Tarrasque Troubles (Danmachi OC)

[AzureAurora]

Tarrasque Troubles​

What happens when a bout of legendary magic sends one of the most feared creatures in the material plane somewhere else entirely? What happens when a giant unkillable lizard becomes a teenage girl? What happens… when she wants friends?

Orario, unfortunately, is about to find out.

AN: Hey there! This idea was rattling in my head for a bit, so I decided to put it down on proverbial paper. Most of my knowledge of Danmachi comes from fanfiction, this is going to be more or less a crackfic with some level of coherence. This is for fun, so I hope you enjoy a silly lizard being silly.

Chapter 1: Tarrasque Troubles.

​

The deepest depths of the earth stirred, as claws twitched, and a tail swayed, as it slipped through solid stone and packed earth as if it were a pool of deep water. A figure's chest- titanic in size, slowly rose and fell. With each breath, a faint rumble, titanic in scope but gentle in vibration. Each tremor preluded by the heartbeats that came before it. It was quiet, save for the breathing of this creature, and the stirring of it's mighty size.

The warmth of geothermal vents, the gentle pressure of the mountain's weight, and the slowly fading contentment of a full belly. The creature concerned itself with naught but the pull of rest. Scars and chipped scales slowly knitted back together with each sonorous heartbeat.

But unknown to it, something else was brewing. A pair of footfalls above its place of rest. A scale, no bigger than it's claw, dragged and bound by thick cords of rope. A warrior of short stature, muscles bulging as this heavy scale was placed upon an altar above it's place of rest.

A slim figure with pointed ears and opulent robes nodded and raised their hands. A chorus of voices, a trio of words spoke in unison, a thrum of the universe that registered a command.

The scale lit up, and lines of teal light burrowed deep into the earth, coiled around the creature, illuminating scales and horns in the dark. A single eye cracks open, and a heavy Murr sounded out like the gnashing of gravel, a boulder that struck the earth.

Another figure joined the first, a breastplate shimmered in the light, and an obsidian staff raised high. Followed by a third figure, a wooden staff and luminescent feathers that swayed in a growing breeze.

"Twisted Tyrant, Slumbering Maw, Monster of Hunger and Hate. Oh destroyer of history, we deny our fate. Leave us in peace and don a new face!" The two voices spoke as one, and the lines of teal light lit up with a golden hue. A static whine of magic resounded below the earth, and high above.

The lines of light, of magic, engulfed the titanic creature entirely, and formed a shell of gold, that began to shrink. With a flash of thunder and a roar that could shatter mountains, it vanished.

One world's trouble seemed to have come to the end, for a moment.

But for another? The headache was just beginning.

--- Tarrasque Troubles ---

She-who-eats awoke to a chill- and she could only think one thing, in that moment between dream, and not-dream.

Where's my rock?

Grumpily, a searching hand reached out, scratched against rough stone, as clawed talons dug deep into the rock's face. Small fragments of stone torn from the ground in furrows, only to be brought to her lips.

She bit into the pile of rubble with a grumble, teeth gnashing and tearing the rocks into pieces in her mouth, only for her to freeze. And then spit it out.

Bad Rock.

That usually meant one thing- the squishy ones. The small creatures no bigger than a single claw, dressed in colorful cloth and shiny metals. They ruined rocks but raised so many tasty things!

Don't wanna fight today.

They also liked to stab her in the eyes. Which wasn't very nice! Why couldn't they just be friends over some food?

The thought lingered for a moment, as another breeze passed over her scales, and her… not scales?

Blinking a few times, She-who-eats looked down. And she saw… a squishy. Well- kind of?

There were scales, like a sensible lizard!

But then there was also skin, pale and soft- like the squishy ones had.

She frowned, blinked, and then patted her face.

She could frown! That's another squishy thing! Next thing she knows, she could be waging war on the sky lizards!

That'd be fun, sky lizards kept on hiding all the shiny food. It jingled nicely when she ate it.

She- who- eats got up, and slowly stood- a strange sensation, without the reassuring weight of her carapace, she stood tall. A short, scaled tail swayed from behind, working to balance her, as she stretched.

"mnh. Where's food?" She wondered, only to blink, and then smile.

I've got the squishy words!

She couldn't remember anything they actually said, but knowing it now? Really neat!

She glanced back and forth, and found two ways forward from the oddly large alleyway she was in.

Did squishies make bigger homes?

She pondered over the question, as she took in the main road to her left, and the sharp left that wound deeper into the alleyways, to her right.

The main road was filled with people of various heights and colors, pointy eared squishies, tall squishies, the short squishies with the crunchy armor, and the quick squishies that liked to stab She-who-eats in uncomfortable places.

She wrinkled her nose at the thought- muscles tensed, but nothing happened. A few of their eyes met hers, before they widened, and walked faster. Some even turned red! That hasn't happened before.

And she was waving her claw like they did! But there was no response! Did she not do it right?

Her attention turned to her right claw- hand? Claw? Thingy! Watching as four fingers and one thumb wiggled back at her. The palms were soft, skin? With her blue scales wound up the fingers and the back of the hand.

Oooh, very smooth!

She-who-eats took a moment to admire just how fluid her fingers were, bending and stretching with more grace than her claws used to.

Squishies kept their claws from me!

She-who-eats pouted, but it was rather short lived, as the familiar pang of hunger in her stomach drew her attention away from the claw-based betrayals of the Squishy ones.

Well, there was nothing for it. She couldn't exactly just sit in a corner and starve, or freeze, or what may have you- so she needed to pick a direction.

There might be food in the main road, but the squishies might just ignore her- or they'd throw the pointy sticks at her! She wasn't in the mood for pointy sticks just yet.

Hmmm….

Her thoughts were interrupted as a shout rose beyond the hum of everyday life. A shout- followed by a chorus of laughs.

It wasn't the good kind of laughter- it was the kind that made She-who-eats bare her teeth- it was the kind that some squishies made when they tried to carve her up. At least, until she got better.

Could they be carving up a squishy?

The idea of it didn't seem… quite right. Squishies worked together, didn't they?

She-who-eats felt an icky sensation in her stomach- and she decided that she didn't like thinking about it, so she'd just go and check!

And so- despite her insides coiling and squeezing with every step- she did. A perplexed walk between a few winding corners- driven further and further away from the bustling sounds of the main road.

She-who-eats found herself at what appeared to be an intersection between Alleyways.

A short squishy girl was yelling at a trio of bigger squishies? They seemed to be the same kind of squishies, aside for the squishy girl with antlers, who stood beside two boy squishies. It'd easier if there was only one kind of squishy!

There was another smell from the girl-squishy though… it was… power? But it smelled faint, like She-who-eats when she ignored her tummy to sleep a little longer in a comfy rock!

It smelled… nice. Not tasty nice, but comfy nice, like her favorite rocks. Maybe they could be friends?

She-who-eats has never had a friend before!

She tried really hard to pay attention to what was happening!

Two boy squishies, and the one girl squishy with antlers- they seemed to be talking for the moment, but the tones of voice reminded she-who-eats of those sky lizards when they fought for their shinies!

They were trying to take the nice girl's tasty stuff!

She drew on the words in her head, and she yelled.

"Leave the nice squishy alone!" That higher pitched toned of hers rang out- it echoed within the alleyways- as all four people currently occupying the space, paused.

The woman in the middle of the pack seemed to pale slightly, even as a blush appeared on her face, and her mouth dropped open.

The other three turned around, barely controlled irritation clearly twisted their faces into sneers.

The woman with antlers on her head was in mostly leather and black cloth- but she was flipped a pointy tasty- a… Knife? in her hand.

The man opposite her was wearing some form of padded cloth, with a bow strung over his back. Although from the gritted teeth and the furrowed brow of his- it likely wouldn't stay there for long.

"And why should we listen to a naked bitch on our turf?" The man in front answered, as he took a step forward. Leather padding and a breastplate creaked as he raised a club in his right hand.

"I asked?" She-who-eats responded, as she blinked up at him.

He was taller, armed and armored, and full of intimidation.

But She-who-eats… was not impressed.

Yay! I can talk to the squishies!

"… are you stupid? Whatever, your funeral." The man grunted and he threw a haymaker at her face.

Whump.

"… are we fighting now?"

She-who-eats tilted her head.

"What the… fuck…?" The man staggered back, and stared at his fist.

She took a step forward, and with a clumsy mimicry of his form from before- she punched him right back.

It was slow, it was sloppy, and he had already reached out to grab her fist- but that didn't matter. Not when her fist made contact- sent him off his feet, and into the wall.

Silence reigned for a moment, as the man slowly pulled himself out of the small dent his back made with a grunt.

The woman with Antlers stared at the pocketknife in her hands, and then over at her 'boss', and back to the knife.

"Oi!" She threw the knife at She-who-eats, only for it to bounce off her forehead with no effect.

She blinked, bent down- and picked it up.

"Ooh! Bronze Tasty!" she exclaimed- as she opened her mouth wide, which revealed the teeth of a predator- before she bit down. The sound of torn metal filled the alleyway, as she happily turned it into scrap.

Cronch.

"Yeah… I ain't fuckin' with that. Lets get outta here." She muttered, and nudged the bowman with her elbow- they grabbed the arms of their boss, and pulled him up to his feet.

"Oi- clearly that was a fluke-" The man glared at She-who-eats- only for his mouth to click shut- as she popped the handle of the knife into her mouth.

She tore it to bits in two bites.

"… I'm goin' I'm goin'…" He muttered, as he threw one final look at the short girl behind them.

She looked quite smug this time.

"You should be lucky my savior isn't the lethal sort! That's what you get for daring to touch a goddess!" She responded, and recieved another glare as the ringleader was helped out of the alleyway.

"I just wanted a falna, stupid bitch…" He grumbled mid-retreat, until he faded from view.

And as soon as he did- she-who-eats turned her attention to the woman she was left alone with.

"Uhm… Hello?" Hestia tried, as she forced a nervous smile.

She-who-eats smiled back and waved.

"Hi! Wanna be friends?"

Hestia sorely wished that she hadn't left home that morning.

… or that she had brought some extra clothes.

This was just embarrassing.

--- Tarrasque Troubles ---
​

It only took a few minutes for Hestia to run off, and come back with a blanket that smelled faintly of potatoes. She said something about using it on cold mornings- but she-who-eats wasn't particularly paying attention at the moment.

She was engrossed in the sensation of the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. It was soft, it was warm- it was far more comfortable then her favorite sleeping spots- and she could still move around! It was actually… pretty nice!

Is this squishy's version of rocks?

She-who-eats decided to follow this woman because she made her feel nice, and so the two of them walked in companionable silence.

She-who-eats took in the entirety of the city with wide eyes, as they walked through progressively older and older districts.

Sure, she's been in a city before, but it was hard to just… take it in, when she was eating everything in sight- or getting stabbed repeatedly. And while she was hungry, it wasn't… there was still room for thinking.

She liked thinking, she decided. It made things a lot more interesting!

Although, she started to run out of interesting things to look at as time passed. The crowd of squishies that glanced at her and shared whispers she couldn't here- thinned out. The sprawl of buildings gave way to old buildings and shrines that were either just maintained, or left in disarray.

And then, the pair had reached their destination- and old church.

"I'm staying in here with my first child. I owe you something to eat at least, so come on in!" Hestia gave She-who-eats a more sincere smile.

The prospect of food got her tail wagging, and a broad smile back.

"Squishies work together, not fight!" She shared her wisdom, as she followed Hestia into the building.

A door at the back, by the lectern, and she found herself in a cozy basement dwelling. She flopped onto the couch, and giggled.

Simultaneously comfy and a little lumpy. The feeling of it giving way, without crumbling- was oddly enjoyable to her senses.

Hestia put a few potato puffs down for her- and She-who-eats' interest zeroed in on the food.

It was the best thing she ever tasted.

Soft, Crunchy, and filled with flavours she had never had before. Tangy, salty, melting in her mouth as she continued to bite.

There were tears in her eyes, and a muffled squeal as she swallowed her bite.

"Amazing Tasty!" She declared as she devoured it.

"I'm glad. I'm Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth. Who might you be?" Hestia asked, her head propped up by her hands, as she watched the mini Tarrasque eat.

She-who-eats blinked, and then she paused.

She stared down at the potato puff in her hand, and then at Hestia, and hummed.

A name?

The words in her head gave her the meaning. A word that meant her.

She-who-eats was not a name, so much as it was a title, a designation, something to refer to oneself as.

She thought about what she saw so far. The squishies, the people- the tasty food, and the nasty rock floor. The fighting she did- and how different it felt in this body. The sense of… wonder, that she has been missing till now.

The ability to think for more than a moment- at all!

She stared at the Ribbons on Hestia's dress- and how they reminded her of the sky, with that deep rich blue.

It was Azure, her mind had helpfully supplied.

Azure…Azuro…Azuros.

"Azuros!" She decided, as she tasted the name on her lips. "Hestia." Came next.

"Hestia…Azuros…Azuros and Hestia!" She exclaimed, a pleased trill left her throat as she ate a second puff.

"Azuros it is then, I'm happy to meet you. Say, you were really strong there- would you… like to join my familia? I only have one member, but she's super great- and I know you'd get along with her great!" Hestia responded, babbling slightly, as her eyes glinted with fragile hope.

The newly dubbed Azuros thought about it.

Familia… Family… work together.

Spending time with the comfortable lady sounded like a fun idea.

"Okay!" She'd agree with a broad smile- and Hestia's lit up even brighter.

"Perfect! Then if you could just turn over so I could reach your back…" Hestia trailed off, as she pricked a finger with a needle.

Blood pooled on the tip of her finger- the golden ichor of the gods.

However at that moment, Azuros was not paying attention to her words. She was paying attention to the blood.

Her new friend was hurt.

And Squishies didn't get better.

She had to remove the hurt!

And so, Azuros leaned in- and she did what a Tarrasque does best.

She opened her mouth- and she ate the blood. Licked it right off of Hestia's finger.

"Eh!?" Hestia gaped, eyes wide.

Azuros swallowed, before she blinked- as what could only be described as pure warmth filled her tummy, like when she swallowed a bonfire.

It was so warm… she was getting sleepy. Her eyes drifted shut- and she fell asleep right atop a poor, very confused goddess.

Just in time for the door to open.

"Lady Hestia, I've returned!" Declared one Eiselin Hulkenberg. An elf with crimson hair, long pointed ears, a tall muscular build, and a halberd held in her hand like a walking stick.

She trailed off, eyes wide, as she looked at the scale-clad girl slumped over her goddess.

"I… I can explain. Maybe." Hestia stammered, as she looked up at her first child.

Eiselin sighed, as she shut the door behind her.

"Very well, My lady. However… maybe we should rescue the potato puffs first." Eiselin, despite her visible confusion- sounded rather amused.

It probably had something to do with the hand that reached out for the small pile of potato puffs, even in Azuro's sleep.

And even as they talked- Azuros slept. With a smile on her face.

Chapter 1: End.

AN: Thought it'd try something a little different! And yes, I stole Hulkenberg from Metaphor Re:Fantazio. I love her a lot x.x
Hope you enjoyed!
​

 

[AAAustinYu]

TASTY FOOD TALKS GOOD WORDS MORE

 

[AzureAurora]

TASTY FOOD TALKS GOOD WORDS MORE

Click to shrink...

Azuros learn Squishy words good!

 

[NuclearBirb]

That was cute! Hope to see a lot more!

 

[AzureAurora]

That was cute! Hope to see a lot more!

Click to shrink...

Thanks! That was the vibe I aimed for. I hope I'll write a lot more!

 

[Kykkoman4]

watched

 

[Battleship_Fusou]

Alright, you've got my interest to be sure.

 

[Amdar210]

Beyond Cute.

Enjoyed and followed immediately. Can't wait to read more!

 

[AzureAurora]

Chapter 2: Friends and Foundations.

The sun had set, and the sun had risen- the warmth that had filled Azuros from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, had finally started to fade. In the absence of the cozy warmth was a bone-deep sense of contentment, a gentle buzz that lay just beneath her skin.

An ember of that warmth seemed to linger in her navel, as if curled up beneath a sunbeam. Azuros idly scratched at her tummy, before she paused at the sensation of skin in place of scales.

Mnh? Squishy?

She yawned, sharp teeth made for tearing all obstacles in her path, bared to the world for a mere moment, before sleep-heavy eyes fluttered open.

Oh, right. Squishy friends.

The mini-tarrasque smacked her lips as she sat up, and found herself tucked into that cozy blanket Hestia had given her before, one leg hung out of the slightly lumpy couch she had fallen asleep on.

The scent of potatoes and meat filled Azuros' nose, as she rubbed at her heavy eyelids- another thing she couldn't do before!

Why couldn't I wake up like a squishy ages ago?

The thought was accompanied by a pout- albeit one that died a swift death when Hestia came walked over with a small plate topped with the potatoes she enjoyed last night, and a side of meat!

"You're awake! You honestly gave us quite a fright last night. What were you thinking? You're not supposed to drink my ichor, silly! The blood of the gods isn't for mortals, you could've gotten seriously ill, or burned alive!" Hestia chided, even as she placed the plate onto the table.

Azuros was cowed a bit by Hestia's tone.

"Blood bad." Azuros mumbled, her shoulders sagged, and the blanket slid down her slim shoulders.

"Oh, you were worried about me?" Hestia asked, before she sighed.

"I can't stay upset if you look at me like that. Please don't drink golden blood again, okay? You're really lucky you turned out okay. Here- my Jagamarukun with bacon. I'm trying a few new combinations at the stall I work for, so let me know what you think."

Hestia could barely finish the words, before Azuros dove in, and devoured the meal with gusto.

The potato puffs were a bit sweeter this time around, a few notes of honey sweetened the dish, which let the bacon's savory flavor and firm crunch stand out all the more.

Suffice to say, Azuros was in heaven.

"So gud~!" She squeaked, small pieces of bacon peppered the table, as she completely ignored the cutlery and devoured the food with her hands.

"Guess we'll also need to work on manners…" Hestia muttered, as the plate was cleaned out in a matter of minutes.

In the meantime, Hestia walked to the corner of the room, and started rummaging through a closet beside the double-sized bed.

"Alright, no child of mine can walk around without clothes, so we'll be putting these on you before we go anywhere today!" Hestia declared, cheeks red, but eyes set into a determined glare.

Azuros was quite pleased with her decision to follow Hestia to her home. Not only was it warmer than outside, it had food, and that strange warmth in her tummy, and now- she had the cloth too!

Clothes?

She thought over the word as a Red-faced Hestia pulled a navy tunic over her head, and passed her horns, before she helped her pull her arms through the sleeves- extra mindful of the scales on her fingers.

The pants were a lot harder- apparently, it's difficult to wrangle a wagging tail through a hole in pants when said tail is strong enough to throw Hestia around? Who would've guessed?

Like the blanket, but… not as warm. Thin Cloth?

"Feels funny." Azuros murmured, as she gently pinched the hem of the tunic, able to feel the material even through her scale-clad fingers.

"I swear, you're like a child. Or a puppy? Did no one ever teach you any of this?" Hestia asked, her voice gentle, as she finished off the simple outfit with a bright red cloth looped over her tunic.

Hestia really hoped it'd help her or Eiselin find Azuros, if she got lost.

Something told her that this child would be a handful.

Azuros hardly looked like an adventurer, but given how her forehead deflected a knife? Hestia decided to focus on blending in, as much as she could with horns, anyway.

Azuros thought about Hestia's question for a moment, before she shook her head.

"Nope! Hard to remember- but I fought, ate, slept, woke up, and fought again!." Azuros counted off her many varied and historic exploits that amounted to three things, over and over again.

Her tone was rather bright, even though it was all fights to the death.

Granted, It was kind of hard to see combat to the death as anything bad, when death didn't stick.

Hestia raised a brow, as she stood up once more.

"There. And what do you mean? You've been fending for yourself your whole life? Where's your family? Are you an orphan?" Hestia wasn't sure what circumstances led to Azuros being naked and alone in alleyway, but none of the ideas she could come up with would've been good.

"Family?" Azuros echoed the word, she tasted it, and she closed her eyes.

Family… Kin.

There was an odd feeling of… cold in Azuros' belly, and for once, she didn't feel hungry- but it wasn't the feeling of being full. It was… just bad, her tummy tightened, like a metal tasty got stuck somewhere.

Azuros shook her head, and pouted. It didn't feel nice at all! Did Squishies feel that all the time? Boo!

"Only Azuros, only food, only angry squishes or squishes who run. Squishies a lot bigger now!" Azuros answered after a moment, her words stilted a little bit as she searched for the correct words that surfaced in her head.

She sagged a little.

Words are hard!

A hand rested on Azuros' head, and she glanced at Hestia, who gently ruffled her hair.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Lets make some good memories, okay?"

Memories are thoughts of tasty? Sound good!

"Okay!" Azuros smiled, as Hestia slid opened maroon curtain hung up between the couch, and the double-sized bed on the other side.

"We've gotten our new familia member dressed, Eiselin, if you want to introduce yourself." Hestia declared, cheeks still slightly red, as she let the elven woman pass and stand in front of Azuros.

Tall Squishy!

Azuros thought with awe, as she stared up at Eiselin's form.

She wore what appeared to be a navy blue unform, with a slim chest piece of dark metal, and a capelet. Her Halberd was propped by the coat rack at the door, with an oiling kit sat on a nearby table.

"It's good to see you awake, Azuros. I'm Eiselin Burchelli Meijal Hulkenberg, but as our Lady Hestia has said, you may call me Eiselin. I've been told my name is a bit of a mouthful!" Eiselin smiled, as she inclined her head.

"Our goddess told me about what had transpired before I had gotten home. I had been indisposed with preparing for the dungeon, and well… I was not there when she needed help." Eiselin trailed off as she stood upright and saw Azuros' face.

Those are some big words! What's a dungeon? Can I eat it?

Azuros stared at Eiselin with a blank expression. One blink, then two.

Eiselin chuckled. "My apologies, I've been told you are new to well, everything. Thank you for helping Lady Hestia when she needed it."

Oh!

Now that she could understand.

"Hestia smelled really nice, and she's really warm, like a comfy rock! I didn't want those squishies to take her tasties away." Azuros replied, chest puffed out and a smile so broad it made her cheeks ache.

"It sounds like you're a great judge of character, Azuros." Eiselin nodded slowly, as if Azuros had said something reminiscent of a wise sage.

Eiselin turned to Hestia and cleared her throat.

"Lady Hestia, I know you're concerned about our new member, but you shouldn't be late. I'll take her to the guild and help her set up with Eina. If what you told me is true, then she'll be just fine."

Hestia froze, followed by a nervous giggle.

"I-It's fine! I'm sure my boss will forgive me for taking a day to make sure Azuros can settle in okay! Besides, you've been bringing home plenty of Valis, Eiselin!" Hestia stammered out a protest, as her eyes darted between both of them.

A single hand came down and gently chopped Hestia on the head.

"Hey!" Hestia pouted, but her expression was one of resignation.

"And those very same Valis are eaten by our food expenses because multiple flavors of potato puffs does not an adventurer make. Even if they are delicious." Eiselin continued, before her gaze returned to Azuros.

"Although if it would make you feel better, you could double check what's happening with her?" Eiselin conceded, much to Hestia's visible relief.

"Now, Azuros. I need you to turn around and close your eyes for me." She finished with a contemplative hum.

Does that mean Eiselin Squishy gets the food? I'll be good for more food!

"Okay!" Azuros agreed rather easily, as she turned and flopped back onto the bed once more. A giggle escaped her lips at the odd sensation of the cloth that rose up her belly.

"Stay there, Azuros." Hestia requested, as she stood over Azuros' back. Her new tunic was raised up, which revealed a scale-clad spine.

The world seemed to hold it's breath for a moment, as a golden drop fell, and warmth bloomed across Azuros' back.

For a moment, nothing happened- and then the warmth in Azuros' burned hotter.

"… I don't think that's supposed to happen." Eiselin spoke, voice faint, as a golden shimmer briefly flitted across the deep blue scales of her otherwise unmarked spine.

"Oh no, it's totally standard- Of course it isn't!" Hestia replied through a panicked whisper.

"I can feel her, but I have no idea what my blessing is doing. It's fine, it's fine- she's strong, maybe… the guild won't ask questions?" Hestia continued under her breath.

"Miss Tulle did request a copy of my Falna when I joined, my Lady." Eiselin pointed out, much to Hestia's dismay.

"Of course she did! Ugh- why must she do her job!? Fine then… I'll- I'll just make one! I've sat through enough of Hephaestus' rants to know what a standard one looks like! Just give me a moment, and…" Hestia's voice trailed off into a mutter as a piece of paper was placed on Azuros' back.

Azuros wiggled under the strange sensation, goosebumps running across her skin. Scales rattled together.

Paper feel bad! Eat all Paper?

Azuros considered the idea of parchment extinction as she endured the unpleasant feeling.

The sound of a finger being traced along paper momentarily filled the quiet that followed, alongside Azuros' nonchalant hums.

Azuros hummed a tune mid wiggle, as her nose scrunched up.

"Steady, I'm almost finished… There!" Hestia tried to soothe her newest child, as her finger slid down to the bottom of the page.

She pulled it up and examined it.

"This is what a blank Falna looks like. You already have a skill, though." Hestia spoke to Eiselin quietly.

Can paper fight back? Like that one time a the shiny metal's box grew eyes and teeth? Hm.

Azuros paid the discussion no mind, as she considered the potential dangers of eradicating paper off the face of the realm. As well as the possibility of paper mimics.

"Yes, according to Miss Tulle, a Falna will create a skill based on your personal history and capabilities in order to better suit the dangers of being an adventurer, alongside doubling your capabilities from your base potential. Given my training, the skill I received makes sense." Eiselin put a hand to her chin and closed her eyes in thought.

"If memory serves, all beastkin receive a similar skill known as 'Beastification'. It provides explosive power, but may come with drawbacks. Given her appearance, that may serve as a good, ah, 'cover?'." The elf's tone made it quite clear that she was not a fan the deception.

But then again- she didn't know how to explain Azuros' bizarre circumstances, either!

Hestia hummed, before she nodded.

"Great idea!" A second flick of a finger, and she put the piece of paper down in front of Azuros.

"This is what your Status will be, if anyone asks." Hestia finished, a tinge of pride in her voice.

Azuros stared at it. She squinted, she crossed her eyes, she even poked it! Nothing.

"Squiggles?" She asked, after a moment of scrutiny that lead nowhere.

"Uhm… can you read?" Hestia asked after a moment, the pride in her voice wilted into a tiny, high pitched note of embarrassment.

"Dunno!" Azuros chirped in response, as Hestia had to snatch the piece of paper away before she could bite down on it.

Hestia's response was cut off by a second, more insistent cough.

"…I'm going to leave this in your capable hands. Please keep an eye on her?" Hestia asked, eye slightly twitching, as she pulled her white coat over her dress, and fixed the gloves on both hands.

"Your work ethic is an inspiration to us all. I'll make sure Tulle gets the basics into her head before we do a delve. Don't worry, my Lady." Eiselin nodded in approval, before she knelt to get Azuro's attention.

"We're going outside, you'll get to meet someone new, she's really nice. And then we'll get you something to… fight." The elf spoke in a measured cadence, as if Azuros was a dog.

That seemed to be the right approach, as a glint of excitement shown in her eyes.

"A Fight!? Yay!"

Azuros' tummy was full, but not like, nap full. So a scrap was just what she needed!

--- Tarrasque Troubles ---

​

Stupid Squishy Eise.

Azuros grumbled a little bit, arms crossed, as she sat wedged between the red-headed elf, and the brunette half-elf that had come to meet them at the guild's entryway.

Don't get her wrong, Azuros had been excited, at first. But then she was taken into a room full of even more paper- and she was pushed to the couch before she could even slay the evil texture! It wasn't fair.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Azuros. You're new to Orario, yes? I'm glad you've decided to come with your senior member, even if Miss Hulkenberg is still rather new to the guild. It's always a good sign when a new adventurer has extra help!" The brunette elf, Eina Tulle, spoke with a customary smile.

Azuros' pout melted a little, under the attention of another pleasant squishy.

"I'm going to be an adventurer, yes!" She glanced at Eiseline, before she agreed. She needed to be a good girl for more tasty potatoes, after all!

"Excellent!" She took the parchment offered by Eiseline, fixed the glasses on the bridge of her nose, and read through the 'totally legitimate record' that was not fake, shut up.

"Looks standard, excellent. Beastification, semi-permanent activation… explains the horns, alright. Everything looks to be in order!" Eina finished with a pleased nod. She unlocked a metal lockbox placed on the table, and opened It up. Tucking the paper into a folder placed at the top- she locked the box once again.

"Adamant lock box. It stops anyone under level 3." She declared with a note of pride at Azuros' curious expression.

"Now!" She clapped her hands together. "What do you know about the dungeon?" She asked Azuros.

Azuros froze, blinked a few times, and then tilted her head.

No one told me about the dungeon! Just fights!

She hummed, she frowned, she yawned.

Thinking take too much energy.

"Fight good, eat good?" She offered, for a lack of anything else.

Eina's smile fell, and she sighed.

A gut feeling told Azuros that she made a grave mistake.

"So much for an easy client. This is going to take a while. The Dungeon is considered a neutral ground, in which crimes often cannot be discovered, and monsters are plenty and ever spawning, it's vital that-"

Azuro's expression slowly became one of dawning horror as Eina just kept talking. She slowly turned towards her familia member, her kin. And Eiselin shook her head solemnly.

Azuros turned back, as the avalanche of words crashed into her brain, and she could've sworn it weeped.

I take it all back, I want my comfy rock!

The agony had just begun.

Chapter 2: End.

AN: Wanted to get some characterization out of the way, and this kind of just wrote itself! Gonna be a beeg dungeon chapter next time! Thanks for the love so far, I really appreciate it!

 

[AzureAurora]

Beyond Cute.

Enjoyed and followed immediately. Can't wait to read more!

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Good thing I just posted Chappie 2, huh?

 

[Amdar210]

Aw... Too many Squishy Words for Azuros-chan!
Loved the chapter! Can't wait to see her get a real Falna stat sheet and what everyones reaction to that will be.

Also... Could Azuros out eat the Dungeon?! Its gonna spawn more and more powerful foes to try and beat her, but if she kept eating....


Oooo! Can't wait!

 

[NooneImportant]

Azuros to Hestia: I shall call her Squishy and she shall be mine and she shall be my Squishy!

 

[NuclearBirb]

Cute! A little annoyed you gender swapped/replaced bell - the dynamics between him and hestia are fun, and him being all motherly over Arturos would have been a really interesting story beat it's also a little bit icky to quietly replace a prominent male character, especially with no clear reason provided - there is no Eros to the story so far, so it's a very… let's say interesting choice. Im interested to see if we'll see any prominent male characters, or if this is a somewhat classic sh/sv Purity Through Yuri story. Mind you, youre doing such an good job at the moe that it's not gonna stop me, and im still very excited to see more - im just wondering what the reasoning could be, at this point.

 

[Pyro Hawk]

Huh, Eisilen's meant to be a genderbent Bell? I'll be honest, I was just running with the assumption that whatever lead to Azuros being here like this butterflied Hestia not getting any Familia members before Bell. Especially as she's mentioned to be an Elf.

Enjoying it so far regardless!

 

[AzureAurora]

Cute! A little annoyed you gender swapped/replaced bell - the dynamics between him and hestia are fun, and him being all motherly over Arturos would have been a really interesting story beat it's also a little bit icky to quietly replace a prominent male character, especially with no clear reason provided - there is no Eros to the story so far, so it's a very… let's say interesting choice. Im interested to see if we'll see any prominent male characters, or if this is a somewhat classic sh/sv Purity Through Yuri story. Mind you, youre doing such an good job at the moe that it's not gonna stop me, and im still very excited to see more - im just wondering what the reasoning could be, at this point.

Click to shrink...

Fair enough! The reasoning is simply the fact that I feel weird thinking about a 14 year old boy fighting to the death in the dungeon. I have nothing against Bell, its just personal preference.

Eiselin's Addition is honestly just because I really like the character and Hestia still having a 'normal' familia member makes sense.

There isn't a lot of thought beyond that. This is for a mix of enjoyment and practice after all!

As for the rest, beyond considering an OC or two down the road, the rest of the cast is unchanged. Welf, Finn, Bete, Apollo, Ottar, etc will all show up at some point, as da bois.

I hope you enjoy the story!

 

[AzureAurora]

Huh, Eisilen's meant to be a genderbent Bell? I'll be honest, I was just running with the assumption that whatever lead to Azuros being here like this butterflied Hestia not getting any Familia members before Bell. Especially as she's mentioned to be an Elf.

Enjoying it so far regardless!

Click to shrink...

As mentioned in Chapter 1, I added Eiselin because i really like her character. I allowed myself one (1) gorl from another setting, and i picked the adorkable knight from the fantasy persona game.

I just was not comfortable with a child nearly getting killed and lusted after (bell is 14 and i teach 14 year olds), and an aged up bell appealed less then my favourite elf.

I am adapting her to the setting, so its more of a... Hulkenberg expy? Hope that makes sense!

 

[AzureAurora]

Azuros to Hestia: I shall call her Squishy and she shall be mine and she shall be my Squishy!

Click to shrink...

Hestia is Azuro's favourite squishy in the whole wide world.

 

[Pyro Hawk]

I just was not comfortable with a child nearly getting killed and lusted after (bell is 14 and i teach 14 year olds), and an aged up bell appealed less then my favourite elf.

Click to shrink...

Huh, so that's where she was from? And more than fair enough on that point. Just said it means that this can't be Bell then.