Wisteria chuckled softly at their enthusiasm, her eyes shimmering with quiet amusement.
"You two seem rather excited. Just his name and suddenly you're glowing like newly forged stars."
"Of course we are!" Amora said immediately, fanning herself dramatically. "That boy is an absolute sweetheart. Such a charming gentleman, I've never met anyone like him. You can't not smile when you talk to Kafka."
Ivanova nodded in agreement, her tone light but fond.
"Mmm, he's the kind of boy who makes you feel at ease just by being around him. There's something disarming about that smile of his—you know it's trouble, but you still can't help but fall for it."
Amora sighed dreamily.
"And the way he speaks! It's not just flattery, it's art. When he compliments you, it's like the world slows down and for a second, you actually believe you're the most beautiful being in existence."
Wisteria smirked. "Coming from the Goddess of Love, that's saying something."
"Oh, hush." Amora said with a wave of her hand, though her blush deepened. "I mean it. When I first saw him during his trial, I honestly thought he'd be some sort of...well, deviant. I mean, he is the incarnation of Lust, after all. I expected arrogance, obsession, or at least a bit of mischief."
"But instead, he was the opposite, wasn't he?" Ivanova leaned on the table, her expression softening.
"Completely." Amora smiled wistfully. "He was gentle. Respectful. He knew exactly how to treat a woman, how to make her feel seen, cherished even. It wasn't lust; it was warmth. And I'll admit...that made him more dangerous than any seducer."
Wisteria laughed lightly, her eyes glimmering with amusement.
"He has that effect. I remember meeting him too, when he first came to the heavens. I thought I'd be immune to whatever charm a mortal-born demigod could possess. But the moment he spoke to me..."
She paused, as though recalling it vividly, her tone softening.
"It was like standing in sunlight. His words were so sincere, it was impossible not to be drawn in. And then he smiled at me, you know that calm, genuine smile of his, and for a second I thought, 'Oh, no. I'm actually melting.'"
Amora laughed, delighted. "You too, Wisteria? The radiant goddess herself, undone by a single smile!"
"Guilty." Wisteria said simply, though her grin was warm. "He has that rare quality, a kind of quiet charm that slips past all the barriers. It's not power or beauty that wins you over, it's how he makes you feel safe. Even for gods like us."
Ivanova nodded, sipping her drink thoughtfully.
"And the little gestures, too. Do you remember when he brought those gifts? The cookies?"
Amora's eyes widened. "Oh, don't remind me! I still can't get over that."
Wisteria tilted her head curiously. "Cookies?"
Ivanova chuckled, her voice soft and nostalgic.
"Yes. Hand-baked cookies. He made them himself and brought them to us—to three literal gods who could conjure entire worlds from nothing. And yet, that simple little gift...it was so genuine. It warmed my heart in a way nothing divine ever could."
Amora placed a hand on her chest, smiling fondly.
"I felt the same. He didn't come bearing rare jewels or celestial wine—he just brought something he made with his own hands. As if he wanted to share a piece of his world with ours."
"Exactly." Ivanova said with a nod. "It wasn't about grandeur or impressing anyone. It was about kindness."
She then swirled her cup gently, a mischievous glint flickering in her eye as another thought appeared in her mind.
"But even though I say he's a gentleman..." She began, leaning forward slightly. "...and that he's not like his title at all...I'll have to admit, he does have quite a lustful side as well."
Immediately, the other two goddesses perked up, eyes wide with interest.
"Oh? Now that's quite the statement coming from you, Ivanova." Amora gasped dramatically, clutching her necklace. "What do you mean by that?"
Wisteria arched a perfectly shaped brow, her tone smooth but curious.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
Ivanova chuckled softly, her cheeks tinged pink, though her voice carried a teasing lilt.
"Oh, come now, don't tell me you both haven't seen it, all the things he's done. The requests, the trials, the...moments. You've seen how he behaves with his family, haven't you? The way he teases them, the way he touches, the way he..." She trailed off, fanning herself lightly. "It's enough to make even a goddess blush."
Amora let out a playful laugh, placing a hand over her lips.
"Blush? Oh, please! I nearly fainted once watching him during his request. I'm the goddess of love, for heaven's sake! It takes a lot to make me flustered. And yet..." She sighed dramatically. "He somehow manages it without even trying."
Wisteria, who usually maintained a serene composure, gave a low hum, her eyes softening as she nodded.
"You're not the only one. Even I felt my body grow warm watching him complete those divine requests. And that's saying something, I haven't ever felt that way in eons. We gods are supposed to be the embodiment of restraint and purity after all."
"Purity?" Amora smirked. "You're the God of Radiance, Wisteria—not chastity."
Wisteria rolled her eyes with a faint smile.
"Even so, to make me feel that way...well, it's impressive. The boy truly has a devilish charm. He really is the incarnation of Lust after all."
Ivanova chuckled, raising her glass slightly.
"Mmm. I'll drink to that." She took a sip before continuing. "And to be honest, when I gave him my first request, it wasn't even serious. I was curious, it was such a strange trial, after all. I thought, why not see what this boy can do? But then..."
Her expression softened, caught somewhere between admiration and amusement.
"Watching him turn the tables on his targets, seducing without meaning to, charming everyone he met, it felt like I was watching some kind of epic play unfold before my very eyes. I couldn't look away."
"Oh, absolutely!" Amora nodded eagerly. "At first, it was just us three, and a handful of others, of course, who were giving him requests. But as time went on, more and more gods started tuning in."
"Before we knew it, it was chaos! Every god wanted to see what he'd do next."
Wisteria laughed softly at the memory.
"A 'trial,' they called it. It was more like a celestial spectacle. The heavens turned into an audience hall! I still remember when Evangeline had to step in and take control of the situation. Otherwise, there would've been a full-blown riot of gods fighting to give him requests."
"A mess, truly." Amora grinned. "But a beautiful one."
"Beautiful?" Ivanova smirked. "It was madness. Just because of one demigod, the heavens were in uproar! Normally, during these kinds of trials, only a few gods would bother watching. But with Kafka?" She laughed. "He had full viewership. Even gods who usually lock themselves away came out just to see him."
"Not surprising." Wisteria said with a knowing look. "He had something magnetic about him. He didn't even try, it just came naturally."
The laughter between them lingered for a moment before Ivanova sighed.
"It's a shame, though. His trial ended so abruptly. Lady Vanitas swooped in, claimed him before anyone could continue. Since then, we haven't been able to give him any new requests. Quite disappointing, really."
But then Amora leaned in closer, her voice low and sly as she said,
"Mmm...but is it really that disappointing?"
Wisteria blinked, a bit taken aback.
"What are you implying, Amora?"
Amora's lips curled into a mischievous grin.
"Well...back then, we could only interact with him through the trials—indirect, distant, controlled. But now that he can freely travel between the heavens and the mortal world..." She paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "We could, perhaps, make a different kind of request. One that's personal and targetted towards us."
"Amora!" Ivanova's eyes widened, her cheeks tinting red.
Wisteria nearly choked on her drink, though she quickly regained her composure, giving Amora an incredulous look.
"You're bold to say that out loud."
Amora laughed, unbothered. "Oh, come now! Don't look at me like that, both of you. I already know you've thought about it too!"
Ivanova's blush deepened as she sputtered. "I-I most certainly have not!"
"Oh, please." Amora teased. "You're telling me you've never thought about it? After seeing everything he's done and could possibly do for you?"
Wisteria crossed her arms, but the faint pink coloring her cheeks betrayed her composure.
"I-I'll admit, the thought may have crossed my mind once or twice...but that's entirely natural. He has that effect on everyone."
"Exactly!" Amora said triumphantly. "We're gods—not statues! Even we can appreciate a beautiful soul when we see one."
Ivanova finally sighed in defeat, covering her face with her hand.
"Fine, fine...I'll admit it. He's tempting. Far too tempting. But still, I'd rather not act on it. It wouldn't be right."
Wisteria smiled knowingly. "Ah, holding yourself back out of honor?"
Ivanova shook her head, though a playful smile tugged at her lips as she said, "No, I'm holding back because I think he'd be far better suited for someone else."
Amora raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And who would that be?"
Ivanova's expression softened, a motherly warmth replacing her teasing tone.
"My daughter...She seems to like him as well and the two would be perfect together. So instead of chasing after him myself, I'll be doing everything I can to bring them together."
Hearing this, Amora blinked, her smile freezing in place.
Wisteria's eyes also widened slightly, then narrowed in mild suspicion.
And just like that, the air between them shifted, soft and teasing moments ago, now thick with quiet tension.
Ivanova, blissfully unaware of the sudden shift, took another sip from her glass and smiled.
"What? Don't look at me like that. I'm being serious. He'd make a wonderful husband—funny, kind, gentle. I can already imagine how adorable their children would—"
"Children?" Amora interrupted, her tone rising in disbelief. "Hold on a second, Ivanova. Are you saying you're seriously planning to marry your daughter to Kafka?"
"Of course." Ivanova blinked innocently. "Why wouldn't I? He's perfect husband material. And honestly, I think it's only fair, after all, my daughter's quite the beauty. It's a match made in heaven."
At that, Wisteria's expression went still for a moment, then her lips curved into a sharp, challenging smile.
"Well, what a coincidence." She said sweetly, setting down her cup with a clink. "I was thinking the exact same thing."
"You...were?" Amora slowly turned to her, arching a brow.
"Oh yes." Wisteria replied with a serene smile that didn't reach her eyes. "My daughter is around his age as well, and she's quite radiant, much like myself. Kafka would make the perfect partner for her. Imagine it, Radiance and Lust united. A poetic combination, don't you think?"
Ivanova frowned, sensing the growing competition.
"Poetic? Maybe. But I think the Goddess of Radiance might be aiming too high. You'd blind him with all your glowing pride before the poor boy could even say hello."
"And what about you?" Wisteria crossed her arms, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "You think the Goddess of Harvest can handle him? He'd be bored after the first wheat field, darling."
"Oh, please." Ivanova scoffed. "At least my daughter knows how to nurture and care. Can your radiant offspring even cook?"
And just as they were glaring at each other, Amora, who had been watching them with an increasingly smug grin, finally joined in.
"Well, isn't this interesting. You two fighting over whose daughter will have him..." She leaned forward, her eyes glinting mischievously. "...because I was thinking the same thing as well."
Both Wisteria and Ivanova turned to her in unison.
"You?"
Amora smirked.
"Yes, me. My daughter may not be as flashy as Radiance or as domestic as Harvest—but she's the embodiment of love itself. Who better to stand beside the incarnation of Lust than the child of Love?"
She placed a hand on her chest dramatically.
"It's practically destiny!"
Wisteria's voice dripped with sympathy. "Oh, Amora, dear...I'm afraid destiny doesn't always favor hopeless romantics."
Ivanova snorted. "She's right. Love and Lust together? That sounds like a recipe for disaster."
"Disaster?" Amora retorted, flipping her hair. "I prefer to call it passion."
The three of them locked eyes, the tension building like electricity.
What started as friendly conversation had turned into a silent battle of pride and possessiveness over the boy they each wanted so much in their lives.