A Family Meeting

Penelope was guided by the servant of Aphrodite back down the hallway in the opposite direction, and she saw her mother just a few steps ahead of her in the same situation. The servants left them at the larger, more sophisticated door they had passed on their way to the guest rooms. It opened on its own once Penelope stopped next to Veronica but before they could greet each other. They saw Hector was waiting patiently, and the three Karalis rushed to hug each other, one arm wrapped around each family member.

"Oh my sweet children!" Veronica didn't really need to say anything more than that. Penelope could feel the love and concern washing over her. Hugging her brother and mother seemed like the only normal thing that day.

When the three moved to hold each other at arm's length, Hector got the conversation started. "I'm sorry you're in this situation. I never wanted you to be trapped like this."

Penelope could feel his genuine care and gave him another hug. "Oh, we know it's not you're fault. If we're gonna be stuck in a harem, at least it's with someone we know will care for us and won't take advantage of us."

Veronica felt a little more conflicted. She wasn't sure Hector was as chivalrous as Penelope made him sound, considering Veronica had strong reason to think he lusted after both of them. "Well...more importantly we still don't want to be here. This whole thing is so messed up. The Greek gods exist, and they let us know by upending our lives!"

Penelope decided to stand firm and lift up Veronica, just as her mom had done for her so many times over the years. "Of course it's messed up, but that's exactly why we have to make the most of it. You said it could be a time to relax, and maybe it's worth getting to know the others. Karalis stand tall, and we'll figure this out together."

Invoking the unofficial family motto worked wonders. Veronica smiled a little, reassured that her kids were still acting like themselves. "When did you get so wise? I thought your brother was the bookish one in the family."

Penelope knew her mom was joking, but she had a more literal answer. "Ummm, I think an hour ago? I can sense the feelings of those around me. You're already in a better mood, Mom. Hector really is happy to see us but bothered we're stuck here."

The conversation shifted quickly to transformations, as Hector had no idea his family already had some tense talks about their new conditions. Fortunately, they weren't dealing with strangers this time around. "Ooh, what else can you do? I was wondering what it means to be a demigod."

"Uh, well...can we sit down first? It feels weird just standing at the doorway."

"Yeah, of course, sit wherever you like." Hector led his mom and sister the same way Amelia led him. He hadn't explored any of the side rooms yet, as seeing the people he cared most about was more urgent. The servants were still hurrying about, and he stopped one to say they should prepare dinner for three people rather than one, and to bring him two chairs. When the family walked into the bedroom, Penelope held her nose in disgust while Veronica gladly took a big inhale.

"I would say you get used to the smell, but I don't know yet if that's the case," Hector deadpanned. Two servants walked in, each with a padded chair, and placed them before leaving. Veronica quickly sat down with a look of thanks, but Penelope chose to sit cross-legged on the bed next to Hector. She fortified herself for the conversation to come, thinking back to her recent realization. If the harem is to get along and love each other, best to get used to talking about sex now.

"So yeah, I can sense the feelings of others, that is coming up most often. I also have a deep knowledge of like, anything and everything related to romantic relationships. So, even though I've never been in a relationship, I think I have a better grasp of how people should act, and I probably know every sex position and kink in existence."

Veronica wrinkled her nose and shifted in her seat. "I'm glad you're being mature about this, but I don't really want to hear my daughter say that."

Hector sympathized with how uncomfortable his mom was since arriving, but he didn't know how to reassure her. Once again, his sister knew what to say. "Mom, I know this is awkward for both of us, but it's better to just get passed that and accept our lives revolve around sex and romance now. We might be stuck in a harem, but that doesn't mean we have to be stuck in life. Pretending like we can just go back to our old lives won't work, and I bet we've all noticed in ourselves how we're changing. That might be tougher for you, Mom, but embrace it instead of fighting it."

I could get another little bundle of joy out of this. "Hmm...maybe you're right. You are adults, after all, and of course you have your own sexual feelings. I still think this is terrible, but maybe it's not all terrible."

Hector was quite curious about Veronica's transformation, but he noticed she would be more sensitive about it than Penelope. "Mom...you don't have to answer, but, how are you handling your change?" He hoped his mom--and now more so his sister--could tell he wanted to know the answer because he was being considerate rather than excited. That may well have been the case, as at that moment Penelope leaned her head on his shoulder.

Leaning back in her chair, Veronica unconsciously rubber her belly, telling Hector everything he needed to know. "I'm handling it just fine. If we're deciding to share, then yes, the thought has occurred to me to have another child, which I hadn't considered since you were toddlers. I know this is alien in a way and that makes it somewhat scary, but I can easily ignore a stray thought."

Unlike during the transformation reveals, Hector had been much more composed sitting with his mom and sister, but he felt a stirring upon hearing Veronica wanted kids again. Penelope raised her head off his shoulder, immediately noticing the increase in his arousal. She looked at him right in the eyes but decided not to bring up the latest development out loud. Instead, she flipped the current topic around on him. "How are you feeling about your transformation? Have you tried it out yet?"

This was suddenly a momentous occasion. Hector prioritized seeing his family as soon as possible and hadn't spent more than a few minutes on his own. "No, but...now seems as good a time as any to try." The change happened instantly and felt completely natural. Hector thought about shifting his physical features, and it was as easy as putting his hands together. Veronica and Penelope stared intently as Hector's face smoothed out and narrowed. His facial hair disappeared, lips puffed out slightly, and eyebrows thinned. The hair on his head fell way passed his shoulders down his lower back and touched his bottom half, now longer than Penelope's hair by a couple inches. They could not see that his butt rounded some and got a little smaller. Hector's height did not change, but his chest expanded outward a decent amount. The new breasts settled as higher-end C cups, a little bigger than his sister but smaller than his mom. His waist and stomach remained unchanged, but his torso widened a bit, while his thighs and calves slimmed, and his feet visibly shrunk. Unfortunately for Hector, the existing clothing did not adjust to the new form, so his shoes slipped off, his jeans felt completely wrong, and his nipples poked through his shirt.

All the changes happened in the span of a second. Penelope put a hand on the soft cheek in front of her, while Veronica leapt up to sit on the opposite side. "Hector?"

"This is Erica," the woman responded with some vulnerability. The voice was a higher pitch, but not significantly different, Her sister and mother gave her a big hug again.

"Oh, I've always wanted a sister!"

"Another baby girl," Veronica said excitedly.

Penelope pulled back and placed her hand on the left cheek again. "You're so beautiful," she complimented. With a start, she realized Erica looked a lot like herself. They were twins, after all.

"Thanks, Penny," Erica said with a smile. "My body feels weird and different, but I feel the same up here." Erica pointed at her head. "I'm still the same 8-Ball of a sibling you've always known." This led to another round of hugs and even a few tears. Growing up, Hector often gave Penelope mysterious and unhelpful answers to questions just to annoy her, prompting the nickname. Their tumultuous day meant it had been the wrong time to tease family members, but this was the right moment to remind Penelope that they are still siblings and close friends, and no transformation was ever going to change that.