(Loki POV – Hearth of Threads)
I stand at the entrance of the shop, arms folded, one foot tapping as I stare unblinkingly at the door. The seconds pass until a minute has elapsed.
My eye twitches.
'They're in there. I know they're in there.' I think, narrowing my eyes. 'They close at four. It's after four, so why isn't she leaving to go home?'
I lean in closer to the wood, whispering in a sweet voice that'd surely charm her, and show that I mean no harm. "Heeestiaaa… I know you're home…"
Behind me, Riveria sighs deeply. It's filled with a sense defeat and helplessness. "Are you really planning to wait here all evening?"
"It's worth it!" I snap back, placing a hand dramatically over my heart. "Didn't you taste it? The moment that wine touched my tongue I saw heaven. I saw paradise. I saw a world filled with nothing but joy and hippiness." I bite my thumb, shivering, as the memory haunts my thoughts.
"I didn't get to taste it." Riveria reminds me dryly. "If you recall, quite vividly, you snatched every bottle and refused to share even a drop."
I turn away without shame. "It was for your own good. You're old, Mama. Too much excitement might stop your heart."
"…Loki." Riveria says sternly, which sends a shiver down my spine.
"Kidding, kidding." I wave her off, refocusing on the door. "But seriously, we have to wait. I won't be able to sleep without getting a bottle. I'll give you some too."
"I know you well enough to say with certainty… that's a lie." Riveria responds. "You simply won't let anyone else near it."
"Mhm." Ais hums quietly from behind in agreement, staring blankly at the door as if it hides unseen treasures.
I open my mouth to defend myself, but then… the door opens.
All my unnecessary thoughts immediately vanish.
A big, bright grin spreads across my face as Riven steps out, looking mildly curious, while Hestia hides behind him like a scared rabbit as she throws suspicious glances my way.
'Hmm? Is she mad about the bottles I… borrowed.'
Borrowed. Not "stole." Borrowing with no intention to return, isn't theft.
"Riven? You're here too?" I say sweetly. I even tilt my head, batting my eyelashes.
"Lady Loki." He greets with that calm, gentle smile. "Always good to see you."
Then he shifts his gaze. "Riveria, Ais. Good to see you both as well."
Riveria gives a small, well-mannered nod. "Likewise. Im glad to see you've recovered."
Ais perks up the moment he acknowledges her, her golden eyes sharpening, staring at him with quiet intensity.
"I have." He responds to Riveria, before turning to Ais. "Since you gave us the 5 miilion Valis, I assume your DA ranked up?"
Ais nods. "Mm."
Riveria straightens beside her. "It's all thanks to you. We'd like to request further training for her, if possible."
Ais doesn't speak, but she's basically drilling holes into Riven with how focused she is.
I puff my cheeks out. 'My Ais… don't fall for him. He's Hestia's, not yours… or mine… well maybe a little mine if he gives me more wine—focus, Loki!'
They continue sith pointless pleasantries, discussing arrangements for Ais's training, and other stuff like that.
Meanwhile—
'Ask about the wine.'
'Ask. About. The wine.'
'ASK ABOUT THE WINE.'
I throw increasingly desperate looks at Riveria, who meets my gaze… and ignores me completely.
'Traitor.' I click my tongue internally.
Fine…
If she won't help me, I'll take matters into my own hands.
I clear my throat loudly and step forward with a bright, charming smile.
'Time to secure the goods.'
Everyone's attention shifts to me the moment I open my mouth.
"Lady Loki, do you need something?" Riven asks with a pleasant, polite smile.
I narrow my eyes internally.
'Oh, please. You think you can play coy with me? You know exactly why I'm here, you sly bastard. Don't insult me with that innocent act.'
Outwardly, I burst into loud, joyful laughter.
"What's with that 'Lady Loki' nonsense?!" I give him a hearty slap on the shoulder, grinning widely. "We're friends! You've been to my place, and we've had our fun. No need to be so formal. Just call me Loki."
He doesn't waste a second or hesitate… and that tells me everything.
"My mistake then, Loki." He says smoothly, like we've been buddies for years. "So… what do you need?"
I clasp my hands together, humming like I'm about to tell the sweetest little story.
"You see… I swung by earlier when I heard your Familia opened a shop—"
A complete lie. I was wandering past and spotted Hestia, so naturally I wanted to make fun of her.
"—and I was so impressed by the clothing on display." I continue, gesturing dramatically. "The quality was unbelievable. I bought so much, and I just had to come back and ask where you get items of such… exquisite craftsmanship."
'Such divine, tongue-melting, world-shifting craftsmanship~'
Riven's eyes narrow almost imperceptibly for a fraction of a second. Anyone else would have missed it.
'Ohhh, he knows exactly what I meant. I'm glad he ain't dumb.'
"I'm glad they're to your taste." He says, emphasis on taste. "Unfortunately, I can't help you. They're impossible to find anywhere else."
My smile stretches.
He's not a lying.
'So you're the only one who can get the wine.' I translate.
"Well…" I take a half-step closer, hands behind my back, leaning forward with an innocent grin. "I'm sure you have some way. Can't you help a friend out?"
"I could…" He admits slowly. "But it's an extremely difficult process. Very time-consuming. It'd be hard for me to do it for you."
'Ah. There it is.'
The first sentence is true, but the second is absolute nonsense.
'He wants something in exchange. The question being what?'
"Don't be silly," I say, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm sure you can manage it. In fact…" I step even closer, grinning madly. "I'd be happy to help if possible. Anything you need. Anything at all. You can even have m—"
"NOOOOOOO!"
Hestia erupts like an angry teapot finally exploding under pressure.
She jumps between us with her arms stretched wide, which isn't effective at all, given that Riven and I both just look directly over her tiny head.
"Stay away from Riven, you washboard!"
Hestia practically explodes in front of me, glaring at me with enough righteous indignation.
My eye twitches for a moment. Just enough to register the mortal sin she's committed.
'Shut your tiny mouth, you ankle-biting, oven-mit-sized gremlin!' I curse internally. 'How dare you call me flat?!'
My fingers curl and uncurl, warming up to strangle the insolence from her, but…
'Calm down, Loki. Calm down. Deep breaths. Do it for the wine. Do it for the wine. Do it for the—'
I force my stiffest smile, bending slightly to look at the little spitfire.
"Hestia… sweetheart…" My voice is a choking wheeze through clenched teeth. "Riven and I were just talking."
Hestia's expression cycles through various expressions. Disgust, annoyance, irritation… before finally landing on the most dangerous one.
Smug.
She plants her hands on her hips, puffing up like a proud pigeon.
"Oh? What's this? Not even defending those mosquito bites of yours anymore?" Her grin widens. "Did you finally accept that you're flatter than a pancake?"
Every muscle in my body tenses. People have died for less. Wars started over lesser provocations. Would it be wrong for me to…
No.
'Endure… for the wine… Loki… endure… breathe…'
But she's not done.
"Hmph!" She shakes her head dramatically. "Trying to seduce Riven with that flimsy, barely-there body of yours…" She thrusts her chest forward with a flourish. "Must be tough. No… impossible!"
"AGH."
The sound is involuntary, and my soul leaves my body for a moment.
"You…" I whisper, one hand over my heart as if physically wounded, the other trembling as it points at her.
"What?" She huffs, folding her arms, which only makes them… move. "Clutching your cliff like that won't make it any bigger, Loki. Gravity clearly has nothing to work with."
I stare.
I have lived for billions of years.
I have witnessed the birth of stars, the fall of civilizations, the rise of gods and the extinction of monsters.
Never.
Not once.
Has anything hurt quite like this.
"You… you're dead!" There is no thought, no hesitation, just pure instinct and rage.
I leap.
Hestia's eyes widen like a startled rabbit before we collide, tumbling to the ground with a loud thump, kicking up dust.
"No one cares about those lumps of fat you carry around!" I yell as we roll, grabbing her hair like I'm reining in a horse. "Floppy, pointless things!"
"Fl-FLAT BOARD!" Hestia screeches, pinching my cheeks viciously as she kicks her legs. "You're just jealous!"
"JEALOUS?!" I flick her forehead repeatedly like rapid-fire arrows.
She shrieks and retaliates by yanking my hair.
We devolve into a chaotic knot of limbs, insults, and screaming, as we roll on the ground while , slapping, pinching, and hurling insults at one another like two feral cats wrestling on over a morsel of food.
(Riven POV – Hearth of Threads)
"Popcorn?" I ask casually, offering Riveria and Ais their own freshly-packed bowls, after having joined them to give Hestia and Loki space to bond.
Riveria freezes, her eyes flick from the bowl to me, then back to the bowl, trying to figure out when and where I acquired it.
She accepts it anyway, more out of politeness and surprise.
Ais, meanwhile, stares curiously at the bowl for a few seconds, before looks back to me, her head tilted, silently requesting an explanation.
'…That's fair.' I think. 'Popcorn might not even exist here, since I made mine using GS and Stomach.
"It's food." I say helpfully.
Ais considers this. Then she nods, accepting it as sufficient.
She takes one kernel, studies it, pops it into her mouth… and freezes.
Her eyes light up like a spark ignited behind them. Then, expression still blank, she quietly starts shoveling handfuls into her mouth, all while maintaining direct eye contact with me.
"Uh… You're supposed to watch the—"
…Nope. Not worth it.
If she wants to watch me instead of oir goddesses fighting, that's her decision. I'm not her dad.
I turn back to the brawl as Loki and Hestia roll around like tumbleweed while screeching every insult known to god or man. I take a bite of popcorn and let out a pleased hum.
"I can't laugh too loudly.' I remind myself. 'Otherwise they'll snap back to their senses and stop fighting, and this is quality entertainment.
"...Aren't you going to stop them?" Riveria finally asks curiously.
"Nope." I reply cheerfully. "Isn't it fun to watch? Why should I stop it when they're clearly enjoying themselves. I think it's a form bonding, or stress relief, and probably how they show affection." I nod sagely.
My nonsense seems believable enough, and for a moment, she actually looks like she's considering whether their wrestling is actually bonding.
"…Aren't you worried your goddess will get hurt?" She presses.
I grin. "I could ask the same about you. But no, not really. Hestia'll be fine."
Because if she's hurt, she'll come crying to me about it.
And I'll heal her.
And comfort her.
And tease her.
And she'll make all sorts of adorable faces in the process.
But if she wins…
'A smug, triumphant Hestia is equally precious.'
Either way, I win.
"Of course, I'll step in before either of them gets actually hurt." I finish sincerely. "But what about you? Why aren't you stopping Loki?"
Riveria stares at the wrestling goddesses for a long, tired moment, like she's reliving every exhausting day of her life.
"…Because Loki deserves it." She says with the weary finality of someone who has endured years of nonsense.
I nod respectfully. 'That explains everything.'
I return to my popcorn just in time to see Hestia yank Loki's hair hard enough to make her cry out, and my smile widens.
Riveria, after another beat of hesitation, tries her popcorn, and her eyes soften almost imperceptibly.
'I'd offer them a drink too.' I think. 'But Riveria's already suspicious about where I got the popcorn from.'
Ais quietly munches away, never looking away from me.
Loki screeches as Hestia gets a good grip.
And Hestia cackles whenever she gets the upper hand.
'Everything is exactly as it should be.'
********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. They really help the book out.
How was it? Was Riven yandere enough towards the end?😂
To be honest, I tried making the convo super high laver in the middle, but it's kinda hard, given its about alcohol... Although, Hestia's insults are vicious.
I'm curious though... Should Ais get alcohol?
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But honestly, there ain't much for be to say. So... I hope you all have a wonderful day/night 🌉.