Hestia looked up, hands on her hips, at the home she had seen in an advertisement. It was a charming thing, painted a bright yellow and in a great location on West Main Street. It would definitely make a comfy home, once she got done furnishing and decorating it, of course. But she thought it might be a bit expensive, considering their difficult financial situation. The yellow was also a bit feminine for her gruff adventurer companion.
Thoughts of Tim made her mind wander further to the wellbeing of her charge. He had been working like a dog for the past 2 weeks, and it was about time he took a break and got some real rest. Stoic as he was, she knew he cared enough about her and her opinion that he would listen to her. Grinning, she began humming a happy tune while walking to visit the final prospective home for the evening. As she did, she began planning their day together tomorrow.
…
“You want to what?” Tim asked, as he donned his armor, ready for another day’s adventure.
“I want to spend the day with you. In the city.” Hestia said, smiling benevolently at Tim.
“You can take a day off every once in a while, you know. You don’t seem to be getting enough sleep. Constant stress will eat away even nerves of steel. Take a break, Tim. Relax today, and get a good night’s sleep tonight. Trust me.”
From Hestia’s perspective, the deep bags under Tim’s eyes and the many hours he was working indicated a man in desperate need of a break. Before he broke himself, she would make sure he got the rest he needed. She also felt more than a little guilty that he was working so hard largely because of her own selfish desires. She would do her best to make it up to him today and in the future.
Tim, on the other hand, was very in tune with the needs of his body. He knew he was running himself ragged, but he calculated that he could keep going for at least another week before his combat efficiency dropped low enough that a long break was necessary. Still, though, he found it difficult to refuse her and simply shrugged his shoulders in acceptance at the dictates of his patroness. Taking a rest a little early wasn’t the end of the world, as he had managed to save up quite a lot of money. Lilli watched this interaction as it occurred, a combination of jealousy and sadness crossing her diminutive features before she smiled dryly and said:
“That sounds nice. You’ve worked plenty hard as is, Mr. Tim. Have a fun and restful day with Lady Hestia. Lilli will be fine on her own.”
But before she could take another step towards the exit, Hestia was there next to her. Still smiling, she reached out and gently ran her fingers through Lilli’s hair, a motion that cause the prum to go slightly red and close her eyes happily.
“Who said I didn’t want you to come with us, Lilli? We may not be in the same Familia, but we are like family anyways. You don’t have to join us, but I would be happy to have you along.”
Lilli mumbled something that Tim couldn’t hear, but it caused Hestia to clap her hands once in satisfaction:
“That’s great! Let’s go then, everyone!”
Tim just smiled in bemusement at Hestia’s enthusiasm. This woman forged familial bonds like a Soulsmith forged madra. She had known him for around a month and a half, while she hadn’t yet known the prum for a full month. Still, he had to admit that it was a charming quality, if a little bizarre.
The first stop on their little date was the tailer. They had saved up plenty of money, Hestia said, and Adama didn’t have much to wear at all. She wasn’t wrong. Whenever he wasn’t wearing his armor, he had a tattered black robe for casual outings like this one, That was it, so far as his wardrobe was concerned.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“You look like a Shinigami!” She protested, pointing accusing at his garb.
“What’s a Shinigami?” he responded.
“A god of Death.” Lilli piped up, “Said to be responsible for escorting mortals to the afterlife.”
“Sounds to me like I’ve got the right look.”
Hestia gave him a playful swat as they all chuckled. Tim obviously didn’t care about what he looked like, but Hestia still wanted to get him some decent clothes. He had tolerated the willfulness of his goddess up to this point, so why should he stop now? Both girls, it seemed, were interested in picking out an outfit for him, and they delighted in having him try on all sorts of things. A black and white suit, a red striped polo shirt over khaki pants, a navy coat and black slacks, etc.
Each time, they both clapped appreciatively, remarking on how handsome or tough he looked, only to have him try on something else. Even a Sage had limits to his patience, though, and Adama was no exception. He put a stop to their little dress up party after the 9th outfit. Both girls pouted a bit, as he firmly ended the entire charade by snatching a purple polka-dotted T-shirt out of Hestia’s hands and putting it firmly back on the rack.
However, he did end up buying two outfits to satisfy their demands. He needed some formal wear, just in case, so he accepted a forest green button-down shirt with a black sport coat and pants. For a more casual outfit, he just grabbed a random blue shirt and some brown wool pants.
Hestia bought a dress of the same green hue as his dress shirt, hemmed with a glittering copper thread that matched her eyes. She showed off a bit when she tried it on in the store, swirling around and striking a pose before clasping her hands primly and looking at Adama:
“How do I look?”
“You look stunning, lady Hestia!” Lilli piped up from next to him, “Like a flower in springtime!”
Tim allowed himself a slight nod in agreement, earning a radiant smile from the woman in green.
“Then I guess I’ll buy it.”
Lilli also purchased a new robe and the trio hit the street again, the girls happy with their purchases and Tim mostly just glad it was over. They ate lunch at a place called Michelangelo’s Trattoria, a white tablecloth restaurant near the heart of the city. The beef that they served Tim was tender and spiced to perfection. Even he, a man who had experienced more than a few world-famous delicacies on Cradle, had to give his compliments to the chef. The girls also made complimentary noises about their fish and spaghetti, slurping and gushing about the tasty thin noodles.
After lunch, they went for a prolonged walk in the park surrounding Babel. Lilli got her hands on some bird feed, so both women enjoyed attracting and feeding a veritable cloud of pigeons. The park was also filled with several large fountains, and Tim noticed that there were tons of coins glittering at the bottom of their pools. Seeing his curiosity, Hestia left the pigeons to Lilli and walked over to his side.
“It’s a common superstition in Orario that if you throw coins into the fountain and make a wish, then that wish is more likely to come true.” She said, following his gaze down into the water.
He snorted, “Stupid. And a waste of money. That money could have helped pay for that wish if it hadn’t been wasted.”
She gave him a soft smile, “Some things can’t be bought with money, though, can they?”
“If they can’t be bought with money, then you can’t buy them with a coin thrown in a pool either.”
Still smiling enigmatically and looking at him, she pulled out a 10 vals coin from her purse:
“True enough. But there is something to be said for charming superstitions. Honest charm makes the world bright where there would otherwise be gloom. You know that better than you understand.”
With that, she flicked the coin in the pond and walked away towards Lilli. Tim balked at the waste, but the words themselves were what really had him perplexed. Sighing, he followed to join them, grumbling about foolish goddesses and strange customs.
Eventually, they got tired of walking around and just sat down on a park bench. Lilli continued to be enthusiastic about her birds while Hestia took out her book and began to read. Tim was left with his thoughts, which flitted between plans for the future and fond memories from his past. They sat there in companionable silence for some time, the flutter of pigeon’s wings and the noise of city life the backdrop to their lazy afternoon.
Eventually the sun began to set, and Hestia suggested that they go home. Lilli had done so much running around with the pigeons that she was exhausted. She had laid down on a bench nearby and was now sound asleep. Tim picked her up, and the trio began their final walk home just as the night life of Orario was starting up. The streetlights were coming on just as the tavern regulars were celebrating their first drinks of the night. On the way, the trio bought a light dinner from a street vendor, still mostly full thanks to their big lunch.
After a pleasant stroll in silence, both Tim and Hestia careful not to wake Lilli, they reached the basement of the church. Tim nearly lay Lilli on the bed but Hestia motioned for him to put her on the couch. Quietly, she whispered:
“She gets plenty of sleep. You, on the other hand, need a thorough rest. You should take the bed tonight.”
Tim almost never took the bed, being perfectly fine with the couch as he was, but he didn’t bother arguing. He reciprocated Hestia’s hug and went right to bed, per her insistence. His eyelids became like lead the moment his head hit the pillow.
“Maybe I was more tired than I thought?” Were his last thoughts, right before he drifted off to slumber.