Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

When Vahn woke up to prepare and enter the orb, he was taken aback by the present situation and briefly stunned by what he saw. At some point during the night, Hestia had flipped her body and was laying on top of him on her back. It was the first time a girl had laid on him in such a strange fashion and Vahn could clearly see down her cleavage and the small [Sapphire Star] dangling off to the side. Pulling up the covers to hide her body, Vahn shifted sideways slowly and allowed her to roll off of him without waking her up. As if to rebuff his efforts, Hestia, seemingly still asleep, crawled back on top of his body and hugged around his ribs like she refused to let him go.If not for the fact he could see her stable aura and the drool coming from her mouth, Vahn wouldn't believe she wasn't awake. Since his awareness of the body, especially any he was in contact with, was very high, Vahn could feel the stability of her pulse and the rhythm of her breathing with indicated she was still asleep. It was almost like she had some kind of homing instinct that sought out warmth while she was unconscious and it made Vahn laugh as he stroked her hair a bit before entering the orb.Within the orb, Vahn forged the emblem that he was going to place outside of their gate as well as several smaller ones to give to any of their future Familia members. To prevent them from falling into the hands of others, Vahn also purchased thin bangles that he forged the member emblems around. This gave it the properties of a piece of equipment that had been obtained through the system, so only the members he 'gifted' the emblems to would be able to make use of them. Anyone else that tried would experience a small backlash and be forced to drop it.Because he got a little carried away, Vahn forged more than twenty of them and even nearly had to give one to Eva when she found out what he was working on. Instead, Vahn decided to give her something from the system that he thought suited her. It was a hairpin that had a lily-motif with five beautiful white petals with a slight golden coloration in the center. When he placed it in her long golden hair, Vahn felt like his own affection for her had increased by +5. To 'thank' him, Eva spent some time treating him 'gently' while wearing only the hairpin as they laid in bed together.When Vahn finally escaped into the real world, he nearly laughed because of how adorable her actions had been. If not for Hestia currently sleeping on his body, Vahn would have wanted to laugh in order to vocalize the feelings he had been bottling up. As if she had 'sensed' something, Hestia wriggled about on top of his body for a bit before raising her head and staring at him with sleepy eyes.Vahn saw her looked and gave her a smile that was enhanced by the feelings he had within. Reaching out his hand, he stroked the side of her hair and ran his fingers through it as he said, "Good morning Hestia..." His words made Hestia show an equally happy smile as she rested her head against his hand before laughing in a strange manner and trying to go back to sleep. Vahn felt a bit awkward because she was holding his forearm with her right arm and using it to support her head. A few seconds later, he noticed she had actually fallen asleep even though her upper body was being held up by nothing by her head. Her breasts were dangling down because of the awkward position and Vahn could clearly outline their entire shape with his eyes. Releasing a sigh, Vahn gently lowered Hestia's head until she was laying against his body again. Her 'instinct' immediately took effect and she once again hugged around his body.Hestia seemed to be the type that wasn't a morning person, so Vahn allowed her to sleep for a bit longer as he organized things in his inventory and began preparing for the coming day. Since it was Saturday, it was also the day that had been arranged to celebrate his birthday. Vahn hadn't heard anything about what was planned, but he knew he was supposed to visit the same cafe where he previously waited for Hestia around 10 AM. There were still nearly five hours until then, so Vahn allowed Hestia to get some more sleep.Slightly after 8 AM, Hestia finally woke up and Vahn helped wipe away her slobber with a small handkerchief he had prepared. She seemed embarrassed at first before just laughing away the matter and showing a cheerful smile. Afterward, the two prepared for the day and Vahn reminded Hestia of the upcoming celebration. Hearing his reminder, Hestia immediately became bubbly and hugged his arm between her breasts while looking up and shouting, "It might be a bit late, but happy birthday Vahn~!"After preparing a few things, Vahn and Hestia made their way to the cafe in high spirits. Hestia seemed to be looking forward to the celebration even more than Vahn and he was beginning to be affected by her mood. Instead of letting him lead the way, Hestia was pulling him along in an excited manner while only being distracted a few times along the way. Vahn laughed every time she stopped to experience something new and patiently explained things before Hestia would suddenly 'realize' they had stopped before dragging him along at a faster pace.They arrived at the cafe with about a half hour to spare, but there were already several people that had shown up which made Vahn feel a warmth in his heart. Since Hephaestus had coordinated with everyone, all of the people that had close relationships with Vahn had shown up, including some people he was both surprised and pleased to see. The first of which noticed him the moment he entered and raised his hand with an amiable smile on his face and said, "Yooo, long time no see man!"The person greeting him had been the crimson haired Welf that Vahn hadn't seen in a long time. Walking forward, he extended his hand and clasped Welf's as he responded, "It's good to see you, Welf, how has the research been progressing?" Though Welf had a smile on his face, Vahn saw it twitch a bit when he asked about the research. After releasing a sigh, Welf put his palms together and bowed slightly as he asked, "Please give me another one of those staves! I broke the last one when I was trying an experiment and things haven't been going well ever since!"Vahn laughed and waved his hand as another [Heal] appeared out of thin air. He passed it over to Welf who had a look of gratitude on his face before another voice shouted out while laughing, "Welf-boyo, what kind of thoughts go through that brain of your's to be asking for gifts from the person whose birthday we're celebrating~!?" The voice had belonged to Tsubaki who was wearing a white and purple eastern looking top that showed off her midriff. Though it was still somewhat revealing, it was a much better outfit than just wearing her sarashi while in public.Welf had a frustrated and somewhat apologetic expression on his face as he turned to her and said, "Mind your own business you old bat. Vahn and I are partners and he asked about my-" Before he could finish, Tsubaki grabbed the top of his head and pushed him down to the floor and shouting, "Who are you calling an old bat!? You sure got bolder in the time I haven't seen you, haven't you 'kid'?"Though Welf had a forward and something 'aggressive' personality at times, he was still only a Level 1 and wasn't remotely close to a match for Tsubaki's strength. Vahn didn't know how he could muster up such courage to even lightly insult Tsubaki since she wasn't exactly known for her delicacy. To prevent the situation for getting worse, Vahn walked over and placed his hand on Tsubaki's shoulder and said, "Don't mind him too much, you're still quite beautiful regardless of what others might say."Tsubaki's eye widened a bit and Vahn helped Welf to stand before she could say anything to stop him. Vahn helped dust Welf off before saying adamantly, "Never insult a woman for her age, even if you don't mean it..." Vahn almost mentioned that Welf used to like Hephaestus, even though she was millions of years old, but the thought of vocalizing the words didn't sit well with him at all. Almost as if Welf had understood something from his words, he released a sigh before placing his hand on Vahn's shoulder and saying in a solemn tone, "Make sure you treat her well..."Though Welf had once thought of Vahn as his rival in love, it wasn't long after their first meeting that he realized there wasn't even a competition to be had. The rumors regarding his and Hephaestus's relationship were common knowledge and he had already verified matters previously. Though he didn't know about the marriage yet, Welf was certain there was more to the relationship between Hephaestus and Vahn than was currently rumored. The moment he saw Hephaestus without her eyepatch, Welf had already given up pursuing the goddess that had deeply rooted itself in his heart.Vahn understood what Welf was saying, so he nodded his head confidently and said, "No matter what, I'll make sure to take care of all the people I care about." Though he wanted to say Hephaestus instead of 'all', Vahn couldn't ignore the fact there were several of the girls he was close to present. Though they hadn't greeted each other yet, Vahn could see Loki, Eina, Tiona, Tione, Ais, Lefiya, Naaza, Lili, Milan, Tina, Anubis, the entire Anubis Familia, and, last but not least, Chloe. Counting Tsubaki and Hestia, that brought the total count of attendants to 17 females and 6 males. Though he was already aware of it, Vahn noticed that he had few male acquaintances. Since Finn, Gareth, and Bete hadn't shown up, that left his only actual male acquaintance to be Welf, since Rasui, Nour, Akil, and Ata were all technically closer to his proteges or 'pack' than anything else.After a few polite words, Vahn made his way over to the rest of the group with Hestia, Tsubaki, and Welf as he began to greet everyone in turn. They all seemed happy to see him and Vahn could feel their affection as he had short embraces with almost all the girls present, including Tsubaki and the girls he didn't interact with much like Chione and Maat. Seemingly unaware of what was going on, Welf looked at Vahn like he was some kind of monster and, once Vahn had greeted everyone, leaned over and asked, "What the hell is going on, did I not get the memo or something?"Since it wasn't a secret and he should already know about Tiona and Ais, Vahn began to give a short explanation of his relationship with all the girls present while skimming over most of the details. Some of the people present could pick up on his words, even though he was speaking quietly, and they had a happy expression as Vahn recounting things for Welf's benefit. By the end, the incredulous look on Welf's face had turned into one of abject confusion and he had a somewhat strange, yet serious, expression as he asked in a moderately loud voice, "Are you trying to say that almost every girl here besides some of the brats are your women!?"As if dissatisfied by something he had said, Lili, Nanu, and Tina all stood up and shouted in concert, "We're not brats you idiot!" Welf gave them an even stranger look and Vahn couldn't even read what kind of emotions he was experiencing just based off of his expression. Without responding to the trio, he turned to Vahn with wide eyes and asked, "Even these three brats as well?" His words made everyone at the table begin to laugh with the exclusion of the so-called three 'brats'. They stared at Welf with venomous eyes as if they wanted to rip out his tongue. Even Tina, who was usually a very sensible young girl, looked at Welf as if he was her natural enemy.Welf could feel the gazes on him and saw the reactions of everyone around him including the somewhat difficult expression on Vahn's face. Though he was almost positive he wasn't the one at fault here, Welf felt like he had found himself in a ridiculous situation without the opportunity to prepare himself. All he had heard was this was a birthday party for Vahn; he never expected it to be some kind of convention of Vahn's current and future women. Even his first love was among the crowd and Welf suddenly felt like Vahn was trying to show off to him. However, no matter how much frustration he felt, Welf's impression of Vahn was a powerful one in a pretty positive direction. Instead of feeling any resentment, he sighed deeply before looking at Vahn was a peculiar, almost respectful, look on his face.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bad Sleeping Habits','Level 1 Crushed by a Cyclops','Get startled boi')I 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 things settled down a bit and everyone had some food and drinks, Hephaestus and Eina had asked Vahn to sit between them as they stood up to address the rest of the group. As Vahn's official 'first wives', it had been their responsibility to organize everything and gather everyone together. Fortunately, most of the people related to Vahn were women that were fond of him and they had a pre-existing network established since the last 'Vahnatus'.Though not everyone was of age, Hephaestus lifted up a goblet of ruby red wine and said, "I would like to thank everyone for gathering here today to celebrate the birth and continued life of Vahn. Though it hasn't been officially announced, everyone here should be aware of the relationship between Vahn, Eina, and me." As if taking her cue, Eina continued, "As the official 'first wives' of Vahn, representing both goddesses and mortals, we wanted everyone to meet together and share this experience..."Other than Welf, everyone was present was already aware of Hephaestus and Eina's position, so he was the only one with shock on his face. Looking around, he realized he was the only one and swallowed an imaginary bit of saliva since his mouth had already gone dry. When Eina continued on and explained a bit of the origin regarding Vahn and the fact that he had never celebrated a birthday before, Welf had a somewhat solemn expression as he looked across at his 'former' rival.All of the girls present were aware of Vahn's past, but it was the first time they were hearing about the matter regarding Vahn never celebrating his birthday or any other holiday for that matter. The atmosphere of the party shifted a bit as many of the girls had somewhat sad expressions on their face while others resolved to make it up to Vahn in the future. If not for the fact that she was separated from Vahn by three other people, Tiona would have leaped across the table to comfort him right now. Unfortunately for her, not only were there people in her way, but she was also surrounded by Ais and Tione who had been assigned the task of keeping her at bay.After the explanation, Hephaestus raised her cup slightly to indicate everyone else to do the same. Once everyone lifted their glasses high, she said loudly and with unconcealed passion in her voice, "For Vahn, we come together to celebrate his birth and bless him with many more days to come!" In response, everyone present shouted out, "Happy birthday Vahn~!"Vahn had also raised his glass to toast, and hearing everyone celebrate his birthday in such high spirits was a big impact on him. Everyone around was someone that was close to him, and there were even several of his lovers, wives, and loved ones present. He could see the auras of everyone around him converging with himself at the center and the expressions of care and concern on their faces were quickly whittling away at any resistance he might have had.By the time the toast had finished, Vahn had tears streaming down his face and was having a very difficult time keeping his expression from breaking. Everyone present had been paying attention to him and even Welf was somewhat misty-eyed at seeing Vahn's reaction. Hephaestus and Eina sat at his sides and embraced his body as if they were cradling and protecting him. Though she was often quite reserved, Eina had a soft spot for the boy she had decided to marry and couldn't sit idly by as he suffered the strain of his own emotions.For several minutes, the only thing Vahn could do besides cry was repeat his thanks over and over to everyone present. Even though he had tried so hard to become stronger, even though he had made many efforts to meet the expectations and bear the burdens of others, even though he had overcome countless difficulties and even life or death situations, it was only now that Vahn truly felt like he belonged in this world. Here, in this place, at this moment, he truly understood the significance that others placed in his life. Though he had only known them for a brief period they, like his deceased mother, had shown him kindness, care, and even love...Though the mood was dampened a bit with Vahn's sobbing, nobody present blamed him for how emotional he was acting. When he had finally calmed down, Hephaestus and Eina helped him from the table and Vahn was once again embraced by everyone present. Every hug felt like a new experience and it was a heavy impact on Vahn as he returned their embrace with a powerful one of his own. He felt like he wanted to protect this feeling and didn't want to ever let it get away from him ever again.The first to hug him after Hephaestus and Eina had been Tiona who also had a teary-eyed expression even though she had a big smile on her fact. She put her arms around Vahn and gave him a powerful hug as he did the same to her. Though the didn't kiss, the two nuzzled their foreheads together and Tiona whispered, "I'm glad you were born Vahn...thank you for everything...all of the past, the present, and the future we will share together from now on."Tiona's words made Vahn's heart twist in his chest and he promised, "I swear, Tiona, I swear we'll create a happy family one day...a place where we can raise our children without letting them suffer..." His words were passionate and had an undertone of desperation to them but Tiona laughed the bad feelings away and responded, "I believe in you Vahn...you're my hero after all~"After Tiona, Ais was the next to embrace Vahn in a somewhat powerful, yet gentle, embrace. The two stood in silence for several seconds until Ais frowned slightly and said, without any curtness or breaks in her words, "We will always celebrate together from now on..." Turning her head and looking at all the other people present, Ais smiled before looking into Vahn's eyes and continuing, "Always and forever, together..." Without paying any more attention to the surroundings, Ais leaned in and kissed Vahn on the lips with a bit of passion.Vahn could feel the warmth from his chest increase in magnitude as he returned her kiss while hugging around her waist. After a few seconds, she pulled away with a happy smile on her face and Vahn watched her leave with a small smile on his face. She ended up stopping next to Tiona and Vahn could see she had a cheerful smile as she mouthed words slow enough that Vahn could read her lips, 'I will kiss you a lot next time'.Lili looked like she would be the next to give Vahn a hug, but Chloe stepped in a beat her to the punch and, before she could complain, gave Vahn a short hug and light peck on the lips. Vahn was a bit surprised but he just showed a happy smile as he stared into her beautiful green eyes. She had always been there for him, even since he first stepped into this world and started interacting with people. Without putting too much effort, or drawing too much attention to it, Vahn gently ran his thumb along the blue ribbon around Chloe's tail. Her smile widened a bit before she placed her palm on his chest, over his heart, and stepped off to the side.Unwilling to be beaten to the punch a second time, Lili stepped forward and quickly embraced around Vahn's waist. She nuzzled into his chest and Vahn could see fresh tears on her face as he gently stroked her hair. Right now she was in her default form and had curly chestnut brown hair and Vahn thought it suited her very well. In a quiet voice that only he, and a few others, could hear, Lili whispered, "I also didn't get to celebrate my birthday much in the past...from now on, lets always celebrate together..."Since he was already in emotional turmoil, Lili's words were like a hammer on Vahn's heart as he leaned down and hugged powerfully as he promised, "I swear Lili, I'll always be around whenever you need me. Not just on your birthday, but for anything else you want to celebrate..." Though Vahn knew of Lili's troubled past, it was still difficult for him to wrap his head around the trauma she had experienced. Since, even now, her Affection had been stuck at 99, Vahn knew she hadn't truly opened her heart to him, or anyone else for that matter.When Vahn had leaned down to hug her tightly, Lili's tears began falling heavily from her eyes as she hugged around his neck in a slightly desperate manner. Even though he made his promise, even though she wanted to believe, Lili was currently living away from Vahn and it was hard for her to accept how 'distant' he often was. Mustering up a bit of her courage, she whispered in an almost inaudible voice, "On my next birthday...I want us to celebrate it alone. If I can get to Level 3 by then, I want you to make me one of your lovers as well..."Vahn had been listening intently to her words and he was considering them seriously before he gave his response. She was currently 13, only marginally younger than he was by around a year. That meant she would turn 14 in around ten months and would very likely be able to reach Level 3 by then. Since that was the Level where the majority of adventurers were considered veterans, Vahn couldn't refute that she would have become 'strong' by then. Though he still had some inhibitions about her size, Vahn felt it very difficult to refuse Lili at the moment so he whispered silently, "Okay, Lili, I promise..."All of the sadness on Lili's face melted away and Vahn felt like a light began shining in her eyes as she grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him. Vahn was somewhat surprised, especially when she tried to stick her tongue into his mouth, so he patted the back of her head before standing up and separating. Even though she seemed reluctant to part, Lili still had a very happy expression on her face as she marched over toward the sides in high spirits. She looked straight at Tsubaki and said in a confident voice, "From now on we'll triple the amount of training~!"After Lili, things took a strange turn, almost like everyone was in a hurry to make future promises. Naaza had been the next to embrace Vahn and, even though she was reserved and had a blush on her face, she also kissed him briefly before hanging her head low in embarrassment. Since she knew there were people present that could hear her even if she spoke quietly, Naaza muttered hesitantly, "I want to join your Familia in the future...and then...when I make a breakthrough in my mixing..."The longer she spoke, the deeper Naaza's blush became and Vahn understood what she was trying to convey. Putting a bit of strength in his hands, Vahn whispered, "If you need help, I also obtained the [Mixing] Development Ability...we can accomplish the breakthrough together." His words made Naaza's face turn crimson even though her expression didn't change much. She looked up into his eyes as if trying to discern the truth before a small smile spread to her lips and she said, "I'd like that."Replacing Naaza was, surprisingly, Loki, who gave Vahn an equally surprising embrace. Vahn hadn't expected her to treat him so gently and hug his body without doing anything mischevious or playful. Even without making any promises, Loki parted her eyes slightly and had a 'gentle' smile on her face as she said, "Live a long life Vahn...there are a lot of people that are happy you are here. Make sure to take care of your own happiness as well..." Her words finished, Loki made way for the next girl and Vahn felt somewhat strange watching her walk away in such a manner.After Loki was Anubis and she hugged Vahn by cradling his head against her chest and stroking his head. Vahn was very easy to catch off guard right now and his emotions were somewhat unstable so he was easily caught by her hands. Wrapping his arms around her waist by reflex, Anubis whispered, "Thank you, Master, thank you for being born. From now on, I will always serve at your side no matter what..." Vahn nodded, even though his face was still pressed into her breasts. Satisfied, Anubis stroked her cheek against the top of his head before letting him go.Nanu was the next to give him a hug, and Vahn kneeled down to make it easier for her. Her only words were, "I will do my best to become a capable mate." Vahn saw that she seemed very fired up, so he rubbed her ears affectionately before sending her off to stand next to Anubis. The other two chienthrope girls seemed like the wanted to participate, but neither of them could muster up the 'courage' before the next girls approached Vahn.After Nanu, the next person to approach Vahn was actually two separate people. They were the Mother-Daughter pair of Milan and Tina, and Vahn was happy to see that Milan was comfortable enough to have her ears and tail uncovered. She had even worn a purple hairpin that drew attention to her head as if she was trying to regain her confidence. Vahn embraced both girls at the same time as they promised to be together more often in the future.Once they walked away, nobody else approached at first until Tione seemed to get annoyed and urged the bashful Lefiya forward. She stumbled at first and had a fierce blush on her face but continued walking until she stopped right in front of Vahn. The two didn't embrace, but Lefiya looked up at him with a somewhat sad expression on her face and said, "Vahn, I'm so sorry that you never got the celebrate your birthday before..."Vahn could see that she was very affected by the earlier revelation and was having some difficulty maintaining her composure. The warm feeling in his heart expanded a bit as a gentle smiled appeared on his face. Reaching out his hand, Vahn used [Hands of Nirvana] and began to affectionately stroke the young elf's orange hair. Lefiya didn't resist his touch at all as the warm and comfortable feeling began to spread in her mind. The tears that had been stuck in her eyes began to fall a bit before she finally embraced Vahn in a very loose manner. Vahn returned her hug by lighting patting her back while continuing to stroke her head for a few seconds until she pulled away with a crimson face and practically hid behind Tiona and Ais.Tione was the next to step forward and seemed to be one of the least affected by the atmosphere as she grabbed Vahn's head in a similar manner as Anubis and hugged his face in her relatively modest breasts. Though they were growing rapidly, there was still a bit of time until she achieved the full potential of her manga counterpart. In a somewhat bold manner, Tione said, "Make sure you treat my sister well from now on. If you're always going to be together, that means I'll probably be there to celebrate with you from now on as well...treat me well too, okay?" Without waiting for his response, Tione squeezed his head a bit before letting him go and walking over toward Tiona who was laughing in a very mischevious manner. Tiona tried to ignore her by keeping her eyes closed, but Vahn could see her temple twitching a bit with his enhanced vision.The last person, wrapping up the entire embrace-train, ended up being Tsubaki. Hestia seemed to have taken up the position of a sentry at the side as she made conversation with Hephaestus and everyone else present was a boy and didn't seem to have an inclination towards emotional embraces. When they hugged, Tsubaki became the third woman that day to press Vahn into her chest as she laughed in a somewhat reserved manner compared to her usual outburst. She stroked his hair affectionately and said in a soothing manner, "You're growing up faster and faster...make sure you take a break every now and then and look after your own health from now on. There are a lot of people relying on you and..."Vahn saw that Tsubaki was hesitating a bit and, even though he was still experiencing a bit of turmoil, he somewhat understood what she wanted to say. Without doing anything noticeable, Vahn channeled a bit of energy into his fingertips that were hugging around Tsubaki's waist. It was far less than the usual amount he used, but Tsubaki was able to understand what Vahn was getting at. He was essentially teasing her right now in a discreet manner in front of more than twenty other people and she could feel her back tingling from the slight stimulation from his fingers. She grit her teeth a bit but her expression didn't change much as she whispered, "You little brat..."Vahn smiled in response and increased the amount of energy in one of his fingers and made her body jolt a bit as he said, "Twenty-seven...I still owe you quite a lot." Tsubaki squeezed his head a bit harder and Vahn immediately felt his airway cut off as she whispered in a teasing voice, "Don't think I'll just let you do whatever you want little devil..." After suffocating him for a few seconds, Tsubaki released Vahn's head and said in a quiet voice, "Six-thousand-one-hundred-forty-nine..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lili's Ambition Explodes','Unlimited Embrace Works!','Cyclops are difficult opponents')(A/N: A lot of the fluff chapters are coming to an end pretty soon, so expect things to start getting more exciting~! (Nameless) won't be so much longer, and Vahn will begin researching various things while entering the dungeon once again. There is also an event approaching that people have been waiting for since a very long time ago (O,...,O)~!)I 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

A few minutes after he had returned to his room, Vahn saw Hestia step inside with her hair down and she had already worn her white dress once again. She seemed to look very tired and Vahn thought she had spent too much time inside the bath and exhausted herself. Rising from the bed, he approached her before pulling out a cold bottle of [Vanilk] that he had become fond of in the past. It was a dairy product that tasted like vanilla that was popular in the Far East and Vahn had managed to find it listed within the system for 2OP.Hestia received the glass bottle with a bit of confusion on her face before Vahn said, "If you remove the top and drink this after soaking in an onsen, it helps rehydrate your body and calm your mind a bit. It's also pretty sweet and I haven't met anyone that disliked it yet." Some of the tension in her body melted away as Hestia removed the seal on the bottle before taking a small sip of the milky white beverage. Noticing it was actually very sweet and creamy, Hestia gulped it down in a few seconds before exclaiming with a, "Paaaaaa~" sound.As if the earlier tiredness had been an illusion, Hestia handled the empty bottle over to Vahn with a large smile on her face as she said, "That was super delicious~! From now on, we'll always drink that after we take a bath!" Since it was already a habit he had developed when he lived with Tsubaki, Vahn nodded his head before saying, "It's getting pretty late, so I'm going to head to bed soon." In response, Hestia seemed to hesitate for a brief moment before she said, "Since we just got out of the bath and are already relaxed, I wanted to try something unless you're already tired."Vahn turned his head to look at Hestia and saw there was a glimmer of expectation in her eyes even though she also seemed to be nervous. He asked, "What did you want to try?" Since he couldn't think of anything, the only way Vahn could know was if she answered him. He could see her take a deep breath as if she was mustering up her courage before she responded, "I heard from Hephaestus and the others that you were very good at massages. Since I've never had one...I wanted to try it out if its not too much trouble."Ever since she had heard the 'warnings' from Hephaestus, Loki, and Anubis, Hestia had been curious about Vahn's [Hands of Nirvana]. She had wanted to ask him back at the Inn the previous night, but hadn't had enough courage to follow through in the end. Because of the tensions, she didn't even remember to conduct the Familia induction ceremony until the following morning. Now that they had gotten to know each other better and had even bathed together, Hestia wanted to see what all the fuss was about.Hearing Hestia's request, Vahn tilted his head sideways and thought about the matter a bit. He knew from experience that his massage skills were very effective and he hadn't met anyone that had any complaints to offer. Since Hestia was the type that liked to be spoiled, Vahn had already expected her to ask at some point so he wasn't too surprised. He actually liked giving massages and using his [Hands of Nirvana], so Vahn didn't have any reason to refuse so he said, "Sure, but you have to prepare yourself. I'll try to go easy on you at first and you can tell me how you feel during or after the fact. Most of the girls I give a serious massage to end up passing out, so I'd like to receive feedback if possible."Hestia's heart began to beat powerful in her chest after she heard the words, 'serious' and 'passing out'. Though she was very curious, she was beginning to think there was more to the matter than was insinuated by her fellow goddesses. Seeing the gentle and 'innocent' expression of Vahn and remembering he said he would 'go easy' on her, Hestia mustered up a bit of courage and asked, "W-w-what do I need to do?"Vahn looked around between the couch and bed before coming to a decision and saying, "You just need to lay on your stomach in a comfortable position. If you're worried about falling asleep we can use the bed, but if you think you'll be able to stay awake we can use the couch. Hearing that it was something as simple as laying on her stomach, Hestia released a relieved sigh and said with a smile, "Let's use the bed, its actually super comfortable and I don't mind if I fall asleep. I can always tell you my opinion in the morning~!"Vahn agreed since he had also been laying on the bed earlier. It was the first time since he had purchased it and the mattress seemed to conform to his body a bit even though it had a certain sense of 'firmness'. It was very soft on the surface and cool to the touch without making his body feel cold at all. It was almost paradoxical, but Vahn couldn't argue that it was extremely comfortable as Hestia had said.When Hestia crawled into the bed, Vahn wasn't far behind her and it actually felt awkward since he felt like he was 'chasing' her. Since the bed was rather large, the only way to get to the center was to crawl to it from the sides. Because she was on her hands and knees, Vahn could see up her short dress if he didn't avert his eyes. After she had finally laid down, Vahn was on his knees next to her body and she was giving him a slightly expectant look.Warming up his hands, Vahn looked at Hestia and said, "I'll start off with a normal massage, or did you want me to use [Hands of Nirvana] and give you the same kind as the others?" Hestia thought for a few seconds before swallowing her saliva and saying, "I want to try the same thing as them...if its too much, we can always try something less intense later." Now that he had her consent, Vahn nodded his head before placing his hands on her lower back.The first thing Vahn noticed was how small Hestia was compared to the other goddesses he had given a massage. Even Loki was slightly taller than he was, so seeing the petite Hestia laying on her stomach made him feel slightly awkward. It didn't help that he had to lean forward slightly since it was difficult to massage her back while kneeling at her side. Before he officially began, Vahn frowned slightly before explaining in a slightly awkward voice, "It's somewhat difficult to massage you like this..."Hestia had closed her eyes the moment Vahn put his palms on her back and didn't quite understand what he was saying until she opened her eyes. She saw that he had to tilt his body over hers at an awkward angle since they were on the same level. It wasn't like a normal massage where he would be able to stand at the side and easily reach around her body. In order to get all the proper angles, he would have to move around and put in a lot more effort to successfully complete the massage.As if realizing what he was trying to ask, Hestia buried her face into the blankets for several seconds before she said something in a muffled voice that Vahn couldn't hear. He tilted his body a bit and inclined his ear to listen closer and still couldn't make out what she was saying so he asked, "Hestia, are you...?" Before he could finish, she turned her head and had a slightly teary-eyed look and an extremely frustrated expression as she spat, "Just do it properly~!"Her words finished, Hestia turned her head away and refused to look at Vahn while leaving him with a confused expression on his face. After thinking about her words, Vahn nodded his head and found a bit of confidence as he said, "I'm going to straddle your legs a bit so I can line up with your back." His words made Hestia flinch but she didn't say anything even as he climbed over her body.For the second time during the same session, Vahn realized how small Hestia's body was as he loosely straddled her legs without resting his weight on hers. Since he remembered her light she was, Vahn was somewhat worried about sitting on her legs like had done with Anubis. Staring at the line of her back, which was mostly exposed because of the design of her dress, Vahn leaned forward a bit and placed his hands on her side as he officially began the massage.Hestia, who had buried her face into the pillow, immediately felt her tensions hit a new high the moment Vahn sat overtop her own body. Even though she couldn't see where he was looking, she felt somewhat afraid by the current situation. As Vahn placed his hands on her sides, her fear continued to increase until an incredibly relaxing sensation spread through her body from the sides and it felt like she lost all the tension in her lower body. Not only that, but when she tried to move her legs, Hestia realized she couldn't put any strength into them at all.Though it was very comfortable, Hestia immediately felt afraid and wanted to put an end to the 'dangerous' massage but was unable to turn her head and exclaim in time before her upper body also become completely relaxed. Hestia felt like her entire body had suddenly become paralyzed and she couldn't even put any effort into her vocal cords to deny his 'advances' anymore. For a brief instant, Hestia felt like she had fallen into Vahn's trap and he was about to have his way with her and there was nothing she could do about it.Vahn noticed the powerful fluctuation in Hestia's aura and pressed six different areas on her back to undo the progress he had been making. Functionality returned to Hestia's body and she immediately curled up into a ball before Vahn could say anything. He could see her aura was flickering chaotically like a flame that was about to burn out and was tinged with a hint of purple as she protected herself with one of the pillows from the bed. Vahn felt like he had somehow wronged her and a painful feeling gripped his chest as he stared at the goddess that had treated him so well recoiling as if she was afraid of him.Hestia had been so scared that Vahn was going to attack her that she didn't even think as she escaped out from under his body. She used one of the large pillows as a shield as she looked back with a hint of fear to see how Vahn would react. The moment she saw his expression, Hestia's fear diminished by a large amount and she suddenly felt very regretful. She could see that Vahn had an apologetic expression on his face intermixed with confusion and a hint of fear.Hestia immediately understood that he had no intentions to harm her and that she had overreacted because of her own inexperience. She remembered that not only the other goddesses, Vahn himself had warned her before he began. The fact that she, if even for a brief moment, felt afraid that he would take advantage of her was a big breach of the trust between them. She suddenly felt like she had failed him as a goddess and someone that claimed to be his family.Seeing that Vahn was about to apologize, Hestia's heart felt like it was going to break so she immediately threw the pillow aside before jumping into his arms and, with tears in her eyes, shouted, "I'm so sorry Vahn, I know you weren't trying to harm me! I just got scared because I hadn't expected to suddenly lose control over my own body like that! Please don't blame yourself and give me such sad look like you want to apologize!"Vahn had been caught off guard when Hestia suddenly lunged at him and had fallen back onto the bed as she hugged his chest with tears and concern marring her expression. He noticed that her aura had changed from the slight purple one to a sunny yellow intermixed with an azure blue and a tinge of pink. Vahn released a relieved sigh as he began stroking her back gently with the calming effects of [Hands of Nirvana]. For a moment, Vahn had thought he had harmed Hestia somehow so he was incredibly relieved when he heard it was a misunderstanding.Hestia felt Vahn's warm caress on her back and could feel the gentle energy spreading through her body and driving away all of the negative feelings she had been feeling. She looked into his expression and saw that it had returned to the same gentle smile that he always seemed to show others. Vahn saw her staring at him silently and used his free hand to stroke her long silken-black hair as he whispered in a gentle tone, "Maybe we can try something less intense next time...I want to help you relax and feel comfortable, not scare you and make you fearful of me."Though his words were gentle, Hestia felt them like heavy impacts on her heart because she knew she had wronged him unfairly. Even though he did nothing wrong, it was now him trying to comfort her when she should be the one trying to make it up to him. It was even worse because she could feel the warm energy from his hands and couldn't hold on to her own sadness and anxiety as he seemed intent on driving it away.Vahn could see her aura fluctuating slightly and saw the struggle on her face so he put some strength into his body and lifted himself up till she was sitting in his lap. Hestia was confused at first and then Vahn put his hands around her back and held her close to his chest as he rested his head on top of hers. Before she could say anything, Vahn whispered, "Misunderstandings happen, Hestia, we just need to put them behind us and continue moving forward. Didn't we promise to help make each other happy and become family? Don't let such a small matter make you feel down..." Finishing his words, Vahn kissed her on the top of her head before releasing her.Hestia stared up at him with a slight frown on her face and didn't say anything for several seconds as she continued to sit awkwardly in his lap. After thinking for a bit, she took a big breath before releasing it as a powerful sigh. She bumped her head against Vahn's chest and remained silent for another couple of seconds before she turned up to look at him with a vibrant smile on her face that caught Vahn completely off guard.Almost as if the earlier incident had never happened in the first place, Hestia had returned to her cheerful demeanor and her deep blue eyes had turned completely tranquil as a gentle light reflected in them. She spoke in a solemn, yet happy tone, almost as if she was making a promise, "I know you will never harm me, Vahn. From now on, and forever hereafter, I will place my trust in you completely." Her words finished, Hestia grabbed Vahn's hands in her own and held them close as if she was uttering a prayer. It was a similar manner as the time when they had first met, and Vahn wondered if there was some significance to the act.After she released his hands, Hestia showed another vibrant smile that felt like it could banish away bad thoughts and feelings. Vahn suddenly felt somewhat protective of the tiny goddess and instinctively began stroking her head as he smiled and said, "Let's go to bed, Hestia." Her eyes squinted a bit before she nodded her head and said, "Yes, but I want to try that massage again tomorrow. No matter what happens, I want to see it through to the end."After making the promise to continue tomorrow, the two laid down onto the bed in a much better mood than a few minutes prior. Though they didn't embrace or cling to each other from the outset, it wasn't long before Vahn awoke to find Hestia crawling onto his body even though the bed beneath them was far more comfortable than he imagined his stomach to be. If not for the soft feeling pressing against him, and the incredibly light weight of Hestia, Vahn would have muttered a silent complaint before he once again fell asleep with a slight smile on his face.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Curiosity Killed the Cat(Goddess)','Instinctive Fear','Terrifying Godhand')I 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 223: Birthday (1/2)