Written Wonderland

After Trevor had stepped over the circle and settled in, feeling the ropes press against his chest and shoulders incessantly, it was difficult to pay attention to anything else. It was a roller coaster just to breathe. Inhale--tighten the ropes. Exhale--loosen the ropes. Trevor looked down at the ground in front of his feet, closing his eyes regularly as the sensations overwhelmed him. Anytime he swayed even the slightest, however, he opened his eyes again to stare at the ground and steady himself. Gods, he felt good--more drunk than he had ever been. Perhaps he should have done this long before now. Although, who would he have done this with? The goddess really felt like the only realistic and appropriate option.

Trevor had a vague notion of Nick going next and offering... a backpack? It was unclear, and Trevor mind was too flooded to make much sense of it. Before he knew it, the man was undressed and standing alongside him. Trevor attempted a nod toward the soldier, but he wasn't sure the gesture fully came across.

Philip brought a bouquet of some kind, and it was a little gratifying to know that the lieutenant would be getting naked here soon. He'd always been a little uptight, Trevor thought. He might have smirked, but he had little control over the muscles of his face. It was an effort not to drool, if he were being honest. Gods, ropes did this to him? No... Kade did this to him. Kade, and the impending return to the goddess.

Trevor thought he caught some awkward posturing between Philip and Evan, but his mind couldn't hold onto it long enough to form a fully cohesive thought, and he let it go without comment. Speech surely felt beyond him at this point. He readjusted his arms a little, making sure he still had feeling in his hands. Yep, he could distinctly feel each of his fingers. No problems there.

Nathan went next, and the poem he read was beautiful. It reminded Trevor of the time he spent with the goddess and how relieving the loss of agency had been. He was eager to get back to her. Trevor couldn't bring himself to echo the lines of the poem, however. He worried it would come out slurred.

Chloe went after Nathan--the pair of them seemed rather inseparable--and Trevor lifted his head for much of her portion of the ceremony. Her outfit was impressive, especially given that it was clearly made out of army uniforms, and the way she moved in it was a delight to watch. Trevor wondered idly if he would get much of an opportunity to get to know her better. Maybe. He briefly caught glimpses of her nudity before her outfit was back on again, and she stood next to the rest of the volunteers, waiting patiently for the rest to join them.

Gavin took Trevor by surprise. It took Trevor a few moments of looking at Gavin with his shirt off to understand what he was looking at, and in fact, it wasn't fully obvious until the soldier's pants were fully off, too. Gavin... wasn't biologically male. Huh. Trevor was surprised at how little that changed his opinion of Gavin--maybe Trevor was a little more comfortable with the vague notion of attraction he had toward the guy. But then Trevor shrugged--or tried to--and pulled heavily on the ropes, tugging him even further down into that drunken intoxication.

Trevor stayed like that until he heard someone--Lance--release some kind of animalistic cry, at which point Trevor looked up dizzily. When his vision cleared, Lance was on the ground with his feet up in the air, and Trevor decided it was the strangest dance he had ever seen. There were voices from all over the crowd shouting and howling, confusing Trevor. What had prompted that? He still didn't have the wherewithal to join in even if he had understood it.

And then there was Chris, who almost always seemed irritated to be doing, well, anything. Of anyone, Trevor thought Chris the most likely to back out and was honestly shocked to hear that Ramanujan had instead. Ramanujan knew the goddess and still managed to resist going back to her? Trevor didn't understand that for a second. That guy better have a damn good reason, Trevor thought.

Trevor lifted his head to look at Chris as he stepped in front of Evan and the priestess, but the dizziness he was experiencing--though pleasant--got the better of him. He managed to bend down to one knee before much of anything happened, however, grateful that he had landed in a position he could get up from easily with his hands tied. He stared down at the ground pointedly, flush coloring his cheeks.

Better to kneel than to fall, he heard Kade say in his mind. Trevor hoped he was doing right by the man--Trevor was grateful.

He did still hear the priestess ask, "And what do you bring as an offering to the goddess?" After a few moments, Trevor looked up from the ground, trusting his balance again. He wanted to know what Chris had brought.

Chris startled a little when he saw Trevor kneel down inside the circle. Was he okay? Chris looked at Rutliff, who hadn't noticed since Trevor was behind him, and then he looked to Kade. Kade's eyes were on Trevor, attentive, maybe a little worried, but he quickly noticed Chris' attention on him and offered the cadet a gentle smile, nodding in soft reassurance. Chris blushed, a little embarrassed to have been caught staring, and quickly pulled his gaze back to the priestess. Just in time--either that, or she'd waited for his attention; he hoped the former.

"And what do you bring as an offering to the goddess?"

Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath, squaring himself with the crowd in front of him and placing both hands over each other on his chest. His heart was a loud, fast-beating drum, making his breath shaky. He stood quietly like that for a moment, trusting that he would be given the time that he needed to do this properly. Slowly, the drumbeat softened, and Chris' lungs felt full and smooth. He lowered his hands to his side, and began to sing.

It was not a song he had performed before--well, he hadn't really performed any song before, not for other human ears. Trees were his usual audience; empty rooms his rehearsal spaces. He'd sung with others a few times, only when he felt sure he could blend in with the group; in his youth, he'd learned quickly that people often made a big deal out of his voice, and it made him uncomfortable. Whether it was meant as a compliment or no, he didn't want to give anyone a sense of entitlement to hear him sing.

But this particular song, he hadn't even sung for any trees. He'd hummed it in pieces, laced words together in daydreams, and in the end, simply trusted his gut to fill in the rest in this fateful moment. That was one reason he'd debated saving it for the goddess--he would only perform this song in this particular way once. This moment was singular in time, but, well, it seemed like the right moment in time. Maybe the goddess would hear it wherever she was, or maybe he would find a different right thing to sing just for her. For now, it was time to share a song he'd kept hidden with everyone who was there to hear.

It began with a haunting, meandering falsetto, a reaching for something and never quite finding it, wordless in its ether. Then it spiraled down into the clear, rich tenor he'd used to answer Lance's cry, and words shared brief poetic images of cliffsides and water, of smoke and caves, of velvet and obsidian, coalescing into a beautiful, melancholic loneliness as tears began to stream down Chris' cheeks.

Then, all at once, his voice wavered. Chris took a breath to try to steady himself, but when he tried to sing again, he began to sob instead. Hastily, he covered his face with his hands as he wept uncontrollably, frustrated and mortified to have disintegrated into this during his very moment to shine.

Especially after Philip stepped into the inner circle, Novelty was practically bursting with excitement. It wasn't common for him to go last in any arrangement, but therein lay part of the adventure. Brave little Nathan went next, his voice stuttering as he tried to start reading his poem to the goddess. Novelty thought it a lovely idea for Nathan to find a reader, and while Novelty himself wanted to offer, Captain Nicolaides was an excellent choice. Damn, that woman could read. She did the poem justice and then some, Novelty thought.

Chloe went next, and Novelty delighted with every movement of her body. It was clear she was both confident in her choice to go and in her choice of her offering. And when she began to undress, Novelty understood why. What a delicate display of meaningful objects, coupled with such intricate designs. Novelty marveled at it, wondering how it was possible for such a garment to be made in such a short span of time.

Novelty took a deep breath, urging himself to keep watching as Chloe took off even her offering so the priestess could wash her. Novelty suspected this wouldn't be the last time he saw this woman naked, given that they were both going to the goddess--maybe forever. But who could tell? He determined there was nothing to be bashful about now. He only needed to give her the dignity she deserved.

As Chloe stepped over the line toward the other volunteers, Novelty adjusted his light grip on the vining flowers, carefully wrapped and tied to prevent them from tangling again with each other. He was ready. But there were still other volunteers to go.

Gavin came forward next, and Novelty nodded when Gavin began undressing, suspecting he understood where the cadet was going with all that. Sure enough, Gavin unwound his breasts and even held the leather packer he had been using in his hands as an offering. Novelty nodded again, sending a prayer to... all of the gods, really... that Gavin would experience some kind of love and acceptance in his body in whatever state he ultimately found himself in.

There was a lull after Gavin, during which Lance and Chris looked at each other. Novelty was burning to go, but his order had been predetermined, and he could not deny the artistry in that. At last, Lance let out a--chant? prayer? shout?--that made chills rush through every inch of Novelty's body. His eyes widened, unsure where Lance was going with that. There seemed to be some confusion about what Lance's offering actually was, but before long, Lance was chanting and calling out even more and inviting the crowd to do the same. Chris surprised Novelty by joining in, and not wanting to be left out of this newest adventure, Novelty added his own strange cry to the mix. Before long, there were cries and shouts of ecstatic glee from all around them, all around the circle, and Novelty relished in the profound experience of being surrounded by sound. Gods, it was beautiful. Novelty almost cried in awe except that Lance tripped over his pants, forgetting to unlace his boots first. He made a good show of it, though, putting his feet up in the air to finish the job. And when he was naked--good gods, Novelty did need to look away for a few moments lest he wanted to show the rest of the camp his arousal as well as his naked body.

Lance did excellent work in conducting the crowd, his palms facing down as he lowered himself into a crouch. Novelty found himself deeply moved by the entire display and very proud of his friend.

Once Lance had officially crossed into the inner circle, Novelty's stomach spurred itself with excitement. Only Chris left. And then Novelty would go. And then they would all leave this realm, together.

"And what do you bring as an offering to the goddess?" the priestess asked ritualistically.

Chris closed his eyes for a long time, placing both hands over each other on his chest. At first, Novelty thought he might be offering the goddess some kind of internal prayer or energy, but then he lowered his hands and something miraculous came out of his mouth.

He was singing. Chris was singing. It took Novelty a while to figure out where the sound was even coming from--the glorious falsetto was so otherworldly that he would have believed that it was coming down from the sky. The words themselves matched that esoteric quality, speaking of grasping for something beyond reach. When Chris' voice dropped into a tenor, there was no mistaking it. Novelty closed his eyes just to listen better to the experience. He didn't want any distractions.

The song dipped into poetic descriptions of cliffs and water before moving toward smoke and caves. Then, Chris spoke of textures--obsidian and velvet--before the song plunged into a melancholy that made Novelty's chest ache. But the song was interrupted by sounds Novelty did not recognize at first. He opened his eyes, only realizing then that Chris was... sobbing. Gods, Novelty wanted to comfort him. He didn't understand where exactly the emotion was coming from--whether it was just the song itself or leaving or something else--but Chris deserved to know that that was beautiful. In Novelty's opinion, it had been the most profound and fitting offering by far.

Novelty didn't leave his place and so was grateful when the priestess gently took a step forward and opened her arms in the event that Chris desired comfort. Her eyes were kind, shining, and patient. Novelty held his breath, unsure how Chris would react.

Finch’s offering was a welcome diversion after Pemberley, though something tugged at Evan that Yukiko turned down reading it. Ari did a fine job, but Yukiko was off, and something about it was a little unnerving. He tried to set it aside, though. He wanted to focus on Nathan, on the poem, on the ceremony at hand, and although it pained him a little, he wanted to trust that Yukiko would keep her shit together, whatever was going on. He did trust her to. And so, he let his attention toward her go.

At least until it was Galen’s turn. Yukiko had helped the cadet with her offering, which Evan both appreciated and felt nervous about. Any other captain, that kind of participation seemed like it would have been uncomplicatedly welcome, but the goddess had made a bit of a thing about Yukiko last night.

Your ex-girlfriend is guarding my kidnapped son! You used my name with her.”

Would the goddess see this as an intrusion? Or maybe a peace offering? It was hard to say. But in the end, Galen seemed resolute in her choices, and that shone loud and clear as she stripped down to reveal the outfit she had made with Yukiko's help--and others, to be fair. She looked beautiful, like a dancer, something otherworldly about her coming through. Evan still didn’t really know what to make of Galen, but he respected her resolve, and was interested to see how she ultimately arrived into the goddess’ service.

Then came Gavin. It was a pleasant delight to watch him undress, confirming the suspicion he’d planted the other day. Evan couldn’t say he understood, not exactly, but there was something both tender and delectable about the leather piece Gavin had worn against his body all this time, and which he offered to the goddess now. Evan felt happy for him.

With just Lance and Chris left before Novelty would close things out… there was an uncomfortable hesitance in the air, and Evan grew worried. He hated seeing his friend look so uncertain, and before such an important decision. And Chris was fucking opaque; Evan felt like he might walk off at any moment. Would either of them actually make it through?

All at once, Lance hollered a sing-song cry that sliced through the silence, sending shivers across Evan’s neck. A sheepishness also curled in his gut--a feeling like every time he’d needled at Lance’s miserable little village had also been needling at this, whatever it was, and he felt guilty. Maybe even just the tiniest bit afraid, though of what, it was hard to pin down.

That feeling ceased when Lance let out another holler, this time curling his fingers toward the crowd in invitation. Then, by some miracle, Chris of all people answered the lieutenant’s cry--followed shortly by Chloe. Both of those were delightful surprises, and Evan watched with joy and barely-contained laughter as Lance began to strip in an almost feral dance, cajoling the cascade of others who howled and hollered with more cries of his own. Evan joined in, whooping and shouting as he watched his friend trip all over himself and then make the most of it, and Evan felt proud--and so fucking relieved; it seemed like Lance would be okay afterall. Here was hoping.

Once he was naked, Lance directed the crowd to silence with his body, and Evan felt a deep respect bloom at seeing the lieutenant embody a sense of reverence. Everyone was silent as the priestess bathed Lance, and Lance seemed to emanate an afterglow from his skin. Surely, the goddess would appreciate that. The priestess traded a glance or two with Mizu, and Evan was grateful that he was pretty sure he knew what that was about. The priestess confirmed it with a whisper after she had finished oiling Lance, setting her hand on his arm as she said,

“You might consider making an offering of your evening last night as well. Otherwise, you may have a jealous goddess on your hands."

Y’know, perhaps this was another not very kind thought, but on some level, Evan might not mind someone else--Lance in particular--feeling a bit of the goddess’ jealousy. Surely it would be harmless overall--from what Mizu had shared with Evan, it had seemed like her encounter with Lance was truly a good thing. But, Evan liked the thought that it might make Lance sweat a little.

He was also rather amused when the priestess drew Lance’s sigil right on his ass-cheek. Seemed perfectly appropriate for the lieutenant.

Lance glanced back at Evan once the priestess invited him to step over the line, and Evan let his full, smug, shit-eating grin show; he’d miss Lance in the long run, but he had a feeling he was going to thoroughly enjoy the lieutenant’s send-off tonight, however it panned out.

And, he was just glad that Lance had gotten there, through whatever knots it was he’d had to detangle.

Thankfully, Chris was quick to step forward when it was his turn, and Evan once again felt relieved, glad that it seemed the cadet had finally found his resolve. Evan didn’t know anything about what his offering was going to be, and waited attentively to see it.

In the end, Chris sang, and it was beautiful. For as much familiarity Evan felt about Trevor, he saw a fresh rush of it bloom as Chris’ song blossomed, full of melancholic ache and loneliness. Evan absent-mindedly reached for his chest, and exhaled a silent, happy breath as he gently pressed the goddess’ scale against him. He thought of his conversation with the goddess about deserving her, and he felt a gentle, earnest happiness for Chris--a hopefulness that, if his song was anything to go by, the cadet would find exactly what he was looking for with the goddess.

So, it was rather disheartening when the cadet’s voice wavered mid-song and he began to sob. A fresh ache settled in Evan’s chest that the goddess’ scale couldn’t quite comfort, and he shifted uneasily as Chris continued to cry. Evan looked at the priestess, maybe hoping she had some good instinct about what to do. She looked patient and understanding, which was good Evan supposed, but he was getting antsy. He couldn’t imagine that Chris in all his guarded terseness was handling sobbing in front of a gathered crowd very well. Indeed, he watched as Chris sank down into a crouch, his head hidden behind his elbows and his fingers twining and pulling at his hair. Evan felt a sharp, spurring pain in his chest, and he stepped over in front of Chris, crouching down to be at his level.

Not that he knew what to do or say here. Oh, some part of him wanted to grasp his own hand in the cadet’s hair, to twist and yank until the soldier was blissfully quiet on the ground. But that was a fantasy. He didn’t know this soldier, and chances were, his guard was far too practiced to yield to that kind of direction right now. No, for now, Evan kept his hands to himself, and mulled over what he could possibly say.

“Stay here as long as you need.” He finally said, offering the cadet a warm but authoritative tone. In the end, he just wanted the cadet to feel protected; to know that Evan would have his back.

---

Chris stood there sobbing for a long, long moment. His stomach stormed with more emotions than he could possibly name. He felt like he'd broken open a dam, and he felt scared by the flood roaring through him. He just wanted it to stop. Finally he crouched down and hung his head between his elbows, his fingers twining in his hair and pulling hard. Honestly, that helped. The roaring river of emotion calmed a little, and Chris began to collect himself, just in time to sense someone stepping in front of him and joining him in a crouch. Chris’ shoulders bristled a little, unsure how he felt about this development.

“Stay here as long as you need,” Rutliff said, his tone authoritative, but warm. Embarrassment squirmed hot in Chris’ chest, but so did gratitude. The stream calmed a little bit further, and Chris was finally able to take some deep breaths, his shoulders relaxing.

“I don’t think I can finish the song,” Chris said after a moment, his voice hoarse and unsteady.

“That’s quite all right,” Rutliff assured him. “You’ve done plenty.”

Chris twisted a frown, though he doubted Rutliff could see it. He just wasn’t sure he believed the captain’s assurance. Then, Rutliff added,

“You can always sing just for her, once you’re ready.”

Chris sighed, and nodded, his body relaxing a little. Rutliff was right on that count; as long as he was committed to leaving, it didn’t matter what other people thought of him. He was leaving this place behind; and if the stories were anything to go off of, the goddess of desire would have no qualms with his tears--though that thought wasn’t entirely comfortable.

Chris swallowed and looked up at Rutliff, and was pleasantly surprised by the captain’s serious expression, even turning just a bit bashful as his eyes blinked away from Chris’ gaze. Chris supposed he was glad not to see pity there as he’d braced for. He felt…respect, from Rutliff, like the captain had given him when he’d checked in with Chris earlier in the day. Chris was starting to feel respect bloom in his own chest for Rutliff, and he settled back into looking forward to seeing who Rutliff was with the goddess--and who Chris himself might become.

With a sniff, Chris wiped his eyes and pushed himself to his feet, pivoting to face the priestess quickly and avoiding looking at anyone else. He sensed Rutliff stand behind him, and he decided that was exactly where he hoped Rutliff would stay while Chris and the priestess engaged in this next part of the ceremony. Here was hoping the priestess agreed that what Chris had gotten through of his offering was enough, but he waited for some kind of queue before he would begin undressing.

The priestess was patient as Chris cried. He crouched down and grabbed a fistful of his own hair, perhaps trying to pull himself together. Tehlunae wanted to comfort him to some degree, but she sensed that he needed some time. She was grateful when Evan stepped forward instead.

"Stay here as long as you need," the captain said, and the priestess nodded, though neither could see her. In Evan's words, she sensed that Evan saw something of himself in Chris, and knowing that, she felt much more comfortable trusting Evan's judgment on whether it was still right for Chris to go.

"I don't think I can finish the song," Chris said unsteadily.

"That's quite all right," the captain said. "You've done plenty." After another tense moment of silence, Evan added, "You can always sing just for her, once you're ready." The priestess thought that was a good segue, and it gave Chris the opportunity to back out of the arrangement if that was genuinely what he wanted. The fact that Chris' body seemed to relax at Evan's words gave the priestess hope. He did want to please the goddess, and Tehlunae hoped that perhaps the two of them--Chris and the goddess, but also, perhaps Chris and Evan--would be able to soothe each other.

At last, Chris stood and pivoted back toward Tehlunae. She nodded resolutely at Chris, deciding he was thoroughly ready now.

"Please, undress," she said softly.

The priestess nodded at Chris, her expression serious and resolute. That helped Chris relax further, and he nodded back to her. Then, when she instructed him to undress, he took in a deep breath, and began to remove his jacket.

Discomfort coiled up tight in his gut as he pulled off his shirt and then knelt down to untie his shoes. He hated getting undressed around others just for basic hygeine, let alone as a fucking show. But he tried not to think about that. Instead, he tried to think about the ways the priestess had washed the others. Nick in particular came to mind; he'd looked so serene. Chris wanted to feel serene. It was hard to believe it was possible, but he breathed deeply as he stood again, kicking off his shoes and beginning to mess with his belt. He pulled down his pants and underwear in one brave swoop, shivering as he stepped out of them, and then he stepped toward the priestess, face red with blush and eyes bashfully averted to the side as he tried desperately to ignore all the gazes on him.

Chris undressed practically, not spending any more time than necessary and not looking terribly bashful, at least until he finished. Mentally, she willed him to remember that it wouldn't be long now until he was in the goddess' embrace.

The priestess picked up a new cloth, dipped it into the hot water offered, and turned to face Chris with a warm, patient smile. The urge to comfort Chris was still there, but she didn't want to do anything that might draw attention to him in a way he would not appreciate. What felt right in the end, as she began by pressing the heat of the cloth into the top of one of Chris' shoulders, was to think potently of some of the first times Tehlunae had herself experienced the goddess.

Priestesses did not go to the goddess' realm in the same way, but when the goddess was free, she would come to them. The first time it happened, Tehlunae's initiation many, many years prior, the goddess had been fierce and confusing, their merger tentative and easily broken. But, in the following months, when the goddess came to visit Tehlunae unbidden at night, they had shared a bed together. They shared memories of the past and the future. And while Tehlunae had always been respectful, it wasn't exactly love. It was worship. They both knew their place in the order of the universe, and something about that had been comforting.

Tehlunae moved to Chris' other shoulder and allowed the cloth to rest there for some time. Finally, she reached around to gently scrub Chris' back--almost enveloping him into a hug but hardly actually touching him at all. After re-wetting the cloth, she moved down his chest and his stomach, down his legs and feet, back up around and under his groin. Dipping the cloth again, she spent time with each of his fingers, his palm, forearms, elbows. She scrubbed his upper arms and his neck. And when she took to his cheeks, she gently wiped away the tears and the salt crust that had accumulated there. And she did feel some kind of love for this soldier. Something in him was calling, and though he did not fully understand why, he could not say no and still be who he was. He had a great affinity for all worlds, and Tehlunae was thoroughly grateful that he was listening.

She brought the cloth up to Chris' head, covering much of his hair and subtly pulling on sections of it in succession such that it was difficult for anyone but the two of them to tell. She didn't spend long with any one section, just pulled and released. Pulled and released with the warm cloth.

The oil went faster, but the priestess was still thorough, and she practically beamed at him when she was through.

"Do you intend to serve the goddess of desire, of shadow, of mist, and of purpose of your own free will?" she said loudly, only then reminding Chris of the gathered crowd.

The priestess set the warm cloth on Chris' shoulder, and Chris closed his eyes, exhaling a deep breath. Her touch felt...commisserating, in some ways. Like she could understand some of the storminess that Chris was feeling. But she was also reassuring, offering some peace. Chris tried to accept it with an open heart.

After some time, the priestess moved the cloth to Chris' other shoulder, and Chris took in a few more deep breaths, relaxing further. As uncomfortable as it had been to undress, he was feeling grateful for this part. He could feel the priestess' care and respect, and it felt good. Then she moved the cloth around his back, encircling him but only touching him where necessary to wash, and Chris felt very... protected. He liked imagining that Evan was still standing behind him, too, and that between him and the priestess, Chris might actually have a fair bit of privacy. Whether or not it was true, Chris liked thinking it.

The sensation of privacy was a little bit harder to hold onto as the priestess re-wet the cloth and moved it from his chest to his stomach and down his legs to his feet, and Chris shivered a little, but he tried to imagine instead that he was glowing. It felt a little bit silly, or random, but somehow, it helped. Maybe it helped him hold on to the warmth of the priestess' cloth, even after it moved on to other skin. He startled a little when the priestess moved up the back of his legs to his groin--it was hard to imagine himself glowing there, maybe--but all in all it wasn't too bad.

She moved on to his hands then, paying each finger care, and moved up his arms to his neck, scrubbing thoroughly along the way, and Chris finally started to simply not care about the eyes that were watching; to not even think about them. He just moved his arms pliably for the priestess, relaxing his neck to invite her to scrub with the cloth where she may. She wiped his cheeks and he sniffed a little reflexively--some self-consciousness flaring for a moment perhaps--but he relaxed again quickly enough. Especially when she moved the cloth into his hair, scrubbing his scalp gently and subtly tugging at his hair as she did so. Chris sighed, nearly swaying, the tension in him dissipated and gratitude radiating from his core. Thank the gods.

Chris was delighted that he remained relaxed as the priestess oiled him, the sensation of glowing warmth now coming unbidden over his skin--even in areas it had been tricky to imagine before. He was so. Fucking. Grateful.

"Do you intend to serve the goddess of desire, of shadow, of mist, and of purpose of your own free will?"

The priestess' voice was full and loud, projecting out to the crowd. Chris opened his eyes, and turned to face his audience, surprising himself with his calm resolve. Everyone looked... different, somehow. Like he could see into them in a new way. He could see awe where he might have seen judgement; envy where he might have seen disdain. Was he just seeing more clearly now, or had they truly changed? Did it matter?

"I do." He stated with a confident serenity, bringing his gaze back to the priestess and offering her a respectful nod, gratitude plain in his expression.

Chris cried for a long time. Novelty looked around to faces he recognized in the crowd, at first expectant but soon, sympathetic. This was no small thing they were doing. Novelty was grateful for the ways Chris emotion recentered that. And really, this was such a sacred thing for all of them to participate in, even the soldiers who were staying behind. Novelty suspected that no one would be able to forget this night.

Novelty heard murmurings of soft words as Evan spoke to Chris. The captain must have done something right because Chris' body visibly relaxed, and soon, he was standing.

The priestess asked Chris to undress as she had the others, and Novelty thought that was a good sign. Chris wasn't in any way being rejected--he was being welcomed. As he should be.

Chris was practical in taking off his clothing, and the washing soon began. Novelty appreciated that the priestess payed special attention to Chris' hands and fingers. By the time the priestess was oiling Chris, he looked much more at peace. Novelty had watched each of the other volunteers genuinely go through some kind of transformation in this process, and he was thrilled to soon be undergoing it himself. He took a deep breath, looking backward to Philip and smiling before he let it out slowly, closing his eyes.

"Do you intend to serve the goddess of desire, of shadow, of mist, and of purpose of your own free will?" the priestess asked.

Chris looked around at the gathered people, and Novelty thought he saw wonder Chris' face.

"I do," Chris said to the priestess, nodding toward her. The priestess returned the nod and reached down to collect some clay on her fingers. She brushed them into a sigil on the back of Chris' shoulder, the one she had began the washing with.

"Then, please, step into the circle and join the others."

"To the goddess!" the commander shouted.

"To the goddess!" the captains called.

"To the goddess!" Novelty responded with the rest of the crowd.

After silence returned, the priestess lifted her head and asked, "And who will be next to offer themselves to the goddess?"

Novelty took another deep breath and stepped forward.

"I will," he said, never more confident in a decision than he was in this one. He measured his steps in approaching the priestess--not too quickly, not too slow. This was to be a dance, a performance, an offering not just to the goddess but everyone who here was worshipping her tonight.

"And what will you offer the goddess?"

A pang of self-consciousness flared as Novelty wondered if his offering might come across as cheap or plain in comparison to some of the others, especially as Novelty turned face on all the nude bodies before him. After all, he had been given direct information about what his offering should be and hadn't had to come up with it himself. But, he reassured himself, he and Philip went on a journey to find these flowers. They were flowers that pleased the goddess. Perhaps they even grew in worship of her. Novelty had witnessed a magic light last night in the forest, and he wanted to explore it deeper, ask it for anything and everything it had to offer, and return the favor with his own delight and wonder.

Raising the carefully wrapped flowers in his hand, the ones he had painstakingly unwoven from each other and gently bound such that they would not re-tangle, the ones he had carried tenderly for many hours now, careful not to disrupt too many of the blooms, Novelty turned toward the gathered crowd and said, "I bring the goddess care, tenderness, and the very spirit of worship itself in these vining flowers."

As Novelty turned back around, he saw the priestess nod and gesture in his direction. "Please, undress."

Novelty looked toward Kade, silently asking his captain to come hold the flowers while he undressed and was bathed. That handled, Novelty fingered the hem of his shirt, but something about simply undressing himself didn't quite feel right. Finally, making a split-second decision, he looked around the crowd and made eye contact with one of his friends, one he would be leaving behind, possibly forever. Standing in front of her, he asked, "Will you please take off my shirt?"

She looked pleasantly surprised to be asked, maybe even a little bashful, and admittedly, for her sake, he hoped people were not reading too much into why he had chosen her. Friends, yes, but also bed partners on more than one occasion. But it had never been a proprietary sort of thing.

Still, as Kaila reached under his shirt and grazed his hipbones in the process, Novelty thought that the memory of their pleasure together could also be an offering to the goddess. Novelty closed his eyes as Kaila pulled his shirt over his head, and he laughed lightly as though suddenly freed of a burden. If he was being honest with himself, he'd been quite looking forward to an excuse to be nude in front of everyone. He pulled in his stomach muscles and flexed subtly as he reached to take the shirt back from Kaila, offering her a respectful nod of thanks and blowing her a kiss.

Boots next, then. May as well keep with the momentum.

Novelty walked the length of the circle, drawing out the anticipation, his eyes running over all these people he had come to know over the past year. His eyes settled momentarily on Xavier, who had been so diligent with handling the hot water cauldrons but had paused for a moment, glancing over at Evan. Laughing lightly again, Novelty skipped once and went over to the lieutenant, asking him to take off his boots.

Xavier's eyes went wide, and he blushed deeply. Novelty nodded encouragement at him, trying to communicate that Xavier's secret was safe with him. Novelty was, right then, very grateful that he had opted for discretion when he had relayed information to Captain Kade earlier. And now that he was going to the goddess...

Eventually, Xavier got down on his knees and started untying Novelty's boots. From this angle, it was difficult not to notice Xavier's appeal--he was spry and youthful and endlessly buoyant. Except... Novelty's thought Xavier's energy might not be quite as bubbly as usual. Maybe it was because the lieutenant had been too focused on his previous task? Or maybe something with Evan was not going quite right? Novelty didn't know.

But, by the time Novelty's first boot was almost off, Xavier seemed to find a stride and started enjoying himself. Novelty balanced on one foot while Xavier slid his sock and boot off with a flourish, throwing it toward the pile of clothes with a cheer. He then set to work on the second boot, pulling the laces with a confident hand. And another cheer as the second boot came off. Novelty blew a kiss at Xavier and began walking back around the circle. In all reality, Novelty craved for Philip to be the one to take off his pants, but one glance at Philip holding his bouquet of flowers made that seem... unwise. Instead, Novelty sought out another of his former lovers, settling in front of the man while Novelty leaned back slightly, making a bit of a show of his hipbones.

"Dearest, Stephen," Novelty said, breathlessly with a theatrical shake of his head, thoroughly enjoying himself, "will you do me the honors of removing the rest of my clothing?"

Stephen was enthralled with the ceremonial proceedings. He looked forward to writing about it all, committing every sensual detail he could capture to the page. He lamented a little not being among the volunteers himself, at least in flashes. But his ties to this world were many, his purposes unfulfilled. Novelty, meanwhile, was practically born for this very purpose. As sad as Stephen was about the man's departure, there was no denying that. Their companionship had always been transient in nature, he reminded himself. It was inevitable that something like this day would come, and what more glorious rendition could have come to pass?

Still, Stephen's stomach bobbed a little when the inevitable moment came that Novelty finally stepped forward, the capstone of this whole event.

"And what will you offer the goddess?"

The priestess asked of Novelty just as she had the others. And, just like many of the others, Novelty wavered. Stephen found the ubiquity of that response fascinating. He supposed it made sense, to some degree--how could they have possibly collected sufficient resolve for such a big thing in so short a time?--but still, it filled him with intrigue. He wondered about each of their minds and motivations, the invisible forces that tugged their hearts this way and that. Stories spilled through his mind, though he tried to focus on the here and now--what he knew; what he could observe; what was actually, definitely happening.

And what was happening was that Novelty was looking at all the other volunteers that had gone before them, some inscrutable expression on his face. Stephen studied it, cherishing all of the nuance of this moment. He even cherished his own quiet heartbreak, the lonely moments that would cascade into his future, which he'd do his best to fill with happy reveries. He watched as Novelty raised the flowers in his hand, the sacred blooms that he had invited Stephen out into the woods to gather with him. Stephen touched a hand to his chest, swelling with gratitude for that excursion.

"I bring the goddess care, tenderness, and the very spirit of worship itself in these vining flowers."

Oh, what delicious words Novelty spoke. Well said, truly. Stephen turned over the lovely metaphors he could weave between Novelty's care and tenderness and spirit of worship and the vining flowers and Stephen's own skin. He shivered pleasantly, and wondered a little how many others of the volunteers had lovers watching them leave.

"Please, undress." The priestess said, pulling Stephen's mind away from speculation. He wanted to commit this next part to memory, even moreso than all the rest.

Novelty tenderly handed off the flowers to Captain Kade, who accepted them with all due regality in his ceremonial role. He had cast himself well in it, of course. Novelty fingered the hem of his shirt, hesitating, and for a moment, Stephen thought it was cute that he might be getting shy in front of the crowd--this would be a new side to be seeing of him. Then, Novelty abandoned that thought, and instead walked over to someone in the crowd--Cadet Davis. Stephen smiled a little bit wryly--Novelty might not be the only lover that he and Kaila shared.

After a brief moment of surprise, and perhaps even a small flare of bashfulness, Kaila began to remove Novelty's shirt, and butterflies erupted in Stephen's stomach. Jealousy threatened to turn the moment bitter, but Stephen reminded himself of the time he had gotten with Novelty earlier that day, and he focused on watching Novelty's body as Kaila gently and playfully pulled his shirt up over his skin. Thus freed of his first piece of clothing, Novelty laughed, delighted, and Stephen was able to relax, the threatened bitterness abating. He could certainly not begrudge Novelty his other dalliances--it'd be a bit hypocritical of himself, for starters, but it was more than that. They all needed to seek what joys they could find, and, while Kaila was not his personal cup of tea, he could certainly understand her appeal. And, really all that mattered was that she gave Novelty happiness.

Stephen breathed out a silent giggle of his own as Novelty recollected his shirt from Kaila, nearly posing to show off his figure before blowing her a playful kiss. Kaila was plainly delighted, making a show of rolling her eyes at the gesture while grinning ear to ear, and then offering Novelty a wink.

Novelty roamed away from Kaila, apparently contemplating someone else to help him disrobe next, but uncertain who. Stephen tried not to look over-eager, but he was quite curious where Novelty would stop next. He was surprised when Novelty approached Lieutenant Allegre--that had not been on Stephen's radar at all. At first, his mind began spinning possible theories, but then he second-guessed the presupposition that Novelty was necessarily outing each of his lovers at once. Perhaps Allegre was a more platonic whim here? Ultimately, of course, it didn't truly matter, except that Stephen's curiosity knew few bounds. Still, he settled into simply enjoying the show as Allegre tossed Novelty's boot toward the clothing pile with a flourish and a cheer--some in the crowd even echoed. Cute. The lieutenant was nearly beaming by the time he tossed off the next boot, and Novelty graced him with a kiss blown his direction as well. Ever the mystery, that.

Novelty looked next at Lieutenant Pemberley within the circle. That one, Stephen was grateful to have been let in on the secret about, though it was admittedly a little bit difficult to fathom. He didn't have terribly long to contemplate it in the moment, though, before Novelty's eyes settled on Stephen's, and a sudden jolt of elation and self-consciousness rattled his core as Novelty began to walk towards him.

It truly seemed like something out of a dream: this beautiful, whimsical lover shirtless in the glow of twilight and flickering flames--watched in his approach by their peers and superiors alike. Novelty came to a stop, posture highlighting his figure precisely for Stephen’s eyes. Stephen was sure he must be blushing, his gaze nakedly locked on Novelty’s hip.

He had some hope he at least had managed to keep his mouth closed, and he did manage to flick his gaze up to Novelty’s eyes in a breath, surely smoothly enough to evade appearing unseemly to their audience. Most of them, at least.

And then, Novelty said, "Dearest, Stephen," his voice breathless as he shook his head, milking this. "Will you do me the honors of removing the rest of my clothing?"

Some unexpected giddiness leapt up into Stephen’s chest, and a wide smile unfurled across his expression. Here Stephen had been continuing to calculate his role as he normally did, gauging ‘unseemly’ by standards entirely divorced from the reality of the situation. This was a ceremony to summon the goddess of dreams and desire. Surely now was precisely the time to indulge in a fantasy.

Stephen lowered himself fluidly to kneeling before Novelty. Having let go of a layer of vigilance, he enjoyed thinking about all of the eyes on him, all of the varying degrees of arousal and envy that rippled among the crowd. Of course, there may be other responses, too, and that thought upped Stephen's heartbeat, some quiet fear and thrill echoing through him. A genuine beat of caution did, as well, and Stephen looked up at Novelty with a nervous smile, shyness suddenly striking him. Well, fantasies were quite big things to chase, weren’t they?

“I will,” Stephen said softly, his hands bravely beginning to reach for Novelty’s belt. He took in a deep breath and let it out before he gently grasped the buckle and began to work the leather free of its hitch and slowly, smoothly pull it through. His eyes were calm and focused now, his attention zoomed in on the details he so thoroughly enjoyed about this task.