Beginnings

Hestia sighed, work once more taking its toll on her frail body. No, her last rejection, the one which happened a couple of days ago, was taking a toll on her mind. Just like so many others before. If she knew what coming down from Heaven would entail, she would have stayed there, bored for the rest of Eternity.

The initial excitement died down after a couple of days, because she didn't have the money to visit the world she had dreamed of for the last couple of centuries. And after that, she felt the pain wasn't worth the potential prize.

A prize she had lost all hope for. She had tried everything she could to get at least anyone to join her Familia. She had begged, cried, pleaded, and tried to negotiate with things she didn't even have. But nobody would join a broke goddess who could offer nothing.

In hindsight, it was pretty obvious. The Hestia from a couple of months ago would just brush this logic off and depart anyway, the fire of her dream in her eyes and the strength of her ambitions driving her feet. The Hestia of today was forced to keep a cheerful smile to please the customers, while she cried behind the building every time they gave her a break.

'Another one.' — "Welcome to the Jagamarukuns Stand! What can I do for you, Sir?" She greeted chirpily. 'He's an adventurer.'

"I'll take three Jagamarukuns," he ordered. 'He's carrying all of that equipment… I bet he's a powerful adventurer.'

"Sure thing! I'll have them prepared for you. It'll only take a moment." Hestia smiled. 'A powerful adventurer wouldn't want to do anything with me…'

She held out the long sigh her soul wanted to release. Just the thought of it made her want to tear up.

"...What's wrong with you?" The adventurer asked, looking at her with wrinkled eyes but a raised eyebrow.

"Huh?" She repeated. And then she touched her cheek. Oh. "It's nothing, Sir… I, um, I'm just feeling under the weather…" She smiled again, a bit more forced this time. 'Great excuse, Hestia…'

She dried her eyes with her arms. She swiped her hands until her flesh reddened from irritation. Heavens above, she looked even worse than before.

"Suuuuure." The adventurer stared at her. 'He must think I'm weird now.' — "You shouldn't… do all of that, you know," he advised, lowering his voice with each word until it was but a whisper in her ears. "Bad for the business and all… Just friendly advice."

He ended up shrugging when Hestia simply nodded and kept the same smile on her face. "There is no problem, dear customer." Lie. "I-It won't happen again." Lie.

Sometimes she wished her lie detector would shut up for a moment.

When this adventurer left, her eyes only lingered on his back for a couple of seconds before her blank gaze returned to the sky. From where she came from. And to where she seriously was considering returning.

She sighed once more. Her boss had once told her each sigh was a part of one's happiness leaving the body. She looked into the window of the building next to her.

Her boss was wise beyond his years.

She looked horrible. But of course, nobody could see that. Nobody other than herself, that was.

Even when sealed, deities couldn't afford to be seen as anything other than perfect. The smallest bit of divinity slipping through her cage, the same part which allowed her to grant her blessing onto mortals, would always make sure she looked perfect, no matter the situation.

Even in those temporary bodies, deities would not age, and would not die.

The part of her which could grant her everything she ever wanted was also the same which disconnected her from the people of this plane.

She scoffed, still looking at her reflection. Did she want others to see how she felt, just to get pity? She already got those in abundance—the pitiful looks. It didn't change her situation. Begging on the ground did nothing, except being judged by the people seeing her… and another rejection. Did she really think if she looked sad, it would change? 'Of course not…'

She even got a reputation from that, but it was a big city, and people focused on something else the next day; it's not like there's ever going to be a shortage of juicy stories. So she was forgotten—her, the 'begging goddess'.

The longer she looked into the window, the stronger she mocked herself. Perhaps returning to the Heavens was her only path. She was alone. She was lonely—crushingly so.

She just wanted to have someone join her Familia. She wanted a Familia. Was it too much to ask for? She just… she just wanted anyone…

"Yo!" Hestia heard, before she jumped away in fright, letting out a high-pitched squeal in fright.

"I-I-I'm sorry for this; I was just…" Hestia trailed off, getting a good look at the man who just scared her. "It's you!"

"Yep, that's me," he confirmed, smiling at her. And before long, her face developed an unhealthy flush. The same embarrassment and the feelings of inadequacy from their first meeting came back, hard.

"Y-Y-You!" He nodded again. She took a deep sigh, trying to get her beating heart under control, and the impulse to run away and hide at the same time. "W-Welcome to the Jagamarukuns Stand! W-What can I do for you, Sir?" This time, her lips twitched as she tried to smile, her mind in turmoil.

He blinked a few times before sighing. "Did I scare you off that much…?" — 'Of course not!'

"Sir? Would you like to buy any Jagamarukuns? They're highly acclaimed in the city for their-"

His eyebrows twitched. "Yeah, yeah, give me five of them," he said dismissively, bringing out the correct amount of money. "You were right about one thing: You really sell one of the cheapest food in the city."

"Of course!"

"I searched through Orario's entirety; couldn't find much coming close to what you have going on here."

"Of course, I wouldn't lie to my customers," she said, puffing her large chest in pride. Despite everything which had happened to her in the mortal plane, she couldn't say she didn't enjoy her work at this stand. It couldn't fight against the depression, but it was a good start.

He took the food, and she gulped as she waited for him to leave. But instead of a figure disappearing into the city, he only took a few steps away from her stand before he stopped. He then sat down on the ground, unwrapping his meal right next to her.

"..." She looked at him, her eyes unblinking.

"What? Can't a man eat?" He teased, his mouth already stuffed with the food.

"...Sure."

Silence settled between the two of them. It was a deep and uncomfortable silence, one where Hestia felt obligated to stare at the man for longer than normal, biting her lips in both frustration and sadness. She wondered if he was only here to mock her.

"Have you thought about running?" He asked out of nowhere before she could even lift her eyes off of him.

"Excuse me?"

"Running. It's a good practice for both the body and the mind. Sports are a great way to unleash emotions."

She flinched while he all but engulfed his food. 'So he saw.' She didn't even bother to lie to him. "I… I never thought of it. Don't exactly have the time you see…"

"I was an athlete," he confessed in-between two bites. "Well, I still am, in a way." She took a quick glance at his body. 'I bet you are, with all those muscles of yours.' "It all started because I was too hyperactive as a child, I guess." He took a bite again.

Lie.

"Had to get rid of all that extra energy. Puberty hit me and, well… I'm just glad I always had an outlet as a teenager, otherwise, I would not be the man I am today. Met great people too, my coaches, my teammates…"

Lie.

Hestia didn't answer. She didn't know what to say to the man's rambling, especially because it was not the truth.

"Of course, for a Goddess like you, those sorts of concepts must be alien. I mean, aren't you all born grown-up? My image of a deity got shattered when I saw you brooding by yourself," he said, his words accompanied with light chuckle. She flinched again. Even when said in a humorous tone, this cut deeper than when she said it to herself in her mind.

"So… you know, maybe sports could help you too?" He said, with what Hestia found a very infectious grin. One which forced a smile out of her. He finished his meal in silence, Hestia's mind going back to her lack of Familia.

"What's your name?" He asked, his mouth full of grease.

"It's Hestia," she answered, handing something to wipe his mouth, noting the brief look of recognition which crossed his face. It was gone as soon as it appeared.

"Hestia. Your state, am I somewhat responsible for it?"

She winced, her body retreating on itself—the bluntness of his words catching her off-guard. "N-no." She had to force these words out of her throat, and they came out uncertain and silent. Lie.

The man didn't need a lie detector to guess that, if his tilted head and his flat look were any indications.

"Then… would it make it better if I told you I wanted to join your Familia?"

Hestia blanked out. Her mouth opened and closed a number of times, but not a word was uttered. She was unable to understand what she just heard. Her mind tried to focus on what she just heard, but it only made her feel more confused.

"Th-That's- You're lying…!" She accused, halfway to a scream. Her skin flushed, and she started to snivel, tears pooling in her eyes. 'W-why?! Is he enjoying himself, playing with my feelings?!'

"Hestia." He looked straight into her eyes. "I want to join your Familia."

And she waited. She waited for the guillotine, the moment where the ax would fall, where her hopes would be dashed.

Truth.

"R-Really?" She couldn't help the quiver in her voice, her lips trembling and her eyes wrinkling.

She couldn't stop herself anymore. She cried. The tears would not stop anymore—it was too late. She crossed the distance between herself and her child in an instant, trying to encompass all of his being with her tiny frame, hugging him with all she had.

Because she could be happy again.

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Beta: AsuraJZero and Ekaterina.