Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After the bath, Ryuu went to her room to wear a proper change of clothes as Vahn watched her butt sway from side-to-side with slightly squinted eyes. He felt a lot less inhibited now, almost as if he had a new outlook on life and wondered if anything interesting would happen as a result. Though he still intended to practice the restraint that had been constantly reaffirmed in his mind, Vahn felt far less inclined to act reservedly when he was alone with the girls he cared about. Bar a few exceptions, Vahn was somewhat excited about the coming developments and laid down in his bed with a relatively relaxed state of mind.Though it was still a little early, Vahn was rather exhausted and decided to pitch in early while imagining if anyone would be joining him tonight. Since both Milan and Tina were here, and Hestia was with Hephaestus, Vahn assumed they would probably be sleeping together alongside Fenrir. That being the case, Ryuu would probably stay in her own room for the time being unless anything changed between now and the morning.As expected, Vahn could detect the auras of the three girls while Ryuu had already laid down in her own bed, which was located two rooms away from the master bedroom. Though Milan told the two girls to be quiet so Vahn could rest, Fenrir flopped her ears and said, "Vahn always awake when people around." Disregarding Milan's caution, Fenrir walked over to the bed before wiggling out of her maid outfit with practiced movements. Though she still needed help getting dressed, Fenrir had taken to trying to remove her clothing without help.Because she always wore her combat attire under her clothes, Fenrir was still decent and climbed into bed as Vahn reached out his hands and scratched her ears a bit. Milan noticed that Vahn was also awake and sat on the side of the bed with a thoughtful expression as Tina unashamedly climbed into the bed and snuggled next to Vahn without inhibitions. Milan saw her daughter and laughed before following behind and laying on the opposite side of Tina. After binding Fenrir's hands and affectionately stroking the three girls for a bit, Vahn went to sleep accompanied by the warmth generated by the girls around him.Though it wasn't necessary, Vahn still awoke at 5 AM and stared at the roof for a little as Fenrir inched over to him and placed her chin on Vahn's chest and stared up at his face. Since she had been 'protecting' him when he was in the orb, Fenrir was accustomed to waking up at the same time as Vahn. Feeling her concern, Vahn reached out his hand and used [Hands of Nirvana] to comb through her hair with his fingers. Instead of going to the dungeon today, Fenrir was going to spend some time with Milan and Tina who were helping her learn to read. Though Hestia had taken to the task at first, she wasn't the greatest teacher and didn't have any experience dealing with 'children' like Milan.Vahn could see the auras from the room Hephaestus was staying in moving and knew that both she and Hestia had already awakened. He followed them with his perception and saw them split up at the foyer which made Vahn feel a little sad. Knowing that it was a temporary parting, and that she had preparations to make, Vahn took a slow breath and calmed his mind. Since Hephaestus was often very busy, it wasn't easy for her to clear her schedule for a long period of time so Vahn intended to follow-up later in the day, most likely toward the evening, to see if she needed any help. If he went at his maximum speed, using Shundo, he could get all the way to her workshop within a short four minutes.Eventually, Milan awoke and paused for a few seconds when she saw Vahn before remembering she had stayed over the previous night. After awakening Tina and helping her and Fenrir get dressed, Vahn rubbed each of their ears and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead. Though he had kissed Milan on the lips in the past, Vahn knew she still had inhibitions about any relationship they might have in the future. Since he didn't want to pressure her and just wanted to help take care of them, Vahn didn't act in an untoward manner and just showed gentle affections to the Mother-Daughter pair.After they made their way downstairs. Milan and Tina went to prepare breakfast while Fenrir pulled out an adamantine plate that had the alphabet carved into it. Using her claws, she tried replicating the characters on the nearly indestructible metal as if it was soft wood. Though she struggled quite a bit, Fenrir actually showed a lot of interest in learning. She wanted to be more 'normal' after interacting with other girls and they had each reinforced the idea that she needed a proper education. To make things easier, Vahn had created an Adamantine plate that could be easily regenerated using whetstones since it was classified as a blunt weapon with the addition of a handle on the side.Ruffling her hair a bit, Vahn left the dining room and made his way toward Hestia before frowning deeply and looking toward the front gate. Though he didn't know their purpose, Vahn felt like the arrival of the signatures was related to his instincts from the previous day. It seemed that, every time Vahn felt happy, something bad would always rear its head to create problems for him. After discussing it with Sis, he found out it was actually a property of having high good karma. She claimed that the reason so many heroic tales ended in tragedy was that heroes acquired a lot of good karma which inevitably brought added troubles to them when they least expected it. For better or worse, good and evil were almost irresistibly drawn toward each other in some vain struggle machinated by fate.What made matters worse was, like now, the danger often presented itself in an unexpected fashion. Even though the presences outside show amiability towards him, Vahn knew there would be trouble following in their wake. After shouting for Hestia and sending a mental order for Fenrir to tell the other girls to eat breakfast without them, Vahn made his way to the foyer and opened the door to receive their guests. Hestia, who had just arrived next to him, looked outside and greeted them in a cheerful voice, "The Takemikazuchi Familia~? Welcome to the Hearth Manor!"Takemikazuchi bowed politely and the tall young man behind him followed suit as he greeted, "Good morning Lady Hestia, it is good to see you in such high spirits." Turning his head, Takemikazuchi also bowed politely to Vahn and said, "We meet again, Vahn, it is a pleasure to see you in good health." Though he already knew they had come with a purpose, given their somewhat unstable auras, Vahn still politely greeted the two as he invited them into the study.After settling down, Vahn waved his hand over the table and position a steaming kettle of tea for them to enjoy. Since they were from the Far East, Vahn had set out a somewhat bitter tea called [Ginseng Bara]. Though it was normally a polite gesture, Takemikazuchi frowned before looking at Vahn and closing his eyes as he sighed. Opening his eyes, he spoke in a somewhat troubled tone, "It seems you have seen through the purpose of our visit. The rumors regarding your incredible perception aren't exaggerated in the slightest."Seeing his god troubled, the man introduced as Ouka frowned and a serious look on his face as he glared at Vahn. Compared to Vahn, who was 165cm, Ouka was already more than 180cm tall even though he was currently only fifteen. He had a very muscular build with black hair and green eyes. Though he looked somewhat stoic and serious, apparently Ouka had a temperamental personality as he said in a deep tone that belied his age, "Even if you are a respected member of the Alliance, you are not above paying respects to a god."Vahn didn't respond to Ouka as he turned his gaze back to Takemikazuchi and picked up a cup of tea. Though [Ginseng Bara] was somewhat expensive tea, it was seen as a polite way of asking people to 'not bring trouble' when enjoying the hospitality of others. Coming from the Far East, both Takemikazuchi and Ouka were very aware of the stance Vahn had taken before the discussion even began.As the three 'men' sat in silence, Hestia remained next to Vahn with an entirely unphased expression on her face. Unless things developed in a bad direction, she had long discussed matters with Vahn and allowed him to make decisions that affected their Familia. Even though she was the goddess, there wasn't much she could do besides supporting the children in their Familia, so Hestia had left matters to Vahn as the Captain. The only thing she could tell from the situation so far was that Takemikazuchi hadn't come with good intentions and she had already raised her guard somewhat against the two 'foreign invaders'.The atmosphere in the room remained silent as Takemikazuchi stared down at his steaming cup of tea with a hesitant expression on his face. If he accepted the tea, it was the same as saying he wouldn't trouble Vahn...Taking a deep breath, Take stood from the sofa without touching the tea and Vahn followed him with his eyes as Takemikazuchi gestured to Ouka before kneeling down on the floor and performing the most perfect example of a dogeza Vahn had ever seen. Though Ouka's brow furrowed low, he didn't say anything as he assumed a spot behind Take' and also lowered his head to the floor.Vahn immediately massaged his temples a bit and said, "I will hear you out, but that doesn't mean I am expressing consent and willing to offer my help. Even if we're future allies, the Hestia Familia has no relation with the Takemikazuchi Familia at present. With the probation terms decreed by the Guild, we couldn't interact in any meaningful way even if there was to be cooperation between us."Without raising his head, Takemikazuchi gave a loud affirmation and response, "Ha! As you have likely anticipated, I have come here with the intent of exploiting your heroic disposition and honest personality. Though I know it is wrong to do so, I cannot allow this matter to rest when another window of opportunity may not present itself in the future. Please hear my request and consider it without any bias!" Even though his head was already touching the ground, Take' made an earnest effort to place it even further into the floor.Releasing a sigh, Vahn looked over at Hestia with an apologetic expression before she nodded her head in support. Vahn looked to the two performing a dogeza and said, "Please, though it may not be a standing relationship presently, we are still allies. Though it is not incorrect to bow your head when making a request, you should not behave in a way that may negatively influence your children. Since there is likely to be cooperation between our Familia in the future, I would like us to try and interact in a manner where neither side loses face to the other."Ouka had raised his head and gave Vahn a serious look as Take' showed a grateful expression and lifted his face that had a big red mark on it before sitting on the sofa. As a gesture of friendship, Vahn set out a simple green tea that was often shared with friends and casual acquaintances. This time, Take' took the tea gratefully before he began explaining, not only the purpose of his visit but the purpose of his Familia's migration to Orario from the Far East...Actual Title: Karma is a Bitch(A/N: Since some people might freak out, just know that this doesn't interfere with planned events (O,...,O). Stay tuned, there will be another chapter coming out soon that will clarify things.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir is adorable','Fate of a Hero','The ultimate technique when making a request')I am currently at $749/1200 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

According to Take', they used to be a Familia located outside a shrine located in the Far East. It was his assigned duty to teach martial artists to act as guardians of the province as well as protectors of the various palaces and shrines in the area. Though it wasn't part of their duties, a few of his younger children had grown close to a Renard girl named Sanjouno Haruhime, who was the daughter of a Noble Clan leader that ran the largest shrine in the area. Since she wasn't allowed to leave the sanctity of the shrine, Haruhime's only friends had been the children in his Familia and they used to sneak her out in the night so that she could get fresh air and play.Things had been peaceful for a time, but three years ago Haruhime had been falsely accused of stealing an offering that had been made to the shrine. Unable to find the true culprit, Haruhime's father was pressured by the other clan heads to pass judgment on his own daughter. In his rage, not at Haruhime but the people that had conspired against him, her Father had entrusted her care to a Pallum guest that had good relations with the shrine for several years. Unfortunately, the caravan led by the Pallum was later attacked by a group of roaming bandits that had pillaged the merchandise and kidnapped Haruhime.Unable to act on his own, Haruhime's father had entrusted the task of finding her to his trusted advisor which was none other than Takemikazuchi. Since it was a direct violation of the judgment that had been passed previously, Take' took some of his more gifted children that were close to Haruhime and set out on a rescue mission to uncover her whereabouts. They followed the trail through several villages until they had found out Haruhime had been sold as a slave and had been transported to Eden with her final destination as Orario. Though they lamented her misfortune, they found out she had been sold as 'fresh' goods so they had some hope that she might be okay if they were able to track her down quickly.Unfortunately, as exiles, the Takemikazuchi Familia had no easy way to pay for transport across the vast ocean separating Eden and the Far East, so they had to act as mercenaries as they slowly built up the funds. After more than a year passed, they had begun to lose hope that Haruhime was still safe until a kind monk had taken pity on them and helped procure their passage to Eden. Since he had saved the son of the Captain of a ship in the past, he was able to convince him to allow the group to board for a much cheaper amount as long as they acted as guards for the duration of the voyage.After several months on the ocean, they eventually made their way to Eden and followed directions between villages before finally arriving in Orario several months ago. By a stroke of fate, Take' had been introduced to Hephaestus through their mutual acquaintance Miach. Since she had been in need of assistance at the time, Take' had taken to her aide in order to establish a relationship with one of the most prolific goddesses within the City. Though he admitted it was a somewhat dishonorable act, Take's only desire was to track down the daughter of his friend and do whatever he could to confirm her safety. Even though she may never be able to return to her home, they still wanted to guarantee she could live a free life, even if she had experienced suffering due to their ineptitude.It was through Hephaestus that Take' learned about Vahn and had taken an interest in meeting the Adventurer touted as a hero. After conducting a personal investigation of his own, Take' began to grow more interested in Vahn and his exploits and purported that he wanted Vahn to help mentor and grow alongside his own children. Take' claimed Vahn's character to be righteous and above reproach but Vahn just waved away his flattery and urged him to finish the story.Though it was always his intent to eventually approach Vahn, it was the event where Vahn had saved Milan and Tina that inspired him to move up his plans. They had recently heard rumors that might pertain to Haruhime's location and wanted to seek Vahn's assistance however he sought fit to aide them. Since he knew Vahn likely saw through his true intentions, Take' even admitted that the primary reason he approached Vahn was, in the event that the danger was too great, Vahn would be able to rely on his network of allies to potentially save Haruhime. Even though his children had high potential, they were all still very young and even Ouka, the Captain of the Familia, was only Level 2.---Since he had only read up to the 7th volume of the manga, everything Vahn was hearing was new information and he wasn't sure what to make of things until a notification popped up in his system while he was ruminating over matters. Though he definitely wanted to help them out, since he felt terrible about the tragic fate of the girl called Haruhime, Vahn didn't want to get involved in anything that might endanger the people he cared about. Looking over the notification, Vahn's face became somewhat serious and he closed his eyes in 'contemplation'.//Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: Rescue Sanjouno Haruhime]Rank: C-SObjective: Rescue Sanjouno Haruhime from her captors.Optional Objective: Defeat and/or Kill the captors: 0/10Rewards: 'Upgrade' Function Unlocked, 10x[Upgrade Stones], 14,000OPFailure Condition(s): Death, Sanjouno Haruhime's Death, Escape of [Hidden].Penalty: 600 Karma, 'Upgrade' Function Sealed for Duration of RecordAfter reading through the quest, Vahn was somewhat interested in the rewards but still asked Sis, ("Why would I suddenly get a quest? I know Takemikazuchi existed in the original plot, but I've never heard anything about Haruhime.") Responding to his question, Sis explained in a patient tone, (*Your presence in the record has irreversibly altered fate but that doesn't mean that karma is balanced within the record. For example, if you alter events to an extent where you would endanger the record, 'The Path' would always give you a quest to help rectify things. However, since the quest is Optional, you still have the option to refuse it without penalty; This will likely result in the death of the girl named Sanjouno Haruhime though.*)Hearing Sis's words, Vahn frowned slightly as he realized his lack of knowledge regarding the record may become a problem in the future. Though it wouldn't force him to enact the original plot verbatim, Vahn would still be required to assist those that possessed strong fates that impacted the original story. One example would be, if he changed an event that would lead to the salvation of the world in the original plot, Vahn would then be burdened with fulfilling that role himself. Since he was now getting a Quest related to the girl named Haruhime, that meant she was significant to the original plot and Vahn had inadvertently set her down a path of no return....if he refused to help her, he would have, through his inaction, guaranteed her death.Though he didn't do so in reality, Vahn released a long sigh in his mind before opening his eyes with a serious look on his face. He noticed that both Take' and Ouka were waiting for his response with hopeful expressions. Frowning, Vahn said, "Know this, I will help you, but only after I have settled my own matters. I don't have the resources or the network you might think to search through the entire City looking for one girl. I'll need as much information as you can provide and..." Vahn sent a mental command and, a few seconds later, Fenrir burst through the door and cautiously made her way over to Vahn while glaring at the two strangers.Vahn explained, "Fenrir has the most powerful senses of anyone I have ever met, be they chienthropes or cat people. If you have an article that belonged to Haruhime, we may be able to track her. That being the case, it does not mean I will put my people in danger to guarantee the safety of Haruhime and the successful completion of this mission. It also doesn't mean I will drop everything I'm currently involved in to help you track her down at the expense of my other commitments."Before Vahn even finished, Take' had already bowed till the point where his head had nearly touched the hardwood table. He exclaimed loudly, "Having your assistance is more than enough! I would not dare ask you to inconvenience yourself in pursuit of an objective that was ours to complete. Even if you only help track down and confirm her location, that would be more than enough!"Vahn paused and stared at the top of Take's head for a while before he responded in a somewhat apologetic, yet firm, tone, "If it is within my power to do so, I will save Sanjouno Haruhime from her fate..." Raising his head, Take' had a grateful smile on his face as he bowed three times while saying, "Thank you, my Takemikazuchi Familia will forever be indebted to you for the leniency you have shown us here today." Pulling out a small, pouch-like, charm with a strange character that Vahn understood to mean 'Good Fortune', Take handed it over to Vahn and said, "This was a personal belonging of Sanjouno Haruhime. We had tried to use it to track her down, but chienthropes are uncommon in the Far East and we have had limited success finding assistance within the City..."Taking the charm from Take', Vahn stroked Fenrir's hair and explained in a patient manner, "Fenrir, there is a poor girl that had been bullied by a bunch of bad people. Can you remember the scent on this charm for me?" After listening to Vahn, Fenrir looked at Take' and Ouka for several seconds as her eyes began to glow red. Ouka immediately became alert, but Vahn spread his domain and completely locked down his movements with a glance.Take' raised his hand to force Ouka to stand down as a bead of sweat began to build on his brow. Vahn turned away and continued to stroke Fenrir's hair and explained, "These aren't the bullies, they are the friends of the girl. They are trying to find her so they can protect her and help make her happy, same as you." Fenrir's eyes continued to glow as her hair began to rise and she turned to Vahn and asked in a frustrated voice, "Same as Fenrir..?" At this point, Fenrir's hair was standing on end and her eyes began glowing a vibrant scarlet. Though some might have misunderstood it as hunger, this was actually the form Fenrir took when she activated [Huntress] and pushed her senses to the extreme.Taking the charm into her paws, Fenrir took several large breaths before glaring at Take and Ouka a bit and sniffing the air. As if confirming something, Fenrir nodded her head and took several more whiffs of the charm before handing it back to Vahn. Though she hadn't yet found Haruhime, Fenrir thumped her chest and said, "Fenrir remember, Fenrir find and save girl from bully!" With a smile on his face, Vahn pet Fenrir's hair before ushering her toward Hestia who already had a brush ready. Now that she had stored the scent, Fenrir would be able to track it easily if they came across the trail at any point.Turning back to Take', Vahn said, "I'll hold onto the charm for now. As for payment, since we'll be acting at our discretion, you don't have to worry about it. If it is known that our Familias are cooperating with each other during the probationary period it could cause problems for the entire Alliance. Unless we contact you through the network, please try to lay low and conduct your own investigation for the time being."Take' assumed a polite smile as both he and Ouka bowed low before eventually excusing themselves. On their way out, Take asked over his shoulder, "So, what do you think of Vahn?" There was a somewhat humorous undertone to his voice that made Ouka frown as he followed behind. After considering his words for several seconds, Ouka stated, "He is far more mature than anyone his age should be, and his bearing and etiquette are excellent. As far as his power is concerned...I don't think I could trade a single blow with him." Take' smiled and stopped his steps as he looked back and patted Ouka's shoulder as he said, "Now you understand, there are always greater heights to aspire toward. Though you were very strong back in the Far East, there are several people, some even much younger than you, that are much stronger than your current strength. If you want to protect the people you care about, you must remain level-headed and increase your power further."Afterward, they walked along in silence for a while until Ouka said, "He'll do it, won't he? I can tell that he had already decided to save Lady Sanjouno even before the second half of the conversation..." Hearing his words, Take' smiled widely and stated confidently, "Though it isn't wrong to say we took advantage of him, it is because Vahn has a righteous and heroic character that cannot easily overlook such injustices. I think that, as long as it doesn't endanger the other people he wants to protect, he will likely track her down much faster than we could have ever hoped to."Looking over his shoulder toward the direction of the Hearth Manor, Ouka's expression hardened as a resolved look appeared in his eyes. He had asked to accompany Takemikazuhi because he was curious about the boy who was touted as a hero while being similar in age to himself. Now that they had met, Ouka felt like he had found a worthy rival to aspire towards and eventually exceed...---After the two left, Hestia had a concerned expression as she looked up at Vahn and asked, "You will go to help her, won't you?" Vahn looked over and smiled as he stroked her hair gently for a while before responding, "I won't easily change my plans on a whim unless it is something I can proactively influence. Right now, my only focus is my family and..." Looking off in the distance, Vahn could feel the connection between him and Hephaestus throb a bit as he said, "I must go to Hephaestus...When everything is over, I will find the girl named Haruhime and return to her the freedom she had been deprived. It is for reasons like this that I wanted to create a righteous Familia in the first place."Hestia had a cheerful smile on her face as Vahn was stroking her hair and she, accompanied by Fenrir, both gave him a big hug. Kissing him on the cheek for a few seconds, Hestia pulled away and said, "Make sure you take care of yourself and...and remember that I'll be here waiting when things get hard and you need to rest..." Vahn laughed a bit as he stroked her cheek with his right hand before leaning forward and giving her a short peck on the lips. Even though it wasn't their first kiss, Hestia blushed a bit and crawled away from his body while acting far more bashful than usual.Vahn wanted to tease her since she was suddenly acting as if they had just met for the first time. However, before he could say anything, Fenrir pulled her lip a bit with her claw and said, "Fenrir want kiss." Though he had thought he had been prepared for anything, Vahn couldn't help but blank after hearing Fenrir and seeing her actions. The red glow in her eyes suddenly looked far more dangerous as Vahn explained, "Until you finish your education, you can't do things like that Fenrir. Here, come here for a moment..." Fenrir leaned over as Vahn gestured and he cleared away her bangs and kissed her on the forehead before saying, "Just like your Big Sis, that should be enough for now, okay?"Holding her paws on her forehead, Fenrir had the closest thing to a 'happy' expression that her unsmiling face could manage. Seemingly deriving something from Vahn's words, Fenrir ran toward the door down the corridor toward the dining room while shouting, "Big Sis, Big Sis, Fenrir got kiss!" Hearing her words, Vahn rubbed his forehead a bit before looking to the side as he heard Hestia laughing mischievously. Since she was still on the same sofa, Vahn wanted to tease her a bit so he shot forward and grabbed her foot before pressing one of the pressure points near her heel. Hestia felt a jolt run through her body and she tried to smack Vahn's hand away as he disappeared with the use of Shundo.Before she could say anything, Vahn showed a natural smile and said, "I'm going to go meet Hephaestus and see if she needs any help. Since Milan and Tina are going to be staying here today, I'll be back in time for lunch unless anything changes..." Understanding Vahn's implication, Hestia's smile changed from mock frustration and transitioned into a gentle smile that Vahn hadn't expected. In a low, somewhat serious tone, Hestia said, "Take care of her, Vahn. Though she puts on a strong front, I've known Hephaestus for a long time...she really was a very lonely Goddess in Heaven...Make sure you treat her well."Vahn lowered his head and ruminated over her words before showing a serious expression of his own and responding, "Not just Hephaestus, I will make sure to take care of everyone I care about. When you're ready, that includes you as well Hestia." The gentle expression on Hestia's face froze and she seemed to turn into a statue as a line of blush crept up her body and Vahn thought steam was going to erupt out of her head. After her face had a hue that would make a tomato jealous, Hestia looked upwards at Vahn with teary eyes and said through gritted teeth, "You have to spoil me especially! I don't want to be just another one of your girls, I want to be something sp-"Before she could finish, Vahn stepped in with Shundo, lifted Hestia's chin, and stared into her deep blue eyes as he said in an irrefutably serious voice, "You are my irreplaceable family, the beautiful goddess I have entrusted not only my life but the lives of my loved ones. Never devalue yourself..." Before she could respond, Vahn gave Hestia the first truly passionate kiss they shared. Though she was hesitant at first, Hestia soon caved in and returned Vahn's embrace all the way up until the point where they both heard a door open and Fenrir shouting, "Ah! Fenrir want kiss too!"Title: Sanjouno Haruhime(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fate','Takemikazuchi's Shamelessness','Hephbaestus calls...')I am currently at $749/1200 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

When Vahn entered the men's onsen, Ryuu looked over and noticed he had recovered a bit from his melancholy. She wasn't that good at encouraging people so she was happy to see that he had figured something out in the time he had asked for. Though he wasn't 'bold', there wasn't any hesitation in his step as he walked over and entered into the same pool. Showing a gentle smile, Ryuu said, "I'm glad you're getting back to your usual self."Vahn shook his head in response and Ryuu raised her brow a bit before Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I wash your body?" Hearing his words, Ryuu's mind blanked for a bit without her expression changing. Tilting her head a little to the left, Ryuu said, "Maybe not your usual self after all?" Vahn laughed when he heard her question-like statement. Without approaching, and possibly upsetting her, Vahn showed a confident smile and explained, "I realized that I've been bottling up too many things lately. There are many people close to me that I haven't treated in a manner deserving of their affection. I want to try and steadily improve myself and slowly gain experience so I make fewer mistakes in the future."Ryuu stared blankly into his face for a few seconds before a light smile showed on her lips and she stood from the pool, revealing her uncovered body which had turned slightly flushed from the heat of the onsen. Vahn could tell it wasn't from embarrassment since her aura was stable and her expression hadn't changed much even when he let his eyes wander a bit. Placing her hands on her abdomen, Ryuu asked, "Does my body interest you so much?"Vahn looked into her sky blue eyes and let a natural smile appear on his face as he answered honestly, "Yes, I've thought you were beautiful ever since we first met. Even though it might sound strange, I can't help but be drawn to your body and want to learn more about it, about you...Ryuu." In a manner similar to how she put emphasis on his name, Vahn added a little inflection to Ryuu's name.With her eyes squinting a bit, Ryuu walked closer to Vahn until she was standing well within his range, Since he was sitting down while she was standing if Vahn wasn't holding eye contact with Ryuu he would have gotten eyeful of the hidden garden that emitted a somewhat flowery odor like honeydew. Though only slightly, Ryuu's smile widened a bit as she tilted her head and asked, "Not looking?" Even though her expression hadn't changed much, Vahn heard a notification saying Ryuu's affection had increased from 95 to 96 and her aura had taken on a slightly pink hue.His smile still on his face, Vahn continued to stare into Ryuu's eyes and remarked, "Your eyes...they're like the vibrant sky on a sunny day and you...you're like a breath of fresh air that helps calm the soul." Even though he felt somewhat awkward, Vahn was trying his best to flatter Ryuu similar to elven traditions. After his words fell, for the first time since they had met, Vahn saw Ryuu cover her mouth as an almost inaudible chuckle sounded.Even without any effort of his own, Vahn's smile widened further and he felt happy feelings spread through his heart. Without responding to his compliment directly, Ryuu said in a low voice, "You can wash my body...just be gentle." Though he understood there was no implication behind it, Vahn couldn't help but swallow a bit of saliva as he grabbed a sponge and stood directly in front of Ryuu. Like Vahn, Ryuu was also 165cm tall and their eyes were perfectly aligned with each other's as Vahn began to gently lather up her body. Even though she tacitly agreed to let him look at her body, Vahn was focused more on the efforts of his hands and the response from Ryuu. Since he had grown accustomed to massages, Vahn entered a somewhat focused state whenever he used his hands to tend to the body of a girl.As Vahn went about his actions, Ryuu continued to watch him silently with a bit of intrigue hidden deep within her sky-blue eyes. Even though she had agreed to bathe with him, Ryuu still had some inhibitions about letting Vahn touch her body easily. She had opened up a bit after he had given her a few massages, but it didn't make the thought of exposing herself any easier, at least up until now. Just as usual, Vahn had a very serious and caring demeanor and he paid a lot of attention to his actions. He wasn't overly forward, nor did he focus on any of her sensitive areas, and he was always gauging her response throughout the entire process. Any inhibitions she might have had slowly melted away and dispersed into the hot water around them as Ryuu slowly entrusted her body to Vahn's care.Vahn noticed that Ryuu's aura became a darker shade of pink and looked to her face to see she had closed her eyes. Even though the color had deepened, Ryuu's aura had actually become more stable, almost mellow, and Vahn could tell she was relaxing. With a smile appearing on his face, Vahn continued his efforts so as not to tarnish the trust she had placed in him. Since they had known each other for quite a while at this point, Vahn knew how resistant Ryuu was to being touched. Seeing her opening herself fully to him made him feel happy and many of the negative feelings that had been lurking in the back of his mind felt like they were draining away, almost as if they had never existed in the first place and had been a figment of his imagination.After wiping down her entire body, Vahn moved on to an area that he had been curious about for a long time. However, instead of directly advancing just to sate his own curiosity, Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I touch your ears?" The eyes of Ryuu, that had been closed for several minutes, opened as she turned her gaze and met Vahn's. For a pure-blooded elf, their ears were incredibly sensitive and only close family and lovers were typically allowed to touch them. Though he hadn't explicitly said it, Ryuu understood that Vahn was making a slow advance on her and left the final decision on her shoulders.Though she never expected to find them in the first place, Ryuu still looked into Vahn's aquamarine eyes as if she were looking for any type of deceit or malicious intent. She had long wanted to follow him, ever since their first meeting, but Ryuu still had inhibitions because of her nature and past traumas. After confirming that Vahn's eyes were crystal-clear, Ryuu showed a smile and replied in a low, moderated, tone,"Go ahead...Vahn."Hearing her call him by name again, Vahn's smile grew and he lathered a bit of soap on his fingers as he reached forward and, very gently, caressed Ryuu's ears. Though she did her best to control her expression, Ryuu wasn't able to prevent a blush from beginning to rise up from her neck. By the time he had stroked the entire outer boundaries of her long ears and rubbed her lobes with his thumb, the blush had spread all the way to her face and was slowly creeping its way onto Ryuu's ears. Though her expression didn't change much, Vahn couldn't help but appreciate her reaction so he whispered, "How can you be so adorable... you're making my heart race."As if to prove his claim, Vahn gingerly reached for Ryuu's right hand and placed it on his bare chest. Just as he stated, Vahn's heart was beating rapidly due to the jubilant feelings and excitement that had been welling up inside him. Ryuu focused on the feeling from on her hand as the burning sensation that had crept into her ears slowly began to fade away. She had been somewhat tempted to grab Vahn's hand as well so that she could place it on her chest and show how fast her own heart was beating. However, she knew Vahn was already aware of that fact so she just leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his chest and kept silent.Since there wasn't anything more intimate than her letting him touch her ears, Vahn took Ryuu's actions to imply she was okay with him touching her body. Though she was still soapy and covered in a slightly reflective layer of sweat and water, Vahn ran his hands from Ryuu's shoulders until they came to a stop at the small of her back. Without doing anything too untoward, Vahn just gently embraced the naked body of Ryuu against his for a few minutes until she had calmed down. Though he wasn't aware of the missed opportunity earlier, Vahn could now feel the heartbeat of Ryuu through his own chest.When Ryuu had finally relaxed, she soaked in the water to rinse off before helping Vahn clean himself as well. Though he hadn't really expected her to hesitate, Vahn was still somewhat surprised to see how easily Ryuu kept her bearing while she washed his body. She even, completely unabashedly, wiped down his penis without any hesitation or remarks about its size. Though Vahn wasn't entirely sure why, he felt somewhat happy that she didn't show the 'normal' reaction that he had seen from almost everyone else, both male and female alike.As if some kind of wall had been broken down between them, after Vahn had rinsed of his body, he and Ryuu sat down in the pool of hot water to soak for a few more minutes. After he sat against the smooth stone surface, Ryuu had sat down next to him and leaned a bit of her weight against his shoulder. Though it wasn't as intimate as when they washed each other, it was still something new and completely different from her prior behavior. As a response, Vahn placed his arm around Ryuu's hip and loosely held her body as the two of them sat in silence and enjoyed the atmosphere.When it came time to get dressed, Ryuu put on a long-sleeved white shirt that had buttons running down the front. Since she didn't have any clothes of her own to change into, as she hadn't gone to her room first, Ryuu wore a shirt that Vahn had purchased during one of his 'outings'. Seeing the green-haired elven beauty wearing a shirt that was too big for her frame, Vahn could feel his heart pulse powerfully a few times as he tilted his head with an appreciative smile.Ryuu tilted her head slightly in the same direction as she held up the loose sleeves and asked, "Do you like when I wear your clothing?" Vahn exhaled through his nose a bit to prevent himself from laughing as he responded, "I think its somewhat unique since I've never really seen such a beautiful girl wear my clothing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something...tantalizing about it?"As if she wanted to tease him, Ryuu lifted the sleeves slightly higher and revealed the fact that she hadn't yet worn any panties. Since she wasn't going to wear her previous pair, and Vahn couldn't currently gift her any, Ryuu was still naked minus the shirt Vahn had given her. He had offered her a pair of pants afterward, but Ryuu shook her head and said it would be fine for now. Since there were only girls in the house, she didn't even have any concerns even if she had to walk the corridors naked. Now that she had allowed Vahn to see, and even touch, her body, Ryuu felt significantly less concerned with him seeing her even more.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lion Taming','Sensitive Elven Ears','Sacred combination, dress shirt with no-pan on a slender girl')I am currently at $749/1200 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 241: Calm Before the Storm