Carrying my Nervous Waifus through Dungeons

Summary: Bell's dream is to become an adventurer, but the first step is finding a familia to join and unlocking his class. While traveling to Orario, he comes across Lady Furina - The Divine Muse of the Performing Arts. A Goddess who is trying to create her own familia. But while Furina is beloved and prayed to by many creators and performers, when it comes to familia, people only want to join the large and established familias. Joining a large familia is the best way to earn fame and fortune quickly; this is why no one has joined her yet. When Bell meets her, he can't help but be drawn to her; maybe it's her cute, flustered face or her determination to start a familia, no matter how many times she's rejected. But when he joins her, he vows to make the Furina Familia the strongest in the world.

A/N: This is my take on the whole Waifu Catalog genre. I was planning on doing a WC story correctly, but to be perfectly honest, I've never done it before and need to learn how it works, so instead, I'm doing my own version. Call it WC-Picaro because all I did was pick some waifus I thought would be fun to write about, throw them into a world I thought would be fun, throw these ideas into my mental blender, and make this story. This story doesn't follow Danmachi's arcs. It's my own thing.)

Chapter 1: Meeting a Goddess

The Heat radiating through the desert caused the air to shimmer as the eighteen-year-old Bell Cranel entered Sorshana. Sorshana is the capital city of the desert nation of Shalzard. Sorshana is a city that rivaled Orario in sheer size and population, by far the biggest city Bell's ever been to.

'Damn, they told me not to wear black, but does it have to be this hot!?' Bell groaned in his mind while pulling on his black long-sleeve shirt. He'd long since removed his brown coat, draping it over his head to shade himself from the sun. Growing up in the mountains didn't prepare him to live in this weather, as evidenced by his sweat-soaked black pants.

When Bell Cranel turned eighteen, he left the orphanage and his mountain village behind. He dreamed of becoming a famous adventurer and knew he had to travel to Orario. The city is famous and known as the Labyrinth City, a gathering place where everyone dreams of becoming rich and famous.

While most cities were built around or near small dungeons, Orario had the largest dungeon ever discovered. A dungeon that oozed fame and fortune. Bell's plan is to head to Orario, join a powerful familia, unlock his class, and take on the dungeon until the day he becomes a legend. But the first step was crossing the massive Kaios desert between the mountain region he grew up in and Orario, and he had a long way to go.

'Alright, first things first, I need to buy some more rations.' Bell thought as he walked down the busy city street. Bell was traveling with a merchant caravan for safety; if any monsters attacked, the caravan guards would handle it, but he needed to take care of his own supplies. Everything Bell owned, including his life savings, was on his back, and he was hoping it would be enough to last him the long journey to Orario.

"Ah, greetings, esteemed individual! Allow me to extend to you an invitation of the utmost importance. How would you like the distinct honor of being the inaugural member of the illustrious Furina Familia? Rest assured, under the divine patronage of yours truly, the esteemed Divine Muse of Performing Arts, our familia shall shine with unparalleled brilliance!" Bell stopped in his tracks as he heard this. The person speaking wasn't speaking to him; they weren't even near him. But this voice caught his attention in this large crowd of people going on with their daily lives. He quickly scanned the area to find the person speaking, and when he did, his eyes widened.

'Beautiful' was Bell's first thought as he focused on the pale-skinned woman standing proud with a smile. That smile twitched down for a split second, and sadness filled her strange heterochromatic eyes as the person she spoke to waved her away. The woman took it in stride as she turned to the next person walking by. "What about you, good sir? How would you like to-"

Bell stood back and watched as the woman lifted a stack of papers and held one out. 'I've never seen a woman like that in the mountains.' He thought as he took in her appearance. Her white hair matched his, except for the streaks of light blue. Her strange dark blue suit-like outfit stood out among the people wearing loose and breathable clothing. But as Bell watched her, he noticed someone walking towards him with one of the woman's flyers in hand. The person holding it scuffed and tossed it to the ground. Bell was quick to pick the piece of paper up.

 

Join the Furina Familia!

Are you seeking adventure, camaraderie, thrilling experiences? Look no further! Furina, the Divine Muse of Performing Arts, is proud to announce the formation of her very own familia, and she's inviting individuals like you to join her on an exciting journey. As a member of the Furina Familia, you'll experience the thrill of exploration, the joy of friendship, and the magic of performance. With Furina as your divine guide, you'll create memories that will last a lifetime!

'She's the Goddess of Performing Arts? Trying to start her own familia… It's no wonder people are ignoring her.' Bell thought as he read the paper. He sighed as he stepped back and walked away, slipping the flyer into his back pocket. 'People only want to join big named and wealthy familia these days. In the Kaios desert, that's the Set Familia… Sorry, Goddess Furina, but I'm the same as everyone else.' Bell was headed to Orario to find a big family that could lead him to fame and fortune the fastest. So he kept his head down as he walked away; Bell didn't want Furina to notice him since Bell knew he'd just make her sad by rejecting her, too.

~C~N~W~D~

'Whoa, the place is huge and strange.' Bell thought as he walked around Sorshana. Bell grew up in an orphanage in a small mountain village; he's never seen so many strange people or so many strange stores. The pungent smell of spice filled the air. Bell could taste it as he walked past the various restaurants. A strange man with a flute was putting on a show as he made several tiny snake monsters dance to his tune. But as Bell watched the performance, a young woman bumped into him.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" The young woman quickly said in a panic before Bell could even turn to face her.

'Pink!?' was the first thing Bell thought when he faced her, from her long pink hair to her layered bright pink tunic outfit. "It's no problem, don't worry about it," Bell replied with a kind smile. But his soft voice only caused the girl's face to turn red as she quickly turned and ran away. Bell heard the girl shout sorry as she ran. As the girl ran, Bell noticed the lute strapped to her back. 'City people are strange.' Bell thought with a shrug of his shoulder as he turned to walk away.

~C~N~W~D~

Hours later, a freshly washed Bell happily walked down the street with a backpack full of dried fruits, meats, nuts, and plenty of water. More than the rations, Bell was happy to find a cheap bathhouse that also washed his clothes. He never realized how amazing baths were until he used a damp rag to clean himself every night. 'Should I go back to the caravan or eat something here for dinner? Who knows if I'll ever come back to this city.' Bell thought while looking around. Bell enjoyed his time in Sorshana; it was the first major city he'd ever been to, but he was traveling with a caravan. They wouldn't wait for him if he didn't show up in the morning. They would leave without question. Bell let out a disappointed sigh; he knew he had to save his money until he made it to Orario, so buying a nice dinner in the city was out of the question. 'Crap, I should just buy some cheap meat and cook it back at camp. Well, no fancy city dinner for me.'

"Sheesh, if you had no interest in joining, a simple decline would suffice. No need to resort to such rudeness!" A familiar voice spoke up and caught Bell's attention. Hearing the voice, Bell immediately spun around and looked down the alleyway he nearly walked by. Down the alley, he spotted the Goddess Furina speaking to a man standing over her with a beer bottle. "It appears your manners are as lacking as your sobriety." She huffed while crossing her arms.

'She's so desperate for people to join her that she even asked some old drunk?' The thought made Bell's heart ache. There was a time as a lonely child when Bell would do anything to make friends, even if it meant getting bullied, as long as he wasn't alone. He grew out of that mindset, which made him stronger, but seeing Furina, he couldn't just stand by. He quickly walked over as the drunk man grinned at her.

"Join yer familia, huh?" The man slurred. "Show me those tiny tits of yers and I'll think about it!" The man stated with a lecherous grin.

"W-Wha-" Furina started to stammer in surprise, a blush overtaking her face. Before she could voice her outrage, Bell's fist connected with the back of the man's head. Caught completely off guard, the drunk man was knocked off his feet. The punch propelled him forward, and the drunk man was out like a light before his body hit the ground. Furina yelped in surprise as the man she spoke to suddenly snored on the floor.

"Are you okay, Goddess?" Bell asked, keeping his voice soft so he wouldn't scare Furina.

Hearing Bell's Voice, Furina flinched and turned to face him wide-eyed. "YES! I, uh? Y-You knocked him out." Furina stuttered out as she turned back to the drunk man snoring away.

"It's fine. I dealt with a lot of drunks growing up. Trust me, there's no talking to them; the best thing to do is let them sleep it off." Bell explained. Back in his mountain village, people would drink beer like water. "But I suppose we shouldn't leave him face down." With a sigh, Bell dragged the unconscious man up to a sitting position, letting him lean against the wall. When that was done, Bell turned back to Furina. "Now, may I escort you away from this place? After all, a dirty alleyway is no place for a Goddess like yourself." Bell spoke sincerely. He was a bit nervous, but he tried not to show it.

This isn't the first time Bell has met a Divine being. He did meet the Goddess Pachamama. She is the Goddess whose Familia lives in and protects the mountain region where his village is based. Pachamama offered Bell a chance to join her Familia, an offer all mountain children get when they come of age. Still, Bell dreamed of travel and going on adventures. He didn't want to stay in the mountains.

"Right, Um, lead the way, my gallant savior." When Furina spoke, she was nervous but quickly regained her confidence.

"Right this way, Goddess." With a smile, Bell turned to lead Furina out of the alley, but as he took his first step, Furina noticed something sticking out of his back pocket.

"Wait, is that my flyer?" Furina suddenly asked. She could only see a small part of the paper, but she created the flyers by hand, painstakingly writing each so it was easy for her to recognize. "That's my flyer, right?"

Turning back to face Furina, Bell's heart skipped a beat as he looked into her wide, nervous eyes. He could already tell what she was thinking. A spark of hope was already forming in her heart. "Yeah, this, this flyer," Bell pulled out and unfolded the flyer. He knew she thought there was only one reason he had that flyer. "You are the Goddess Furina, Goddess of the Performing Arts, right?" He asked while holding the paper up. Furina was quick to nod.

"That, that's me, you... Would you-" The spark of hope in Furina's eyes sparked brighter as she nervously spoke. But she caught herself from tripping over her own words. Clearing her throat, she tried to stand tall as she spoke again. "Ahem... I am in the process of establishing a familia... Would you perhaps be interested in joining? I understand if it's not to your liking... It's just a small endeavor of mine, after all." Furina tried to speak confidently, but her words became smaller the more she spoke as if she was bracing herself for Bell's rejection.

But Bell couldn't bring himself to reject her. He could reject Pachamama's offer easily because he knew he wanted to travel and have adventurers. But after seeing Furina get rejected repeatedly, desperately trying to form her own familia, the idea of rejecting her felt like a stab to the chest.

Bell couldn't bring himself to reject her, so he didn't. He had always been the impulsive, go-with-the-flow type, after all. "Yes, I've been looking for you because I want to join your familia." He lied with a smile on his face. 'Well, I wanted to be an adventurer, but joining a Performance Arts familia could be fun.' He thought as he saw his words registering for Furina.

Furina's eyes slightly dulled when Bell spoke, as if she was listening to another rejection. However, when she realized it wasn't a rejection, her eyes shone brighter. "R-Really!? You really want to join, you, you aren't lying, right?! You aren't pulling a prank on me, are you?!" She excitedly but nervously asked.

"It would be an honor to join the Furina Familia, but how do I do that?" Bell asked. They were still standing in the alleyway, the knocked-out drunk still snoring away. "Should we go somewhere else to do this?" He asked while looking around.

Furina was so excited she quickly grabbed Bell's hand. "C-Come with me!" She stated while pulling Bell along with her as she rushed away.

~C~N~W~D~

Bell had to admit, he was impressed at how fast Furina could move as she dragged him with her. She sped down the street, weaving in and out of the busy crowds, avoiding some people and bumping into a few. She shouted out a 'sorry' or 'excuse me,' but she didn't let it break her stride as she led Bell to an old stone building that looked out of place next to the newer store buildings next to it.

The words' Sorshana Theater' were carved into the stone above the door. 'This place is a theater? Like for plays?' Bell thought as he watched Furina unlock the door. The building looked thin, a thin rectangle placed on the side of the road compared to the buildings around it.

"Come in, come in." She said while grabbing and pulling Bell inside.

Bell's eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden darkness of the building, but Furina wasted no time flicking a switch on the wall. A line of lights attached to each wall sprung to life the moment she did. Bell could see magic cores in each light fixture, but some were missing, leaving dark spots on the wall. It wasn't the brightest building, but the first thing Bell spotted while looking around was a beat-up wooden booth. The booth was falling apart, but the word 'tickets' stood chipped but proud. "This is a playhouse? A theater?" He asked while looking around. 

The thin rectangle building offered little. Next to the entrance was the ticket booth, but in the center of the room were roll after roll of old chairs. Some chairs were broken, while others were missing entirely. Doing some quick math, Bell guessed that the building had around fifty chairs facing a small stage. A stage that was now set up like a bedroom. A mattress on the floor, a basket of clothes, even a magic core powered camping stove.

"This, This is Sorshana's first theater," Furina said in embarrassment. She had been so excited about the possibility of gaining her first familia member the fact that he was going to be the first person to enter her home didn't enter her mind. "Since I'm the Goddess of Performance Arts, the council that runs Sorshana gave it to me since the old owners are long dead, and they built a new, bigger one."

"I've never been in a theater before. My old village used to have plays, but they were performed outside for everyone to watch." Bell stated, not really sure what to say or even think.

"This place was built for nobles and the wealthy. That's why it's small. It's exclusive, and-" Furina explained, but she quickly shook her head. "That, That's not important. Come with me to the stage!" She quickly stated while leading Bell to the stage.

"So, how do I join your Familia?" Bell asked as he stepped onto the stage. The stage was only a foot off the ground, so no stairs existed.

"You just need to take off your shirt and lay on the bed on your stomach," Furina explained. She then turned to a box next to the bed. She pulled a single piece of paper and a needle from the box. There was a bright smile on Furina's face as she grabbed these items, but her face turned red once she turned to face Bell, who was now stripped bare from the waist up. He showed off the lean muscles he had gained from years of lumberjack work. "Now, lay down on your stomach, on the bed." Furina quickly ordered.

"Yes, Goddess," Bell replied and quickly followed her orders. His eye twitched the moment he lay on the mattress. 'No Goddess should be forced to sleep on this thing.' He thought as he felt the lumpy and rough bed under him. But he didn't have time to think about it once Furina jumped on his back, moving down to straddle his hips.

"Alright, now I just have to." Furina gulped as she held the needle up with a shaky hand. She brought the needle point to her finger but froze before drawing blood. She was one step away from what she wanted; one little prick of her finger, and Furina would fulfill her dream. A dream that caused her to leave Heaven. But as she stared down at Bell, she couldn't do it. "Are… Are you really sure this is what you want? I-I mean, you'll be the first member of my Familia, and I know people want to join big familias. I can't offer you anything a big familia can. I don't have much money and live in this old theater… Are you really sure you want to join? It might be a struggle to be a member of my familia." Even though she wanted Bell to become her first child more than anything, she wouldn't force someone into a life of struggle without them knowing what they were getting into.

Bell shifted to look over his shoulder. His eyes met Furina's nervous ones. "Starting from scratch and building our own thing sounds like fun," Bell stated with a smile. "Let's do this, Goddess, I'm ready." His words filled Furina with joy, and she didn't hesitate to prick her finger, dropping a single drop of blood onto Bell's back.

The drop of blood was filled with Furina's Divine Grace, and once it infused with Bell's body, it unlocked what is known as the Falna system. The Falna system is the gift given to anyone who joins a familia. The system gives familia members enhanced physical abilities and unlocks their familia-bound class. Classes are bound to the domain that their God or Goddess rules.

"Bell… Bell Cranel…" Furina suddenly spoke in a shaky voice. A shiver went up Bell's spine as he felt Furina's fingers gently trace his name, which was now glowing on his back. He turned to face her when he felt her tears rolling down her cheeks and landing on him. "The name of my first child."

The moment Bell saw Furina crying in pure happiness, he knew he had made the right choice, even if it meant giving up his dream of being an adventurer and joining a Performing Arts family instead. 'I'm sure acting in plays or learning to play music will be just as fun as adventuring.' He told himself, but he couldn't stop the smile from appearing on his face. "So, Goddess. What's next?" Bell asked.

His question broke Furina out of her daze. "Oh, right! I should do this so you can see." Furina pressed the blank piece of paper to Bell's back, and after swiping her hand, she pulled the paper away. "There, here, look at this, it's your Falna information." Furina quickly stood up and handed the paper to Bell. He looked at the sheet while sitting up.

Name: Bell Cranel

Familia: Furina Familia

Class: Warzone Puppeteer

Class Description: Warzone Puppeteers are skilled artisans who craft and customize enchanted puppets to assist them in combat and various challenges. Through meticulous craftsmanship and magical enhancements, they imbue their puppets with versatile capabilities, adapting them to different roles and situations on the battlefield.

Adventurer Rank: Unranked

Bell's eyes widened in surprise as he read the paper. All of his focus was on the class he was given. "This… This class,"

"It sounds cool, doesn't it!?" Furina replied. "If you lay back down, I can get more information about your class through the Falna."

"This class, this is a combat class, right? I thought only adventuring familias revived combat classes?" Bell asked. From what he understood, when creating a familia, each Divine could choose what kind of familia they wanted to create based on their domains.

In this world, familias are specialized groups. There are several types of familias, each with their own goals they work towards. Divine related to blacksmithing would set up production familias and only gained classes to help their members become great blacksmiths. While adventuring, familias would gain combat classes. The familia system was created to keep a balance between the familias. Production familias would create the equipment and items the adventuring familias needed. In turn, adventuring familias gathered the items and materials production familias needed for crafting. While merchant familias worked as middlemen in trades, keeping the Valis flowing. It is common for even non-combat-focused familias to have plenty of members who can fight, using their non-combat classes in creative ways. But this familia system was set up to keep the peace between familias.

"This is an adventuring familia," Furina replied, then her heart skipped. "Did, did you not know?" All of the joy Furina was feeling was sucked away, replaced with fear.

"I thought this was an entertainment familia. You're the Goddess of Performing Arts, aren't you?"

Bell's question made Furina feel sick; in her mind, she would lose her first child because he didn't want to be an adventurer. "Do you… Do you want to-" She started to say but was cut off when Bell shot up and pulled her into a hug, causing her to yelp when he lifted her off the ground. "Wha!?"

"You don't understand," Bell cried out. "I was fine joining you when I thought this was an entertainment familia, but it's always been my dream to become an adventurer." Bell started spinning in place with Furina in his arms. Furina, on the other hand, didn't know what to say. Her emotions were fried; she could only smile while gripping Bell's shoulders as he laughed happily.

~C~N~W~D~

Furina and Bell were exhausted as they lay on Furina's beat-up and old mattress. Furina was still clutching the paper while Bell held his hand in the air, clenching his fist. 'I can feel the power of the Divine Grace, the power given to me by Lady Furina.' Bell thought. He then turned to Furina, who was resting with her eyes closed and smiling. "Goddess? Can I ask you a question?"

Furina let a yawn and slowly opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to register Bell's question, but she sat up once it did. "Don't hesitate to ask me anything. You're my first child, after all."

"Well, I am extremely happy that this is an adventuring familia. I thought Divines only pick familias related to their domain. Isn't your domain the performing arts?" Bell asked.

Furina tilted her head at his question. "What do you mean? Of course, I'm the Goddess of Performing Arts, and combat is just another performance. Think about it: two combatants locked in battle is a dramatic play scene. Every punch, every kick, every sword slash is dialog, arguments filled with emotion. Yes, combat falls into my domain, so I wanted to create my adventuring familia. I wish to see the greatest of dramas!" Furina stood up as she spoke, her movements just as dramatic as her speech, and when she was finished, she let out a satisfied sigh. "There's nothing better than a great performance." 

Hearing Furina's speech, Bell sat up and clapped. "If every battle is a performance, I promise to become the greatest performer." Bell declared. But before either of them could say another word, a deep rumble came from Furina's stomach, causing the room to still. "But how about we get some dinner first," Bell stated with a laugh as he stood up.

Furina's face turned red, and she placed her hands over her stomach. "Y-Yes, I agree… Oh, and we should celebrate, too!" Furina quickly regained her energy. "We need to celebrate you becoming the first child of the Furina Familia."

Furina's bright smile causes Bell to smile back. 'Maybe this is fate?' He thought he had given up his dream of becoming a famous adventurer on a whim. But he couldn't explain it. Being a part of the Furina familia felt right, even if they had been an entertainment familia. "Lead the way, Lady Furina, I'll follow you anywhere," Bell stated sincerely. He silently vowed to do everything in his power to ensure Furina never lost her smile.

~E~N~D~

 

A/N: As you can see, I've changed up a lot of things in the base Danmachi world. I fleshed out and made things more fun. Having a 'class' system related to the familia's domain instead of pure stats that's more interesting. I have many other changes in this chapter alone, but I'll let you read them instead of explaining them here. Let me know if you have any tips or ideas you want to throw my way. I hope you enjoyed this story cause I enjoyed writing it.

~Picaro