Temples Again

Amarissa glowed a little more than usual as she stepped past Lysanthe. She squatted down a little to make eye contact with Marco and put a hand on his shoulder. “Marco, my name is Amarissa, but over the centuries I’ve also been called Cordelia, Merut, Kariritu and Qamatu. I was the goddess of love to the Drathans, the Velledians, the ancient Coscilicians and the city-state of Dymyros before it was consumed by the sea, among so many others. And I promise you: There has always been room for your kind of love in my temple.”

Jaded dying goddesses and foes of old Lysanthe and Amarissa meet in an alley to reminisce about the world long gone, the power they used to wield, and the members of their pantheon who have died forgotten and unworshipped. When their doom spiral is interrupted by the sight of a mortal boy being cast out of his parents' house merely for daring to love, an opportunity for salvation for all three presents itself- but have they the strength to grasp it?

A 10 page, ~5000 word SFW story about lesbian goddesses saving gay mortal youths in a world that has no time for any of them. This was meant to be my special for pride 2024, but it's late enough it serves as such only in those constituencies that hold pride festivals later on for whatever reason.

Content Warnings: Homophobic abuse, forced unhousing, cigarette smoking.