Day One Thousand Two Hundred And Nine

Dear Diary,

Still kinda amusing to me to think about how much time I wasted getting all up in my feels about my Revels.

Well, okay, maybe not entirely wasted. I did sort out what it was I wanted, both for myself and maybe, no definitely more importantly for my Worshippers. So the time spent contemplating that definitely wasn't wasted. The time spent wallowing in guilt over it definitely was though.

Of course, now that I've gotten over myself and started trying to enjoy my time with my Worshippers as much as they apparently enjoy their time with me, I've realized that for most of them it's been that way all along. Not just 'oh, look, Divine dopamine dispensary time for me', but also a time for not just building, but celebration of community. I'm not sure exactly how much of my Revels is 'block party', how much is 'rave', and how much is 'church', but I'm coming to realize that it's its own thing at the Venn diagram overlap of all three of those, with maybe some amount of 'orgy' thrown in when people are in the mood.

Okay, technically 'orgy' has its own meaning here, and it's more of a private, invite-only affair. Thing is, it's equally apparent that I've managed to blur the line even there, with last Yule being something my High Clergy thought of as a Clerical Orgy with one Dionysian High Priestess as a very much willing party favor, but the woman herself considered it a private Revel.

Funny, I'm coming to realize that two things can be true at the same time. In this case, that names and labels are important, which does not in any way change the fact that they are in fact all made up Human Adjacent bullshit. No, seriously, those names and labels are only valuable inasmuch as they support the things they're identifying. Okay, or maybe warn people away from them in the case of warning labels, but even there I'm reminded of that old joke.

In case anybody's wondering, it's the one about the pastor who does a sermon about witches living in the woods, dancing naked around bonfires and being wanton and shit. After the service a young woman comes up to him and asks, "pardon, Pastor, but what part of the woods? So I can avoid that part extra hard."

In my case here, I think if I deliberately label something an Orgy, I'm gonna make it clear to anyone on the invite list that attendance is not mandatory, but will probably be taken for implied consent, because mouths are likely to be either too full for speaking or connected to brains that are too involved for thinking. Which is not to say that Consent isn't important, or that intoxication any kind of excuse for violating it, but if somebody's never had the kind of sex that is best described as 'intoxicating', I feel bad for them. Just to clarify, I'm talking the kind of thing where if somebody asked to do some seriously sketchy shit right in the middle with the implied or stated intent of intensifying the experience, I'd be all, "I know that's sixth, but consider first through fifth fully involved at this juncture, so proceed with your intended penetration."

Oh, fuck, I'm suddenly certain that's gonna happen on Ledger Day, and I'm not sure how exactly I feel about that.

Okay, I feel the same way I did listening to Saffron play Bad Cop with Hat. Fortunately, my forebrain will forget all about this by then, at which point it will just be a lingering sense of impending Ecstatic doom.

So once Saffron and Siobhan read through the contract, which Siobhan did after I'd explained why I wanted her to maybe get some Gnome baselines from Hat to help with caring for Aisling while Saffron read the contract through, everyone involved signed the thing at the bottom. Which meant all five of us in the oubliette, although Tallulah signed as 'mediator, witness, and arbitrator of disputes'. For the record, Hat was the 'contracted', I was on record as their 'employer', and Saffron and Siobhan were listed as two other 'beings to whom they would answer'. Which, I mean, they're basically engaged to answer questions, or maybe hold still while Siobhan Inspects or Assesses him, I guess.

Hat looked a little weirded by the whole physical contract, so I asked, "aren't you used to this kind of thing?"

While they stood there, mouth open, trying to think of an answer, I guess, Tallulah shook her head and said, "Fae who agree to contracts are bound by them. As they, which includes me, cannot break the letter of those contacts willingly, if at all, they have no need of written documentation." She turned to Hat and, with a sort of sad smile, said, "this is for your own protection, you realize? Should any of these three break the letter of this contract, and you call for arbitration, I will rule in your favor."

They just snorted. "Please. You're her Concubine and Priestess."

"High Priestess."

"Even more. You'd rule against her?"

Tallulah smiled and nodded. "To do less would be to fail to uphold her most precious Value, not to mention her first and most important Commandment."

They just shook their head. "I do not understand any of you, but I know this one," they nodded to Tallulah, "cannot lie, so if she's deceived me it's due to my own lack of wit." They clapped their hands and rubbed them together. "So, when shall we begin?"

Saffron chuckled. "Soon enough, but soon enough is in the morning after I break my fast, which likely will not be until near noon, if not after."

They pursed their lips a little. "Not that I mind, but are you in the habit of starting your day so late?"

She took my arm, and Siobhan slipped under my other one, "no, but when we're out late the night before, we're not in the habit of shorting our rest when there is no pressing reason to do so."

"Uh... You joining the Revel tonight, ladies?"

Saffron hummed, then thought, Karen?

A moment later Karen dropped into the room. Not even a superhero landing, because between training and Titles after the ten foot drop into the room she didn't need it. First she looked at Tallulah. "They've signed?" At Tallulah's nod, she turned to Hat. "So long as you abide by the terms of your contract and remain a good guest, you are welcome to any of the services provided by the Temple. So long as you return before we need you for the next day's research, you're also welcome to travel about the City, but," she sighed here, shook her head, and I couldn't tell if it was an act, genuine regret, or some combination thereof. "While any you've met at the Temple here are likely to treat you well if they know you're a guest of the Goddess, I cannot speak for others, and should you break any Laws we would be duty bound to apprehend you."

Tallulah cut in. "Adherence to local Laws and Custom was part of the contract, if you recall."

"I do," had confirmed. "How do I know the local Law and Custom, then?"

I chuckled. "There's a book on that in the Academy library. Lots of copies, really, but Sister Cheryl will be peeved if one of leaves the Library. No reason you can't go there to read it though."

Saffron cleared her throat. "Other than the clearance needed to enter the Academy itself." She nodded to Hat. "Which I hereby grant you, since you will most days be working there with me."

"I ought be off to do some reading then."

Karen said, "as you wish, although you're welcome to return here for the Revel."

They gave us all a weird look, shook their head, said, "until the morning, then," and disappeared.

That startled me a little until Tallulah said, "well, I'm sure they'll return well before we all awake, save perhaps our Tabitha."

"Uh..."

Karen cleared her throat, then said, "our intention this evening is to allow any who have volunteered at any of your Temples visit your Altars. Those who volunteer most frequently insisted that while they love their time with you dearly, they feel like they've been monopolizing you to the detriment of those who have less time to give."

"What do you think?" She shrugged, holding her hands out, palms up. "What about you three?" I looked around at my other High Clergy in the room.

Saffron chuckled, low and thick. "I think you ought not ask me, because I am suddenly overcome with greed. But I think that allowing more of your Worshippers direct access to you can only deepen their adoration of you, enhance their Worship."

I shook my head, still maybe just a little amused that so many people thought so much of me. But I wasn't gonna argue, because... Because all those people wanting that meant that the most important Change I'd made got that much more ingrained, that much more real.

Children lived.

"Okay. So, what Temple?"

Saffron grabbed me by the Co-Location and split me between my High Clergy. I dunno whether there's less feedback now or I'm just used to it, but my High Clergy seem to help a little. Not enough that I didn't immediately get the point and Translocate and Co-Locate to my eight Altars spread across the Alliance, towing my High Clergy along with me. Madeline, Furtim, Orla, and Marie each waited for me at their respective Temple Altars, and when I arrived each of them called out, "Revel!"

Interesting, fun night. Karen and Marie both kept a steady stream of noshes from the bar. The others mostly just sat with me, and I'm not sure if they were there to direct traffic or make me seem more approachable, because a lot of the folks who came up were new. I honestly didn't get any of their names. Okay, either they or my High Clergy told me names, but what struck me more than what they were called was who they were. Crafters. Farmers. Fishers. Merchants. Honestly, just a broad cross section of the people of the Alliance. I know I could pick any of them out of a crowd going forward, and I'm pretty sure my brain would pull up their names, but...

In the moment, who they were and what they needed from me was more important. Some asked for Healing. Some asked for Comfort. Some asked for Ecstasy, although their requests ranged from eagerly proud of themselves to so shy I had to ferret it out of that secret place in their minds. Some just wanted to touch me, to see that I was real, to be introduced to me and have me see them.

I still remember that line. Being seen by someone in power, really seen, is a powerful thing. I did that all night long, and dispensed more hugs and laughter than any other single thing. A few minutes each, even for those who wanted a taste of intimacy, because I realized that for some of them, this was the only time they'd make it to a Revel with me there and available to them. Not out of a lack of devotion on their part or reciprocation on mine, but just because of the sheer random chance of which Temple I was at, whether they could take the night off or stay up all night, or the million other things that made up an Adult Human Adjacent person's life.

I also had a surprising number of people bring up samples of treats they'd made for tomorrow. I thanked them, tasted the ones where there were more than one of whatever, and told them I'd be sure some deserving kids got the rest.

In the morning, after she'd clung to me as her Holy Garb lifted us from the Altar and cleaned us up in synch with all my other Clergy, Saffron murmured, "you spend yourself so freely for them."

I shrugged as my arms went around her. "Hey, this is why I get all the perks and bennies of the job."

"Like?" She half yawned, because while their Holy Garb restored them, it seemed like sometimes it didn't exactly wake them up. Or maybe it woke them up, but didn't interfere with sleeping, and she'd been there backing me up, not to mention Worshipping me, all night long.

I nuzzled her. "Good food. Good company. Good god that outfit shows off your breasts really well."

She hummed and smiled. "Would you rather play with them now or when I've woken?"

I shrugged. "Neither, really. Just enjoying the view."

"Really?"

I smirked at her as I banished her Holy Garb and laid her in our big bed of stirring kids, right next to Siobhan and Tallulah. "I'll have plenty of time to play with them at lunch tomorrow."

She fell asleep with a smile on her face, as Marie and I got to work on our daily stuff. I hadn't really done anything that took a lot of effort lately, and the night had left me energized. One night without sleep wouldn't make a difference, really. Even a day spent stealing all kinds of candy, not to mention duplicating all of the treats I'd been given, then distributing boxes of both to every house I could. Not sure I got to all of the ones in New Amsterdam, or the ones in the deep hinterlands of Lancaster. But I tried.

Of course, it did make me a little sloppy. Mostly forgetting the one thing that would interrupt my Kitten's normal early afternoon pit stop.

Hat was there waiting for us when we got to the office for Saffron to do her day of coding.