could only guess at.
Everything the workers in Heph’s Shop of Wonders donned, from the apron to the boots, is made of an obsidian material that Heph fashioned to be resistant to extreme heats.
Rebecca asked, “What’s with all this?”
Dionysus said, “Heph liked to work dirty, but he did lose some followers that way. Hestia has more time on her hands here and offered to bring the shop to code and ensure a safe environment.”
“I see.”
“He has his own workspace that he keeps separated from all this.”
She gestured around. “Let me guess, he hates all of this.”
Dionysus laughed heartedly. “I’m sure he does.”
Rebecca guffawed. “Typical.”
Hestia’s follower pointed to the right. “Bathrooms are that way to change then you will proceed with me on to the floor.”
Dionysus said, “I think we’ll be fine.”
She shook her head. “I, or someone else, will have to be present during your tour.”
Dionysus lifted his eyebrows. “Really?”
She pointed to a sign:
DAYS WITHOUT A TIME LOSS ACCIDENT
2575
“And?”
“The last time we let a god roam free—a mortal died.”
Dionysus conceded, “Fine. Fine. Make sure Heph is available at the end.”
“Heph?”
“Yes.”
She grabbed the aprons, masks, boots, pants, and shirts from them. “You may go into his shop at your leisure,” she said, pointing to the back.
Rebecca noticed her tone changed, her attitude as well. The follower’s actions had become stiff instead of fluid.
Rebecca asked, “What about the tour?”
“If you wish to explore the manufacturing facility, you must wear the appropriate GMPs. If you wish to enter Heph’s personal shop, you may proceed at your own risk.”
“At my own risk?”
“There are no rules, regulations or necessary GMP attire to go into Heph’s shop.”
“I thought all of this was Heph’s Shop of Wonders.”
She frowned. “Without Hestia’s deft hand, this would not exist today.”
Dionysus mocked, “ Deft?”
She nodded, it seemed to Rebecca as if her hair became redder, more ravenous. “Absolutely. Without our mistress, this place would’ve failed.”
“Huh?”
“After the incident, the days without a loss time accident board reminds us of how imperative and necessary it is to have Hestia running Heph’s Shop of Wonders.”
Rebecca looked at Dionysus. “When’s the last time you were here?”
Dionysus scratched his head. “Now that I think about it. I haven’t been here since it opened.”
“Do you visit anyone?”
Dionysus’ grin turned toothy. “They visit me.”
Rebecca snorted. “We’ll take the tour another time. So back there?”
Hestia’s follower pointed to the back again and nodded. “Through that door then down the hallway to the left at the end is another door, that’s his place.” The last part was said with such disdain that Rebecca took a step back.
Dionysus took the opportunity to place his hand on her shoulder once again and pique his head around to the follower. “Thanks.”
Hestia’s follower turned on her heel and left.
“What the hell?”
“Things have changed. . . as they always do.”
“Well said.”
“Let’s go. We may need to avoid asking any questions about it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Pride.”
The door in the back opened to a completely different environment. The main area was bustling with Cyclops and centaurs changing and being directed accordingly by Hestia’s followers, where as, this area was a vacant hallway. There was a heat here she could feel instead of the cold, staleness of a manufacturing facility. She could see the tracks of some feet with a little bit of dirt left on the linoleum floor rather than the clear, obscenely clean, red floor of the main area.
They passed by a break area where it was not dirty but it wasn’t entirely clean with a box of doughnuts on the counter and a few crumbs strung about. She imagined the lunch area that was connected to the facility portion was as
Everything the workers in Heph’s Shop of Wonders donned, from the apron to the boots, is made of an obsidian material that Heph fashioned to be resistant to extreme heats.
Rebecca asked, “What’s with all this?”
Dionysus said, “Heph liked to work dirty, but he did lose some followers that way. Hestia has more time on her hands here and offered to bring the shop to code and ensure a safe environment.”
“I see.”
“He has his own workspace that he keeps separated from all this.”
She gestured around. “Let me guess, he hates all of this.”
Dionysus laughed heartedly. “I’m sure he does.”
Rebecca guffawed. “Typical.”
Hestia’s follower pointed to the right. “Bathrooms are that way to change then you will proceed with me on to the floor.”
Dionysus said, “I think we’ll be fine.”
She shook her head. “I, or someone else, will have to be present during your tour.”
Dionysus lifted his eyebrows. “Really?”
She pointed to a sign:
DAYS WITHOUT A TIME LOSS ACCIDENT
2575
“And?”
“The last time we let a god roam free—a mortal died.”
Dionysus conceded, “Fine. Fine. Make sure Heph is available at the end.”
“Heph?”
“Yes.”
She grabbed the aprons, masks, boots, pants, and shirts from them. “You may go into his shop at your leisure,” she said, pointing to the back.
Rebecca noticed her tone changed, her attitude as well. The follower’s actions had become stiff instead of fluid.
Rebecca asked, “What about the tour?”
“If you wish to explore the manufacturing facility, you must wear the appropriate GMPs. If you wish to enter Heph’s personal shop, you may proceed at your own risk.”
“At my own risk?”
“There are no rules, regulations or necessary GMP attire to go into Heph’s shop.”
“I thought all of this was Heph’s Shop of Wonders.”
She frowned. “Without Hestia’s deft hand, this would not exist today.”
Dionysus mocked, “ Deft?”
She nodded, it seemed to Rebecca as if her hair became redder, more ravenous. “Absolutely. Without our mistress, this place would’ve failed.”
“Huh?”
“After the incident, the days without a loss time accident board reminds us of how imperative and necessary it is to have Hestia running Heph’s Shop of Wonders.”
Rebecca looked at Dionysus. “When’s the last time you were here?”
Dionysus scratched his head. “Now that I think about it. I haven’t been here since it opened.”
“Do you visit anyone?”
Dionysus’ grin turned toothy. “They visit me.”
Rebecca snorted. “We’ll take the tour another time. So back there?”
Hestia’s follower pointed to the back again and nodded. “Through that door then down the hallway to the left at the end is another door, that’s his place.” The last part was said with such disdain that Rebecca took a step back.
Dionysus took the opportunity to place his hand on her shoulder once again and pique his head around to the follower. “Thanks.”
Hestia’s follower turned on her heel and left.
“What the hell?”
“Things have changed. . . as they always do.”
“Well said.”
“Let’s go. We may need to avoid asking any questions about it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Pride.”
The door in the back opened to a completely different environment. The main area was bustling with Cyclops and centaurs changing and being directed accordingly by Hestia’s followers, where as, this area was a vacant hallway. There was a heat here she could feel instead of the cold, staleness of a manufacturing facility. She could see the tracks of some feet with a little bit of dirt left on the linoleum floor rather than the clear, obscenely clean, red floor of the main area.
They passed by a break area where it was not dirty but it wasn’t entirely clean with a box of doughnuts on the counter and a few crumbs strung about. She imagined the lunch area that was connected to the facility portion was as
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