He was a new guy in the city of Orario. Though he wasn't in a Familia yet, he was sure that eventually he would find one that would take him in. After all, he wasn't THAT unlucky as to be rejected by every Familia in town. Right?

Anyhow, since he wasn't doing well with that part at the moment, he decided he could get something to eat. As he was thinking if he saw any places to eat at until now, he noticed a fairly short and, uh, gifted girl standing behind a counter out on the street and selling croquets. As he saw no other place to eat and, let's be honest, he liked croquets quite much, he decided to buy some. Needless to say, the dark haired girl didn't seem like she had much to her name, so it was a win-win situation for both him, and the girl. As he approached the counter, or rather stand, he realised that his speech wasn't quite so good in foreign languages, she seemed to notice him and beamed with joy. Huh. Guess she didn't have a lot of customers today.

"Hello there! Are you here to buy croquets?"

He nodded. He did not want to show his poor talking skills. At least just not yet.

So in order to tell her how much he wanted, he lifted his palms and promptly raised all his fingers... albeit one was missing, but oh well. He was already used to his missing pinky. To him, it was now just a reminder. Grave reminder, yes, but a valuable one nonetheless.

As the girl did not seem to notice his missing finger, or his lack of speech, or simply ignored it, she sead: "Nine croquets? Coming right up!"

As she was giving him his croquets, and he was about to pay her, she finally seemed to notice his lack of verbal communication, ad he was simply nodding and humming until now. So, out of curiosity, she asked:

"Uh, sir? I understand it is none of my business, but how is it that you haven't uttered a single word? Are you perhaps mute?"

He visibly flinched at the remark. He had really hoped that he wouldn't be caught. After all, besides his terrible, or so he presumed, speaking of their language, he was also a very non-talkative person, since he would oftenly screw up most of his conversations. And alas, he was to speak. He gulped, than sead:

"Uh, no, miss. I, err, I just don't think my knowing of your language is vast enough to engage in conversation... for now."

He really, really hoped that he hadn't messed up. 'Please, don't end up as an idiot again!' As he was promptly freaking out by now, the girl, in wonder, sead: "Oh, really? But to me it seams like you're good enough. Or, at least you haven't screwed up yet, if you're as bad as you say."

He was surprised by this, but when he put some thought in it, he really didn't mess up this time. And so, with newfound courage, he sead:

"Oh! I-I guess you are correct! Well, anyway, thanks for the croquets. I really like croquets." As he was paying her, he chose to try one of the croquets he bought, and was fairly surprised when he realised that, for a person who's selling them on the side of the street, they were really good! And so, he sead: "Wow! These croquets are really good! Think I might visit sometime soon again! That is, when I find a Familia that would have me..." The last part he added mostly for himself, but the girl seemed to have heard him, and sead something that quite much surprised him. "Well, you could join my Familia. It's not like we're a big Familia or anything, though..." Now was the girls turn to silently talk to herself at the end of her sentence, but her customer chose to ignore that comment. After all, beggars can't be choosers, and the girl seemed very nice, so if anyone else in her Familia was half as nice as she was, he would be very happy. Very happy indeed.

And so, he made the choice and sead: "I don't see why not. If people in your Familia are half as nice as you are, we'll get along great! I'd just like to know, which Familia do you belong to?"

"Oh, I'm with the Hestia Familia. Or rather, I am Hestia. Again, nice to meet you."

He couldn't believe his ears. A goddess had just invited him to her Familia, and not just any goddess at that! At this point, he was behaving as a kid on a sugar rush, and barely contained his excitement as he sead: "L-l-lady Hestia?! I'm honored to meet you! True, I do not worship the Greek gods, and I've heard that people don't appreciate you as much as they should, but I would be HONORED to join your Familia! In fact, I'm already so excited, I feel like buying all of these croquets here, just for the sake of it! Now, I might seem a bit off at the moment, but how could I not? You are the goddess of the heart, architecture, and the right ordering of domesticity, family, home and the state! To be honest, I truly would very much appreciate such goddess! And- Oh shit!" He suddenly paled, as if he sead something wrong, " I'm ranting again! I'm sorry, did you want to say something, Lady Hestia?"

The goddess seemed to be at a loss of word, but quickly regained her composure and sead: "W-well, It's nice to know I have someone out there who thinks like that, but if you're going to join my Familia, would you please tell me your name, at least?"

"Ah, sorry, I haven't introduced myself, have I? Well, as unsettling as it is, my name is Ethan. Ethan Westfall, at your service, milady!"

The girl, now known as the goddess Hestia, paled.