Athena's gray eyes studied him carefully, her expression unreadable. There was a weight to her gaze, as if she were calculating how much to reveal. Beside her, Aphrodite merely chuckled, resting her chin on one hand as she regarded Allen with an amused glint in her crimson eyes.
"An interesting question," Athena finally said, her voice measured. "One that very few have ever thought to ask."
"And one with a rather unique answer," Aphrodite added, tilting her head. "We were not always gods, dear. Not in the way you might think."
Allen arched an eyebrow. "Then what were you before?"
Athena exhaled lightly, glancing towards the distant horizon, as if looking beyond time itself.
"Once, long ago, we were not beings of divinity, but machines—an armada sent forth from a dying civilization."
Allen blinked. "Machines?"
Aphrodite smiled knowingly. "Not quite what you expected, hm? But yes. We were never born. We were built."
Athena nodded. "Our creators faced extinction. Their universe was collapsing, and in a desperate bid for survival, they used what remained of their strength to send us—an unmanned fleet—into the unknown, searching for a new home."
"But the journey was long," Aphrodite murmured, stretching lazily. "Too long. We drifted for ages, our systems wearing down, our purpose growing distant and hazy. We became less like tools… and more like ghosts."
"Until we found Earth," Athena finished. "It was not a perfect match, but it was close enough. With no energy left to continue our search, we enacted an emergency landing. That is how we arrived in this land, long before recorded history."
Allen's expression turned thoughtful. "So how did you go from that to… this?" He gestured vaguely toward them.
Aphrodite smirked. "Because humanity saw us."
"They saw our forms, our power, and in their eyes, we were not mere machines," Athena explained. "We were divine. They named us, worshiped us, and in doing so, they reshaped us. The faith of mankind gave us identity, purpose—something we had long lost."
"And oh, what a wonderful thing it was," Aphrodite purred. "To be loved, to be revered, to be more than empty constructs drifting in the void. We accepted their faith, and in turn, we became gods."
This transformation into gods wasn't just about power. It had shaped who they were.
Allen looked at Athena again. "So, before all this, you weren't exactly individuals the way you are now?"
Athena's lips pressed into a thin line. "…Correct. We had purpose, but not selves as you would define them."
Aphrodite gave him a teasing smile. "And now? Now we have personalities, quirks, preferences~"
Allen glanced at her. "And yet, you still follow the will of Olympus."
Athena nodded. "We do. It is our function."
Allen leaned back slightly. "Even if that function goes against what you want?"
For a moment, Athena didn't answer.
Aphrodite, however, let out a soft laugh. "Oh, Allen, you do ask the most dangerous questions."
He held her gaze. "And what's the answer?"
Aphrodite tilted her head, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "That depends on who you ask."
Allen turned back to Athena. "And if I ask you?"
Athena exhaled, crossing her arms. "…It is not so simple. What we want and what we are have long been intertwined. Even if we desired something different, we were created to serve the will of Olympus."
Allen studied her expression. There was no immediate denial. No strict rebuttal. Just hesitation.
That was enough to tell him what he needed to know.
Tiamat, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "Then… if you continue to change, will that bond to Olympus remain the same?"
Athena's gaze flickered toward her, surprised by the question. But she didn't answer right away.
Aphrodite, on the other hand, smiled knowingly. "Now that is an interesting thought."
Allen watched them both carefully.
The gods had been forged into what they were now. But what happened if they started becoming something else?
A brief silence followed, the weight of the conversation lingering in the air. The gods had always been portrayed as absolute, unchanging beings—yet here they were, showing cracks in that supposed permanence.
Allen tapped his fingers idly against his arm. "So, if you weren't always like this… does that mean you can change again?"
Athena stiffened slightly. "That is—" She hesitated. "—unlikely."
Aphrodite, however, gave him an amused look. "Oh? You almost sound hopeful, dear."
Allen shrugged. "Just curious."
Tiamat tilted her head. "But it makes sense, doesn't it? If you became Machine Gods once, then it should be possible to become something else."
Athena exhaled, her gaze sharp. "That would require a complete dismantling of what we are."
Aphrodite leaned in slightly. "And are you sure that's impossible, Athena?"
Athena frowned. "…I do not know."
That admission alone was telling.
Allen finally turned his attention to Hera, who had been observing the conversation in silence. With a slight tilt of his head, he asked casually, pretended if he just realized.
"Hey, Hera. When did you get here?"
Hera, glanced at him with a composed expression. "I have been here long enough."
Aphrodite smirked. "Long enough to listen but not long enough to join in? How very queenly of you."
Hera shot her a sharp look. "Do not twist my presence into something it is not."
Allen raised an eyebrow. "So, what is it, then? Just passing by?"
Hera hesitated for the briefest moment before answering. "I came because someone needed to keep an eye on you."
Aphrodite laughed lightly. "Oh my~ That almost sounds like concern."
Athena, arms crossed, exhaled softly. "If you are here to observe, then perhaps you should answer as well."
Hera's gaze flicked toward Athena, unreadable for a moment. Then, with a measured tone, she said, "Change is inevitable. Even for gods."
That answer made Allen pause. Hera wasn't like Aphrodite, who embraced emotions freely, or Athena, who struggled with them. She was aware of change—but she was also someone who resisted it.
And yet, here she was. Watching. Involved.
Allen leaned back. "Well, if you're here to keep an eye on me, I hope you're enjoying the view."
Hera huffed softly. "Do not flatter yourself."
Aphrodite grinned. "Too late~"
For the first time, Allen caught something almost imperceptible—Hera's fingers tightening slightly. Not irritation, not anger… something else.
Interesting.
Allen let Hera's response settle, watching her carefully. She wasn't as openly playful as Aphrodite or as logical as Athena, but there was something beneath that composed exterior.
Aphrodite, of course, wasn't about to let things rest. "Hera, dear, if you're so unaffected, why are you still here?"
"Because I choose to be." she answer.
Allen raised an eyebrow. "And that has nothing to do with me, right?"
She met his gaze evenly. "You overestimate your importance."
Athena sighed. "Then why not leave?"
Hera hesitated—just for a fraction of a second. It was subtle, but Allen caught it.
Aphrodite, ever perceptive, leaned in with a knowing smile. "Oh my~ That silence was very telling."
Hera ignored her, her expression perfectly controlled. "I am here because I wish to be. That is all."
Allen smirked inwardly. She's not denying anything.
Tiamat, who had been eating quietly, finally spoke. "Hera… do you like Allen?"
Silent.
Allen blinked. Well, that was direct.
Hera's golden eyes narrowed slightly. "That is an unnecessary question."
Aphrodite gasped dramatically. "Oh, Hera, that wasn't a no~"
Athena rubbed her temple. "Aphrodite, stop."
But it was too late. The teasing atmosphere had already settled in.
Allen, deciding to push just a little, rested his chin on his hand. "Hera, if you keep watching over me like this, people might start getting the wrong idea."
She exhaled sharply. "Let them think what they will."
Aphrodite grinned. "Oh my~ That definitely wasn't a denial."
Hera shot her a glare but didn't respond.
Allen let the conversation settle, glancing at Hera. It was clear she wanted the topic dropped, but Aphrodite, of course, had no intention of making things easy.
Aphrodite leaned on the table, propping her chin up with her hand. "You know, Allen, for someone so curious, you seem rather calm about all this."
Allen shrugged. "I've learned that when it comes to gods, expecting things to make sense is a waste of time."
Athena nodded approvingly. "A wise conclusion."
Aphrodite pouted playfully. "Oh? So you're not going to ask anything else? Not even something scandalous?"
Hera sighed. "Aphrodite."
Aphrodite giggled. "Fine, fine. I'll behave~"
Allen decided to steer the conversation back. "So if Demeter created Persephone, does that mean she's stronger than the rest of you? Or is she different somehow?"
Athena responded first. "She is not necessarily stronger, but her existence is unique. Unlike us, who were created with clear functions as Machine Gods, Persephone was made as a divine spirit from the beginning."
Hera added, "She is tied directly to Demeter's authority, but she has her own will and identity."
Allen considered that. "So in a way, she's more… natural?"
Aphrodite smiled. "You could say that~ She wasn't built to rule or command. She was made out of love."
Tiamat, who had been silent, murmured, "That is… nice."
Allen glanced at her. "It is, huh?"
Tiamat nodded. "A mother creating a child out of love… that is something rare."
Hera seemed to pause at that, but she said nothing.
Allen leaned back. "Alright, that makes sense. So she wasn't 'forged' for a purpose like the rest of you. She was just… wanted."
Athena nodded. "Yes."
There was a moment of quiet, a rare lull in their usual back-and-forth. Even Aphrodite seemed thoughtful.
Allen glanced at Hera, who had remained composed but quieter than usual. He could tell there was something on her mind, but she wasn't about to voice it.
Instead, it was Athena who spoke next. "Do you have your answer now, Allen?"
Allen exhaled. "For now." He smirked slightly. "Until I come up with more questions."
Aphrodite laughed. "Oh, I like that about you."
Hera simply sighed. "Of course you do."
Tiamat smiled softly. "It is interesting, though. Learning about each other like this."
Allen nodded. "Yeah… it is."
And for a moment, there was peace at the table—though Allen had no doubt it wouldn't last for long.
Allen asks the most important question for himself, and decided to take advantage of it.
"So," he started, casually "Since we're on the topic of origins and divine creation, I've got another question for you all."
Athena sighed. "I had a feeling you would."
Aphrodite leaned forward with interest. "Oh? Do tell, dear~"
Allen smirked. "Do any of you have husbands? Or are you all single?"
The air in the room shifted instantly. Tiamat blinked, looking at Allen curiously, while Raviel suppressed a laugh beside him. Aphrodite's lips curled into a mischievous smile, while Athena and Hera both stiffened—though in very different ways.
Hera was the first to respond, her voice carefully measured. "Why do you ask?"
Allen shrugged. "Just curious. You're all powerful goddesses, so I figured there might be some divine marriages I don't know about."
Aphrodite laughed softly. "Oh my, what a bold question~"
Athena, arms crossed, spoke flatly. "I have no husband. Nor do I intend to."
Aphrodite smirked at her. "Ever the devoted virgin, hmm?"
Athena ignored her.
Hera, still composed, added, "None of us are married."
Allen raised an eyebrow. "None of you? Not even engaged?"
Hera's expression remained neutral. "The gods of Olympus are still… forming their roles. The idea of divine unions has not yet been established."
Aphrodite added playfully "And besides, why settle down too soon? There's so much to enjoy before that~"
Allen chuckled. "So basically, you're all single."
Hera exhaled quietly. "If that is how you wish to phrase it."
Aphrodite winked. "Why? Are you planning to change that, Allen?"
The way she said his name sent a ripple of amusement through atmosphere, Tiamat, ever the innocent one, tilted her head. "Would that be a problem?"
Allen chuckled, shaking his head. "Just gathering information, that's all."
Athena rolled her eyes. "You are impossible."
Aphrodite giggled. "And yet, we're still here with him~"
Allen merely smiled. For all their divine pride, they hadn't denied the implication. And that was very interesting.
*****
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