Dear Diary,

"Agency, Egalitarianism, Redemption,

Consent, Equality, Restoration,

Try, Evaluate, Retry."

- Doctrine of Tabitha, Introduction

Yeah, I'm writing a book. Me, Tabitha Diaz, dumbass so epic I got dying wrong when I got shot in the head. Not just any book, either, but a whole Holy Text and shit.

Totally Saffron's idea. Okay, that's not fair. But I'm gonna blame her. What with most of my 'making her pay for the things I'm blaming her for' being 'doing shit she loves', I don't think she'll mind so much. I did get the idea during a conversation with her.

Yesterday was... Epic. Mythic. Legendary. Maybe even literally in all three cases. If there was anything left of my mental block as regards intimacy with Saffron while she's fully shapeshifted, that shit got shattered as fuck along with my pelvis. Yeah, no, she did not in fact shatter my pelvis, but Aphrodite's bed-throne thing? I think somewhere in there it exploded, like stuff thrown under a hydraulic press. The raised dais went the same way. We discovered that there was, in fact, some kind of room under the dais, but fuck if I know what it was, because at that point Saffron and I'd seen Karen get the last bystanders out of the room, and shit got real. I know the roof came down, because I vaguely remember big chunks of stone dropping. I think I swatted one away that was gonna squish us? I'm not sure? What I do remember is the sheer screaming terror that shot through me when I heard Ice Pop squealing, screaming, and giggling. Almost killed the mood until I glanced through her eyes and realized that she had, in fact, jumped into her fuckin' fear fetish with both feet, and Marie was literally fucking carrying her through the rain of giant chunks of stone, letting them miss her by margins so thin I think both of them lost some hair.

Probably said something about my state of mind that my entire judgement at that point was 'okay, yeah, glad they're having fun."

I floated back to myself lying on a slab of the roof, staring up at the stars overhead. Groans of complicated settling echoed through the Temple, or the ruins of the Temple, really. Somewhere nearby Siobhan was... singing? A lullaby, or something else sweet and soothing and light. "You okay, Ice Pop?"

"Wonderful!" she sang, maybe a little breathy, and the acoustics were shit, but other than maybe being lightheaded she sounded fine.

I realized just then that the stone underneath me had come from the ceiling, unless the roof had the same fancy scrollwork as the ceiling. Saffron lay atop me, head pillowed on my breasts, panting interspersed with snores. I ran my hands gently over her shoulders, tentacles going further down her back where I couldn't reach, until just above her hips I hit another roof slab lying atop her, atop us, cracked and leaning to either side. "Holy shit, Kitten. Are you okay?"

"Mmm... Wonderful, love."

"Can you feel your legs?"

She stirred a little, but didn't get her head around enough to look at me. "Dunno. Don't care."

"Little worried about you, Kitten."

She nuzzled me, smiling. "Aww... why?"

"There's a couple tons of stone lying across your ass." She broke down into giggling snickers. "What?"

"Your word salad got almost coherent at one point. Something about 'harder' and 'deeper'."

"And?"

She snorted, trying not to lose her shit laughing. "That was almost, but not quite, hard enough, apparently."

I just stared at the top of her head. "A multi-ton slab of roof stone breaking across your ass was 'almost hard enough'?"

She looked up, pure hilarity in her eyes, and said, "oh, no. That wasn't what broke it. But when it tipped over onto us, that gave you ideas. You hammering on it with your tentacles is what broke it."

I closed my eyes and stared sightlessly up at the stars. "Fuck."

"And a couple walls, I think."

"Double fuck."

"Oh, I'm fairly certain you cracked the foundations as well."

I just sighed and shook my head. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She volleyed my sigh back to me, shook her head, and set her hands to either side of my waist. She heaved, making me twitch as she disengaged, and both halves of the slab on top of us shifted up like a foot. "Uh, love?"

"Yeah, Kitten?"

"Could you perhaps move these? I'm really not... The angle's bad." I couldn't help it, I laughed, reached out with a few tentacles, got a good grip and slowly flipped them over. As I did, I levered myself up so I could see where they'd be landing. Once I confirmed both landing areas were clear, I shoved them over, then pulled Saffron up to me so I could confirm that her mouth was also, in perfect working order. When I let her go she pushed away, smiling at me. "How are you feeling?"

I took a moment to take stock. "Little sore. I don't think anybody intended for this ceiling to be used as a bed. For any bed related uses. Think I maybe scuffed the paint a little, but I'm not sure anybody'll notice with all the scars."

"I will."

We lost another little bit to liplock, and I absolutely refused to be upset about that. I chuckled when I realized what was wrong-ish. "I'm uh... not anxious."

It took her a second, at which point she leaned back. "Who are you and what have you done with Tabitha?"

I laughed. "Okay, fine, smart ass. Boy please?" She got maybe a little tense, and I asked, "what's wrong?"

"Remember that comment you made? 'That thing's like a stupidity amplifier'?"

"I think I said horniness."

She shrugged. "Yes, well. Up until you gave me permission, I had inhibitions. But here? Now? With the sounds and smells of a Revel wafting over us? The crater we caused reeking of you? I'm not sure I could hold myself back."

I hooked my ankles behind her thighs. "Kinda exactly why I was asking. Boy mode. One shot. Please?"

She flopped on top of me, panting, a few minutes later. "That was two."

"One. By. My. Count," she panted out, and I laughed into her hair.

"Yeah, I could eat, and would, but for the first time in god knows how long I'm not hungry."

I'm sure I don't know that.

Well that's not real helpful.

Apologies, daughter.

Nah, don't worry about it, Dad. Mom says you're still the best.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I know.

Meanwhile Saffron snuggled up to me, smiling. "You mean I satiated the insatiable?"

I pulled her up for another quick kiss. "I said I could still eat. But... yeah? I guess? I'm definitely satisfied." I looked around, and frowned. "Shit. I finally own some property with an actual building on it, and now it's wrecked."

She shrugged. "It was sort of a wreck anyhow, love."

"Yeah, but... people used it. Liked it." She shook her head. "No? Who were all the people in here when we got here?"

She frowned. "Don't remind me. Karen let her get away." When I raised an eyebrow, she explained. "Almost everyone in the Temple when Aphrodite is in residence is either a wealthy benefactor or an... 'employee'."

"I got nothing against sex workers, Kitten."

"Oh, I've nothing against them either, but I for one think they should be paid. In more than room, board, and the continued survival of their loved ones."

"Shit. Fuck. Goddammit." She looked at me, and I shook my head. "Every time I think 'oh, hey, maybe some part of something Doesn't Suck', along comes one of the local head honchos to prove me wrong." I sighed. "But..." When Saffron cocked her head, looking at me sideways, I finished, "Alexandra sounds too dumb to really be evil."

She opened her mouth, closed it, then after thinking a moment said, "vast amounts of evil has been done by stupid men. And women."

"Well, yeah, but she doesn't even seem like one of them. Just... some bimbo who's too stupid to fuck up Aphrodite's shit when she's not being sock puppetted. Fuck, if Aphrodite is anything like the rest of her family, I wouldn't be surprised if she hasn't done some serious brain damage to the poor bitch."

Saffron sighed, then smiled softly at me. "Even your worst enemies, who have violated your most sacred principles, you would be merciful to." She kissed me gently. "Just another reason I love you."

Another chunk of the roof fell, and about halfway down I saw Marie and Siobhan disappear off of it. "Shit, I think we've created a monster."

"She'll fit right in then. A kind, gentle monster whose only crime is wanting to be happy and make others happy in turn."

"I... I do worse than that and you know it."

She nodded, closing her eyes as she did. "But if you could choose, that's who you would be, would it not?"

"Yeah. Yeah, maybe you're right." I pushed myself upright, slipping Saffron around into my lap. "How are we gonna fix this?"

Saffron shrugged. "I could give you plans and have Karen implement them, but I'm not sure I'm really up to designing décor appropriate for a Temple of 'Love'."

"Yeah. I think I'd like it to be more 'Love' and less 'Lust', while we're at it." She just stared at me, obviously fighting to hold her laughter in. I shook my head. "Ice Pop! Murder Mittens! Finish up and rally on me when you're done!" I snuggled Saffron; we'd worked up a bit of a sweat, and the night air had taken a bit of a chilly turn. A few moments later Marie let out an echoing roar, and before it died down the two of them stood in front of us, grinning like drunk idiot teenagers. I waved them over, and Marie dropped Siobhan on Saffron's lap, then swung herself around to sit behind me, wrapping her legs around us and leaning against my back.

"Did you need something, Hero?" I shot her a little side eye, and Siobhan smiled, leaned in, and whispered, "Ta. Bi. Tha," in my ear.

I smiled and nodded. "Tell me I'm not stupid for wanting this place to be more about, y'know, love? Actual intimacy? And not just getting off?"

She looked around at the devastation of a building shaken to pieces by, well, exactly that, snorted once, then said, "No, Tabitha. Not in the slightest. No matter how silly it sounds with you sitting here in a temple you ruined that way, there is no shame or stupidity in wanting to be about more than just carnal desire. And yet..."

"What?"

She cocked her head and asked, "Is it so bad? Oh, I know the excesses of Aphrodite needed to end, but," she smiled, blushing and wobbling a little, laying her head on my shoulder. "I cannot find it in myself to find anything wrong with anything we've done over these past few days." I looked around, waved one hand at the devastation that had been a crappy, but functional Temple a few hours ago. She followed my gesture, then just laughed. "That just proves my point, my beloved Hero."

Before I could say anything, Saffron chimed in. "I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're absolutely correct, Sister."

Then Marie growled, "Truth." in my ear.

"Okay, okay, when everybody I trust to be wiser, smarter, and more experienced than me agrees, I think it's my job to shut up and listen to you explain. So. Explain."

Saffron nodded to Siobhan, who smiled and said, "when Karen claimed this place, it was a broken shell of itself, a place once dedicated to sybaritic luxury and physical pleasure, which had become corrupted and decrepit due to Aphrodite's appetites." When I frowned, she said, "not her appetite for pleasure, mind you. Her appetite for control. For degradation. For abuse." She waited, and when I nodded my understanding, she said, "and then... You. You and Saffron. Passion. Ecstasy. Yes, sex, but sex as... as it should be?"

"YES." Marie didn't often raise her voice, but that one word made my head vibrate.

"A wild celebration of the physical aspect of love. Of your attraction and desire for one another." She paused, and I waved around the room. "Yes, Hero. The Temple of Oppression, of Degradation of Abuse? Literally could not stand in the face of your Passion, your Ecstasy, your Joy."

I blinked. I hadn't really thought about it like that. I wanted to argue that in a literal sense, we fucked the Temple to pieces, but... shit, that was some absolutely passionate, ecstatic, joyous fucking, and if my quick glimpses earlier were anything to go by, the place was pretty much what Siobhan described. "Okay. Okay, yeah, I guess I can see that." I smirked. "I mean, I sure as shit ain't gonna apologize for getting my ashes so expertly hauled by my Kitten here. But how are we gonna rebuild it?"

"As I said, managing the construction is properly the duty of your Highest Priestess. The design... if I might suggest?"

"Shit, Kitten. Hit me, anything you suggest has got to be better than me trying to come up with a plan."

She flicked my forehead. "Says the woman who planned the Liberation of Calverton. But... Conrad."

"Conrad."

"Simply tell him that this is to be your Temple. Your architectural representation in the Mortal Realm. I can't see him designing something less than perfect."

I sagged. "I'm gonna wind up with a brothel."

All three of them laughed. "But one of a much higher quality, and if you want it to be otherwise, simply tell him that."

"Yeah, it's still gonna be the House of Sex."

Saffron nodded. "So it will be. But not just sex. Just like you are not just our lover."

"No?"

All three of them glared at me. Okay, I assumed Marie did, from the pinpricks in my lats. "No, Goof. You are our Goddess. Our Wife. Our Protector, Defender, Avenger when need be. You are our strength, our joy, our love." She reached around the back of Siobhan's neck, pushed her face into the side of my neck, then leaned into me as Marie's jaws closed on my other shoulder. "And yes, you are our lover." She kissed me, and for an endless moment the world was nothing but lips and teeth and skin and fur and warmth.

When we came up for air, Karen stood on the nearest flat stable surface, waiting. I held up one finger, turned to Saffron, and said, "okay. Yeah. Karen to organize shit, Conrad to design the new place, but how are we gonna pay for all of it?"

Karen started to say something, stopped, and I looked up and waved for her to go on. "This... this is a Temple." When I just looked at her, she said, "Tithes. The faithful tithe."

I frowned. "Yeah... I don't feel right about that. Just taking people's money because we're on top of the heap."

She shrugged. "It is how things are done."

"Yeah. Not good enough. I... I get taxes. People pay taxes, the government provides services. Guards. Roads. Heroes. But... tithes? What the fuck are we gonna give them?" Karen worked her jaw without talking, maybe getting a little red in the face, and I said, "yeah, I got no problem with sex work, but I'm not a pimp. Or a Madam."

Saffron shrugged. "The better class of both provide services to the workers. Physical protection is the most common. Prostitution does not lend itself to wearing armor, and sex professionals often wind up in compromising positions. But if someone nearby is ready and willing to do violence to anyone who harms the prostitute, their clients are far less likely to take advantage of that."

I sighed. "Okay. Okay, yeah, I guess once we rebuild we can, I dunno, rent out rooms. Lockers. Shit, there was a bar here. Maybe we can run a restaurant? I'm not against any of that, but that doesn't give us anything right now, and I really don't want to go into debt to rebuild the place. I mean, I will if we have to. People need their Temples, I guess? But..."

At that point Karen interrupted, blurting out, "books!"

Before I could say anything, Saffron said, "that's... not a terrible idea, love." I looked at her. "We can create copies fairly readily, and one of the biggest obstacles to universal literacy is a lack of books. Coupled with your need to disseminate your refreshingly unconventional views on how the world should be, giving books containing your Doctrine would be perfect."

"I kinda want to give those away for free, though."

She shook her head. "That would be going too far, love. That which is free is without value. But tithes according to what people can afford recompensed by copies of your Holy Writ? They would value those."

"She's right, Goddess, but..."

I shook my head, interrupting Karen's disagreement. "I don't have a Holy Writ though."

Saffron booped my nose. "You'd best get to writing one, then. Unless you intend to have Karen speak with every person in the, I will remind you, ever growing Alliance to explain your Doctrines?"

I sighed. "Shit. Fine. Guess I'll be taking over yet another room in the Library."

"You could work in our office, love."

I shrugged. "Where are you gonna work?"

She smiled at me. "I can work wherever, love. Including sitting next to you as you write."

"But... we've only got the one chair."

Everybody stared at me. Eventually Karen said, quietly, "I'm certain we can procure a second chair for you, Goddess. But..."

"But what?"

She blushed. Fiercely. Which showed up something fierce with her freckles and hair. "I meant the books in your... ah... personal library. In your headboard?"