Scion - Petro Campaign - Session 130
[Private Entry - Ouranos]
Last time, I left off the posse en route through Ehekatoyatl to meet with Ouranos. We darted through more jet streams, and as we did so, I grabbed Adam and pulled him along with me, spinning him around as we spiraled wildly through the turbulent winds. I was having a great time, but he was petrified that he would be flung off into the nether regions of the titanrealm, and I guess that WAS a concern…but I had him, and I had fun forcing him to live a little. (^_^) He might have been a little angry with me afterward, but only a little. It was good for him. (^_^)
Anyway, we emerged from the jet stream into a pitched battle between servants of Hurrican and Ouranos. Ouranos' giants were gliding around the endless sky while standing on smaller, cherub-like thingst. Honestly, it looked for all the world like they were flying around on cherub-skates! They were fighting more of Hurrican's sky giants, stympahlian birds, and blood clouds. We could have bypassed the whole thing, but decided to thrash Hurrican's titanspawn to make a good impression on Ouranos. Can't hurt to help preserve his forces for the fight against Mikaboshi, right?
I entranced the symphalian birds during the fight to keep them from slaughtering Cazadora again, so they spent the fight spiraling lazily around me. That's significant because, while we were fighting, Charles had an idea. He thought it would be wise to use his power to reshape shen to change one of our foes into a voluptuously beautiful woman who was eager and willing to become a love slave to Ouranos. We could use her as a gift to show our good intentions and to make Ouranos more favorable toward us.
I was appalled by the idea! I have serious issues with the remaking a person to start with. And yeah, it has its legitimate uses, like when Charles turned Amy from a ghost into an earth kami. He changed what she was, but not who she was. What he was proposing now was making a fully sentient being into rape-bait for a titan! It made me ill just to think about it, and I wept inside because I feared that we had lost Charles to the corruption of Taiyi.
When I shouted all that in the midst of battle, Charles seemed to relent, but then he suggested altering one of the stymphalian birds. They aren't sentient 'cause they're basically animals, so that made it okay, right?
NO! It didn't! But Charles went ahead and did it anyway. Fortunately, when he saw the beautiful, sweet, submissive Chinese beauty he created and realized that now she was a sentient, thinking, feeling person, he was immediately struck with shame for even considering the plan. I was relieved to see that Charles was still Charles.
I took the girl he'd created under my wing and tried to look after her for the rest of our excursion. Charles was sweet to her too. He named her Sky Sparrow (in Chinese, but we've just been calling her Sky Sparrow in English). I think once we get back home, he's going to tone down her divine beauty (so it doesn't rival Sera's) and remove her sexually submissive impulses so that she can be a nanny for Henry and Elizabeth. I suppose we should turn her back into a stymphalian bird, but then we would be forced to slay her, and I don't think any of us want that. If she had been a sentient creature to begin with, I'd probably still have a problem with this…but since she was simply an animal before, I can live with it. Besides, she is and absolute sweetie. (^_^) And beautiful, with a lithe, graceful body, long, flowing black hair, and generous curves.
Adam proved what a calculating, unfeeling jerk he is by essentially saying that Charles had made Sky Sparrow from an animal to be a love slave, and that she'd be happy about it because that's how she was made, so there shouldn't be a problem. Man, sometimes Adam just infuriates me! I told Sky Sparrow to watch out for heartless bastards like him.
Anyway…
We eventually found our way to Ouranos' abode, a vast, floating Greek palace borne on majestic clouds. It was heavily guarded. Adam transformed into a wasp and hid in Charles' hair while Charles and Pierre entered the palace, leaving Elisa, Abigail, me, and Sky Sparrow a safe distance away where we wouldn't attract the titan's attention. Charles also left a copy of himself outside so that, if it really became necessary, he could teleport in with Sky Sparrow. But I don't know that I would have actually let that happen. (>_<) And Pierre and Abigail seemed pretty upset with the idea too, so I'm pretty sure he would have backed me up.
The negotiations went well. Ouranos was gracious and interested in helping us, but he did have one condition. He was worried that his other enemies might take the opportunity to attack his realm while his forces were diverted elsewhere, and needed some assurance that Tuisco, an odd titan who aspires to become the Aesir god Tyr (uh, seriously?), would not seize the opportunity to strike.
Outside the palace, we discussed our options. We could track down Tuisco and try to make a deal with him, but I wasn't really keen on making deals with yet another titan, especially not one who is so obviously crazy and obsessed. So I suggested that Abigail (whom we've taken to sometimes calling A-Bone) could use her vast powers of illusion to make it seem that Ouranos' forces were still defending his realm at full strength. Charles conveyed the idea to Ouranos, who seemed pleased with the solution and pledged his support to Melanthea's cause. Yay! (^_^)
Okay, so according to Pierre, Ouranos is a right bastard. Sure, he screws nymphs day and night, but they're into that and wouldn't hang around if they didn't want to. But the titan also has a beautiful giantess - who happens to be the princess of Hurrican's sky giants - leashed with a chain to his throne. She's barely clad and is obviously his unwilling sex slave. Ouranos is such a pig. Sure, his forces will be helpful in taking down Mikaboshi, but I don't like him. Dealing with Erebus has turned out to be lovely, and has shown me that some titans can actually be sensitive, loving people. But dealing with Ouranos feels like making a deal with the devil, and if he ever tries to claim my Melanthea, I'll…well, I don't know what I'll do. But he'll pay.
[End entry]
[Private Entry - A Personal Backup]
So, Adam, A-Bone, and Charles came up with an amazing plan for me. They were a little inspired by Marishiten's ideas, but I like their version a hell of a lot better.
Basically, we're all a bit worried that when I go and meet Ama-no-Zaku, I'll be corrupted and will become a servant of Mikaboshi. The seeds for that corruption are already inside me, in my taint. I'm confident I can resist the lure of Mikaboshi's darkness, but I'd rather be safe that sorry. So we decided that Charles should transform one of my copies into something else - a statue or object of some kind, using reshape shen. This would allow that part of me remain free of any sort of corruption, and should I fall hopelessly into Mikaboshi's clutches, then they can slaughter the other copies of me, then change the "safe" me back into…well…me. Basically, it's an emergency backup. Sounds great…as long as I can actually be recovered…
Anyway, it seems like a good plan, and I trust Adam and Charles. So they've transformed one of my copies and are currently out hiding it somewhere. I have no idea where they're hiding me or even what they made me into, though when the current crisis is over, Charles is going to change it into a beautiful statue of me to be secretly placed in my personal Shrine in Takamagahara. (^_^)
[End entry]
[Private Entry - The Heart of Darkness]
I can feel it. I can feel my victory over Mikaboshi growing so close that I can almost grasp it! The me in Soku-no-Kumi has just crossed the biggest obstacle toward fulfilling our plans: I saved Ama-no-Zaku from Mikaboshi's clutches, and secured her allegiance in defeating her cruel master. Still, Mikaboshi is far from beaten, and the worst could still happen. But it won't. I know it.
The time for me to fulfill my big part in the plan had come. As Melanthea's emissary, I was escorted to Huehueteotl's realm by an entourage of nocturnes. The lead nocturne was a gorgeous, lithe silhouette with long hair that flows in silken-black strands beyond her waist and seemed to almost float sinuously, sensually around her as she moved. I got the distinct impression that her hair was somehow animate, like a kejourou youkai from Japanese myth. Melanthea gave her a Japanese name, Kinuya, which means something like Silk-Night in Japanese, though it's an oddly composed name. I suppose you could also translate it creatively as black silk. Sexy, huh? (^_^) Anyway, Kinuya is very attractive and charismatic, and we got along famously. She was quite curious about me; we've met on several occasions, but never conversed at length before now. She seemed eager to learn more about her creator's mother. She shared with me her impressions of how much Melanthea looks up to me. It warmed my heart to hear about that. :-) She would like someday to meet my shikome and my other servants. Melanthea has mentioned them from time to time, and Kinuya gets the feeling that Melanthea wishes to surround herself with the same sort of "familial entourage" that I do. Perhaps that means she is concerned with harmony, which is one of the virtues I've tried to instill in her.
We eventually arrived at our destination. Huehueteotl is a bent, ancient old blind man, yet his apparent frailty hides a potent strength that I could sense as I shared daughter's greetings (and my own, of course). His realm was a cavernous Aztec tomb, and was full of emaciated, eyeless undead and beastly, eye-plucking crows. It was beautiful yet terrifying, and I didn't like the way the crows were staring hungrily at my eyes.
After the formal greetings were over, I retired to the chambers he provided for me. I was free to wander most areas of the realm, and so I did just that off and on throughout the next day in between meetings with Huehueteotl to discuss Melanthea's interests. Of course I hope to run across Ama-no-Zaku, whom I was certain would arrive shortly on Mikaboshi's. After all, she wants me, badly. And so does her master.
Ama-no-Zaku arrived as Mikaboshi's emissary in good time, and it wasn't long before she found me. We approached each other eagerly but cautiously. We exchanged formal greetings, then Ama-no-Zaku said that she wanted to show me around the realm; in her words, she wanted to "show me the ropes." I sensed a double entendre, and realized that she didn't just want me, she wanted to dominate and possess me.
So I let her. She guided me to her chambers and I allowed her to seduce me. She bound and took me. I gotta admit, it was the most intense bondage experience I've ever had. It felt…good to submit. But I walked a delicate line between submission and complete and utter surrender to Mikaboshi's darkness. Ama-no-Zaku tried to lure me into her world, and I pretended to let her, all the while enjoying both the helplessness of submission and the power that comes with allowing someone to dominate me, knowing that her control was subject to my desires.
After we had sated our lusts, we lay together on her bed. She held me tightly as though she never wanted to let go…but it was not the same sort of tender possessiveness I've experienced in the arms of my wives. It was selfish ownership. Nevertheless, her domination of me drew forth a feeling of attachment and loyalty that was hard to ignore. She whispered to me, telling me that she would not let Mikaboshi have me. She would take me somewhere safe, somewhere only she could have me, and she would kill all my copies so that I was hers alone.
I played along and adjusted my position so that I could kiss her mask and tenderly stroke the scars that latticed her throat and shoulders. I told her that I promised to save her, and had not forgotten that promise. Then, while she was vulnerable and receptive, I kissed her mask and drove the tainted kami from it, rendering it powerless. I lifted it from her face, revealing the pale, disfigured flesh underneath, and tossed the mask aside.
Ama-no-Zaku screamed at the sudden absence of the mask's torment, madly clutching her face and staggering out of bed. I gently guided her back, pulling her into my arms and stroking her hair to calm her. Eventually, she calmed down, but continued to shudder as she faced the absence of Mikaboshi's will. I felt new hope flood into her, but her uncertainty kept it from overflowing. She was anxious and bewildered, so I did my best to comfort her.
At that point, it was all or nothing, so I shared with her the plan. I told her that we would have to maintain the illusion that she still served Mikaboshi, at least long enough to lure him into attacking Takamagahara. If she chooses to remain subject to Mikaboshi's will, then our plan will fail, but I know she will grasp this chance at redemption, follow me back into the good graces of Takamagahara, and help me defeat Mikaboshi.
She seemed anxious about the fate of the Amatsukami in the battle to come, or so I thought at first. And perhaps she IS worried that some of her fellow gods might be slain in the fight against Mikaboshi. But then I realized that though she might be on the path to redemption, darkness still clutches at her heart. She wants her father, Susano-o, to die, for she blames him for her imprisonment and torture in Soku-no-Kumi. And she wants Amaterasu to die so that she can have me for herself. I worry about what she might do in the battle, but we need her. And I will purify her. When she has been cleansed of the tainted darkness, hopefully she will forget such vengeful and jealous desires. I'll also ask Charles to use Taiyi to remove her scars and make her beautiful again like she once was. It might seem shallow, but I think it will help.
But things might be complicated even then. She loves me. She might even need me. And though I care for her enough to risk my own soul to save her, I'm not in love with her, and don't intend to become her lover. I fear, however, that rejecting her might undo the good I've done in saving her. Maybe once she's been purified, her old sense of righteous duty will replace her titan ambitions, and all will be well. I can tell myself that, right?
[End entry]
Last time, I left off the posse en route through Ehekatoyatl to meet with Ouranos. We darted through more jet streams, and as we did so, I grabbed Adam and pulled him along with me, spinning him around as we spiraled wildly through the turbulent winds. I was having a great time, but he was petrified that he would be flung off into the nether regions of the titanrealm, and I guess that WAS a concern…but I had him, and I had fun forcing him to live a little. (^_^) He might have been a little angry with me afterward, but only a little. It was good for him. (^_^)
Anyway, we emerged from the jet stream into a pitched battle between servants of Hurrican and Ouranos. Ouranos' giants were gliding around the endless sky while standing on smaller, cherub-like thingst. Honestly, it looked for all the world like they were flying around on cherub-skates! They were fighting more of Hurrican's sky giants, stympahlian birds, and blood clouds. We could have bypassed the whole thing, but decided to thrash Hurrican's titanspawn to make a good impression on Ouranos. Can't hurt to help preserve his forces for the fight against Mikaboshi, right?
I entranced the symphalian birds during the fight to keep them from slaughtering Cazadora again, so they spent the fight spiraling lazily around me. That's significant because, while we were fighting, Charles had an idea. He thought it would be wise to use his power to reshape shen to change one of our foes into a voluptuously beautiful woman who was eager and willing to become a love slave to Ouranos. We could use her as a gift to show our good intentions and to make Ouranos more favorable toward us.
I was appalled by the idea! I have serious issues with the remaking a person to start with. And yeah, it has its legitimate uses, like when Charles turned Amy from a ghost into an earth kami. He changed what she was, but not who she was. What he was proposing now was making a fully sentient being into rape-bait for a titan! It made me ill just to think about it, and I wept inside because I feared that we had lost Charles to the corruption of Taiyi.
When I shouted all that in the midst of battle, Charles seemed to relent, but then he suggested altering one of the stymphalian birds. They aren't sentient 'cause they're basically animals, so that made it okay, right?
NO! It didn't! But Charles went ahead and did it anyway. Fortunately, when he saw the beautiful, sweet, submissive Chinese beauty he created and realized that now she was a sentient, thinking, feeling person, he was immediately struck with shame for even considering the plan. I was relieved to see that Charles was still Charles.
I took the girl he'd created under my wing and tried to look after her for the rest of our excursion. Charles was sweet to her too. He named her Sky Sparrow (in Chinese, but we've just been calling her Sky Sparrow in English). I think once we get back home, he's going to tone down her divine beauty (so it doesn't rival Sera's) and remove her sexually submissive impulses so that she can be a nanny for Henry and Elizabeth. I suppose we should turn her back into a stymphalian bird, but then we would be forced to slay her, and I don't think any of us want that. If she had been a sentient creature to begin with, I'd probably still have a problem with this…but since she was simply an animal before, I can live with it. Besides, she is and absolute sweetie. (^_^) And beautiful, with a lithe, graceful body, long, flowing black hair, and generous curves.
Adam proved what a calculating, unfeeling jerk he is by essentially saying that Charles had made Sky Sparrow from an animal to be a love slave, and that she'd be happy about it because that's how she was made, so there shouldn't be a problem. Man, sometimes Adam just infuriates me! I told Sky Sparrow to watch out for heartless bastards like him.
Anyway…
We eventually found our way to Ouranos' abode, a vast, floating Greek palace borne on majestic clouds. It was heavily guarded. Adam transformed into a wasp and hid in Charles' hair while Charles and Pierre entered the palace, leaving Elisa, Abigail, me, and Sky Sparrow a safe distance away where we wouldn't attract the titan's attention. Charles also left a copy of himself outside so that, if it really became necessary, he could teleport in with Sky Sparrow. But I don't know that I would have actually let that happen. (>_<) And Pierre and Abigail seemed pretty upset with the idea too, so I'm pretty sure he would have backed me up.
The negotiations went well. Ouranos was gracious and interested in helping us, but he did have one condition. He was worried that his other enemies might take the opportunity to attack his realm while his forces were diverted elsewhere, and needed some assurance that Tuisco, an odd titan who aspires to become the Aesir god Tyr (uh, seriously?), would not seize the opportunity to strike.
Outside the palace, we discussed our options. We could track down Tuisco and try to make a deal with him, but I wasn't really keen on making deals with yet another titan, especially not one who is so obviously crazy and obsessed. So I suggested that Abigail (whom we've taken to sometimes calling A-Bone) could use her vast powers of illusion to make it seem that Ouranos' forces were still defending his realm at full strength. Charles conveyed the idea to Ouranos, who seemed pleased with the solution and pledged his support to Melanthea's cause. Yay! (^_^)
Okay, so according to Pierre, Ouranos is a right bastard. Sure, he screws nymphs day and night, but they're into that and wouldn't hang around if they didn't want to. But the titan also has a beautiful giantess - who happens to be the princess of Hurrican's sky giants - leashed with a chain to his throne. She's barely clad and is obviously his unwilling sex slave. Ouranos is such a pig. Sure, his forces will be helpful in taking down Mikaboshi, but I don't like him. Dealing with Erebus has turned out to be lovely, and has shown me that some titans can actually be sensitive, loving people. But dealing with Ouranos feels like making a deal with the devil, and if he ever tries to claim my Melanthea, I'll…well, I don't know what I'll do. But he'll pay.
[End entry]
[Private Entry - A Personal Backup]
So, Adam, A-Bone, and Charles came up with an amazing plan for me. They were a little inspired by Marishiten's ideas, but I like their version a hell of a lot better.
Basically, we're all a bit worried that when I go and meet Ama-no-Zaku, I'll be corrupted and will become a servant of Mikaboshi. The seeds for that corruption are already inside me, in my taint. I'm confident I can resist the lure of Mikaboshi's darkness, but I'd rather be safe that sorry. So we decided that Charles should transform one of my copies into something else - a statue or object of some kind, using reshape shen. This would allow that part of me remain free of any sort of corruption, and should I fall hopelessly into Mikaboshi's clutches, then they can slaughter the other copies of me, then change the "safe" me back into…well…me. Basically, it's an emergency backup. Sounds great…as long as I can actually be recovered…
Anyway, it seems like a good plan, and I trust Adam and Charles. So they've transformed one of my copies and are currently out hiding it somewhere. I have no idea where they're hiding me or even what they made me into, though when the current crisis is over, Charles is going to change it into a beautiful statue of me to be secretly placed in my personal Shrine in Takamagahara. (^_^)
[End entry]
[Private Entry - The Heart of Darkness]
I can feel it. I can feel my victory over Mikaboshi growing so close that I can almost grasp it! The me in Soku-no-Kumi has just crossed the biggest obstacle toward fulfilling our plans: I saved Ama-no-Zaku from Mikaboshi's clutches, and secured her allegiance in defeating her cruel master. Still, Mikaboshi is far from beaten, and the worst could still happen. But it won't. I know it.
The time for me to fulfill my big part in the plan had come. As Melanthea's emissary, I was escorted to Huehueteotl's realm by an entourage of nocturnes. The lead nocturne was a gorgeous, lithe silhouette with long hair that flows in silken-black strands beyond her waist and seemed to almost float sinuously, sensually around her as she moved. I got the distinct impression that her hair was somehow animate, like a kejourou youkai from Japanese myth. Melanthea gave her a Japanese name, Kinuya, which means something like Silk-Night in Japanese, though it's an oddly composed name. I suppose you could also translate it creatively as black silk. Sexy, huh? (^_^) Anyway, Kinuya is very attractive and charismatic, and we got along famously. She was quite curious about me; we've met on several occasions, but never conversed at length before now. She seemed eager to learn more about her creator's mother. She shared with me her impressions of how much Melanthea looks up to me. It warmed my heart to hear about that. :-) She would like someday to meet my shikome and my other servants. Melanthea has mentioned them from time to time, and Kinuya gets the feeling that Melanthea wishes to surround herself with the same sort of "familial entourage" that I do. Perhaps that means she is concerned with harmony, which is one of the virtues I've tried to instill in her.
We eventually arrived at our destination. Huehueteotl is a bent, ancient old blind man, yet his apparent frailty hides a potent strength that I could sense as I shared daughter's greetings (and my own, of course). His realm was a cavernous Aztec tomb, and was full of emaciated, eyeless undead and beastly, eye-plucking crows. It was beautiful yet terrifying, and I didn't like the way the crows were staring hungrily at my eyes.
After the formal greetings were over, I retired to the chambers he provided for me. I was free to wander most areas of the realm, and so I did just that off and on throughout the next day in between meetings with Huehueteotl to discuss Melanthea's interests. Of course I hope to run across Ama-no-Zaku, whom I was certain would arrive shortly on Mikaboshi's. After all, she wants me, badly. And so does her master.
Ama-no-Zaku arrived as Mikaboshi's emissary in good time, and it wasn't long before she found me. We approached each other eagerly but cautiously. We exchanged formal greetings, then Ama-no-Zaku said that she wanted to show me around the realm; in her words, she wanted to "show me the ropes." I sensed a double entendre, and realized that she didn't just want me, she wanted to dominate and possess me.
So I let her. She guided me to her chambers and I allowed her to seduce me. She bound and took me. I gotta admit, it was the most intense bondage experience I've ever had. It felt…good to submit. But I walked a delicate line between submission and complete and utter surrender to Mikaboshi's darkness. Ama-no-Zaku tried to lure me into her world, and I pretended to let her, all the while enjoying both the helplessness of submission and the power that comes with allowing someone to dominate me, knowing that her control was subject to my desires.
After we had sated our lusts, we lay together on her bed. She held me tightly as though she never wanted to let go…but it was not the same sort of tender possessiveness I've experienced in the arms of my wives. It was selfish ownership. Nevertheless, her domination of me drew forth a feeling of attachment and loyalty that was hard to ignore. She whispered to me, telling me that she would not let Mikaboshi have me. She would take me somewhere safe, somewhere only she could have me, and she would kill all my copies so that I was hers alone.
I played along and adjusted my position so that I could kiss her mask and tenderly stroke the scars that latticed her throat and shoulders. I told her that I promised to save her, and had not forgotten that promise. Then, while she was vulnerable and receptive, I kissed her mask and drove the tainted kami from it, rendering it powerless. I lifted it from her face, revealing the pale, disfigured flesh underneath, and tossed the mask aside.
Ama-no-Zaku screamed at the sudden absence of the mask's torment, madly clutching her face and staggering out of bed. I gently guided her back, pulling her into my arms and stroking her hair to calm her. Eventually, she calmed down, but continued to shudder as she faced the absence of Mikaboshi's will. I felt new hope flood into her, but her uncertainty kept it from overflowing. She was anxious and bewildered, so I did my best to comfort her.
At that point, it was all or nothing, so I shared with her the plan. I told her that we would have to maintain the illusion that she still served Mikaboshi, at least long enough to lure him into attacking Takamagahara. If she chooses to remain subject to Mikaboshi's will, then our plan will fail, but I know she will grasp this chance at redemption, follow me back into the good graces of Takamagahara, and help me defeat Mikaboshi.
She seemed anxious about the fate of the Amatsukami in the battle to come, or so I thought at first. And perhaps she IS worried that some of her fellow gods might be slain in the fight against Mikaboshi. But then I realized that though she might be on the path to redemption, darkness still clutches at her heart. She wants her father, Susano-o, to die, for she blames him for her imprisonment and torture in Soku-no-Kumi. And she wants Amaterasu to die so that she can have me for herself. I worry about what she might do in the battle, but we need her. And I will purify her. When she has been cleansed of the tainted darkness, hopefully she will forget such vengeful and jealous desires. I'll also ask Charles to use Taiyi to remove her scars and make her beautiful again like she once was. It might seem shallow, but I think it will help.
But things might be complicated even then. She loves me. She might even need me. And though I care for her enough to risk my own soul to save her, I'm not in love with her, and don't intend to become her lover. I fear, however, that rejecting her might undo the good I've done in saving her. Maybe once she's been purified, her old sense of righteous duty will replace her titan ambitions, and all will be well. I can tell myself that, right?
[End entry]