Chapter 34:
At the breakfast table, Bell looked to his right. Hestia was sitting there, not meeting his eye. Something had been up for a couple months now, but Bell also felt like there was an extra bit to it. There was a problem with his Goddess, and he was determined to figure it out.
More on that story later, though. For now, an elf had her own problem. Sitting across from Bell Cranel, Ryuu stewed in her feelings of unease. She had been avoiding an entire couple of blocks around the Hostess of Fertility for the past week. Mainly because she had felt awful after her night with Syr/Helun. She was guilty of taking advantage of the silver-haired waitress and her kindness. After watching the Sword Princess steal Bell away, a pit of loneliness took root. And then she saw the other couples taking off together. So, Ryuu looked to find her own fun. And it seemed that Syr was more than willing to oblige. The Faerie Princess knew that the silver-haired girl was feeling lonely and afraid. Syr did not know who she was and was probably still trying to find herself. And Ryuu had used that loneliness to her advantage. She had seduced Syr and brought her home.
Now, though, Ryuu was embarrassed. Even if she felt something for the silver-haired waitress, which was a mess of feelings unto itself, it was wrong to take advantage of other people's weakness like that. But Ryuu was still a proud elf. She did not want to admit her failures. So, she sat in silence.
"You know," began Oto. "I was thinking. Since this is supposed to be a proper party, it should have a dress code, right?"
"Huh, I guess so," replied Hestia.
"So, we should tell people to dress formally, right?"
Hestia nodded along, smiling. She knew where this conversation was going.
"Let's go dress shopping!"
"Too expensive!" was Lili's immediate reply.
Otohime frowned. "Oh, come on, commander, it could be fun! Besides, we want to look good for our guests, right?" The former princess steepled her hands. "Back home, balls were as important as battlefields. Wearing the right outfit presented power and that you didn't care what everyone else was doing." She held up a single finger. "She who-"
"Please stop trying to sound so smart; your stupid will start showing," said Elwin.
"Hey!"
Elwin rolled his eyes and ignored the glares of Urashima and Otohime. "Even if she's an idiot, I think she's right. Having everyone dress up could be a lot of fun!" said the half-elf. "Besides, we want to make it a proper party, don't we?"
"You just want to see Lefiya in a fancy dress!" claimed Lili, waving her breakfast fork.
"Well, yeah, that's part of it too. I'm pretty sure that's what we all want?" replied Elwin looking around the table. "I mean, not Lefiya specifically, but we all want to see someone or another dressed up and fancy, right?"
Welf nodded along sagely, obviously imagining Hephaestus in a crimson dress. Oto had placed a hand on Ura's thigh, giving him a predatory grin. The bodyguard didn't notice, though, because he was lost in his thoughts of a certain ex-princess. Haruhime and Mikoto both looked at each other, then realized they had been caught staring, and both looked away, blushing. Lili realized that she was very quickly losing ground and looked over to her Captain and Vice-Captain. Bell couldn't look her in the eye. He had seen Ais in a dress, and he wanted to see it again. Ryuu, on the other hand, was very conflicted.
Unfortunately, Lili saw all of this and groaned. She decided on a tactical retreat and waved her hand. Some battles were not worth fighting. Everyone smiled, happy that they would get to see their partners in their absolute best. Which meant that, after breakfast, the ladies all left to go dress shopping. The guys were told to inform their guests of the change. Elwin was going to the Twilight Manor, Ura would stop by Miach and Takemikazuchi Familia, Welf was going to Hephaestus, and Bell would be tracking down Aisha and Eina. Hestia decided that Ryuu was going to the Hostess of Fertility later, using her divine intuition.
Also, in the past week, it had finally started snowing. So, Hestia Familia wrapped themselves up tight in a large bundle of coats and furs.
"Um, Mikoto, I don't think I need any more coats," said a ball of yellow fluff.
Mikoto flushed red. "Apologies, Haruhime. I believe that I got a little overzealous. I just did not want you to catch a cold."
Haruhime waddled over to press a kiss on Mikoto's cheek. "And it is much appreciated, but I think I'll be ok." She grabbed her girlfriend's hand after removing one of her bulkier layers. "Why don't we start making our way to the dress shop?"
The two led the charge outside, the rest of their female Familia members following behind them. The snow crunched under the feet. The second she stepped out, Haruhime sneezed from snowflakes tickling her nose. Mikoto giggled. Otohime bound around like a small child in the white landscape with Lili shouting at her to control herself. In the back, Ryuu and Hestia walked. While the elf was lost in thought, the Goddess laced her hands behind her head.
Hestia wore a thick azure blue coat lined with white fur. Ryuu had on a leaf green peat coat. Both had black stockings to cover their legs.
"So, you tried to talk to Helun yet? Or is her name Syr?"
"She prefers Syr," responded Ryuu. "And no, I haven't talked to her just yet." Ryuu noticed her Goddess's uneasy face. "What's wrong with you?"
Hestia shrugged. "Aisha swung by recently with a thing. It's something for Bell, but it came from Hermes." Ryuu opened her mouth, but Hestia rolled her eyes. "I know, I am going to pass it on, but I want to wait till after the Holy Night Festival." The Goddess frowned. "Whatever it is, I can't imagine it'll make Bell feel super good, even if Hermes calls it a 'gift.'"
Ryuu nodded. The two remained in silence as they walked. Eventually, the elf spoke again.
"I don't know what to say to Syr. I mean, she's not the Syr I know, but she still knows me? As in, she felt who I am?" Began Ryuu. "And then, I abused her kindness and…seduced her…."
Hestia rolled her eyes, but Ryuu didn't notice that.
"It's true, the magic that Helun, or Syr, whatever, uses is complicated. But" continued Hestia. "I don't think it'd be so bad to give Helun a chance. I'm sure it was just as hard for her as it was for the rest of you." Hestia frowned. "Honestly, that's one of the things I hate the most about Freya. Just look at the way she runs her Familia. I'm sure she cares about them, but…."
Ryuu nodded. "I promise, I'll go talk to her after this. But what else is wrong? I don't think it's just about Hermes."
Hestia nodded again. "That's actually something I want to keep under my hat for now, though. I'm still trying to figure out what it is."
Ryuu nodded again, trusting in her Goddess. She knew how much Hestia had grown in the past year, how thoughtful the itty-bitty Goddess had become. The two continued walking, taking in the festive atmosphere of the city around them.
With the Goddess:
In the Tower of Babel, Freya watched the soul of her one-time beloved elf. There was a strange feeling in her heart as if it was in pain. Freya didn't love Ryuu, at least not in the way she loved Bell. But there was a strong undercurrent of something else. Watching her now, Freya lifted a hand to place it over her heart.
"Is there a problem, Lady Freya?" asked Ottar.
"No, I'm fine, Ottar."
"Should I go and grab the elf?"
Freya shook her head. "No, I doubt my dear Ryuu wants anything to do with me now."
Ottar paused. Then, he nodded once.
"As you wish, Lady Freya."
The Goddess of Beauty could've stolen the elf away and charmed her. It would've been easy. But that would ruin her soul, and there was something beautiful there. Thinking back on those times, having friends that liked her for who she was, made Freya happy. She didn't charm Ryuu and the other waitresses, but they chose to be her friends all the same. Even the Goddess of Beauty knew better than to try and change that.
"Ottar, how is the other thing coming along?"
"It goes well, Lady Freya. We are moving ever closer to the starting time."
Freya smiled. "Good, soon, my precious Odr, you will return to me untainted and pure."
With the Girls:
"Oh! That is so cute, Lili!"
Otohime clapped at the yellow dress the Dauntless was wearing.
"Now, give us a twirl!"
Otohime spun a finger. Lili sighed but turned in a circle. The frills at the bottom of the dress, which ended below her knees, rose in the air.
"Wow, Little Miss Supporter, this looks really good on you," commented Hestia.
Lili blushed, her tiny hands clenching into fists. Still, though, she smiled. She decided to buy the dress no matter the price tag.
The rest of the girls followed. Haruhime found a jade green sheath gown that had a specially tailored hole for animal people. At first, the renard was unsure about how much skin the dress showed and how tight it was. Then she saw Mikoto's jaw fall to the floor.
Everyone else moved through their dresses, finding the colours and styles to best suit them. The process took all morning, but no one minded. They had fun and went out for a big lunch afterwards. They found a cozy restaurant off the shopping boulevard. It had a warm hearth and focused on food over drinks. The girls placed their orders and chatted amicably while they waited.
"It's unfortunate we could not find you anything, Mikoto," said Ryuu to her protégé.
The young far-eastern woman tried to smile.
"It was bound to happen. I do not believe I'm the kind of lady-ow! Haruhime, why did you just pinch me?"
The renard had given a severe pinch to her girlfriend. She had to squeeze it as hard as possible to actually get through to the level four. Even then, it was more the surprise of the action that stopped Mikoto than the pain. Her surprise was met with the seriousness of Haruhime's face.
"Don't you dare repeat something that stupid again." The fox girl frowned. "We will find you the most beautiful outfit! And even if we don't, all you would need to wear is a ratty shirt and pants." She cupped Mikoto's face. "No matter what you wore, you'd be the most stunning person I'd see."
She kissed her girlfriend, then, and something in Mikoto's brain fried. She felt her knees turn to mush.
"Oh, come on, you two! Not in public!" called Hestia.
The two jumped away, only just remembering that they were around other people. Mikoto fell backwards, crashing to the floor. Haruhime went to help her but tripped over her own tail. The renard fell face first in Mikoto's chest.
"You two really are helpless, aren't you?" said Hestia, shaking her head.
The rest of Hestia Familia helped the two get back into their seats. Around the restaurant, other adventurers and citizens laughed at the spectacle and sent out catcalls.
"Hey there, foxy lady, why don't you come over-"
The man shouting over reeled backward as a spoon smashed into his forehead. The rest of the restaurant patrons all shut up after that.
"Good throw, Mikoto," commented Otohime.
Mikoto shook her head as Haruhime leaned onto the samurai's shoulder.
"It was ok. I have done better."
"I would've thrown a knife," said Ryuu.
Mikoto frowned. "That sounds a tad extreme."
Ryuu shrugged. "I do tend to take things too far, remember?"
The girls laughed then and proceeded to enjoy the rest of their lunch.
With Loki Familia:
"Itty bitty wants to do a what?" asked Loki, incredulously.
"Lady Hestia wants to impose a dress code. She says that she wants everyone to wear dresses or suits for the party," explained Elwin again.
"We have to wear…dresses?" asked Ais. The Sword Princess considered the last time she went to a formal party. She blushed at the memory of her dance with Bell. "That sounds like fun. Are we still going?"
Loki sighed but nodded. Even if it was a last-minute change, she wasn't going to turn down a chance for free booze and food. The girls of Loki Familia all left to find new dresses, chatting excitedly. Even Ais felt her heartbeat speed up. The thought of dancing with Bell again…. Little Ais smiled and jumped with glee.
Soon, Elwin was left with the older executives of Loki Familia and Bete. The werewolf continued scowling at the half-elf, and Elwin just rolled his eyes.
"Something you want to say, again?"
"Yeah, you need to stay out of the Dungeon, weakling!" Bete growled.
Elwin sighed. "This, again?"
Riveria opened her mouth to intervene when she saw Finn holding a finger up to his mouth. The prum turned to watch the two, a smile on his lips.
"You know, I get that you mean well," began Elwin. "But can you try a different tune for once?"
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
The only thing holding Bete back was that the other executives were sitting in the room. If they weren't there, he'd likely start snapping at the all too casual half-elf.
"I don't know, maybe like trying to help? If you really don't want to cry anymore, maybe help us? Train the people that you call 'weak'?" Elwin fell back into the couch seats, tired from the confrontation. "Just an idea, though."
Bete felt like he was about to explode. The rage was palpable. Riveria readied herself to intervene when the werewolf jumped forward and grabbed the half-elf by the collar.
"Fine then, we'll start now."
Elwin sat back in surprise as he was dragged out of the room. He waved goodbye to Riveria as he left. He did the same when he saw Lefiya. The little elf peeled away from her usual group of Tiona, Tione, and Ais, who were all about to go shopping, and followed.
"What did you do now?" asked Lefiya.
"Asked for him to train me," replied Elwin, content to being dragged. The only uncomfortable part was how his ass was being dragged along the floor.
Lefiya looked over at Bete. "Ok, but please don't kill my boyfriend. I haven't gotten all my uses out of him."
That made the werewolf stop. "Save that shit for the bedroom."
Lefiya turned and walked back to her friends, smiling. Filvis tried to follow her but got stopped by the limited range of her ghostly powers.
"Oh well," said Filvis, turning back around. "At least I get to watch you get your butt kicked."
Elwin frowned, afraid of what he just got himself into.
With the Boy:
With Bell, the young boy walked through the streets alone. At the moment, he was trying to find the Hermes Familia home. He couldn't remember exactly, so he just wandered Daedalus Street without direction. Eventually, his feet took him to Maria's orphanage.
When he got there, the children ran around his legs.
"Big bro Bell!" they screamed.
Maria walked outside soon afterwards. The elderly woman still had a smile on her face.
"How are you doing today?"
"I'm doing ok, Miss Maria," said Bell. "Actually, I'm glad I got lost." He had just had an excellent thought.
"Why's that?" asked Maria.
Bell explained Hestia Familia's upcoming party. He also talked about how much food was going to be there. Along with the food Mikoto and Chigusa were making, they had also hired the Hostess of Fertility for catering. Which served as a pleasant excuse to get the waitresses an invitation for the party. They would work in shifts with other employees Mia was hiring for the season.
But that was a lot of food. And there would only be so many guests. Bell also made sure Maria understood just how much empty space there was at the Hearth Manor. If a group of kids wanted to come and grab their fill of food while eating in a nice room, well, Bell wasn't going to stop them.
Maria reached out to ruffle Bell's hair. The first-class adventurer blushed.
"You are too kind of a soul, Bell Cranel. We'll be happy to stop by."
Bell gave her a large grin, then. Afterwards, he said goodbye to the orphan kids and kept walking around the street. It was while he was searching that an amazon jumped in front of him.
"Bell Cranel!" screamed Aisha.
Bell jumped back in surprise.
"Miss Aisha! How long were you following me?"
The amazon flipped her hair back.
"Long enough, something you wanted to tell me?"
Bell blinked before startling. Something seemed a little off with the amazon as if she was expecting something. It took him a moment to remember why he had been searching for her.
"I wanted to tell you! The dress code for the party has changed! Goddess Hestia wants everyone in a dress or suit."
Aisha nodded along before leaning in close. "I'll have to wear something nice then." She snaked a hand up his arm, squeezing at his bicep. "See if I can finally get you where I want you."
Bell froze, his eyes the size of dinner plates. He was just about ready to bolt when Aisha pulled back. The amazon's face was deadly serious.
"Did your Goddess pass along the tubes from Lord Hermes?"
Bell's mind blanked. Tubes from Hermes? Goddess Hestia had mentioned nothing about any sort of gift from the trickster god. Aisha read his face and nodded.
"Listen, if she took a look like I told her to, then she's holding back on purpose. Ask her about it all you want, but I would give her a pass. What's in there…is nothing to take lightly." The amazon turned and started to saunter off. She waved a hand as she went. "I'll see you around, Bell Cranel."
Bell watched her go but felt his mind sputter out. What was his Goddess keeping from him, and why?
With the Half-Elf:
The sun was starting to set by the time Bete called it a day. Elwin panted, hunched over and sweaty. He barely felt the chill of Winter. The werewolf was relentless and punished every mistake with bruise after bruise. Now that they were done, though, the werewolf had departed promptly, telling Elwin to stop by tomorrow before dawn or 'accept his weakness and stay out of the Dungeon.'
The half-elf fell to the ground, arms splayed out to the side in the snow. His hair had fallen out of its ponytail. It was now all on the frosty lawn, damp from sweat. Elwin closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest and cool down. He knew that he'd be kicked out, eventually, but he needed just a moment of rest. As he lay there, he heard the crunch of ice. His head got lifted off the ground, and he expected to get sent on his way home. Then something warm slipped underneath him. He opened his eyes to find Lefiya smiling down at him. She slowly started running her hands through his hair.
"Fun day?" she asked.
Elwin groaned. "Oh, the best!"
Lefiya giggled. The two enjoyed their moment of peace and quiet. It was a slight cough that interrupted them. They turned to find Riveria standing a couple feet away.
"I've actually been meaning to talk to the two of you," said the high elf.
Elwin, reluctantly, sat up from Lefiya's lap. He crossed his legs and looked up at his big sister.
"What's up?"
"I just want to formally congratulate the two of you on your relationship," said Riveria. "I also wanted to do my duty as a big sister and mentor."
Before either could ask what she meant, Riveria turned to Lefiya. The little elven mage felt herself wither under the high elf's glare.
"Lefiya, I only have one little brother. If you hurt him or break his heart, that will be the end of your relationship with me."
Elwin opened his mouth to interrupt when Riveria turned to glare at him.
"Elwin, this is my personal apprentice. I care about her a great deal. If you hurt her or break her heart, that will be the end of our relationship."
She looked between the two.
"Do I make myself clear?"
They both nodded, dumbstruck.
Riveria nodded in return, satisfied, before turning to walk away.
"You know what, I think it's time for me to go home. I'll see you later?"
Lefiya nodded, a little terrified. They parted ways, and Elwin made his way home in the cold.
With the Waitress:
Helun, who was once Syr, had not had an easy time. After her secret had been revealed, life was not easy. The people of Freya Familia said she was a traitor to the Goddess. Freya had let her leave, which Helun considered a blessing now. In the beginning, though, she had wanted to stay. Her love for Freya still existed, and she still felt ready to devote herself. Freya listened to none of it, though. Instead, the Goddess explained how dangerous it would be to stay. Nothing could be done to hold them back from taking Helun out. Even Ottar glared at her. So, Freya persuaded her to leave. The girl with transforming magic had finally been able to escape her cage. She was finally allowed to be herself.
The only problem was no one trusted her. Any Familia that did even a little background check on her soon discovered who she was and where she came from. There had been nowhere for Helun to go. Eventually, she had ended up trying to live on her own in the Dungeon. Freya had chosen not to wipe her status away, so she could theoretically take care of herself. However, this proved harder than first thought. Without a supporter or a party to back her up, her meagre skills only took her so far.
One day, after receiving a bad injury from a wayward monster, she had fallen into an alleyway. She sat in the cold and felt the strength begin to leave her body. It was stupid, really; it was a blow she should've been able to dodge. But she didn't want to. Helun was so tired. She wanted to sleep. As she leaned against the wall of a ramshackle building near her apartment, she felt her eyelids grow heavy.
'Yes, a chance to sleep, to dream, how wonderful,' thought the girl who had once wanted to be a Goddess.
However, it was not meant to be.
"Hey! I think I found her!"
A voice that sounded familiar. Why did the voice sound familiar? She fought through her exhaustion and tried to open her eyes. The image was blurry, but she could make out a bit of well-known green.
"Nyan! It's about time! Another day and Mama would've killed us!"
"Nyan! You got that right! Nyan!"
Two more voices that sounded so damn familiar. The sounds of friends she didn't deserve. Friends that were not even hers.
"Chloe! Come grab a shoulder! Anya, can you run ahead and tell Mama?"
Helun heard more noises, and then she was being lifted.
"Here, I've brought a potion, just in case."
Something got pressed to Helun's lips. She turned her head to find ahead of black hair looking down at her.
"I'd don't think she can drink it, Chloe. Probably best to apply it straight to the wound," said the voice on Helun's other side. Ahead of straight brown hair.
Suddenly, something cool dripping onto her wound. Helun couldn't help the sigh the escaped her lips.
"You just take it easy, ok? We'll get you home," said the black hair.
For the first time since she left Lady Freya, Helun felt safe. Her eyes closed, and she dreamed.
When she awoke, the first thought in her head was, 'comfy.' Her eyes fluttered awake, and she was faced with the familiar sight of a Hostess bedroom. Her memories clicked, and she started connecting the dots. By the sunlight falling into her room, she knew it was morning. Slowly, she sat up and examined her wound. The primary injury was fine. And a bunch of other minor cuts and bruises she hadn't the money or time to heal correctly were also gone. She felt as right as rain.
Helun glanced around the room to find one of the Hostess's uniforms folded neatly on a desk. She couldn't see any other clothes, so she put on the outfit to cover herself up and slipped downstairs. Thankfully, someone had included a pair of shoes for her to wear as well. In the central part of the tavern, the waitresses were busy at work. They weren't open yet, but they still had a lot to do.
No one seemed to notice her, so Helun coughed into her hand to get everyone's attention. The waitresses ignored her, but a shout came from the back room.
"Girlie! Get in here!"
"That's you, nyan," said Chloe, bustling by with a broom.
Helun, still confused, turned and passed through the door. She was greeted with the sight of Mama Mia standing next to a sink full of dirty dishes.
"You can start with this, and we'll see how good you do. Do well enough, and I might let you into the front room."
Mia began to walk out the door.
"Wait a second!"
Mia stopped and fixed Helun with a glare so intense that the girl shrivelled into her shoes.
"You trying to skip out on work?"
Helun was so petrified, all she could manage was a little squeaking noise.
"You cost me, two good waitresses. I'm understaffed, and you look like you need some help. Now, start washing dishes. I'll get May to make you a decent meal."
Helun could only nod.
Still, though, Mia stood there, arms crossed. It took Helun a minute to understand.
"Yes, Mama!"
The young adventurer jumped to work.
Months passed, and Helun slipped into her new role. Three months in, and she started asking for the others to call her Syr. Some tried, like May and Chloe, but it was too hard for some, like Anya. Their Syr had vanished. Which made it all the more confusing for Helun. Why had they saved her?
"Because nyan!" screamed Anya one day. "You're not Syr! But you're like her, right?" The catgirl frowned. "You know us, and you need help. We'd be mean not to, nyan."
Chloe and Lunoire nodded along as if Anya's logic made perfect sense. Helun didn't, but she stayed anyway.
Five months in, and she found Mia behind the bar after closing hours. The demi dwarf was cleaning mugs, a vacant expression in her eyes.
"Mama Mia?" asked Helun.
Mia sighed, setting the now spotless glass down.
"Do you think they're ok?"
Helun tilted her head to the side.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Mia nodded to the doors leading outside.
"Ryuu and…you know who. Do you think they're doing ok?"
The thought of the elf with sky-blue eyes made Helun's heart stutter. She had earned all of Freya's feelings, even the ones she didn't understand. When it came to Ryuu…it was very complicated. The Goddess kept a special place in her heart for people who affiliated with Syr. And the feelings around Ryuu were…fond, to say the least. Helun knew it was stupid. She had barely interacted with Ryuu. And Ryuu for sure did not know about the real Helun. The young woman looked up at Mia.
"I think Ryuu will be ok. I am not so sure about Lady Freya," said Helun. She looked at Mia. "Do you worry about her?"
Mia nodded. "I do, even if I want to throttle her sometimes."
The old part of Helun got angry then. Apparently, her obsession with Freya was not as dead as she thought. Ever since Bell had been forced to leave, Helun thought she had broken Freya's charm. She had been reluctant to leave the Goddess but had thought those were the last of her old feelings. Not so, apparently.
"Sometimes, when I would share Lady Freya's emotions," began Helun. "She would always feel…so lonely…."
Mia nodded. "I agree. It's part of why I followed her ridiculous plan to be a serving girl. She needed something outside of her Familia."
The ex-top tier grunted then. She followed that by thumping Helun over the head.
"Never mind that now, though. Get back to work, girlie. You don't have time to worry about others."
Helun smiled. "Yes, Mama!"
A year had passed, and things had settled down. Then, that strange night with Dixen Trebule happened. The bard had said that he had seen Hestia Familia. And then later, the messenger from Loki Familia explained what they had heard. The very next day, Hestia Familia had returned. The other waitresses jumped at the opportunity to go find their elven sister. When faced with the same option, Helun shied away. Thoughts of Ryuu clouded her head. But she didn't feel worthy, not yet anyway.
Ryuu returned, and Helun was happy. And Ryuu wanted to be her friend, and she thought that would be enough.
With the Elf:
Ryuu sat in the Familia's library, snuggled under a blanket Mikoto had knit for her. The weather had turned even colder, and everyone had decided to stay inside. So, Ryuu thought she was in the clear.
"Ohhh, Ryuu!" called Hestia, smirking. "You still need to let everyone at the Hostess know about the changes."
The Goddess had poked her head inside the door. Ryuu groaned as she closed her book. Just when it was getting interesting!
"Have fun walking in the snow!" said Hestia.
Ryuu dashed to catch up with her Goddess.
"Lady Hestia, did you talk to Bell?"
Hestia froze before shaking her head. Ryuu frowned.
"He asked me yesterday about some kind of canisters. I think Aisha told him about the delivery. This means that you need to talk to him before he gets the wrong idea."
Hestia sighed. "Fine, but you talk to Helun first."
Ryuu turned red to the tips of her ears but proceeded to put on a jacket. She wound her scarf around her neck. She strode out into the street, the frost under her feet cracking as she walked. She moved with purpose, trying to summon her courage. It didn't help that she could hear the voices of Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra teasing her as she went. Alise was all bold words of encouragement, shouting loudly. Kaguya made fun of Ryuu and kept teasing her. Lyra just cracked jokes like it was the simplest thing in the world. Thankfully, they served as pleasant distractions. Without realizing it, Ryuu had already arrived at her destination. She pushed through the door to find the other waitresses hard at work.
Mia, who was standing at the bar, just jammed her thumb towards the back.
"Get going and help the girl with the dishes. She's been useless ever since that party of yours." Mia smiled. "Trapped in her own little world of humming and singing."
Ryuu blushed but moved forward. "Thank you, Mama."
She passed through the kitchen, waving at May, and found Helun tending to the dishes. By the look of it, the silver-haired serving girl was not doing the most tedious chore here. Instead, she smiled and seemed to whistle as she worked. Helun turned her head at the noise of Ryuu passing through the swinging doors. When she saw the green-haired elf, she smiled and forgot her work.
"How are you, Ryuu?" asked Helun, bounding over.
"Well," was Ryuu's clipped response.
Helun made to grab Ryuu's hands, but the elf pulled away.
"Oh, right, sorry. You don't like people touching, right?" Helun turned a dark shade of red. "Kind of forgot after that night of ours."
Ryuu felt the heat climb up her neck.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," said Ryuu. The elf dipped her head. "I took advantage of you that night, and I'm sorry."
Helun tilted her head. "Took advantage of me? What on Earth are you talking about?"
Ryuu flinched. "I was feeling lonely and seduced you for my own selfish reasons. Again, I apologize."
Ryuu looked at the floor, ready for anger, but heard nothing. Then, slowly, a strange high-pitched sound filled the room. The elven warrior looked up to find Helun laughing continuously into her hand. She was trying to muffle the sound but failed horribly. Ryuu suddenly felt a little stupid.
"Why are you laughing at me?" she asked.
"I'm sorry!" replied Syr, waving a hand. "I didn't mean to laugh… it's just…." Helun kept laughing. "Ryuu, you didn't seduce me. You can't even flirt!"
Ryuu's mouth dropped.
"Yes, I can!" she declared indignantly. "I flirted with you the whole night!"
Helun shook her head. "No, you didn't. You got drunk and messed up all your pickup lines." Now Helun was smirking. "But I thought you looked cute, so I let you carry me to your place."
Ryuu stood there gaping like a fish. Syr rolled her eyes before dragging the elf to the front. She pulled up a chair and forcefully shoved the elf into it. Then, Syr pulled a chair opposite her.
"Ryuu, you weren't the only one feeling lonely or rejected." Syr reached out again. Ryuu let her. "If you're not ready, that's fine. And if I'm honest, I don't think I'm ready either." Syr looked towards the doors. "I barely remember who I was before Lady Freya found me, and I don't know how different that girl is from this one now." Syr looked back to Ryuu. "So, you take all the time in the world. I'll be waiting for when you're ready."
Syr stood up, preparing to get back to work. That's when Ryuu found her footing.
"The party! You need to wear a dress!" she cried out. The other waitresses stopped to look at her. "Goddess Hestia has imposed a dress code, so you have to look your best for the party." Ryuu looked at the floor. She heard Syr walk back over. The waitress lifted Ryuu's chin with a single finger. And the unstoppable elven warrior felt herself get lost in the pools of silver before her.
"A dress, huh? Ok, but I assume that means you'll be wearing one too?"
Ryuu nodded. Syr puckered her lips, and Ryuu unintentionally leaned forward. Before she could close the distance, though, Syr pulled away.
"I'll see you there, Ryuu!"
The elf sat there, bewildered, while the other waitresses shook their heads and rolled their eyes.
With the Boy:
Back in the Hearth Manor, Bell walked down the hall towards the library. His thoughts were still clouded by what Aisha had told him, and he worried that something terrible was coming. So, he looked to find a distraction. That was when a voice spoke up behind him.
"Hey, Bell," said Goddess Hestia. The boy turned to look at the most important person in his world. "I know you heard about it, but I just wanted to let you know." The Goddess gulped audibly. "I have something from Hermes. I don't know what they are, but Aisha said that they're something you watch apparently."
From behind Goddess Hestia appeared two matte black canisters. They were smaller than he expected. She held them out towards the boy called Bell Cranel.
