Sex God Saga 4
Welcome In, Now Fuck Yourself
SATURDAY:
Five minutes after getting up, the tiny old landlady Seiko Yoshida knocked on his door with a bright grin and handed him a basket of luxurious breakfast goodies someone had dropped off. It came with a card from the Onyx that just said `Sorry' with a smiley face.
Paris revealed his impatience by texting `Did you get it?' before Theo could even unpack the basket.
The sleepy blond shaman decided to toy with the Stygian's patience a bit more, stepped out of his sweatpants and took a pic of his backside in the thin, wall-length mirror the apartment's entrance had come with.
Then he actually asked his boss for a vacation starting immediately. On a Saturday of all things – the busiest day. Having one and a half no-shows actually helped make his case but he wasn't sure there'd be a job for him to return to.
###
Keith showed up with a white Mercedes.
"How many cars do you own?" Theo asked, aghast.
"None. My dad runs a garage. Technically my day job."
Keith wore a much too big, stiff button shirt with a print on the edge, open over a white tank top which was tucked into black pants, held up by a much too long, red belt. His inverse cross earring was still present, with a jewel studded ring on the other lobe.
Theo sank into the seat with his slightly hole-y jeans and washed out jacket.
"Is your dad Knowing?"
"Yeah, ex-shaman. He's not with the order anymore. No bad blood, he was just done." The Asian prettyboy looked at Theo with a smirk of mischief. "I'm technically keeping an eye on him so he doesn't turn all Demonist on us."
"Is that a concern?"
Keith pulled away from the Chinatown gate. "With dad, no. But if they're not retirees, freeflying shamans are usually bad news. Hellsingers, Bonespinners, Withergnosts... More so since Harpersfield is fucking flooded with demons now. You saw team alpha in actions. They don't have time to fill up on V, so they gotta beat demons up like thugs."
"Godrick seemed in his element."
Keith chuckled. "Sounds like him. So, my plan for today is to take you on little maintenance missions across town. Sound good?"
Theo felt pathetically reminded of the time he had volunteered to help mop the school gym after a bunch of guys including his very straight highschool crush had been given that task as punishment.
"Great," the blond said. "I have some questions about wisps, by the way." He pulled out the receipt which was starting to look worse for wear. "This little guy is still hanging out. I thought they don't stick around that long."
Keith shrugged. "You might have a fan. Some Outsiders become loyal. Or it's turning into a demon. We'll keep an eye on it. Good practice."
###
They picked up Willow, a young black woman with red locks in her frizzy hair. Her flimsy pastel clothes were contrasted by a wide belt in the pansexual-pride colors. She wore a denim jacket with pins like protect trans kids' and no masters no slaves'.
"So you're the newbie," she said, getting into the car's backseat. "Been a while since I met fresh meat. I'm Willow."
"Theo."
"Met a Stygian yet?"
"Some of the Belleroses."
"Goddess-dammit, I can never be first, huh? Well, I'm not an Onyx Skies lady. Let me guess, Bianca?"
"Paris. We had a..." Was it okay to mention? Did he want to?
"Not finishing the sentence? You fucked?"
Theo became embarrassingly horny at the memory. "So... Bianca is the `queen' right?"
"Not mine, but yes. I guess she wouldn't bother introducing herself to you. You don't seem like the high class type. And you better take that as a fucking compliment."
Keith chuckled. "I figured you two would get along. Willow is not your average Stygian or shaman. She's a champion, especially chosen by a goddess as servant."
"Ohn," Willow said. "Goddess of summer. But summer's on the way out so Ohn'll be going semi-dormant. We're giving her a snack on the way to bed."
"Is she to you like Melisandre is to Keith? Or more like a familiar?"
"She is her own," Willow said. "I wouldn't accept it any other way. It can't be a Keith-Melisandre thing since a meager human is too small a vessel."
"Ah, right."
###
Theo's notes:
Muses (sometimes classified as Fae, Dryads, Archons etc) are lesser divine beings, too powerful to be controlled by a single human. To `hire' them may require building a shrine, caring for an area, embodying a virtue, solving a riddle, etc.
Anything up to the size of an elephant can be hidden or turned into a sanctum by a muse. They possess knowledge (literature, toxicology, etc), alter matter or may bestow abilities like shooting beams of light ("or making the chicks fly your way" – Keith, getting a smack from Cor for that one). They often appear as humans but can also inhabit a tree, horse, flock of doves, small moor, all dreams in an orphanage, the pollution of a city block...
The difference to gods is that gods cannot be bound to a human body at all. They are simply too great. Their sanctuaries can be completely cut off, becoming demiplanes – including entire buildings or caverns. They usually appear as large beings and may embody justice, illness, curiosity, respite, art...
They almost never interact with humans directly.
"Arrogant bastards." –Keith
"Maybe they're socially awkward." -Cor
###
Ohn lived in a residential area, in a strip where two back yards almost met but left a foot of space between picket fences.
Using mediumship, Theo managed to enter the demiplane on his own.
An oak grove the size of a football field, where faintly purple crystals grew from the ground like shrubs. Fireflies danced around a central grand oak. Paper lanterns hung around the perimeter trees, casting a warm glow even in daylight, as the sun's rays fell through the foliage like every single beam had been handpicked for dramatic effect.
Ohn was a sphinx of a sort. Eight feet tall, more lynx than human but with various human-female features.
Willow skipped toward the goddess and Ohn rolled over for belly rubs.
"Don't try that," Keith whispered. "Champion privilege."
"I wasn't going to."
"I'll do the gardening," Willow said, her voice raised, hands in the sphinx' belly fluff. "You boys scan the rim for anything worn out."
Willow had brought a box of gardening tool and a short wood ladder was already at location. While the woman put on a bib overall, Keith and Theo scoured the trees along the edge.
There were lightless paper lanterns to be taken down and some dead twigs caught in the foliage.
Keith spotted a nest and put the ladder up to the tree. "Must have been a sprite vessel. They like nests. Homey. If you really focus on summoning you can see the Vestige."
Theo tried to spot the sprite remnant but he wasn't good enough. He just held the ladder in place while Keith pulled himself up on a branch, poking the nest with a twig.
The nest toppled and fell on Keith's chest. Eggs cracked.
"Fuck."
Keith dropped off the ladder with a single hop. His tank top was caked. His stiff over-shirt was a little splashed.
"Didn't think nests had eggs in them," he said.
"City slicker," Willow said, digging at the big oak's roots.
"Birds don't breed this time of year," Keith said, petulant, and pulled off his button shirt. "And I was too focused on it being a vessel that I... whatever."
He handed the shirt to Theo to hold and pulled off the tanktop.
Theo hadn't dared to dream about seeing Keith's torso but there it was. Perfectly evenly light brown, boyishly lithe, a total match for the Vietnamese conjurer's adorable face.
And he smirked at Theo. "Time for some magic."
Theo kept his expression neutral but he knew his breathing had sped up noticeably. At least he had an excuse to keep looking.
The shirtless shaman held his hand over the egg splatter. "No, that's a little much."
Keith balled up the tanktop and tossed it toward the exit. He took the button shirt and swiped at the minor egg stains. They whipped off the material and sprayed onto the grass.
"Big sweep. Nice job, Dash."
Keith slipped into his stiff, oversized shirt but didn't button it up. He took off an earring – not the cross but a simple gold ring.
"Here Theo, polish it a bit. Be gentle, let it catch the light. Hehe, I like having an assistant."
Theo nodded and tried not to smile too wide. He decided to look at the fireflies around the central tree while venerating Dash.
###
Theo's notes:
Veneration is a respectful exchange of favors. Scratch the Outsider's back and get yours scratched in time of need. This is the most Outsider-specific form of V and there's practically no way to `store' it. Gods rarely accept anything else.
Related to this is Venality (aka Corruption). Some Outsiders like to see humans act against their own nature or better judgement. Sometimes that type of Veneration is worth the benefits but mostly this is left to demons.
"Venality is `unstable' Veneration since you can only act against your nature so many times before it's simply part of your nature and you need to do worse and worse shit." -Keith
###
A delivery arrived outside.
The trio planted hydrangea in a wide circle around the center oak, with Willow doing nearly all the digging. The flowers would serve as vessels for summer-related sprites during the cold seasons.
While Willow set up more stuff, Theo and Keith leaned against a tree and watched the fireflies.
It was torturous not to look at Keith's still open shirt.
"Why did you wear white to a gardening mission anyway?"
The Asian shaman gave a light chuckle. "Didn't think about it. I put on what was in my closet and then we arrived and I was like, shit, I'll have to kneel in the dirt. Good thing I got you to do the actual dirt-kneeling."
Theo pulled out the receipt. His wisp was still there but the paper had torn further. Would it survive as a vessel if it broke?
He retrieved a pencil which was down to a third and used his leg as a table.
"This... should work, right?" he asked.
Keith just hummed but he leaned in. He smelled as beautiful as he looked. Theo had to keep his breathing so shallow it felt like he was holding his breath altogether.
###
Theo's notes:
Not counting the spectral Vessel, the simplest form of binding is just to put an Outsider into an object of the correct size and preferably type. The Outsider can leave or stay dormant but has almost no control over the Vessel.
Taking it further is the roaming Vessel (familiar, homunculus). This costs a lot more V to create and often to maintain.
More limiting on the other hand is a prison/jar/talisman Vessel where V is used against the Outsider, forcing it to stay. This can also be done by a greater Outsider, like a god binding muses with an immense seal.
Other types are the flesh/corporeal Vessel aka possession and the locus/area Vessel aka domain possession.
"I hate that term. Mel is in a flesh vessel, technically, but not really `inside' me." -Keith
###
"It should work," Keith said. "But wisps aren't always so abstract-minded. I'll see if I can find you the real thing."
"I was afraid he'd eat it if I offered," Theo said.
"We'll see."
After watching Keith leave, Theo returned to his paper. He had done his best to draw a firefly. He filled the paper with doodles, willing them into Atlas Glyphs that said get in there', you're invited', `be my firefly buddy'.
The Asian shaman returned and sprinkled the detached wings of dead fireflies onto the receipt.
A new bug rose from the paper, blinking. He landed on Theo's nose.
"Hi, Blinky."
"Your first roaming vessel," Keith said with a nod. "Could have gone worse."
Theo's phone beeped. "Oh, can I ask you to drive me somewhere?"
"We're practically finished, so let's say bye to Willow. Where's it going?"
"I'll send you the location."
###
Theo had never gotten a professional fade. It was ridiculous what a difference it made. He embarrassed himself by asking for the price before sitting in the chair only to be told the bill would go to `Mister Bellerose'.
Keith collected him again, with the white Yamaha. He didn't make any comments about the haircut, but smiled as he saw it. Theo hoped the helmet wasn't going to squish the newfound stylishness.
The journey into the suburbs of Harpersfield took almost half an hour, mostly going straight along Liberty Road. Of course Keith had replaced his lost shirt and was in his white biker jacket again but Theo got to hold onto him well enough to let his mind wander to where he wished his hands could go.
Pinerise Manor sat on the terraced hills of Caith Rock, made to look much older than it could logically be, fitting better into some New England state than Concordia. As the name implied, pines lined the area.
There were several garages but they didn't pull into any, parking on the side of the driveway.
"Most of it's not a sanctuary," Keith said, "but the main player is Fino, muse of the sun. Fae type, not that categories are hard currency. Bound to Hierarch Greyson White."
"Your nemesis, night owl?"
Keith smirked and drove his fingers through his hair, making them fall flawlessly. "We might have been, before the orders consolidated, just ahead of contact with the New World. Greyson would be considered a Sunlock. He'd be a tiny bit impressed if you call him that."
"And you would be?"
"A Duskwright which is rad as fuck. Sadly, no one uses the old names much."
"I'll call you Duskwright if you behave," Theo said, thinking he'd call Keith anything he wished. Preferably `boyfriend' which was never going to happen.
Knowing to look for it now, Theo spotted quite a bit of sun-themed decor inside Pinerise. The two young shamans were awaited in the entrance hall by the Hierarch himself and several more men.
Greyson White was an older Latino with bright white hair and weathered skin, wearing business casual, the upper three buttons open.
With him was his son Cristiano in oversized hiphop attire who pulled Theo into a bro-hug.
"Happy you could make it," Cristiano said. "Let's find out what's happening with you, yeah? Here's the others. Say hi."
Remi Boyd was an unassuming white man, serving as Omen of Spheres, meaning he maintained contact with the various gods residing in the city. He was Coralline's dad.
Then there was Crew Morgan from the beta team'. Where alpha' was the rapid strike force, `beta' focused on long term observation and cover-up. Crew wore gray clothes but a colorful backpack across one shoulder. He was bald, light skinned.
The final guy was Shanghai Payne. Also bald, he was built short and robust. Asian or half-Asian. His outfit was janitorial but he was introduced to Theo as champion of a sun god named Cell.
The Hierarch stepped forward. "Theo Travis. Welcome to Agrippa's Convent of the Sacred Scrolls. If you'd join me for a minute in my office, there is some paperwork to go over."
Cristiano accompanied them as Theo sat down and signed some doted lines to join the `country club' in an official capacity. No fees unless he became a high earner.
Then he was brought to a salon, crammed with the shamans he had just met. Keith and Remi were seated, Crew, Shanghai as well as father and son White stood.
The middle of the space was cleared for Theo to stand.
"It's probably not an ongoing possession," the Hierarch said, "but I'd still like to test that. Allow my familiar to possess you and push out anything that may be inside you. Please."
"As a flesh vessel?" Theo asked.
"Yes. It would be a full takeover lasting only seconds."
"Okay."
Greyson turned to the door and... Sunshine entered. Blinding light crept along the walls and ceiling. It spread over Theo and sank into him.
"Fino," Greyson said. "Do as you must, but no more."
Theo lost control of his body. Unlike previous possessions, this loss was total. He was a piloted robot with a human mind trapped within.
Then the light seeped out and congealed into a snake – a boa constrictor. It was pure white and thicker than Theo's thigh, its head rising above the crowd.
"Something is strange," the snake said with a gender-ambiguous voice. "I can take him as a vessel but not indefinitely. And something is interfering with the possession but not much."
"Interfering? How?" Greyson asked.
"Like he is being tainted as a vessel. I can make do but he isn't... well prepared."
Shanghai hummed. "There are many ways to prepare a flesh vessel."
The sun snake gave Theo a once-over. "He is meant to be naked. I'm certain. It is why his previous possessions attempted to rid him of attire."
Greyson frowned. "Theo, it seems you were made a vessel at some point. A specific one. Would you mind, uh, disrobing?"
Theo swallowed hard despite his best efforts to look calm. Shirt off, shoes and socks, pants. Taking off his briefs didn't feel too weird compared to the rest of it. He was desperate to turn ninety degrees and check Keith's reaction.
The six men looked at Theo as Fino possessed him again. Loss of bodily control resumed.
For five seconds, nothing happened.
Without his doing, the blond's right hand moved to his asscrack. He went into a slight crouch and three of his fingers slipped into his hole as easily as if they'd been spit lubed, which wasn't that easy but without control of his face he maintained a neutral expression.
Within the blink of an eye he was desperately horny.
Theo felt the room get tense as he fingerfucked himself to the knuckles, knees bent and turned apart. Whimpers and grimacing broke through the facade and his dick chubbed to life. With his back arched to the limit, his knuckles nearly fought their way in, burried between his cheeks.
The sun fae emerged as a serpent and announced, "I can't find anything. He may not have an Outsider inhabiting him currently. But something made it impossible for me to stay indefinitely. To find out more I would have to do what the demons did."
Cristiano, Remi, Crew and Keith laughed. None did so heartily but none suppressed it either.
Now Theo felt naked. He straightened and let his fingers slip from his hole, which was less easy now and burned his ass walls a bit. He failed to hold back a shiver.
"Let's reserve that," Greyson said. "Option two, you might be the unwitting champion of a god. We have to put a seal on the connection to know. Remi, if you would? Nothing will happen to Theo-the-human, but Theo-the-champion may feel a weakening, a ripping of connections. Is that okay?"
"Yeah. D-do I... stay like this?"
Cristiano said, "I think you should. Less interference." He seemed to be joking but nobody contradicted him.
Theo waited awkwardly as Coralline's dad, the Omen of the Wake, prepared intricately engraved wood plaques. Atlas Glyphs worked better the more effort was put into the symbols. To Theo's mediumship-sight they all read things like break the link to divine Outsiders' or cease the interaction by the might of Agrippa's convent'.
Theo stayed at the center of the room while Remi put the plaques down. Then Remi, Greyson and Shanghai took position around him to feed V into the seal.
"Uh... Should I feel anything?"
"Do you?" Keith asked and got up.
"No. Pretty sure not. Bit chilly."
Cristiano grinned and demonstratively looked at Theo's crotch. "Don't blame it on that, kiddo."
"I guess," Greyson said, "we can stop. You're not a champion either. I don't see a vestige of anything on you. I'm out of easy ideas."
Remi collected the seals and Theo slipped back into his pants. A firefly rose from his pocket and sat down on his nose.
"Hey Blinky. I know I haven't fed you a morsel of V yet but I'll get you an offering. Do you still eat bugs now?"
Keith threw his arm around the still shirtless Theo. "Just draw him something insect-y as a small Veneration. That should be your MO, I think."
Cristiano stepped in front of them. "We'll see about getting you into V generation. Before you leave, want to see something creepy?"
###
The basement of Pinerise Manor had a `curio room' where large open shelves lined the walls. A few of the shelves contained a single object each. Often a flower or branch, many small containers like water bottles and food delivery tubs, and the occasional pen or football.
In front of each was an engraved wooden plate. Seals, well stocked with V. Some objects even had an extra strip of paper wrapping them.
"Demon storage," Keith said. "Haven't been down here since I first signed on. Hey, Theo, recognize this one?"
It was the bottle of muddy water containing Fireblood.
"They're... left here to wither?" Theo guessed.
"Under normal circumstances," Cristiano said. "But there are so many now that we're running out of power. We'll make a trip to the Pit, but probably together with the gals at Ivory Haven."
"Transport is going to be a bitch," Keith said. "Count me in." He looked at his phone. "Hey Theo, remember Luna? The Primal babysitter you weren't ogling?"
"Sure, why?" Theo said, trying to sound annoyed when he actually felt embarrassed.
"She can get you an appointment at the studio. Okay with that?"
"Yes, oh mighty Duskwright."