For Styx, the squeeze and three word question were huge things. HUGE. It was the equivalent of a tight, warm hug and a gushing greeting from anybody else. But Hat was a special case and it had taken Lottie years to get this much of a reaction from her. Well, positive reaction, anyway. Styx was her sister, though, and Philotes had determined early on that she'd have to put in extra effort with her, but it was absolutely worth it. There was never any question that it would be.
“I wasn't planning to,” she confessed, “I actually planned to visit this family that I met a few days ago, they have the most adorable little girl who likes to puff up her cheeks like a squirrel with too many nuts in its mouth, but when I got there, they were gone, so I asked around because I was worried, you know how uncertain things can get, I mean, I wasn't too worried because the house was still there, it wasn't burned down or anything, which happens more often than you might think it does, but their things were there so I didn't think anything terrible had happened, but still I wanted to know, so I asked around and found out that they went to visit his parents, so the grandparents could spoil the little squirrel girl I suppose, but by the time I found all that out, it was getting really dark and I didn't have another plan for supper, so I thought, why not come home, and here I am!”
Friendship paused to take a breath, and in the small moment of quiet, she heard on of the most wonderful sounds in the universe: her father's voice. She had just enough time to greet with an enthusiastic “Daddy!” before she was folded into the all-encompassing embrace of Darkness. It was like no other hug on earth. And while Lottie loved the cool, dew-scented hugs of her mother, there was something about her father's hugs that were unique and special and could never be duplicated. It was like being wrapped up in the secure, unbreachable shadows that could never be penetrated, hidden away in the dark and kept safe, secure, and for a moment, just out of the reach of the rest of the world. She closed her eyes and let herself relax completely, knowing there was nothing in existence that could hurt her while her father held her.
His voice rumbled through his chest, and she looked up at him, listening as he spoke. Then her eyes went to her mother's smiling face, before skipping over to the guest they had brought home. Somebody they were fond of. It wasn't at all surprising, Nyx was constantly finding new people to befriend and help, she was unendingly curious about all things, including other beings. But this was different, very different.
And not just her appearance. Since her parents hadn't mentioned it, Philotes felt it prudent to follow suit. There was probably a story there, one she'd find out eventually, but it could be left alone for now. She gave the new goddess a sincerely welcoming smile, but refrained from hugging her. With some great difficulty because hugging was her default setting. But Lottie wasn't sure if this girl had some sort of condition, if it might hurt her to be touched, since it didn't look all that comfortable as it was. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any pain, so she'd wait until she found out if it was safe for their dinner guest before hugging her. So she made her smile extra big to make up for the lack of squeezing.