A giant standee of the Goddess of Love known across the world as Devilla in all her sexy glory stood in the center of Sapphire Valley. It depicted Devilla in a lacy white outfit, a short white skirt that showed off her long brown legs. A crop top of the same color that barely contained her divine bosom and showed off her taut six-pack stomach that look like a master artisan sculpted them. Her long curly black hair that fell like oceans across her back. Her pink eyes despite being on a cardboard seem like they were watching your every move in a bemused fashion. Her smile somehow brought warmth and hope to the people in Sapphire Valley. Some of the prostitutes look on in wonder and pure awe at Devilla, their mental health being restored. In front of the gigantic Standee a brilliant desk carved out of white marble that had applications to be her new assistant laid on it.
Also, on the desk was dozens of chocolate boxes that you can take with you as well as bottles of perfume that smell of honeydew. Next to the honeydew perfume there was also gel-filled mousepads in the shape of the Goddess of Love's ample chest and juicy rear, they were great for preventing arthritis. Which is good because they just started rolling out computers in Mount Mammoth, still working on getting the internet up for everybody.
A young woman stared at the standee of one of the Goddess of Love known to many as Devilla. The daughter of Apollo The God of Music and Aphros the first Goddess of Love. The young woman had done her research on Devilla while back in that awful academy. She remembers studying about how Devilla and her followers preach that love is love and that love is sacred, no matter the race, gender, or religion. How she fought alongside Garwik, The God of War in the Greater Hell Debacle that had Thermes and Cheelege, The Goddess of Death and The God of Chaos respectfully, joining in as well.
She did need a job to support herself. She was currently working part-time as a cashier and guide at KHAL WAREHOUSE OF EXOTIC PETS: YOU WANT IT, WE GOT IT! She wanted to become an Entomologist and needed to put herself through College, she was in EizenGarte, a prestigious academy that her mother also attended. But after a... incident she decided that school wasn't right for her. She didn't want to ask her parents for the money, she wanted to achieve it on her own. His father already gave her his old party house from his younger days roaming around with the BOYS! YOU KNOW! YOU KNOW! HERA DIDN'T KNOW TOO MUCH! BUT SHE APPREACIATED ALL HER FATHER'S OLD FRIENDS THAT LATER BECAME HER UNCLES BY PROXY!
"They already did so much for me. The least I can do is not ask anything else for them and once it get this job, I can start sending money back to them as repayment." Hera thought to herself with a determined smile on her face.
She took the application and a box of chocolates and continued on home. She didn't take the 3D mousepads because she was too embarrassed to touch it and her wrists were just fine.
She looked at the light brown packaged wrapped newspaper wrapped tight with string, she grabbed it and untied it.
"I wondering what going on today?" Hera thought to herself as she read the frontpage.
SHADE CHRONCLIES: BRINGING YOU INFORMATION AND CRAZY HAPPENINGS FROM AROUND THE REALM SINCE THE DAWN OF MYRANISS.
THE SLAYER STRIKES AGAIN: RAMPAIGING HORROR BEYOND MORTAL COMPREHENSION SLAIN BY MYSTERIOUS WARROIR
The story was about how a mysterious armored warrior stopped a creature with Six arms, eyes in the thousands, it back covered in twenty inch’s spikes that protrude from it skin like hair from hurting any innocent civilians and killed the creature in brutal fashion.
"Oh, that a relief, I glad this mysterious warrior saved those people. Hopefully everyone can rest more peacefully knowing that someone other than the Gods are watching out for them." Hera thought to herself happily as she grabs her key out of her bag. She had heard of this warrior before, she had heard the rumors surrounding this armored being and none of them good. Some say that the warrior was merely a puppet of Eris, The Goddess of Discord used for causing mayhem wherever the warrior goes. Some would say that the monsters that appear is because of this warrior. She didn't believe these rumors.
"Nobody ever tries to understand the person they're always talking about. It better to believe their own conclusions then the actual truth." Hera thought annoyed, being reminded of a painful time in her life. She couldn't help but draw similarities between her and the one they called the Slayer. At least when it came to having unsavory rumors spread about you. She shakes those negative thoughts from her head and took a deep breath.
She entered her home and was greeted with a golden-retriever sized spider immediately rushing her and crawling up her body. She giggled and petted her best friend in the whole realm.
"Hello to you too Bertraim!" She greeted him happily as it crawled off her and went across the walls leading upstairs. She went upstairs on the carpeted stairs that faintly smelled of beer. Not enough Arcadia in the world to get that smell out. She entered her room and turned on the lights. Her room was nice and spacious. The smell of cinnamon arose from the aroma diffuser and spiritual up lifter that she got as a present from her best friend Furiosa on her birthday. There were multiple tanks that contained various arachnids of different breeds. Books about Arcadia and spells arranged neatly on the shelf next to her bed. There was a ornate knife that was laying on the desk, a surprise gift to her by Furiosa after that incident at EizenGarte. The handle was a baby blue, Hera's favorite color.
Hera looked over the application and took one of her fountain pens and began to fill it out. Bertraim crawled along the walls and ended up on the wall above her desk. Hera stopped writing and look up to see Bertraim who watched his friend with curiosity in it eight eyes. She smiled and grabbed a medium sized bottle that was filled to the brim with dead flies and opened it. She shook a good amount of dead fly bodies into her hand and offered it to Bertraim who graciously ate it without fuss. She giggled at the feeling of his fangs tickling her flesh.
Now back to the application.
Name: Hera
Birthday: The tenth of August, The 96th cycle.
Likes: arachnids, insects, studying magic, helping people. Sweets.
Dislikes: Bullies, judgmental people, bigotry based on race. Corruption (Political and mental)
What Skills do you bring to the table, you beautiful person? (Hera had to smile at this, she always appreciated little things that Devilla would do and say to boost someone's self-esteem based on her studies.)
I can mediate most situations with fairness and compassion and i know a fair bit of Arcadia that includes Light and Fire. I also know a special technique that can stop a person in their tracks from hurting someone else. I have knowledge of various subjects ranging from history to creatures. I can also read auras and determine the best way to approach the situation. I had very good grades before my departure from EizenGarte.
She was now on the part of Devilla's application that asked a series of personal questions.
1.) What turns you on?
Hera blinked and made sure she read the question right.
"No, I read that right." Hera thought as she felt her face heat up.
The hybrid woman thought to herself as Bertraim crawled next to her and got on her lap to comfort her. She petted her good friend and wonder frantically about the implications of this one question.
"How personal! Maybe it a trick question? However, I don't know the Goddess of Love personally so maybe that out of the question. However, i know that Devilla values honesty above all else." Hera thought to herself as she answered the question.
1.) What turns you on?
I don't want to be rude, but i don't feel comfortable answering that. I'm very regretful that i couldn't divulge this information at this time, i hope you truly understand and if not i deeply apologize for that.
Hera couldn't help but be reminded of Furiosa from back at Eizengarte with such a forward question. She shakes her head at the fond memories before moving on to the next question.
2.) What the happiest relationship you ever seen? And what do you think a relationship requires to be successful?
She gave no hesitancy in answering this question.
My parents. Despite them both being of different races (An angel and a demon respectively.) They still show great care for one another and whatever differences they have, they overcome through communication.
In terms of what i believe a relationship needs in order to be successful? Commitment and communication. They don't always have to agree with one another or share the same interests, but as long as they respect their partner's choices and interests and they truly love each other then a couple can strive.
3.) Have you ever been in a relationship?
Yes.
No.
It complicated (Ugh.).
Hera was once again flustered and gave this question some thought. The closet to a relationship she ever had was with Furiosa-
"Wow hold on! We were just best friends!" Hera thought to herself but didn't like how even her inner voice sounded unsure of that. She still remembered all the good times she had with her, the little outings at the local restaurants, how safe she felt in her arms, the taste of her lips-
She silently just put a mark next to it complicated and move on before she overheated.
No, they were best friends, they always look out for each other.
"It not like I could ever be in a relationship with someone as amazing as her." Hera thought to herself before shaking those thoughts from her head. Thoughts of what could have been, how it could go wrong.
4.) Name the people you care for in your life.
My parents.
My uncles.
Furiosa.
Bertraim.
Hera stopped and look at the pitiful list, she couldn’t help feel like there should be more.
“Why does it need to be more? What wrong with the current group?” She asked herself suddenly. She couldn’t shake that feeling of insecurity that one gets in their life when you don’t have that much going for you in your adult life. Most of us have been at this stage.
The square in the corner of the ornate paper caught her eye. The text below the square said to give a drop of blood on the square. She looks towards the knife and grabbed it. She cut her index finger and let the blood drop onto the square. The second the blood hit the paper, the paper vanished in a poof of jasmine smelling pink smoke.
She enjoyed the smell and felt her entire body relaxed, Bertraim crawled onto the web that he made above Hera's bed and rest.
"I sure get dinner started. Nothing left to do now but wait and hope for the best." Hera thought to herself as arose from her chair and walked downstairs to make her dinner for tonight.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A Goddess looked over the papers of potential recruits to her palace as her servants was in the background, displaying their love for one another in various ways. From gift-giving to more physical forms like hugging and love-making. The muses were singing in soft but intense harmony. The recruit who passed her inspection will be her new personal assistant which involves but is not limited to: Cuddling, fixing relationships, sending out messages of affections, etc. They were basically a servant of the Gods in the same sense that a secretary would be a servant of their boss in the other Realm except for the better treatment. As a Goddess of Love, it was her sworn duty to help everybody find love, fix strained relationships between lovers, and occasionally solve mysteries of cheating and deceit.
The Goddess in question had just finished counseling another God, a God that commanded fire and thunder. He and his wife had recently departed from each other. She found it funny that this Shangor came to her instead of the Goddess of love in his realm but he already explained that she refused to see him, at least when it came to relationship advice. That her sister Erosa for you, she may be vain but she absolute in her conviction.
"Devilla, My beautiful daughter?" The Goddess of Love turn her head up from her papers and look at the former Goddess of Love, her beautiful mother, Aphros. Aphros was centuries older than Devilla but she looks like she could be another one of her sisters. Her brown skin shined under the natural light, White curly hair that went past her shoulders, strands of its red. Her calming, alluring eyes with pink pupils. Her hourglass figure apparent with the red and white gown she was wearing that really left nothing to the imagination. Devilla in an instant hugged her mother who hug her back with much fervent. The servants look at them with envy, some of the servants wished their own relationship with their parents was as good, one in particular wished he had parents.
"You looking just as amazing as ever." Devilla complimented. Aphros broke the hug and looked at Devilla.
"So, what you're doing today?" Aphros asked her.
The papers remaining on the desk flew off the desk and into Devilla's left hand.
"Just looking at recruits, i need assistance to help out with the mounting cases I’ve been having." Devilla said as she continues her search, placing her finger on each paper and closing her eyes. When the hopeful recruits fill out their resumes they had to draw blood and smear it in a corner of the paper. This allowed Devilla to access their most personal memory of love and affection. She could do this on a person who have just been cut or severely wounded as she found out when she was traveling with Garwik, The God of War.
"Hmm Mounting huh?" Aphros said, smirking. the servants laughed under their breath.
"Trying to concentrate, we can make dirty jokes some other time." Devilla, failing to suppress her smile. One recruit paper catches her eye as she saw a cutie, she was blonde, with green eyes that screamed innocence. She looked like a pure angel.
"I don't want to be rude, but I don't feel comfortable answering that. I'm very regretful that I couldn't divulge this information at this time, I hope you truly understand and if not. I deeply apologize for that." Hera's answer made Devilla's smile and think only one thought.
"Too precious for this reality."
Devilla closed her eyes and placed her finger on the blood stain of the possible recruit in question. She felt herself drift away as she placed herself in the recruit's memories.
Suddenly she was looking through the eyes of her potential assistant.
"Where is she?" Hera said anxiously as she walked around in the dorms late at night. Her friend Furiosa didn't return to their room and while usually this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, Hera just had a bad feeling that been twisting her guts like a snake around it prey. So, she follows her instincts and decided to look for her. She heard the faint sound of a woman screaming against a gag. It sounded like Furiosa. Her heart felt like it wanted to burst from her chest, she felt panic and fear flood her senses as she followed the source of the screaming, she eventually narrowed down to one room at the end of the hallways.
"You wouldn't be in this fucking situation if you just did what i told you." The male angel said to the tied-up succubus in his chair, bind together with spell-infused ropes that made it impossible for her to escape. She really regrets not paying attention more in Spellcasting and Enchantments 101.
"FUBUUH YUUU YU PIEBE UH SHIBBT." She yelled against her gag.
"No Fuck you!" He said angrily as he resisted the urge to kick her.
"How hard could it be? Just seduce the gods-damn principal in order to get me and my gang off of probation?! WHAT KINDA SUCCUBUS ARE YOU?!" He shouted before realizing where he was, He composed himself. Not wanting to cause even more of a headache than this succubus already had with her indecisiveness. It was astounding to him that she commanded so much respect from all the lower and insignificant races alike in this shitty academy.
"Now i didn't want it to come to this, but you really leave me no other choice." He pulled out a knife, specially made by an artisan. Furiosa eyes widen, she struggled with all her might but the ropes just got tighter and tighter.
Hera was listening in, horrified and angry. With all of her might she slammed against the door, causing it to break open. Both heads turn toward the angel in training. She laid on the ground, her right shoulder hurting really badly. She got up and stared down the angel. Furiosa was worried, there was no telling what this bastard might do to her precious angel.
"Oh really? Little miss half and half showing some backbone for once?" The angel taunted, rubbing a hand through his blue hair.
"Let. her. go." Hera warned. Her left-hand twitching with arcane energy. She was muttering something under her breath. Furiosa felt the ropes get looser.
"If you really think you're scary, then you seriously deluded." The angel said as he took the knife he had and enchanted it with fire. Hera stood her ground, sweating but steadfast in her conviction.
"Oh? Then what about me?" Furiosa asked behind him.
The angel turned around only to get socked in the mouth. The immense pain of being sucker punched cause him to drop the knife. She grabbed him by the throat. Furiosa said a spell, it was the only spell that she bothered to remembered in that class.
"Niartser." With that one word, The angel couldn't move. She let him dropped to the ground with a thud.
"You bitc-" Furiosa interrupted him with a swift kick in the mouth. She picked up the knife.
"Wait!" Hera stopped Furiosa, who looked at her in confusion.
"Yo-you can't kill him." A worried Hera said as Furiosa suppressed a smile. Is that what she was worried about? She really was too pure for this world.
"You get in trouble if they find the body. So, let me do it." Hera stated calmly.
Furiosa's mouth was agape, she was going to ask Hera if she was kidding, but the look in Hera's eyes was one of complete and utter rage. The angel started to sweat, he was not so proud as to not admit that half and half was freaking him out at this moment.
"Look, i'm sorry. Please just let me go." The angel pleaded.
Hera walked over and stood in front of the angel, staring down at him with cold indifference. To the man it was like death herself had come to collect his soul.
"Beg." Was the only word that came from Hera’s mouth.
"What? i-"
"Are you deaf? I said beg for forgiveness." Hera stated coldly as she took the knife from a shocked Furiosa and placed the burning knife close to his neck. Furiosa wanted to stop her but she was locked in place, fixated on her friend and what she might do. It was like being a child all over again, she was utterly powerless, she hated this feeling more than anything.
"Please spare me my life, me and the gang won't bother you or your friend again. please." The male angel known as Sazael again pleaded. He sounded like a child almost. Was this the same angel who tormented her for months on end for being born to a demon and a angel? Something she couldn't control? The same one who lead a posse that harassed her everyday and made her life a living hell? It couldn't be.
"What happen to your confidence?" Hera asked of Sazael who gritted his teeth in frustration. It was so easy for this abomination to talk while she was the one in total control. She stomped on his wrist causing him to yell in pain. She began to kick him repeatedly. in the nose, in the eyes, in the mouth, she did it until she felt satisfied.
She looks down on Sazael who had dark purple bruises forming all over his face and blood coming out his nose and mouth.
"You're really pathetic, do you know that?" Hera asked of the angel who whimper in fear. There was no emotion in her voice at all. That what scared both the restrained angel and the succubus.
Hera nodded at Furiosa who was snapped out of her shocked state and used her natural ability as a succubus to lure the angel to sleep.
Hera sighed and smiled in relief using a spell to extinguish the knife and drop it on the floor, but upon noticing Furiosa's freaked out expression she paled.
"I-i wasn't serious about killing him, that was just to scare him! And i know i went too far in attacking him but i just lost control for a moment there!" Hera explained hastily, feeling shame for her actions.
Well, only a little shame.
Furiosa nodded, she smiled and tackled Hera in hug, causing them both to stumbled to the ground. She made it a personal note to not get on Hera's bad side. Having Hera in her arms like this placed her on steady ground.
"My hero." Furiosa mumbled into the crook of Hera's neck, causing a crimson blush to paint Hera's face. Hera wrapped her arms around Furiosa, she was glad that she was able to make it in time.
"I'm sorry i couldn't have made it sooner." Hera apologized as she rubbed circles in Furiosa's back.
"You're here now, aren't you?" Furiosa asked rhetorically. With that she kissed Hera on the lips, shocking Hera as Furiosa upgraded it into full blown make out.
Devilla let out a breath, her vision fading from that of her potential recruit and to that of her own. Aphros looked at her, grinning.
"From your reaction, i guessing you found your new assistant." Aphros said, taking a sip of the cherry cocktail that a servant handed her.
Devilla, placed all the other recruits’ submissions back on the desk. She motioned one of her servants who was mopping the floor after last night party of lust.
"Sui, My cute, frumpy but loyal servant, i have a task for you." She said sweetly of the man who had bags under his eyes. Devilla placed a hand on his shoulder, he smiled. In Sui's mind, this was the best job he ever had, Devilla was really nice to him, although he still wondered why since he was so pathet-
"Hey! What have i told you about you talking bad about yourself! You're a sexy beast! Nothing less!" Devilla scolded him as she squeezed his arm reassuringly.
"H-how did you-" Sui was about to ask.
Devilla scoffed and flipped her hair.
"Your demeanor and aura said more than words could, i learned a lot about body language over the years, the only one with more self-hatred than you can reasonably fit in a body is Malakai, who made the design of my lovely palace." Devilla said proudly, she did notice Aphros winced when she mentioned Malakai, she knew why.
She didn't feel bad about mentioning Malakai one bit, her mother should feel bad.
"Alright Sui, you need to inform this Hera that i have chosen her to be my new cute assistant." Devilla said, smiling brightly. Her radiant personality infecting Sui as he gave a small smile of his own.
"Will do." Sui nodded and headed out. Devilla smacked him on his ass, earning her a sweet, delectable yelp as he hurried out the door.
"The first step to guide people to self-love, give the people you care about positive reinforcement and reminders about how they're amazing." Devilla thought as she went to the bathhouse. Her mother following closely behind her.
Devilla and Aphros sat in the steaming hot water, letting it soak into their skin. The waters had an effect on ordinary mortals that bring their lust and sensual thoughts to the forefront. Devilla sighed and leaned back against the wall and look over to her mother Aphros, who had one leg crossed over the other and seemed to be in deep thought.
If you were to ask Devilla, Aphros was an amazing mother, she treated her and her sister Erosa as equals and always gave them advice with their troubles. She was always keen to teach them that love is sacred and you should never betray your lover. Devilla had to stifle her laughter at the utter irony of this lesson in hindsight. Where she herself, a beloved Goddess that preach faithfulness to one another is the byproduct of an affair between Aphros and Apollo, the God of Light and Music. And while she still loves her parents with all her heart, there was no denying that their affair was an affront to everything Aphros had taught them. At one-point Devilla had low self-confidence in herself because of this fact, that she was nothing but a mistake or a "Happy accident" As her father said with a big smile on his face. She knew he meant well when he said that but even he realized that was a stupid thing to say because later on that day he begged Myraniss to reverse time so he redo that conversation. She outright laughed at him and told him to deal with it.
But eventually it didn't matter as much to the Goddess of Love anymore, by the time she reached adulthood she was far too busy fixing relationships and setting future couples up to focus on her petty insecurities.
Aphros grabbed Devilla's hand, she knew her mother can sense her feelings.
"Devilla, i done some very foolish things in the past that i regret. You and Erosa are not regrets, everyday i think to myself how lucky i am to have you two as daughters." Aphros told her, almost breaking into tears but keeping her composure. Devilla smiles and place a hand on her mother's shoulder.
"Mother, please don't cry." Devilla told her gently. Rubbing her shoulder, a soothing sensation permeated throughout Aphros's body making her giggle.
"Me? Crying? It just the heat from the sauna getting to me! Embarrassingly i haven't treated myself like this in a while." Aphros claimed as she tried to maintain an aura of confidence and poise. Devilla nodded and smirk at her mother's attempts to save face. Doesn't she know that having these moments of weakness and acknowledging them is the one of the keys to self-love?
"You know you can't lie to me. I see all that the heart hide from the outside world." Devilla said to Aphros who nodded.
"I know you do my beautiful angel, i suppose a part of me didn't like how i ended my relationship with Malakai." Aphros confided to her daughter who was listening intently.
"I mean don't get me wrong, he was lucky i even gave him the time of day. I mean come on look at me. Now think of Malakai. The worst part about it is that he would be attractive if he had some sense of confidence in himself but he doesn't. That nugget of self-esteem died with his mother Eris. Come on, the way i treated him alone was enough to prove to me that he wasn't ready for a true relationship and yet..."
"And yet what mother?" Devilla questioned, knowing that she was on the verge of a breakthrough.
"He still went out of his way to make me happy. Even despite his many anxieties and his pure self-loathing he was able to put it all aside to make me happy. How many social events did he go to with me despite his clear discomfort? Or the jewelry i had him made for me despite me not wearing them half the time? Or how he would complement me and shower praise whenever he could." Aphros said, a feeling of regret taking over.
"You owe him a apology. If nothing else, you would feel better knowing that you didn't leave this chapter on a cliffhanger to never be resolved." Devilla told her mother seriously.
"You're right my precious Devilla. I do that right now." Aphros said, now determined. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body relaxed even further.
"You could've just gone to him in person but i suppose talking to him in his mind works as well." Devilla noted. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Thinking about her new assistant that she will be getting. The Goddess knows she will be a good fit for the workplace and probably make Sui a little less down on himself.
She yawned and stretched her arms as Aphros woke up with a gasp.
"Suppose it didn't go so well, did it mother?" Devilla simply asked.
Aphros look at her pride and joy with a crestfallen expression and sadly smiled.
"Malakai...is a lot more broken than i expected. Thanks in part to me." Aphros commented with some lingering guilt. Malakai seemed to be at war within himself.
Devilla placed her hand on Aphros's own, the gesture made the first Goddess of Love calmed down and brought peace and clarity to her troubled mind.
"I will try to apologize again in person tomorrow." Aphros said determined to make things right.
Devilla nodded.
"Mother let say we get out of here and have my lovely and beautiful servants make us a nice dinner?" Devilla asked. Aphros chuckled and nodded.
"Yes my daughter, that sound absolutely divine." She said, mouth watering at the thought of pulled pork.