endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 175

For the next few days until Friday, Vahn spent the majority of his time moving between the orb, home, and the Hostess of Fertility. Some important developments in those three days had been the change in his treatment from various people. Whenever Vahn visited the Hostess of Fertility he still had his private booth but now, instead of just Chloe, there was a rotation between the girls that served his meal. There seemed to be an agreement between Chloe, Syr, and Ryuu, and Vahn had the opportunity to spend time with all three girls in private.

Whenever he was with Chloe, she liked to act affectionate and be spoiled, and Vahn found her presence to be very comforting. There was something tantalizing about having a woman lay in his lap and act playfully as he got to tease and feed her treats. Since she allowed him a few liberties, Vahn had a lot of fun spending time with her.

When Syr had served him, she acted with her characteristic cheerful manner, but she also tried to act less reserved than normal. Though she understood that Vahn wasn't willing to be with her for the time being, it didn't stop her from sitting next to him close enough for their legs to touch. Unlike Chloe, she was trying to spoil Vahn and even held the fork as she fed him small bites of the food he had ordered. Throughout the entire time, she would make small and casual contact for very brief moments and Vahn could subtly feel that each time she did so, it was for a slightly longer period of time.

Of the three girls, Ryuu was the most peculiar when she entered the private booth. She acted in a very reserved manner and sat across from Vahn as she quietly listened to his stories. She would periodically ask questions about his past travels and what he wanted to do in the future, and Vahn answered each question with moderated enthusiasm. Since he could see her aura, Vahn understood she was enjoying their time together and slowly transitioning from her taciturn self to a slightly more cheerful demeanor. Since Ryuu had her hands on the table, Vahn wanted to tease her a bit and tried grabbing her hand to see how she would react. He didn't know why, but teasing elf girls seemed to be an instinctual habit for him and he wanted to break her expressionless guise.

The placid expression on her face changed slightly as her brows raised and she opened her eyes by a marginal amount. She removed her hand out from under his and turned her head to the side with the slightest hint of a blush on her face as she broke eye contact with Vahn. He couldn't help but think she was adorable, so Vahn said, "You look cute when you smile and have a slightly bashful expression." Though it wasn't much, the blush on her face grew slightly deeper as she 'ignored' his complement and just refilled his tea.

In response to her actions, Vahn just smiled and received the cup gratefully before taking a sip and saying, "Thank you, Ryuu." After his words hung in the air for several seconds, Ryuu showed a hint of gentleness in her eyes as she responded in a curt and soft tone, "You're welcome, Vahn." After that, Vahn continued to enjoy the atmosphere and made small talk while periodically trying to tease her. Though she never reacted in a drastic manner, Vahn was always able to get a very slight rise out of her which made him smile.

When he wasn't at the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn spent the majority of his time in the real world at home teaching Nanu about forging and attending the lessons with the other children. Tina had pretty much cemented herself as the second highest authority in the house as even Anubis was slightly deferential to the small cat girl. All of the kids were making rapid improvements, and Vahn had high hopes for their future lives and accomplishments.

The most significant change in his general living at home was the change that had occurred in Tina in the last few days. She wasn't in nearly as high tensions as she had been previously, and she acted a lot less shy and bashful around Vahn, though not in an overly intimate way. Whenever they would return to the room in the evening to sleep, Tina didn't act shy or concerned at all when she changed her clothes. When it came time for bed, she would quickly crawl in after Vahn and snuggle up at his side before falling asleep with a happy and contented smile on her face. Vahn noticed that she didn't seem to have bad dreams anymore and her trust toward him had increased by a fair amount.