Long time coming

There had been a time when embarrassment and frustration at being unable to complete his quest had led him to avoid the god of sex and nature. It had been over a year since he'd begged permission to try something so grand as to build a shrine to the old gods in the Hollowed Grounds, and somewhat less than that since his efforts had withered on the vine of Ancient disinterest in the non-Dygra gods of Caido.

It had hurt, running into that wall. He felt like he had failed his gods, and even more that he had failed himself. All the more because through talking with the Ancients he had come to realize just how right Frey had been. His meddling had been unwelcome in a region he didn't live in. Not by all, sure, but by some. Enough to make it clear that his idea was a pretty selfish one. And he had let his pride and his desire to do something special to leave his mark on the world overcome all common sense and respect for the new Grounders who had made the region home. The shame of that realization had kept him from the shrines of a god he had once sought comfort from, made him afraid to call on them for aid even in the most dire of circumstances. But there was much to be said for the love of a good partner, and Alys had given him the strength he needed, and her tarot reading had given him the excuse he'd been searching for to finally seek closure and confront his mistakes.

"Frey? I know it's been awhile since... since I called on y'last." Tal swallowed as he placed the sex toys he had purchased from Mother Molly's on the altar in the golden light of late afternoon. Not all of them - if one or two might have been held back, he didn't think Frey would mind - but most of the ones that he'd bought specifically for christening the shrine that had never been built ended up on the cool stone beneath the fire that hung above Mourn's paeon to the dual god. Tal hoped they were still a suitable offering (in spite of being cleaned, they had been used in the past year) even if he hadn't come to report any sort of success.

"I'm not... sure how t'say this but. I'm sorry. Not about failin' t'make th'shrine in th'Grounds - or, well, partly that, too," he hasted to add. "But mostly that I didn't think things through when I asked for help doin' it. Anyways, I couldn't convince all of 'em t'back th'project, so I couldn't complete th'tasks y'gave me. An'... I dunno if there's punishment for failin' a quest, but... I didn't want t'keep runnin' away from it anymore." The words tumbled out in their usual anxious spill and Tal rubbed his sweaty hands against his trousers as he waited for some sign that he wasn't just apologizing to the wind.

---

Tal is turning in a failure to finish his quest from Sex Frey to build an old gods shrine in the Grounds, received in: Something missing
1. Speak with every resident and have them agree to the shrine
Kiada and Maea [PQ] Ashes and dust - deferred to Danta's decision
Danta Before the party is over - said no
Astaroth A touch of shadow - said no
Edmund [Training] Here comes the shock - said yes
Fox [RQ] This is fine - said yes
2. Build the shrine (PQ) - n/a
3. Christen the shrine in a manner befitting (sex) Frey. - n/a, but bought sex toys for the christening with Sunjata: [SE] Finding the sweet spot

Magic: Be nice (feat) | Can't be cursed at a shrine
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

The light shifted subtly, warming to a golden hue that softened the edges of the world as if the very air had decided to lean in closer to the courier's confession. The scent of jasmine and clover danced in the breeze, heady and languid, as Frey manifested with a languorous stretch. Draped in their usual aura of magnetism, they were, as always, breathtaking—an embodiment of desire sculpted to Tal's subconscious inclinations, though perhaps a touch gentler this time. The god's lips curled into a knowing smile as they regarded the man before them.

"My, my," Frey purred, their voice like silk and honey, rich and teasing but not unkind. "It seems are though you've learned a thing or two about humility and reflection, mm? They sauntered forward, their movements fluid and deliberate, their gaze flicking to the offerings with a flicker of amusement. "Though I admit, I'm impressed you’ve managed to keep those toys in such good shape. And clean.  A little extra effort never goes unnoticed." They added with a bounce of their brows.

Frey leaned casually against the altar, their form haloed by the golden light. "You needn’t worry about punishment, honey butt. You took a step back, looked at your actions, and found the wisdom in them. That’s its own reward—and perhaps its own penance." They gestured toward him lazily, and for a moment, the weight of his self-doubt seemed to lighten, like shedding an old cloak.

Frey’s grin turned mischievous as they straightened, their gaze sparkling with playful intent. "And speaking of.." they purred, nodding toward the collection of toys, "why don’t you show me which one is your favourite? Either on you or me. I'm not fussy." They raised an eyebrow, their tone equal parts challenge and invitation, leaving Tal to decide just how bold he was willing to be.

Tal's inclinations had leaned towards petite dark-eyed brunettes for a while now, but it would never not be weird to see Frey's divine eyes watching him from Alys's lovely face. The purr of the god's voice was entirely their own, however, and Tal ducked his head in awkward acknowledgment about the hard lessons he'd learned along the way of this particular quest. He couldn't stop the flush that blossomed beneath his collar and spread swiftly to conquer his neck and ears before making inroads on his cheeks at the mention of his offerings. "Oh, uh, I mean... it just seemed rude t'not take care of 'em," he mumbled, embarrassed but tentatively hopeful that the praise meant he wasn't about to be smote. Growing up in Halo, Tal had learned early to take good care of his equipment, after all. All of it. Some things were pretty much impossible to replace on the trail!

He tilted his head up, a hesitant gesture that grew more confident at the god's reassurance. Straightening with a relieved grin, the courier's expression turned a touch rueful at the mention of penance. He'd certainly put himself through a lot of stress over the past year that was suddenly looking a lot more silly now that he'd been absolved of his original sin of bullheaded pride. And if his eyes started to wander down that luscious body before he jerked them back to Frey's heart-shaped face, well, hopefully his partner would forgive him...

Oh. Oh. Oh... fuck. Literally.

He gulped, considering his options and... yeah. Yeah. The thought of trying to pleasure a god and not doing a good enough job was terrifying enough to make him pucker up in all the wrong places. "Well... uh, I actually kinda... kept my favorite," he admitted, clearing his throat and looking around for something to use as lube. "But out o' these, this one was th'best..." He reached for one of the toys that had seen a little more use than the rest, self-conscious but doing his best to live up to Frey's expectations of him.

And if it took him a little longer to relax and reach the payout under the watchful eyes of a fruitful god, well, at least he got there in the end.

~Fin