Hephaestus blinked worriedly as Nemesis crashed into their older sister with a shriek. Should he go over and stop them? But then he'd have to leave Gaia all alone and some part of him, the part that was more mature than a puppy ought be, told him that Gaia was the one who needed to be protected no matter what. He didn't have long to wonder what to do, however, since the playing and shrieking had awoken their mother, whose voice came from the den behind them. Hephaestus was slow to turn around, not because he didn't hear her or because he didn't process what he'd heard, but just because that was the way he was... just slow to change gears. He finally stopped worrying over Andromeda and Nemesis when Mama nuzzled him, instead leaning into the caress happily. She would then ask if they wanted to explore, and Hephaestus' chubby face wrinkled up in thought. "Can we please, Mama?" he asked carefully. He didn't really care if they did or not, but Gaia and Nemesis and Andromeda seemed to really want to, so for their sakes he would go along with it happily.
