Mr. Carter and the Magic Flute part 2

As the lights come up, revealing a dark temple interior, Gabima is dragged onto the stage, faster even than the music, a rapid, sinister tone that matches the pounding footsteps of Synastro's faceless, shirtless henchmen... Wait they really were faceless! Damien really hoped that was just clever makeup and lighting tricks and not Nymeera's magic. It had to be right? How else would they see? The two men wearing...questionably little, tossed Gabima onto the floor and stood over her menacingly.

The music faded to a soft timbre, the quiet punctuating the unease in the air as Gabima looked up with fear in her eyes. "O-okay," she said, her voice sounding so much like Gabriella that Damien had to check to make sure the woman herself wasn't the one talking. He wondered if Gabriella had the same sensation from listening to Damino. "You caught me. I'm sorry I tried to escape...It...it won't happen again!" Gabima half stated half pleaded.

"You're certainly right about that," a new voice said, sounding quite familiar...

Victoria appeared in what Damien had to assume was an originally designed outfit of black leather. Her muscular frame was darker than before, to the point where she almost looked black. The music returned as she entered the stage, swelling into a sonata of dread. "Chain her up, and leave us," Victoria said, much to Gabima's terror. The two musclebound servants nodded and obeyed immediately with a perfectly synched:

"Yes Chief Victostatos!"

Gabima was chained to the wall, displayed for the audience, and Victostatos, to see as the faceless men exited the stage, leaving Gabima and Victostatos alone.

"Gabima...Gabima...Gabima..." Victostatos purrs, tracing her fingertips along Gabima's shoulders. Beside him Damien can feel the real Gabriella tense up slightly as on stage Gabima tries to edge away from the exploring fingers, only for the chains binding her to hold fast. "When will you learn that Synastro only wants to help you? Just as she's helped all her other slaves? Just as she's helped me..." Victostatos stage whispers the last part into Gabima's ear, her tongue licking up along the ridge of Gabima's ear.

"That's not in the original script..." Gabriella muttered darkly.

Suddenly a dim spotlight opened up on the far right of the stage, drawing the audience's attention to where a single feather was gracefully floating through the air and onto the stage...

"I just...I want to go home," Gabima said, clearly uncomfortable, especially as Victostatos' hands continued to explore her body.

The dim spotlight grew brighter as Danageno snuck quickly onto the stage to grab the feather that had fallen, only for another to fly off of her body and onto the stage behind her. Danageno hopped in surprise, causing another feather to fly off, and moved to acquire the newly sighted feather, unaware that she was just making things worse for herself. The audience began to let out some low chuckles.

"Gabima my dear..." purred Victostatos, hands moving to flagrantly inappropriate places, heedless of the bird catcher flitting about behind her. "You are home," she said, slipping a tongue into Gabima's mouth...

"Okay this is-" Gabriella said, a bit too loud, prompting quick 'shh's!' from the audience around them.

"I just got shushed on my own date...by what are essentially NPCs..." Gabriella said, much quieter now. Damien turned to her and gave her a slow smile, then slightly shrugged with a tilt of his head as if to say: 'Well you did kinda deserve it...' Gabriella's lips quirked downward in a frown, then her whole face broke into a bashful smile. She turned back to the opera, and as she did Damien noted that her hand was being placed very near to his on their arm rests.

The spotlight over Gabima and Victostatos was growing dimmer and dimmer, hiding the sapphic scene from the audience and turning their attention forcibly to Danageno who had grabbed the second feather from the stage, and turned around, only for the dim spotlight, which had been subtly growing brighter, to suddenly zip away from her and onto the third feather, laying at the ground just behind Victostatos's feet. Danageno gasped and leapt toward the feather, causing about 10 to fly off of her as she pounced on it like a cat claiming its prize. The music stopped as the spotlight grew to join Danageno, Victostatos, and Gabima together in the light.

Danageno slowly turned, facing towards Victostatos, and the audience, a single feather held up in her hand, as Victostatos stopped kissing Gabima and turned to face Danageno. The two stared at each other for a beat...

"AHHH! DEVIL!" They shout at the same time, bolting offstage in opposite directions as the music swelled back to comedic tones, leaving Gabima alone with the spotlight on her, still tied to the wall and looking back and forth at the opposite ends of the stage where both other parties had run off to.

"H-hey! What about me?" she said, as the music dimmed, looking first to the left...then to the right...then at the audience. The music cut off entirely leaving Gabima shackled to the wall in a dark room, alone. "Well this sucks," she stated flatly in a complete shift from her earlier, higher pitched, dainty princess-like tone. The audience, including Damien, erupted into laughter and even Gabriella cracked a smile at the joke. After a beat the music resumed and Danageno crept back onto stage, slowly picking up her missing feathers as she makes her way back to Gabima, straightening up before her and slowly arranging the feathers in her hand before clearing her throat.

"Hey so..." Danageno says nervously before the bound and confused looking Gabima. "You're kinda hot...would you like to be my wife?" Danageno asks, presenting the feathers in her hand to Gabima like a bouquet of flowers. Gabima blinks rapidly before nervously stumbling out a response.

"Um, but we've only just met. I don't even know your name or...what you're doing here..." she said nervously, testing the chains binding her to the wall before giving Danageno a big, nervous smile.

"Ah! I am Danageno! A birdcatcher! In search of a beautiful wife!" Danageno said wistfully, giving doe eyes to her literally captive audience. "Oh, and Damino sent me ahead to find Gabima. Her mother has tasked Damino with rescuing her from this place and I..." Danageno pauses for a moment. "I got roped into it!" she finishes proudly.

"Oh! Mother sent you to save me?" Gabima suddenly exclaims, nervousness replaced by radiant hope. The music dies down and Danageno stares at Gabima for long seconds as a ticking sound echoes through the theater. tick-tick tick-tick tick-tick tick-tick ding!

"YOU'RE Gabima!?" after a bell rings out through the theater. "No no, there's a picture and you look..."

Danageno looks Gabima up and down before freezing in place, her hand very slowly moving up to slap against her forehead. "Alas! My heart is broken once again, and my search for a wife remains ongoing..." Danageno wails out in despair as she moves to unchain Gabima, sniffling as she does so. Gabima looks more and more uncomfortable as her rescuer frees her from her chains and plops down despondently on a small wooden bench. Gabima places a hand on Danageno's leg and starts to sing to comfort her.

The music swells and Gabima's voice floats through the opera house like a gentle wind, tugging on the heartstrings of all who hear her sing of loving a spouse. Danageno, in a deeper, but also beautiful voice, joins in, espousing her desires in song, and exposing her deep longing to love and to be loved in return. The bliss and joy of love, the sacred bond of a pair, duly married. Both take turns singing to and with the other, as Danageno rises from her slump, beaming brightly as Gabima lifts her to her feet and the duo dance together. As the song comes to a reverent close the audience erupts in applause, and Damien notes that there are more than a few married couples holding hands and drying eyes.

"Oh, Gabima! Could it be that you really are the wife I've been seeking all this time?" Danageno asks wistfully, still dancing across the stage in a flurry of feathers.

"Well, you did unchain me, and you scared away that nasty Victostatos. But I'm not really someone who falls in love just by seeing a person," Gabima says diplomatically, watching Danageno dance around.

"Amazing! Amazing that you'd choose me over a handsome young prince!" The music cuts out very suddenly as Gabima does a double take, leaving Danageno to dance in silence.

"Handsome prince you say?" Gabima says thoughtfully, eyes looking up. "...just how handsome are we talking?"

Suddenly Danageno stops dancing and looks out to the audience in horror. "O-oh well not that..." Danageno trails off as the three fox women flit ethereally through the background of the set, giggling, and reminding Danageno of what happened the last time she told a lie... "Okay yes, he's very handsome, but-"

"Well what kind of handsome?" Gabima interjects, shaking her head a little. "Like, boyish handsome or...strong, rugged...muscular...mmm manly...handsome..."

"...the latter," Danageno replies slowly. "However-"

"And when you say 'prince,' are we talking like...prince prince? Or 12th line inheritor of a backwater dutchy no ones ever heard of?"

"He's very wealthy and very in line for the throne, however isn't that all just so much-"

"Wow...and he loves me..." Gabima says wistfully, her hand moving to her chest. Damien watched Gabriella roll her eyes from beside him. Danageno finally stopped fidgeting around and just looked right at the audience, deadpan expression, before turning back to Gabima.

"You sure are getting worked up about all this aren't you?"

"Well, if it's true love I...I suppose I must give it a chance..." Gabima said, clearly already enamored with the idea. "Oh! But how will we escape? Synastro's slaves are everywhere, and Victostatos is...tenacious."

"Well, your mother did give Damino and I some gifts to help us," Danageno said, pulling out a small box from inside her dress.

"And mother approves of our love..." Gabima fawns excitedly.

"...right. There are magical bells in here that can protect us from Synastro's slaves. Damino has a magical flute that can turn sorrow into joy, and he's coming here as well!"

"The magic flute? Mother never gives away such powerful artifacts... Oh, it must be fate! Darling Tamino..."

"Damino."

"Damnio... I cannot wait till I'm in your strong, handsome, wealthy embrace..."

Danageno looked over at Gabima, who was haplessly swooning over her own imagination, then out to the audience. "God I wish I had a wife like that. I wonder how Damino feels about cuckoldry..." before snapping Gabima out of it and rushing off stage. The lights dim, the curtain falls and the music transitions from romantic comedy to something more...heroic, as the curtain rises once more, the set now changed to an outdoors appearance as Damino appears, wielding a very long, apparently magical, flute.

"Damino," Gabriella softly teased in Damien's ear. "Your magical flute is so long~" Damien put a hand to his mouth, trying very hard not to laugh at that, despite how utterly erotic it was...

"Synastro's temple must be around here somewhere..." Damino mused to himself, the music swelling with his presence, the symphony of a hero. "I confess, I'm nervous..." Damino half says half sings, his baritone voice reverberating through the theater. "Gabima is so beautiful, her visage makes me feel..." subtly, as Damino speaks, he slowly raises his flute to a more upright position, holding it suspiciously close to the front of his pants. The audience chuckles at the dirty joke as Damino pauses for effect. "...motivated," he concludes, bringing the flute up to a more natural position and beginning to play. Immediately the theater is filled with the sweet peal of woodwind music. Even Damien had to admit that the musical whimsy was catchy and uplifting. He might've suspected Nymeera's magic at play, enchanting the audience with her power, but from the way they looked on it seemed more likely that whoever was playing was just really good.

Brightly decorated 'animals,' leapt out from the darkness of the stage and began to dance around Damino, leaping and calling out in warbling voices, clearly rejoicing in the music of the flute. As Damino plays the animals leap all around him, circling him in a colorful parade before beginning to dance towards the center of the stage, leading Damino across the stage as he played his magic flute, the orchestral heroic melody playing triumphantly just underneath it.

The dancing animals lead Damino all the way to far right of the stage, at its edge where a spotlight comes on, revealing a large, towering structure with a massive sign upon its face labeled: Tower of Reason. Damino stops playing his flute, though the orchestra beneath continues to play the merry tune, brightly colored animals continuing to dance and spin around him as he confidently looks up at the Temple of Reason and calls out in a strong, masculine voice.

"Ho! I bid you to let me in! I am Damino here to rescue the lovely Gabima!"

"No. Go away."

The cold, familiar voice shuts down not just Damino, but the music abruptly cuts off, the animals cease their dancing, and even the lights dim a little. Damino looks around a little as though confused by the cold rejection. The animals around him look left and right, then suddenly all turn to the left, and the music picks up again as they begin to dance an spin and guide him away from the cold, remorseless Tower and Reason, spotlight going out to once more shroud it in stage darkness, towards the opposite side of the stage where a new spotlight lights up over another large, towering structure. This one labeled as: Temple of Nature.

"Ho! I bid you to let me in!" Damino called out, undeterred by his swift rejection earlier, animals dancing, music swelling heroically. "I am Damino here to-"

"Oh. Sorry... No... Sorry..."

Damien and Gabriella shared a look. That was obviously Summer, which meant the first voice was no doubt Crystal's. Once again the music cut off, the animals froze in place, and Damino looked surprised. He looked down at his magical flute and rapped on it with his knuckles twice before bringing it to his ear.

"This thing is supposed to bring joy to sorrow...so why isn't it working on Synastro's followers?" he mused to himself.

"That is because you've been deceived," called out a new voice. Suddenly a spotlight lit up the very center of the stage and all eyes were drawn to Suki...

...'s tits.

"Excuse me?" Damino asked, his head obviously tilting downward as he addressed Suki, who was standing in front of a third temple, labeled Temple of Wisdom. "And...who might you be?" he asked her cleavage directly.

"Not very faithful to his true love is he?" Gabriella teased from Damien's side, snickering at the sudden hush that fell over the audience at Suki's appearance, though Damien couldn't help but note the way her tongue licked suggestively along her fingertips. Was she upset at Damino giving Suki so much...attention? This was supposed to be her play after all, but that did seem a bit petty...

"You may call me the Speaker, and I know very well the flute you play. It is an artifact held by the Queen of the Night, though it seems...no longer," Speaker Suki said solemnly, as though she had no idea Damino, and everyone else's, eyes were glued to her cleavage, which looked exaggeratedly large even for Suki. As though Nymeera wanted to go to great lengths to ensure her chest was a spectacle, even for those in the back seats... "Synastro is not the bringer of sorrows, but is a benevolent **** that brings joy to others, much like the flute you wield. It is the Queen of Night herself who is not to be trusted." Suki's eyes take in the magical flute and she smiles serenely. "She knows not the power of her own gift, and it's effects, though devastatingly effective against her and her ilk, will not sway Synastro or her subjects nearly so well."

"I want to believe you..." Damino says, still staring at Suki's cleavage. "...but Synastro did kidnap Gabima, did she not? Who knows what has happened to her..."

"Do not fret so handsome Damino," Suki sang out lyrically. "Gabima is alive and well. Approach Synastro's temple in the spirit of friendship and all..." Suki's fingers seemed to brush at the collar of her robe, as though absentmindedly thinking of tugging it down... "Will be revealed..." The way she said that...Damien's mouth suddenly felt a bit dry, and suddenly it was hard...to blame Damino for doing a 180 and agreeing to approach Synastro on friendly terms. Gabriella made a gagging noise that Damien thought was a bit in poor taste...until he realized she was trying to deep throat her fingers and he helpfully pulled them out of her mouth with a loud pop!

"Thanks..."

Suddenly the sound of pipes ring out across the theater and Damino gasps loudly, tearing his eyes away from Speaker Suki's tits for the first time. "That sounded like Danageno!" he exclaimed, looking towards the right end of the stage. "I thank you for your bountiful...advice Miss Speaker," Damino said, giving a polite bow. "I will keep your words close to my..." he glanced down. "...heart. Thank you again!" he said, sprinting off stage, leaving the animals around him to scatter and Suki to step back into her tower, hidden behind the set pieces as the temples began to move, zipping along the stage to be replaced with foliage and shrub set pieces instead. Gabima and Danageno race onto the stage, pursued hotly by Victostatos.

Danageno and Gabima rushed along the stage as Victostatos and several shirtless men chased them, the music a frantic, pounding beat that warned of danger and fright! Danageno's pipes, playing a frantic single note that increased rapidly in pitch, adding to the frenetic scene as Gabima and Danageno run around set pieces designed to look like boulders and bushes, slowly becoming more and more surrounded by Victostatos and her shirtless entourage.

"Give it up Gabima and you feathered demon. There's no escape for you now. Come back home and I promise I'll only punish you a little..." Victostatos purred malevolently, creeping forward slowly, the half circle of shirtless men getting closer and closer as the music grew louder and louder.

"Oh Danageno it's hopeless!" Gabima wailed in despair. "After Victostatos is through with me...I'm sure I'll be unfit to be a bride!" Danageno gasped and all the music suddenly cut off, Victostatos and her men freezing as the lights dimmed on them and the spotlight shone only on Danageno who looked out to the audience.

"I think I got a shot..." she said excitedly before pulling out the magic bells from her within her robes, small glittering golden bells held along strings bound to a wooden base and top. She placed it on the ground and touched a button at the top. Suddenly the bells began to move, circling around and around and hitting the side of the device causing a beautiful chiming music to play in the otherwise silent theater.

As the music of the bells played enchantingly throughout the theater, the lights slowly came up on Victostatos and her minions, their menacing facades slowly melting away to a dreamy, awestruck posture that stared at the bells as though hypnotized. Immediately they began to sing, with Victostatos taking the lead role and the men acting as her backups.

"Das klinget so herrlich..."

That sounds so splendid... The subtitles read as Victostatos sang about how enchantingly beautiful the bells were and how she longed to continue to listen to them, ensorcelled by their musical spell. As the group sang and swayed around the music bells, Danageno and Gabima slowly made their way out, careful not to disrupt the dance, and left the stage as Victostatos finished her song by picking up the musical bells and carrying it off stage with her, still singing of its beautiful sound till her voice faded completely along with the sound of the bells.

The lights faded, and Damien could see stage hands dressed in all black darting out to take the bushes and boulders of the set and pull them all off to the left, while more stage hands from the right simultaneously pulled on stage tall buildings and street lights, with Danageno and Gabima coming in from the right as though on a track. It was like someone had taken the camera and moved it to the side, changing the scene quickly and efficiently, and cinematically.

"Wow, I liked that..." Gabriella said from beside him, "That was almost cinematic, and I don't think there was any fox magic involved, just good set design and stagehand work."

"Stars often don't shine brightly on their own," Damien replied, acknowledging the effort put in by the crew supporting the cast.

"Huh..." Gabriella said as the lights came back up and Danageno and Gabima looked around frantically. "I think I'm actually enjoying myself," she said with a smile that made Damien's chest feel tight. True, it was hard to remember that they were **** here against their will, mostly. On a supernatural game show where she was to be **** into sexual slavery to him. Was this what Stockholm Syndrome was like? Obviously it still wasn't ethical, that much was for certain...but it was easy to imagine for more unpleasant ways to spend a month...

"I think..." Danageno said, out of breath. "I think we lost them. We're safe! We did it!"

"All hail Synastro!" shouted a deep, male voice from offstage, the sound of many footsteps echoing through the theater.

"We failed! We're doomed! It's Synastro! What do we do Gabima?! Should we pledge ourselves to be married right now? Just in case this is the end?"

"We just have to tell the truth..."

"I love you and want you to be my wife!"

"That's the only way Danageno," Gabima said, pulling Danageno to her feet.

"I said I love you want you to be my wife..."

"Yes, the truth will set us free," Gabima continued, heedless, looking out towards the audience...right at Damien actually. "Then I can be with my darling Damino!"

"Es lebe Sarastro!"

Long live Sarastro! the subtitles declared in bold as the stage was suddenly swarmed by shirtless men holding up a very pleased looking Syn who rode on their shoulders, legs crossed, hands possessively caressing their shoulders and arms as they sang for her. In one hand she held two long leather leashes connected to actors with very familiar looking dog masks. A loud, boisterous song of deep, male voices singing her praise and vowing their lives to her glory rang through the theater, prompting the audience to clap along. In that smiling, clapping audience Gabriella's thighs tightened together and she looked down at the redhaired beauty with disdain and, of course, arousal.

"Yeah, big fucking surprise..." Gabriella bemoaned. Damien felt he should say something helpful to ease her stress, but didn't really know what to say.

"Well, at least she's not the love interest," Damien said jokingly. Gabriella didn't seem to find it funny and just continued to brood, and get herself even more worked up. "Hey. We can always leave..." Gabriella let out a sigh and unclenched her thighs as the song singing Synastro's praises finally wrapped up.

"No, it's fine. In the real play Sarastro is a symbol of enlightenment gives the hero and heroine tests to bring them to a more spiritually 'pure' form of love. Should be funny to see Syn doing that."

"Well now what's this?" Syn's sensual voice rang out through the theater, sending a shock of erotic thrill through Damien. That sultry purr definitely didn't feel like the voice of one who sought to bring others to enlightenment... "Little Gabima? What are you doing here?"

"Synastro!" Gabima cried out as she fell to her knees before Synastro. "I admit that I fled from the tower you provided me, and I was trying to escape with this bird woman..." Danageno smiled and waved nervously. "But I implore you... Victostatos was forcing herself on me. I couldn't stay here any longer and I...I longed to return to my mother. She has approved of a man to marry me. He's handsome, and rich, and well endowed..." Danageno suddenly looks up and blinks several times at the audience, pointing to herself for a moment and mouthing 'Did I say that?' despite Gabima moving on onheeded. "Mother approves of him, so it must be fate that we are together!"

Synastro's sultry grin remained fixed on her face as she sat quietly and listened, atop the broad shoulders of her shirtless man-slaves, but listened patiently nonetheless! "I see. Gabima I never wished for you to be unhappy here. Truly all I wish for is for those around me to be happy, and satisfied," she purred that last word, black fingernails scraping against the nipples of one of the shirtless men beneath her, who couldn't help but suppress a shiver. "However, I cannot return you to your mother. She is a headstrong woman who lusts only for her own happiness, and who will shackle you to her ways. You are a delicate, shapely woman who needs to be molded by firm, strong, and gentle hands that will bring out the best in you, without forcing you to succumb to their machinations. This man your mother approves of...I hope he prays never to run into me."

"Synastro!" Victostatos calls out suddenly, appearing from offstage and dragging a bound Damino behind her with a vicious grin on her face. "I've caught a spy sent from the Queen of the Night herself!"

"Damino!" Danageno calls out in alarm.

"Danageno?" Damino responds in confusion.

"Damino?" Gabima asks curiously.

"Gabima!" Damino exclaims excitedly.

"Victostatos..." Synastro states firmly...

"Synastro?" Victostatos asks questioningly.

"Paul," says one brave shirtless man hidden in the crowd, causing the audience to burst out in laughter.

Synastro gestures sharply for silence, her stern gaze fixing on Victostatos who, unaware of why she seems to be in trouble, kneels, automatically releasing Damino's leash, letting him shuck off the bindings and rush over to Gabima to embrace her. She embraces him back, holding onto him as their bodies seem to merge and the music swells to accompany this romantic moment. At once the crowd around them begins to gasp and murmur, almost seeming to drag the uplifting music down, burying it in their indignation. Synastro holds up a black nailed hand and the crowd immediately silences, along with the music.

"So...Damino. You must be the one the Queen of the Night sent to steal Gabima from this place of safety..."

"Y-yes!" Victostatos exclaimed, rising up to her feet to point an accusatory finger at Gabima. "Gabima there tried to flee your protection with the help of that feathery devil! I caught them and prevented them from getting away! Surely I've earned a reward for this!" Victostatos said, her eyes trailing along Gabima's body predatorily. Synastro sighed and snapped her fingers twice, reaching out a long, luxurious leg, her heeled shoe dangling off of it till it feel to the ground.

"I suppose you have earned something haven't you?" Synastro said with a seductive purr as the shirtless men, two of which she sit sat atop, pulled out a gilded chest and began to pull out fishnet stockings, pulling them slowly and sensually up her long, extended legs one at a time. Synastro shifted her weight to the other side, her other heel falling to the ground as she extended her second leg for them to dress up, before hooking the thigh high stockings to something hidden beneath her robes. She was then slowly lowered to the ground, two more shirtless men scrambling to place her heels upright so that she could slide her feet into them as she descended. Victostatos licked her lips, smiling hungrily as Synastro held out her hand, her robes pulled back and revealing her incredible body.

"The taste of my whip is seen as quite the reward by some. I'm sure you'll come to enjoy it as well," Synastro said throatily as another shirtless man reached back into the gilded chest and took out a long, black whip, handing it to Synastro. Victostatos' smile vanished instantly and she held up her hand as if to protest, only for Synastro to crack the whip, the long, soft looking tassels flying out with a loud snap to strike at Victostato's navel.

"Ah! My Lady!"

"Shhh," cooed Synastro. "This will only hurt as much as I want it to..." She then had Victostatos turn around and kneel, her toned backside exposed to Synastro's lash as she gave it a bright red color with repeated strikes. Over and over Victostatos was beaten with that whip, and Damien was starting to get a little uncomfortable...until he noticed Victostatos wasn't crying out in pain, she was moaning in half pain, half pleasure. When it was over Synastro knelt down beside Victostatos and tilted her chin up. "Wasn't that a nice reward my pet?"

"Yes Mistress..." Victostatos said through clenched teeth, obviously trying not to have enjoyed it but failing. Synastro then ordered her slaves to take Victostatos away while she dealt with the rest of them... Then turned toward the three who had watched the whipping in stunned silence.

"I uh...know this is out of character but...I don't think I need a wife that badly..." Danageno said, looking at Synastro's whip in horror. The entire stage suddenly fell silent with Gabima and Damino looking at Danageno in shock.

"Relax birdy, I'm not after you..." Synastro said, rubbing her fingers over the whip's handle. Damino immediately stepped forward, holding his arms out and standing between Synastro and Gabima.

"If you must punish someone punish me! I apologize for my intrusion and will accept your judgement, but Gabima did nothing wrong and I beg that you spare her!" he said, causing music to begin back up again, punctuating his words. Synastro just smiled, cat-like, and handed her whip off to one of her shirtless slaves, who put it delicately back into its box.

"Perhaps there's some hope for you yet. Priests! Attend me!"

Two familiar looking faces approached from opposite ends of the stage, one looking annoyed and one looking excited. It was easy to tell who was who based on that alone... The Crystal Priest looked Damino up and down and raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word, just stared at him with an icy glare. The Summer Priest, however, gave them a big smile and seemed to alight with joy.

"Oh! Look! He's protecting her, oh how romantic!" Without missing a beat, Danageno rushes over to the Summer Priest and gets down on one knee, opening her mouth dramatically.

"Say anything to her and I'll kill you where you kneel bird," Crystal Priest said sharply causing Danageno to freeze up. Summer Priest just smiled and patted her on the head placatingly.

"Sorry little bird girl, I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I'm working on my relationship with God." Danageno looked like she'd been run over by a truck, crumpling to the ground in soft sobs as Summer Priest lightly consoled her.

"Ahem," Synastro cleared her throat loudly, drawing attention back to her. "We have before us two souls who wish to...consummate a relationship," she said with a sultry smile. "I decree that they shall both undergo trials of purification, and if their love should prove strong enough to withstand these trials...well shit, let 'em fuck I say," Synastro finished with a shrug of her shoulders.

The music swells and the set begins to slowly clear as Summer and Crystal sing of virtue and justice, of becoming like gods in purity and righteousness, and of transcending human flaws to embrace pure love. The shirtless men dance and lend their voices to sing in the background, slowly pulling Damino and Gabima apart as the two lovers reach towards each other, spun and carried away by the shirtless men, their hands never touching, but always reaching to each other no matter how much they are spun and twirled as they are lead off stage opposite each other with the Priests and Synastro exiting opposite Gabima, followed by the shirtless men. The music calms and the singing stops leaving Danageno all alone on the stage.

"Well that was-"

The curtain immediately falls, cutting off Danageno from sight.

And with that the stage lights dim and the house lights come on. The screen reads that there will now be a 30 minute intermission before starting the second Act. As the audience erupts in thunderous applause Damien looks at Gabriella and offers his hand.

"Shall we take a break?"

"Yes please," Gabriella replied, taking the offered hand and hooking her arm around his as they rose and began to make for the building's lounge.