Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After leaving the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn leisurely made his way toward the cafe near Babel Tower where he was told to wait. He was in high spirits because this would be the first time he would be meeting Hestia and would likely be able to join her Familia on the spot. Though he enjoyed his time in the Hephaestus Familia, he never really did his job or acted the role of ones of its members. Other than interacting with a few of the key figures in the Familia, like Hephaestus, Tsubaki, and Welf, he didn't even talk to many others.Though his intentions changed a bit as his relationship with Hephaestus developed, Vahn had always dreamt of joining the Hestia Familia ever since he came to this world. One of the reasons he had joined the Hephaestus Familia in the first place was so that he could meet Hestia in the future. He originally expected it to be closer to the start of the original storyline, but he had changed events to such a significant extent that she descended earlier. The fact that she was specifically descending for his benefit and to help Hephaestus made Vahn a little giddy with excitement.After arriving at the cafe, Vahn was escorted by the staff to one of the VIP lounges where he was served coffee and pastries while he waiting for the arrival of Hephaestus and the others. Since he loved the taste of sweets and had grown fond of the bitter and robust flavor of coffee, Vahn was enjoying the leisurely and pleasant atmosphere. He was originally told Hestia would be descending around noon, and it was currently close to 1 PM, so Vahn had high expectations while his tensions continued to grow.More than three hours later, Vahn had gone through several cups of coffee and had even excused himself to use the luxurious bathroom once. Though his tensions were still high, he was beginning to feel slightly concerned with how late it was getting. He assumed nothing had happened, especially considering that Loki would be certain to attend, but he still felt a little nervous as the day continued to progress. Eventually, it came time for him to enter the orb and, after the three days inside, he had completely lost all of his tensions by the time he returned.Instead of worrying, Vahn decided to focus his mind and try to comprehend the [Mantra of Eternity] while he waiting. Since he could enter a meditative state relatively quickly without losing his awareness of the outside world, it was an easy way to pass the time. After a few more hours had passed, Vahn checked the system time and saw that it was nearly 8 PM and there hadn't been any word from the staff about their arrival. He even began to suspect he had come a day early, but the room had been specifically reserved for today or he wouldn't have been able to enter so easily.Since the cafe closed at 8, Vahn had to leave the VIP lounge and exit the cafe with a bit of concern. Convincing himself nothing serious had happened, Vahn just released a short sigh before returning to his default state. The night air was cool and the stars were visible in the sky, so he decided it would be best to just walk back to the Inn and clear his head a bit. He would check with Hephaestus tomorrow and see if anything happened and likely meet Hestia then.As he walked through the streets, Vahn passed by a stall where a small figure caught his eye and he paused for a bit because he immediately recognized her. She had also been watching him and showed a bright smile as she said, "Good evening~!" After her greeting, she held her hand to her chin in a contemplative fashion as she 'appraised' his body and asked, "Why are you walking around so late at night with such a sad look on your face?"Vahn smiled at her antics and responded, "I was waiting for a kind and gentle goddess to come meet me. Unfortunately, it looks like today wasn't my lucky day..." The girl began to laugh in a cheerful manner before she said, "Well, at least you got to meet a beautiful girl like me~!" Vahn nodded his head in response and said in a gentle tone, "Indeed, if only the goddess I had been waiting on was as beautiful as you, I don't think I would have minded waiting for another few years if necessary."His 'suave' and 'playful' words made the small girl beam as she puffed out her ample bosom with a mock haughty display full of cheerfulness as she said, "Ehehehe, do you really think I'm beautiful~?" Vahn nodded and said confidently, "Yes, you seem exactly like the goddess I had imagined in my mind. If only I had been so fortunate to have met you sooner..." Vahn looked toward the sky and stared at the stars as he wondered why Hestia was playing around with him.The 'beautiful girl' he had been talking to and had greeted him was, in fact, the Hestia he had been waiting to meet at the cafe. Vahn wondered what had transpired for her to be waiting outside near the cafe while none of the others members he expected were present. Because of his reverie and genuine confusion, Hestia thought he was feeling sad since she had left him waiting for so long.After the meeting earlier, she had convinced Hephaestus and Loki to allow her to meet and judge Vahn for herself before she made her final decision. Even though she still intended to let him join her Familia, regardless of her impression, Hestia wanted to know what kind of person he was without having anything formally arranged. From her perspective, she could see that he was a very expressive boy that had a gentle and somewhat lonely expression. He treated people kindly and carried himself in a casual manner that almost seemed to blend into the night air. If she had known he was using his domain with stealth active, she probably would have realized her impression was partially skewed since Vahn often stood out normally.While he was still thinking, Hestia grabbed his hand and asked in a gentle voice with a caring smile on her face, "If I were a goddess, would you want to join my Familia? Even if I wasn't the person you were waiting for, I believe I can help you find happiness." Her words caused Vahn to turn his attention back to her and he still had a smile on his face as he shook his head, "You may be beautiful and kind, but I already decided to join the Familia of the goddess I was waiting for. Even though we haven't met yet, she was the goddess recommended by one of the most important people in my life."At this point, Vahn figured out that Hestia had probably arranged to meet him in this manner after he was finally kicked out of the cafe. Though he wasn't sure why he somewhat understood she was probably testing him. Because he knew her so well from the manga, Vahn was willing to play along and see what she wanted to try. When she offered to let him join her Familia, he nearly said yes, but remembered that he had claimed to be waiting for a goddess he had never met. Since they hadn't introduced themselves yet, Vahn thought it would be strange if he immediately accepted her offer.Hestia beamed after he 'refused' to join her Familia and Vahn noticed that her affection had increased from 66 to 75 in an instant. Since she had grabbed his hand earlier when she made her offer, Vahn was able to see the values and noticed her Intrigue, like almost every goddess he had met, was already at 100. Lowering her head like she was uttering a silent prayer, Hesta held his hand between both of her for a few seconds before looking back at him with a gentle, yet mischevious, smile.She asked, "What if I was the goddess you were waiting for this entire time~?" Vahn's smile grew by a marginal amount as he looked into her crystal clear blue eyes and said, "I think I might be afraid..." His words caused Hestia to tilt her head and asked, "Afraid~? Why?" A gentle expression touched Vahn's eyes as he said in a low tone, "I'm afraid I may have used up all my luck in this lifetime. If the goddess I was waiting for was someone like you, I think the Familia they created would be a wonderful place."His words made the smile on Hestia's face grow even wider and she said in a very excited manner, "Greetings, Vahn~! I'm Hestia, Hephaestus's best friend! She sent me here to meet you, but I wanted to see what kind of person you were, so sorry for making you wait!" As her words fell, Hestia bowed low for a brief moment before standing back up straight. Vahn's brows raised a bit because of the degree her breasts had jiggled in the process, but Hestia assumed he was surprised by her reveal.She began to laugh as if she found his disbelief to be entertaining and asked, "So, what will it be~? Do you still not want to join the Familia of this 'beautiful', 'kind', 'gentle', and 'caring' goddess~!?" As she asked her question, Hestia placed emphasis on each of the compliments Vahn had given her earlier. Though he was a bit surprised by her liveliness, it was one of the reasons she had been one of his favorite characters in the manga. With a genuinely happy smile on his face, Vahn said, "I would love to join your Familia, Hestia...that is, if you'll have someone like me."The moment he agreed, Hestia seemed to lose her restraint as she launched herself at Vahn's face with her arms spread wide. Vahn caught her body and noticed she was somewhat awkward to hold since he nearly grabbed her butt when intending to grab where the waist would have been on a 'normal' girl. She rubbed her face against him and said in a lively tone, "Ahaha, Vahn, why are you so cute~!? Of course, I'll accept you in my Familia, that is why I came here~!"Though he expected Hestia to be the 'clingy' type, since she always seemed to be dangling off Bell in the source material, Vahn was surprised that she immediately dropped her guard against him. He wasn't aware that she had spent a good three hours getting a crash course about him from the other goddesses and Eina earlier and had already opened up to him quite a bit. Not only was he the future husband of her best friend, but he was also a kind and caring boy that paid her compliments easily without showing any signs of deception on his face. From Hestia perspective, and with everything she had heard about him, she thought he was an amazing boy and even had some mild expectations about being 'spoiled' by him already cemented in her mind.After a few seconds of over-affectionately rubbing her cheek against his, Hestia seemed to realize something and jumped down from Vahn's body as if she was shocked by her own behavior. She panicked for a few seconds and looked like she was struggling with her own thoughts before she pointed at him and said, "From now on, you'll be in my Familia~! In exchange for my blessing, you'll have to provide me with a place to stay, food, and entertainment!"Vahn nodded his head and listened to her words 'attentively' as he marveled at her unique behavior. Seeing that he was properly listening, Hestia's expression turned gentle and she said, "If you work hard to make me happy, I'll work twice as hard to make sure you're happy as well. Happiness is something that is shared between people and, if we work together, we'll be able to grow alongside each other and create a better future for us, our Familia, and everyone around us."Her words had a bigger impact than Vahn expected as he felt a warmth spread through his heart and could even feel his eyes mist over a bit as a pressure built up in his nose. He knew she was the type that could say inspiring things that always struck at the heart of the matter, but he never expected to be on the receiving end of her speeches so soon after they just met. Her words were similar to the things he had been learning and trying to work on as of late, so they hit especially close to home at this moment.Seeing how emotional Vahn was acting, Hestia's smile grew especially gentle as she reached out her hand and said, "Let's go home, Vahn..." Vahn stared at her tiny, outstretched, hand and hesitated for a brief moment before placing his into it. Though it was much smaller than his own, Vahn felt a strange sense of security in its grasp. His actions made Hestia smile as she looked toward his face in silence for several seconds without breaking eye contact. Eventually, she seemed to have realized something as her smile turned slightly awkward and she asked, "Which way is home~? Ehehehehehe."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The awkward moment when you meet someone for the first time that knows a lot about you','Prank'd','Bestia is quite airheaded')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

Hestia's question caused Vahn to nearly burst out laughing at how silly her words were. She spoke with such confidence earlier and had been steadily building the atmosphere for the last few minutes and then suddenly dashed it away at a moments notice. Fortunately, Vahn had relatively decent control over himself so he just showed a 'happy' smile on his face that reached all the way to his eyes. Though he was letting her lead him at first, now he tightened his grip a bit and said, "I rented a room at an Inn not too far away. We can rest there for tonight before looking for a permanent residence for the Familia tomorrow."Hearing his words, Hestia beamed before lifting her index finger and wagging it back and forth with a cheeky grin and saying, "It isn't 'the' Familia, it is 'our' Familia from now on~! Remember this, Vahn, we're family now!" Her words echoed in his mind as he repeated 'family' over and over in his head in a dazed state. Though Vahn treated people well, there were few people he thought of as 'family'. He wanted to create one in the future, sure, but having someone tell him they're family 'now' was a big hit.Vahn took a big breath before exhaling and smiling at Hestia. She still had her finger up and a big toothy grin on her face as she waited for his response. Vahn ruminated over his own thoughts before saying the only thing that seemed to come to his mind, "Thanks, Hestia..." Hestia's eyes began to twinkle as her smile turned into a more natural one and she said, "Of course, Vahn."Afterward, Vahn led the way to the Boars Tooth where he tried to book an additional room for Hestia even though it was already quite late. She adamantly refused the offer and said that she 'trusted' Vahn enough to know he wouldn't do anything untoward even if they shared a room. Her words inspired his own confidence and allowed him to affirm his resolve further. As long as she didn't make any advances, Vahn decided he wouldn't pursue Hestia and just focus on building their Familia into a stronger organization.His resolve was immediately tested, however, when Hestia watched him change with fiery eyes as if she had found a delicious meal. Vahn ignored her gaze and eventually joined her in bed. The clothes she wore had self-cleaning functions and she didn't need to change them, so Hestia went to sleep in the same clothing she wore around town. Though Vahn thought it was a bit strange due to his own hygienic habits, he remembered she did the same thing in the manga and put the matter behind him.When they finally laid down to go to sleep, they both kept a relative distance between each other at first, but about an hour after Vahn had fallen asleep he felt Hestia using his body like a hug pillow. Her actions had awoken him, but after he saw she was still asleep he decided to ignore her. As if his inaction had been taken as a sign of consent, it wasn't long before Hestia ended up replacing the bed she had been laying on for Vahn's body. Vahn was positive she was still asleep and confirmed it when he rolled her body off of his.Another hour after that, Vahn was once again woken up to the very same sight and released a sigh before conceding. Since she was very light and the feeling of her breasts was unlike anything he had experienced before, Vahn decided to just relax and enjoy the moment. He couldn't help but remark in his head that, due to how she was watching him earlier, they had completely forgotten to perform the Familia induction ceremony. Because of that, they were essentially two people that had just met a few hours ago that had no prior connections or bonds that were now sharing the same bed. If not for Hestia's defenseless nature and apparent trust for him, Vahn would have thought she was acting very forward.Vahn eventually fell asleep for a few hours before waking up and entering the orb as had become his habit. Inside, Eva had noticed his strange behavior and 'silly' smile on his face and began pestering him about if he had obtained a new woman. Vahn explained that he was just joining her Familia, but when it got to the part about how they were currently sleeping together, Eva gave him a look as if he had said something profoundly stupid. For the next three days, she had him tend to her even more and teased him every time they were laying together. Since she knew there was a woman using his chest as a pillow in the real world, Eva wanted to torment him for the first time in a while.When Vahn finally returned to the real world, he was in a daze from Eva incessant teasing and, for a brief moment, felt uncomfortable with Hestia sleeping on top of him. As he had done so in the case of Lili previously, Vahn had nearly begun caressing her body while she slept defensively and completely unaware of what had happened in the orb space. It took him a few minutes to completely clear his mind as he performed an action that had become habitual for him over time.Before Hestia had slept, she removed the bells and ribbons and had let down her long black hair which now draped over her back and Vahn's chest. Without thinking about anything, Vahn began to stroke Hestia's hair as if he was petting one of the girls he commonly associated with. This continued for several seconds before Hestia began to laugh like she was having a good dream as she drooled a healthy amount of slobber onto his chest. Her actions made Vahn chuckle so he continued stroking her hair while admiring the texture.Unlike chienthropes, who had somewhat frizzy hair, or cat people, who had silken but 'sharp' hair, Hestia's was silky smooth like refined satin. Even in the dark room, it had a glossy sheen and Vahn felt it was uncharacteristically cool to the touch. He marveled at how unique her hair was compared to anyone else he had pet and Vahn began to feel like being used as a body pillow wasn't such a bad thing anymore. He got to stroke Hestia's beautiful hair while feeling her relatively light body pressing the ridiculously soft breasts she was touted for against his chest. Vahn didn't even know how she was able to sleep on her stomach at all and was surprised with the malleability of her chest to allow her to remain comfortable in that position.His actions eventually woke Hestia up and she pressed her hands against his body to lift herself up to look at him. Her crystalline blue eyes matched his gaze and she seemed to be lost in thought for several seconds as her brain processed everything that was happening. Since she had just met Vahn last night she had, for a brief moment, forgotten who he was. All she knew was that he was 'lovingly' stroking her hair while looking into her face with a 'gentle' expression as she laid against his body.As if suddenly remembering who he was, Hestia displayed a gentle smile before saying, "Good morning Vahn." Unaware of the momentary lapse in Hestia's mind, Vahn continued to stroke her hair before saying, "Good morning Hestia. You have very beautiful hair." His words made Hestia laugh a bit before she actually laid back down on his chest and went straight back to sleep. Vahn was surprised by her actions since the sun was already beginning to come up. As someone that always woke up early in the morning, Vahn felt a little awkward seeing her go back to sleep while using his body as her bed.Seeing her defenseless and happy sleeping position, Vahn felt like it would be wrong to wake her up so he just continued stroking her hair while he laid back with his eyes closed and started planning their day. Once she finally decided to get up, Vahn needed to undergo the Familia induction ceremony and then they needed to find a place to live for the time being. If he couldn't find a place with a workshop, Vahn would have to build one himself or have contractors create one for him. He also wanted a wing for alchemy and mixing as well as a secondary area to act as a medical ward. Though it would still be a ways away, Vahn also wanted to allocate space for a nursery and daycare center...Hestia finally awoke nearly three hours later after leaving a puddle with a diameter more than 10cm of drool on Vahn's green tunic. She stared at the wet spot for a little while before completely ignoring its existence as she began to tie up her hair. Vahn laughed to himself at her antics as he changed into a new outfit without wearing his top. Hestia had been watching him from the side and seemed to be curious about why he decided to go shirtless before a realization suddenly hit her, "Ah! The ceremony~! I had completely forgotten!"Vahn finally couldn't contain his laughter so he laughed heartily which caused Hestia to give him an 'angry' look with an embarrassed expression on her face. Eventually, she had Vahn lay down on the bed to conduct the ceremony but, unlike when Hephaestus had done it, she mounted his back before leaning over his body and beginning the ritual. Vahn wasn't too surprised since he had seen the way she treated bell in the manga, but he couldn't help but feel slightly distracted after having been straddled by a woman while he was on his stomach. Just like her unfathomably soft breasts, Hestia actually had a very soft butt as well, almost like it was a mixture between a marshmallow and one of the mochi Tsubaki had gotten him to try in the past.Since it was the first time she had ever performed the ceremony, Hestia treated the ritual very seriously and Vahn could even feel a bead of sweat drop from her face onto his back. By the end, nearly two hours had passed before the ritual was finally completed. She seemed very satisfied by the results of her own efforts as she began recording down his Status onto a piece of paper. Though she had been attentive during the ceremony earlier, Hestia hadn't actually focused too much on his Status and Skills and was only now getting a good look at them.While still mounting Vahn's back, she yelled, "Eeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~!? Isn't this actually super ridiculous!?" Though Hestia had never blessed anyone before, she still knew what was considered normal since many gods and goddesses got information from the mortal world and read up on it recreationally. If not for the briefing she got the previous day, Hestia would have thought she had entered a dream because Vahn's Status and abilities were ridiculous for his current level.--------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 15-Level:3-Power: (I61)-Endurance: (F222)-Dexterity: (H112)-Agility: (H141)-Magic: (SSS1319)Skills: [Bow Mastery:B], [Stealth:C], [Chainbreaker:S], [Call of the Reaper:B],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Swordsman:A], [Featherfoot:B], [Hands of Nirvana:S], [Prometheus:A], [Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:B], [Friend of Spirits:A]Development Abilities: [Wound Transfer: A], [Spirit Healing: S], [Blacksmith: S], [Mixing: C]Magic: [Thria*Mimos:C], [Shundo:B]-------------------------------------------------------------------------She had never even heard of anyone having a SSS ranked Parameter on their status board while all of the other parameters were relatively low. Since she knew Vahn was supposed to be in recovery right now, Hestia attributed it to his pseudo-Divinity which Hephaestus and Loki had explained previously. It was incredible to think how high his potential was when he was capable of having such ridiculous growth while being relatively inactive. It wasn't just his status either, he had an incredible amount of skills, four development abilities, and even two magic skills she had never even heard of before.Hestia stared at Vahn's back and the image of her own crest, a hearth with a vibrant flame, and felt like she had stumbled on something far greater than she imagined. Sure, she had heard the stories and words of caution from the other goddesses, but Hestia still hadn't believed it for herself until she saw it with her own eyes. In a bit of a daze, she smiled as she traced her hand along Vahn's muscular back almost like she was appreciating a sacred tablet that documented the progress and growth of a legend...a legend that she, nobody else, would get to observe and record.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Doki Doki Hearth Goddess','Seriously, how does she sleep on her stomach?','Hestia is actually quite possessive')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 returning to the Inn, Vahn lay in his bed alone as he stared up at the roof and contemplated how things would be changing soon. Though there were already several things happening simultaneously, Vahn felt like he needed to increase his focus on the promises he had made in the past. The most important thing was to forge an item for Hephaestus, and then he needed to increase his own influence within the City while guaranteeing the security of his friends and loved ones.Since he would likely have several children in the future, Vahn was beginning to worry about being able to provide a proper upbringing for them. Though most of the women he associated with were very capable and would probably provide for them well, Vahn didn't want to take a back seat when it came to his own family. It might be difficult, but Vahn wanted everyone to live together at some point, and even considered turning a large part of his residence into something akin to a daycare. Anubis was already very fond and considerate of children, and Vahn felt like Hestia would be a good influence on them as well when he thought about her divinities.The only people he was genuinely concerned with was Loki and Tiona, since their relationships were guaranteed to have complications. Loki would probably want to heavily influence their child when it is born and Tiona would have to return to the Amazon Country, Telskyura when she got pregnant. Vahn had to increase his strength and confront the goddess named Kali that he had seen from her memories. Hopefully, he would have a lot of strength and support from others to give him some leverage, since Vahn didn't want to start a war between Orario and an entire country. The Amazons were one of the most powerful and war-like races in the entire continent and, though their population wasn't too great, they would be a nightmare opponent for any other Country, Kingdom, Nation, or even Empire.With these various thoughts and troubles on his mind, Vahn slowly relaxed his body and prepared to sleep. The solution always seemed to be to become more powerful or have more authority, so he would pursue both in the future. Instead of trying to think about the matters on his own, he would talk about them with the involved parties and they could come up with a solution together. Content with this thought, Vahn fell asleep while looking forward to the coming day. Everything would officially begin the moment Hestia descended tomorrow.Unexpectedly, Vahn detected a presence enter his domain in the early morning that he recognized. Shortly after, he heard a scratching sound before the latch on his window had been undone. The quiet and lithe figure of Chloe snuck into his room before he heard the sound of muffled clothes falling to the floor before she whispered, "Pretending to sleep~nya?" When her words fell, Vahn felt a weight shift in the bed as Chloe crawled under the covers next to him in nothing but her underwear.Vahn hugged around her body and cradled her in a similar manner as the previous night as he whispered, "I was wondering if you would try anything sneaky." Feeling the warmth coming from her body, Vahn also felt a similar heat coming from his heart as the 'eternal flame' in his chest danced about rhythmically. Chloe laughed in a silent and tired manner as if she was about to fall asleep. She wrapped her tail around his leg again before saying, "I thought this might be one of the last times we could be together in this manner...you're a pretty popular guy~nya."In response to her words, Vahn kissed the back of her head and stroked her hands which were holding his. He whispered in a loving tone with a small amount of teasing in his voice, "Even if it's the middle of the day, or late in the evening, I'll always hold you if you're feeling lonely. Spoiling you makes me feel happy after all..." He then held her closely as she gave a silent 'Nn' sound and the two fell asleep once again.Other than when he woke up to enter the orb, Vahn continued holding Chloe until around 9 AM when he woke her up so she wouldn't be late for work. He had the opportunity to see her sleepy expression and lazy figure wearing nothing but creamy, light-beige, colored underwear. She had also brought the sundress Vahn had given her yesterday and wore it with a happy expression on her face. Vahn had curiously asked what happened to the panties and it caused her to laugh in a mischevious manner as she referred to them as her 'victory' underwear for the future.Vahn escorted her to the Hostess of Fertility before separating in the side alleyway after a short embrace. He had noticed earlier that she removed the white bow around her tail almost as if she was trying to display the bright blue ribbon for everyone to see. The thought made Vahn feel somewhat happy and he began to wonder what he could do to get more [Proof of Affection]'s in the future. Giving the girls he liked gifts that they desired made him feel happy, and he also knew they were happy to receive them.Though it was still early, Vahn spent the morning talking with Tina after Mama Mia made an exception and let him enter before they opened. They then ate an early lunch since Vahn would probably be busy in the afternoon before parting ways after Vahn affectionately stroked her head. Before he left, Tina told him something that made his heart palpitate slightly. She had said in a very serious manner, "When you buy me a ribbon, make sure it is the same as the one you get for Mom. Her favorite color is green, and I think it is a nice color also~nya."---While Vahn was dealing with future problems, Hephaestus was also preparing to do the same but in a distinctly different location. She had visited Babel Tower accompanied by Loki, Anubis, and Eina in preparation to receive Hestia after she descends. Though she wore her normal attire, Loki had changed into a more casual outfit that consisted of a white long-sleeve button-up shirt as well as a pair of black shorts that were slightly longer than what she normally wore. She had on a muted-black pair of stockings and a pair of brown dress shoes. Even though she looked 'casual', it was actually a much more formal look than normal which made Hephaestus feel 'underdressed' somehow.Anubis had even worn an elegant ceremonial dress with various golden ornaments that were studded with gemstones. Since Eina had also been wearing her professional Guild Staff attire, Hephaestus felt like the odd one out amongst the four present. She had worn her normal black form-fitting pants and the loose-collared white shirt that she always wore when forging. She had on a bluish-black pair of arm and leg protectors as well as a small belt where her hammer was stored. Though it was an outfit she enjoyed, and one Vahn had complimented her own, Hephaestus still felt out of place as she waited for the heavenly rays to converge on the platform in front of them.Around noon, the lights converge and solidify into a figure that was kneeling down on the ground. The white light took on a rosy hue as it slowly began to fade and revealed the person contained within. It was a small woman with long black hair styled into twin-tails that were fastened by a pair of bluish-white ribbons in the motif of a flower. There were small bells hanging under the ribbons that glittered with a resplendent silver color. When she stood up, her height only came to around 140cm and she had a somewhat childish face with a large smile and a pair of clear blue eyes. She was attired in a short frayed white dress that clung tightly to her body and emphasized the pair of large breasts that were framed by an opening in the dress that showed off the cleavage. Around her neck, there was a blue ribbon that matched her eyes as well as a second blue ribbon tied to her upper arms that went around her whole body and hugged under her breasts almost as if to emphasize them even further.Loki immediately clicked her tongue but didn't say anything else as Hestia made eye contact with Hephaestus with a gentle smile on her face. Soon after, Hestia tilted her head slightly as if confused before her eyes widened and she pointed to Hephaestus and shouted, "Y-y-your eye! It got better!?" Before Hephaestus could even explain, Hestia's expression turned into one of pure jubilation as she ran down from the platform and hugged Hephaestus while laughing with a hint of tears in her eyes.Since there was a 25cm height difference between them, Hestia ended up hugging around Hephaestus's ribs and it brought her face right to the fairly amble bosom on the forging goddess. Since Hestia herself actually had larger breasts, it created an awkward scene where they were stacked on top of each other while the two girls hugged. Hephaestus had adapted to not wearing her eyepatch and had forgotten to mention the matter of her eye being healed since the main reason she had contacted Hestia was about the problem regarding Vahn.After a while, Hestia also noticed that her eternal rival and a beautiful woman with dark skin and hair were also present next to a very secretarial looking half-elf woman. Since Oracles were very ambiguous, she hadn't been made aware of everything yet and her expression soured a bit when she saw Loki watching her and Hephaestus. While still hugging Hephaestus, Hestia frowned while looking at Loki and asked, "What is this washboard goddess doing here?"Though a vein popped up on Loki's temple, she forced herself to remain calm as her smile deepened a little. She said in a very casual manner, "We'll be allies in the future, so it won't be beneficial to either of us if we fight like in the past." Her words caused Hestia's eyes to widen because she had expected Loki's usual outburst and insults about the size of her breasts and height. At no point in their relationship had Loki ever not given her some kind of quip or barb, and she felt incredulous about things since she had been the one to say something rude first.Hephaestus managed to free herself from Hestia's embrace and said in a very casual and 'cool' manner reminiscent of her past self, "We'll talk once we get somewhere more secure. There are various things we need to catch up on, and there is a lot of things that need to be explained." Then, Hephaestus's eyes turned very gentle as she smiled at the goddess she considered her best friend, "Thanks for coming, Hestia..."Hestia's mind was being overloaded by everything that was happening, especially after the matter regarding Loki. Hearing Hephaestus speak seriously before saying kind and gentle words, she remembered the purpose of her descent a bit and smiled widely and said in a very confident and caring manner, "You can always rely on me! We're best friends after all~!" She placed extra emphasis on the 'best friends' part and thumped her ample bosom as if performing a mild salute. Loki flinched at the side because she had seen, almost as if in slow motion, the ripple of the impact pass through Hestia's breasts. Looking down at her own lackluster bosom and releasing a sigh, she resolved herself to ask what exercises Hephaestus had been doing to tone up her butt.After a few short words, the group of five made their way to the private residence of Hephaestus within the tower of Babel. Since she was the head of the 3rd ranked Familia, Hephaestus had a huge temple-like private residence on the 48th floor. Loki had a residence on the 49th floor, but they had decided to use Hephaestus's since there would be fewer issues if anything happened.Once they had arrived, everyone sat around a large rectangular shaped beautiful wooden table while Anubis saw to making tea. Hestia was surprised since she could tell Anubis was a goddess and yet she was acting in a very servile manner even though there was a mortal girl present. Her impression of the beautiful goddess increased exponentially because she liked people that were kind and considerate without using their status and authority against others.After everyone had their tea, Hephaestus and Loki began to explain everything that had been happening in the mortal world for the last few months in regards to Vahn. Even Eina pitched in to help fill in some of the blanks while Hestia listened on with a mixture of emotions. She was very happy that her best friend had met a kind boy that was also able to heal her eye. When she found out the two were engaged, she was ecstatic and congratulated her. However, soon after that, she found out that the half-elf girl named Eina was also engaged to the same boy.She then heard the story about Vahn's origins and how he interacted with people and their interpretation that he was 'broken'. Hestia felt terrible for the poor boy for having been made to suffer such a tragic fate but was happy to see that he had found several people that cared deeply for him. It was said that he was making rapid progress and maturing quickly, but that had also caused other problems because he overextended his boundaries and pushed himself too far at times. They then told her about everything that had happened during the events of Milan and Tina's kidnapping as well as the death of Laverna before they finally contacted her after negotiating with Ouranos.It was a lot to take in, especially the part about how Vahn was likely able to impregnate goddesses with some kind of magical chains. When she had heard that, not only Hephaestus but Anubis and Loki also intended to bear the boy named Vahn's children, Hestia wasn't entirely sure how to feel. She was happy, excited, scared, and somewhat annoyed all at the same time. The proud look that Loki had on her face as she talked about her interactions with Vahn irked her a bit, especially when Loki proactively teased her about still being a virgin.After everything was said and done, Hestia had been brought up to speed on the matters regarding Vahn and was essentially asked by the women present to help Vahn 'create a home'. It was Hephaestus and Eina's desire that Vahn has a place that he created for himself that wasn't provided for him by anyone else. Though it seemed strange, since they were essentially 'providing' Hestia to him, it would still be a place created with his own interests in mind.Hestia agreed to their request because she was also very interested in the boy called Vahn Mason and wanted to see if she could help him live a happier life. Strangely though, when she gave her assent, the mood turned strange and everyone present began cautioning her about Vahn's 'tendencies'. Other than Eina, every goddess present had experienced Vahn's [Hands of Nirvana], and they believed it wouldn't be long before Hestia became another victim. Since she had a somewhat lazy personality and loved to be spoiled by people, Vahn would likely get pulled into her momentum and tend to her needs. Being lectured by each of the girls, Hestia's curiosity grew alongside her concerns as she looked forward to the meeting with the boy that she would likely be spending the rest of his life with.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Is it night crawling if they show up in the morning?','Hestia's Shock','Hestia gets brought into the inner circle')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 215: Chance Meeting?