After receiving the tattoo on the back of my neck, which Loki promised would protect me from all Godly influences, I got out as quickly as possible.

It wasn't that I was afraid of Loki, (which I very much am,) it was simply that I truly didn't want to be around her right now.

So I returned home.

I found my mother in the bar's kitchen, baking and brewing stew at the same time, muttering to herself in Italian.

I had to blush and look away when I realized what she was wearing, which was no doubt a prostitutes blouse and a short skirt, and it exposed all of her generous helping of cleavage and legs.

"Mother... didn't Johnny find anything... better for you to wear?" I asked.

She hummed. "Alex, actually. And I apologized, don't worry. I explained the situation, and we hugged it out. She's a sweet little thing... but her breasts are a bit too small for me to wear her clothes. I'll buy some tomorrow."

"No... I will. You can't go out into this part of the city, looking like that. You are far too beautiful, especially now that you've become like us. Before, you were drop-dead gorgeous... but now... no, you'll stay here." I shook my head.

Aunt Zoë giggled from a stool nearby, dressed almost exactly the same, but her short-skirt wasn't as tight around the thighs. "Awww! Are we pretty, nephew?" She smiled.

"You are stunning, both of you. The most beautiful women on the planet, and apparently across dimensions." I answered shamelessly. "Now, what's that you're cooking?" I hummed, and reached for a biscuit.

She stopped chopping carrots. "Xavier." She said simply.

I sighed and leaned back. "Fine..."

"And I'm making food. And you'll eat it, so it doesn't matter what it is." She snapped.

"It does, actually... normally, I'm just curious... but you really like cooking. And this kitchen needs a head-chef to make sure everyone is doing their job." I smiled.

Mother smirked. "Oh, and I'm the perfect choice, huh? Why's that?"

"Because you're my mama, and I don't want you leaving the relative safety of this kitchen." I said honestly.

She stopped chopping slowly. "Is it that bad out there, my son?"

"It's that bad, mama." I nodded.

She hummed. "Well, then Jonathon will accompany me when I leave. And I'll whip your cooks into shape, !!" She tossed the cut carrots into the stew, and sang a gentle tune as she stirred.

I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Grazie, mamma. Ti amo tanto quanto la luna e le stelle."

She giggled and spanked me swiftly. "You get that sweet talk outta here, I'm still mad at you! Don't think talking Siciliano will make me forget how rude you were!"

"Sì, mamma, come hai detto." (Yes, mama, like you said.) I grinned and hugged her quickly, and gently, then got Zoë as well.

As I walked out, Zoë dropped a bomb. "So, who do I talk to to start work as a Hooker?"

My hand crashed into the door, instead of gripping the door handle, and I froze as it came off the hinges. I cleared my throat slowly. "That... is your choice, I suppose..." I growled softly.

"Mm. I'm only teasing, boy. I may be a bit stale, but I'm not that desperate for cash." She chuckled.

I glared over my shoulder. ""

Otto nodded slowly. "Yeah, boss. No problem, none at all."

I nodded and stiffly walked out of the building, cracking my neck as sunshine hit my face. Then I stood still, and simply listened. I heard Otto fix the door quickly, then introduce himself to Mama and Zoë.

"Hullo, I'm Otto, level 2 from the Ares Familia... and I suppose I'm your guard. Let's get along, please." He mumbled.

I could picture him staring at the floor, trying not to look at the gorgeous women.

"I like him. A bit Brutish, but clearly innocent, or perhaps simply unaccustomed to clothed beauties." Zoë giggled.

"I'm... usually just the Door man. The Guard. I don't see the women much, until there's an issue." He mumbled.

Mother hummed. "Ahh, the Bouncer. Good. You will accompany my sister and I to the market in a few hours. We will purchase clothes. Where does my son keep his money?" I hummed and tossed a bag of 100k Val to Otto.

He caught it behind his back, masterfully, and held it out to her. "He gave me funds for this instance, ma'am."

"Ma'am? Do I look that old, boy?" She snapped.

"Uh-I-no! No! I was just trying to be respectful, ma'am,- ah! Miss Dorian..." he stuttered, and I could feel his fear from here. My mother was a scary woman when she was angry.

I chuckled. "Good luck, Otto... you'll need it."

I walked away, looking for the nearest member of the Guild.

---

"Ahh, hello, Isabelle! How wonderful to see you!" I smiled at the redhead, who was walking with her son, and wearing a very fetching dress.

"Oh? Oh! Xavier! H-how... How fortunate! I didn't expect to see you here!" She responded, clearly self-conscious about her looks, which she'd gone to a lot of trouble for, I could tell.

"Neither did I, but I bless my lucky stars I did! You look positively radiant, Madam, absolutely stunning! And Oscar, looking handsome in a suit, eh? An occasion? Am I interrupting?" I asked, showing a little worry I'd made myself unwelcome.

"No! No, I just- Uhm... I'm meeting someone, you see, and-"

"Ahhh, say no more. Of course, a beautiful flower has many admirers, I am not dissuaded so easily." I winked quickly, and crouched, looking at Oscar. "Is this your first date with your mother?"

He nodded slowly, his ears twitching underneath his combed hair.

"Well, You must remember, always have manners. Women very much like a man with composure, manners, and respect, and you remember that." I said conspiratorially.

He smiled a little. "Th-than' You, Mi'er Dorian!"

"Is that you, Madame Vivaldi?" A tall Elf man in a suit strode towards us stiffly.

I smiled and stood. "Ah, alas, I must to your admirer relinquish you... that it would not be so, I beg and plead, knowing the answer nonetheless..." I smirked flirtatiously. Then I looked at Oscar. "And poetry. Women love poetry."

He giggled at his mother's blush, and I smiled, turning to the Elf, who had reached us. "Ah... the <>... come to ask your betters how to properly attire yourself?" The man asked immediately, gazing distastefully at my silk suit.

I smiled gently. "Hello. My name is Xavier Dorian. I, (unlike some uncultured swine,) do not start insults until I have introduced myself. However, I believe your attitude has fully introduced yourself... as the in the room."

He froze, completely flabbergasted by my quick, witty response. "Well, I never-!"

"Never learned proper etiquette, yes, I feel your pain, you poor boy, and I would teach you all you didn't know, if I'd the time, but, alas, I simply cannot spare a rather profitable decade to teach a pleb all the proper manners of upper and middle society." I sighed dramatically.

Oscar snorted gently, and his mother shushed him. "Leave yourself out of their argument, Oscar darling." She whispered.

"Moving on, to Lesson Two; as for my Attire, I you it is the utmost fashion in Midgard... that place you'll never go to, because you are not so nearly as skilled or practiced at magic as I, nor brave enough to attempt such matters." I smiled sweetly.

Oscar giggled again, and the man's eyes nearly popped out of his red face with rage. "You-, you-," he sputtered.

I turned on my heel, slapping him with my thick mane of shoulder-length hair, (which needed a cut, now I think of it...) "Yes well, now that bit of unpleasantness is done and over; Milady Isabelle, Milord Oscar, I bid you buonanotte, and give you my hope for a happy evening... and a much better pairing." I kissed Isabelle's knuckles gently, cutting my eyes at the red Elf, the shook Oscar's little hand, and strode away simply.

Isabelle called in her normal tone of voice. "Actually, Sir Dorian... I believe my schedule just cleared. Might you care for that evening with the Stars, after all? I know all the best places."

I smiled sadly. "Apologies, my dear, but I am never second choice, no matter how amazing, beautiful, and kind you are... another night, perhaps. I will, however, remove this trash, if it pleases you." I gripped the collar of the elf.

She sighed gently. "I suppose I wouldn't want to be the second choice either... ah well. Yes, please do remove him, he seems a bit unwell. A dip in a pond may help him cool down." She said simply, her eyes glinting silver.

I smiled. "As the lady wishes. Now Oscar, remember, the three rules of a date with a pretty woman?"

"C-mps're, M-manners, and re-respect!" He grinned.

"Good lad. And here, take her somewhere very nice." I tossed him a small pouch of coins, which should be close to 200k Val in gold 50K Val increments.

I carried the elf away as he counted it, and grinned. "Mama mama, come on, I know just the place!" He started dragging her away.

She giggled. "Slow down, boy, trust me, the restaurants aren't going to close any minute!" He slowed incrementally, but I laughed anyway at his enthusiasm.

I looked down at the man I was holding in the water. "He reminds me a bit of me as a kid... men always mistreated my mother, and I always ended up taking her on dates after she dumped them, usually with whatever allowance I'd gotten from Zoë... oh, you need to breath, I'd forgotten."

I pulled him up for a moment, and let him get a large breath of air, then shoved him back into the water. "Yeah, those were the days. You'd never guess how much more happy a woman can be, at a Fast Food Joint with her son, a coke, and a $6 burger, rather than wine and a $20 steak, across from a deuce like you... oh, air."

I let him breath again, and dunked him for the third time. "So, the moral of the story, as I see it, anyway, is: . Makes sense, right? Rudeness, Prejudice and/or Racism, and Superiority Complexes, those are all very qualities, in reality. You get me?" I pulled him up, and dropped him on the cobblestones.

"Please... no more..."

"That wasn't the question." I sighed, and threateningly pushed his face towards the water.

"OKAY! OKAY! I GET IT, AND I'M SORRY, IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, I SWEAR TO THE GODS!!!" He squeaked.

I laughed. "Oh you're precious. You think I'm hurting you because you're an asshole? Dude, you're by assholes. All these people, watching me drown you? assholes."

"Then- then why?!?" He asked helplessly.

"Oh you're so adorable when you're scared and hopeless! Ha! Well, easy answer is, I'm drowning you because you were an asshole to ." I grinned savagely.

"I thought... that Miss Vivaldi... was the reason..."

"No, no, If you had been rude to , I would have just beaten you to a pulp and called it a day, but no. You directly insulted . So here's your Status Quo right now... I need a favor. You do this favor, and you live a long, healthy existence, free of my intervention." I smiled.

"And... if I don't?"

"." I said coldly.

He gulped slowly. "Okay... and the favor is?"

I smiled slowly, showing more teeth than was necessary. "That's where it gets ."