Chương 637: Day Six Hundred And Thirty-Five

Dear Diary, I am simultaneously amused, appalled, and surprised at myself, all for the same reason. I've never before had the thought that genuinely enjoyable, creative, mutually satisfactory sexy time could be the, y'know, least interesting part of an encounter. I mean, yeah, I've obviously had days where Saffron and I, or Saffron and Marie, or even Siobhan and I have gotten busy to everyone's gleeful satisfaction, and something else about that day stood out more.

Like fighting a bunch of crazy Vikings, talking with Mom and Dad about stuff, playing with the kids, or even just some conversation the next day. I guess sometimes I've even focused more on the conversation with my ladies than our sexual hijinks. Back in the day, of course, I had plenty of sex where it just made sense to roll over and play some Call of Duty afterward, because the sex itself was boring as shit. Y'know, if there's one form of 'entertainment' I absolutely do not miss from back in the day? Bad sex.

I don't think I've had actual bad sex since I got here. Which might be a factor of being in awesome shape, of being a Deity of Passion and Ecstasy, or having eager, loving partners. Wait, no, I remember at least once, when I got that idea about doing it in armor and tried doing myself with both of me wearing my Dragon Slayer armor. Oof. What does it say about me that I might not count as an 'eager, loving partner' for myself?

Anyway, collapsed all of myself back to the Homestead kitchen as I brought Siobhan and Saffron home from work. Yeah, they could do it themselves, but they both work all day. With Saffron in the Grand Council, I'm basically bodyguarding an absolute badass in the middle of Atlantis' biggest permanent military encampment. Mostly I spend my time trolling McCann with 'accidental' crotch flashes. Lenny doesn't react, I like Cailyn too much to mess with George, and I'm vaguely afraid that if I pull that shit on Mrs.

Driver I'm gonna wind up with seven feet of bull phallus in a place that's only rated for seven inches. Okay, fourteen, tops, but I gotta be really into it or that shit just hurts in a bad way. In the Infirmary I sit there staring at Siobhan's now partially exposed ass most of the day, except when I'm staring at that gradually fading belly tattoo. I did pull her aside at lunch and ask about that.

"Oh, it's fading naturally, that's normal," she explained.

"If there were some problem, the blessing would take on some color other than that of my or Hestia's Aura. Were it red, or certain shades of blue, green, or brown, or heaven forbid black, I'd be worried. But this is just the Mana of the Blessing gradually expending itself, now that," she trailed off, blushing.

"Now that what?" She leaned over to whisper, "now that my pregnancy is well and truly underway."

"Oh, so like if it didn't take properly, it would go some weird colors?" She nodded.

"So I'm told. I haven't worked too much with these." She lay a hand on her belly, then almost subconsciously started stroking it.

"But I've been studying midwifery, especially the more Mana Shaping and Blessing related portions."

"Worried about your first pregnancy?" She smiled and shook her head.

"Marie." When I tilted my head, because deliberately unhealed wedding night damage aside, she's literally inhumanly resilient.

"Maenads... don't get pregnant."

"Never?" She shrugged and shook her head again.

"Not that I've heard of or read about. Or that any of her sisters I've spoken with know of. I suppose it's possible, since Dionysus thought all of the Maenads living at Grandma's house were his, but it's vanishingly rare." I pulled her over for a quick kiss before she got up to go back to work.

"Glad we've got my favorite healer studying up on midwifery then!" She blushed and went back to looking over the Cadets in the cots. When we all got home, I walked out with dinner, a chain of me carrying big platters of omelets and fresh baked bread. I know, it's a little breakfast for dinner, and it's a little plain compared to what we've had before, but we had eggs and cheese and some spring vegetables, and if we ate any more bear we'd start growing fur and growling.

When I went to settle down in my seat, bringing one plate for Marie and I and one for Saffron and Siobhan, I found Saffron Co-Located to both chairs, one baby bearer in each lap.

"Uh, not that view isn't great, but is this your way of telling me I need to diet?" Saffron laughed. Marie and Siobhan both smiled, but Saffron had already started filling them with food, and differing table manners here and now aside, spewing food while laughing was way too Norfolk for my classy ladies.

"No, love. But you've somewhere to be."

"Huh?"

"At sunset it's Friday." It took me a second. Then it hit me.

"Oh, shit. Uh, the weekly Revel is tonight?" She nodded.

"I guess... fuck, some of them are probably waiting for me, aren't they?"

"With bated breath and eager anticipation, love." Siobhan and Marie, mouths getting filled every time they swallowed trying to clear them, just nodded agreement. I took a deep breath.

"No chance any of you could come along?" Saffron shook her head.

"Sorry, love, but a Wake is one thing, a weekly Revel... I'd like to keep these two away from anything that might stress them until the Blessings are fully faded."

"So when they go dim it's, what, a sign that all the paperwork is in order and we just need to wait seven to fifteen months for delivery?" Siobhan almost snorted out egg at that, but Saffron just nodded.

"And I'll be staying here because I'm the one who can reliably lift Marie." I sighed.

"Okay. Just wish I could have one of you there for moral support." Saffron waved me over, then pulled me down for a kiss. We will all be with you, as we always are, Goof. When she let me go I kissed Siobhan, who thought, always and forever, love. I almost felt some kinda way when my Marie kiss didn't include some kind of mental cheerleading, but the moment I pulled away she grinned and whispered, "Watching's Fun."

I laughed at that, hugged them all, and stepped to the altar at the Temple of Love, dropping my Blend as I did. Karen stood there kissing... Thomas, I think? Fuck, I really hope the three of them are at least brothers. But while she was kissing him with a grin on her face, she still looked relieved when I showed up.

"Goddess!"

"Hey, Karen." I sat down on the altar, throne, bed, whatever as she stepped aside to clear the seat for me.

"So, uh, there's a queue or something?" She laughed, nodding.

"All of whom were deeply upset when you didn't show last week."

"I was getting married!"

"Oh, I know. They know. I half suspect at least one of them would have given up body parts or years from her life to act as a party favor for your wedding night, though." I snorted.

"Already got one more Concubine than I'm entirely comfortable with. But I'm guessing that one is here tonight?" Karen nodded.

"Showed up last week just in case, then ran back to attend your wedding, then came back here after you left."

"Hoo. Stalker, much?" Karen shrugged.

"She's very devout." I chuckled at that, then slouched onto my throne, nodding to Karen.

"Okay. Send them up. One at a time, just like before. If folks are gonna Worship me this much, the least I can do is pay close personal attention, right?" Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. I have no real idea why that would get a burst of worship from Karen, her hairy companion, and everybody in hearing distance, but that bit of surprise faded into forgotten the moment I saw my first partner of the night.

"Cherry?" He smiled, looking kind of shy.

"Yeah. Hi, Goddess."

"Oh, c'mon. Call me Tabitha."

"Yes, Goddess... I mean Tabitha." He tried to kneel down in front of me, and I reached out and pulled him up to sit on my lap. Sexy fuzzy spring Santa, that's me.

"Uh..." I hugged him.

"Wait, were you the Priest who didn't get a turn last time? I swear somebody mentioned that one of you guys didn't get a turn." He nodded. I'm not sure if his shyness was part of his whole private activity persona, or it was me as a Goddess that had him this way.

"Yeah, I'm a Priest now. Not up to the Trials for becoming a High Priest. I hope that's not... I'm sorry about that." I tipped his head up to look at me.

"Don't be." I brushed my lips across his.

"Don't ever be sorry because you think you're not 'devout enough' or something like that. You enjoy what you're doing here?" He nodded.

"You tryna help people?" Another nod.

"You trying your best with all that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." He chuckled and said, "trying my hardest." I caught the innuendo and whispered, "so, since this is all about me experiencing your hardest, what did you want from me tonight, Cherry?" He looked surprised. Maybe even a little shocked.

"I... you don't know?" I tilted my head a little and pulled him in to hug him. Cute little twinks were not my go to, but he was just so adorable and earnest at the moment.

"Most folks last time I was here, uh, were praying for something in particular. Or at least had something they wanted bad enough I could tell. You..." I... I think I listened at that point. Like, listening for one of my ladies, almost, although I never had to really strain myself to hear them. It took me a little to see, because part of me was looking for something on the Marie level of freaky. Like, Cherry's a pro. Was a pro. Fuck, Temple of Love Priest, might still be a pro.

So I expected either something along the freakiest of lines, or maybe something super hyper vanilla, but when it finally clicked I sat there motionless for half a second.

"Have I displeased you, Goddess?" I shook my head, then whispered, "do you like your work, Cherry?"

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely." I gave him the tiniest bit of side eye.

"You enjoy sex then?" He shrugged.

"Eh. I mean, yeah, coming is nice. Bit of a mess, but that's not always my problem, y'know? But I really love watching people lose themselves."

"Lose themselves?" He shrugged, snuggling into my arms.

"I mean, losing their inhibitions. Their self... loathing? Nah, most of them aren't that bad, although if I can help somebody like that, it's a special kind of cool." I let Apollo's gifts modulate my voice as I hummed out, "but is that really what you want from me right now?" He stiffened, then kind of melted into my arms. I nuzzled his ear and quietly murmured, "you gonna be disappointed if you slip under without splashing any part of me?" He giggled muzzily and shook his head.

So I sang to him, and held him, until he slipped into a deep, deep sleep. I turned, carried him to the far end of the bed, and whispered to Karen, "can you make sure he gets to a quiet room?" Kinda didn't realize she'd been a little occupied, but she nodded, gave Thomas a quick kiss and said, "be right back," before gently lifting Cherry without disrupting the beatific smile on his snoozing face. When I got back to my throne, some brat had planted herself in it. Cadet Brat, to be specific. It only took me a second.

"Been waiting two weeks?"

"Yes!" Holy shit she was perky. Now that I kinda knew what to listen for, she was also projecting into my head almost as loudly as one of my ladies screaming imprecations. Kinda like going from smooth jazz to screamo. Not gonna diss either one, but the juxtaposition was jarring.

"Okay, so since we haven't been formally introduced, what's your name?"

"Brat!" I closed my eyes, counted to five, because some of those images were really tempting, opened them to see her sitting there, back straight, hands clutched into balls on her knees, smiling up at me like a kid about to get all the candy in the fuckin' world.

"I am well aware that you are a brat, but what is your name." At that point Karen, who'd returned to her... seat, cleared her throat. She looked over at me and explained.

"Cadet Brat changed her name recently. Legally, through the Temple." I looked down at the picture of quivering eagerness in front of me, perched on my throne, and before I could ask, she said, "my Goddess has Blessed me with a new name, and I have accepted it gleefully!" I reached down and around her neck, then lifted her up out of the chair by her fuckin' head. Her eyes got real wide and fluttery, but stayed open when I lifted her clear of the floor and turned us around so I stood between her and my throne.

"Well. Thought you might pass out from excitement." She shook her head. Okay, she waggled her whole body at me.

"I've been working on my Endurance!" I pulled her in close, then growled out, "I swear, one more bit of perky, and I am gonna wear all the perky out of you along with your consciousness."

"Huzzah!" Yeah, after that I couldn't go back on my word. She had been working on her Endurance, too. Took half the damn night. Lots of fun, but felt some kinda way that I only got to half a dozen Worshippers. As the sun neared the horizon and I lay another blissfully unconscious Reveler on the back of the Altar, Karen lay a hand on my arm.

"The children will be arriving for breakfast soon."

"Children?" I asked, slipping my Blend back up and dropping my uniform on. She nodded.

"They come in for breakfast before lessons begin for the day. We usually have them eat in here while we Clergy speak with them about their afternoon the day prior."

"Wait... lessons? The school's up and running?" She nodded, smiling a little bashfully.

"I'm not sure I'd call it a proper school, but we do have classrooms, and the smaller ones are learning their letters and numbers while the older ones learn about history and Law. They all of course study your Doctrine." Part of me really felt weird about literally indoctrinating kids.

"Older ones?"

"The ones nearly old enough to seek employment, or to join a Temple as Novices, or perhaps seek further education."

"Which is how old again?" She nodded.

"It depends on the child, but for a pure Human somewhere between eight and twelve." I got more than a little weirded by that.

"Twelve is old enough to go to work?" Before she could reply, I answered myself.

"Yeah, I guess it would be. Um... that further education. Do we offer it here at the Temple?"

"For some subjects, yes."

"Which ones?"

"Any for which we have Skilled teachers. So music, art, acting, dancing, cooking, brewing, cleaning, even education itself, surprisingly enough." Tension leaked out of me until she added, "oh, and of course all the skills required of professional courtesans." My hand sought out my face.

"Please tell me you don't have twelve year old prostitutes in my temple." Credit where it's due, she looked a little shocked at the suggestion.

"No! Of course not. Any prostitutes working at the Temple are Adults." Tension began leaking out again, and bounced back up at, "especially those associated with the Temple itself. Our prostitutes pride themselves on their Skills, to the degree that starting with Priest Cherry they all regularly have me Inspect them just to update their posters." Yeah, I wish I could blame my sudden lack of complete coherence on lack of sleep, but Cadet Brat alone had dropped enough Worship into me that I'd be up until Sunday.

"Posters?" She nodded.

"Our Art instructor worked with Cherry on the first one. While we have adult education courses in the afternoons teaching as many who wish to learn the basics of reading and writing, not all those who come to us can read. So... may I show you, before the posters are taken down for the day?" At my quizzical look she whispered, "some of them are a bit spicy for children, so we store them away during school hours." I nodded, and she stepped me down to where some cute...

Novices, I guessed, because they had on super slutty wedding dresses reminiscent of Karen's Garb, were taking simple posters down from hooks high up on the wall. The one Karen stepped me in front of, then motioned for the Novices to wait, was about three feet wide by six feet tall. The top half was a really well done, almost photorealistic painting of Cherry. Well, multiple paintings; the middle one had him facing away, looking over his shoulder at the viewer. Showed off his butt really well.

The others were maybe less classy, maybe more suggestive, and didn't feature nearly as many clothes. One was just a face shot with him doing an ahegao face, another was full frontal and ready to party, but only from belly to thighs. I guess maybe for size reasons?

"He suggested all those?"

"Oh, yes. Although the pose on the picture of his face was suggested by our artist, but he loved it. Thought it really displayed his playful attitude with his clients." I shook my head as I looked at the rest of the poster, which was full of silhouettes and hash marks. A couple just had flat lines, and a couple had the classic slashed out zero.

"Are those... prices?"

"Technically, we do expect those requesting specialty Skills to donate more to the Temple, but no, those are his Skills with those particular acts."

"Oh." Yeah, I'd kinda been whelmed a little by that point.

"Okay. That makes sense. Uh, this," I touched one of the 'no' symbols, "means that's something he doesn't have skill in?"

"Oh, no. Those are the dashes. That represents an act he doesn't perform." I took a moment to try and get my bearings.

"Yeah. Okay. We don't have any problems with people not respecting the signs, do we?" I swear I heard the hiss of a Mana Blade in her voice when she said, "not more than once." Then I heard the unmistakable sounds of a horde of kids approaching.

"Oh, shit!" I grabbed the poster, stepped to the Bedroom, and leaned it against the mirror. I stepped back to a wave of kids rushing in, stumbling to wide eyed stops as they saw me. It's in the Bedroom, I thought at Karen.

"Is she...?" One of the kids, a girl somewhere between David and Maze's age asked.

"We have a special guest in the Temple at the moment, children. The Goddess herself is here today." So fuckin' weird. I know I've mentioned before that different kinds of Worship kinda taste different, but I realized right then and there that every adult that I remember Worshipping me had some kind of undercurrent of smoky, savory desire. Even sweet Siobhan was kind of a crème brûlée. Never been hit with a wave of pure sugar before. What else was I gonna do except say, "hey, kids! What are you all learning today?"