn't keep his focus at all and made several mistakes.By the time he left the orb, he had created something that would have qualified as modern art in his previous world, though he didn't know this personally. Leaving the Inn, he went back to the Hostess of Fertility to eat dinner with the girls and was tended to, surprisingly, by both Chloe and Arnya. She was still acting in an overly flustered manner and Chloe teased her throughout the entire dinner while playing with Tina. The young cat girl had started to grow closer to the other women at the Hostess of Fertility and Vahn was happy that she didn't seem reliant on sticking to him as much. Milan always had a gentle smile on her face, and Vahn could see she was still heavily affected by the events, however.After dinner, Chloe approached with Arnya while holding her hands on Arnya's shoulders so she couldn't run away. She had a somewhat devious smile on her face as she pushed Arnya in front of Vahn. Seeing the look in Chloe's eyes, Vahn felt like something troublesome might have happened as he stared at the sheepish appearance of Arnya. She saw him look at her and lowered her head as she brought her index fingers together in an overly frustrated display of hesitation.Vahn released a short sigh and asked, "Did Syr and Chloe explain about what happened earlier?" Vahn was somewhat concerned that the misunderstanding had never been addressed, so he wanted to clarify things before they got out of hand. His words caused Arnya to fluster a bit as a blush covered her face and she groaned slightly under her breath. Things had indeed been explained to her earlier, but she couldn't stop her mind from getting carried away afterward and had been in an extra-clumsy mood all day since then.Since Arnya didn't respond, Chloe explained that she and Syr had talked to Arnya earlier but that Arnya still wanted to say something personally to Vahn later. As if prompted by Chloe's words, Arnya looked at Vahn's face and said, "Can you...pet my head~nya?" Though he was somewhat hesitant, Vahn showed an awkward smile as he placed his palm on Arnya's head just as she asked. Since she wanted him to 'pet' her, Vahn also stroked her hair and ears gently as she closed her eyes with a slightly frustrated expression on her face.The longer he stroked her head, the greater the number of notifications about her rising affection sounded in his mind. Vahn felt a bit nervous and pulled his hand away when it had reached 93 since he was afraid of the possibility that it would suddenly reach the cap if he continued. When he stopped, the frustrated expression on Arnya's face didn't go away as she gripped her own head with both hands and writhed about in a strange manner as if she didn't know how to express what she was feeling.Eventually, Chloe began to laugh at her actions before suggesting, "Arnya, you don't have to immediately push things so far. Vahn will be coming here to the Hostess of Fertility often, probably for years to come. Just relax and take things slowly~nya." As if grasping a lifeline, Arnya looked as though she had a revelation as she began to laugh in a cheerful manner. She looked at Vahn before leaning forward slightly and holding up one of her index fingers like she was about to lecture him and said, "You'll have to pet me a lot more than that if you want to win my heart~nya!"Vahn almost wanted to retort that he could have brought her to 100 affection if he hadn't stopped earlier, but he just laughed away her words before saying, "Sure, I'll pet you lots in the future." His words caused Arnya's eyes to widen by a large amount as she stood frozen in her earlier pose. After a few seconds passed and she had processed what he said, she once again ran through the doors in a similar manner as earlier as she shouted, "Nyaa-nya-naaa, I w-on't let you pet me so easily~nya!"Her words caused another commotion, especially since there were several people that drank in the pub in the evenings, and Mama Mia shouted as she flicked three bullet-like corks towards Arnya, Chloe, and Vahn's heads. Though he could have avoided the attack, Vahn had seen the 'fierce' look in Mama Mia's eyes, so he let it impact him right in the forehead as she yelled, "We don't offer those kinds of services you brat!"http://danmachi.wikia.com/wiki/File:Arnya_Flomel.png(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tiny blue ribbon','Petting Fiend Returns','Arnya, the Dunce')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $721/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

After seeing Loki's heart's desire, Vahn sat in silence for more than an hour as he processed everything he had witnessed. Whenever he used a [Hearts Desire], it not only showed him the memories of the person but also allowed him to experience some of their thoughts and emotions as well. Even when he had used Hephaestus's in the past, he wasn't able to recover immediately since he had to process the 'loneliness' of millions of years of existence.Though he had expected Loki to have suffered to an extent, Vahn was completely unprepared for his visions regarding her life. Hephaestus had disliked forging, but most of her trauma was related to her deformity and desire to find a worthy companion. Loki, however, seemed to suffer for simply existing since her Divinity required her to always scheme and cause chaos. She couldn't trust anyone, not even herself, and she genuinely hated existence itself. If not for her powerful fear of disappearing and desire to break free from the shackles of her own Divinity, Loki would have likely ceased to exist long ago.Just as he had experienced with Hephaestus, Vahn couldn't even begin to comprehend how difficult it would have been to live such an existence. He had spent a mere fourteen years as a prisoner with no hope of escape, not even death. Loki, however, had spent millions of years as a prisoner and was forced to act in a way that increased her suffering. She couldn't make any real friends and was required to manipulate those that got close to her. Though it was a strange thing to empathize with, Vahn actually somewhat understood why Loki disliked Hestia.Because Hestia's Divinities pertained to the Hearth, Architecture, and the Home, it was almost guaranteed that any suffering or loneliness she experienced would be mitigated. All she had to do was act as the role of an observer that offered advice and support while other people did the majority of the work. Vahn even began to realize why Hestia was treated like a Goddess of Laziness after making that realization. He imagined what it would be like from Loki's perspective when she realized he would be joining the Hestia Familia in the future...it made sense why she would be angry.This didn't mean that Vahn would treat Hestia any differently, however, since her personality aligned with what Vahn considered to be ideal. He remembered that Hestia always worked hard and put her best efforts into supporting those she cared about, at least in the mortal world. Vahn wanted to bring the two of them closer in the future since, if he could get Hestia to empathize with Loki, she might actually experience what its like to have a genuine friend. Vahn also hoped that, by the time Loki had a child, he would have discovered a way to divert the focus of her Divinity and channel it into something tamer than Trickery, Mischief, and Chaos.After calming his mind a bit, Vahn looked at the dark blue orb in his hand before promptly crushing it as well. The same feeling of time freezing occurred and, for the second time in a single day, Vahn entered into the visions of a [Hearts Desire], this time for Chloe.---When Vahn awoke in the visionary space, he realized it was similar to the time he had met with Nanu, except for the fact that he couldn't see Chloe anywhere in sight. He turned his head and inspected the shards and images floating through space and realized many of the scenes contained within were similar events to what Chloe had described earlier. He could see versions of her at varying ages and watched her go through the process of being molded into an assassin.Though there were no sounds, Vahn did get to see an image of the goddess of Chloe's former Familia. She was a tall goddess with short red hair and completely black eyes that seemed to absorb light. Her attire consisted of leather clothing with various straps and pockets, and she had more than ten daggers just based on what Vahn could see. Though her eyes looked completely devoid of emotions, it was her smile that unsettled Vahn the most.The way she looked at the young Chloe was very similar to how Dr. Keenly had always looked at him in the past. Though it appeared amiable on the surface, it was the smile of someone that had a complete grasp of the situation and had grown accustomed to exploiting others. If not for the fact Vahn knew her behavior was related to her Divinity, he would have made a personal vow to oppose the cruel looking goddess in the future. Unless Chloe specifically asked him, Vahn wanted to let her memories of that time fade from existence entirely...After spending a great deal of time within the black space which seemed to ripple with every step he took, Vahn began to feel a bit worried and confused about what he was supposed to be doing. He had watched several of the images of Chloe's past, but no matter how much time passed, Vahn never saw the avatar of Chloe anywhere. It wasn't until he stopped browsing the images and sat down on the watery surface to ruminate over his thoughts that things began to change.Though he hadn't noticed at first, it wasn't long before Vahn saw the images within the space begin to break down and deteriorate and Vahn felt like it was similar to the time when he had watched his own memories fade after his first death. The more attention he paid the images, the longer they remained but, the moment he turned away, they would begin to break down into particles of light.Vahn began to worry a little because he didn't know what would happen if all the images faded and he was unable to find Chloe. If not for the fact that he had seen Nanu's images break down previously, he likely would have been experiencing a great deal of panic. He had talked to the young chienthrope after the matter and she seemed to be able to recall her past easily, so Vahn assumed the visions he was currently seeing had more to do with 'The Path' than the actual persons themselves.After a period of what felt like several days, most of the images had ceased to exist when Vahn stopped focusing on them. By the time things had stabilized, there were only a few images in the space which Vahn hadn't noticed previously. Curious, he began to browse through them since they didn't seem to be deteriorating like the memories from before.Though he didn't recognize everyone in the images, Vahn saw several of the girls from the Hostess of Fertility interacting with a cheerful looking Chloe. Unlike the sad and lonely memories of the past, all of the remaining images seemed to be of more happy times. Even though there were still occasions where Chloe took on missions, Vahn noticed she had always been doing so to help others. He even saw her playing with children outside an orphanage while being accompanied by Syr.As he moved further ahead in the images, Vahn even came to the point when he had first met Chloe when he visited the Hostess of Fertility of the first time. Unlike the earlier happier images, that had white or blue glows to them, the images with himself had warmer colors likes yellows and oranges. He eventually even found the memory of their first date and got to experience first hand how awkward his behavior was from the perspective of another. His former self, though still handsome, looked like a homeless person that hadn't practiced proper hygiene. When he saw himself in new clothes and with a haircut, Vahn saw that the images had taken on a somewhat rosy color for a brief moment.The rest of the images after that were Chloe's interactions with the people she cared about while he made brief appearances in many of them. Though he couldn't explain why, Vahn felt happy as he watched the scenes play out, almost as if he was experiencing the emotions of Chloe at the time. Eventually, some of the images became tinged with pink and they were often the scenes where he had been spoiling her after awakening from his coma. He felt a giddy feeling as he watched them and he was able to understand that Chloe had been genuinely happy at those moments.Her love for young boys and the thought of being spoiled by them was quite powerful and Vahn had the peculiar experience of looking up at his own face from the perspective of Chloe. It was strange because he seemed to be a lot more handsome than he remembered and his own eyes seemed to be like deep pools full of care, concern, and affection that made him feel slightly unnerved by the sight.Finally, Vahn arrived at the night when Chloe was recounting her tale and recalling her past while being cradled in his arms. Though the scene was somewhat bluish in color, it was also interspersed with yellows and pinks which became more prominent as the scene played out. Vahn could feel all of the emotions experienced by Chloe at the time and also had the strange opportunity to experience the 'warmth' of his own caress against her back.Suddenly, as he was focusing on the sensation, Vahn realized the caress wasn't coming from the image at all as he turned and saw the nude figure of Chloe standing slightly behind him with a mischevious smile on her face. Though his eyes were temporarily drawn to her body for a brief moment, he eventually made eye contact with her as she began laughing in a playful manner. Without saying anything, she pointed toward the memory Vahn had been experiencing so he turned his head to continue watching.After he had done so, the avatar of Chloe put her hands around his body and hugged him from behind. She rested her head against his back as he watched the scene continue and began to whisper in a low voice, "I don't care about the past anymore...as long as I can enjoy this warmth. I want to see it...the future illuminated by your light."Vahn was listening to her words in silence as he watched the scene progress to the point where Chloe had mounted him after their misunderstanding. At this point, the scene had turned into a rosy red color with pink and yellow hues and Vahn could feel a happiness, unlike anything he had ever personally experienced. The version of himself in her memory seemed to brightly illuminate the dark room as Chloe leaned against his body.When the Chloe in the image bit into the Vahn within, the avatar of Chloe hugging his back did the same in the black space. Unlike the painful sensation that he experience in the real world, Vahn could only feel the overwhelming happiness of the Chloe in front of him as well as the one behind him. Things continued all the way until the point where Chloe had collapsed onto the bed after their passionate embrace. Vahn noticed that, for a very brief moment, the luminance of the image had turned to a chaotic purple before he could hear the shattering of glass in the space around him.The chaotic purple aura vanished and was replaced by a vibrant golden color that radiated pinks and yellows that made the overwhelming sense of happiness he had experience earlier pale in comparison. Vahn realized that the lights in the image were coming from his own body within Chloe's memory and it brought him a powerful feeling of security. He could feel the avatar of Chloe hugging him tightly all the way up until the point where he hugged her in the memory.The empty black space began to break down at a visible rate, but Vahn didn't feel worried or concerned at all as he felt the comfort of both the Chloe in the memory being held by him, as well as the comfort he could feel right now as the avatar of Chloe cradled him in the same manner. The avatar of Chloe whispered in a cheerful tone, "You can feel it...we comfort each other and experience the same happiness. The light inside you drives away the darkness inside of me...so make sure to hold me close so I don't get lost."As her words tickled his ear, Vahn opened his eyes and was once again in his workshop within the orb. He heard a notification sound within his mind, but he ignored it for the time being as he just dazedly ruminated over everything he had just experienced. After nearly half an hour, his emotions began to stabilize and Vahn looked within the system to confirm his suspicions. He felt like that black space full of memories was something that appeared when he already completed the [Hearts Desire] of a person and was able to confirm it when he saw the earlier notification.//[Hearts Desire: Chloe Lolo] fulfilled. Extra parameter 'Love' unlocked.//[Chloe Lolo]: Love 148(Devoted)//Bond established with [Chloe Lolo]////Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: A Man's Responsibility, Repeatable]Rank: B-SSObjective: Impregnate Chloe Lolo (0). Ensure a safe delivery; Current Children(0)Rewards: 100,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)]Failure Condition(s): Death, Chloe Lolo's Death, (Nameless) Child's DeathPenalty: 200 Karma (0)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn, Godly Stalker', 'Chloe's Hope','The Optional Quest of Destiny')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $721/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Chapter 212: Sleeping In