Gorgo (tattooed woman) is a runaway virgin sacrifice we ran into on a mini quest. Anneke does her best to seem Cool™ but Safrax is not convinced.
More lore on virgin sacrifices in this world below
There is a Wyrm that has taken over the borderland we're in, and among other more typical tributes, he demands virgin girls every year at the end of summer. Anneke literally just came back to life right when the tithing began. and Safrax kept her hidden until the White Caravan left town. They've resettled in another town, but tensions are still high. Seeing a beautiful young girl, seemingly passed over for the sake of taking their daughters, people are a bit suspicious of them. They're keeping it secret for now, at least as best they can given Anneke's lack of experience. Safrax secretly hopes she finds a boy she likes enough to hit, but at the same time, no one really seems good enough for her girl yet. Except well..... maybe Varro.
Cave Serpent - I just think pools in caves are neat. Also serpents. Those are neat, too
My original art made in Procreate, please credit if you re-use.
[Image description: a cave with an opening at the tp where light and water pours in. There’s a blue sky and bits of green grass just visible from the cave opening. Two small waterfalls come down from the opening into a pool of water in the cave below. The cave walls are rough brown rock with small grassy ledges near the opening to the cave. The pond below is a clear blue that disappears into the depths of the cave below. In the pond, a long red serpent with shiney black eyes looks up at the cave opening above. End image description.]
I love this character and hopefully you will too. I'm still not 100% sure if this is going to be her full design. Might do a bit of tweaking to figure it out. Hope all my lesbian friends have a happy Pride month!!!
"Abram:
The body is... a singularly important structure within the phenomenal field. The body is that
mysterious and multifaceted phenomenon that seems always to accompany one's awareness
within the field of appearances. Yet the phenomenal field also contains many other bodies, other forms that move and gesture in a fashion similar to one's own. While one's own body is
experienced, as it were, only from within, these other bodies are experienced from outside;
one can vary one's distance from these bodies and can move around them, while this is
impossible in relation to one's own body."
...And there we have it- the intersubjective field. This is a very potent re-framing of the so-called
"objective world"- again, in the words of Abram: "For the conventional contrast between the
"subjective" and "objective" realities can now be reframed as a contrast within the subjective field of
experience itself- as the felt contrast between subjective and intersubjective phenomena."
In other words, what we experience as "outside of us" are things that more than one person or sensing
subject can sense or interact with. The things we experience as "inside us" are the things that appear
to only be sensed by us. But there is only subjectivity and intersubjectivity- only those things. The
pure "objectivity" assumed to exist by modern science is nothing more than an idealization
of intersubjective experience. It is an illusion, in other words. There is no way to rise
"above" intersubjectivity. There is no way to be "outside of it"- because that would be a realm that
could not exist.
"You might be bothered by something I said earlier, about not being able to exist without a body.
Because you know, like I do, that your body has an expiration date. Fear not. The Intersubjective field
has more than just what you sense horizontally- it also has vertical depths. And those depths are what
mythology calls "The Underworld."
Death is the end of a personal horizontal experience of the intersubjective field, and an "expanding
out" into the depths, into the massive and subtle field of more-than-human and other-than-human
sensing perceptions and sensations. It's you being a shape-shifter and a "deep diver", which you are,
and which you always will be."
"When you’re dealing with the body itself, the red serpent, you’re also dealing with the land and its
great red serpent, because the body is as much a part of the land as a boulder or a tree. As I have
pointed out before, there are tunnels in the land, and tunnels in the body. But you’re also dealing with
whatever is in the land- like the Underworld. The land has hidden depths, just like your body and
mind does. The flight down, the sinking down, the descent to the underworld is deeply connected with
the conscious experience of the body. The Underworld is not just a big void under the “ground” that
you see with your eyes and feel with your feet; it is also the depths and darkness of the
immediate sensation of the physical body.
This term is very important- sensation. You have a bodily sensation, only you probably don’t feel it
very often. And this bodily sensation- the feeling of all of you, the feeling of being you, the feeling of
having a body- is sorcerously powerful. We’ve all learned to ignore it, all our lives, and yet learning
to be aware of it again is easy. The reason why it is powerful is because it is the anchor of the soul,
the feeling of being a “being” When you are alive, your wind-soul or breath soul, your free soul, and
your body are mixed together fully; every in breath lets you feel the “mixture” happening. Your flesh
is permeated by wind and life-vitality, the same way the sorcerous Master himself permeates the
solid, dark land. This is how the most Mercurial being in existence is also Saturnian.
“So what did you wanna tell us T?” Fangs asks, he’s sitting on the couch in his trailer, Sweet Pea is perched beside him with his feet up resting on the coffee table. Toni is standing in front of the pair, she’d been pacing back and forth when they’ve arrived and had finally stopped to look at the pair.
“Yeah, what’s the hot gossip?’ Sweet Pea chimes in, flashing one of his signature smiles in Toni’s direction. “Let me guess, Cheryl finally convinced you to write about her for your journal entry in the magazine”
“No and how did you even know about that? Whatever doesn’t matter, moving on…”
“Ohh” Sweet Pea nods as if understanding ”You need sex advice? Now listen I don’t know a whole lot about-“
“Sweet Pea shit UP” Fangs cuts in, he lands a soft blow to his friend’s shoulder before turning his attention back to Toni, she offers him a grateful smile before opening her mouth.
“Cheryl and I, well I guess Cheryl technically, is pregnant…” she says slowly as she watches their faces closely to gage their reactions.
“Oh my god Topaz!! That’s awesome” Fangs replies, a huge smile pasted across his face.
“No shit!! I’ve been waiting for this” SweetPea says, his face lighting up in response. “Tell me you’re naming the baby after me. Sweets jr?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, they’re naming it after me”
“Fangs c’mon we all know that your name just doesn’t have as much baby potential I mean think of-“
“Oh and your name does? You’re nuts if you-“
“GUYS!!’ Toni says loudly, stopping the boys dead in their tracks and causing them to look up at her with wide eyes. Growing up with these two had taught her early on how to stop their bickering, even if it was just playful at the moment. “It’s twins”
“One for both of us” they say in almost perfect unison before falling back into the couch laughing.
“Oh my god” Toni groans, rolling her eyes in response to her best friends. “I hate you two”. She walks over to the couch and flops down between the two boys who immediately pull her into a tight bear hug from both sides.
“You know we’re stoked for you Topaz” SweetPea says, his voice shifting to a more serious tone. “It’s what you two deserve, a family to call your own”
-
“What do you mean by complication?” Toni asks slowly, Cheryl is gripping her hand tightly and shifting her eyes between Toni and the doctor as she awaits a response.
“What’s wro- oh FUCK” Cheryl practically screams as another contraction hits her full on, she squeezes Toni’s hand so hard she’s afraid it might break.
“It’s just that one of the babies is in the wrong position, sort of turned sideways. It’s not uncommon for twins actually, and can be an easy fix” the doctor finally responds once Cheryl has been coaxed through her contraction.
“So what does that mean exactly? And why didn’t the other doctor pick up on this?” Toni asks. She can feel how hard Cheryl’s heart is racing just by the pulse from her wrist and she gives her wife’s hand a reassuring squeeze to try and calm her.
“Well she most likely would have on your next visit but since Cheryl went into premature labour the doctor didn’t get a chance to see their positions. Usually we would turn the baby now but since it’s behind the other one we will have to turn the baby after the first one is delivered”
“Is that even possible?”
“Yes, but it can be risky and if we can’t do it in time we would have to rush Cheryl into an emergency C-Section. The other option is we just go with a C-Section to begin with and deliver both babies that way”
“What’s the better solution?”
“That’s not a decision I can make for you, both options come with their own set of risks but I can promise you we will do everything we can to keep everyone safe. And if you decide against the C-Section I would strongly advise an epidural since turning the second baby will result in an increased level of pain”
“Toni.. I- I don’t want a C-Section. It wasn’t the plan…” Cheryl’s voice says quietly, she turns her head to catch her wife’s eyes with her own.
“Neither was going into labour a month early, but maybe this is safer for the babies”
“No.” Cheryl says more forcefully then she meant to, but there was no way in hell she was letting anyone, especially a doctor she doesn’t know, cut into her.
“I’ll leave you two to discuss. But the contractions are getting closer and she’s already 5 centimetres dilated so we don’t have a ton of time” Dr. Roberts says slowly, she nods at Toni before exiting the room and letting the door click shut behind her.
-
**flashback**
Veronica had decided to throw them a baby shower, because of course she has insisted on that. And this was Veronica Lodge they were talking about, so Cheryl was well aware that it would be an over the top occasion despite Toni’s protests and assurance that they just wanted something small. After all, when Veronica set her mind to something there was no changing her mind. But what Cheryl wasn’t expecting was the bombardment of questions Veronica has decided to throw at the pair over just how the event should look and sound and even smell. Every time Cheryl thought there wasn’t possibly any more questions Veronica could come up with another one would fall from her mouth. They were currently seated at the kitchen table in Cheryl and Toni’s house, mugs of tea steaming into the air between them as Veronica typed furiously at her MacBook keyboard.
“As fascinating at this is…” Toni says, holding herself back from rolling her eyes at Veronica’s ridiculous questioning. “I have a hair appointment, so I’ll leave you to it!” She leans in to kiss Cheryl gently and run her hand over her belly, at almost 6 months pregnant her bump has grown significantly and Cheryl was almost constantly complaining of back pain.
“I love you” Cheryl says softly, she kisses Toni again before letting her slip out of her grasp, she hears the sound of door opening and closing mere moments later and sighs softly before turning her attention back to her best friend.
“So flowers! I’m thinking roses, they have a certain… ambience that just screams baby shower to me. Especially yours. Now there’s the matter of colour. White for purity, yellow is typically used for friendship but of course also symbolizes new beginnings. And then there’s the classic red we can’t forget about…” she trails off lost in thought. She has her glasses on which Cheryl knows means business. Veronica hums softly and clicks her pen on her bottom lip before her eyes light up. “What about yellow and red together? That symbolizes happiness and excitement and then of course they have their individual meanings, we could even add in a few white if you want?”
“You’re the expert” Cheryl says, she laughs lightly in response to her best friend, typical of her to got way overboard for a simple baby shower. But Cheryl had to admit she kind of liked the papering. “I’m just excited to meet them - I have a feeling they’re both girls, did I tell you that?” Cheryl looks up from rubbing her stomach to make eye contact with Veronica.
“Only like twice a day for the past two weeks” Veronica says, a smile spreading across her face. “I however - disagree, but all will be answered in due time. I’ve been thinking of ways to do the gender reveal and need your opinion”
“Of course you have” Cheryl rolls her eyes while picking up her mug of tea and bringing it to her lips.
-
The day of the baby shower had arrived and by the time Cheryl rolls out of bed she already has 10 text messages and 4 missed calls from Veronica despite the fact it’s only 10:03 A.M.
“You behave today” Cheryl says, looking down at her stomach. “No making me sick okay? Its a big day”
The morning was chaotic with Veronica running around decorating the house with every colour of the rainbow and making last minute calls to ensure everything would be going to plan. Cheryl had to hand it to her, the girl knew how to plan an event. When she walks downstairs she’s awed by the beauty of it. Red, white and yellow roses are littered around the living room and kitchen in different coloured vases. Over the doorways hang streamers with hints of colours at the ends and over the couch is a banner that showcases a blue and pink bear with a question mark at the end. To the side of their couch is a table decked out in white and gold ribbons that looks like it's set up for a variety of baby related games. And on yet another table a plate of cookies shaped like bottles and diaper pins and rattles is layed out. The French doors leading to their patio are open and a soft breeze is blowing into the dining room and cooling down the heat emanating from the stove. Their motorcycles are still parked to the side of the patio and Cheryl smiles fondly at them, she hasn’t ridden in months and she didn’t realize just how much she misses it until now. Veronica had even gone the extra step to deck out both their motorcycles in pink and blue ribbons which danced lightly in the breeze.
“Are you ready to find out what’re you’re carrying?” Veronica says softly from behind Cheryl, she breaks her stare focused on the bikes and turns towards the voice.
“Of course” Cheryl smiles. “But you know, you never did tell me what you’re doing for the reveal”
“A wise women never reveals her secrets” Veronica replies. The doorbell rings suddenly, casting an echo through the house and Veronica hurries away to open it.
By the time everyone has arrived Cheryl is completely exhausted from welcoming them all and talking about how she’s both and excited and nervous for the new additions to the family. The table near the front door is stacked high with all sizes and shapes of gifts, I guess nobody had listened when the pair said not to spoil them or the babies. Cheryl is currently seated on the couch between Archie and Betty, the cat is settled on her chest, her paws resting gently against Cheryl’s belly. She’s purring softly as Cheryl runs her hand over her back in even strokes.
“Does she always do that?” Betty asks, a light chuckle behind her voice.
“Cherry? Oh yeah she loves to cuddle. Especially now with my stomach, it’s her favourite place to nap”
“A personal guardian for the twins” Betty says, she reaches out to pet the cat’s head and smiles softly at Cheryl.
“Okay guys!” Veronica calls suddenly, emerging from the kitchen with Toni on her heels. “Let’s all make our way outside”
People make their way out slowly, Cheryl and Toni emerging last. Her back is in an increasing amount of pain but Cheryl would be damned if she let that keep her down today, this was the last big thing happening before the birth of her babies and she wanted to be present for it. Veronica ushers the pair to the side of the patio where they have a perfect view of their motorcycles and Cheryl raises her eyebrows at her wife who just shrugs in response. Veronica is beaming and Cheryl wonders for a moment who’s most excited about this gender reveal. Sweet Pea and Fangs step up from the crowd and each swing themselves onto the seat of one of the motorcycles, keys in their hands.
“Ready?” Veronica asks, eyeing Cheryl and Toni. They both nod in response and Cheryl reaches for Toni’s hand to give it a couple reassuring squeezes before turning her attention back to the motorcycles. The boys crank the engines in perfect sync and the bikes roar to life, the exhaust sputters out as a dull grey colour at first before changing to more vibrant colours. The bike Fangs is sitting on is spilling pink exhaust from the tail pipes while the other spills blue and Cheryl’s face lights up as she takes in the moment.
“SEE!” Sweet Pea calls, noticing his bike is the blue one, “A sign you should name the baby after me!”
Toni laughs in response and rolls her eyes before turning to Cheryl and pulling her against her lips, she kisses her deeply and passionately. Cheryl can’t help the tears that have started to fall down her face in response, she kisses Toni back hard as the pink and blue smoke swirl around them and then dissipates into the air.
-
Cheryl lets out a loud scream and grips Toni’s hand as she shakes through another contraction, they’re getting increasingly painful and longer as the time drags on. She falls back into the mattress when the worst of it is over and turns her head to look at her wife.
“I’m not letting them cut into me” Cheryl says sternly. Toni nods in response before reaching to wipe Cheryl’s head with a damp cloth.
“Then you need to get an epidural. And I know, you don’t want to. And it wasn’t in the plan. But we gotta go off the plan babe, it’ll be okay”
“Toni… I don’t know”
“Cher.. you’re so strong, the strongest person I know. But I can see you’re in a lot of pain and it’s only going to get worse. I promise this will get easier if you agree, and we’ll make sure the babies are safe and sound okay?” She runs her thumb over Cheryl’s knuckles and smiles down at her. A soft whimper falls from her wife’s lips and then she nods slowly in response before clicking the call button to the right of her bed.
The relief that comes from the drug is almost immediate. Cheryl, who is laying on her side in the bed now, relaxes as it makes its way into her bloodstream and starts to numb her pain. She smiles up at Toni, thanking her silently for convincing her to make this decision.
“You did so good baby, not much longer now” she leans down to press a kiss to Cheryl’s temple, her eyes flutter close in response and she relaxes further into the mattress dosing off lightly. She isn’t sleeping long before she’s woken up with the pain of another contraction, the doctor had told them an epidural can speed up how fast you dilate but Cheryl hadn’t expected it to be so quick, it was barley 30mins later. Dr Roberts rushes in at the sound of Cheryl’s scream and immediately goes to checking how far long she is.
“Cheryl… you need to get ready to push” she says slowly.
