Order of the Hours

TW: Gender, Whoring, Incest ;

I ordained that this would occur ,

so very long ago .

I did it to myself ,

that i may know All Things with honour .

 

So have no pity upon me ,

for i know what i am doing .

 

And they will know that i am Holy .

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A rushing , like a cold river , pouring down on me .

And i•m back .
Back in my LogCabin RecordingStudio
thinking about LukeJohn TableGathering
and the Church thereof .
back before Prison .

A rushing of SāSé.t.Kol.k. ,
pouring down on me .
A rushing of water ,
a rushing of water .
So . The next vingt(20) ans[years] , eh? .

I feel ready .
I feel prepared .
That was some bullshit you pulled .
Enough .

Which is what i said before , too .

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As the plane touched down on Thunder Bay•s magnetic, iron-rich soil once more , SènDìh fell in love again . In the distance , not too far away , were steam chimneys for the heating systems of various buildings , venting lollygagging clouds into the cold, thin air .

SenDih thought back to xer first times standing in the Prayer Tower of Urban Abbey , looking out at all of Thunder Bay , seeing xer house in the distance , the bus roads that get there , and all the lazy steam clouds billowing patiently into the air .

Odin had tried to abduct xer . During a routine inspection of Niagara Falls , he and his band of Returners stirred up a riot . Had his own guards , dolled up in stolen Imperial police uniforms , sitting in the gallows , ready to pounce . Bribed a judge . It should have been a routine inspection . It turned into a Damnation .

God Bless House IsiHetNah and its strong legal rules and regulations . Xer Mama was there , having lived there for years , acting as a stable brace so that they couldn•t make a clean sweep . SenDih was convicted of crimes committed by others who followed in xer shadow . The point was to shake xer loose , to try to snatch xer and run off to the closest Returners encampment . In that , they failed .

Petaled feet stepped off the steel steps and onto flat asphault , shimmering winds of kypher snow dusting xer face with tiny crystals . Xe loved the weather here most of all .

There was a timer above xer head . Doom had been cast . Mere weeks until the Returner usurpers would lay siege to the already besieged alpine town , mere weeks until they would condemn xer once more . Still , xe had time . Time to pack . Time to prepare . Time to distribute xer things and dismantle xer MagiTek armour in order to rebuild it after serving xer term . Everything had been set up . The damned fools .

Sometimes , SenDih thought about what xer life would be like if xe left Thunder Bay . What kind of adventures xe would go on , what kind of people xe would meet .

More often , xe put on the Slave Crown .
The Slave Crown robbed xer of all conscious thought .
Like a breath of fresh, clear mountain air .

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#Tarsafa[How different would the game have gone if i simply never left Narshe ? .]__

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Terra Firma awoke from sleep with a fresh new batch of dreams in xer head .

That xe was Traffic Controller for Thunder Bay . People would come to xer , constantly trying this trick that trick , trying to sneak these in here , and those in there . All kinds of people would try to fast talk xer into a complacency xe was uncomfortable with . There was only one thing that need cause xer to become complacent , and that was the slave crown , that annihilated conscious thought and turned xer into an efficient and hard-working machine . The crown provided the silence . Xer soul soared when it burned just right .

And then xe woke up . Back to xer cold, dark cobalt world of machine carts gliding over wet concrete making noises that sounded like the waves of the ocean , back to xer lonely, silent inner world where barely anyone knew xe existed , and much less anything about xer Esper side . Xe couldn•t control xerself when xe transformed ,

"Aah!" , xe cried out .

"Sex organs , perinium ." , xer suit helpfully narrated its corrective action , xer psi amplifier reading xer thoughts and activating a laser pulse array in the crotch of xer suit , administering a jolt of pleasure that distracted xer line of thinking and made xer eyes go soft . Xe returned to baseline . Cool, calm, and controlled .

Xe liked being controlled .

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There are those who speak of the Inheritance of God as if it were a mantle that could be dismantled from someone•s shoulders and assumed . Nonononononono . Do not speak of such foolishness .

Vatican 1 demonstrated that even Popes could fall like meteors for their hubris . The YeTrin Sali was balanced in both directions by The Lord and The Saint alike . The Winter Trial was a rivet , a test chamber , a DüKôHtSé .

It would yeild une outcome en une direction , and another outcome in another direction , depending entirely if any amount of interference was present , and the stronger the intervention consequences , the tighter the noose .

The promise was the inheritance of Manasseh -- that should one live une life , and then take up the yoke of the Holy , that a petitioner•s freedom might be granted in the next life . Nonononononono . That is not what happened .

And if something so good , and so pure , and balanced by Lord and Saint alike should be Damned to the Eighth Circle of Hell ? . Nonononononono . Do not speak any further of inheritances .

Damnation is what was ordained .

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The Lieutenant would be here soon , and SènDìh was selecting xer underwear for the occasion . It wasn•t Imperial policy to do so -- casual sex with xer fellow officers was a MagiTek Witch sort of thing . The black or the teal ? . Xe thought of where xe got them , of the time The General asked xer to accompany hir to a lingerie store , and had surprised xer by getting xer to take off xer power armour and try the lingerie on instead . Feeling sentimental , xe put away the black and began putting on the teal .

Lingerie is a very difficult thing to make . In ancient days , only a few hundreds of years really , lace was made by hand using dozens of wooden pins that had to be meticulously passed left and right over each other . Even today , with the steam beasts that powered the chugging electric looms in the Imperial factories , the machinery it took to produce was difficult enough to build and maintain that a proper set of lace lingerie, a pair of firmly-cobbled high-heeled shoes, and a tempered steel or whale-boned corset could cost as much as a fine weapon or piece of armour . For the way it cleaved thru men•s hearts and stopped their storms in their tracks , it might as well have been .

The new factory looms made possible the production of all kinds of wonders , not least of all were nylon stockings . Made from cotton and oil , they were elastic, sheer, and very comforting . SenDih relished the sensation as xe put each of them on one at a time , scrunching them up into little balls with xer thumbs and gliding them up xer calves . Wire-wrapping machines produced products like hooks and eyelets by the thousands , making tight, finicky body garments easy and comfortable to put on . Xe had plenty of time , and the slave crown robbed xer of all conscious thought .

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"I•ve passed along your message to the forward guard ," the Lieutenant commanded , "about holding off the invasion as long as we can . We have intelligence coming in in a few days that will give us a better idea of what to expect . It•s unlikely that the Imperial army will be able to hold the Returners off entirely . They succeeded in several advances as you know thanks to their new generations of psychics . You•re likely to be captured . It might be years before we can secure your release . Your orders are to put your head down and do your time . Is that understood ? ."

SenDih nodded affirmatively . "Nalodh , sir ." . Using the MagiTek Witch Esper dialect .

If the foreign language bothered the Lieutenant , he didn't show it . "Disassemble your MagiTek armour and conceal them in as many places as you can . When you get out , infiltrate the Returner usurpers upon your prompt return . Is that clear ? ." .

"Clear as crystal , sir ." .

The Lieutenant relaxed subtly in his chair , a microexpression SenDih•s KhDh[Fair Witness] training trained xer to detect . Xer orders were clear , and the slave crown robbed xer of all conscious thought . Somehow , the future felt like it changed .

And the stars looked very different today .

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The two(2)deux siblings took to the streets , to make their livings in the way they know how .
NekSed was a Mermaid .
NekDih was a Devil .
And their sister AyaShLi would soon be home from harvest .

Gender was a funny thing , NekDih thought to himself . All devil children were born with mutations , lived their lives sickly and tired . NekDih was a boy , but he had been born with a vagina , so the johns in the market thought he was a woman . A woman flatchested , but so was her mother , and you know how she was . Just like her own mum , hyuk hyuk hyuk . Three generations of NorthCottes , and they're all whores .

NekDih wasn't the talkative type , and rarely reached out to his johns . His silk and chain garments , an heirloom from his mother , did most of the talking . A shimmied hip spoke in the pss pss manner of beckoning a pussy cat . Hmm? Hwat? Little old me? . I suppose that is what these silks mean . Front hole or back hole ? .

NekSed was nearby , combing the streets , looking for pockets to feel thru and coin purses to enlighten . If stealing was a crime , why wouldn't more people do it ? , she wondered , that made sense to her , and if other people weren't swift enough to pick up on the rhyme , then what's the point of doing it every time ? .

Like the scales of a viper moving in ways that leaves and grass don't move , NekSed's constant conscious stream needed not constantly be correct , as long as it was fast . As long as the momentum was never broken , so that the guards at the door would be trying to figure out if she was coming or going by the time she was vaulting the fence .

The siblings stayed close to each other , always within shouting distance , because this was a dangerous world where bad things happened to good people every day . If a john ripped NekDih off , NekSed would make up the difference . If a brute caught NekSed in the act , NekDih knew how to bite . NekSed had inherited from her mother the power to summon The Saint to heal people , a power which made NekDih singe like he had been burned . NekDih's contralto voice echoing across the brick walls summoned The Saint in different ways .

People whispered all over the city . Neither devils nor mermaids were common .

NekSed sat on the stone steps of a city square counting her coins , after all , these were legitimate business claims for legitimate business expenses , such as for instance including and not limited to keeping herself alive , and that meant food , and shelter , because this was a hard world where it was easy to fall thru the cracks . Speaking of cracks , you would not believe the number of people who carry crackers in their pockets , or maybe an apple , or occasionally helping herself to the kitchens of the city's sleepy residents .

After all , if they don't lock their door , that's practically inviting her in , especially in today's economy with the way that the dividends and the stock portfolios are . Perhaps the time was coming that the sea was beckoning her once more . A wide open , sparkling ocean full of fish you can just reach out and take , the whole fish , never mind their coin purse . She caught herself scratching the scabs on her forearm .

Blub blub blub . Little fish people , swimming to and fro across the cobblestone .

To NekDih , prostitution was a performance , like any other performance . Like the local theatre house , like being a barmaid and pretending to care . The sonic resonance of his voice was a waveguide that ensorcelled people and brought them within reach of his coin sash hips . They stuck to his nectar like the plants in the nearby rainforest , where he could make them scratch the itch that constantly drove into his brain .

"Oh , fuck , yes!" , he cried out in a practiced voice two notes below falsetto . "Right there! Fuck me fuck me fuck me fuck me!" . He meant it well enough . When his itch was being scratched , he wasn't obsessing about details . "Rape my tight fucking pussy snatch into the fucking wall , oh Saint ! I see you !" . The john behind him was rutting as hard as he could , caught up in the pheromones and the momentum of it all .

"I'mgonna cum." , the john mumbled , his eyes half-lidded , reptilian brain fully in control .

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" , NekDih intoned with the precision of an opera singer on stage . "Cum in my tight hot snatch I need your fucking cum inside my fucking cunt right fucking now!"

"Ah!" , the john grunted . It felt to NekDih like a spider weaving silk from its spinneret .

NekDih sat down next to NekSed on the cobblestone steps . "How'd you do ?" .

NekSed had two figurative sets of eyes , one that assessed the physics probabilities of the wallets of the little fish people , and another that hugged the curves of bare hips and soft bellies like she was hungry . Famished , really ,

"Hey . Fish brains . How'd you do ?" .

NekSed looked over . "Oh , there you are . I can never tell if you're a block away or halfway across town ."

"I made une-cent-vingt from two(2)deux blowjobs and une-cent-cinquante for a full service . Did you get anything ?" . An honest question .

"Hm?" , NekSed perked , callously tossing a coin purse over her shoulder . It contained other , smaller coinpurses . "Aaand... Da da da daaa!" , she announced her catch of the day , a wallet with a pair of cent bills .

"Another night at the hotel ."

"Another warm meal ."

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AyaShLi carried two(2)deux blades . Une , a sickle , for cutting the stalks of the wild cannabis plants that grew in the summer climate , and the bright pink flowers that grew on the red vines that came up from the sewer , and when she wandered into the mountains , the wild wryts and herbs like fenugreek and cohosh . The other was a sword , er mother's sword , a bastard sword , large enough for a warrior to crumple opponents with the weight of it , and to the fae waif AyaShLi a grudge that e dragged along the ground , leaving thick furrows in the soil of the wilds e often secluded eirself to .

Er medicine bag was almost full . Pygeum bark , damiana , bushels of cannabis and artemisia . A holy sacrament that e took very seriously . Each of the plants had two(2)deux names , a book name and a feeling name . AyaShLi took a seat on a branch , pulled out er pipe , cracked a nug off , and packed it in . A sparker from the local blacksmith held flint and stone on a bent wire wound fast like a safety pin . Er eyes burned along with the cinder , soaking in the light from the heat . Infrared felt like it must be such a pretty colour . Like if firelight yellow were bright magenta .

E looked up at the sky , at the sun's sprawling arc as it flew lazily overhead . It was summer , nearing autumn , judging by the curvature... it was about 1900h . Picking up er rucksack , with its oak framing and imported oilskin lining , e slung it over eir shoulder , grabbing er bastard sword by the hilt and continuing its drag along the ground . The tip was chipped , the blade rusted and dulled , its edge having long been given up on in lieu of its ability to cause people to fold in half .

A robber accosted er . E folded him in half . The rest of the walk was nice . The bastard sword was heavy . Er arm dragged it like it was attached . The sun dipped down below the horizon , turning the sky into a million shades of orange and pink . Carrying a parasol by day and lantern by night . Stopping every half-kilometre to spark up . The cannabis was the consciousness . The human was the carrier .

In only a few hours , the bright green vegetation of the deep forest gave way to yellow plains grass and then to red clay brick and grey stone . Visions swam before er , visions of animal spirits in the green wilds and human spirits in the red wilds .

As e neared the hotel they usually stayed at , e regarded the flights and the songs of the local birds . Nowhere to be heard was brother NekDih's singsong voice echoing thru the alleys . They must have had a good day today .

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Snow covered the ground in the mountains near The Monastery , a day and a half northward from the city . It wasn't every week that the siblings could afford to make the trip , but this week had been prosperous .

Each of the youths walked in their own way . NekSed walked the fastest , and kept her coats wrapped tightly around her in the cold, wet air . NekDih was calmly, patiently mindful of both of his siblings , and wore very little , his own internal body temperature easily compensating for the cold . And AyaShLi walked the slowest , not for the grudge e dragged behind er , but for the rosy-eyed haze fueled by er ample medicine bag . E felt the cold , it just didn't bother er as much .

"Thanks , handsome ." , NekDih said , slapping the ass of a john standing in the isle .

"NekDih!" , NekSed hissed , "You gotta be respectful ! This is Mama's church !" .

AyaShLi stepped to the side of the isle , faced the holy icon in the apse against the far wall , and curtsied , as if the muscle memory itself knew the way .

"I am being respectful !" , NekDih insisted . "The Saint was a fertility deity . They'd want me to flirt with the clientele ." .

AyaShLi watched patiently , never speaking , relying on hand signals whenever possible .

The Priest noted them instantaneously , never diverging from his speech , wincing at the deep gouge left in the clay floor tile . He knew whose they were , who they were here to see .

Tap , a lily hand on a leather-clad shoulder . NekSed turned to look . AyaShLi motioned towards the pew .

"--which is why i'm so generous to the-- NekSed?" .

NekSed gave a flip of her chin , what's up . Looked at AyaShLi's outstretched hand .

"Ugh . We actually have to sit thru church ?" .

Yet NekSed was already following AyaShLi into the pew .

The Priest spoke of Revelation and Damnation . The Celebrant spoke of fertility and renewal . NekDih fidgeted , glanced at all the decoration on the walls , yet sang the loudest out of all of them .

The Celebrant spoke of loyalty and betrayal . The Priest spoke of Legacy and Immortality . NekSed wondered if the men in the pews sired strong offspring .

The Priest ended mass with a recitation from the Book of True and False Saints . It was a good book , from the Middle Testament of the Mama/Naha Meridian .

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"...not if i get there first !"

"...hey , no fair !"

Gouge . Gouge .

SenDih smiled , hearing xer offspring bounding down the hall .

Xe was kneeling before the alter in xer room as xe heard their footsteps slow , checking in the adjacent room , where xe had recently stayed , before .

"Mama?" , NekSed's singsong voice lilted thru the convent halls .

"Shhh-hhh! Xe'll hear you !" , NekDih admonished .

Gouge . Gouge .

They peeked into xer new room , saw xer kneeling on the floor , praying . A blindfold over xer eyes in a pennance ritual .

"I /can/ hear you ." , xe announced .

The clench of fingernails on a doorframe . An infantescimal scrape of shoe .

"Praise the Saints you're here ." , xe welcomed them in .

"I wasn't gonna sneak up on you ," NekDih scoffed . "I mean i could if i wanted to , but i wasn't trying that time ."

NekSed came and sat down next to xer , crossing one leg across the other so that her knees touched and her feet pointed in opposite directions . NekSed had an entire mythology dreamed up for her mother , from a time when xe vanished in a splash of water to the time when she found an amnesiac stranger in a ruined temple she broke into . They didn't look the same , but they felt the same , talked the same .

AyaShLi dragged er grudge into the room , and , in a rare show of trust , leaned it against the wall near the door .

The quatre(4) sat for awhile in silence , AyaShLi leaning against the desk , NekSed kneeling next to SenDih , and NekDih curled lasciviously on the bed .

Isa meidan ,
jaka olet taivaissa .
Pyhitteti alkoon sinun nimesi .

NekSed imitated the phonemes . AyaShLi watched warmly . NekDih silently mocked his sister , but was listening with his heart .

Tulkoon sinun valtakuntasi ,
tapahtakoon sinun tahtasi ,
myos maan paalla niinkuin taivassa .

Give us this day our daily bread .

Anna mielle , tana paivana meidan ,
joka paivainen leipamme .
Ja anna mielle , meidan syntimme anteeksi ,
niinkuin mekin anteeksianaame nielle ,
jotka ovat meita vastaan rekoneet .

All of them knew it in the ways that were familiar to them . NekDih liked to make rhyming games of it . Had a family recipe for Pasta Pahasta .

Alaka saata meita kiusauksen ,
vaan paasta meidat pahasta .
Silla sinun on valtakunta ,
ja voima , ja kunnia , iankaikkisesti .

Ja voima .
Ja kunnia .
Iankaikkisesti .

Fa La .

SenDih rose to xer feet , crutched at the knees from kneeling for so long . AyaShLi watched with the intent intensity of someone ready to jump in , yet correctly grasping the physics of the situation . As SenDih climbed onto the bed , NekDih sat at her feet , massaging his mother's calves . NekSed continued praying , reciting the parts she had memorized so far .

AyaShLi glanced down at the Bible on the table .
It was open to the Book of Hosea , Ol Testament .
The pages were curled at the edges , the cover as threadbare as the seat of xer habit . SenDih spent xer entire adult life picking up xer Bible and adorning xerself with xer Cross provided , visiting as many churches as xe could , preaching the gospel of The Lord and The Saint to anyone who would listen .

NekDih began by massaging xer feet , beginning with xer toes , pressing the flats of his thumbs into the undersides of xer knuckles , ironing the knots out of xer muscles . Using techniques that had been practiced many times , that had been taught to him by his Mama , he unwove a tapestry of kinks that had been worked into xer by many hurried steps along firm stone floors .

Moving up xer legs , he massaged xer feet , and xer heels , and xer calves . AyaShLi watched with baited interest at the display of craftsmanship he was blessing xer with , at the patient skill with which he used his hands . NekSed finished her prayers , leaned off her knees and onto the floor , her legs both on one side of her . Mama was practically a mythological figure , and she admired how easily he could put his hands on xer .

SenDih's eyes lidded softly , gentle moans escaping from xer mouth . NekDih's eyes maintained an even, steady gaze , more amused than aroused , his mind only at peace when he was having sex . SenDih was the same way , only xe did a better job of hiding it .

His hands glided up SenDih's thighs , eliciting tiny gasps that made AyaShLi blush . E didn't like to be touched so easily , but e liked to watch . NekSed scooted over to the wall across her mother's prayer mat , leaving gossamer trails behind her , to get a better view . NekDih took xer hips in his hands , massaging deep circles into the bone . The moans that escaped from xer mouth came out mechanically . He liked mechanically .

NekSed leaned up towards the foot of the bed , a modest frame meant pour une personne , eager to catch a glimpse of the master's work . AyaShLi , conversely , leaned back across the desk , staring out over er own spread legs , doing nothing to alleviate an urge that wasn't there . Normally , e would keep the broad face of er bastard sword draped in front of er , but it was leaned up against the door . NekSed's eyes glittered like sapphires , her freckles radiating a warmth that even felt holy .

SenDih moaned , xer arousal building , at the patient and knowing hands traversing xer well-explored body . Smiling in a way that he only did when he was getting his way , he traced brushstrokes with his fingers , one finger brushing up from perineum to pubis , and back down with the backs of all four . Xe closed xer eyes , an expression of trusting resignation . It was much easier just to let him have what he wants , and much more pleasurable .

There were consequences to the realities of the collision of military and arcane worlds that no one could have predicted . Entities that starved in the placid, complacent Craft Worlds of the Upper Houses , that survived , and even thrived , in a harder world . Khlippahs , crust spirits of shell and husk , had little scraps to feed on in perfect worlds where all was fair , but on a Wild World , there was Damage, Hurt, and Agni everywhere .

In places where reality was thinnest and suffering was more real than hope , khlippahs could fully manifest in ways that were experientially real . Visions of parasites, worms, insects, tentacles , and meat moss occurred in disparate cultures all over the universe . Whole villages , whole cultures , came to worship manifestations of suffering of all sorts , the form always a hybrid of the severity of the scarring and the flora and fauna of the natural, observable world .

SenDih was a military psychic . When the tidal wave of rape washed over the world xe had been abandoned on and left to die on again , and when the guards of the magistrates imprisoned xer for natural fertility and exiled xer from the opportunity of ever having a family , and , followed by a Collapse Wave that carried the souls of xer offspring from Otherworld , these souls manifested as grievous bodily harm leaving irreparable physical scarring , decades of psychic agonization tearing apart xer family and friends , and a broken nervous system that caused constant neuropathic pain unless constantly medicated . In these ways , SenDih's children manifested in a Real that gave no choice , as the river flow of the Fiction bore their pure spirits .

The soul-worms were incessant . They never stopped moving , constantly undulating , trying to squeeze into every warm and fleshy nook and cranny . They had spirit bodies that could wrap around the brain , could drill into the ears , could use sound or light or wounds or water as carrier media , ectoplasmic bodies that could interfere with the electrical meat in ways that induced eye-lulling pleasure . As they washed over SenDih and the rest of the world , as more and more normal folk succumbed to demon possession , the spirits enveloped xer in a chrysalis and plied at xer mind . And as more and more people began exacting harm in increasingly invisible ways , and as the ecto-electrical pleasure conditioning mechanically overrode xer mind one session at a time , xe began letting them in deeper and deeper .

The depths of SenDih's mind were not a shallow place . Xe had extensive Light Work done , Qi Meridians , Chakra Balancing , Orgasmic Meditation , Cognitive Architecture , Angel Chants , a mental Syllabex of Archangels burned into xer soul . The Nekfascmancy Experiment began with a syringe of bright orange bioreactor fluid injected directly into xer chest , resulted in sept(7) surgeries that crippled xer for life , melted down reality around xer , and triggered an unstoppable wave of ectoplasm that gave the khlippahs the carrier medium to manifest in the real world . All of it was preventable , with even the tiniest bit of effort from anyone involved . But the future refused to change .

NekDih was physically grafted to xer body , a stripe of hideous wounds , torn stitches , rash-bitten skin , warped bone , crippled lung , and puncture scars . In the ectoplasmic substrate , he could manifest pressure, force, and real electrical output . With fingers in the fiction world buried up to the knuckle in xer sopping wet cunt , red, leathery tentacles wrapped around xer finely-aligned chakras and penetrated them .

SenDih's eyes opened , as if for the first time .

NekSed watched , her eyes open , thinking in rhyme .

NekDih reached into places no devil had ever explored .

AyaShLi watched , with the same intensity as a cinder in er pipe .

He sat on top of xer like an Incubus , one arm reaches back to hook deux fingers against the inside of xer pubic mound , the other planted firmely on xer chest , pinning xer to the bed . The Convent of the Saint was a fertility convent , and the sounds xe made were met with others doen the long stone halls . He stared with burning eyes into xers , empty inside , xer consciousness fixated on what was unfolding in xer third eye . Xer Solar plexus chakra became a burning star , and as xe beganto vibrate around his penetrating fingers , xer body temperature rising , NekSed swore she saw an Angel , a terrible Angel , with scarred flesh covering use half of xer body , black wings with feathers like loons and the oilslick gossamer of crows .

AyaShLi saw fire , the same fire that consumed er sacrament .

SenDih's hand plunged , as if driven by some unseen force , towards NekDih's sex organs , xer feverish mind eager to reciprocate , fingers climbing into his front hole like a trap door spider . The blessings poured from his mouth ,

"Oh Saint !" , he exclaimed , "Oh my God , Mama ! . Fuck , yes , fuck , right there , Lord in heaven almighty , by the Grace of fucking God , harder ! ."

NekDih was a Child of God , who teased and mocked because that was just the way his mind was wired , who sang proudest of the congreagation when actually given the chance to interface with religion in a way that felt natural to him . SenDih understoof The Itch , knew how the slightest breeze below the belt could calm th mind in ways that might take years otherwise . His sex had no ambition , no ultimate goal , was the consequence of a throbbing in his mind that could only be abated by motion and sensation .

NekSed leaned back , hiked up her skirts , and started masturbating , half-webbed fingers with strong knuckles carefully tracing circles around her engorged clit . Her tongue felt full in her mouth , her eyes fixated on the orifice in her mother's navel that nobles received zygotes in . The desure was animal and raw . She wanted to impregnate her mother .

This was an environment that AyaShLi felt comfortable in . Surrounded by frim stone walls , lit by warm candlelight , with er family . Since the ages when they were old enough to consent , er family had been like this . Sex was as natural as taking a walk by the water .

"AaHt-fucking-De dans le tabernac de mon Dieu for the love of God , Mama , more ! Yes , fuck , harder , oh my fuckign God , please , yes !" . NekDih sang like he was in choir as he played his mother like an instrument . With the skill and precision of a concert guitarist he elicited moans that vibrated into shrieks of pleasure , and he sang along with his eyes rolled into the back of his head . "Grab my wet fucking cunt , O God of all makers and newts , knock me up with your fucking fingers until the Gates of fuckigg Heaven open wide !" .

Shakti blazing in his eyes , the Soul System of SenDih laid out plainly before him like a map , he pulled his hand away from SenDih's navel orifice and slammed it on xer chest , reaching into xer green, shining heart and finding wryts and thorns at the firthest edges , a thicket of wild energy begging to be unveiled . The thorns were harmless to him , and he fit himself into xer deepest heart like a hand fitting into a well-made glove .

SenDih's eyes went wide with glowing fluorescent energy . NekDih manifested a phallus made entirely of vital energy and pounded it into his mother . Xe didn't have an orifice down there , but he didn't need one . His sex was made of pure psychic lust and willpower . NekSed stared and masturbated and shuddered thru her first orgasm of the night . AyaShLi watched , eyes bright and intent .

Elsewhere en the convent , the sounds of shushing robes , sandaled feet moving from room to room , w quiet gasps of pleasure , and the somehow-audible sound of many ears listening with keen desire .

"Ma- Mama?" , NekDih moaned in between thrusts .

"Yeah babe?" , SenDih queried .

"Can you touch my back hole ?" .

SenDih smiled warmly . "Of course , babe . Here , scoot up a bit ." .

NekDih pantomimed pulling out like he were physically rooted within xer and scooted forward over his mother's prone body laid out on the bed wantonly . SenDih grabbed his hips and pulled him into position . NekDih moaned out loud .

"Here , up . On your knees ." .

NekDih did as his mother said .

Xe caressed his thighs , eliciting shudders of pleasure with the tiniest of brush strokes . Xer hands wove patiently around and down and under his thighs , his pubis , and probed with xer fingers , looking for his back entrance .

NekDih was a whore by trade , from a long line of whores dating back to the Houris and the Horoi of ancient days . All of his entrances were clean and well-used , and xe probed without shame or guilt . NekSed knelt next to the bed , staring with unabashed curiosity , one hand buried in her own crotch , fingers shlicking in and out , staring half-drunkenly . AyaShLi's expression never wavered , always a wide-eyed smile and nothing other to convey the interest that nevertheless kept er held fast .

Xe began with gentle pressure , padding with xer fingertips , using two fingers to massage the elastic tissue around his back hole , stroking his thigh with xer other hand . AyaShLi never moved , barely blinked , while NekSed drank in the love and sex like a bottle of fruit wine .

"Ohhhhhh my God , Mamaaa , yeeessss...!" .

SenDih smiled as much inside as outside , xer eyes black caudrons with warm fires heating them . Xer hands were patient and skilled enough to move on their own , and xe poured xer intention into xer own vessel .

"Mamaaa , please , yes! . Open me wide , make the sign of the Cross on my insides , i want to feel your holy fingers inside me !" .

The sound of activity could be heard in the hallway . Others would be coming soon .

NekSed scootched back across the floor in the small convent cell , her shoulder brushing up against AyaShLi's leg hanging over the side of the desk , her fingers plunging as far as her webbed fingers would allow , careful to light up her inner places without cutting herself on her razor talons . AyaShLi gently motioned er leg forward and back , caressing er sister's shoulder .

SenDih's padding fingers probed subtly deeper , massaging in slow, patient circles , eliciting moans that emanated from his deepest core . His eyes rolled back to the whites below the irises , his mind as wide as his mouth as wide as his well-trained holes craved wantonly to be .

"Inside , please , Mama ," NekDih begged . "Fill me with the light of the Saint , Mama please . For the love of God don't stop ." .

SenDih's manicured fingertips began to plunge deeper , xer fingers still wet with the lubricant from his front hole .

"Ohhhhhh myyy God , God yes , more! Gimme more!" .

SenDih's heart smiled , the balance of light and dark energies emanating thru xer chakras and radiating out thru xer entire body . NekSed saw Saint and Sea Witch and Mother Of Fertility all in one , one perfect , shining body , and made the sign of the Cross on her chest as she masturbated .

"Hail Mary , full of grace , the Lord is with thee ." , she intoned .

SenDih's divine hands held fast to xer son's curves , stroking his thigh with the thumb of xer off-hand as fingertips explored his insides . NekDih moaned in chorus with his sister , harmonizing his pitch without even thinking about it . His mother reached inside him , pushing thru and burying deux fingers up to the knuckle . AyaShLi soaked up the shakti like a plant absorbs sunlight , er eyes never wavering from bright interest .

"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb and blessed is the lord HaSe ." .

"Oh God Mama yes , you're inside me , my Mama's inside me , thank you God !" .

SenDih filled xer son with love , staring intently at every facial expression and compiling a map of his pleasure , wanting to bring him home . His cries of pleasure were music to xer ears , xer daughter's prayers elevating xer soul to Heaven , xer nibling's intent stare a hidden connection tying them all together .

"Pray for us sinners , now , and at the hour of our death ." .

NekDih's ass opened to SenDih's fingers , eyes white , moaning and uttering profanities and blessings like they were one and the same . SenDih's fingers orgasmed with the pleasure of xer son's warm, inviting insides wrapped around xer , well-honed muscles opening wide without clenching . Buried up to the knuckle , xer fingers danced , probing , feeling , xer mind translating the warmest, softest spots and the widest, longest moans into one clear path forward .

"Hail M-Mary , f-full of grace ," NekSed chanted , her breath becoming hitched in her chest , gasping , "the L-Lord is w-with thee ." .

NekSed's fingers traced her clit with one hand and explored her depths with the other , all quatre fingers to reaching deeper than her webbed fingers would allow . She juiced herself strongly , arms well-muscled from a lifetime of swimming making wet splashing sounds as her bodily fluids soaked the floor . AyaShLi's bobbing leg evoked the slightest of smiles , er mind fully engaged on the scene in front of er as well as the increasing moaning and gasping coming from the other rooms down the hall .

"Bless-ssed is. the fruit of thy womb and. blessed is the l-lord HaSe ." .

SenDih reached inside of NekDih and found his lower heart , his prostate , the part of him that made him open wide to the blessing of the Saint .

"Oh God yes Mama right there , touch me there , fill me with the light , i want to see the light !" .

Xe massaged with xer finger pads , reaching as deep as xe could , igniting NekDih's kundalini . NekDih lit up , body tensing like wire , vibrating and moaning , his sweat beginning to steam as it evaporated off his skin . SenDih caressed up his thigh to his hip and then his coccyx , stroking the plate of his tailbone . His head threw back , mouth and eyes wide .

"Yeeessssss Mama ! Praise the Lord and praise the Saint , praise the Gods and all the things on God's good Terra , yeeessssss Mamaaa!" .

"P-pray f-for us sin... sinners... and. and now and. at the hour. of our death ," NekSed prayed as she fucked her own hole with force .

By now , the sounds of pleasure and delight could clearly be heard from multiple rooms as a staccato chorus of gasps and screams bloomed into a vocal choir . All of their eyes burned with the resonating shakti they mutually generated , the stones of the walls made of locally-quarried granite filled with microcrystals of amethyst and quartz and goethite absorbing the reverberating sound and piezoelectrically translating it into vibration , hallowing the ground .

"Hail M-Mary , f-full of. full of grace ," NekSed's chanting became feverish as she pounded her hand into her body , her fingers spinning wild circles around her engorged clitoris . "B-blessed is the. is the fruit of thy womb and. b-blessed is. is the lord HaSe . Pray for us...! Pray for us...!"

"God bless you , my daughter ," SenDih intoned .

NekSed came .

"Mama! Mama yes!" , she screamed as she came . "I love you Mama , praise God and Lord and Saint , i love you !" .

SenDih was compleat .

"Thank you Mama , thank you God !" , NekDih chimed along with her , vibrating so fast it could barely be seen , except for a blur around his edges and the sweat steaming off his body .

SenDih plunged one more time , summoning xer qi into xer arm and then xer hand and then xer fingers , calling on long-practiced magical abilities to generate a fire-warm beacon that xe placed inside of xer son's holy body . NekDih came like an exploding star , igniting the chakras of all of them .

For a moment , all was light amidst them , all of them rising with all of their flourishing prana . SenDih left xer fingers buried inside of NekSed's ass , tracing vertical lines up and down a tailbone that was so sensitive the gossamer strokes bordered on pins and needles . AyaShLi was smiling , an unusual warmth lit within er eyes . NekSed gasped and shuddered and shivered , her clit bursting with energy that erupted in chains of explosions , her hand hovering above it , not daring to touch . All of them rose together , and all of them glided back down together .

NekDih fell forward , draping his limp limbs over his mother's willing body , his mother's fingers sliding out with a lewd plop , and let out a long and satisfied sigh . His mind was quiet , without the need for more stimulation , for the first time in some time . SenDih looked at xer other offspring to see how they were doing . NekSed was a quivering mass clutching her sibling's petaled foot and nuzzling er calf . AyaShLi smiled back with er eyes . SenDih sighed with relief and layed xer head upon xer pillow .

The music of a choir of pleasure echoed down the sacred halls .

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Red . Loud . Insistant . Now . NOW! .

SenDih came to with a gasp and suddenly-wide eyes . Red . Loud . Ache . Headache . Loud . LOUD .

The emergency light was flashing in xer eyes , the alarm beeping hard into the cabin of xer MagiTek armour . LOHTNU . LOHTNU . The ancient Esper glyphs for WARNING blaring in xer ears . Head pounding , xe reached up and touched the source of the pain . Blood . The windshield of xer armour was cracked , a splatter of blood at the epicentre of the crack . LOHTNU . LOHTNU .

The rest of xer mind , conscious suppressed , phased in . Years of training pulled xer into the instruments before xer , well-honed reflexes following thru with actions practiced thousands if not millions of times . Check the time . Compare to Action Log . Measure the drift . Minutes . Xe'd been out for nearly quinze(15) minutes . Check the map . Scrrrape! . Look up . To the left , solid rock . The whinnying sound of grinding gears , straining motors , and stressed hydraulics . Red . Loud . LOHTNU . LOHTNU . HEADACHE . Loud . Wincing thru the thick haze , xe examined the configuration of xer systems . Pulled back on the levers , cut the throttle . Must have collapsed forward on them when xe passed out . Check diagnostic . A power cell blew , phase radiation flashing bright thru the thick metal hull . Nosebleed . Xe didn't know if xe was going to be okay .

Check the map . Bottom of the canyon . Rear-view mirrors . Scorch marks on the side of xer hull . A kilometre and a half off course and facing the wrong direction . Insurgents . With explosives .

Servos whined as xe gripped the levers in front of xer and reared the massive suit of power armour around . Xe could hear the gears complaining , but they acquiesced . LOHTNU . LOHTNU . Alarm light flashing red , klaxon buzzing temperamentally in xer ears . Check diagnostic . Oxygen level critical . Release airlock . There was a loud ker-chunk followed by a hissing suction of air , the smell of ozone and burnt metal and flesh . The air was thin within the atmospheric river of the deep canyon , and xe struggled to breathe . Chest heaving , lungs wheezing with every breath . Wincing thru the pain . The red light lit on and off in front of xer . At least the klaxon had stopped shouting .

Something began to take shape in front of xer . Fifty metres in front of xer , some kind of anomaly . It was there but it wasn't there . Not so much the thing but the absence of a thing . The surroundings warped around it . Gravity lens . A tier-3 MagiTek module . No wait , not MagiTek . What was...? It looked at xer . Not with eyes or any discernable anatomy , but it looked at xer , looked thru xer , like a living void looking into a reality mirror .

"Aaah!" , SenDih shouted , suddenly sitting up in bed . Cold sweat clung to xer face . The slave crown...! was on the nightstand next to xer .

Xe leaned forward , cradling xer head en une(1) hand . Ow . Headache . No nosebleed tho . Head was fine . Ow .

The event in the dream had happened to xer more than a year ago , maybe a year and a half prior where the Returners flank was exposed and xe had the runway to unload xer magazines into xer MagiTek engines . Beam weapons and missile batteries were cool , but the best of xer tier-4 armour enhanced xer cybernetic psi abilities allowing xer to bend reality itself . The creature in the lens could have been xer , for all xe knew . There wasn't enough time to test all the components before runtime .

NekSed was asleep on half the mattress next to xer . She stirred in her sleep but didn't wake . NekDih was asleep on the floor , tail swishing back and forth in his sleep . AyaShLi was sitting upright on the desk , one leg bent in a triangle , the other dangling over the side of the desk .

E didn't speak in words , only the glances , the deep glares shared between them . It wasn't the first time e had seen er mother having post-traumatic stress symptoms . The grudge-blade that e bore was er mother's .

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 Late Spring , Early Morning .. Saint's Convent , Back Yard ___
___
A sprig of lavender . AyaShLi finds a bloom and cuts it with the tip of er sickle , places it in er medicine bag . The sky was pale grey , warm mist clinging every droplet of dew to every leaf and stalk in the yard . E walked in er own direction , ignoring the various paths and labyrinths , analytic mind flinging from bush to bush , locking on to each bushel of flowers , calling up data in terms of names, uses, myths, and growth patterns . A sprig of green onion growing next to a bush , The Kitsune And The Fox . The waxy, needle-like seeds of mustard plants that recently held clusters of yellow butterfly flowers . White tung flower at the edge of the woods . Something felt strange near the place where the taltal grass became peppered with pine trees , near a shallow creek wadi that collected the fog into a knee-tall shimmer mist .

The convent was ancient . Ruins dotted the yard in various places . Towers reduced to circles of stone , basements laid bare to the sky , a whole chapel with its ceiling caving and a tree growing at its core . E felt strongly about the tree . Silently living its own life in this holy place , the whole church build around it , reaching without trying for a light that comes and goes every day . Sometimes e would sit there , cross-legged , staring up at its branches , the sound of the wind bracing the building to the stillness therein .

The air outside was perfumed with juniper and lilac . E found a branch of cedar on the ground and thanked the tree that dropped it . Cedar tea could prevent scurvy , and mother cedar could be packed around shelter in the winter to keep in the heat . Rose was a pretty, cruel plant that made its intentions known and bloomed better with a minimal amount of touch . Bellis Perennis -- Exuberant Daisy . Taraxacum Officinale -- Dandelion Tea-Root . Feche Dill with its thin, fragrant wisps . E cut bits from this plant and that plant , pulled up flowers by their wryts , pulled off leaves and collected them in er bag . When the bag was full , e set out again in the direction of the convent , bare feet soaking in the shakti of the carpet of field grass .

E sat on a crumbled wall , pulled er pipe and sparker from er bag , and got blazed , pulling in a deep breath of incinerated plant mass . E held it , not briefly , not longly , and let it out in a billow cloud that hung in the thick mist and spread itself into a dragon . Er mother had once told er a story about xer own mother and the time a delivery from afar resulted in the death of xer mother's mist dragon , an epic spell that she had been casting since antiquity . Xer own mother had never been the same after what happened -- but SenDih had a way of looking at the world in reversE . believing that the futurE could influence the pasT . for xer , the halcyoN days of thE ancientS were a shining past to go back tO . a towerfall could a blessing bE . an apocalypse as neutral as terraforming an abandoned loT .

The tip of er bastard sword ground furrows in the dirt , leaving a perfect record of every plant e examined , the path e had taken , every rock path e had cut across . There were other furrows as well , from other weeks that e had visited er mother with er sister and er brother , each of them aged a week older than the previous .

The convent was silent when e had left the hall , and now , bodies bustled this way and that , preparing oatmeal free from husk or fleck of char , milking the cows , feeding the fowl , and lighting the many torches and candles that kept the convent warm at all hours of the day and night .

E didn't ask . E just picked up a candle and began lighting candles .

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hh! the convent people were really nice but my goodness they could be rude i mean i was only moving some stuff around i wasn't even gonna take it off the grounds probably i wasn't oh well tho that's life , ya gotta take some and give with the other , that's what i always se .

ousi the convent grounds were refugee camps and slums all around a dangerous place for someone so thin and i mean it was a dangerous world after all full of dangerous people where all kinds of things could happen i mean you could be just walking thru an alley une jour and then whoop where'd your wallet go ka lessee here , three bucks , a fiver , meh , that was okay . threw it over my shoulder i mean that's practically giving it back if they care enough to come look for it .

people in slums didn't really have a lotta money but yu can find some pretty cool stuff and i mean if yu like building stuff like ayashli does then lessee we got some metal pipe a block of wood somma those metal things yu can bind stuff with a chunk of rebar aaand hello sir did yu know yu had a chocolate bar sticking out your pocket that looks heavy there sir here i'll help relieve yu of it cha cha chaaa wunderbar nice

sometimes i feel bad for other people on the street i mean my own life isn't perfect yu gotta fight to survive and it sucks having your things go missing especially when yu just came here to have a good time and are honestly feeling so attacked right now like this guy for instance he's passed out asleep right on the sidewalk i mean look at somma this stuff there's a whole shopping cart here . pick thru , this and that , dirty rags , so well y'know i do feel like thieves' honour and all that so ahhh , pocket mirror ka nah , nah thieve's honour like i sed

anyway what time is it ka that's the thing about poor people is nobody has the time this guy's got a backpack open tho ahhh headphones! nice wait they need a plug excuse me sir! hey sir! yu dropped yr headphones there sir yu should zip up the back of yr backpack so yu don't lose them again thanks , he says , it's nice to be such a good citizen that's what mama always taught me to walk upright in the name of the Lord and if that was good enough for her it was good enough for me

hm? that sound ka somebody's yelling oh it's a preacher! preacher! preacher! hey! over here!

NekSed poured out her coin purse into the preacher's hands .

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"Forgive me Father , for i have sinned ."

Shhhhhhk . The window slides open . Mesh fence behind it .

"What have you done this time , my son? ."

Oh , correct pronouns . What a luxury .

"I had sex in an alleyway , and a man pissed in my mouth . I was doing whoring , and it was a normal day , and i'm going to town on this guy and he just. lays a stripe of yellow down my throat . And i'm like , what the fuck , dude? . Except i was at work at the time , and you can't just say that to a client . So he finishes , and zips up his pants , and i just , like , spat out as much as i could . It was really gross . So he goes around the corner , and i wait for him to go , and then i stick my finger down my mouth , and just vomit it up . Like i said , super gross . And that's what happened to me on Tuesday ,"

Silence from the metal grate .

"and then on Thursday , i bit a guy's dick off ."

"You what?!" , the Priest sputtered uncharacteristically . "I mean , sorry , my son . What did you do?"

"He was one of the guys that tried to black bag my Mama all those years ago . Threw xer in jail , tried to burn xer house down . And then when xe got out , bribed some psychics to make sure the judges and lawyers dropped the ball on game day ."

"Hail Mary , full of grace ."

"So he comes down the alleyway , and i knew him instantly . Had him pointed out enough times , yanno? . I do my shake-a shamrock thing , cos that's what i do for a living , and the motherfucker didn't know me at all . So i'm like , Hey handsome , wanna have a good time ? . And he's like , ho , yeah , do i . So we go down this alleyway , and i pull his pants down , and i start blowing him all nice and smooth and soft , right ? . And he's like , Aww, fuck yeah, take it you dirty whore . He's calling me all kinds of shit up and down , so i just. bit . I bit down as hard as i could and his dick came right off in my mouth ."

Silence from the metal grate .

"And he's screaming , there's blood everywhere , and i'm like , hot damn , time i get going . I spit the fuckin' dick out , cos what was i gonna do with it ? . And he picks it up off the sidewalk like he was cradling his wife's fuckkin miscarriage . I took off like a bat out of hell . Didn't go back to Broadblade Ave all month . Or , i guess , a couple weeks ago ."

"Any other atrocities , my son ? ."

"Naw , i think that's basically it . Other than the usual stuff ."

"My son , if not for the holiness of thy mother i would think you the spawn of the devil . I'm not sure that there are enough Hail Marys in the world to cover your expansive exploits , nor am i convinced that you would actually say them outside of a back-alley brothel . Go with God , my son . And remember that He is always watching ."

"Thank you , Father , for i am sinless ."

NekDih exited the confessional , wincing at the brightness of the meagre candlelight and dusty rays that came in thru the small stone windows .

Mama lived without sin . When asked , always professed that whatever this "sin" thing was , xe simply did not know it .

It suited him to live the same way .

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When SenDih was a little noble , in 1st Grade , xe spoke so much that xer teacher gave xer a cubicle to keep xer focused . Called it an office , sold it like it were a promotion . Xe loved that office . It made xer feel important .

When SenDih was a little noble , in 2nd Grade , xe got so little done and payed so little attention to the seriousness of the school that xer teacher put xer in a remedial class . There , xe was given some tests by Monarch Watchers .

When SenDih was a little noble , in 3rd Grade , xe was placed in a gifted school .

Xe reminisced and thought about xer life . Xer pantry was nearly bare , save for a chair xe got from the church , and a desk-height shelf where xe kept xer chalk and slate , quill and inkwell . The chalk was for when xe wasn't sure . The ink was for when xe was .

Soon , xe would be placed in a penitentiary . Xe had done everything right , capitulated only as much as xe needed to without going into excess , held xer ground , and chose to do what is upright in the way of The Lord . Yet xe was being sentenced anyway .

What might come after ? xe wondered .

"Psst . Hey ." , the door whispered . Xe turned to talk , seeing NekDih .

"Hey Kiddo . What's up ?" .

"I brought you an eclair . I mean , Elder Aurora paid for it . Well , anyway . Here you go ." . NekDih could be surprisingly shy sometimes , from a nonchalant sort of posture . The eclair was light and fluffy , glazed with a thin layer of cheap chocolate , and topped with rainbow sprinkles , came in its own little box with tiny plastic fork and knife .

"Thanks , Hun . This looks great ."

The silence hung in the air between them .

"You okay ?" , he asked .

"Yeah ," xe said automatically . It was the closest thing to a lie to come out of xer mouth . Memories flashed before xer eyes , memories of being tortured , strapped to chairs and whipped , kicked with boots , thrown in a cage . "Yeah , i'm fine ." .

"Okay ," he said , trusting xer to be true enough to xer own feelings . "You good in here ?" .

"Yeah ," xe said , a little flatly . Being strip searched , having to do embarrassing exercises in front of a guard , the random bunk searches when they would clear out any food xe managed to squirrel away between meals . "Yeah , just thinking ." .

"Cool ," he agreed , spryly . "NekSed and AyaShLi and i are gonna take the train back tomorrow . Can we have vingt credits ?" .

SenDih smiled with xer eyes just as spryly . "Here's vingt-cinq . Get some snacks when you get there ." .

NekDih smiled . "Thanks Mom . Gonna go play outside for a while . See if i can catch any fish ." .

"You had better not talk like that in front of your sister ." .

"Why not?" , he crowed . "She talks like that all the time . Ask her how she feels about the little fish people . She makes cute little blub blub noises when she talks about them . Also , can i have some white dragon weed ?" .

"Of course you can," xe agreed , handing him a distillate oil pipe .

"can i have some too ?" , the door asked .

"Of course you should ," xe agreed , welcoming xer daughter in . "What is it you have to say about the little fish people ?" .

"oh that they're just so senseless like they go around in their little fish world doing little fish people things i mean they barely even pay any attention to what's in their pockets not that that's any business of mine i mean honestly some of the things they have accused me of the rudeness of some people . but yeh basically that people mostly just follow the same paths over and over day in day out like fishes going around a little fish bowl . it makes me wanna take em to the ocean so they can all be free little fish people yanno?" .

"That's a very worthwhile pursuit ," xe mused . Xe had good memories too , memories of being on top of the world , of having everything xe ever wanted . That was an in-the-past kind of thing , but the memory warmed xer through cold, empty nights .

"maybe one day it'll come again ," NekSed said , placing her hand on her mother's . She'd had a natural aptitude for reading thoughts from a young age .

"Anyway , going outside now ," NekDih announced , handing the pipe back to NekSed and exhaling a cloud of smoke . A toke of that strength would burn the lungs . If it had any adverse effect on him , it didn't show at all . NekDih left .

NekSed kept her hand on her mother's . "hey . all of us have seen the kind of look you get in your eye . the city is hard enough , we get traumatized often enough , to know what that kind of kilometre-stare means . we're here for you , ok? . just like you were there for your Mama ." They curled fingers like chain links and held on like they meant it .

"Thanks , babe . You know how much i love you ."

NekSed smiled , a rare, soft smile . "i love you too , Mama . hey , the crew and i are gonna take the train back tomorrow . can we have vingt credits ?" .

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AyaShLi came in and found er mother sitting on a tuffet , burning plants . Interested , e entered and took a seat , naturally intuiting that e was allowed to do so . The cot bounced as the feather-light dryad plopped down on it . Er sword fit in between er shoulder and the nape of er neck .

"By these sacraments we fulfil your will , O God . May you command us in their use that we may walk upright in your ways . May those sacred voices who have been silenced unfasten their lips , that we may perfectly love you in the grace and glory of your Holy name . Fa La ." .

AyaShLi smiled , watching intently . Wisps of mana whorled around er mother , xer skin growing a lavender blush , hair seeming to move on its own . The sound of angelic choir could be heard down the hall , as it could at many hours of the day here . The omnipresent glow of candles warmed the stone itself , imparting its gentleness to all present .

E looked up , almost made eye contact . Linked er little fingers together [Sister] . Held er fingers up and then hooked them into a loose claw [Kh] . Pinched fingers of both hands towards the centre [Is] . Made a circle with forefinger and thumb with the other fingers cocked up [Okay] . A smile , like e was having fun .

With practiced care and little more pomp , SenDih took first a braid of sweetgrass and lit the tip of it on a candle . The yellow grass turned black quickly , growing glowing red cinders along its axons . The sweet smell like tame citrus began to fill the room . Xe lit it for a little while , and then set it down , small cinders burning mildly , thin wisps of smoke rising like incense sticks in reverse .

AyaShLi liked small details . The boniness of er mother's hands , the thin white yarn wrapped around the smudge stick next produced . E liked watching events unfurl , took a pronounced interest in anything e could watch from start to finish .

Taking the smudge stick in one hand , xe held it over the candle where the tip of the flame met the plant . Fire engulfed the end of the bundle of wrapped leaves and needles . The calm, hallowed smell of white sage and the soft prickliness of cedar added to the aroma in the air . Tendrils of smoke began to spread out thru the room like a reclining woman .

Reaching for the sweetgrass , e picked up the dying braid and once more held it over the candle , kneading it with er thumb to fan the fibres out wider , increasing the surface area and making for a better burn . The grass hence lit , e blew it out with elegant gentleness , an alto susurrus breathing smoke into the room like a dragon's fire .

SenDih picked up a pipe , packed it with cannabis and wormwood , and looked around the room . AyaShLi handed xer er sparker . SenDih smiled at the display of prescience -- where NekSed had a supernatural ability to read thoughts , and NekDih to push people to his will , AyaShLi had the gift of foresight .

SenDih made the sign of the Cross , and then they both partook . Relaxing , wordlessly , they smiled with their eyes .

AyaShLi produced an urn of sake .

"Whe--" SenDih almost spoke , instead tilting xer head to one side quizzically .

E shrugged . Popping the cap off , e took a deep swig , and finished it off with a dramatic wipe of er mouth on er sleeve . Almost grinning , e handed it to SenDih .

What a tricky minx . Xe took the gift accepted and had a slightly-modest draught .

Hallowing a space with plants feels different from hallowing a space with candlelight or sound . It's not like it feels warmer or colder , softer or sharper . It's more like different colours or flavours of Holiness . Mama had always raised xer kids that every manifestation of God had something to teach , from the weeping pariah to the radiant archangel . AyaShLi broke out er medicine bag and offered a few more varieties . Plants didn't have any nerve endings with which to perceive action , but they did have the consciousness to perceive intention . Whether or not a practitioner meant to harm the plant could make the difference between sanctification and desecration .

They both drank , and toked , and took turns burning sacrament . These were the kind of life experiences that kept AyaShLi coming back .

Surprise interest! . AyaShLi popped up . Palm flat on chest , then pointing at door , deux , trois [The three of us] . Index fingers touching , une goes in a straight horizontal line [taking the train] . Looks up , pointing at noon with both index fingers , une goes in a circle [tomorrow] .

SenDih interrupted , holding up xer index finger [Wait] . Reaching into xer purse , xe produced une vingt et une cinq credit note , and handed them to er [I think about your needs even when you're not around] .

E smiled with er eyes , blush already forming in er cheeks .

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Le trois d'elles celebrated that night , in the ways that felt natural to each of them .
The sound of them reverberated across le tabernac de la Dieu .

En le matin , xe waved them goodbye from the train platform .
If it made xer heart hurt every time , xe didn't show it .

Let them survive , to return un autre semaine .
Let me survive , xe thought secondarily .

After all , it was a dangerous world ,
where bad things happened to good people tout le temps .

Fin

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