Chapter 24: Panic on the Dance Floor
"Hestia, remind me: why am I here, again?" Taylor asked in a tone of exasperated suffering as Lucia and the two newbies Emma and Silva were helping her and Hestia shop for dresses. It'd been going on for a while already, and she'd tried on several stores worth of outfits. Literally. They'd been in and out of half a dozen boutiques and visited numerous seamstresses trying to find something for the two of them to wear.
The problem was, perhaps unsurprisingly, their size. Hestia was quite short, but also rather 'blessed' in the chest area. She was just barely too tall to fit into pallum clothing, but too short for most human outfits.
Taylor had the opposite problem. She was tall. Taller than most people in Orario, save a handful. The only woman as tall as her that Taylor had met so far was Mia Grande, owner of the Hostess of Fertility, and the parahuman was significantly more svelte than the giant of a woman as well so she couldn't exactly ask about where she went shopping.
"Because the invite said I had to bring along the captain of my Familia to the party," Hestia replied as she held up a pair of dresses. "What do you think? Red? Or blue?"
"Blue. And I'm not the captain," Taylor said.
"Miss Taylor, you are totally the captain," Lucia said, shaking her head a little.
"You do the paperwork with me, you take charge in battle, and you're always trying to push us to do better," Hestia said, ticking off the different reasons they all thought Taylor deserved the position.
"What about Bell? He's stronger than me. And he joined first."
"Just because he was the first child to join my Familia doesn't mean he is captain material," Hestia said. "If you weren't here, and you hadn't leveled up so quickly, he'd be my first choice. But you've shown you're capable enough for the role. There's nobody else I'd trust with this duty."
She then looked to the side, shifty-eyed. "And, well, I may have submitted paperwork to the Guild saying you were the captain?"
"How long ago?" the parahuman asked, dreading the answer.
"Uh, when I sent in your Level Up notification documents?"
Taylor let out a groan as Hestia let out a nervous 'Tee-hee!' and tried to act cute, but instead received a bonk on the head.
"Bad Hestia. No cookies for dessert tonight," Taylor declared, causing the mini-goddess to tear up.
"B-but you said you'd make snickerdoodles!" Hestia whined.
"…Fine, maybe a few," Taylor muttered, feeling bad when she saw the crying face, and was unable to resist the puppy eyes.
Silva snickered a little while Emma giggled at the interaction. The pink-haired girl was still a little stiff and nervous around Taylor and Hestia, but she was getting more comfortable in her new Familia and warming up quickly to them. Silva was helpful in easing Emma in as well, as the catgirl had a natural charisma and charm that put people at ease around her.
"So, Hestia, tell me about Apollo," Taylor requested as she tried on a the blue dress Hestia had picked out.
"He's a sleezy pervert," Hestia said bluntly. "He was always trying to hit on me in Tenkai, but he'd hit on anybody with a nice face. His whole Familia is filled with handsome men and pretty women. Though they're also all adventurers, so don't let their beauty fool you."
"One-hundred and sixteen Familia members, according to the Guild's records," Taylor recited, having discreetly looked into the Guild's records when she'd heard about the event. "Their Captain is Level 3, and the only one who is. They have quite a few Level 2s, numbering at thirty-eight. There's nobody who could be considered middle-aged in his Familia, either, so their veterans are fewer than other Familias of similar size."
Hestia squinted at Taylor suspiciously. "Did you ask for that information, or did you steal it?"
"No comment," Taylor replied, and Hestia grumbled something under her breath about being a fly on the wall, which the parahuman found rather hilarious.
"Regardless of how you found out about that… yeah, sounds right," Hestia nodded. "Apollo is also a narcissist. He's throwing this party to show off how 'fabulous' he is, and is only allowing the other gods to bring their captains along because he wants to flaunt his captain as well."
"I've heard he often picks fights with smaller Familias," Lucia said nervously. "And then tries to steal people he considers 'beautiful' from them."
"Same," Silva said with a nod.
"He doesn't sound very nice," Emma muttered.
"That does seem like something he'd do," Hestia sighed, before perking up as she found a dress. "Ooo! This is pretty! Try it on, Taylor!"
The parahuman took it and grimaced. It was too frilly for her tastes, but she did so because refusing would just make Hestia sad. And seeing her sad was like getting kicked in the heart.
"You look nice!" Emma said happily when Taylor stepped out.
"I suppose. Do they have anything less… frilly?" Taylor asked, tugging on some of the laces decorating the sleeves of the outfit.
"What about this one?" Silva asked, walking over with something she'd pulled out from… somewhere.
Taylor examined it. It was a long, shimmery blue cocktail dress with a slit along the right leg. There were no ostentatious additions to it, and compared to some of the other outfits, was very plain. But it looked like it'd fit her, and so Taylor took it.
Upon emerging everyone gasped and clapped.
"It looks great on you!" Hestia declared.
"It really does, Miss Taylor!" Lucia agreed.
"It's not the worst thing I've tried on today," Taylor muttered, looking at herself in the mirror, and through the eyes of her swarm. It was just a little too short, but not that bad.
"And it's cheap, too!" Silva said. Taylor checked the price tag, and nodded slowly.
"Yes. This will do." Ten thousand valis for a dress was somewhat pricy but well within her budget.
"My turn, now!" Hestia said happily. "Let's do this!"
Delving into the store, they eventually found something that fit her. It was also blue, but a lighter shade so it complimented Taylor's. It had frilly hems and was lightly ruffled along the sleeves. It was cute. Add in some blue hairbands, and it was an excellent looking outfit for her.
Taylor had wanted to make silk dresses for the two of them, but the last minute nature of the invitation, combined with the other orders Taylor was still working on, meant that for now, they had to buy the dresses premade.
With the preparations for party done, at least on the dress front, the remainder of the week was spent waiting. And training. Taylor made sure to grind her new Familia members into the dirt to learn how they fought, and what they needed to improve on.
All three of them had prior combat experience, and both Leo and Emma had actually fought monsters before. Only minor ones that dwelt within the wilderness beyond civilization, but it was better than Silva. She was the only one of the trio who had never do so, partly due to never having left the city before. Still, she had gotten some self-defense lessons from a couple of adventurer friends and was able to keep up with the others.
"That was a good workout," Taylor said, praising the newbies. Bell and the others were in the Dungeon while the Parahuman was drilling some
"When will we be going into the Dungeon?" Leo asked, panting a little.
"Soon. After the party," Taylor promised.
"Finally!" Silva huffed, flopping onto the grass.
"Better to sweat now than bleed later," Taylor said firmly.
"Um, can I ask you about how you got so strong, Miss Taylor?" Emma asked, and the parahuman blinked at the question.
"Hard work," she said simply. "And fighting. Lots of fighting."
"It can't be that simple," Leo muttered under their breath.
"Why did you ask, anyways?" Taylor wondered, looking at Emma.
"…My sister is strong," Emma admitted softly. "But she doesn't think I have what it takes to be an adventurer. I want to be like her, but… I'm afraid I'll let her down."
"She's an adventurer?" Taylor asked. When Emma nodded, Taylor frowned a little.
"I never had siblings. But I knew a few people who did," Taylor eventually said. "And for the most part, siblings always want what's best for each other. It sounds to me like your sister just wanted you to be safe. She didn't want you risking your life for mere coin in a place like the Dungeon."
"I see," Emma said. "I guess that makes sense."
"However, she doesn't have the right to decide how you live your life," Taylor added. "Do what you want. Live how you want. If you want to be strong, become strong. So long as you don't hurt other people, I honestly don't care what you do."
"…Thank you, Miss Taylor," Emma said, sounding a little bit more upbeat.
"Oh! Is your sister Sophia Flores?" Silva asked excitedly, getting her face up close to Emma's.
"Ah?! Y-yes?!" Emma stammered out.
"I thought so," Silva said with a nod. "You sorta look like her."
"You know my sister?" Emma asked. "Is she… doing alright?"
"She's fine. I see her sometimes when she visits my favorite Jagamarukun stall. She really likes spicy food," Silva said.
"There's only one Jagamarukun stall in the city," Taylor pointed out. Hestia had bought it from the original owner, after all.
"And that's why it's my favorite!" Silva giggled.
"Makes sense," Leo said, nodding along with that logic.
Taylor and Emma both squinted suspiciously at the swordswoman. They could never tell if Leo was joking or not. She had such a good poker face.
"Anyways… you three are done for the day. Clean up for now, and we'll meet with Bell and the others for dinner later," Taylor informed them.
"Wooo!" Silva cheered, grabbing Emma and Leo and dragging them off to the nearest bathhouse. Taylor watched them leave with a shake of her head, before turning around.
"You can come out now," Taylor said, and after a moment Ryuu appeared, stepping out from the shadows of a nearby building.
"I apologize for sneaking up on you," Ryuu said.
"I knew where you were the moment you approached the church," Taylor informed her. Ryuu blinked slowly before nodding.
"I came here to ask you for something," Ryuu said, deciding to ignore what Taylor had just said.
"Depends on what it is," the parahuman said.
"I was hoping… that is to say…" Ryuu said, fidgeting a bit.
"Let me guess. Smallclothes?" Taylor asked, using the local term for underwear, and the waitress nodded slowly, embarrassed.
"Come along, then," Taylor sighed. This was not the first time an elf had come to her in a discreet manner asking for undergarments made of spider silk. Riveria and a few others from Loki Familia had approached her in the same manner since the events on the 18th Floor.
The elvish aversion to touch and nudity was extreme, to the point they acted like the very act of speaking about underwear was something shameful. It was almost amusing, but made them annoying customers.
By the time Taylor had coaxed Ryuu out of her clothes and then gotten her measurements, the sun was setting, the three new Familia members were back from their bathes, and it was time for Ryuu to be heading back out to the Hostess of Fertilityfor her evening shift.
"Don't worry, Miss Lion! We'll escort you there safely!" Emma said, blissfully unaware that the elf she was offering to protect on her way to work was more than capable of defending herself.
"Thank you," Ryuu said, humoring the girl with a tiny yet fond smile on her face.
"Bell and the others are here," Taylor suddenly announced, detecting them as they entered her range. Or rather, she sensed the bugs hidden away on their bodies. "Let's go reserve a table."
"You can sense them from that far away?" Ryuu asked, surprised.
Taylor said nothing, but her silence confirmed it in the elf's mind. When Ryuu next looked at the newly minted Level 2 adventurer, it was with a calculating look, as if she was assessing a threat with new eyes.
The parahuman didn't mind. It was actually comforting in a paradoxical way to know somebody in this city saw her as the dangerous creature she truly was.
Whatever Ryuu thought about her didn't have any influence on her service, though, as she escorted the Hestia Familia members over to an empty table upon returning at the Hostess of Fertility. She then left them with Syr to take their orders while she went to the back to change into her uniform.
"Welcome back, Miss Taylor!" Syr said cheerfully. "And hello to you newbies as well! I hope Miss Taylor hasn't been running you too ragged."
"Hiya!" Silva said happily, waving back at the waitress.
"It's fine, an adventurer cannot falter from something as mundane as training!" Leo declared.
"That's right!" Emma agreed. "And Miss Taylor is just trying to make sure we're ready for whatever the Dungeon throws at us!"
"Glad to hear it! So, what can I get you?" Syr inquired.
"Water to start with," Taylor requested. "A pitcher for the table. Foodwise, what sort of specials do you have?"
"We just got some lobsters from Melen today!" Syr informed her. "So we whipped up a nice lobster bisque! It comes with rye bread for dunking. And the main dish for the evening is a spaghetti and meatball dish made with some peppers and other spices mixed into the meat and the sauce."
"That sounds good, I'll have both of that," Taylor requested. "Girls, order whatever you want. And give me a second to ask the others what they want."
At the exact same moment in another part of the city, Bell and the rest were walking back from the Dungeon. They'd just spent hours ripping through the 10th through 15th Floors, harvesting plenty of resources as they went and were tired yet also still on guard. Hence why, why one of Taylor's bug clones formed in front of them, Lili shrieked and fired her crossbow into it, while Bell and Welf slashed at it and Iris kicked it. Only Lucia didn't try to attack, but only because she'd teleported onto a nearby roof to try and get a better vantage point.
"Good reflexes, very quick to react," Taylor praised through the swarm. "But next time, make sure you find out if they're really a target or not."
"Sorry," everyone apologized.
"Anyways, we're at the Hostess right now. Tell me what you want and I'll order it for you, so by the time you arrive, it should be ready," Taylor requested.
They sheepishly passed along what food they wanted, and Taylor dutifully relayed it to Syr, who was giving the parahuman a bemused look.
"Everything will be ready soon," Syr said as she went off to deliver the orders to the kitchen and then fetch their drinks.
Just as Taylor had claimed, Bell and the others arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later, taking their seats with sighs of relief.
"Tough day?" Taylor inquired.
"There were some large parties on the 10th and 11th Floors, monopolizing the monsters there," Welf said with a huff of annoyance. "We had to move on to deeper areas to get anything."
"And when we did, something had riled up the Almiraj, causing them to spawn in ridiculous numbers. Must have been hundreds of them!" Iris complained. Taylor nodded sympathetically. Iris and Welf weren't as fast as the other three members of the party, and their height made the shorter and faster bipedal rabbits tricky opponents.
"It wasn't all bad, though. We got plenty of Almiraj fur!" Lucia said, happy to have gotten her hands on some of the soft and white material. Whatever she wanted to do with her share of the loot was her business, and Taylor expected to see some new items in the store soon.
"Lili, you look rather happy," Taylor noted, looking at the shortest member of the party.
"It's wonderful! Lili has finally got enough money to pay off Lili's debts and leave the Soma Familia!" the young pallum said happily.
"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you, Lili!" Bell said, and Lili chuckled and blushed.
'Another one claimed by Bell's charm,' Taylor thought to herself in amusement. Aloud, she said, "If you need us to go with you to make sure your Captain doesn't try and cheat you, let us know."
"Lili wants to say that Zanis wouldn't do that, but Lili doesn't want to be a liar," the pallum sighed. "Would you come with Lili?"
"Of course," Taylor promised.
"And, when Lili is free… can Lili join your Familia?" she asked softly, looking up at Taylor and Bell with hopeful eyes.
"We wouldn't have it any other way!" Bell declared, and Taylor nodded in agreement.
"You're stuck with us," she joked, and Lili giggled happily.
When the food arrived a little later, small talk was put to the side in favor of filling hungry bellies. The spices added a nice kick to the pasta, and Taylor was curious about the recipe they'd used for the sauce, as it wasn't too thick or too thin.
'This would go great with lasagna,' Taylor mused to herself, but she knew Mama Mia would never give up her recipes easily. As she thought of a way to get the information from the retired adventurer and perhaps improve the culinary scene of Orario with dishes from her world, a person started to approach their table.
A Level 1 pallum with a very round face and short hair was weaving towards them, acting like he was drunk, but Taylor's swarm was able to detect no alcohol on his breath.
When he got closer to them, the faker tried to trip and dump his full mug all over Bell, but the parahuman reacted first, stinging the back of his hand with a horsefly, causing the adventurer to yelp and drop his mug, getting the floor wet and dirty, but more importantly, not drenching Bell.
"Shit! You bitch!" the pallum shouted, glaring at Taylor. "What the hell?!"
"Luan," Lili said, her tone of voice dry as a desert. "What do you want?"
"This crazy bitch attacked me!" Luan uttered angrily, pointing accusingly at Taylor who just stared blandly at him.
Two more adventurers got up from their seats and went to back up Luan, sneering at the Hestia Familia and friends.
The commotion had instantly been noticed by the people in the store, but none were reacting yet, content to watch and wait. After all, it was free entertainment!
"Why'd you hurt our friend?" a human demanded.
"Yeah! You think you can get away with that?" an elf asked.
"Now, now, Alto, Laon, I'm sure she'll be willing to compensate us," Luan said with a smarmy smirk. "She wouldn't want to start a fight with us. Not with so many people here watching."
Taylor just raised an eyebrow at their antics. Really? Trying to extort her? It was almost cute, in a stupid way.
"No," she said, before looking away, ignoring them. They didn't like that at all, and scowled even harder.
"You think you're better than us just because you somehow cheated your way to Level 2?!" Luan demanded?"
"No, I think I'm better than you because I'm not trying to pick a fight in a pub over dropping a mug," Taylor replied bluntly. "Now leave. Or I'll make you."
"You can't make us go anywhere!" Alto the human scoffed.
"You're right. I can't. But they can," Taylor said, gesturing towards Anya and Ryuu, the two powerful ex-adventurers watching the scene with amusement, just waiting for a chance to step in.
"Threatening members of the Apollo Familia?" a new person interjected in a disdainful tone. "You're truly getting too uppity for your own good, newcomers."
This induvial was a blond elf, and from the hum surrounding him, was a Level 2 adventurer. He was alternating between glaring at Taylor and trying to kill Welf with his gaze alone.
"I'm not threatening you. If I was, you'd know," Taylor replied with a tiny scoff. "This is me being polite."
Then, the shadows began to buzz ominously, and everyone looked around nervously. "Do you want me to stop being polite?"
The elf tensed up, as did Luan and his cronies, but before things could devolve into violence, somebody else intervened.
"Hey, hey, why don't ya calm down, Lissos?" a gruff voice called out, and everyone now glanced over to the newcomer who'd stepped in on behalf of the Hestia Familia.
"Mord," Taylor said, nodding curtly at the adventurer in greeting.
"Yo! Weaver! Lucky Rabbit!" the other Level 2 said, waving a hand at them as he slung his other arm around the Apollo adventurer's shoulders.
Lissos the elf immediately shook the man off, scowling at Mord. "How uncouth," he sneered.
"Buddy, I'm just trying to save you an ass whoopin'," Mord chuckled. "Or are you seriously gonna and try and provoke 'em?"
"They're weaklings who aren't even trying to fight back," Lissos scoffed.
"Buddy, They're not fighting back because they're weak, they're not fighting back because they have manners. Oh, and because it wouldn't be a fight at all," Mord said, his smile dropping from his face.
"I saw the Lucky Rabbit take a magic weapon and do something to it that allowed him to blow up the Black Goliath, dealing more damage than two dozen mages and other high-ranked long-range adventurers. And I witnessed Weaver command hundreds of monsters at once to protect and rescue countless people, and then deliver the finishing blow to the Monster Rex by jumping off of a monster in midair and then using her teeth to tear her way to its Magic Stone. So please. Go ahead. I really want to see what would happen to you if you're dumb enough to actually get them angry."
Lissos glared at Mord, but there was hesitation and uncertainty dancing in his eyes, and after a moment he scoffed and stormed off. Luan and his cronies scurried after the more powerful Apollo Familia member a moment later, their exit accompanied by jeers and laughter from the other patrons.
"Thank you for intervening," Taylor said, giving a nod towards the former antagonist.
"Yes! Thank you for your help, Mr. Mord!" Bell agreed, bowing his head towards the other adventurer, who blushed and scratched his cheek.
"Heh, just paying ya back for the help you gave me and my buddies in the Dungeon," Mord replied sheepishly.
He then shot them a look of warning. "Just stay on your guard, okay? The Apollo Familia has some unsavory types in it, and they don't exactly have a good reputation around here."
Several adventurers nodded in agreement at his words, and Taylor inclined her head.
"Thank you for warning. We'll keep our eyes open," she promised.
"Mmm. I suppose nobody would be able to sneak up on you anyways, Bug Girl," Mord said, winking at her. She just rolled her eyes at his use of that nickname.
"Now that the people bringing the mood down are gone, let's get back to more important things. Like this lobster bisque," Taylor suggested, which everyone happily agreed with.
However, even as she finished eating, Taylor kept a close eye on the quartet of Apollo Familia adventurers through her swarm. She had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time they'd see them.
111 &&& 111
After several days, it was finally time for the event at the Apollo Familia's manor, and Hestia had booked a trip to a spa and salon for the two of them. The hairdressers had brushed and cleaned their hair, and given Taylor's a bit of a perm, so her long black hair was slightly wavy. It looked nice, and Taylor considered keeping the look.
Hestia had decided to let her hair down as well, forgoing her twin-tail style and letting it hang down in an ebony waterfall, while keeping it in place with a blue headband studded with lapis lazuli.
"Are you ready?" Hestia asked. They two had helped each other get dressed in the church's bedroom, and were now ready to make their way to the Sunlight Manor, home of the Apollo Familia.
"Almost. One more thing. Here," Taylor said, opening the wardrobe and pulling something out of it. She handed over a white shawl with Hestia's emblem woven onto it to the shorter woman, who took it with excitement.
"Pretty!" Hestia gushed as she admired the garment. "Did you make this yourself?"
"I did," the parahuman nodded. She hadn't had enough time to make a full dress out of spider silk for either of them, so this was the best she could offer at the moment.
"He-he-heh!" Hestia giggled as she threw in over her shoulders. "Thank you, Taylor! Loki is gonna be so jealous!"
Taylor raised an eyebrow at the mention of Hestia's rival, but eventually decided it wasn't any of her concern.
Instead, Taylor pulled out something she'd made for herself from the wardrobe. It was a white spider silk half-cape that was designed to drape over her shoulders and cover up her missing arm. It looked rather good, almost knightly in design, and it also had the Familia emblem on it for all to see.
"That looks so cool!" Hestia gushed.
"We better go. Don't want to be late," Taylor replied, hiding a blush by shunting her feeling into the swarm. She couldn't keep a tiny blush off of her cheeks at the praise, though. Even if Hestia was just saying all of that to be polite, it was nice to praised for her looks.
Walking out of the bedroom, they found Bell on the couch, smiling widely when he spotted them.
"You two look amazing! So beautiful!" he praised, causing Hestia to giggle happily and Taylor to look down bashfully.
"Come on," Taylor said, tugging on Hestia's hand. "And Bell? Have a good evening."
"I will! I'll gonna meet up with the others. We'll be getting Lili out of the Soma Familia tonight!" he told her.
"Is that so?" she asked.
"Yup. Lili confirmed that Zanis will be attending the event since the Soma Familia is providing some of the wine, but Soma won't be there himself. It's the only chance we have to avoid the captain and approach Soma directly. We have the money, and Zanis won't be there to try and stop us."
"Good luck with that," Taylor said. "If you have any trouble, come get me."
Bell just nodded, and Hestia gave a few words of encouragement to him before linking arms with Taylor.
Upon leaving the church, they made their way to their transportation. Taylor had decided that if she had to be the captain, she'd at least arrive in style. To that end, she'd rented a carriage, but instead of having a horse pull it, Chris was given that honor. The carriage driver had been nervous, but the Crystal Mantis was docile.
'The hefty bonus I was willing to pay him probably helped,' Taylor thought in amusement as the carriage trundled off to the upper-class district of the eastern half of Orario.
The Sunlight Manor was big, more than enough to fit all of its Familia members, but it also had a large, well-maintained yard and back garden. Surrounded on all sides by a tall iron fence, the building was lit up with numerous lanterns, and a line of carriages and other methods of transport were slowly entering through the front gate.
"Impressive," Taylor murmured. "Though the décor could be better."
Seriously, who thought dozens of marble statues, busts, and paintings of oneself was a good idea? Apollo, apparently, and they were scattered throughout the building.
'At least Ganesha only has the one statue of himself, big as it may be. I'm fairly certain he's also hiding his true intelligence behind that carefree façade. This guy though… the word 'narcissist' immediately springs to mind,' Taylor thought to herself.
Still, she put on her game face and, when the carriage came to a stop, she helped Hestia out and escorted her to the doors. There were plenty of eyes on them, as other guests couldn't help but stare. Mostly at the monster-pulled transport they'd arrived in, admittedly, but Hestia also drew gazes.
"Ooo, a buffet!" Hestia said, drooling a little when she spotted the free food in a corner of the ballroom that the party was being hosted in.
Taylor simply scanned the room, analyzing everyone. The hum of power was loud, and so many different sources overlapped each other it created a cacophony. The parahuman could feel a headache forming the longer she was around everything.
However, some people definitely stood out. One was a huge boaz that towered over everyone else. His hum was more a scream, and sounded like the roar of a waterfall.
Another was Finn, the pallum's hum not having changed from the spear swish and clatter of game pieces, but it had intensified.
The two Level 7s of Orario, gathered in one room. It was quite daunting. The leaders of their Familia were no less impressive. Loki was a red-headed woman with a svelte figure, and her hum sounded like a maniacal cackling. At Ottar's side was Freya, the woman one of the most stunning Taylor had ever seen. Her hum was also loud like her companion's. It was the ringing of wedding bells, but mournful.
'It sounds like Syr's hum,' Taylor noted curiously. 'Is the waitress part of her Familia?'
Whatever the reason for it, Freya seemed to notice Taylor's eyes on her, and she turned to look. For a moment, goddess and mortal stared at each other, before the former flashed a sultry smile at her, causing Taylor to look away and break eye contact first. It felt like a defeat, and Taylor couldn't figure out why.
"Well, hey there, shortie!" Loki called out, the tomboyish goddess smirking as walked over to Hestia.
"What? Who put this flat wall here in the middle of the room?" Hestia asked, making a show of looking around. Loki growled at that, grinding her teeth together, before glancing at Taylor.
"So! This is your captain, huh? Gotta be honest, I expected the Lucky Rabbit to be your captain," the person named after the trickster goddess commented.
"Until Bell is able and willing to do the paperwork, I'm filling in for the position," Taylor claimed.
"That's exactly what I said when I agreed to be Loki's captain," Finn said dryly. "I wouldn't hold your breath, Miss Taylor. Most adventurers aren't like us. They lack the patience for the duties we have to handle."
The two captains shared a moment of silent commiseration with each other, while Hestia and Loki continued to snipe at each other in the background.
"Just don't think that because you have two people break the record for Leveling Up you're somehow on my level," Loki said. "I mean, how could you be, given how short you are?"
Hestia growled like a feral child, and was only stopped from physically leaping at her rival by Taylor putting her hand on her shoulder.
"Now, now, let's not ruin such a lovely evening with senseless violence," Takemikazuchi called out as he approached the group with Ouka at his side. Both were dressed up in fine silk garments that reminded Taylor of Japanese yukata. Fitting, she supposed.
"Indeed. Patching you two up after tussling with each other would a pain," Miach chuckled. He was arm-in-arm with Naaza, and the dog-eared woman looked uncomfortable being out in a dress. Taylor sympathized with her, and sent a friendly nod towards her friend. Naaza returned it, a tiny smile on her lips when she saw a fellow sufferer.
Last but not least to join their little group was Hephaestus, the smith walking over with Tsubaki. She gave everyone a polite nod in greeting before turning her attention to the two troublemakers.
"Loki, stop trying to provoke Hestia," the eyepatch-wearing red-head asked with a put-upon sigh. "And Hestia, stop trying to provoke Loki."
"She started it!" both of them said unison, before glaring at each other. In response, Hephestus just sighed before bonking both of their heads, which successfully stopped their bickering, if only because they directed their ire towards the other goddess.
"It's looking like a real party over here," a voice that gave Taylor strong smarmy vibes called out to them, and she glanced over, spotting a man with curly blond hair tucked beneath a feathered cap being escorted by Asfi who had a black dress.
'This must be Hermes,' Taylor guessed, as who else would the captain of the Hermes Familia arrive in tow with? The fact that his hum was identical to the one she'd detected in the Dungeon during the rescue mission was interesting as well.
'It's decent blackmail material if nothing else,' she thought to herself. Interestingly, Hermes flinched a little when he realized Taylor was watching him.
"H-hey, there!" Hermes stammered out. "You're the new Level 2, huh?"
"That's right," Taylor confirmed with a nod.
"Looking good!" Hermes said, winking at her, but it came off as him trying too hard. Then, his expression shifted into a more somber one, and he doffed his cap, giving her a little bow. "Thank you for helping my dear Asfi down on the 18th Floor. I heard all about your actions from her."
He then grinned rakishly. "It's not often I hear such praise about anyone from my dear Perseus. Why, if I didn't know better, I'd assume my captain had a little crush!"
"Sir!" Asfi exclaimed, face turning red. She then swatted the back of his head, though that only made him laugh.
"Anyways, has anyone seen Apollo?" Hermes wondered. "I wanted to discussing something with him, but I can't find him."
"He's coming right now," Taylor announced. "He's just left a room full of mirrors and is walking down a hallway. At his current speed, he'll reach the ballroom in under a minute."
"Jeez, where are you finding all these freaks of nature, Hestia?" Loki wondered under her breath as everyone stared uncomfortably at Taylor as she revealed a smidge of just how far reaching her bugs could let her see.
The plucking of lyre strings suddenly rang out, silencing the conversations going on as their host made his appearance. Interestingly, at least to Taylor, was that Apollo's hum was also the sound of lyres, and it actually managed to blend harmoniously with his introductory tune.
The man who'd taken the name of the God of the Sun (and other domains such as healing, prophecy, and poetry) had bronze colored hair that shifted between rust red and blond depending on the light, and wore a white toga with a red half-cape and a green laurel wreath atop his head. His aura sounded like a fire, though unlike Hestia's his flames sounded harsh and violent, lacking the comforting warmth of the Goddess of the Hearth.
He was accompanied by two young women, Level 2s based on their hums. One had short red hair, yellow eyes, and fierce glint in her eyes that complimented the sound of drum beats of her hum, while the other possessed long blue hair, light green eyes, and a timid nature as she tried to shrink away from the gazes of the room. Her hum was the most unusual, as it seemed to change every so often, going from one musical instrument to another at random.
As curious as they were, Taylor's attention was mostly on Apollo, who stepped up, to address the party.
"Welcome, welcome!" Apollo said, his voice filling the ballroom. "Thank you for attending my banquet!"
His gaze swept the assembled gods and adventurers, lingering on a few individuals. When it passed over Hestia and Taylor, his expression scrunched up into one of disgust and, curiously, disappointment, before moving on.
"Eat, drink, and make merry!" Apollo called out. "Enjoy yourselves!"
With that, he descended into the crowd, mingling with his guests, and the room filled up with noise once more as conversations restarted. Ganesha loudly announced he was, in fact, Ganesha, and a few gods were trying to get a drinking content started between themselves.
"I'm gonna grab some food," Hestia said. "Want something, Taylor?"
"Sure. Get me a plate with whatever, I'm not picky," the parahuman requested, turning away from Apollo.
Though she was keeping an eye on him with her swarm. The way he'd reacted to her when he'd spotted her was worrying.
'And why is his captain secretly meeting with Zanis in the garden?' Taylor wondered, having noticed the clandestine rendezvous. It was odd to see the Soma Familia's captain speaking with Hyakinthos, but then again, Soma was responsible for providing refreshments. She couldn't hear anything as they were speaking too quietly, and it was too dark to try and read their lips. Not that she could in the first place.
'Something to practice for later,' Taylor decided, accepting the plate of finger food Hestia brought her a little bit later.
Unfortunately, the good mood didn't last long, as Taylor sensed the flamboyant narcissist approaching them.
"Hestia, so glad you could join us," Apollo announced. "Though I thought I asked for you to bring your captain with you."
"I did. Taylor here is my Familia's captain," Hestia replied after swallowing a bit of meat.
"What?" Apollo uttered, confused. "But, is she not a newly promoted adventurer? And do you not have another Level 2?"
"True, but Bell isn't suited for the role," Hestia shrugged. "Besides, there's no rule the captain has to be the strongest or the highest leveled child. It's just how it often turns out."
"I see," Apollo drawled, unimpressed. "Still, that makes things slightly easier for me. If he's not the captain, I don't have to worry."
"Apollo? What are you up to?" Hestia inquired, squinting at him suspiciously.
"I issue a challenge to you, Hestia!" Apollo said pompously, reveling in the attention being directed his way.
"What do you think you're doing, Apollo?" Hestia demanded, annoyed, and he just smirked.
"I challenge your Familia to a War Game!" Apollo continued. "And when I win, Bell Cranel will join my Familia!"
"Rejected!" Hestia said immediately, crossing her arms in an 'X' shape.
Apollo blinked as murmurs swept the hall. He clearly hadn't expected her to deny it so quickly, but rallied quickly.
"Ah! I see! You're afraid to fight me!" Apollo claimed, and Taylor rolled her eyes while Hestia scoffed.
"I'm only trying to save you a beating, Apollo," Hestia retorted. "A War Game between us would end poorly. For you."
"You think your tiny Familia has a chance against mine?" Apollo demanded, tone turning angry.
"You may have quantity, but I have quality," Hestia declared proudly. "Besides, War Games are completely random. They could range from a pie-eating contest to a race. And I am not exactly worried about my Familia's prospects in either."
She then folded her arms across her chest. "Besides, War Games have to be accepted by both sides. And I reject your challenge. I would never wager my beloved children, even if I was a hundred percent sure of victory!"
"Bell Cranel is an incredible child whose talents cannot possibly be nurtured in such a pitiful Familia," Apollo retorted.
"Perhaps. But Bell would never achieve anything if he joined yours," Taylor retorted, and immediately more whispers sprang up, this time scandalized. Who was this upstart mortal, to cut in to a conversation between gods?
"How dare you?" Apollo demanded, affronted. "My Familia would be more than capable of helping the Lucky Rabbit reach greater heights!"
"You have a single Level 3 adventurer, and hardly any veterans," Taylor said, contempt audible in her voice. "Yours is a Rank D Familia, and while that is admirable in certain ways, your adventurers have stagnated. For a Familia of your size, I'd expect to see more Level 2s at the very least. Not to mention, it's obvious that your Familia was not formed for combat. It is a vanity project, meant to appease your ego. Which, if you have to decorate your home with images of yourself, must mean said ego is as fragile as glass."
Apollo grit his teeth at the blatant disrespect, before scoffing. "What else would I expect from an ugly cripple but disdain and envy towards her betters."
"I lost an arm, and yet here I am, already Level 2," Taylor replied. "And people who live in glass houses should avoid throwing stones."
"Hestia! Discipline your child!" Apollo demanded, turning away from the parahuman.
"Why? She's said nothing I disagree with," Hestia retorted. "Somebody like Bell would never thrive in a Familia such as yours."
She then turned her nose up at her fellow god. "Now, if that's the only reason you invited us here, then I think we've overstayed our welcome. Come, Taylor. We're leaving."
Taylor nodded in agreement, and the two began to leave, heading back towards the entrance of the manor.
"You would just walk out on me?!" Apollo demanded furiously. "You would spurn my invitation?!"
"It's obvious our invite was merely a pretext to try and force us into a War Game," Hestia replied.
"You… you…" Apollo spluttered.
"You owe us," a new voice cut in, and Taylor and Hestia stopped as Hyakinthos had appeared, blocking their path. "Your captain attacked one of our Familia members. We are owed compensation for this."
"Yes, yes, that's right!" Apollo said, perking up as his captain came to his aid. "You hurt dear Louie!"
"His name was Luan," Taylor said, while Hestia shot a disappointed glare at Apollo. "The fact you cannot remember his name, even while trying to use him as a pretext, only further proves why we would never allow Bell to be taken away by you."
"You deny hurting him?" Hyakinthos demanded while Apollo spluttered indignantly.
"I do. Prove it, and I will apologize to him," Taylor replied. "But there were many witnesses who saw he was rather drunk at the time and acting belligerent. He was very close to being thrown out of the establishment for being a disorderly mess."
"I do not need to prove anything. The word of Lissos is more than enough for me," Hyakinthos declared. "If you want forgiveness, beg my lord for it, or I will ensure you regret it."
Taylor frowned, bristling at the threat, and immediately the ballroom was filled with a discordant buzzing. Black swarms of bugs seeped from the walls and shadows of the chamber, and screams of disgust and horror rang out.
"Try anything, and I will make you regret it," Taylor snarled.
"Y-you! How dare you bring such filthy insects into my beautiful home!" Apollo shrieked, cowering as the swarms writhed around him.
"I did no such thing. Everything you see right now was already in here for the taking," Taylor replied, and Apollo cringed.
She didn't know why he didn't keep trying to protest it, or why the other gods were now looking at Apollo in disgust instead of her, but she'd take it as a win regardless, and continued walking towards the exit with Hestia, pushing Hyakinthos out of their way.
The Level 3 allowed this, but only because he was too busy hurrying over to Apollo's side to try and protect him from the bugs.
As soon as Hestia and Taylor left the mansion and found their carriage, the parahuman released her control over the swarm, allowing it to scatter.
"That didn't go as I thought it would," Hestia sighed.
"We can expect retaliations of some kind from them," Taylor said.
"Yeah. Good thing the Apollo Familia doesn't own any big businesses or ties to important people who could deny us goods and services," Hestia grumbled. "But that just means they'll try and bother you guys in the Dungeon. Or worse, go after my Jagamarukun stalls!"
"If they try anything, they will regret it," Taylor vowed.
"I know they will," Hestia said with a nod. "I'm trusting you to look after the Familia."
She then smirked. "Look at you! Acting like a captain! And you said you weren't cut out for it!"
"There's more to being a leader than paperwork and enacting vengeance, Hestia," Taylor sighed.
"Maybe, but those two are pretty darn important," the goddess declared, and Taylor huffed a little in amusement.
"I suppose so," she said, acknowledging the point, before thinking to herself, 'Paperwork and vengeance… it's like I never left Brockton Bay or Earth Bet!'
As they walked back to the church, Taylor idly wondered how Bell's evening had gone.
'I'm sure it went fine.'
111 &&& 111
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! It's a new year, and there are many more chapters to come!
Also, if you want to read early chapters, visit Akashicrecordstrue over on pattyron, or if you'd just like to support the writing process!