Part 1 (Start Reading Here)

[Emily]

Nick had barely kept himself composed. His vision grew blurry, until a firm blink spilled a fresh stream of tears down his cheeks. Again and again it would go, becoming a sort of meditative cycle amidst the occasional sniffle. He clutched his bag of items close to his chest, shivering and squeezing it before relaxing and then shivering again, this becoming its own rhythmic, primal flow. He felt so moved by and so in awe of everyone around him, and he felt humbled by the honor of accompanying the others on this adventure, to fulfil this purpose together.

When the portal opened, Nick fell to his knees, the awe overwhelming and pulling open sobs from his lungs. He lost himself in that for a moment--not unpleasantly. He felt like water, like rapids frothing affectionately over rocks, his sack of items still clutched dearly to his chest.

---

Chloe had quite enjoyed the ceremony, pleased with the reverence everyone had afforded it. Even Holloway’s somewhat absurdist display had a pleasing rawness to it, and Chloe had been happy to contribute to the crowd participation he’d invited. She was enjoying being such a participant, pleasantly surprised by her relative comfort under so many gazes, in such a surreal situation. She felt warm and glistening and alive, and those sensations only swelled as the portal began to open before them, the very air around them whipping about with excitement and rapture.

Chloe absolutely adored the fluttering in her chest, the tingles that danced across her skin in the wind, and her expression surely held the most radiant smile she had ever worn as she met eyes with the misty goddess for the first time through the portal before her.

“It’s time,” the priestess said, and Chloe very nearly stepped forward without a second thought. She was eager to meet the goddess she had decided to give herself to. But, thoughts of the other volunteers stilled her, and she looked around at her companions.

Trevor had fallen to one knee near the end of the ceremony, worrying her a little, and now Nick was kneeling also, sobbing again. He’d cried many times during the ceremony, but Chloe hoped that was just his way. Still, she wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving while they both were on their knees. She didn’t want to feel afraid that anyone might get left behind.

So, she stepped toward Trevor, worried most about him. She tried to get into his line of sight, hands outstretched, giving him warning that she intended to touch him--and good thing, too, as the man shook his head, and she pulled back a little, shifting her attention back to Nick. Nathan had stepped in there, his own eyes full of tears as he helped the other crying soldier to his feet.

Then, Chloe felt Philip’s gaze, and she met his eyes openly. They were familiar, the eyes of her lieutenant checking in for a silent sitrep. It was at once strange and reassuring in this context, and she gave him a nod, offering a warm smile to go with it. He managed a tiny smile of his own, and turned to walk through the portal, for which Chloe was very glad.

Some of the others had also already gone through, Chloe saw, which was good. She felt herself growing lighter, even moreso as Trevor made it to his feet, and Nick and Nathan started toward the portal themselves.

It was just lieutenant Holloway who felt stuck, then, gazing back at the commander.

---

Lance could do little but grin wildly in the whipping wind, his body full of terrified excitement and his eyes wide as he watched a portal open right before him.

"It's time," the priestess' voice rang out behind them, and Lance felt a powerful tremble shake through every muscle in his body. He finally tore his eyes from the portal to regard his fellow volunteers, and it seemed many of them were in a similar state--glancing to each other, trying to get their bearings in the face of this awesome storm--spectacle--threshold--they stood before.

Novelty, though, seemed the first to get his wits about him, and just like that, the man was stepping through the opaque portal, disappearing into their next adventure. Lance took half a step that direction, excitement tugging at him to follow, but something held him back. He watched strangely paralyzed as Gavin and Chris both mustered their resolve as well to follow Novelty’s lead, and then found he found himself altogether turning around, not even sure why until his eyes landed on Mizu. He felt a little bit ridiculous, but he threw Mizu a heartfelt grin anyway, rolling the dice that she’d forgive him any embarrassment for the gratitude and genuine joy that kept company with the melancholy in his smile.

---

"It's time," the priestess said loudly behind Evan, and almost as if on cue, Evan felt tears staining his cheeks, his arms instinctively tightening around Xavier--he didn't want to let go. Mercifully, Xavier had the wherewithal to begin to pull away, and Evan was able to gather his own resolve to pull back in equal measure, longing plain on both of their fingertips even as they each drew back to let each other go.

"You do know how to keep things interesting." Xavier beamed a big, beautiful grin, even through his own tear-strewn gaze. Evan's sight was blurry, and he was sure he looked ridiculous as he flashed Xavier a grin in return. He wished he could come up with something witty to say, but even if his mind had found the words, he wasn't sure his mouth could have articulated them. Certainly not by the time that Xavier stepped away, and, with some chagrin, Evan's attention returned to the larger context at play around them.

The chagrin didn’t last long, though, as his eyes turned to the portal and saw the goddess on the other side. He swallowed, feeling the subtle pressure of the strands around his neck, yearning throbbing through every muscle in his body as his lung utterly emptied of breath. He touched a hand to his chest, placing a gentle pressure on the scale there in some hope that it might soothe the ache beneath as he gathered his resolve to finish out his role in this ceremony with dignity. At minimum, it surely wouldn't do to go running to her with no regard for the soldiers he was to shepherd into her care.

Thankfully, the volunteers seemed to have themselves covered, with everyone making their way toward the goddess, save Galen and Holloway. Galen met his eyes after a brief glance toward Lance, and Evan nodded to her, hoping to release her from responsibility. She glanced to Holloway one more time, uncertain--perhaps contemplating a hand on his shoulder, but decided against it, and turned to approach the goddess herself. Lance seemed to realize himself about then anyhow, shaking off the sappy expression on his face and rubbing sheepishly at his hair. He spared Evan a crooked smile before taking in a deep breath and turning to face the goddess. He hesitated just one breath more, before finally pushing himself into motion.

Seeing everyone resolved, Evan himself stepped forward, briefly assessing the gathered troops and whether there was anything he ought to say. He wasn't half bad at giving rousing speeches when the inspiration struck, but now was not one of those times. Perhaps it was the whipping wind, or the tears in his throat, or the eagerness he felt to be with the goddess again, but words just weren't coming, and he was terrible at giving rousing speeches when he tried to force it.

So, in lieu of words, Evan turned around to face the commander, and knelt. The gesture itself was an impulse, intuition alone guiding him down to one knee, his fist resolutely meeting the ground. Vertigo pulsed through him once he was in place, some part of him hardly believing he'd put himself here for all these eyes to see. But with a breath he willed himself to relax, his gaze lifting to Miyamoto to meet her eyes from this angle. Another sensation pulsed through him then--warmth, steadiness, serenity. He was genuinely grateful to her. To everyone here, though as the gratitude radiated out, kneeling was not the proper expression. Evan pushed himself to his feet, certainly not wanting to linger in the pose, and offered nods of gratitude to Tehlunae and then to Kade, and then to the other captains assembled, before he turned back around to face the goddess.

A shudder pulsed through him when he laid eyes on her again, every nerve in his body lighting in anticipation. His skin tingled under the armor she had made for him, his head nearly dizzy with anticipation and longing. All that stood between them now was simple distance, which he began to close with a growing smoulder in his eyes, his pace steady and resolute, if growing subtly hastier with each step.

((OOC: Okay, so, I believe we ended up with: Novelty first, followed shortly by Gavin and Chris. Then Philip, followed by Nick, Nathan, and Trevor. And finally Chloe, then Lance.))

[andrav]

((OOC: Continued from here: viewtopic.php?t=19&start=44))

Raccoon had barely registered that they had fallen asleep. One moment, they had jumped onto the goddess' back, and the next, Raccoon was waking from the cold ground, stretching and shivering from a strange static-y feeling in the air. The wind whipped their hair around into their face.

The goddess stood in the middle of the meadow, turned away from them, which Raccoon thought they recognized from when they had first come to the realm, but where had the fruits and vegetables come from? Must be a different place.

Sleepily, they asked her, "What's happening?" The goddess turned back toward them with a grin and a hand on her hip but did not immediately respond. Eventually, she just tilted her head back toward the sky and opened her arms at her sides, and Raccoon had to admit that she did look beautiful. Divine, even. Shining in that new, scaled dress and the crown atop her head.

But she hadn't answered their question. They were most of the way to standing when two lightning bolts hit the ground just ahead of the goddess, and Raccoon startled backward into a frantic half-crouch, eyes wide.

The goddess then addressed them, paying no heed to their terror. "They're on their way." They knew she meant the volunteers, and something about that knowledge settled Raccoon--it would be good to have people they knew here with them. It had been, frankly, terrifying since they arrived. They brushed the front of themselves, trying to recover. Looking around, they noticed a couple of strange creatures--large with feathers and fur. Interesting. Maybe they would be friendly. But there was also food. They selected a bunch of grapes and settled down with the new creatures, trying to feed them. Hesitating, the white one nibbled out of Raccoon's hand, and they giggled. Tentatively, Raccoon, reached out a hand, and the creature turned a large eye on them, almost as though skeptical, but eventually, they allowed Raccoon to gently stroke their fur, which was surprisingly soft. Raccoon settled in, watching the goddess, whose hands had just come to cover her chest. Whatever was going on for her, Raccoon wasn't sure they understood it.

The goddess then swayed, her dress clicking together in a way that gave Raccoon tingles all over. And then she laughed strangely, and Raccoon gave the furred creature a look. The white creature nodded back at them as though they understood. As though they wanted Raccoon to pay attention.

So, they did, watching the goddess and her strange motions as the storm above them darkened and the wind whipped more ferociously. Eventually, the goddess lifted herself into the air and out of Raccoon's field of view entirely, though they tried to see her. Was she coming back? Weren't the volunteers coming here?

In the meantime, Raccoon looked around, surprised that a massive tree-shaped building lay behind them. Some part of them was tempted to explore, but something made them stay. They wanted to see this through. This is what they would be doing, had they not run through the portal early. They should be here where it happened.

They kept stroking the new creature, and then suddenly the goddess was coming back down, chanting her own name. Raccoon felt it in their chest, the thunderous, sensuous roar of it pulling at something inside them. And then a jagged purple line appeared in the air. Raccoon's eyes widened as it began to split apart, split open. Looking toward the goddess, she seemed equally surprised but also pleased.

Raccoon stared on with a dropped jaw, realizing as they began to see people through the purple light that this was a portal, even if it looked nothing like the one Raccoon had gone through the other day. Maybe they were all different colors? Who knew.

And then Novelty stepped through! Raccoon didn't know them very well, but just seeing a familiar face made their heart burst forth from their chest. In a second, they got up and began running over to Novelty, only realizing halfway there that the man was naked and covered in flowers. But then a second person came through the portal, someone Raccoon knew a little better, and they made the split-second decision to run to Gavin instead, protecting Novelty's pretty flowers. Raccoon glommed onto Gavin's nude form, realizing late that Gavin was also nude. Raccoon had never felt overdressed before now, but they didn't care as they pressed their face into Gavin's chest, which was a little more soft and lumpy than they had expected. No matter.

--

Novelty stepped through the portal, which had almost looked like it might be a solid wall for a moment, though it had begun to shift toward transparency as soon as he had made the decision to start moving toward it. And, immediately, he was stunned by what he felt and saw. There was, of course, the goddess, who stood six feet tall and beheld him in a fury of blowing wind and dark glistening scales. She inclined her head to him, but he did not know how to respond, looking at all the sights around him and relishing in the pleasant buzzing of his skin. There were lush, fruiting plants he had never seen before. Three large furred creatures. A building that looked like four impossibly thick trees all hollowed and merged together. And then one of the furry things was barreling straight toward him. Novelty took a step back, almost touching the portal again, though he remembered himself. The creature collided with Gavin instead, and Novelty was prepared to fend the thing off before he realized with a start that it was Raccoon, safe and sound. Well, almost. A ringed tail draped behind them, and Novelty was sure he was seeing ears sprouting from the top of their head.

--

Gavin did not have any time to take in the sights of the realm of mist before Raccoon ran into him, grasping onto him as though for dear life. Gavin laughed and looked at the goddess with surprise, reaching around to hold Raccoon, too. Grateful that Raccoon had not made a big deal about his body, Gavin closed his arms around Raccoon and even reached up to scratch at Raccoon's hair. But, he soon found protrusions in Raccoon's hair, and on closer inspection, Gavin realized they were ears. Gavin looked to Novelty, who shrugged, and Gavin decided now was not the time to bring it up, not while there was a goddess to meet and other volunteers still had yet to come through.

To wit, Gavin noticed that Chris had arrived alongside him, and Gavin nodded at him, smiling before he could help himself. They had made it. They were really here. Gavin looked to the goddess again, who was beautiful and majestic in the winds that apparently existed in this realm, too, the scales of her dress like music to Gavin's ears. He took a deep breath of the new air and sighed happily, excited for this new adventure, despite his stomach's trepidations and the tingling he felt all over his body.

--

"It's time," the priestess had said, though Trevor barely heard her over the wind and the mild ringing that had begun in his ears after Chris' song. It had reminded Trevor so much of the goddess and her realm and all the ways he had felt since being there. It was hauntingly accurate, and every fiber of Trevor's being ached to get back to the goddess.

Trevor looked up, making sure that Novelty had fully made it through his offering, though Trevor found he was pleasantly dizzy. Would he be able to stand again, to walk through? Of course he would. This was his gift to the goddess--rope drunkeness and all. He saw Chloe come toward him as though to help him up, but he stubbornly refused her with a shake of his head, preparing himself and then successfully getting to his feet. He took a few moments to clear his head and steady his balance before he raised his chin and looked pointedly at Kade, wanting to reassure the captain that he would be all right. Trevor also had just enough wherewithal to look at Yukiko, to whom he had entrusted his sister. But that was all the self-control Trevor had left before he turned and walked straight toward his goddess. He was finally, finally hers again.

--

[andrav]

Dehaljadrun felt a well of pride and gratitude looking at this new man in her realm, draped in some of her favorite vining flowers. She nearly took a step toward him, eager to make contact, before she caught herself. She wanted to see them all--receivethem all--before she became too caught up with any one of them. But, she did not need to touch this first volunteer to see the divine awe in him as he looked around at her palace and the new meadow she had created. The goddess was deeply pleased by his reaction and the artfulness with which he presented himself.

Another volunteer stepped through then, this one with a slightly narrower frame and the subtle curve of small breasts. Dehaljadrun did not have much time to wonder at them before Raccoon took off running, pulling them into a tight hug. This new being laughed lightly, and the goddess felt herself relax. Of course, they know each other, the goddess thought, grateful that she could feel less responsible for Raccoon's well-being past this point.

Dehaljadrun had almost missed that another volunteer had come through around the same time in all the commotion, this one put off by Raccoon's display. This volunteer's glistening body, thick eyebrows, and furrowed expression called to her, and again, she felt compelled to step forward. She wanted to touch her fingers to his throat. But she stayed rooted in place. There were still others to welcome.

The volunteer who came next was Philip. He held a bouquet of flowers loosely in one hand, gently covering much of his pelvis, just below a marking made with dirt or perhaps clay. It had been such a long time since the goddess had seen that marking--two upturned semi-circles with two lines near to embracing running through them. It was the sigil humans in Asphodel once decorated her temples with. To see it plainly on Philip's low belly... he was here. He was hers again. Why? she suddenly wondered. Had his guilt driven him to this choice? There was more to unravel here, but she took heart that his facial expression was soft and open, if still more neutral than a typical human's. Then again, he could not seem to meet her in the eye. Her resoluteness began to crack, her eyebrows pulling up and together in longing tinged with worry. But she took a deep breath--there would be time. This was only the beginning.

Another young man Dehaljadrun did not recognize came through, also nude and oiled. He held a bag in hand and had the sigil on his upper left arm. The goddess assumed each of them had one somewhere, and she silently thanked the priestess for this gift, closing her eyes and sending a brief swell of energy in the priestess' direction. Preparing this many volunteers had been no small feat, the goddess knew. She met this new man's eyes with a nod and a small smile, eager to know what he had brought with him.

That new man was followed quickly by Nathan, which the goddess felt unreasonably happy to see. She had been the most confident about his return, even from the moment she and Evan had begun talking about this trade, but she was still grateful to see him here, again, fully in the flesh this time, and it showed in her face. She looked at him with a tremendous love, eyebrows lifted, lips gently curled. The goddess' sigil was on his cheek, and Dehaljadrun felt a strong urge to stroke him there, to take him back to the mountain cave and cradle him on into eternity.

And then Trevor walked through, indeed restrained with rope across his chest that also restricted his arms to his back. His sigil was prominently displayed on his right thigh. The purple flames from the torches cast pleasing shadows over his form, and Dehaljadrun relished in all the places where she could see the rope biting into his flesh. Immediately, from the moment he had entered, the goddess felt a potent pleasure haze, and even now, he could only meet her eyes for the briefest of moments before he fell back into it, a cloud of lust, desire, and pleasure reaching out toward her in a golden mist invisible to everyone else in the meadow. It was incredibly intoxicating, and the goddess almost swayed on her feet. She swallowed and took another deep breath, welcoming some of Trevor's pleasure haze into herself. Oh, dear gods. He had never really left her, had he? Even when she had freed him. More than any of them, she was certain that Trevor belonged here. And he knew it, too. She was grateful to have him back, if incredibly distracted, eyes softening.

A woman--the only person clothed--stepped through next, her outfit an impressive and creative endeavor of loops and decorations. A memory of leaping in the meadow returned to the goddess, and she smiled warmly, nodding, glad to invite this new spirit in and curious what sorts of experiences lay in wait for the two of them together. Her collarbone held the sigil, and the goddess looked at it with pleasure.

Next, another man the goddess did not recognize, this one with chin-length sandy brown hair with an enormous, nervous grin on his face. The goddess laughed lightly at the sight of it, his excitement contagious. She felt an urge to welcome him, too, with physical touch, to take him in her arms and stroke his glistening skin lightly under candlelight. Soon, she told herself. There will be time enough for all of it.

Dehaljadrun made a brief count of everyone, even Raccoon who sheepishly stood beside the first volunteer now that they had finished hugging their friend. Ten of them. Her stomach sank briefly, though, recognizing that one of the thralls from the army camp had not yet come through. Ramanujan. She felt a deep sadness and some surprise about that. Did he feel content with the knowledge she had given him? Had she underestimated his ability to understand it? But, she reminded herself, she had to allow everyone to make their own decisions. She did not want to demand anyone's presence anymore, not even if she thought they wanted it.

And then, Evan walked through. He was wearing the armor she had crafted and formed to his body, modeled after her own scales and with a true scale, she knew, hiding against his chest. Her eyebrows shot up, and this time she did take a step forward and then another. She couldn't help it. The confident set of his mouth, the palpable knowing that he had more than sufficiently held up his end of this bargain, the eagerness to return to her. And, beneath it all, she felt the swell of his heart against the scale and heard again an echo from their time at the tree. I love you.

Gods, if she had been unsure of it before, she did not doubt her own love for him now. She took another slow step forward, unwilling to look anywhere but his eyes. And, suddenly, the volunteers felt like both their charges, lovers, followers. He felt like a peer, a shepherd, a god in his own right, at least in this moment. At last, her self-control gave way entirely. Who was she to deny her own desires with so many people here to please her? And she knew exactly what she wanted. With the portal shrinking into non-existence again, the goddess tore her eyes away from Evan long enough to get a quick nod of thanks to the commander before she turned her attention back, running to Evan now as she closed the rest of the short distance. She pressed against him harshly, pulling him toward her while pushing him back toward the portal, only barely managing to help him stay upright with a hand against his back.

As the portal closed, it pulled in on itself, healing the rift in a brilliant explosion of light and color. A shimmer rained down around them not unlike the shimmer she had Ramanujan offer the camp, though this one instead palpably echoed the goddess' own desires with each of the volunteers as well as poignant moments from the ceremony. A song just before an eruption of sobs. That first primordial cry. The golden haze of tight ropes. A dancing leap. A lover kneeling. Knowing words, familiar and strange. Comfort in the shape of one's own body. A soft feather stroked across a cheek. Forgiveness of one's self and others.

Briefly closing her eyes, the goddess willed all the sigils on each of the volunteers to glow and warm, taking on the essence of that complex sensation and burning the clay gently off to reveal an area of skin just slightly darker, perhaps more lavender, than the skin around it.

In the light of that shimmer, surrounded by people who were prepared to worship her, the goddess kissed Evan, breathing into his breath, teeth against his bottom lip, hunger and pleasure overtaking her as she gripped at two of the spines on his jacket and pulled him even closer, one of her knees pressing between his legs. She grabbed a fistful of his hair with one hand and scraped her fingernails underneath one of the straps around his neck with the other.

"Evan," she moaned, aware that they had an audience, but she could not deny herself this, not after all the worship that had taken place. It would be sacrilege to do so.

((OOC: I fully expect that things will keep happening, but I wanted to give people the opportunity to react to this much.))

[Emily]

The goddess' eyes were locked on Evan's as he approached, stirring satisfaction in the core of him. As he crossed the portal's threshold, the chill of her realm tingled over his skin. Thrill and excitement danced up and down his spine as the goddess took a step toward him, and then another. He came to a stop just past the volunteers, despite the longing that buzzed in his nerves to meet her, touch her, taste her. He contented himself with the look in her eyes, perhaps; the way that his pride seemed to flare beneath it, his posture confident and proud. He had gotten her what she needed, and she was pleased.

Briefly, she looked over Evan’s shoulder, nodding thanks past him--to the commander, or the priestess perhaps, back in the realm he and the volunteers had just left behind. Uncertainty briefly flared within him then--just what was his role, now?--but that did not last long before the goddess' eyes returned to him with a renewed hunger and eagerness that sparked hot elation deep in his gut.

She ran toward him, her body nearly colliding with his. He stepped back with the momentum but still fell off-balance, a thrilling vertigo cascading through him as he felt his weight press against the hand she wrapped around him--already, he was at her mercy. It reminded him, just for a flash, of the moment she had set upon him in the pool the previous night, but the fear passed through him smoothly, if with a briefly potent shudder.

All at once the portal erupted into an explosion of light and color, and Evan felt deeply moved--by the goddess’ body pressed against his own; by the ceremony reaching a completion; by awareness of the volunteers witnessing him in the goddess’ embrace, and the potency of each of their offerings palpable in the air around him.

Evan closed his eyes and clung to the goddess tightly, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. He almost, for a brief flicker of a moment, didn’t feel worthy of her attention, but his thoughts cascaded through the previous night--from his tearful confession of his own doubt, through the goddess’ storm, their time at the tree, holding each other back at her palace, and finally, the sensual, loving caress of the armor she’d created for him, her scale still pressed against his chest. He might have started crying--sobbing, even, perhaps--had the goddess not interrupted him with a kiss.

Evan happily threw his attention into that kiss, letting go of whatever grief had run through him and simply relishing the hunger in both their lips. His hands grasped at her as though he could not possibly pull her close enough, his body undulating against hers and utterly forgetting to care about how or even if he managed to remain standing, just so long as he could feel her pressed against him.

Her teeth bit his lip, her hand tugging his hair, her leg between his, her nails against the back of his neck. Evan moaned and shivered and melted freely, answering each sensation with openness and affection and desire, no room in his mind to give a damn about having an audience, much less what they might think.

“Evan,” the goddess moaned, and Evan didn’t miss a beat in answering.

“De…” He shivered with the very sound of it spilling from his own lips.

“Dehal…” He was full to bursting with delight, his love for her surely apparent in every inch of his skin, every movement of his body, every breath that danced from his lips.

“Dehaljadrun!” His muscles all tensed with elation, wrapping around her in every possible way he could find. All that mattered was how fucking good he felt, how absolutely blissfully happy he was to be in this moment, entangled with the goddess of his dreams.

[Emily]

Somehow, Chris felt unfazed as the portal opened before him. In some ways, the whipping wind and strange light felt familiar, like a storm he'd been walking through all his life. He was grateful, selfishly, that he had gone so close to the end--he wasn't sure how long he'd have been able to hold onto his calm resolve, but it had lasted through Novelty's offering, in any case. Now, Chris stared down this threshold--and the goddess on the other side--with surprising confidence, and the serenity he had hoped for.

"It's time," the priestess said, and finally the doubt that Chris had held at bay crept back in. The finality of the decision, perhaps. The last thread of his attachment to this life slipping through his fingers. Tears resurfaced, but in the end, it was a relief to let them fall. Out of his periphery, Chris saw Novelty step through the portal, and he paused only long enough to wipe his tears before following.

A full-body shiver coursed through him as he felt the difference in the air, the difference of this new place that he entered. His mind tried to offer memories of similar sensations--glimpses of various types of strangenesses he'd felt over the years. A part of the storm he felt he'd always been walking through. But in the end this was something new, and it danced through his body, pleasant and tingling, if almost uncomfortably intense.

Suddenly, something came darting toward him--no, toward the soldier who had stepped in beside him. Chris stepped back, startled, his heart racing in the wake of the surprise. But he saw that the creature--person--oh, gods, Raccoon?--was hugging the soldier--Gavin, who hugged them back, laughter tumbling from his lips. Chris tensed and released his shoulders, subtly flicking his wrists at his sides to try to shake off the startle. Still... why did Racoon have... actual raccoon parts? An unnerved sort of shiver lingered in Chris' body, shuddering his shoulders and his lungs subtly as he tried to collect himself.

Gavin smiled to Chris, and Chris bashfully looked away, still unsteady in how he wanted to interact with the other volunteers. At first he just looked at the ground some distance away, but then he raised his eyes to the goddess, taking in the full sight of her in the whipping wind. A refreshing shiver of awe sank into him, helping to dissipate some of his tension, though there were many layers to get through. The tinkling sound on the wind finally made its way into Chris' attention as well as his eyes made the connection that it was the goddess's dress, and that dissipated another layer with a pleasant, cascading tingle. Dragon scales. The thought came to him unbidden, but he had heard murmurs that Rutliff had said something about a dragon the other day, and the awe sank in yet another layer deeper. Perhaps even excitement--a blooming sense of hope that there really were wonderous things for him to discover and experience here.

Then, something distracted Chris. A feeling of heaviness that almost made him sway--and he could swear he saw the godess affected by similar. He turned his attention to the other volunteers, and his gaze landed pointedly on Trevor. Discomfort squirmed through Chris, but so did a strange, warm excitement. The context of Travor's offering had shifted significantly, he realized, on this side of the portal. Something about it made more sense to him, now. He recalled that Trevor had been kneeling by the end of his offering, and all at once, he found himself wanting to witness the moment Trevor sank down to one knee again--it felt inevitable, didn't it? But, gods, what a strange desire to feel.

Chris balled a fist against his chest as if gripping a necklace that wasn't there, and he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and pulling his attention back into his own body. He'd always been... sensitive, was the word he'd sometimes applied to it, but something about this place was making that feeling inarticulably more expansive. It frightened him in that he wasn't sure he'd be able to turn it off, here, but... there was an undeniable curiosity brimming in that, too. Part of why he'd so often tried to ignore it before was that he could only ever catch glimpses, fragments of sensations that never made any fucking sense. Here, though...

Elation and satisfaction rippled through the air, and Chris let out a soft gasp as he opened his eyes and turned his gaze to see Rutliff stepping out in front of all of the assembled volunteers, the goddess running toward him. Chris shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself as he watched the two of them intertwine, kissing and grasping passionately at each other as the portal closed and exploded into a shimmer of color, a brilliant reprise of the shimmer she had gifted to the camp the other day. But the fantasies it brought to mind were not of a war won, but rather of fulfillment found here, with her and each other.

Chris felt bashful and pulled into himself again, overwhelmed by the sensation like he and the other volunteers might be laid bare to each other all at once. He wasn't ready. There was something in his chest that his he felt the urge to protect, to keep hidden from anyone else's view, and he hardened around it, gripping his arms tightly as yet more tears spilled down his cheeks. But the sensation pressed into him, hot on his shoulder--where the priestess had drawn his sigil, he realized.

"De..." The syllable fell full-bodied from Rutliff's lips, and Chris shuddered, the trembles very likely visible, though Chris doubted that anyone was paying attention to him over Rutliff and the goddess, or even just their own respective experiences.

"Dehal..." Somehow, Chris found the resolve to turn his attention to Trevor, latching on to the desire that had entered his mind--his body--earlier. If nothing else, he could give himself that much, surely.

"Dehaljadrun!" Chris' own body felt heavy, ready to sink down to his own knees, but he was determined to at least watch Trevor go down, first.

((OOC: So uh, I guess I made a couple of assumptions in here, feel free to let me know if anything doesn't work out right... A cursory glance at other people show that Philip might be feeling some awful complex things, too. Chloe and Nick and Nathan I think are all in awe in their own ways. I'd be happy to also write a post for Philip but figured I'd present this and see where we're at.))

[andrav]

Stepping through the portal was a relief unlike any Trevor had ever known. He had come back, come home, he dared to think. But if he had thought it was difficult to stand in the ceremony, the heaviness in his body, in every muscle, had easily doubled. He lifted his weighty eyelids to the goddess for only a split second before the eye contact sent him down further, more deeply into his own sensations and his body. His head hung heavy, and he struggled to maintain awareness of anything else happening around him. He swayed slightly but managed to stay standing. Distantly, it seemed that the portal was shrinking. Or, perhaps, was Trevor's vision going black? He couldn't tell. But he didn't feel dizzy, just... blissed the fuck out.

He felt glad when the portal closed, grateful that there was no going back now. The decision was made, and no one could force him to cross back over that threshold. He was hers now. The portal did close fully, then, raining down a shimmer around them and making Trevor shiver violently with a hunger that his body after days without her contact, not to mention hours of exceedingly public arousal. He moaned and swayed again, attempting to pull up Captain Kade's advice and failing. Still, he managed to stay standing.

--

The goddess was immensely grateful that Evan did not fight her but instead simultaneously softened into her and tightened around her. He nearly pulled her off balance in the process, though she was determined to stay standing. She had just enough awareness of those around her to manage that.

"De..." Evan said, shivering pleasantly. Gods, yes. She loved the idea of him chanting her name now in front of everyone assembled. Yes, Evan, show them how to worship me.

"Dehal..." All his skin called out to her as it begged for her attention, and she grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling hard in anticipation.

"Dehaljadrun!" His legs properly tangled with hers now, tempting her toward the ground. She pulsed with electricity, trusting him with her fervor, her emotion, her delight.

But she wanted more of him. With one hand still in his hair and her teeth intent on his lips and jaw, she looped one of the straps of Evan's jacket over his head. Bracing a hand against Evan's back to steady him again, she pulled the other strap taut and released it abruptly, moaning into the sound and the sensation, before she looped that strap over his head as well, encouraging him to shrug off the jacket.

The goddess swayed with longing, then, as she touched Evan's chest, her vision darkening at the edges as hunger and longing radiated around her, even beyond her. And, almost unconsciously, she expanded her awareness out to include all the volunteers, gently urging them closer to her. She wanted their nearness, their skin, their warmth--she did not want them to be separate from her.

But then, a brief sensation near to falling overwhelmed her, and she felt her stomach drop. In confusion, she looked in Trevor's direction, seeing that he was about to fall--and he might not have been the only one. With her hands still on Evan's chest, she looked at Trevor and, with a regal, commanding tone, said, "Trevor. Drop to your knees." She had not been one moment too late. His knees buckled immediately, and he fell to the ground, seeming to forget that his arms could not catch him, tied as they were behind his back. He sagged forward onto the ground, landing on one shoulder, moaning all the way down. The goddess had half a mind to laugh, but his pleasure haze had only deepened with the impact. Tears began welling to her eyes. This was a far greater gift than Trevor ever could have imagined. And yet, he was falling fast.

Dehaljadrun cast a glance at Evan, trying to keep the fear off her face, but her sudden neutrality was likely enough to alert him to the crisis at hand.

Trevor was well and truly close to becoming a thrall. And freeing him this time would not just be a matter of releasing his dreaming mind. He was here in mind and body now.

He chose to come here. He chose to come back to me, the goddess told herself, trying to convince herself to accept what Trevor was offering her. And, gods, she wanted to. Trevor was quickly becoming more enticing to her even than Evan as the bond man dipped lower and lower. She could hardly help from separating from Evan and taking steps toward Trevor. And, in the background of her mind, Dehaljadrun heard the rushing waters of her river, felt its warmth begin to pull her under.

The goddess knelt down to Trevor, stroking his face, tears now falling from her face. She kissed the outer corner of his eye, tempted to reach down between his legs and gently send him the rest of the way down into her care--forever.

Dehaljadrun caressed the ropes over Trevor's chest, sending a ripple of shivers cascading through Trevor's body. She was tempted to cause him pain, but she knew from experience that that would only send him deeper down. She thought about asking him if this was what he wanted, but she knew already. And, besides, how could he opt out of such a potent haze now? So, what was left for her to do? Banish him? The thought made her chest ache horribly.

The goddess closed her eyes with a hand over Trevor's throat, tempting herself further but just stopping shy of putting pressure there. She watched behind closed lids as his conscious and unconscious mind both began to fall toward each other, near-to-collapsing to a single point within him.

But that gave her an idea.

With tears rolling down her cheeks and strain in her voice, the goddess ordered Trevor.

"Sleep."

And immediately, Trevor's unconscious mind pulled the remainder of his conscious mind across that sacred threshold to safety. The goddess sighed with relief. When she opened her eyes, she was breathing heavily, looking up at the other volunteers to ensure that none of the others were in a similar danger.

She felt confused, her stomach twisted. Who was she when she would not accept such freely offered and eternal service? But, she didn't want the mindless nature of it all. She didn't want to be the cause of such a state. She was changing again, she knew. The goddess looked at Evan, her brows lifted with a blank surprise. Shock, perhaps. The pleasure haze was lifting, somewhat, though a fair amount of it still drifted through the air.

Looking down once more at Trevor, she touched his shoulder gently and then began searching for the knot that would begin untying his hands.

[Emily]

Evan moaned freely as he lost himself in sensation; the goddess' hand in his hair, her lips and teeth on his skin, her fingers unfurling the straps from around his neck. She snapped the second strap before sliding it off, and Evan jolted, his whole body shuttering out a deep-throated groan. Somewhere in him, there was a voice protesting his pliability, trying to remind him of the witnesses at hand, but it had a heavy weight of longing to contend with, and there was little it could do to stop him shrugging off his jacket and welcoming the goddess' touch to his chest.

She turned her head, and Evan intended to take the opportunity to sink his teeth into her neck--but then hesitation stalled him, much to his utter confusion.

"Trevor," the goddess said--commanded. "Drop to your knees."

Evan finally turned his own attention toward the soldier--volunteer. Unsurprisingly, he followed the goddess' command without hesitation, but his weight wasn't balanced, and his momentum carried him forward, falling all the way to the ground without hands free to catch him. Evan flinched, guilt finally breaking through his own pleasure haze and reminding him that he'd promised Kade he'd look out for Trevor. Indignance followed soon after, though, just as the goddess turned her gaze back to Evan with a devastatingly inscrutable expression. He stiffened, and jealousy flared as the goddess turned her attention back to Trevor, beginning to disentangle from Evan altogether to go to the volunteer's side.

Then, the awareness of the other volunteers well and truly hit him, his bared chest shivering under their gazes in the chill of the goddess' realm without her touch. Thankfully, most were paying attention to Trevor, but Chris of all people met Evan square in the eye. He was down on his knees, one hand clutched to his chest and the other pressed to the ground in front of him, and he looked at Evan with a knowing contempt. It spooked him, truth told, but it also sobered him, and he finally wrenched his mind back to the fact that he should absolutely give a damn what in the hell was going on with Trevor and the goddess right then, anyhow.

He quickly moved to kneel near the goddess--just in her periphery, out of her way but where he could get a good look at what was happening. Her hand was on Trevor's throat, and it suddenly occurred to Evan to worry that Trevor might be in danger from more than just ropes. But, just as he scarcely started to wonder if he should stop the goddess from doing something, tears rolled down her cheeks and she said,

"Sleep."

Evan could swear he felt relief ripple across the clearing in tandem with the sound, his own body reflexively relaxing as he watched Trevor's grow slack. Evan let out a soft sigh of relief without fully understanding, before quickly surveying the other volunteers. Most of them looked fine, if certainly concerned--even Lance had on a notably sober expression. Evan took note, though, that by the time he looked back to Chris, the brunette's gaze was cast aside--angry with some kind of guilt or shame, if he wasn't mistaken. Evan felt puzzled by that, but now hardly seemed the time to fixate.

He looked back toward the goddess, and good thing, too--she was looking at him, her expression wide and blank. Evan's heart cracked, and he wanted to touch her--very nearly did--but he hesitated. He was still wrapping his mind around what had even happened here, and he couldn't shake the horrible feeling like if he did something wrong, he might make things worse. The goddess turned her attention back to Trevor, touching him on the shoulder and then beginning to untie his hands. Evan averted his gaze, grapping with some infuriating amorphous guilt that somehow, he may not have done right by Trevor's offering. He should have remembered he had someone--many people, really--in his charge and kept his wits about him, maybe. Even in the goddess' embrace.

Chloe's voice gently broke the silence.

"Will he be all right?"

((OOC: Rundown of my volunteers:

Chloe is probably experiencing a strong desire to be of some help, but isn't sure what would be appropriate. She definitely doesn't understand most of what just happened--but is also among the least disturbed/concerned by it? If it had seemed like the goddess was having trouble untying Trevor, like if her hands were shaky or something, she might have come to help untie him, but she doesn't want to insert herself unnecessarily.

Chris is feeling a little bit like him wanting to see Trevor go down first might have done something bad, and he also got a whiff of Evan's jealousy when the goddess' attention shifted to someone else, which was intense to experience and pinged his "Do I respect Rutliff?" dial back hard toward "no"--probably doesn't help that Evan also felt guilty about something. Chris probably mostly wants to not be noticed right now.

Philip is feeling weirdly envious of Trevor, but I think proooobably understands the best of any of my volunteers what the goddess had been on the brink of doing and decided not to. So, I think he's feeling.... weirdly hopeful? But also scared and shaken by the close call.

Nick and Nathan might be hugging? They both want physical comfort right now lol. Honestly I think they're both feeling a hard call toward gian cuddle puddle and kind of understand that something maybe-scary happened but are having trouble parsing it. So they're like, kind of deer-in-headlights at the moment.

I'm not sure where Lance is right now to be honest. Lance might not be sure what he is feeling lol. I think he was pretty gratified watching Evan yield the way he did--and say the goddess' name like he'd talked about--but is feeling pretty dang awkward about the Trevor situation? And definitely has no idea like... what to do with himself right now.))

[andrav]

The goddess found the knot--tied loosely enough as to be easy to undo--and made it through the first few wraps over itself before she paused and closed her eyes, confused about how to move forward.

If she had been alone with Trevor, she would take her time with this process, maybe even weave in and out of his dreams as she did so. She would wrap herself around him and soak up every tiny motion of his body as he slept, here, in her realm. It would be glorious.

Her lips twitched toward a frown.

But here, with so many onlookers and all their swirling emotions--worry, confusion, jealousy--what could she do?

"Will he be all right?" The woman among them asked. The goddess opened her eyes and looked at her, tempted to reach toward the woman's mind to see all that this new offering was and wanted, but the goddess decided to pace herself. There would be time. There would be time.

The goddess looked down at Trevor again, wondering what she could say that would be honest.

Choosing her words carefully, she said, "He will be fine, for now. I cannot promise what will happen to him as time goes on. That will be up to him."

She looked at each of the volunteers in turn. One of them had fallen to his own knees, though the rest were standing. Evan was avoiding looking at her. This was not the welcome she had wanted to provide, but she still thought she could salvage things.

"Up to each of you." The goddess stood again, nodding to Chloe when the woman seemed to ask permission to continue untying Trevor. The goddess looked back at the palace for a moment before turning back to face them.

"There are many dangers here. Most, I do not control." She brought one hand up, inspecting it, her skin still glowing faintly against the air. "And some I do. I cannot guarantee any of you safety. And then..." she dropped her hand and looked down at Trevor, vaguely gesturing. "...there are those of you who might never leave." She bent down again to stroke Trevor's hair and cheek, avoiding touching Chloe but unafraid to be in close proximity. How could she explain the river and what it meant enough to warn them?

On a whim, the goddess looked toward Philip, even though she was speaking to all of them, as she said, "I will not be able to keep you from what you want forever." She hoped that was enough explanation.

She looked at Evan next, her body again awash with the phantom sensations of having him pressed up against her, and her eyes grew heavy with lust for the span of one exhale before she collected herself again. Reaching narrowly toward Evan's mind so as to not touch the others with her awareness, she said clearly, Don't you think for one second that I am not still aching to ravage you.

Dehaljadrun closed her eyes, then, searching for something to bring them all back to the sacred longing they had arrived with. An echo of something came potently to mind, and the goddess opened her eyes, finding herself staring at... Chris.

"Please," she said, the word spilling out of her mouth before she even knew what she was about to ask, her eyebrows pulled together in a plead. "Please, will you sing for me again?" Her desire was near-to-palpable in the air, her expression undeniable.

[Emily]

Trevor seemed to be refusing to go down, and Chris felt pissed the fuck off about it. His whole body was tense and trembling, fingers digging into his arms as he glared at Trevor, irrationally angry that he had latched on to something that had seemed imminent and yet was proving to be elusive. On some level, he knew he should just let go, but he was scared to--not that he had any idea why.

"Trevor," the goddess suddenly said, and a fresh tremble shook Chris' body. "Drop to your knees."

Chris watched wide-eyed as Trevor finally sank down. Chris himself managed to remain standing until Trevor fell forward, his shoulder hitting the ground, and something about the impact and the way that Trevor moaned through it finally called Chris' knees to buckle beneath him, one arm catching him before he fully joined Trevor on the ground.

And then, guilt.

Gods, it was heavy. Tears welled in Chris' eyes as he stared down at the hand that had caught him braced against the ground--something that Trevor didn't have available to him. Of his own choosing! Indignance flared in response, swirling with confusion about what he was feeling at all. Then, he looked up, some terrible longing pulling at him, and he locked eyes with Rutliff--and all at once, Chris knew with contempt that much of what he was feeling was eeking out from the captain's own troubled conscience. Just what had he done?

Rutliff shook off Chris' gaze and moved over to kneel by the goddess, where she herself knelt by Trevor's side. Chris felt jealousy swirl within him, and his hand on his chest gripped tighter at some invisible comfort. Maybe this was also Rutliff's, though; Chris felt bitter that attention wasn't on him, and yet, he felt sure that he did not want attention on him. He was starting to feel a little bit sick with overwhelm, scared about the experiences he may come to face in this place.

"Sleep."

The goddess' voice was soft and soothing, sending tingles across Chris' skin, and he let out a soft sigh, relaxing somewhat--though again, he didn't really understand why. She had told Trevor to sleep, Chris pieced together, and it seemed like, somehow, that had gotten past some kind of danger. Had Trevor been in danger? A fresh flare of guild gnawed languorously at Chris' chest, and he was growing grimly more aware that it wasn't entirely Rutliff's doing. Chris wanted fervently to see Trevor go down. Had he wished something ill upon him in that? Chris cast his gaze to the side, glaring at the ground as he tried to work out this knot within himself.

"Will he be all right?" Chloe asked, and Chris was glad for it. He listened intently, hoping to hear something that would help him make more sense of what had happened.

"He will be fine, for now," the goddess replied. "I cannot promise what will happen to him as time goes on. That will be up to him." She paused, and Chris shyly raised his gaze to her, eyes wet and brow deeply furrowed. She was standing, now, regal and beautiful as she addressed them all.

"Up to each of you." She looked at the nearby structure, then--a palace of trees that Chris had not yet had the capacity to truly take in the sight of. Even now, his attention only barely touched it before the goddess called him back. "There are many dangers here," she said. "Most, I do not control."

Chris watched as she brought her hand up in front of her as though to contemplate the sight of it. Her deep lavender skin did seem to glow, but that did not seem new to him.

"And some I do," she continued. "I cannot guarantee any of you safety. And then..." She lowered her hand and gestured toward Trevor, and Chris felt himself shiver even before she said, "...there are those of you who might never leave."

Although the initial thought was chilling, a strange sort of comfort settled over Chris in its wake. Some of you, for one--although Rutliff had vowed he would try to get them back after the war, that had offered little promise to Chris, but the goddess allowing the possibility now that at least some of them might leave offered more expansiveness to the situation. The goddess also knelt down beside Trevor again, next to where Chloe calmly untied the man's arms, and she stroked his cheek with affection. In, that, it was not an ominous 'might never leave', not exactly.

But then she added--looking at Lieutenant Pemberley in particular--"I will not be able to keep you from what you want forever.”

Chris furrowed his brow again, unsure what to make of that. It begged a million different questions, none of which Chris even had the chance to formulate before his mind, unbidden, visited a potent memory of Amy--fingers twined in each other’s hair, lips meeting with a precious, unburdened want. A pulse of heat gripped at him, with a flicker of jealousy around the edges as his attention refocused on Rutliff, noticing the way that the captain's body had tensed and released with a subtle sudder as he met eyes with the goddess before him. But, the jealousy dissipated quickly this time--jarringly, even--as the goddess' eyes shifted to Chris.

"Please," she said, and Chris felt his breath escape him. "Please, will you sing for me again?" Her face was gentle and pleading, her yearning potent in the air.

Chris’ eyes were wide and scared at first, nearly uncomprehending. He blinked at her for a long breath, his heart pounding in his ears for what felt like eternity. He was moved by the ask, truly, but he wished he could sing just for her. He contemplated for a moment if he could just ignore everyone else, but, no, even visiting that thought just made him all the more aware of just how much he could feel them all in this place. So, he relented and looked around, grounding himself in how each volunteer’s expression synced up with the complex feelings that danced across Chris’ skin and swirled within him. That helped, actually. It helped him make more sense of it all.

Finally, Chris closed his eyes and exhaled, sitting up and flexing his hand a little, freeing it from the tense position he’d been holding it in against the ground. He remained seated on his knees, but straightened his posture, and took in a breath to sing.

He hoped the goddess would not be disappointed that he chose not to repeat the song he had sung in the ceremony; instead, he followed a whim to sing a campfire song he thought at least some of the others might know.

((OOC: We got stalled out here, and I finally realized it's because 1) It's not just up to Chris what kinds of songs others might know, and 2) I think part of what Chris wants out of this (though I doubt he realizes this consciously - he is a bundle of inuitive emotional whims right now) is others' participation, so, I'm happy to post again for another of my volunteers (tenatively, I think Lance is most likely to join in singing first of my folks), but also, if you get inspired, feel free to have one of your folks hop in! And also deffo feel free to brainstorm with me on Discord about it.
What I'm imagining about the song right this moment:
The tone of the song is probably sort of nostalgic for simple comforts and pleasures - maybe generically like reminiscing about youth, but I imagine there may either be specifics or just an untertone of this is absolutely sung by soldiers in war reminiscing about peacetime. But the chorus, when it's likely folks will chime in, may focus on enjoying the here and now/making the most of wherever your journey takes you type thing. The chorus is well-constructed for folks to sing along with Chris or to add on additional parts if they know them. I think the overall feel of the song with the lyrics and musicality combined is a pleasant, melancholy but optimistic longing. Definitely evolved to stoke sappy camaradarie feels when sung. Whatever this song is, it is a song that would have been sung around at least a few campfires throughout the army over the course of the war (when there was sufficient time/safety, I suppose), and probably, singing this song at a campfire is a memory for Chris of genuinely expriencing belonging and peace during this war.))

[Emily]

There was a brief, glorious moment after Lance stepped through the portal when the goddess' attention was set squarely on him. She was gorgeous--not that he'd expected anything else, of course, but imagination could only do so much justice. She glowed, her hair unspeakably majestic in the wind. And in her expression was a gentle welcome, even a glistening want. Lance was tempted to walk toward her, his body swaying into a longing dance--really, what he wanted was simply to reach his arm out and stroke her cheek, perhaps to be returned the gesture in kind. But instead he stood there with what was almost assuredly a ridiculous grin on his face, and the moment passed, anyhow. The goddess' attention zoomed out a little to the group of them, taking stock of all of the volunteers present. Lance sighed softly, both relieved and devastated to be in and out of the spotlight in just a few breaths.

He thought she looked sad for a moment, though, and that sobered him a little. What was she sad about?

He didn't have long to wonder before her expression gained quite a new flavor to it, eyebrows raised as she began to walk toward them--the portal--the final solider to come through. Lance turned his own attention, a pleasant warm excitement splashing through him to see Evan in a full confident swagger, pride and determination nearly dripping. Lance envied him, just a little--his own confidence so often felt fleeting and paper-thin, whereas Evan's, once he found it, seemed thick and rich and solid. But, Lance was also genuinely overjoyed for his friend, too, and proud of Evan also, and Lance stoked that aspect of his feelings in his heart. All told, he was elated to be going on this adventure following Evan's lead.

All at once, the goddess nearly collided with Evan, having run the rest of the way to meet him. It sent a delirious thrill through Lance’s stomach to behold. She held Evan close, and Lance watched with interest as a delectable shudder moved through Evan's body. Then, in a blink, the portal behind them exploded into light and color, and a shimmer rained down on them much like it had in camp.

A soft, airy chuckle pushed itself from Lance's lungs as he spread his palms at his sides, utterly delighted. He very nearly uttered another primordial cry, but the urge didn't get past his diaphragm before it spread out into his arms instead and he hugged himself, humming softly and feeling strangely affectionate of everyone who stood around him. Or, perhaps it wasn't strange at all. He nearly giggled as the sigil on his backside grew hot--not quite painful, but intense, burying into him and lighting his nerves with excitement. A flush of embarrassment rose as he recognized the sensation of becoming erect amidst the cocktail of all he was feeling, but it passed quickly, a tiny swirl in the complex flow of everything else. It wasn’t as though he was alone in that state of being, anyhow.

Lance’s attention drifted pleasantly back to Evan and the goddess as his hands caressed over his own arms, his chest, his neck. The sight of the two of them was utterly delectable, and Lance enjoyed indulging in unabashed voyeurism. They were ravenous for each other, lips hungry and hands grasping, and Lance watched with open awe as Evan melted, his rugged bravado set aside for the goddess’ attention.

“Evan,” the goddess moaned, and Evan wasted no time in chanting the goddess’ name in return. Lance could hear the worship in it--feel it in his very bones--and he shuddered pleasantly, his hands beginning to drift downward over his hips, contemplating his own arousal. He supposed, he wanted to worship her, too. But some sort of hesitance, or perhaps deference, kept his fingers swirling lightly over his hips for some time, even as Evan clearly reached some kind of climax once his chanting was through. Lance shuddered again, his arousal hardening with envy and want, but still he watched as the goddess began to demand Evan’s jacket off of him, and Evan followed her every gesture to free his skin. Gods, did Lance ever imagine he’d witness Evan of all people be so pliable? It was truly a sight to behold.

Then, all at once, the goddess’ attention landed on one of the other volunteers.

“Trevor,” she said. “Drop to your knees.”

Lance turned wide-eyed to look at the soldier who had chosen to arrive in restraints, just in time to see his knees hit the ground, and his shoulder soon follow. Lance flinched a little, hoping the soldier wasn’t hurt--but, surely that was a moan of pleasure he heard escape the man’s lips? It was difficult to tell for sure from where Lance stood. But, the goddess seemed…concerned, Lance dared think. Or at least, suddenly dramatically less interested in Evan. The goddess knelt down by Trevor instead, and Lance craned his neck, swaying a little to get a better angle to see what was happening. She touched Trevor, and the man shivered--understandably so--but Lance could not for the life of him figure out why it felt like something was wrong. His heart fluttered nervously for reasons he could not fathom, and the way that Evan moved to kneel near her did not comfort him. Evan was also nervous. More than nervous. Just what was happening?

“Sleep.” The goddess finally said to Trevor, and some kind of relief seemed to ripple out from the word, through Trevor and the goddess and Evan and even all the way through Lance himself. Lance’s heart buzzed in the silence that followed, anxious to grasp what had happened but having no idea how to formulate any kind of coherent question.

"Will he be all right?" Chloe finally asked, perhaps the most coherent among them. Lance nodded absent-mindedly, as though anyone was paying any attention to the fact that he, too, was interested in the answer.

"He will be fine, for now,” the goddess replied. “I cannot promise what will happen to him as time goes on. That will be up to him." She looked at them all, then, and Lance swallowed, steadying himself and offering a relaxed, open, and curious expression, reflexively trying to diminish the worry on his face before her eyes landed on him.

"Up to each of you." She stood, and nodded to Chloe who knelt to untie Trevor’s arms. Evan was… distraught, and Lance couldn’t help furrowing his brow. The goddess looked off into the distance--not all that distant, actually, but farther than Lance’s attention had been able to look, toward a palace there with them in the meadow, intricately woven by the very growth of impressive trees.

"There are many dangers here,” she continued, though Lance’s awe-stricken gaze remained on the impressive palace while she spoke. “Most, I do not control. And some I do. I cannot guarantee any of you safety. And then...there are those of you who might never leave."

That finally drew Lance’s gaze back to where the goddess knelt by Trevor again, tenderly stroking his cheek. Lance swallowed, wondering what precisely would determine their fate.

"I will not be able to keep you from what you want forever." She looked toward Lieutenant Pemberley, who looked down, somber. Lance had of course gathered that things had gone awry with Pemberley in some way, but he hadn’t quite looked at that, himself. Maybe he should have. He swallowed, and the anxious fluttery buzzing in his chest swirled down heavy into his stomach.

“Please,” the goddess said, and Lance realized she had turned her attention to Chris. Chris, who was also on his knees, hunched over one hand and looking near to agony. "Please, will you sing for me again?" Chris looked utterly terrified, and Lance yearned to cajole him somehow. His song in the ceremony had been absolutely beautiful. A song sounded lovely, Lance thought. Chris did seem to gather some sort of resolve and looked around at each of them, and Lance did his best to offer the man a genuine nod of encouragement, though it was difficult to tell how it landed.

Finally, Chris sat up straighter, closing his eyes and tending to his hand for a moment with a soft exhale. Then, he settled in, and began to sing.

Lance had anticipated a reprise of the song Chris had sung in the ceremony, but instead he started in with a more familiar tune. Lance smiled crookedly before he even placed it, the warm and happy feeling of singing with other soldiers around a campfire surfacing before the memory quite took shape. He almost couldn’t even help beginning to hum along softly, and when Chris drew in a breath to begin the chorus, Lance drew in his own breath to join in.