102 CHAPTER 102(Sisterly Bonding)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

Discord: https://discord.gg/K7f8qGpvuk

pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene

CHAPTER START---

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Mmmmm!" Hephaestus groans as she rumbles under her fine silk sheets.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

Again, the pounding on her apartment door.

"Damn it, what the---," she reaches out from below her covers and feels around for her eyepatch, pulling it under the covers she emerges moments later with it on to see the moonlight streaming into her apartment.

"Who the hell is here at---" she looks at the clock on her wall," 3 AM..."

Flicking on the lights, she flinches as her large bedroom lights up, very modest compared to what a goddess of her status should be living in, but she's a simple woman and an adamant smith. Sinking money into raw materials to fuel her love for creation is always preferred to building mansions. Dark blue walls and ornate furniture and finishings show her status while keeping things practical, making her way down the hallway from the bedrooms she arrives at the living room and makes her way to the entryway.

Taking a look down at herself, her feet still bare, a bit cold. Her long pajamas, the same red as her hair with her familia logo on the front.

"If this isn't an emergen---" her words stop as she opens the door and comes face to face with the last person she wants to see right now. "Why are you here...how are you here?" her voice was a hair from anger as she glared at Freya.

"You're supposed to say 'Please come in' before we start talking," Freya says with a fake frown.

"You didn't bring your dogs?" Hephaestus asks.

"Don't call them that, and no I came alone."

"So what do you want? You know I don't like visits like this, and did you charm my guards?" Hephaestus asks as she turns on her heel, walking toward the couch with Freya a step behind her.

"Why so hostile, I don't think I did anything to deserve this," Freya says as she removes her hooded cloak, revealing white pants reaching her thighs and a white top below as she sits beside Hephaestus.

"You did Yang," Hephaestus points out.

"It was mutual and you know it."

"You charmed my guards."

"I asked them to escort me here and they did, nothing more," Freya raises her hands defensively, Hephaestus leans back a bit at this, properly taking in her guests' outfit.

"You're wearing, regular clothes?"

"Why so surprised?" Freya's voice was...almost as if she was insulted, "you know why..."

"Yeah, your stupid charm and pretty face don't work so now you have to grow a personality, did you come to ask me to make one for you, even in heaven I can't make YOU interesting."

"You're supposed to be nice to your little sisters, do you treat Loki like this?" Freya couldn't fight the smile on her face as she spoke.

"LOKI didn't do what you did."

"I'm not going to apologize if that's what you want."

"Then why are you here, waking me up at three in the morning?" Hephaestus does not like being woken up.

"Is Yang Shen the source for the new monster information?" Freya blurts out with no warning.

Hephaestus freezes for a moment as her eye goes wide, all the evidence Freya needs.

"I see...don't worry I won't tell anyone, even Ottar doesn't know why I'm here exactly," Freya says as she leans back and relaxes on the soft couch.

"Well, you always keep your word, it's the only good thing about you," Hephaestus admits.

"You're always so cranky when someone wakes you up, and it's not like anyone else could have figured it out even with all the clues I had..."

"So how did you figure it out?"

"When we were up in the clouds, he would talk about animals and monsters like he was in love with them, it was cute how much he cared," a small smile forms on Freya's face as she recalls that night.

Snapping out of her memories, Freya looks over at Hephaestus to see the woman looking at her with a small frown, the moment their eyes meet she looks away, embarrassed, jealous?

"Wait, did you...did I steal him from you?" Freya was genuinely apologetic as she asked.

"No, what, no...just. It's nothing..."

"You're bad at lying and I'm good at spotting lies, wanna try that again?"

"Sigh," looking over at Freya, Hephaestus frowns deeply before she speaks," why do you get everything, heavens' number one spoiled brat, and I...I finally find someone that I like, and that likes me. But I don't even think I can tell him..." Hephaestus had to look away, Freya is a goddess of love and someone she could actually trust not to gossip about her, the perfect person to talk to, but that doesn't make it easier.

"If it's not Yang...the Crozzo boy?"

"....."

"Ah, and why can't you be with him, is this because of your eye?"

"I-It's not JUST that."

"I doubt he'd care if he really loves you, Loki, Hestia, and I never cared."

"Even IF he could somehow look past that, he's finally becoming his best self. He has a real purpose now that's not just me. If it were you, would you just tell him so you can have your happily ever after, even if it would stop his progress?"

"No," Freya's answer was instant," what person would ever do that, if it's becoming dangerous then of course I wouldn't let him get hurt but, if you love someone you must support them to be their best self, that's our duty as a lover and a goddess...as hard and painful as it can be..."

A long silence punctuated her answer, turning to look at Hephaestus over her shoulder, the redhead had her head down staring at her lap, small tears falling to her clothes.

Quietly moving over to her Freya pulls Hephaestus into a comforting hug, gently petting her head.

After an exhausting amount of tears, Hephaestus finally speaks.

"Since when did you know how to comfort people?" she made no attempt to get out of Freya's hold.

"Since I would always get my heart broken in heaven, stupidly thinking they loved me for me and not my charm, then my annoyingly responsible sister would hold me just like this, and my perverted sister would go kill the god to make me feel better..."

"Mhm, then an eternity of that and you just...stop feeling, and Loki goes on to prank everyone in heaven."

"Can you really blame me, in two worlds I can count on my fingers the people I can actually talk to that aren't lusting after me or blindly devoted."

"Must suck to have everyone eating out of your hand because you're pretty," Hephaestus's words were oozing sarcasm.

"It makes every interaction fake, it's like a fate worse than death, and as a damn god I can't even die, try as I might..."

"You tried?" Hephaestus pulled away to look at her sister.

"What would you do if everyone you met just wanted to please you, you can't even have a normal relationship or any kind of challenge."

"You...could've come talk to me..." Hephaestus wasn't quite sure what to say to her.

"Of course, come talk to YOU about how being too beautiful ruined my life, after all the things you had to deal with as the only 'Imperfect' being in heaven, even I know that would be cruel."

An awkward silence filled the room, they couldn't look at each other.

"I never really imagined having everyone love you could be that bad," Hephaestus was the first to speak.

"I wouldn't wish for what you've been through either, I see why you were one of the first to descend..."

"Heh, if the mortals could see us now they'd know how pitiful we really are," Hephaestus says as cracks a small smile.

"Without arcanum, the only thing amazing about us is how selfish and petty we can be."

"That's why I prefer mortals, they at least don't pretend to be perfect, other than those annoying stuffy Elves," Hephaestus bites out.

"To think they were originally designed for war, they could've at least made the lower world more interesting if his designs weren't bastardized at the end."

"He deserved it, he's an asshole, I'm gonna make some tea," Hephaestus quickly rises to her feet and walks toward her kitchen.

Following right behind her sister, Freya places her order," I still take extra sugar in my tea," as she takes a seat on one of the stools by the counter.

"Right, so what the hell is up with you and my latest headache, I kinda blew up at him but didn't even want to see you..."

"He's...special, he treats me like a normal person, is it weird that I like that?"

"Considering what you've lived through so far, I can't say I blame you, but he's got a goal on his mind Freya so I'm telling you now. This won't end well for you," Hephaestus gives her a serious look as she puts the kettle on.

"Was that a threat or---"

"A fair warning, I don't...no, I've never seen anyone as focused on a goal as him."

"And why can't he have me AND whatever his goal is?"

"Because this is real life, and people need to make hard choices sometimes, I'm just warning you now alright, I won't keep you from him. I'm selfishly rooting for you honestly since I prefer that outcome. I won't get in his way and I'll fully support him, but seeing you happy would be a pleasant change..."

"Love can overcome anything, you'll see. But honestly, I didn't think he was such a prolific researcher to be Orario's number one monster resource, any more surprises he's hiding?"

"Nothing like that, ask him yourself when he gets back," Hephaestus passes Freya a cup of tea.

"Mmm," she feels the warmth of the cup in her delicate hands," your familia is on the 50th floor, mine is strolling down to deal with that new monster, it's really boring just waiting isn't it?"

"Then find a hobby maybe."

"I have a hobby actually..."

'Playing at being Syr,' Freya thinks to herself.

"And I'm guessing it's none of my business?"

"Naturally, I have my life and you have yours. Do you have any idea why the dungeon waits a millennia before increasing the difficulty suddenly?" Freya asks as she takes a sip of her tea.

"My guess, it's tired of being suppressed and just wants to throw everything it can at us, when it appeared it pulled creatures from old stories of this world, maybe every 1000 years it will raise the challenge against mortals."

"A thousand years in a stalemate would make anyone bored, even HER. We got lucky my new lover was in your pocket this entire time."

Hephaestus rolls her eye at the way Freya referred to Yang.

"You're hopeless, how long until your dogs find the Deviljho?"

"You know how big those floors get, they're planning to ambush it at one of the more mandatory passageways in the dungeon so it doesn't miss them and get to Rivera on floor 18."

"Good plan, your white mage thought of it?"

"Allen actually."

"Guess he's vice-captain for a reason after all, do me a favor and make sure my guards aren't charmed when you leave please, and take the lights off," Hephaestus says as she downs the last bit of her tea.

"Had a long day?" Freya asks as the redhead begins to saunter out of the kitchen.

"We can't all stay up till sunrise reading crappy romance Freya," she says offhandedly while making her way back to her bedroom.

"Mmm, it's not 'Crappy' romance," Freya mutters as she drinks the last of her tea...

END CHAPTER---

---Wow, someone actually developing female characters...that's rare. Honestly sad HOW rare it is in anything where females aren't the MC :(